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COST OF LIVING CRISIS TAXI DRIVERS PETITION TO CANCEL SHEFFIELD’S CLEAN AIR ZONE
Hundreds of Sheffield taxi drivers signed a petition calling to cancel the Clean Air Zone in Sheffiled saying they could not afford the £75,000 it would cost to upgrade their vehicles. Ibrar Hussain, long-standing cab driver and former councillor, presented the petition with 275 signatures at Sheffield’s full council meeting on 3 November. He said: “I know we have gone a very long way down the road however, we and the whole
affect the cab trade especially very badly. “We only have
one
manufacturer of hackney carriages in the UK and that vehicle costs £75,000. I don’t think in this climate anyone can afford a £75,000 vehicle. “We are struggling like anyone else and I ask that –
country is [in a different position] now as you are well aware – with the cost of living crisis and everything else. This policy will
BRISTOL CABBIES WARN OF FEWER WAV TAXIS AS CAZ BEGINS
Taxi drivers in Bristol are warning there may be fewer accessible cabs for people with disabilities in the future after the city’s CAZ came into effect on 28 November. Some temporary exemptions are in place until the end of March to allow people to get prepared. But those driving the city’s blue hackney carriages have warned the zone may lead to
fewer
accessible taxis as drivers swap their non-compliant wheelchair- friendly cars for smaller cars. Mohammad Islam, from the Bristol Blue Licensed Taxi Association, said: “Lots of drivers do the school run for the disabled or the wheelchair users’ children and people with special needs and the elderly, will be in difficulties to find a blue car [sic].” Another cabbie, Jante Mohemed, agreed, saying he has seen many of his colleagues swap their blue cars for private hire vehicles.
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“It’s affected a lot of drivers,” Jante said. “Many have bought a small car. Usually, we’ve got the wheelchair, but no one can afford to buy the wheelchair car, because it must be an electric one. “So, everyone goes to private hire and buys small cars and less hackneys,” he added. Charges range depending on the type of vehicle being driven, with older, non-compliant cars being charged £9 a day, the same price a taxi will face. People who fail to pay will be issued with a penalty
charge
notice of £120, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. The scheme will now apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is believed to affect an estimated 75,000 drivers a day. Bristol City Council has said that more than seven in ten drivers will be unaffected by the CAZ as they already meet emission standards.
I know you are not going to cancel this because of the government – but you can delay and postpone it to give us time to breathe and work together.” In response, Cllr Julie Grocutt, co- chair of the transport,
regen-
eration and climate change committee, said: “We completely understand your concerns and this is why we are constantly pushing government for extra financial support for those affected by the implementation of the CAZ. “As a result, we have one of the best packages available to any local authority but we recognise this doesn’t go far enough and as government is mandating that we must do this we believe they need to do much more so people can make the upgrades needed. “We are committed to delivering clean air across the city. We are standing by our commitment to deliver the Clean Air Zone.” Sheffield’s CAZ is due to start from spring 2023 following delays, meaning the most polluting buses, taxis, vans, coaches and lorries will have to pay a charge for every day they drive in the inner ring road and city centre. Charges will be £10/day for heavily polluting vans and taxis and £50 a day for coaches, buses and lorries.
DECEMBER 2022 PHTM
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