IN THE NEWS
READING PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS SET UP NEW ASSOCIATION TO BARTER WITH COUNCIL
A new union for private hire drivers in Reading has been set up after drivers have accused the council of ‘fobbing them off’. In November, PH drivers asked to use the eastbound bus lane in King’s Road, in the same way they use the westbound one. But their request was put on hold during a meeting of the council’s traffic management sub-committee where Tony Page, lead councillor for transport argued that PHVs are not public and therefore do not form part of the strategic network. Kamran Saddiq, chairman of the Reading Private Hire Association, said: “We feel insulted, embar- rassed, disgraced, the list goes on. “They’re happy to take money for our badges and licence fees, we’re good enough for that, but we’re
not good enough to be considered part of the strategic travel network.” Ultimately, the committee decided to wait for a strategic review of the potential alterations to the bus lane network in Reading before any changes are made. Emotions are still running raw over the decision, as Mr Saddiq complained about a long delay in King’s Road while transporting a radiotherapy patient. He said: “I was stuck in traffic 22 minutes, three buses went past. How is Tony Page backing his comments at the end of the day?” Mr Saddiq has also argued that private hire drivers have been taken for granted, and did vital work during the pandemic serving hospital patients and staff. He added: “When the pandemic
hit, private hire drivers spent £300 putting plastic shields in our cars so we could serve hospital patients safely. If private hire is not part of the strategic transport system, what is?” According to Mr Saddiq, the association already has “215 plus” members, with more drivers to join. Finally, Mr Saddiq said: “We want to work with Reading Borough Council because we’re part of Reading, but the council don’t want to work with us. “We’ve tried our level best to be reasonable, but they’re so slow with our licences, their reviews, it’s a nightmare.” PHTM suggests that cabbies do the same as these Reading drivers and form an association in your area to gain more bargaining power with your local authority.
PHTM JANUARY 2023
33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
