THE FORGOTTEN INDUSTRY
Transport use in Great Britain has decreased since the imposition of social distancing rules. The percentage change in the use of all motor vehicles, National Rail, the London Underground (TfL) and bus travel (TfL)
And now the entire country – including taxi and private hire – is hav- ing to cope with the gradual relaxation of the lockdown, and the new dimensions of social distancing… whatever they are on the particular morning you read the latest Government bulletin, as the parameters change daily.
In the absence of any possibility of adhering to safe distancingwithin taxis and PHVs, PHTM and the NPHTA have repeatedly asked Gov- ernment for clear guidance on the use of protection screens in licensed saloon taxi/private hire vehicles and minibuses.
WE GOT NOTHING
TheGovernment passed the buck on this decision back to local author- ities,which had been queuing up asking the Government for some sort of national guidelines before they each took a decision locally.
THEY GOT NOTHING
So if a vehicle used TomTom or any other satnav system, or indeed didn’t use any kind of navigation, then it was not included. Hardly an accurate measurement of car usage…
But that’s not the point. The point is: Where is our industry in all this? Are our guys out there, putting themselves at risk, and dying, only to be totally airbrushed out of Government statistics???!!!! It is no wonder this industry is getting nothing by way of support… in their eyes we don’t exist.
Even to the point of Covid regulations for getting back towork,mak- ing sure it is safe, risk assessments, safe distancing, signage, facemasks etc. - our industry isn’t even included in that. In fact it gets worse: many local authorities DO NOT ALLOWPROTECTION to our drivers, quoting that “there is no Government guidance on this.”
The number of people – especially during the current Covid-19 pan- demic – who have told us that PHTM is where they come to find out what is really going on, is quite incredible – but that’s always been the case. It is even more important now.
Well, here it all is; make of it what you will. This message will – once again – be delivered to every Minister involved with transport, from all political persuasions; everyMP; every relevant government department – and to asmanymembers of this industry as is physically possible.
We ask each and every person who reads this: WHY is the taxi and private hire industry being ignored, neglected, airbrushed out and thrown into the long grass by Government? Why the silence??
We have spoken up and stated categorically that the industry was getting nothing; our pleasmerited nothing other than “go on UC or get a loan, we have offered you 80% of your surplus cash.”
NOTHING
Are they trying to get rid of taxis and private hire vehicles in this country altogether?? If that is their goal, they are frighteningly well on their way to achieving it.
Wewould ask: Therewill always be passengers – in varying numbers, hopefully on the increase –who need to get fromA to B. Just exactly who is going to cope with the above-listed transport needs of the travelling public in the dawn of the “new normal” if we don’t exist?
If the taxi and private hire industry is expected to carry on with “business as usual”, we’ll need help. That’s the message here… we’re pushing, campaigning and lobbying everywhere to find somebody out there who will act upon it. Right here, right now, ours is well and truly:
#THEFORGOTTENINDUSTRY
WHO CARES ABOUT OUR TRADE? WE DO!
0161 280 2800
info@nphta.co.uk www.nphta.co.uk A UNIFIED TRADE HAS A POWERFUL VOICE
JOIN THE NPHTA NOW! JULY 2020 9
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