STAY SAFE WITH PLEA TO GOVERNMENT AND COUNCILS
Time is up, it is your duty to make decisions and issue guidance for public protection which includes members of our trade.
Let’s be frank, the world we are living in has changed - It's clear that Covid-19 and the fear it has created is not going to suddenly disap- pear anytime soon.
Our industry is the only integral part of the public transport infras- tructure that has not received any Government support at all, and this support is vital if we are to survive as our country transitions out of lockdown.
If help is not forthcoming then we believe many operators and drivers will have no choice but to leave the industry – indeed a large percentage already have. Who will then be left to transport the old, the disabled and our children to school?
Furthermore, the general public is being told not to use public transport, so our trade is the only viable alternative and could be pivotal in getting the UK mobile again.
Certainly, purpose-built hackney vehicles are ideal with their factory fitted partitions, but all other vehicle types including minibuses have obvious limitations.
It is therefore imperative that each and every driver working in our industry is given the right to try and protect themselves and their passengers; not only from catching and transmitting the virus but also from physical attack. Be warned, we have already seen an increase of vicious incidents and as money becomes tighter our trade is going to be seen as easy targets. But more importantly the trade needs to reassure its customers that its vehicles are a safe and hygienic form of transportation.
The campaign highlighting the benefits of installing temporary pro- tection screens was launched by PHTM and the NPHTA last month and a detailed email sent to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Transport Minister, the Department for Transport, the Health Secre- tary, numerous MP’s and every single licensing authority in the UK. The message was and remains very clear:
We need clear guidance, support, and a common-sense approach! We need a unified quick solution to enable our drivers to safely return to work.
In response, thankfully some councils have taken a pragmatic approach and approved the installation of temporary screens, how- ever others have avoided making a decision whilst “waiting for Government guidance.”
Did we get that guidance? NO, WE DID NOT! Transport Minister Grant Shapps only paid lip service to our industry, acknowledging that our members are “working very hard”…. Still we wait.
The DfT issued a series of bulletins covering all other aspects of public transport which relate to vehicles on pages 8, 11 and 15 of the DfT’s guidance. This clearly states that where safe distancing can- not be observed, other provisions should be put in place “which may include the installation of separation screens,” but nothing written specifically related to taxi and private hire vehicles.
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We have all seen news reports of massive funding being pro- vided to every other aspect of “the public transport infrastructure” – buses, trains, airlines, airports, ferries, cyclists, cycle repair grants, and huge investment in cycle and pedestri- an footpaths as well as road widening schemes – but for some inexplicable reason, it would appear that our industry’s £85 million per week losses; our drivers’ deaths due to Covid-19 and the subsequent protection of our drivers and their passen- gers is of very little importance. Our industry has been forgotten! This is not fair and it is certainly not acceptable!
The message – as is often the case – is that licensing authorities set their own conditions regarding driver and passenger pro- tection. But this issue is not a local issue - it is an international pandemic.
In these unprecedented times this stalemate is causing frustra- tion, anger and confusion across the country.
By complete contrast, we must highly commend Leeds City Council, which has treated the situation seriously and taken the lead to protect drivers and passengers in their district. They have not only approved the installation of temporary protec- tion screens into taxis/PHVs licensed by LCC; they have also offered 50 per cent up to £250 towards the installation of those screens approved by the council.
Furthermore, they have relaxed the normal stance of “approved screens only”, to allow for non-approved screens to be installed in an attempt to make it as easy as possible for drivers, whilst working around the clock to find new screen manufacturers to add to their approved list.
To be clear, non-approved screens are of a temporary basis and must be removed once the virus threat has reduced, approved screens may remain installed. Non-approved screens will not receive funding, and are installed at driver/vehicle owners’ own risk and responsibility, since they have not been tested or approved by LCC to verify safety or compliance, which means the council will accept no responsibility for any injuries or com- plaints relating to or as a result of the screen installation.
But the fact is that Leeds CC has bitten the bullet, and is doing something positive to assist its drivers. You will see a list at the end of this article of other councils that we know of, that have also acted quickly – and whilst they are not offering funding – have at least approved or are allowing the installation of tem- porary protection screens.
Unfortunately, you will also see a list of those councils that we know of that are not allowing such installations.
OK – so we have to ask the question: If a council is not pre- pared to sanction this sort of protection measure for our drivers, exactly what are they prepared to do? What alternative do they suggest? How else do they propose we get our drivers safely back to work? We all know about cleaning and staying at home, but that isn’t good enough!
This campaign by PHTM and the NPHTA for the installation of protection screens in licensed vehicles continues with further
JUNE 2020
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