PROTEST PLIGHT
SCUNTHORPE TAXI DRIVERS TO TAKE CARS OFF THE ROADS ON MAD FRIDAY AFTER CONTINUED ABUSE
A group of Scun- thorpe taxi drivers were planning to take their cars off the roads on Mad Friday after saying they have been the victims of contin- ued anti-social behaviour and tar- geted attacks. According to the Grimsby Telegraph, cabbies have previ- ously spoken out against persistent attacks on their vehicles and some say the abuse and damage has esca- lated over the last few months and
they try to avoid certain roads in Scunthorpe for fear of what could happen to them. Since speaking to ScunthorpeLive in October,
five
drivers say nothing has changed and they planned to take a stand by withdrawing their services on the night of Friday, December 20, expected to be one of the busiest of the year as pre- Christmas revellers seek transport home.
Taxi drivers who spoke to Scunthorpe Live in October about a rise in attacks
The North Lin- colnshire Taxi Association has confirmed the
action is not a for- mal strike but a choice being made by the individual
drivers, with a meeting to be held with Humberside Police in the new year to discuss the issue. One of the drivers planning to with- draw his services on Mad Friday, who did not wish to be named, said: “I have had enough. This cannot contin- ue. “We need to make a stand and so that is what we are doing. “I can appreciate that the police and the taxi association
plan to meet but we want to do something our- selves.” Another driver, who has worked for several compa- nies over the past 20 years and is well-known in the town, said: “It’s ridiculous that I do not feel safe doing my job. “I do not mind peo- ple having fun but it is not funny to throw stones at cars. It’s not fun to be laughed at because of the colour of my skin.”
CARDIFF TAXI DRIVERS TAKE TO THE STREETS OVER COUNCIL TREATMENT
Throngs of Cardiff taxi drivers des- cended on the city’s County Hall on 4 December in protest at their treatment by the local council. Unite taxi members were protesting over the council’s lack of action over ‘cross-bordering’ by taxi drivers coming into the city to work from other areas. As a result it has become almost impossible for many taxi drivers to make a living from driving, with the vast majority’s remuneration be- ing well below the
64
minimum wage. There are also other significant issues which Cardiff city council has responsibility for that are of seri- ous concern for Unite members, including the im- plementation of Euro 6 vehicle emis- sions compliance for taxis by 2021. This means that older taxis have to be replaced with greener vehicles with little financial assistance. In addition the im- plementation of the council’s “fit and proper driver criteria” is discrimi- nating to Cardiff
Protesters at Cardiff City Hall
drivers because it is not being imple- mented universally across Wales. “If the council con- tinue to ignore the taxi drivers plight, they are planning to engage in an escalating series of protests in the coming months”,
Unite said. Unite Wales regional secretary Peter Hughes said: “The council must recognise that due to the high num- bers of taxis operating within the city, alongside the significant reg- ulations they have
introduced, there is enormous pressure on taxi drivers, most of whom are working extremely long hours for a pitiful remunera- tion. “Cardiff council has a moral obligation to listen and act upon the concerns that our members are raising. It is time for the council to take these griev- ances seriously and engage in mean- ingful and sus- tained dialogue with Unite in order to finally resolve these festering issues.” The protesters were joined at the
demonstration by Labour and Co-op parliamentary can- didate for Cardiff South and Penarth, Stephen Doughty. He said: “I’ve been backing our local taxi drivers for many years in their fight for fair play and a level playing field for drivers in Cardiff. “They work incredi- bly hard on low incomes and are a crucial part of our transport infras- tructure. “They have my full and continued sup- port for urgent action at all levels to address their concerns.”
JANUARY 2020
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