PROTEST PLIGHT
SHEFFIELD TAXI DRIVERS STAGE GO SLOW PROTEST OVER CAZ AND THREATEN STRIKE ACTION
At least 200 taxi drivers staged a go-slow protest through Sheffield yesterday in a rage against the city council’s Clean Air Zone and the help available to
buy
compliant vehicles. There were widespread delays to public transport and other motorists in the city centre with reports of a slow moving convoy in various locations. Witnesses report taxis driving extremely slowly in a line and ‘hogging’ lanes. A spokesperson for First South Yorkshire wrote on Twitter: “All services Sheffield - A large convoy of taxi drivers is currently driving around the city in some form of protest. “All services currently subject to delay and regulation.” It has been three months since the ring road enclosing Sheffield city centre was designated a ‘Clean Air Zone’ [CAZ] where high-emission commercial vehicles now face fines in a bid to clean up air pollution. It included a grace ‘exemption’ period for some drivers, such as those with hackney
carriage
licences, to purchase cleaner vehicles, with grants available from the council to help with the cost. The exemption period ends on June 4. However, in an open letter reportedly signed by some 300 Steel City cabbies driving hackney
carriages, Sheffield’s
cabbies are demanding the extension is put back until June 2024. They
say they 28 “want to see
do their shop- ping. “We take people to work and we are the only reliable public transport service for the night time economy.” The letter con- tinues:
“Taxi drivers are
cleaner air in Sheffield” but believe Sheffield City Council “got it wrong” on how to achieve it. Cabbies say the grants handed out by the council are arriving weeks later than advertised and far less than the £3,500 promised – while also complaining that the price of compliant vehicles has risen dramatically. Some compliant cars that used to cost £10,000 on Autotrader are reportedly now going for £16,000. The open letter, written by driver Hafeas Rehman, reads: “Our trade has still not recovered from Covid, and the cost of living crisis has made it worse. Taxi drivers are earning a lot less and are facing financial difficulties very similar to low paid workers. “Taxi drivers worked throughout Covid and now provide a better public transport service than the buses. “We provide access to wheelchair users, we
take
children to school and back home, we
take individuals
(including the vulnerable) to their hospital, dentist and GP appointments, we take them to
experiencing difficulties acces- sing the grant. It is taking weeks to get a response. “Taxi drivers were told they would receive £3,500 but are being given a lot less. Why is this? SCC has received millions of pounds in grants and will be making millions in fines. “SCC promised to work with us, it feels like they
are working
against us. SCC needs to listen and not ignore us.” They backed up their angry calls by staging a ‘go-slow protest’ through Sheffield at around 4pm on Tuesday 23 May, at Sheffield Arena. Hundreds of hackney carriages were reportedly spotted winding from Meadowhall into town and bringing traffic to a crawl in the city centre. A second protest is being organised outside Town Hall at 1pm on Wednesday May 31. Mr Rehman added: “We are also speaking to our members about ‘strike’ action and other ‘disruptive’ measures.” He said drivers have been complaining to the council for the last three months.
JUNE 2023 PHTM
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