PROTEST PLIGHT WILTSHIRE TAXI DRIVERS’ FURY
AT BID TO LOWER FARES ON SUNDAYS
Angry taxi drivers in north Wiltshire are threatening to stop working on a Sun- day if new fares are introduced. The Wiltshire Times reports that they say it won’t be worth their while working at the new tariff fares proposed by Wiltshire Council. Currently, drivers can charge a higher rate of £7.20 a mile all day on Sunday, higher than the £5.20 Monday to Saturday day rate. But the proposed new tariffs mean that would be cut to £5.50 a mile. There are further changes proposed
affecting fares in the early hours. The current second tariff tier (£7.20 a mile), which runs from 10.30pm to 2.29am, would start at 10pm and be extended to 5.59am and the previous third tier (£8.50 a mile) removed. Under the new pro- posals, it will start earlier at 10pm instead of 10.30pm and last until 5.59am at a flat rate of £7.50 per mile. Vivienne Pepler, the representative for more than 330 north Wiltshire taxi dri- vers, said: “The changes mean they want us to work all
Taxi drivers protest at Chippenham Railway Station
through the week at tariff one, which is a much lower fare rate. “Our taxi drivers in north Wiltshire say they will refuse to work all day Sunday if they don’t get tar- iff two. They are not
willing to work for nothing.” Mrs Pepler, 56, from Chippenham, says the time change means taxi drivers will be working 30 minutes longer and into the early hours of the morning for
what amounts to a fare reduction. “They have taken away the tariff two and our higher rates for working after 8pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. “Our taxi drivers say they will lose money working on a Sun- day and they won’t work on a Sunday because it’s not worth it.” The current taxi fare rates have been in use since 2015 and Wiltshire Council opened a public consultation on its proposed changes. Cllr Bridget Way- man, the cabinet member for trans-
port, said: “We have been holding dis- cussions with stake- holders in both the taxi industry and the nighttime economy for the past two years, and have taken their feedback into account when creating these new proposals. “We recognise that there are differing needs and opinions on tariffs in the North, South, East and West of the county. As such, the proposed new tar- iffs represent a compromise on the feedback we have had from taxi opera- tors and businesses in these areas.”
WAKEFIELD TAXI DRIVERS CALL OFF STRIKE ACTION
A cohort of drivers calling themselves Wakefield United had planned to stay at home between 7pm and 9am every night for one week last month, after falling out with the council over licens- ing rules. The Pontefract and Castleford Express reports that the move threatened to cause disruption for parents who rely on taxis to get their children to school, and for Wakefield’s nighttime economy. But taxi driver Wajid Ali, who was leading the proposed strike, said he’d postponed action after he was offered a meeting with council leader
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Denise Jeffery and the leader of the Conservative oppo- sition. Among drivers’ grie- vances is a recent council ruling for all PHVs to have licens- ing stickers on the front and back of their cars. They’ve also op- posed a policy de- signed to encourage cabbies to buy EVs, which they say are too expensive and contradict other rules banning taxis from having tinted windows. But Mr Ali said: “Despite trying to discuss matters with the licensing depart- ment to no avail, there has been some development
in talks with council- lors who are pro- posing to help. “Therefore in view of this, the proposed strikes have been postponed until fur- ther notice.” It’s understood no date has yet been arranged for the meetings. Some drivers did stay at home on Monday 3 February in protest at council policy, but the fol- lowing week’s prop- osed action had been expected to cause more prob- lems for
the
travelling public. The Wakefield and District PH and HC Association has dis- tanced itself from the strike.
MARCH 2020
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