IN THE NEWS
CCTV FUNDING MAY ATTRACT BARNSLEY DRIVERS BACK TO WORKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS
A lack of willingness from local taxi drivers to work later shifts is having an impact on Barnsley town centre’s night-time economy, council bosses have revealed. Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said there’s ‘no doubt’ the town centre needs a larger cohort of drivers as revellers are shunning the area due to a shortage of taxis. Barnsley-based drivers have bemoaned out-of-town taxis encroaching on their patches as well as a lack of safety when dealing with drunk passengers. “We are seeing a loss of income coming into the town because people fear they can’t get a taxi home on a night ,” Sir Steve said. “One reason is that safety and security concerns are putting off
drivers from working. “We have seen taxi drivers operate during the day but not on evenings or weekends. We’ve got to try and combat that. “We’ve asked for funding to provide free cameras in every vehicle we have licensed - about 70, I believe - which will provide that extra security, helping both drivers and customers. “I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure it is agreed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and then sit down with taxi associations and look at how we can expand that further. One of the things - clearly for any taxi driver these days - is being able to go to work knowing you will be safe.
“Free cameras is a small step but hopefully one which will provide an inducement for drivers to work on nights and weekends.” One daytime and two night checks were recently carried out, with stark differences being noticed in those plying their trade. During the day, all 12 vehicles were Barnsley- registered, but every taxi stopped at night was licensed by other local authorities. Licensing chair Cllr Steve Green added: “We’re addressing con- cerns and have had discussions with Veezu, which is now the town’s largest operator. They’ve told us that Barnsley-based drivers are prioritised if a fare comes in, but if there’s a ten-minute delay the job goes elsewhere.”
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MARCH 2024 PHTM
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