PROTEST PLIGHT
ANGRY CABBIES PROTEST AGAINST WEST NORTHANTS COUNCIL’S CONTROVERSIAL NEW RULES
Around 100 angry cabbies protested in Northampton town centre on the morning of Tuesday 3 October, against a controversial new set of taxi and private hire rules drafted by the council. The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ACDU) has criticised West Northants Council’s (WNC) Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy 2023, which was set to be voted on by WNC. The ACDU has strongly con- demned what they describe as “reactionary, racist, and regressive” regulations. WNC said it would issue a statement following the meeting. In a last ditch attempt to get the council to listen, drivers who are members of the ACDU, met at Victoria Car Park at 11am and marched down the Drapery and protested at the steps of The Guildhall. Many held signs saying, ‘Shame on West Northamptonshire Council’, ‘Stop Discriminatory Policies for Drivers’, and ‘Stop Racist Policies’. The ACDU say that despite months of consultations and multiple in- person meetings, the council has ignored the substantial feedback provided by the ACDU and drivers. The union’s chief concerns with the policy are as follows: • Demands by the council that licensed drivers must secure a ‘certificate of good conduct’ from every country they may have lived for more than 90 days since the age of 18.
• An arbitrary penalty points system where drivers could get points for failing to comply with a dress code or poor punctuality
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“The council seems determined to miss a golden opportunity to introduce regulations that could raise service standards, improve safety and raise the living standards of local licensees long exploited in the trade. “Instead, the council has indulged in populism to dream up
and which turns risk and compliance management into a numbers game but does nothing to raise standards.
•A harsh convictions policy. Drivers convicted for holding a mobile phone, a DVLA 6-point offence, can now lose their private hire licence for five years. • The council warns they
will
monitor the activity of licensed drivers on social media in their private time and consider this in licensing decisions. This is an Article 8 human rights violation in that licensees are guaranteed the right to a private life.
• The council is demanding higher standards from private hire drivers than the elected councillors demand of them- selves in their own code of conduct.
• The council has failed to conduct a proper equalities impact assessment. Shafqat Shah, Chair of ACDU Northampton said: “I am bitterly disappointed that the council has chosen to
disregard the
considered feedback of our union’s members working in the Northampton area trade.
an elaborately punitive and racist policy that will ultimately fail to deliver on its objectives for the public while rewarding big business.”
Mr Shah added: “A lot of drivers are worried about this. There will be so many chances where a driver could lose his licence. “The council wants us to be ambassadors for the town. We’re not going to be ambassadors at this rate if we’re going to be worried about losing our licences. “Licensing are doing things on their own and not consulting us.” At the meeting, councillors failed to decide on the new rules following a lengthy debate. The decision on the policy was therefore deferred to
give
members more time to consider consultation responses and make any amendments to the draft policy . The council has not yet revealed when the final decision on the policy will be made. Mr Shah said: “I am grateful for the common sense exercised by the licensing committee in their decision to defer any vote on the regulations.”
NOVEMBER 2023 PHTM
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