COVID NEWS
PROBE LAUNCHED INTO LOCKDOWN TAXI PAYOUTS BY FIRMS IN BLACKBURN
An investigation has been launched after some taxi drivers say that tens of thousands of pounds in payments made to cab firms during lockdown have not been passed to them. According to the Lancashire Telegraph, the row centres on council contracts to provide school transport for pupils. In line with government guidance, Blackburn with Darwen Council (BwDC) and Lancashire County Council (LCC) contin- ued to pay firms for contracts they could not fulfill between May and July 2020 because of the Covid-19 restrictions. Most contracted drivers continued to be paid during this period despite not being able to work, but some drivers said they were not. BwDC said they were ‘aware of apparent non-payment to a small minority of drivers and have started an investigation’. LCC urged any drivers who believe they have lost out to contact them. In a letter to taxi firms, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, the county council said: “LCC will pay 100% of your contracted daily price until at least the end of June 2020. However the authority reserves the right to examine you have continued
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to pay your drivers the full amount you would have paid them if contracts had still been operating.” Mohammed Iqbal Ansari said he had received nothing from City Taxis in Blackburn. He said: “I was not able to work for months and I asked City Taxis if they would be paying me the contracted money. They said ‘no’.” Another City driver Faiz Akhtar said: “We asked for the money and were told it would not be paid. Nothing has been paid to the drivers as far as I am aware. This is totally unfair.” A driver who used to work for Matrix Taxis said: “I was paid £240 per week for my contracts. After lockdown I should have been paid that for the following months. I asked for this payment but it has not been forthcoming. It’s unfair.” Cllr Keith Iddon, LCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Our support was vital to ensuring they could continue operating and ensured there were still firms running when schools and colleges reopened. This money can be used to pay drivers’ wages if they worked on county council contracts, provided the drivers or the operators did not claim Covid-19 related support through other Government schemes. If drivers claimed through the SEISS or firms used Furlough, they’re not entitled to have wages paid or topped up by the county council contract payments for this period. “However, any drivers who believe they should receive payments from the county council funding should contact us and we will look into the issue.” A BwDC spokesman said: “The council has enacted Central Government guidance in relation to the continuation of contract payments for school transport services during the pandemic period. We have recently been made aware of apparent non-payment to a small minority of drivers and have started an investigation. If non-compliance is clear, an audit will take place to determine correct procedures are followed in line with the guidance.” City Taxis said: “We take allegations seriously, and have a robust grievance procedure in place, that has not been accessed by any of our drivers. All drivers who were logged on for work during lockdown and carried out their contractual obligations have been paid. We periodically sent out texts and emails to all drivers to make sure of their welfare, and if any of them need to speak to us we are here to help.” Intack Taxis, who had up to 60 drivers conducting contracts, revealed they had handed over the money to drivers in June as ‘it was the right thing to do’ A spokesperson said: “We decided that the drivers were going through hardship at the time and we should assist them. We’re one of only a few companies who’ve done this.” Brownhill Corporate Hire also paid their drivers. The owner said: “I did what was honest to me and thought it was the right thing to do.”
OCTOBER 2021
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