Taxi Driver Online

Taxi dispute peace talks

Birmingham cabbies are to meet rail bosses tomorrow in a bid to resolve a dispute which has led to them boycotting New Street Station.

The cabbies are furious that Virgin trains drafted in a London cab firm to transport passengers who face train delays.

But Birmingham drivers were back at New Street last night after Virgin promised talks to thrash out a solution to the crisis.

But chairman of the Birmingham Taxi Association, Mohammed Rashid, is warning rail bosses that if the issue is not resolved the cabbies will boycott the station again.

He said: "We want answers. How did London firm Dial-a-cab get this contract? We want to know why they think we could not do the job, when we have more cabs and we can also take wheelchairs.

"We want to know how long the contract is. We were told that they would be no more of them after June 6, but we have found out that they will be here until the end of the year."

The London cabbies are being put up in hotels and being paid £25 per hour just to wait for passengers who face delays over the weekends.

Mr Rashid said: "The drivers are angry. They are back at New Street because we have told them to give Virgin a chance and see what they say at the meeting on Thursday.

"We are hoping that they will tell us that the London cabs will not be back.

We could do the contract and each borough should do its own work."

He added: "At the moment there are about 10 or 12 cabs from London and they are getting priority at the station.

"We are willing to compromise."

We had a similar problem down here a few years ago.
We have a big IT/Phone conference and Orange bring down London Cabs with the Orange liverey.
It drove the station lads mad them ranking up just by the rank to take delegates down to the conference.
But the council stepped in (for once) and now they are no more.
But it was getting a bit nasty.

Perhaps the T&G will arrange a drive though, and send Kavanagh and his disciples up to sort those abusing their license, and taking work from the station.

But I bet you don't read about this in Cab Trade News.

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IDFIMH

certainly not, this is one job a green badge does not cover, after thier rightfull indignation over touts they should now hold thier heads in shame.