Taxi Driver Online

Cheltenham cabbies in council confidence vote

Disgruntled taxi drivers have put forward a vote of no confidence in Cheltenham Borough Council's licensing office.
The news follows a chronic dip in trade for the town's cabbies, many of whom are bringing in less than £30 a day.
In September, hackney carriage drivers said a lack of support from the council had "brought the industry to its knees" and criticised the authority for allowing private hire vehicles to encroach upon their trade.
They also accused the council of issuing too many taxi licences while cutting back on the town's hackney rank space.
This week, drivers were at the end of their tether after being told they would have to bankroll a new scheme to crack down on unlicensed drivers, which would add £20 to £30 to their annual licence fee.
The scheme, which could be incorporated as soon as next April, would see drivers having to pay for new licence plates every year, redesigned ID badges and annual DVLA checks.
More than 100 drivers, hackney carriage and private hire workers alike, have signed a petition giving a vote of "no confidence" in the council.
They say the document, which is due to be handed in to the council this week, is a scathing verdict on the authority's failings towards the local taxi trade.
Diane Mitten, secretary of Cheltenham's Hackney Carriage Association, said: "We have reached the stage where enough is enough.
"We are trying our best to earn a living, and the council keeps coming up with new schemes which cost us more money. They don't know what they are doing, and keep introducing hare-brained ideas.
"In the meantime, it is the taxi drivers who bear the cost. We want to show that we won't take it lying down."
The petition is accompanied by a covering letter, which highlights a host of issues that have led to a groundswell of dissatisfaction among local cabbies.
Drivers are angry at being forced to use a depot in Swindon Road for their MoTs and fit-for-purpose tests, saying the monopoly leads to a hike in costs and delays in getting the work done.
They have also blasted the authority for not offering clear guidelines on the different roles of private hire and hackney drivers, claiming its policy of allowing private vehicles to pick up customers without pre-booking flies in the face of national recommendations.
Drivers said they hoped the petition would show the council that the current status quo was "unworkable", leading to an overhaul of the system.
Taxi driver Gary Knight, of Springbank, said: "We have raised all theses issues to the council before, but feel that we have been ignored.
"It comes to something when the only reasonable form of action is signing a petition such as this. But it just shows how far we have been pushed.
"The current situation is unacceptable, and we want the council to address the issues we have raised. If they don't, they will force us out of business and it is the customers who will suffer."
Trevor Gladding, the borough council's community safety and licensing manager, said he was aware of the cabbies' concerns.
He said: "At the moment, we are reviewing and updating the policy we have with both hackney carriage and private hire drivers. This will be open for consultation in the coming months."

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