Taxi Driver Online

MP 'disappointed' by council response as Bradford taxi drivers struggle to 'make ends meet'

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... ends-meet/

A BRADFORD MP is "disappointed" by the council's response to her request for a change which she believes would benefit the district's taxi drivers, in the wake of an "anxious" period where drivers are "barely making ends meet."

Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, asked Bradford Council to extend the length of time between taxi drivers being able to replace their old vehicles with a new one.

Shah said she was of the understanding that all vehicles seeking to be re-plated must be less than 10-years-old, and for Hybrid or special access vehicles, 12-years-old.

She argued that, having spoken with private hire drivers in her constituency, some drivers with vehicles coming to the end of that 10 or 12 year-period were "extremely worried", as - amid COVID-19 - they did not have enough money for a new car.

Shah asked the council to use "any permitted discretion" to extend the age limit period for an extra 12 months, giving drivers with vehicles coming to the end of their age limit until 2022 to buy a new vehicle.

In response, Bradford Council highlighted the support it had given to taxi drivers during lockdown, which included providing them with free protective equipment and giving them temporary 'licence holidays'.

In her request, Shah said: "Given the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, taxi drivers have really struggled over the last nine months. The drivers tell me that their loss of income has been devastating, many have had to rely on local food banks for support."

She added that she acknowledged "the flexibility the council has already shown to drivers since the start of this pandemic", before adding, "the future is still very uncertain and whilst people are slowly adapting to the new normal, restaurants, pubs, clubs and entertainment venues are still closed in Bradford.

"Taxi drivers have highlighted to me that their busiest period is at the weekend. However, due to the above venues not operating, drivers are struggling to make enough money to pay bills and feed their children, let alone save for a new vehicle, which can have a starting cost of around £4,000 to £5,000."

A Bradford Council spokesperson replied: “The taxi drivers of the district provide an invaluable service for residents during difficult times and we thank them for all they are doing.

“Times have been really tough for them with decreased footfall and we are working very hard to try and mitigate the effects of the pandemic on them and on the business community at large.

“So far, we have provided £233,000 worth of free protective equipment for drivers and their vehicles and allowed four months of free licences during the initial COVID-19 period, as well as letting drivers and proprietors to take a temporary ‘licence holiday’ to reduce their costs.

“The council is under government direction to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the air to meet legal limits in the shortest possible timeframe and this means that government is likely to ask us to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) from the beginning of 2022.

“Because of this, we have been allowing taxis temporary extensions past their minimum age limit while awaiting confirmation of vehicle emission specifications for CAZ compliance.

“Following extensive consultation, a great deal of work is currently being carried out in order to provide licenced vehicle proprietors with a comprehensive grants package that will help minimise the cost of moving to cleaner vehicles to meet CAZ standards and these will be announced very shortly.

“Bradford has and is continuing to use as much discretion as possible to support the licenced trades during the pandemic and leading up to the introduction of the CAZ. The CAZ will ultimately benefit and protect all Bradford district residents, including those involved in the taxi trade.”

After this, Naz Shah responded with: "Bradford Council has done amazing work during the pandemic. Their work in supporting residents, establishing a local test and trace, even before any funding was provided for it, and reaching rates of 90 per cent tests locally has been exemplary.

"However, I am disappointed to say the council has got it wrong on this occasion, and I would urge it to reconsider its position.

"I recognise the support and leniency the council has provided for the taxi trade and businesses as a whole. However, we are still under Tier 3 restrictions where small businesses and those self-employed like taxi drivers still need support.

"This extension would only impact those drivers whose cars are reaching the 10 or 12-year limit and not the entire trade. A small extension of even six months could be the difference a taxi driver being able to work after Christmas or being out of work.

"We all must work to reduce the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide. Still, we must not on one hand support projects with far greater emission projections to go ahead, whilst trying to cut emissions by burdening a small number of taxi drivers during a pandemic, which could take them out of work."

Sahil Iqbal, Manager at Dial-A-Ride Shipley & Bradford Taxis based in Frizinghall, said: “In Bradford, drivers want to be making money but there’s no jobs coming in. It’s been very hard.

"We don’t even get that many jobs, this year the drivers haven’t made that much money. Sometimes they don’t even make £100 a day - to buy a Hybrid 11 plate, it’s about seven to eight grand.

“If the car’s alright and it’s passed, it’s perfect, then obviously they should consider it."

That makes it sound like most days drivers are making £100+, even during lockdown

So they're either not doing too badly, or he's expressed it clumsily. Usual

Snap

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=36400

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Mine's is the updated version, though

But yes, I should have posted it below yours

Knew I'd read an earlier version, but thought it was elsewhere and hadn't been posted here.

Sometimes come across things I've posted a few days earlier, and can't even remember them, never mind what other poeple have posted

Can't disagree with the MP.

Bradford council have been doing a lot more for the trade than most councils, but it's a cost free suggestion to extend the age limits of licensed vehicles for a year. No one loses out in my view.

Yes in normal times newer more environment friendly vehicles are what we should all be looking at, but FFS we ain't in normal times at the moment.

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IDFIMH

Councillors claim taxi industry ignored in Clean Air Zone plans

COUNCILLORS have claimed Bradford’s taxi industry have been ignored when drawing up the District’s Clean Air Zone proposals.

Bradford Council will introduce a Clean Air Zone in January - meaning the most polluting vehicles will be charged to enter the city centre and areas of Shipley.

Although private cars will be exempt, HGVs, vans and taxis will all have to meet certain emission standards if they want to avoid paying a daily charge (up to £50 per day for HGVs and £12.50 per day for taxis).

At a meeting of the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee on Thursday Councillors and officers got into a heated and at times fiery discussion about how much taxi drivers had been consulted on the plans.

And the debate led to a decision that will add more uncertainty for taxi and private hire drivers as to what cars they can upgrade to.

The decision on the Clean Air Zone has already been made by the Council’s Executive.

The committee were due to vote through a relatively mundane aspect of the plans.

Bradford Council had been ordered to reduce its illegally high air pollution levels by the Government, and it was decided a Clean Air Zone was the fastest way to achieve this.

Government has supported the CAZ, and will provide around £31m for grants to the owners of polluting vehicles to help them upgrade.

This includes £10m set aside for taxis and private hire vehicles.

Private hire drivers could get grants of up to £3,200 and Hackney Carriage drivers would get up to £4,000.

At Thursday’s meeting members were due to vote through changes to the current taxi licensing system. This included increasing the amount of time drivers are able to run CAZ compliant vehicles to 15 years, rather than 10 years.

Andrew Whittles, programme manager, told members that the amount of money being offered to taxi drivers to upgrade their vehicles was much higher than other cities. pointing out that when a CAZ was planned in Leeds taxi drivers would have been given grants of just £1,500.

The meeting heard that other cities were introducing Clean Air Zones, with Bath’s due to go live on Monday and Sheffield’s being implemented at a similar time to Bradford.

Although Leeds’ planned CAZ was halted last year due to falling pollution levels in lockdown, Mr Whittles said: “It is highly likely that Leeds will have to bring the scheme back in, as levels are rising to the legal limits.”

He said extending the period where drivers can operate their compliant vehicles would give them a greater assurance that the investment in a new vehicles was worth it.

Kamran Hussain (Lab, Toller) said he supported the Clean Air Zone, but added: “If there is a taxi driver in Silsden who has one journey into the city centre a day, that means they have to pay out £12.50.”

He also seemed to question whether a consultation with taxi drivers had ever happened.

Councillor Zafar Ali (Cons, Keighley Central) said: “Hackney Carriage drivers in Keighley are concerned by this extra burden. Some say they will quit the business this year.”

Mr Whittles said if the Council exempted too many vehicles, it would be sending out a message that the Authority would still be willing to allow polluting vehicles to operate.

Councillor Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) said he felt the grant available to taxi drivers was “very low.”

He said there had been little engagement with taxi drivers about these plans, saying: “It is not acceptable. You never inform us Councillors. We could have got the message out to taxi drivers.

“I say this all the time and I feel it just goes in one ear and comes out the other.”

He said while he understood that the Council had to meet pollution targets, he did not feel taxi drivers could afford to upgrade their vehicles, even with a £3,200 grant.

Mr Whittles said the team regularly spoke with taxi drivers, had sent text messages to all taxi drivers informing them of the consultation, and placed posters at all private hire offices. He said the consultation was carried out to the “Nth degree” but it was beyond their control over whether taxi drivers took part.

Cllr Amran questioned why there were no taxi drivers at the meeting.

Carol Stos, Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Manager, said the meeting’s agenda was in the public domain, but apologised for not personally inviting representatives from the trade to the meeting.

The three Councillors suggested the decision be deferred until a future meeting, when taxi representatives are in attendance.

Mr Whittles pointed out that the Clean Air Zone was still going ahead, and the grants process would soon begin.

He said: “Deferring this decision will just mean that taxi drivers won’t be as sure as to what vehicles they will be able to apply for. The zone will go ahead, it just means for now taxi drivers won’t know which vehicle they can buy.”

Despite this warning the committee voted to defer the decision to a future meeting, which members heard would not likely be held for several weeks.

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IDFIMH