Birmingham Airport taxi drivers condemn 'filthy' toilets and 'dire' conditions
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Union claims airport is 'unable to provide even the most basic waiting areas or facilities'
A trade union has labelled Birmingham Airport facilities an 'absolute disgrace' for taxi drivers.
The GMB, which represents thousands of private hire taxi drivers, called on the airport to fix facilities.
It claimed drivers faced "unacceptable" conditions including "filthy" bathrooms as they waited to pick up passengers.
The union said private hire taxi drivers had to pay for every hour as they waited at the airport for fares. But it said a survey of drivers found:
• Bathroom facilities caked in grime and waste
• No waiting areas for drivers, except a paid-for multi story car park
• Failure of automatic payment system generating eye-watering fines, some as much as £500.
Another criticism in the survey was the lack of appropriate facilities for drivers observing Ramadan.
With a lack of appropriate room, drivers could only observe their prayers on a car park floor, the GMB said.
BirminghamLive told in February how an NCP parking error at the airport left private hire driver Ian Cook with an incorrect bill of nearly £2,000, which was automatically taken from his bank account. The cash was not returned for six days.
GMB organiser Kate Gorton said: “Private hire taxis’ are an essential component of any modern airport.
“That is why it is an absolute disgrace that the men and women driving them are being asked to endure such dire conditions at Birmingham Airport.
“This is one of the UK’s busiest airports who seem totally unable to provide even the most basic waiting areas or facilities for the drivers to keep the airport moving.
“The facilities for our members are so basic that this Ramadan we have had complaints from drivers that they have had to observe their prayers on the cold, wet and dirty floor of a car park.
“If so many UK airports can offer drivers basic facilities and waiting areas, why are our members in Birmingham being asked to use filthy bathrooms and pay for the privilege?
“We’re calling on private hire taxi drivers in and around Birmingham Airport to join us and get involved with the campaign to deliver the services our members deserve”.
Birmingham Airport was approached for comment.
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