Taxi Driver Online

Here's a new trade union to add to those that already represent the taxi trade. Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers.
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2007 South Wales Evening Post

March 12, 2007 Monday

Council report on taxi trade blasted as biased

A Union boss representing Swansea taxi drivers has blasted a council report on the trade as "biased".

City taxi drivers are urging Swansea Council to put a limit on the number of licences to safeguard their livelihoods.

But council bosses have warned that a limit on the number of taxi licences would result in an increase in unlicensed activities.

Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers' Swansea branch secretary Ken Thomas criticised the report to the full council as "extremely biased".

He said the council's argument that unlicensed activities in the city would increase if there was a cap on hackney carriage vehicle numbers "shows very poor leadership and inefficiency".

Mr Thomas said: "There can be no doubt that 77 local authorities have capped numbers."

And he warned that queues around the city's 40 taxi rank spaces were illegal.

Mr Thomas went on: "The fact that many hackney carriage vehicle drivers are now forced to work long shifts simply to make ends meet is a cause for concern from the perspective of Health and Safety.

"Tired drivers are dangerous drivers and any situation where drivers are forced to work when tired is a recipe for disaster."

Swansea Council is meeting to consider a report recommending consultation gets underway on the idea of limiting the numbers of licences issued.

A council spokesman said: "No decisions have been made. Councillors will meet and the recommendation is they follow a consultation before deciding on the next steps.
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It will be interesting to see how the council react to the two paragraphs above. These are points that I have raised in other posts, at the time suggesting that the safety issue involves the general public. Why the public, well I think that it is fair to say they do not give a stuff about us, so nothing will get done.

So try the public angle and see what comes of it .

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.