Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers: 'We're on the verge of bankruptcy'

Taxi drivers across Watford will stop working tomorrow night, after warning many workers are “on the verge of bankruptcy”. Drivers are furious Watford Borough Council has begun issuing Watford plates to Three Rivers drivers.

And despite talks with the council, members of the town's Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association have decided they will stop work at midnight on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

They believe up to 60 new licences could be handed out before their next meeting with Watford Borough Council on April 20, by which time they claim many drivers could be “finished”.

Shafiq Ahmed, acting chair of Watford's Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, said: “This is not a protest. We're self-employed and we're not working. No-one is listening to us. This is the way the majority of drivers feel.

“In this recession, we just want the local authority to show some common sense and stop issuing licences to Three Rivers drivers. “The fact is this council has in the history of Watford destroyed the taxi situation. This has been going on for ages and now salt is being put in the wounds by fastracking Three Rivers drivers into Watford. This is an injustice. “People are not using taxis so how can they give drivers more problems?”

Watford Borough Council confirmed they have been informed that some licensed taxi drivers have decided not to work tomorrow, after midnight. A representative said: "We have met with them very recently, and reports will go to Licensing Committee for April."

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IDFIMH

How can they turn them down?

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IDFIMH

Watford.....now this place has a historical argument with the taxi trade.

and the Mayor is pug ugly, she appears to have aquired her teeth from a horse.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

forgive my geographical ignorance, but are they not two different LA's? how can one offer plates to the other?

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

I wonder how many of the protesting drivers belonged to the wannaplate camp?

Now they've transferred their loyalty to the nomoreplates camp.

I would hazard a guess the lads from outside have applied for licenses in the same way as anyone else, thus my point re: how can they be refused?

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IDFIMH

AFAIK, west lothian only give plates to residents of west lothian and operators have to be west lothian based. I stand to be corrected on both points.

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

That may well be the case, but if it is it's 100% illegal.

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IDFIMH

like Reading?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

And Brighton .

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Is that true?

Those little tinkers......I'm sure Sussex will sort it

Maybe even Skippy......once he can afford this super dooper new licensing fee he'll have to save up for

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Surely you remember about WAV's having to be on a radio system

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I was more interested in exclusive cab ranks

But we sorted that one.....so now were all hunky dory we need to sort some of these illegal conditions.

Wheres JD when you need him?

And skippy.....after all, there probably closing an old folks home to pay his license fees

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Watford taxi licences limit bid rejected

Taxi drivers have lost their bid to limit the number of licences issued by Watford Borough Council.

Watford Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association (WHCDA) has raised concerns about the number of new drivers operating in the town, filling already congested taxi ranks and, during the current recession, hitting existing drivers in their pockets by reducing the number of available fares.

They believe the council should limit the number of licences issued until the economy picks up, in the face of the council's decision to delimit the trade in November 2006, and the group has already staged several protests in the town. Despite this, Watford Borough Council's licensing committee voted to maintain its policy of delimitation on Monday evening.

The committee heard that there were 277 Hackney Carriage licences issued in 2008, compared to 78 in 2005. However, the fall in the number of private hire taxi licences meant many councillors felt the total number of cabs in the town had not changed.

Shujait Sardar, speaking on behalf of the WHCDA in front of several drivers who sat in the council chamber gallery, said the group was concerned because of the “sheer number of licenced taxis” in the town. He said: “Due to the present (economic) climate, the situation is very, very bad. It's becoming extremely difficult to survive.”

He asked the council to consider a survey to discover the true extent of the taxi trade in Watford – an idea backed by Councillors Andrew Mortimer and Ken Brodhurst.

Though Councillor Mortimer originally backed delimitation, he said it should have been implemented gradually. He said: “Where I feel there may be room for some manoeuvre is to make sure that these people who are finding it hard to make a living are not compromised by further licences issued.”

He proposed that, following an unmet demand survey and consultation, a cap be placed on the number of licences issued by the council. Though this was seconded by Councillor Brodhurst, they lost the vote.

Councillor George Derbyshire said: “We recognise we are in a period of recession. Many people in the private sector and particularly people in retail are suffering considerably. Taxi drivers are part of that but I don't think we can treat them as a special species differently from everybody else who is suffering as a result of the recession.”

Councillor Jan Brown added: “We don't stop people from opening restaurants in Watford on the grounds there aren't enough customers. We don't stop people from opening bars on the grounds there aren't enough customers to go around. I think delimitation is the right policy and one I think we have to continue.”

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IDFIMH