Taxi Driver Online

TAXI WARS BREAK OUT AT SELANDIA

CAB wars have broken out over who has the right to pick clubbers up from the Princess Selandia. Taxi drivers across the town are furious because they claim Barrow Cars boss, Tony Armstrong, thinks he has the sole right to pick up revellers because his freephone number is advertised onboard.

One Hackney cabbie says the Duke Street-based taxi boss is putting passengers’ lives at risk. He claims Mr Armstrong’s cars are not insured to work from the unofficial rank on Morrisons car park because his cabs don’t have Hackney plates.

Private hire taxis can only be pre-booked and cannot just pick up off the streets or a rank. Rank driver of 23 years, Andy Hargreaves, says Mr Armstrong is even using flashing lights on the top of his firm’s cars and touts promising half-price fares to get the punters.

The self-appointed independent cabbie’s spokesman said: “They may be cheaper but if you are involved in an accident on the way home you’ll find the firm will not be insured.”

Mr Hargreaves says things have got worse in the last two weeks and he feels the bad feeling against Mr Armstrong and his drivers could escalate into violence. He said: “He is using flashing lights and a tout offering half price fares to get people into his illegal taxis.

“It is going to come to a head because drivers will be taking the law into their own hands. It will degenerate into a free-for-all. “The public don’t want to get stuck in the middle of this.”

Mr Armstrong hit back saying rank drivers had been blocking his driver in and stealing fares. He said: “Yes, I did put Belisha beacons on my taxis but only so our customers knew it was us. Otherwise they were going up to the rank taxis and asking if it was for them and they would say yes.

“The next day we would then get complaints from irate customers who had been charged much more than our price tariff shows on the board. For instance, one regular cus tomer got charged £40 to Ulverston and we only charge £15. “Our drivers have also been blocked in by rank taxis.

“They shouldn’t be there anyway because they are only licensed to pick up in the borough and then return to the rank by the town hall. The car park isn’t a rank so they can’t pick up there and aren’t insured to do so.

“I’m sick and tired of it all. I have complained to the council time and time again but they do nothing. I have now threatened to sue them.”

Chief environmental officer for Barrow Borough Council, Gary Ormondroyd, denied they were ignoring the issue. He added that they would have to speak to their legal team regarding rules regarding insurance.

Mr Ormondroyd said: “We are investigating and at the moment we have not concluded that investigation. “We have had a discussion with both sides who are complaining about the other. “We have not uncovered any evidence of any contraventions at the moment.

“We are also currently in talks with Morrisons about setting up a new permanent rank down there. “We have been in discussions with police over the issue to look at sorting out a long term solution to this problem.”

Club boss Rick Lucas was unavailable for comment.

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