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HUNDREDS of angry cabbies caused traffic chaos on Coventry’s ring road yesterday afternoon as they staged a “go-slow” protest.
They want the city council to restrict the number of taxi licences issued in the city.
They claim too many licences is hitting them in the pocket.
See all the pictures of the protest here.
The 400-strong convoy snaked its way from Four Pounds Avenue, in Chapelfields, to the city centre and made laps of the ring road.
Alias Yousef, chairman of the Coventry Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “We are frustrated and want action taken.
“We wanted a meeting with the council but they refused so this was the way forward.
“They aren’t interested in what we have to say or how it’s affected everyone. This was a peaceful protest but if we have to take further action then we will.
“They don’t seem to realise the magnitude of the problem. There is no need to licence more vehicles.
“There is no demand for it and there is no space on the taxi ranks anymore. There is no control over how many licences they issue out.”
Taxi driver, Mohammed Asghar, aged 44, of Moseley Avenue, in Coundon, says he is having to compete with other drivers to find customers and that is damaging his livelihood.
The father-of-three said: “We are all driving round trying to find passengers because not a lot of people book a taxi anymore.
“We are in competition with more drivers and I’m working longer hours just to keep my head above water.
“We’re really getting desperate now. There are more than enough of us – the council need to stop this.”
Taxi driver, Al Gale, of Corley, said: “It’s a struggle because we spend more hours in our cab than we do at home because we’re not making enough money.
“If it carries on we’ll be falling asleep at the wheel. Our cabs are like prison cells. We just want an even share of the workload. It’s ridiculous.”
Trevor Errington, head of planning and strategic transportation at Coventry City Council, said: “We agree with the Department of Transport that it has to be in the best interests of the public.
“We conducted a review in March last year and found there was an unmet demand particularly late at night and early in the morning and that it wouldn’t be in the interest of the travelling public to restrict the number of taxi drivers.
“We’re not at this time looking to review this current situation.
“Why should we say people who want to be hackney drivers can’t? They wouldn’t be making a living now.”
He said the number of black cabs and private hire vehicles on city roads had increased by 37 in the last ten years.
Source: Coventry Telegraph.net
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Best of luck to you lot ctd… just remember something, the council is elected and effectively you and others pay their expenses and also pay the wages of the council employees who advise the council. One idea councils do not like is to put forward your own candidate at the next election.
if there were hundreds more buses than bus stops. would they start ticketing buses,but they provide bus stops don’t they.give us more ranks in coventry if you are going to keep issuing taxi licences, the council is failing to provide the infrastructure.