Cabbies Challenge Council Over Clean Air Zone Plans

A heated council meeting was held as frustrated black cab drivers discussed clean air zone (CAZ) plans in Birmingham.

The Taxi Owner’s Association (TOA), who represent taxi drivers in the city, said they were excluded from meetings between council licensing chiefs and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT).

The Licensing and Public Protection meeting escalated as talks between Manawar Hussain, of the TOA and Chairman Councillor, Barbara Dring took place.

Black Cabs Protest

“We had no choice but to demonstrate. We don’t enjoy blocking the city’s roads.”

Mr Hussain declared taxi drivers plans to protest over CAZ. He said: “We’ll put you on notice that the TOA will be protesting because this has gone on far too long.

“We’ve tried to negotiate with you, support you and tried to work with you but you’re not working with us.”

The meeting was briefly stopped to mellow down frustrations in the room. The main argument surrounds a new age and emissions policy for taxi drivers, as a result of Birmingham’s CAZ plans.

Imposed Charges

High-polluting cars travelling across the A4540 ring road will incur a daily charge of £8 from January 2020. This will include diesel cars older than Euro 6 and petrol cars older than Euro 4 vehicle emission standards.

The council is now considering back-up policy proposals following a recent go-slow protest in the city, prompted by the RMT. Further protests have been put on hold while consideration takes place.

The TOA are to provide the council with updates on any upcoming protests they have planned.

Out of a £50m request for funding, the council have been awarded £38m for mitigation measures.

Government Funding

Birmingham city council has been given £15million out the total sum of government funding, to assist hackney and private hire drivers. The council intends to purchase 50 ultra-low emission black cabs with part of the grant.

The council’s Acting Director of Regulation and Enforcement, Chris Neville, advised more talks with the RMT and other trade representatives will take place.

He said: “When considering the request from the RMT and other trade representatives, we’ll need to balance their wishes against the risk that the funding from the government may be reduced if we dilute our proposals.

“We must also consider the legal duty placed on the city by the ministerial directive to reduce nitrogen oxides in the air to legal levels.

“Having said that, we obviously are now going to speak in the next few days with the trade reps and I would like to be able to bring a report to the next committee with the proposals having been revisited.”

RMT’s Midland Region President, Raja Amin, attended the council’s CAZ meeting and said: “Our door is open to talk and to find a sensible way forward.

“We entered into dispute when we had exhausted all other options. We tried to have a dialogue with the council, but they didn’t listen. I think they were testing the water and we had no choice but to demonstrate. We don’t enjoy blocking the city’s roads.”

Are you a taxi driver impacted over CAZ proposals? Let us know your thoughts and comments on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.