The introduction of a 25% discount card scheme by a Belfast taxi company has fuelled reports of unease amongst its drivers.
Fonacab launched the scheme, without consulting its self-employed drivers, on June 7.
Since then, the company has claimed that bookings have gone up by nearly 10%.
However, one of the drivers affected has told Cab Direct: “We are all self-employed and we weren’t given a choice. We simply got a letter through the post to tell us this was happening.
“There should have been some negotiation. The company isn’t taking a hit at all – it’s every individual driver. They didn’t even lower our fees.”
The driver said that people were so angry about the scheme that there had been talk of strike action. A Facebook page has been set up where unhappy drivers vent their anger about the scheme and its effect on their income.
However, Fonacab said it had received 1,000 online requests for discount cards since launching the scheme on June 7.
And it claimed talk of a strike was a rumour started by “competitors”.
William McCausland, managing director of Fonacab, said feedback from “the majority of drivers” over the discount card was positive. “They are now seeing a noticeable increase in work and takings because of the promotion.
“We appreciate that this promotion is a new concept and we would like to thank all those drivers who have supported us in introducing and successfully implementing the discount scheme.”
He said the cards were introduced after research showed price was the main reason potential customers did not use their service.