Taxi Drivers Call for Licence Renewal Extension
Taxi drivers who work for East Staffordshire Borough Council have pleaded with the council to extend their current taxi licences, in line with the current market situation. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the taxi trade hard across the whole of the UK and seen many black cab and standard taxi drivers being forced to work extra long hours for very little pay. Some have been forced to find other work using their cabs such as providing delivery services, or temporarily take on a role in an entirely different industry.
Taxi Drivers Plea
Current rules state that private hire vehicles must be replaced after seven years in the trade whilst hackney taxis can be used for up to ten years. In East Staffordshire a total of 116 vehicle licenses are due to be renewed within the next 12 months. The Burton Taxi Alliance includes drivers from 19 firms; Darley Abbey Cars, A1 Ace Taxis, Alpine Taxis, Horninglow Taxis, Premier Cars, I Cars, New Street Taxis, Branston Taxis, Uttoxeter Taxis, Charlie Taxis, Express Cars, 43 Taxis, 5 Ten Taxis, Station Taxis, Macs Taxis, Stapenhill Cars, Welcome Cars, Quick Taxi 4 U and Station Taxis.
They have requested an extension to their current licences, so they don’t need to replace their current vehicles whilst the trade is so quiet. They have also asked for a delay to the low emissions policy which is currently due to be implemented this year to 2024 in line with other councils.
The letter provided to the council from the alliance asks for an extension to the vehicle expiry due in September 2021 to allow a further year for private hire and hackney taxis due to expires in the age rules.
A spokesperson said: “At present, there is truly little work going out of town or airport work.” Abid Hussain of Premier Taxis said he strongly agrees with the proposal. “I think it’s only fair to do this in the current financial climate. Taxi drivers were hit hard last year due to COVID-19 and the future is still uncertain.”
Council Response
The council agreed to a 4-month extension in May last year due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and are said to be carefully considering the concerns raised by the Burton taxi alliance.
At Cab Direct, we hope that East Staffordshire Council and all councils across the UK continue to support the taxi trade during the pandemic. When the time comes to replace your vehicle don’t forget we have a great range of wheelchair accessible taxis, standard taxis and approved used taxis and due to our buying power are able to offer great deals, exclusive to the taxi trade. Please call the number at the top of the page or enquire online to find out more.