As if a credit crunch, recession and rising fuel costs aren’t enough, many of Britain’s cabbies are struggling with the effect of more and more plates being issued, making it harder still to earn a decent living wage.
Stormy Protests
Taxi owners and drivers may be set to create the biggest rumpus in Coventry since Lady Godiva rode naked through the city. Where Lady G was protesting about unfair taxation, the cabbies are up in arms over their Council’s refusal to set a limit on the number of hackney licenses in the city.
Coventry’s hackney fleet has already grown to 730 hackney plates. Taxi drivers say it’s simply getting harder and harder to make a decent living, despite working longer and longer hours.
Cabbies have so far resisted stripping off but have submitted a petition with more than 300 signatures calling on the Council to take action. Earlier this year cabbies caused chaos when they mounted a go-slow around the city ring road. Now discontent has again reached boiling point. Many drivers are understood to be demanding further industrial action, although others are concerned about keeping the public on their side.
Coventry Taxi Association has written to its members seeking their views on what the next steps should be. Association chair Alias Yousef said: “Things really are getting desperate here in Coventry. Economic conditions over the past year mean that business is slower than ever but at the same time we’ve got more cabs than ever.
Chasing Fares
“Years ago there were just 99 hackney plates in the city but now we’re up over 700. Most of these drivers are chasing work in the city centre but the demand simply isn’t there. What’s more, there’s still only 130 or so rank spaces so clearly there has to be something wrong.
The situation really has been allowed to get out of control and the trade is already on its knees.”
Mr. Yousef stresses that all the drivers are asking for is that the Council carry out a demand survey, which will be paid for out of cabbies’ license fees. “Surely it’s simply common sense to find out the facts”, added Mr. Yousef. “If we do a survey and it shows we do need more cabs then fine, go ahead and license them. But if we don’t then the Council could and should take action to help the trade.”