A row has blown up at Flitwick railway station, in Bedfordshire, where cabbies who pay for permits claim unlicensed drivers are stealing their business.
A station taxi permit, which costs £125 every three months, is issued by rail operator First Capital Connect.
The company says that any taxi driver looking to pick up passengers from the station must have the permit.
But, those cabbies paying say that other taxi drivers who haven’t forked out are still picking up fares at the station. As well as lost trade for permit holders, there have been reports of confrontation between the two sets of cabbies.
Taxi Dispute
One licence holder, Muhammed Sakhawat, said: “We pay to be licensed to park at the station on top of our other licences and then there is nowhere to park.
“We’re also being threatened by the other taxi drivers who are not licensed to be there and are stealing our business. We’re getting no support because no one seems to know who is responsible.”
Another permit holder, Haider Shah, said unlicensed drivers try to prevent him parking up. “People try and stop me from parking my taxi, although I am licensed to work here.
“I’ve even been threatened when all I’m trying to do is my job.
“It’s unfair because we’re paying to work here. It feels like no one can give us a safe life in this place.”
Police
The local police have confirmed reports of an incident involving taxi drivers and a spokesperson for First Capital Connect said it was looking into complaints about taxi drivers using Flitwick station rank illegally. He added that anyone picking up without a permit would be blacklisted.