Cabbies hit out over licensing crackdown
TAXI drivers are planning to protest new licensing regulations they say will bring the industry ‘to its knees’.
Rossendale council has launched a nine-week public consultation on a host of policies aimed at cutting the number of its taxis operating outside of the Valley.
However, the Rossendale Taxi Association says it is planning an industry protest on Monday, August 1 against the new restrictions which they claim will strangle the local trade.
David Lawrie, chairman of the local taxi association, said the protest will show the trade’s anger at the ‘unfair and unnecessary’ procedures.
He said: “The trade are up in arms. They are wor- ried that if this goes through there will be no trade in Rossendale.
“The reason drivers come here to get licensed is because everywhere else has a cap on the number of hackney carriage vehicles, so other places have less taxis but their application process is ten times less qualified.”
Last week the Free Press reported that applicants whose address is beyond a 30-mile radius from a fixed point within the borough will now be refused a taxi licence.
The consultation includes restrictions on the age and appearance of vehicles, along with the introduction of mandatory CCTV within cabs, as well as knowledge tests and a review of conviction guidelines.
These proposals are separate additions to the taxi ‘intended use’ policy approved in January, which set out the council’s plan and requirements for hackney licensing and renewal.
Mr Lawrie added: “The number of taxis has caused a problem for the local trade for Rossendale, which is why we support the implementation of the intended use policy.
“But now, if it comes to striking that’s what we’ll do. We will show Rossendale council and the public what the effects of these proposals will have on the trade in the Valley - they will shut us down.
“We are professional drivers and we are being treated like children and criminals.
“It’s wrong, and we are not taking it anymore.”
Mr Lawrie added that he was encouraging the trade to take part in the consultation, despite the protest.
A Rossendale council licensing committee earlier this month heard that following the rollout of the basic skill assessments on July 4, only 12 of 29 applicants had passed.
A spokesperson for Rossendale council said: “The council is currently out to consultation on its taxi policies and we are keen to hear the views of our stakeholders.
“Applicants are urged to licence their vehicle in the area in which it will work.
“We have not been formally notified of the taxi trade’s intention to take industrial action, but should they do so then it must be peaceful, not personal and they must not cause an obstruction to members of the public or staff from entering the offices.”