Telford taxis in strike action : Shropshire Star:
More than 250 private hire drivers in Shropshire are to stage a seven-hour “walkout” tonight – one of the busiest party nights of the festive season.
Pub and club-goers in Telford face being left stranded because of a row between the drivers and Telford & Wrekin Council. The Telford Private Hire Drivers Association claims its drivers are being unfairly punished for minor transgressions by the council’s licensing department.
And a spokesman for the association says its drivers intend to protest outside Telford’s main bars and nightclubs and will refuse to pick up fares between 11pm until 6am.
But today Councillor Jacqui Seymour, for Telford & Wrekin Council, made a last-minute plea for the drivers to change their minds.
She said: “Telford & Wrekin Council has been informed that some local private hire drivers may temporarily withdraw ‘taxi’ services over this weekend with a potential to cause inconvenience for the public at this busy seasonal time. We are only too aware of the impact that the economic downturn has had on our community including local businesses and public transport services.
“At times like these it is important for the whole community to pull together and so we urge the drivers to reconsider their position so that the public are not inconvenienced or put at risk.”
The Telford Private Hire Drivers Association says its drivers voted unanimously to take the action after expressing a vote of ‘no confidence’ in licensing officers.
A spokesman said: “This is nothing to do with the public. Our issue is exclusively a dispute with Telford & Wrekin Council licensing department and a vote of no confidence. We have decided to take the action because enough is enough. This will cause chaos in Telford. It is the last Saturday before Christmas, the biggest Saturday night of the year for the pubs and clubs.
