Taxi protest
Licensing loophole endangers passengers and destroys livelihoods
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Taxi drivers headed to Parliament this morning (3 December) to demand a fix to out-of-area licensing laws that put both jobs and safety at risk.
Over a hundred drivers and supporters gathered to protest outside Parliament calling on the government to adopt the Casey report’s recommendation that the ‘out of area’ licensing loophole be immediately closed.
Cabbies are calling on the public to support the Unite campaign and write to their MPs demanding that the government fixes taxi and private hire licensing to protect local jobs and public safety.
The loophole came under the spotlight following Baroness Casey’s audit into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse recommended in June, which included the recommendation that practise allowing taxi drivers to apply for licensing anywhere in the country be closed immediately.
The loophole has created a market for licence shopping, where drivers obtain licences from authorities with the least stringent standards.
For example, Wolverhampton council has issued over 50,000 licences, far exceeding local demand. The vast majority work many miles away from Wolverhampton, well beyond the regulatory reach of the licensing authority.
Unite represents both private hire and Hackney drivers, said its members across the country have also long called for the loophole to be closed because:
- Passengers are left with inconsistent safety standards depending on where the driver is license
- Local councils cannot enforce the rules on the drivers working in their area
- Local drivers who follow the rules lose work to out-of-area operators
- Big operators, such as Uber, exploit loopholes while local workers and communities pay the price.
The problem is particularly stark at Gatwick Airport, which has struck a sponsorship deal with Uber, even though Uber is licensed by Transport for London, not Crawley Borough Council.
Thousands of out-of-area drivers now work at Gatwick, while local drivers have been pushed out and have had their livelihoods destroyed, an issue which resulted in protests in October.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government needs to take urgent action to close this loophole, which is putting passenger safety at risk and causing untold damage to the incomes of taxi drivers across the country.
“Ultimately, the only ones to benefit are companies like Uber, which are exploiting the legislation to create a race to the bottom in the private hire car sector.”
People can write to their MP through the Unite Action Network site here.
By Keith Hatch
Photos by Mark Thomas
