Since its launch – with support from Co-operatives UK – six years ago, Southend Taxi Co-operative has grown from six cars to 70.
Co-founder Mark Jennings, who is also president of his regional branch of the GMB professional drivers’ union, said drivers launched the Southend co-op because they were not happy with the two owners of the taxi services in the town.
“We stood up against them and went it alone,” he said. “We’re doing really well now – so well, it turns out we had too much money in the bank so we returned £3,000 to our members – £60 each. And last year we repaid all our investors, who had each put in £1,000.”
The expansion into Rochford came after drivers there said they needed an alternative to working for the taxi firms there.
“We have to take on more cars,” said Mr Jennings. “It’s a separate licensing authority so we need to attract Rochford licenses. We’ve made enquiries, done the stickering and had cards done, to get ourselves ready.
“We’ve got six drivers to get us going – I am one of them, I’ve got the knowledge and the badge.”
The co-op’s success means it saw off a challenge from Uber. “They were here for 17 months but they left last year,” said Mr Jennings. “They are exploiting the people working on their platform massively.”
And the co-op model brings benefits for passengers, he adds. “The drivers own the company, and the service standard is higher than when you’re working for someone else. It makes people go above and beyond – the drivers care and it shows.”
The team has been working to replicate its success elsewhere, mentoring taxi drivers in Cardiff, who launched their own co-op, Drive, in March.
Drive – which also had support from Wales Co-operative Centre and the GMB, and is based at co-working centre Indycube – formed in response to high fees levied on drivers by Uber and by national private hire firms.
“The huge majority of drivers in Cardiff are self employed and everyone is struggling to make ends meet,” said co-founder Paul O’Hara. “We couldn’t affect the amount we pay for insurance, license fees and fuel, but what we could affect is the amount we paid to operators.
“We felt the co-operative approach, giving each driver that becomes a member one share of the company, which entitles them to one vote, and a real say in how the company is run, was much better than just forming yet another company with only a few people at the top taking all the profit. Run on a not for profit basis means that we can charge members the lowest amount possible to use our dispatch system. It could potentially save drivers up to £4-5,000 a year.
“That money then stays in the local economy rather the paid in dividends to share holders and company bosses.”
Back in Southend, Mr Jennings has hailed Cardiff’s success. “I’d love to see taxi co-ops in every borough from Southend to Cardiff,” he said, “to have co-op firms all the way through, and I’ll work on it. If I get the momentum there’s no holding me back.”
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BIRMINGHAM
Taxi drivers will be protesting again in Birmingham city centre today, after the council said it would not attend talks to solve the dispute over clear air zone charges.
They claim they were 'steamrolled' over the plans to impose a Clean Air Zone on the city in 2020 and that it would plunge them into 'greater financial hardship.'
They've been staging go-slow protests in the city centre during rush hour for the past two weeks, causing major delays for other drivers on the roads.
Cllr Barbara Dring, chair of the licensing committee, said the council had 'done the best we can' for the drivers.
Taxi drivers will be staging go-slow protests in the city centre on:
Tuesday 7th May 2019 -
15.00 - 18.00
Wednesday 8th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Thursday 9th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Friday 10th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Monday 13th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Tuesday 14th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Wednesday 15th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Thursday 16th May 2019 - 15.00 - 18.00
Friday 17th May 2019 - 15.00 -18.00
https://bit.ly/2J6eKwf
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PLYMOUTH
Police are hunting a man who leapt into a unattended taxi, 'kidnapped' an unsuspected passenger before crashing the vehicle - causing hundreds of pounds of damage and then fleeing scene.
Officers were alerted to an incident at around 11.15pm on Sunday May 5 where a black Mercedes taxi was briefly unattended outside the Co-operative store in Notte Street.
A man leapt into the driver's seat and - despite there being a fare-paying passenger sitting in the rear - police say the suspect sped off along the road. It is understood the vehicle collided with a number of objects before finally coming to rest outside the Tesco store in Notte Street.
The suspect then fled the area and are wanted on suspicion of kidnap and of aggravated vehicle taking.
Investigators have told Plymouth Live they are examining dash camera footage taken from other taxi vehicles which were in the area around that time.
Detectives also say they are aware there were a number of people ere present at the time the taxi was taken and they are keen to hear from them.
If you can assist police contact them on 101 or email 101@dc.police.uk or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference number CR/039673/19.
https://bit.ly/303bG9k
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