Taxi drivers in Bury have been at loggerheads with the Labour-run council for months. Local Democracy Reporter JOSEPH TIMAN looks at how decisive their lobbying was at the General Election last year.

'HUNDREDS' of taxi drivers helped swing the General Election result in Bury North where the Conservatives won by the tightest margin in Great Britain, trade representatives claim. 

Members of Bury Private Hire Drivers' Association (PHDA) rallied behind the Tories saying they were fed up of Labour who were "not listening" to them. 

Labour-run Bury Council has now taken steps to address the drivers' concerns over safety, "onerous" vehicle inspections and "unfair" fees.

Concerned cabbies have been attending council meetings for months telling councillors about their concerns including targeted attacks such as one case in which stones were thrown through a window, narrowly missing a man's head. 

Bury Council has now changed its policy requiring a smaller taxi licence plate on the front of vehicles in the hope that they cannot be spotted from a distance. 

The Bradley Fold taxi testing station also reopened in January after a devastating fire left cabbies having to travel to Bolton for their vehicles to be tested.
 

But these measures may have come too late for Labour who lost the marginal Bury North seat which the Conservatives clinched by just 105 votes. 

Bury PHDA secretary Muhammad Sajjad told the Bury Times that "hundreds" of taxis drivers and their families switched their votes to the Tories after a targeted campaign aimed predominantly at the Asian community in Labour strongholds of Redvales and East ward.

Shaf Mahmood, a former UKIP candidate who also belongs to the association, claims the number of those who switched their votes as a result of their efforts is between 1,400 and 1,700. 

He said: “With taxi drivers not treated fairly by the Bury Labour-run Council, the taxi drivers decided to go to somebody that will actually look after them because at the end of the day, it’s our safety and the customer’s safety. We think we will get help from the Conservatives for the safety issues of the taxi drivers. 

“As an MP he will lobby the council for us hopefully and get these safety issues installed. Because the safety of any customer or a driver is very, very important to us taxi drivers in Bury because passenger safety comes first. So we are hoping James Daly can help us in providing us those facilities where we can help the customer be safe in our cars in the night. 

"Most of us taxi drivers will be voting for the Conservative Party. And it’s the same for the local elections.” 

James Daly, who won the seat in Bury North, pledged to be a proactive MP who supports cabbies' calls for MOT stations in Bury, including approved private sector testing centres. 

The newly-elected MP, who is still a councillor for North Manor, also said Transport for Greater Manchester should provide funding for all taxi drivers to upgrade their vehicles to meet the incoming Clean Air Zone requirements.

 

He said: “I have promised to be an advocate for the profession and to campaign for improvements, allowing drivers to have the best chance to make a decent living and support their families. The same promise I made to all Bury North residents and businesses, that I would do everything possible to help them to thrive and succeed. I have no idea how many taxi drivers voted for me but they may have been motivated by the fact they have been ignored by Labour politicians in Bury for many years and wanted change, like many other voters in Bury North.” 

Ex-MP James Frith, who lost Labour's seat in Bury North, was contacted for comment.

Labour councillor Tamoor Tariq, first deputy leader of the council, accused Bury PHDA of "political point scoring".

 

He said: "The general election was close fought as it was in many constituencies across the country. For individuals to claim without concrete and hard evidence they influenced the result one way or the other is unwise, unless they were directly involved in intimidation and manipulation as some people reported to use during the General Election.

 

"The taxi driver trade is one that I respect immensely and they make a significant contribution to our borough, however I know many people from the taxi trade including family friends who made their own choices and decisions at election time. 

“Bury licensing committee only in January passed a number of measures, to help and support the trade given they had been raising concerns with us over some time. This includes smaller plates, and rule changes around tinted windows. I find it quite hypocritical for members of the Conservatives to talk cheaply at election time around taxi driver issues, but it is the Conservative Party who have decided not to attend licensing committee now for a number of months and as I understand will continue not to attend. Talk is cheap, deeds and actions say far more."

Bury Council licensing officers have said that Bury PHDA has not provided evidence of who it represents and on what terms.

This came after the group submitted a representation about the council's new vehicle inspection policy claiming the comments were made on behalf of 647 members of the association.

Licensing unit manager Angela Lomax told the secretary of PHDA that the council does not require personal details of individuals, just numbers and the terms and conditions in which the association acts for its members.

But Charles Oakes, chairman of the Hackney Drivers' Association, told the licensing safety panel that his organisation is responsible for the private hire drivers too.

He said: “These gentlemen are under my umbrella. I’m not being told who I can and can’t have in my association. I have many across the North West association. I take single membership. I have 2,000 in Preston, Chorley, Wigan, all over. I will take any association on. It’s totally legal, it’s totally above board and I won’t have the chair of this committee telling me who I can’t have."

https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/18300045.taxi-drivers-swing-bury-north-general-election-vote/ 
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EDINBURGH AIRPORT

‘Horrendous’ pick-up fees at Edinburgh Airport will now be paid for by customers rather than taxi drivers after changes to taxi fares were confirmed at a council meeting on Monday.

The move followed a blistering attack by a representative from Central Taxis who labelled the Airport’s decision to charge £5 to pick-up a passenger as “profiteering”.

Jonny Nisbett, who represented Central Taxis at the Regulatory Committee meeting, said the taxi firm viewed the charges as “appalling” and that the Airport’s chief executive Gordon Dewar was driven solely by profit.

Speaking during a deputation to the committee, Mr Nisbett said: “I think most of my taxi clients and I am clear that management in Central Taxis think it is appalling that the Airport think they can act in this manner. 

“It is extremely disappointing to see that Edinburgh Airport has decided to charge £5. It is difficult to see that as anything other than profiteering.”

Following a question from the committee, Mr Nisbett added: “The thing that drives Edinburgh Airport and indeed Mr Dewar is profit. If he is able to clothe his profiteering within more moral objectives he is in a good position to do that.
“Do I believe that they [the charges] are about environmental and congestion concerns?
 Absolutely not.”

Taxi drivers are forced to charge a maximum fare to customers of £2.90 for picking up or dropping off in the Airport which is lower than the actual charge of £5 for picking up from the Airport without a decrement card which provides access to the official taxi rank at a reduced cost.

Chair of the Unite Edinburgh cab branch, Scott Blair, said black cab drivers were in effect “collecting a tax” for the Airport.

He said: “Edinburgh Airport have a history of changing it and we are left out of pocket yet again.
“This is about how much we are going to lose.”
Green councillor Susan Rae branded the charges “horrendous”.

She said: “I find it very difficult to understand that they charge these fees to help the environment. It is a bizarre argument that I really can’t understand.
“The majority of people who have commented on the consultation have said that the £5 charge should not be covered by the drivers and it is unfair for the workforce to pick up the cost.”

However, following an amendment by Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross which was passed six votes to three, the additional cost which was being picked up by taxi drivers - £2.10 - will now be picked up by the customer.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/edinburgh-airport-boss-blasted-profiteering-over-ps5-pick-charges-2442631

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GLASGOW

A union of private hire drivers is calling for operators to implement sick pay amid the coronavirus outbreak.

United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) is urging the likes of Uber, Network Private Hire, Hampden Cars and Glasgow Private Hire to protect workers rights, while they have also written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon regarding their concerns.
It is feared poor working conditions within the private hire industry in Scotland could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases.

UPHD say: "Drivers demand immediate implementation of sick pay provision, minimum wage and the right to cancel high risk work at operators including Uber, Network Private Hire, Hampden Cars, Glasgow Private Hire and others.
"Poor working conditions in the Scottish private hire industry risk escalation of Covid-19 infection rates.

"Poor working conditions in the UK’s app dominated private hire driver industry present a significant risk to public health during the current coronavirus crisis unless urgent action is taken by the government, local authorities and operators such as Uber, Network Private Hire, Hampden Cars and Glasgow Private Hire.

"UPHD calls on the First Minister of Scotland and Glasgow City Council to support their call for large operators to take urgent action."

Meanwhile it is claimed by the union, drivers may 'not be able to afford to stop working', even if infected.

They say: "With drivers working as much as 30 hours per week to cover vehicle rental and other costs just to break even, and without access to worker rights such as minimum wage and sick pay, drivers who are infected may simply not be able to afford to stop working.

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/private-hire-drivers-call-sick-17890850