NOTTINGHAM.

HUNDREDS of taxi drivers are set to go on strike in a row over private-hire vehicles picking up passengers in the street.

Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners' and Drivers' Association, which represents those behind the wheel of hackney carriages, believes the city council is not taking a tough enough stance on the problem.
Driver Nadeem Haider will be among those stopping work for two hours next Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said the growing number of un-booked private-hire cars picking up customers meant there was a "free-for-all" in the city centre at weekends.

He said: "It is not only hurting our business but it is illegal for them to pick up customers if they haven't already booked.

"We pay a lot of money to the council and believe that we should be better looked after. The council should clamp down on this."
Hackney carriage drivers, who operate the dark-green London-style taxis, pay hundreds of pounds to the council for their licences.

They are licensed to pick up passengers from city streets without pre-booking. Private- hire cars are breaking the law if they do so, with passengers not being insured in the event of an accident.
The council says it is "disappointed" by the action, after chief executive Ian Curryer agreed to talks with drivers.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for planning and transport, said: "We don't believe illegal plying for hire by private taxis is under way in Nottingham on anything like the scale they suggest.

"They are failing to recognise that, whereas previously private taxis were generally booked from home before people went out for the night, customers now have the option to book private taxis from wherever they are in the city, now that most people have mobile phones and apps that make this easy to do.

"It's therefore a flawed assumption that private taxis picking up fares in the city are illegal and uninsured."

The association represents 411 hackney carriages and about 700 drivers, with many taxis shared by two drivers. It is not clear how many will strike, with some telling the Post yesterday they did not intend to.

Mark Cartledge, a driver with private-hire firm DG Cars, believes the action is meaningless.

He said: "I don't know why they are doing it. The council look after their interests well.

"We would like to have the chance to legally ply for hire but we cannot do so. The action will achieve nothing."

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