news Nottingham taxi drivers take council to court over low emissions license losses

Taxi drivers in Nottingham who had their licences revoked for not moving over to expensive lowemission vehicles are appealing the council’s decision in court.

The Labour-run council had demanded that around 400 of its local hackney fleet should be upgraded to low-emissions vehicles by the end of June 2020. But just 177 drivers have bought the hybrid taxis and 50 drivers have informed the local authority that they did not wish to renew their licences and obtain the new vehicles. Some have switched to private hire, or have retired.

Thirty-three vehicles have been refused a licence as they are not compliant, and drivers have appealed against the decision to the Magistrates Court. The outcome of these appeals is still pending.

A further 160 licences have either expired or were refused (and have no appeal outstanding) with no application for a policy compliant vehicle having been made.

Drivers had to take out loans to buy the new cars, which can cost between £36,000 to £60,000, a sum which one driver described as being like “a second mortgage”. But many drivers did not want to take on the loans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The local authority says hackney drivers had been aware of the proposed changes since 2017/18 and have had more than 18 months since the policy became effective to make arrangements to purchase the compliant vehicles.

And although it has now extended the deadline until the end of September and then a further three months to either licence a compliant vehicle or confirm that they have ordered one, drivers say it is not enough. They are calling for an extension to April 2022, so they can get their finances in order.

The council is offering up to £3,464 of financial support including contributions to vehicle licence fees and MOT.

The council now faces a loss of revenue as it normally licenses 420 taxis in the city. In a statement, it said: “The change in vehicle specification coupled with a loss of trade due to the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic has meant that for the first time in many years the council has potentially 243 licences it could issue before reaching the limit of 420 licences.”

The council says it will need to look at reallocated licences to ensure there is enough provision as more people are coming back into the city.

Taxi drivers protest outside Sandwell Council over licensing delays

Taxi drivers have taken to the streets to protest against Sandwell Council for long delays in receiving private hire licences.

More than 200 drivers staged a protest outside Sandwell Council House in Oldbury on Wednesday, organised by the Sandwell Private Hire Drivers Association.

Imran Mahmood Qureshi, secretary of the drivers’ association, said: “This problem has been going on for more than ten years. During the pandemic, it was horrendous. We have often felt like we are going round circles, where we write to our council leaders, and then receive no response.”

Sandwell Council chiefs said they had listened to the drivers’ concerns and are committed to helping ease them. But Qureshi added: “We feel like we are being ripped off. The council say they are committed to helping us, but if they can’t commit, why should we listen to what they have to say?”

Face-to-face appointments with drivers were suspended last year due to the pandemic but many drivers complained they could not get through on the phone, while some were not able to use email.

Council leader Rajbir Singh met with members of Sandwell Private Hire Drivers’ Association to discuss the changes and listen to their concerns.

Cllr Singh said new software had been introduced to make it easier for drivers to make payments and the licensing office was now open five days a week. “The past 18 months have been a challenging time, particularly for those in the taxi trade,” he said.

“We are listening to the drivers’ concerns and are in the process of implementing a user-friendly software system that will allow drivers to apply, track, and make payments, and this will bring huge benefits to them.”

The council said it has also reinstated issuing renewal and expiry reminder letters and has agreed to contact all applicants within two working days of receiving their applications.

According to badge and taxi plate data seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it takes between nine and 12 months for new applications for a private hire licence to be processed. For neighbouring Wolverhampton Council, it takes approximately three weeks.

A one-year taxi plate costs £353 for a vehicle under five years old, and £399 if it is over five years old, if the vehicle is registered with Sandwell Council. Other councils, such as Dudley and Birmingham City, charge £235 and £185 for any aged vehicle.

Councillor Jay Anandou, deputy leader of the opposition Conservative group in Sandwell, said: “When other councils take far less time to process a new operating licence for private hire drivers, Sandwell takes almost one year, which is highly inefficient, unfair on hard working people, and needs immediate attention. This inefficiency in handling licencing affects our overall Sandwell economy and transport infrastructure – and makes Sandwell look anti-business.”