Wakefield taxi drivers protest against council rules that make them “third-class citizens”

Wakefield Taxi drivers held a protest outside the Town Hall this month in an ongoing a row with the local council over policies.

Dozens of drivers demonstrated on Wood Street in the city centre for two hours on July 19 and called for Wakefield Council to begin talks over the council’s draconian suitability policy.

The demonstration was led by the Wakefield Drivers Association (WDA), which claimed cab drivers receive a five-year license suspension if they accumulate more than six points on their licence within three years. WDA, which has a strained relationship with the council and is not recognised as an official drivers’ representative body, said this policy was “harsh and disproportionate” compared to other towns and cities. WDA has also criticised the council for a perceived lack of financial support during the Covid pandemic.

WDA president Yasar Ahmed said: “It’s very sad we have had to resort to organise a protest when it would be more simpler having a worthwhile dialogue that can lead to a more amicable path to go down in order to resolve these issues.”

He continued: “We want to work in partnership with the council to ensure that we have a vibrant Wakefield district. But for this to happen the council officials involved need to enter into dialogue with us in a meaningful and fair manner, but as things stand at this moment in time we have been excluded from having any input on matters that have impacted on. This is highly unfair and demoralising.”

WDA is supported by the Conservative councillor for the Wakefield East ward, Akef Akbar, who addressed the protesting drivers, saying: “I’m not scared to say it. You’re not appreciated. You’re treated as third-class citizens.”

He called on the council to “go back to the drawing board” and make its policies more balanced. “I invite councillors making such policies to come and live a day in the life of a taxi driver and they will surely understand.”

However, another trade body, the Wakefield District Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Association, which is recognised by the council, said the protest was “misguided”.

WDHCPHA chair Abdul Rehman also said that the council was following government rules with its stance on the controversial suitability policy: “If protest about this should be directed to anyone, it should be directed to the Department of Transport or the government, and not Wakefield Council.”

Addison Lee completes ComCab takeover

Addison Lee has completed its acquisition of London black taxi operator ComCab. The completion finalises the purchase of the London operations of ComCab, City Fleet Networks and Flightlink International from the ComfortDelGro Corporation.

The deal makes it the capital’s largest private hire and taxi company as well as London’s largest same day courier business. Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin said: “By uniting Addison Lee and ComCab under one roof, we become the market leader in offering Londoners safety, premium quality, and professional service at scale in the capital.”

The deal brings Addison Lee’s fleet of around 4,000 vehicles and ComCab’s 2,500 black taxis under one business. The move follows the buyout of Addison Lee in March 2020 by a consortium led by Liam Griffin and Cheyne Capital’s Strategic Value Credit business.

Minicabit in strategic partnership with travel firm Roomex

Cab comparison app Minicabit has entered into a strategic partnership with travel management company Roomex aimed at offering safe and affordable transport services to customers of both platforms.

Roomex helps customers book, manage, pay, and analyse all their accommodation and expenses in one place - bringing control and visibility into all travel spend. Roomex already has partnerships with other travel firms such Trainline, and the Minicabit deal adds a car app to the service

Amer Hasan, CEO and founder of Minicabit (pictured), said: “At a time when the UK workforce is more distributed than ever, this partnership enables staff to easily book their cabs from wherever their workplace or meeting happens to be, with cab expenses easily managed. We look forward to collaborating on more opportunities with Roomex.”

Garry Moroney, Roomex CEO, added; “Through this partnership with Minicabit, our customers now have access to a safe, trusted, and secure way to book cabs around the UK, plus the added benefit of having complete visibility into travel expenses when customers pay with RoomexPay. Companies will have additional control and visibility over this spend category that is often missed.”

Minicabit helps mobile workforces find taxi services on the web and on mobile. They can choose from more than 800 licensed cab operators in 550 UK towns and cities, instantly booking single & return trips up to 12 months ahead for minicabs, executive cars and minibuses.