Taxi drivers take to the streets of Northampton once again to protest against proposed new regulations

Taxi drivers will take to the streets of Northampton today (Tuesday) to protest new regulations to the trade proposed by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).

They claim the rules are too extreme and pose a risk to the livelihoods of many drivers.

A council committee will reconvene to decide whether they will approve the taxi and private hire draft policy after the initial meeting to make a decision on the new rules was deferred in October last year.

The council says the key aim of the policy is to “ensure that drivers and vehicles meet high standards in protecting the public and providing a quality service”.

One of the proposals that has been highly contended by the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU), but remains unchanged by the council, is a penalty points system designed to record misdemeanours and infringements of the rules.

Where a complaint is made from the public an investigation will then determine whether any action is taken and if points are imposed. If a driver has accrued more than 12 penalty points over 12 months their licence may be revoked or suspended with immediate effect.

Some of the offences include:

• A driver allowing noise from radio or other equipment to be a “nuisance or annoyance” to passengers – two points
• Failure to comply with the driver dress code – two points
• Failure to attend a booking on time without sufficient cause – two points
• Failure to carry or ensure safety of passenger luggage – four points

Shafqat Shah, Northampton chair of the ADCU, said: “As drivers, we’re unfairly targeted. The abuse we have to go through on any day on our shift you would not believe.

“If a driver turns up late to a booking, technically he could get points for that. It’s not the driver’s fault if the road is closed. It’s not the driver’s fault if a job is dispatched late. It’s not the driver’s fault if there’s too much traffic. Is that really fair?

“All those points will add up and then we can get suspended for that. The reality is that even the best of drivers for a second lose their cool and could make a mistake and they will get points.”

The council wrote in the updated document that the system is seen as “an open and transparent way of dealing with breaches of policy” and that “each case will be dealt with on its own merit”.

A policy that has been changed since the last meeting is the “certificate of good conduct”. All drivers must provide documents from every country they have lived in for more than six months since the age of 18- amended from an initial request of countries resided in for over three months.

Mr Shah said: “We can’t be held to ransom by the council. They put a document in front of us and said you need to accept that.

“We want to work with the council. We do believe that there should be an up to date policy regarding our industry but I think they’ve gone well above what the government guidelines are.

“Where is any kind of protection in this policy that actually relates to the poor driver doing this job? Drivers are very angry- at the end of the day, it’s our livelihoods we need to protect.”

He has warned that drivers will be forced to hold strikes if the draft policy is given the green light and has said that he foresees a lot of drivers leaving the industry if nothing is changed.

Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for community safety, said: “We’ve considered all views, including those of the trade and unions, in compiling what we believe is a robust policy which will help to ensure passengers are appropriately protected and the high quality of service maintained.

“We’re conscious that some members of the trade are unhappy with elements of the policy, and we acknowledge this, though public safety must remain our primary concern.

“Those drivers who operate a safe and well-maintained vehicle, keep a high standard of cleanliness, do not drive in a reckless fashion, so providing a positive experience for passengers will see no difference.”

If approved, the policy will be a living document and will be under constant review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.