Bristol’s hackney cab drivers are up in arms about the continuing problem of private hire firms encroaching on their business, it has been reported recently.
They’re concerned that private hire drivers from as far away as Sheffield are moving into Bristol city centre, particularly during the busy weekend periods, and picking up paying fares from the side of the road, which under local by-laws should only be done by licensed hackney cabs that are properly metered. The practice is causing considerable concern, especially as some hackney drivers say the incomers not only charge far more than the same metered journey in a licensed hackney cab, but they also don’t know the area and are ripping customers off, and potentially putting them at risk too.
Another major concern is that because private hire drivers don’t have the same type of taxi driver insurance as their licensed counterparts, passengers and drivers could potentially be at considerable risk financially if they are involved in an accident during an unlicensed journey.
Looking into the matter
Bristol’s hackney cab drivers are asking the Council to look into the matter and to take action to stop the number of ‘rogue’ taxis operating in the city, especially during the busy periods of Friday and Saturday night. Some hackney drivers claim that they are losing up to £100 a night at weekends to the private hire drivers.
This isn’t a case of ‘us verses them’, but a blatant and persistent disregard for the licensing laws surrounding paying fares as opposed to booked private hire taxis. The private hire drivers who are picking up fares from ranks across the city are in breach of the bylaws and, when confronted by the metered hackney cab drivers, often become abusive. The council in response says that it is aware of the concerns of hackney cab drivers, and is taking them seriously.
A spokesperson said that: “Currently national taxi licensing regulations allow licensed hackney carriages to operate as a private hire vehicle in another authority. This means it must be pre-booked like any other private hire vehicle. The ability of a hackney carriage to operate as a private hire in another authorities area is however, limited in that the majority of its work should be undertaken in the area in which it was licensed. Only locally licensed hackney carriages can be hailed on the street or operate from taxi ranks in Bristol.”
They claim that they are using a variety of enforcement techniques, but the hackney cab drivers say that this is too little and is ineffective in deterring private hire taxis from touting for business. It’s an age-old battle between private hire and hackney carriage drivers, but currently it looks as if the situation is worsening in Bristol – and that the council is yet to act robustly to stop passengers and drivers alike from suffering the consequences.