Taxi drivers from transport union RMT who operate hackney carriages in Lichfield are staging a series of legal go-slow protests. It’s in response to Lichfield District Council’s failure to address serious concerns over the new city centre pedestrianised zone.

A ‘hackney carriage’ is a taxi that the local authority has licensed to pick up passengers on the street. A ‘private hire vehicle’ or ‘minicab’ can only carry passengers who’ve booked in advance. The protests will take place between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Monday 19 January, Wednesday 21 January and Friday 23 January.

Taxi drivers voice concerns

Drivers claim the pedestrianisation scheme is having a damaging impact on their livelihoods, safety, access to ranks and the safety of other road users. And they say that the councillors responsible for introducing the scheme have repeatedly ignored their concerns.

RMT has been in discussions with various council departments for almost two years. But it says elected councillors have refused to meet drivers or properly engage with the union. This is despite all hackney carriage drivers being licensed by the council and paying to operate in the city.

The planned go-slow protest route will run from Frog Lane, past the Council House, along Birmingham Road to the Bowling Green roundabout and back to Frog Lane.

RMT regional organiser John Watson said:

Our hackney carriage members in Lichfield have tried to be reasonable but their patience has run out.

Despite nearly two years of discussions with council officers, the councillors responsible for the pedestrianised zone have refused to meet drivers or even acknowledge the very real problems this scheme has created.

The pedestrianised zone by itself is not the issue but what our members are demanding is proper mitigation so that drivers can work safely, ranks are sensibly located, and livelihoods are protected.

None of that has been delivered or considered by these plans.

We have put forward reasonable, low-impact solutions that would work for residents, businesses and drivers alike, but those proposals have so far been dismissed.

These go-slow protests are a last resort and we remain ready to talk and to find a permanent solution that avoids any further action.

Councillors need to engage with the union and together through negotiation deliver a workable solution.

Featured image via the Canary

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