Dozens of Knowsley taxi drivers descended on a packed licensing meeting in Huyton on Thursday night to express their anger about how taxi licences are issued.
The meeting, which was to discuss planned fee increases of 10% for hackney and private hire drivers in the borough – was attended by drivers “fed up” of delays in processing licences and a change to the system brought about since the pandemic.
Some, speaking to the ECHO outside the meeting said they were on the “verge of giving up” after being left without licences for “weeks” due to council delays.
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Many spoke of their anger at a new online system introduced by the council, which has left many older drivers struggling to manage. So many drivers attended the council chamber was filled to capacity ahead of the meeting, with council officials making space on the ground floor for the dozens of drivers unable to get in.
Upstairs in the packed council chamber, licensing officer Brian Toolan introduced the proposals by detailing several errors with the schedule of charges published ahead of the meeting. On the price increases, he said: “It should be 19% in line with inflation” and cost increases.
Mr Toolan said: “We’re trying to claw back some of the deficit” in the licensing department’s budget, adding that fees had not been increased since 2018.
Liverpool City Regional Hackney Carriage Cooperative representative Tony Carr then spoke to councillors on behalf of drivers who had turned out in force to make their feelings known.
Mr Carr said it was “disappointing” officers had not consulted with trade representatives before publishing the plans, adding: “the only way I saw this was by chance. It’s not been discussed with us. Why?”
He said that while drivers accept costs have gone up and staff need to be paid sufficiently for the work they do, the main concern was over delays with renewals – which was leaving some drivers struggling to make ends meet.
Mr Carr added: We don’t have pension funds, holiday or sick pay. The benefits system won’t pay us if we’re not working.”
He also took issue with a statement in the report produced ahead of the committee about the department’s success in processing 1400 applications.
He said that figure “smashed” the number of licence renewals in the borough each year without taking into account new applications.
Mr Carr said it was a situation that was pushing drivers to go to Wolverhampton – which processes a quarter of all England’s license applications – instead of to Knowsley, adding that if the situation continued it could lead to a smaller pool of drivers covering the cost of the licensing department.
He said: “Hackneys can’t go to Wolverhampton. We have to say here, and if we stay here we pay for the whole of the admin costs.”
Mr Carr said drivers had two “asks” – for a licensing officer to be stationed in the test depot at Stretton Way to issue plates once tests had been completed – and to install an officer at a One Stop Shop or council office so that drivers, many of whom are over 60 and not proficient in IT, can get assistance with their applications.
He said the system as it was currently being run was “not working” and was impacting vulnerable children using the home to school service as well as drivers themselves.
Giving an example of autistic children who are used to specific routes and drivers, he said: “This can mean some children not going to school.”
The committee chair, Cllr Terry Powell, said the council were “listening” to drivers, adding: “we can reassure you that you won’t be here next year saying the same.”
Cllr Dennis Baum asked why drivers were going to Wolverhampton for their licences, with Mr Toolan responding that there were a “number of reasons” including the speed of processing licences, although he added that that council was now also experiencing delays.
Cllr Burke said the Knowsley “must do all in its power to streamline and expedite” licence renewals for drivers and Cllr Stewart asked whether adding a second test station would help.
Mr Toolan said the testing was “not the issue” but rather the issuing of plates.
Frustrated drivers in the public gallery called out about the length of time it takes to process badges, with one saying “the administration doesn’t work.”
Cllr Colin Dever said that errors in the published pricing schedule was “not helpful” on such an “emotive” subject.
Cllr Dever added: "The discussions and new ways of working could have been had in advance rather than it coming out this way [at the meeting]” saying issues raised by drivers “could have easily been addressed”.
After more shouts out from the public gallery the chair said: “We’re taking it on board, give us a chance” before councillors agreed to the price increase – which will now go to consultation before coming back to the committee for a decision to be made.
After the meeting, as drivers streamed out of the council offices into the dozens hackneys and private hires parked outside and in surrounding streets Mr Carr said: “They said they’ve listened, I feel somewhat optimistic – but it remains to be seen now if they’ve really heard us.”
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