Changes to North Yorkshire's taxi licensing rules threaten to push drivers out of the industry and lead to towns being "swamped" by unscrupulous Uber drivers, councillors have been warned.
North Yorkshire Council is revising its hackney carriage policies in a bid to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) available to passengers and to meet equality legislation.
The council is working on a new hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy, as well as adopting an inclusive service plan for the trade to meet Department for Transport recommendations.
Under a draft plan which is due to go out to consultation shortly, the council is proposing to only allow new taxi registrations for WAV, electric or potentially hybrid vehicles.
Wheelchair user Ian Lawson, chair of the North Yorkshire Disability Forum’s Accessible Transport Group, addressed the council’s executive yesterday (Tuesday), where he urged the authority to do more to increase the number of WAVs on the county’s roads.
He said previous efforts by North Yorkshire’s local authorities over several decades had failed to address the problem,
He said:
“From personal experience and countless conversations with other wheelchair users, I know the devastating impact of this accessibility barrier.
“Medical and dental appointments are missed as are work commitments, and lives are stifled by social isolation, all because we cannot access a basic mode of transport.”
But Ripon-based Richard Fieldman, who represents around 100 members of the North Yorkshire Taxi Drivers group, warned that limiting the type of vehicles taxi drivers could purchase would lead to fewer, not more WAVs being in operation.
He said: “Many drivers have already expressed that if this policy is adopted, they will simply leave the trade and seek employment elsewhere due to the constant restrictions you are putting in place.”
Mr Fieldman said taxi drivers felt they were being made “scapegoats” for previous flawed decisions made by councillors, adding:
“We are being beaten with a big stick and forced into a purchasing a WAV vehicle as a lesser of evils.”
The taxi driver said he feared the proposed policy would lead to regulated taxi drivers being replaced in North Yorkshire towns by Uber drivers who he claimed were registered outside the county and were using unscrupulous practices to get trade:
“We are already being swamped and overtaken by a massive influx of Uber cars in North Yorkshire.
“They have a distinct advantage over us regarding licensing conditions and we must be able to have equal choice of vehicle over them.”
The meeting also heard from Selby taxi driver Graham Watson, who said he had driven 260,000 miles in four years in his WAV.
He said:
“In the four years I have had my WAV, I have only ever carried six wheelchairs. I advertise that I am wheelchair friendly, I advertise on local radio, I advertise in local magazines and amateur dramatics programmes.”
Taxi drivers have urged the council to follow the lead set by City of York Council which is allowing taxi drivers to use cars with low emission Euro 6 engines.
Councillor Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of the authority, said he sympathised with both the taxi drivers and those who wanted to see more WAV taxis in operation.
“It’s a really hard circle to square and I don’t think there is a single solution to it.
“I’m keen for this to be a very genuine, open consultation where all options are on the table to be considered.”
A 12-week consultation is due to be launched in the new year.
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