'How dare you?' Angry taxi drivers protest outside Wakefield Town Hall in row over licences

The protest took place yesterday lunchtime.The protest took place yesterday lunchtime.
The protest took place yesterday lunchtime.
Taxi drivers protested furiously outside Wakefield Town Hall in a row over rules enforced by the district council.

Around two dozen drivers from the Wakefield Drivers Association (WDA) gathered outside the Wood Street building on Wednesday lunchtime and called on senior councillors to resign.

A small police presence attended to observe what was a peaceful protest.

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Cabbies claim drivers who rack up more than six points on their licence in three years are facing lengthy bans from the trade because of Wakefield Council's "unfair" suitability policy.

The WDA is not recognised by the council.The WDA is not recognised by the council.
The WDA is not recognised by the council.

The council doesn't recognise the WDA, however, and says all its rules are in place to keep the travelling public safe.

The union it does recognise, the Wakefield Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Drivers Association (WDHCPCA), did not support the strike, in a repeat of their stance from July, when the WDA first protested.

Speaking angrily through a megaphone on the Town Hall steps, WDA president Yasar Ahmed said: "The council has made itself very, very clear. They're not going to talk to (us).

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"If the officers are running this council, then this council should resign.

Tory councillor for Wakefield East, Akef Akbar claimed drivers were being discriminated against by the council, a charge the council strongly denied.Tory councillor for Wakefield East, Akef Akbar claimed drivers were being discriminated against by the council, a charge the council strongly denied.
Tory councillor for Wakefield East, Akef Akbar claimed drivers were being discriminated against by the council, a charge the council strongly denied.

"These unelected officers should not be running the council.

"In the last two years they haven't given us one meeting.

"They're not going to talk to us. How dare you?! How dare you?!"

"We're being treated like second-class citizens."

Similar protests have also been held in Leeds and Huddersfield.

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Wakefield East councillor Akef Akbar attended the protest and also made a brief speech in support of the drivers.

He also claimed the council's refusal to talk to the WDA was because of race and amounted to "discrimination".

The council strongly denies that suggestion

Speaking to the LDRS later, Coun Akbar said: "Nobody's saying that drivers shouldn't be banned for serious offences - assaults and sexual offences - the public needs to be protected.

"However, when you're talking about someone on six points potentially facing losing their livelihood - there needs to be justice and punishment, but there also needs to be rehabilitation as well.

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"For a driver that spends 12 to 15 hours a day on the road, they might do 35 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone once, and that's three points.

"It's not good enough to say they're only recognising one union.

"The reason I say it's about race is because more than 90 per cent of drivers come from a Pakistani background.

"Their voices are not being heard and they're being unfairly discriminated against.

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"Whether there's one union or 10 unions, no solution's been found. They've been ping-ponging over this for years."

Glynn Humphries, the council’s corporate director for communities, said: “We are committed to working with the trade and championing passenger safety that protects the health and wellbeing of the travelling public and the council’s policies are designed to support this.

"The Wakefield District Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Association, who represent the majority of drivers in the district, have informed the council they do not support the demonstration and will not be participating.”

On Coun Akbar's comments specifically, Mr Humphries' colleague Antony Sadler responded: "We do not discriminate against anyone on racial or any other grounds.

"These policies are aimed at protecting the travelling public and all drivers and operators are required to comply with these policies, irrespective of race."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

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