Cabbies in Coventry took their protest to the city council today after jamming up the streets of the city centre with their vehicles.

They drove slowly around Broadgate and Little Park Street to highlight their concerns at the number of licences for black cabs being issued.

The cabbies say that there are too many licences being issued and this is making it hard for drivers to earn a living.

Around 50 members of the Coventry Taxi Association joined the protest on the steps of the council house and handed a letter to Cllr Eric Linton, who chairs the Licensing Committee.

The morning strike follows another protest a fortnight ago about the limited availability of ranks.

The drivers say the number of licences has risen from 130 in 1997 to 350 today, but only seven more spaces at ranks have been made available.

Henry Heer, secretary of Coventry Taxi Association, said the drivers were prepared to pay some of the cost of a survey to determine if the demand for cabs was being met in the city centre.

Cllr Linton said yesterday it would cost £25,000 for such a survey.

Mr Heer said:

“I hope the council listens to us. We’ve asked the council to carry out the survey and are prepared to accept the findings.”

Driver Avta Virk added:

“There are far too many cabs in Coventry. The council thinks this is a 24-hour city like Birmingham or London, but it isn’t and it never will be. It’s just an average city.

“People don’t want to work nights because of violence and it’s very quiet in the city centre except between 1am and 3am on a Friday and Saturday night.

“And we are getting fines and parking tickets as we queue for the ranks in the daytime. In the last three months we have received 70 tickets.

“Each time you get a fine you’re £20 down before you’ve even taken a fare.”  

SEE: [21 AUG 00] TAXI DRIVERS CONTINUE SUMMER OF DISCONTENT