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Taxi drivers to strike over night bus

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yorkie

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/4350822.stm

Taxi drivers in Wrexham are meeting on Tuesday to discuss plans for a strike over plans to introduce a night bus service for clubbers and pub goers.

Wrexham Private Hire Drivers Association which is holding the meeting said the bus service will damage their takings.

If they vote for action, cabbies will strike this Friday and Saturday night.

Wrexham Council said the night bus was a pilot initiative to help improve community safety in the town centre.

The scheme will be given a trial during the run up to the busy Christmas period during late November and into December and its success will be assessed in the New Year.

But the cabbies say Friday and Saturday nights are crucial for their earnings.

Carol Richards, a driver for ATAX in Wrexham, said she had "no doubt all the drivers will pull out".

"It's bread and butter. We can't afford to lose the money," she said.

"We use the cash from Fridays and Saturdays to fill the tank for the school run in the week."

Last year Wrexham taxi drivers won a battle with the council over plans for ID stickers on their doors.

The cabbies staged a strike over the stickers, claiming they would damage the paintwork on their cars.

The authority later relented and agreed to smaller window stickers instead.

Community safety

Ms Richards said a similar strike this time could force the council to rethink the bus scheme.

However, Wrexham Council's Chief Transportation Officer Martin Wright defended the night bus service.

It will operate on four routes from the town centre to outlying communities hourly from midnight to 0400 on Fridays and Saturdays between 23 November and 24 December, and on Saturdays only for a few weeks in the New Year.

"Night buses work very well in towns and cities around the UK," he said.

"The council is collaborating with local police to trial a night bus service and is keen to establish a level of demand along with the potential impact of this initiative on community safety in the town centre". "

"This is a pilot scheme that will be targeting the busy Christmas period," added Mr Wright.

"Before any further decisions are made we will assess how it has been received in the New Year but in the meantime we are happy to talk to taxi representatives to discuss this matter further."
Unbelievable! :shock:

I wonder if this is the reason so many towns don't have late bus services? so the taxi companies can make a small fortune?
 
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andrewmay

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"But the cabbies say Friday and Saturday nights are crucial for their earnings."

At least they haven't come up with one of those pathetic excuses that no one believes. It seems these cabbies speak their minds as they also said that those stickers would spoil their paintwork!

Cheers,
Andrew
 

Tom C

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Blimey! They feel threatned by one hourly bus service :shock:

They should work in London where there is a bus service to all parts that are extreamly frequent and charge normal day fares, perhaps then they might have something to moan about.

Cities like Liverpool have a small night bus system where no passes are valid and the fare is £3 on any bus to any destination. Don't see the cabbys moaning there either and Scoucers like to speak their mind
 

Mojo

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I can't remember the town, but I was looking into a thing that the police & local councils did together, by using civillian staff to patrol residential areas and by stepping up patrol rates in the town centre, together with night buses and 'proper' taxi queues.
Seemed to work great.
 
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