The Rossendale Free Press are reporting that taxi drivers in the area are planning to go on strike over the weekend in protests against new licensing policies that they claim will cost jobs.
Approximately 150 drivers from the Taxi Association met and voted to take action against the policy in the form of two strikes between 7pm and 8am on Friday and Saturday night.
Chairman Glen Bulcock said that the drivers had been left with no choice but to go on strike. "It’s going to hit our pockets and the operators – but this policy is going to lose jobs. The drivers are disgusted at the way it has gone through – they didn’t listen to any of our recommendations. We’ve been left with no option but to withdraw our service."
Specifically he is complaining about the need for taxi drivers to retake their DSA test if they pick up nine penalty points. He continues "Drivers pick up penalty points like a loaf of bread. I can guarantee half a dozen will end up losing their jobs. Rossendale taxi drivers have one of the safest records in the North West. We are far more stringent than our neighbouring boroughs. We don’t need a full charter of rules and regulations."
The Driving Force driving school in Coventry thinks it should probably occur to them that drivers with that many penalty points should perhaps not be providing a service to the public.