Iain Dalton, Leeds Socialist Party
Over a hundred taxi and private hire drivers joined a lobby organised by the Leeds Private Hire Drivers Organisation (LPHDO) of Leeds City Council’s licensing committee over its Suitability and Convictions policy. This is one of a series of protests in recent months around West Yorkshire over this and other issues facing drivers.
Drivers are particularly frustrated with the way the council leadership had promised to consult with them about the policy, but have refused to do so. Drivers feel that the council is now trying to rush the policy through over the summer when many drivers are on holiday.
While a couple of Labour councillors did come out and engage with the drivers, trust in the Labour council is at rock bottom. Some of the drivers had placards demanding the council leader, James Lewis, resign.
Drivers are also campaigning over restrictive policies over vehicle specifications.
Drivers in Wakefield recently forced the council there to move on some of these issues, which, while not resolving most of the drivers’ issues, shows the protests are having an effect.
As one driver told us: “The council seems to think that the drivers are uneducated and will accept whatever they dictate to us. But we are reading the documents from the council, the Department for Transport, and elsewhere so we can answer their arguments, and we will continue to protest and strike until we get a fair outcome”.
