Chesterfield drivers staged a protest outside the town hall on Tuesday, October 8, to voice their concerns about the impact of Wolverhampton-licensed cabs on their livelihoods.
The drivers argue that the influx of out-of-town taxis is leading to a decline in business and income.
They claim that Wolverhampton-licensed drivers are parking in their taxi ranks, blocking their spaces, and offering cheaper fares, taking customers away from local drivers.
Many drivers expressed frustration with the current regulations, which allow drivers licensed outside the area to operate within Chesterfield. They argue that this unfair competition is losing them money putting and their jobs at risk.
Asim Javed, from Chesterfield, who has been a taxi driver in the town for over four years, said: “It’s a very big issue, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Wolverhampton drivers, out-of-town drivers, are parking in our taxi ranks, blocking our spaces so we can’t pick up customers.
“There is much more waiting time between the jobs and my income has been much lower. Even though the schools are back and it should be busy, it is not, because there are so many other drivers undercutting everybody else.
"It was a problem before, but it was a small number of drivers. Over the last two months, more and more drivers have been coming to Chesterfield from out of town.
"Each town has different prices and regulations. They are coming over here, offering cheaper drives and taking our jobs.”
Debbie McCann, owner of Central Cars, said: “The reason we are here today is the impact the Wolverhampton drivers are having on our taxi industry, including earning possibilities and safety issues.”
Omer Rafiq, a private hire and hackney carriage driver, said: “It doesn’t feel safe, doesn’t feel fair, it doesn’t make sense at all.
"It definitely has a financial impact. There are 16 cabs per street in Wolverhampton. They are not working there at all. Can you imagine all these cabs coming out of town taking our work?”
Local representatives met with Chesterfield Borough Council to discuss the issue, but the council emphasised its limited authority in the matter.
A council spokesperson said: “We welcomed local taxi driver representatives to Chesterfield Town Hall for a meeting today, to listen to and discuss their concerns around national rules which mean drivers who are licensed outside of the area can operate within the borough.
“We understand their frustrations and are committed to continuing to work together – however, the powers of local authorities in this area are limited as the current legislation and policy is set at a national level by the Government.”
A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council said: “City of Wolverhampton Council currently licenses eight drivers who are resident in Chesterfield.
"While the council has never actively encouraged applications from drivers outside Wolverhampton, existing legislation requires that if an application is submitted and requirements are met, then the application must be granted.
Matthew Knowles, 45, from Foxwood, was convicted by a jury in August of two counts of meeting a girl for sexual purposes.
Two private hire drivers from Darlington have been fined after being caught illegally plying for hire in the town centre.
DfI Minister John O’Dowd has announced a pilot scheme to allow taxis in certain classes to use designated bus lanes in Belfast during road works associated with the Grand Central Station project.
A woman has been sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting a taxi driver and causing £500 worth of damage to his cab.
On Tuesday 9 October, City of York Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee met to discuss its draft new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policy.
Black cab drivers in London are facing a significant issue due to a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL).
The bus gate was installed six months ago on Corporation Street in Preston by Lancashire County Council (LCC) in a bid to reduce traffic at peak times and allow buses right of way.
John Igoe, director of Mi Taxis Nuneaton has offered £1,000 to catch intruder who assaulted his operator at 8am on the morning of Saturday 12 October.
Driver has been reported to Cheshire West and Chester Council enforcement team who will hopefully take swift action
This is a fantastic initiative, a life changer for these ladies to be able earn an income to feed their families.
Danish Ali, who works for Ride Taxis, reported three separate attacks in recent weeks, involving young people throwing stones at his vehicle.
The reveal at the 'We, Robot' event also saw announcements for expanded autonomous driving capabilities in the Model 3 and Model Y Tesla vehicles.
Plain-clothed officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU) spotted the passenger acting suspiciously in Cromwell Road on Friday, October 4.
The Royal Borough Council is considering ditching the traditional purple livery for licensed hackney carriages, replacing it with a simpler design that features the borough's coat of arms.
A London cab driver who miraculously survived a heart attack has launched a fundraising campaign to provide more defibrillators across the city.
Dozens of angry Uber drivers took to the streets of Bristol on Wednesday to protest against the company's recent decision to slash customer fares by 50%.
Serwan Mahmoud, 43, was caught transporting £76,000 in cash on the M4 near Cardiff.
Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, has outlined the company's ambitious plans to accelerate its transition to a fully electric fleet in the UK.
Wolverhampton Council is taking steps to curb the number of private hire drivers it licenses following a series of sexual abuse cases involving licensed taxis.
Taxi drivers may avoid seeking professional help due to concerns that it could be reported to the DVLA, affecting their ability to drive