Taxi petition urges council to reverse ‘massive mistake’

A petition has been launched calling on North Yorkshire Council (NYC) to bring back local taxi zones, reversing a policy introduced earlier this year that local drivers have branded a “massive mistake”. 

Under the old system, each local authority in the county had its own taxi licensing zone, and drivers could only work within that area. 

But county councillors decided on February 21 that North Yorkshire would introduce a single zone for the whole of the county, meaning that drivers can now work across the region. The move was in line with “best practice” advice from the government, which advocates the policy to “allow economic forces to determine supply levels and generate cost savings for the council”.

The policy came into effect on April 1.

But Liberal Democrat Councillor Barbara Brodigan, who represents the Ripon Ure Bank & Spa division, says the single county-wide zone is failing customers and damaging the livelihoods of local drivers. She said: 

“North Yorkshire is the biggest county in the country, and it has ‘hotspots’ as well as huge rural areas. Drivers from elsewhere are now over-supplying the bigger towns, but leaving rural areas with limited or no access to taxis.”

She said local drivers had traditionally serviced the whole area – towns and villages – but are now having a lot of the lucrative town business taken away from them by competitors who have no interest in servicing the rural areas.

She added: 

“Some of these local drivers have invested up to £30,000 in their business – for the car, licence and goodwill – and are now having to compete with people from outside the area who don’t even know the area.” 

One of the people affected is Richard Fieldman, who owns A1 Cars in Ripon. He said: 

“I’d say every driver here has lost at least 25% of their income because of this policy. For example, on race day [at Ripon Racecourse], we get drivers from Skipton, Ryedale – all over – coming to Ripon and picking up fares. It’s destroying people’s livelihoods.” 

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He said the policy change had not just affected drivers, but had also had a detrimental effect on customers too. People and businesses in rural areas are finding it hard to get taxis, and disabled people are being left with fewer options. He said: 

“The increased costs and reduced incomes are forcing some drivers to sell their more expensive wheelchair-accessible vehicles and buy a cheaper saloon car instead. One guy had two of them and sold them both. It’s making finding a taxi even harder for disabled people.” 

He added that he believes that NYC has not even followed correct procedures to create the single taxi zone, so any taxis operating outside their ‘home’ zones are technically breaking the law.

According to Cllr Brodigan, the decision was flawed from the outset, as councillors didn’t take into account the response to a question asked in a NYC survey prior to the council vote, which asked: “Do you agree or disagree with the proposal for a single zone for North Yorkshire?”. Fifty-two per cent of respondents – a clear majority – disagreed. 

Mr Fieldman said: 

“The whole thing is just a mess. Council officers don’t seem to know what’s going on, and drivers aren’t being informed of new changes. It’s destroyed the taxi trade, not just for drivers, but for the public too.

“The council is due to review this policy in April to assess how well it’s gone. When they do, I’d urge them to bring back the seven local taxi zones, and reverse this massive mistake.” 

The Stray Ferret approached NYC for comment, but has yet to receive a reply.