9 June 2014
RMT Press Office
Taxi union RMT will be supporting a massive, joint protest by thousands of London Taxi Drivers which will take place in London on Wednesday 11th June, centred around Trafalgar Square from 2pm onwards and expected to gridlock the capital, as organisations representing the trade unite in defiance of measures being driven through by Mayor Boris Johnson which amount to an all-out assault on the industry.
RMT is backing the protest, under the banner “Cabbies Against Boris”, which has been mobilised against the many improper and unlawful decisions imposed on the taxi trade by Transport for London and the Mayor. These include the improper London Taxi Age limit and failure to enforce Private Hire Law (including the recent issues with Uber the mini cab booking app) and a host of other damaging decisions.
The Mayor of London is due to answer questions in the London Assembly at 10am on the same day.
In evidence to the Mayor, taxi organisations have exposed the nonsense of the London Taxi Age Limit and the entirely bogus arguments about the impact that scrapping the older vehicles has on emissions and pollution in London. Cabbies Against Boris has also drawn attention to the vested interests driving the policy and the fact that a similar scheme in South Wales had to be withdrawn as the consultation was found to be loaded.
The latest undermining of the Private Hire Laws by apps such as Uber is just another attempt to casualise and weaken the professional and safe licensed taxi trade and the long-established regulations around the right to ply for hire, coming after the exposure of the illegal ranks around London and the drive to destroy the airport services.
Huge and wealthy multi-national corporations like Google are now trying to use their financial clout to bully their way into areas that have been governed by Private Hire Laws in London for decades and which have delivered safe, reliable and efficient services for Londoners down the years.
RMT Acting General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“RMT is fully behind “Cabbies Against Boris” and this Wednesdays protests in central London. The attack on the professional licensed taxi trade by a combination of Boris Johnson and wealthy global corporations seeking to maximise profits is nothing short of a scandal.
“We would urge the people of London to back their cabbies 100%. There will be serious disruption on Wednesday but that will be nothing compared to the disruption and dangers of allowing our licensed taxis to be driven from our streets through a combination of ignorance and greed.”
ENDS
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