Reading driver says cab policy is 'a noose around our necks'

The town has a fleet of cabs, officially known as hackney carriages, which can be hailed on the street and have a fare meter to determine how much customers pay.

Drivers can only operate these cabs after obtaining a licence from Reading Borough Council.

The council administration is set to launch a consultation into the progressive phase-out of petrol and diesel cabs by 2028, with the aim of all cabs being ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs).

However, the proposal has been met with protest from a representative of drivers, who claimed that not making delays to the policy would 'suffocate' the trade at a recent meeting.

Asif Rashid, the chairman of the Reading Taxi Association (RTA), said: "We feel like we've got a noose round our necks.

"Every so often, another knot is tied around our necks. We know the problems we've got [with pollution] but it's not all by hackney carriages.

"It's suffocating us. This policy is going to destroy the trade." 

Asif Rashid, chairman of the Reading Taxi Association. (Image: Reading Borough Council) (Image: Reading Borough Council)

He argued that buying a ULEV cab involves huge costs. 

While drivers can get a £3,000-£6,000 government grant to replace their cab,  a ULEV taxi currently costs £72,500, according to Mr Rashid.

Sympathising with drivers, David Stevens (Labour, Abbey) said: "What worries me is the sheer cost. We don't want to crush them drivers out and lead them to leave the trade."

READ MORE: Taxi drivers raise concern about 'huge' cost of low emission cabs 

Mr Rashid also claimed that a council promise to waive cab licence fees has not been met. 

At one point, he even threatened to leave the trade.

Mr Rashid added: "We need some breathing space, you can't keep suffocating us. 

"If the situation gets worse, I'd be the first to walk away, I've been a cab driver for 25 years and a chairman for 15 years."

Mr Rashid of RTA represents 240 drivers with a fleet of 216 cabs.

READ MORE: Cab drivers push for bus lane access along main road in Reading

The council's vehicle emissions and age policy was adopted in October 2019 to phase out polluting cabs and contribute to its goal of a net zero carbon Reading by 2030.

However, the phase-out policy was delayed in December 2020 to October 2023 following a request by the RTA, with the oldest and most polluting cabs being removed from the fleet in October 2022.

The council's licensing applications committee was asked to consider additions to the policy, which states that all replacement vehicles should be minimum ULEV and less than five years old by October 2028.

Furthermore, the age policy would dictate that all ULEV vehicles must be a maximum of 15 years old, then removed from the fleet - with the caveat that each vehicle will be assessed on its own merit and could have an extension of a year and a maximum of two years on the renewal of a driver's licence.

The committee unanimously decided to begin a consultation into the additions to the policy at the meeting on Thursday, July 11.

The results of the consultation are set to be discussed at a meeting in November.