Councillor brands taxi drivers as "mafia" (From Southend Standard)
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Councillor brands taxi drivers as "mafia"
2:00pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in Echo News By David Trayner
Shocked and appalled taxi drivers have called for the resignation of a councillor who described them as “mafia”.
Southend Licensed Taxi Driver Association (SLTDA) has threatened to stand against Peter Wexham at the next election unless he resigns after the Leigh councillor compared them to the criminal organisation in a discussion over a new rank in Southend High Street.
In a statement, the association said: “To suggest that when calling for a taxi in Southend is like dealing with the mafia, a highly dangerous group of criminals, is nothing more than an outrageous and uncalled for slur.”
Unrepentant Mr Wexham declined to chance to retract his statement about that the town’s more than 1,000 hackney carriage and private hire vehicle drivers as the council discussed an additional 24-hour rank outside Marks and Spencer’s last Thursday.
Speaking to the Echo, the Liberal Democrat said: “All the time they always want more but they don’t want to give up anything."
Comments(17)
Son of Stropmag
says...
2:51pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21
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3:49pm Wed 17 Oct 12
yellowfairy
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5:01pm Wed 17 Oct 12
JohnGotti
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5:11pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:Mr Wexham's is objecting to a Taxi Rank in Southend High Street, for the benefit of taxi customers, NOT drivers. As for stopping where they like, as inconvenient as it may occasionally be to other road users, there are laws and by-laws governing this. Nobody likes to get caught behind a taxi that is picking up or dropping off, nobody likes to get caught behind a dustcart, or the emergency services, but occasionally it happens. I'm fairly sure that if you wanted a taxi to pick you up, or perhaps drop an elderly relative at the Doctor's, you might see things differently. Mr Wexham's comments were petulant and offensive. Ask the elderly people of your town what their opinion is of taxi drivers. Ask the various charities that they help or raise funds for. The day after his comments, a Southend Taxi driver did a 30,000ft parachute jump for charity. To compare a group of honest, hard working individuals to an organised crime syndicate, responsible for drugs, prostitution, murder, money laundering etc, just because a DEMOCRATIC vote did not go your way, is not how an elected official should behave
Well done Peter Wexham. About time someone stood up to taxi drivers, who think they own the road, who think they can stop where they like, and nothing applies to them.
JohnGotti
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5:16pm Wed 17 Oct 12
yellowfairy wrote:Mr Wexham is NOT taking on Taxi Drivers over their conduct or driving. He objects to a request by the SLTDA for a taxi rank in Southend High Street. The Police want it, the Council wants it, the customers want it. Incidentally, the rank will cut fares for passengers heading west from the bottom end of Southend High Street, as it will avoid 3 sets of traffic lights and cut several hundred yards off the distance.
Good for Peter Wrexham, these taxi drivers need to be reeled in they are a law unto them selves. None of their cars have indicators, they cut people up without care, they stop when they feel like it, and pull out directly in front of other cars making brakes screech and drivers panic, whilst they saunter off without a care in the world, so long as they get to the next fare, they think this is their right. Its about time somebody in "power" stood up to them.
rogdolphin
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5:51pm Wed 17 Oct 12
The taxi drivers in Southend of which I am proud to be one try to offer the local residents a service second to none
I and my fellow drivers try to treat customers the way I would like to be treated and hope that my efforts are appreciated
I cannot speak for drivers in other towns but us Southend driver try our best
As a driver of a wheelchair assessable vehicle I try and to everything I can to assist my customers - sometimes with little thanks
The High Street rank will allow the local people especially the elderly to be picked up and dropped off in heart of the town centre saving them walking distances and I can drop off wheelchair users safely in the High Street
At least there are some people on the council who think that the taxi trade in Southend are a vital and important part of the transport infastructure of our town and appreciate that we try to do our best for the residents of the town I was born & raised in!!!
yellowfairy
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5:54pm Wed 17 Oct 12
JohnGotti wrote:Yes your right there are laws and by laws and then there is the law of the taxi drivers. I have no complaint about them stopping to drop off and collecting passengers but correct me if i'm wrong are you not supposed to indicate to let others know? At least dustcart drivers and the emergency services do not stop without any indication, cut you up or pull out in front of you as you are coming along the road causing you to break sharply. I agree they are hard working as are other road users that use the roads with courtesy to other drivers, which is something the taxi drivers lack.
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:Mr Wexham's is objecting to a Taxi Rank in Southend High Street, for the benefit of taxi customers, NOT drivers. As for stopping where they like, as inconvenient as it may occasionally be to other road users, there are laws and by-laws governing this. Nobody likes to get caught behind a taxi that is picking up or dropping off, nobody likes to get caught behind a dustcart, or the emergency services, but occasionally it happens. I'm fairly sure that if you wanted a taxi to pick you up, or perhaps drop an elderly relative at the Doctor's, you might see things differently. Mr Wexham's comments were petulant and offensive. Ask the elderly people of your town what their opinion is of taxi drivers. Ask the various charities that they help or raise funds for. The day after his comments, a Southend Taxi driver did a 30,000ft parachute jump for charity. To compare a group of honest, hard working individuals to an organised crime syndicate, responsible for drugs, prostitution, murder, money laundering etc, just because a DEMOCRATIC vote did not go your way, is not how an elected official should behave
Well done Peter Wexham. About time someone stood up to taxi drivers, who think they own the road, who think they can stop where they like, and nothing applies to them.
Woodenspoon
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6:02pm Wed 17 Oct 12
stonybrig
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6:07pm Wed 17 Oct 12
you should see them when they are parked in the square at Rochford they try bullying tactics with other motorists when they cant get on to the rank,, I love it when they sit at train stations and no one uses them there little faces go sad and misog,,,,,,,,,,,,,
yellowfairy
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6:14pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Woodenspoon wrote:I agree they should be tested every 3-5 years as the people using them put their lives in their hands, perhaps then they could correct the bad habits they have picked up and be taught to be more courteous to other drivers.
The Rank will just give the taxi drivers even more opportunity to pull out on other motorists without indicators or stop next to the rank, in the road, without actually pulling in to it because they are incapable of parallel parking, just as they do at the ASDA taxi rank in Basildon. Cab drivers and ice cream vans are run very much on a "Mafia" style. They all have their own "Turf" and God help anyone one or any other taxi company coming into "their" area. Maybe these "Professional" drivers should learn to drive with more care and attention and be a bit more courteous to other motorists, then we would return the favour. I do so hope that they bring in the new laws that taxi drivers have to re-take their driving test every 5 years. I would make it every year, bit like a competency test to make sure that they still know how to use indicators and be aware that there are other drivers on the roads, and that its not just about them all the time.
Rollocks
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7:06pm Wed 17 Oct 12
J Arthur Rank
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7:23pm Wed 17 Oct 12
I think the SLTDA really should put forward a candidate to fight Mr. Wexham's seat at the next election. It would be an opportunity for the people of his ward to show that they hold the taxi drivers in high esteem or otherwise.
My money would be on Mr. Wexham retaining his seat but perhaps there are more important issues than a spat over what amounts to a throwaway comment.
I tend to find that it is often those who have the least regard for the effect of their words on others who are the most easily offended when they are on the receiving end.
Nebs
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11:12pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Brunning999
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8:16am Thu 18 Oct 12
The difference being taxi drivers do a rotten job and take a security risk every time someone gets in their cab.
For a politician to make a comment like that is like the pot calling the kettle black.
AndyBSG
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8:51am Thu 18 Oct 12
Which the vast majority of taxi drivers think do not apply to them...
Sorry, but there are plenty of professional drivers on the road yet none of them drive as unprofessionally as the majority of taxi drivers.
I have to deal with these inconsiderate louts on a daily basis who use my company's private car park as an over run for their taxi rank and they think it's perfectly acceptable to block the car park as well as completely ignoring any right of way laws when their colleagues have reduce the road to a single lane with their parking.
And no, this is not a small minority, this is all of them down there which I would say is a regular group of almost two dozen drivers covering 3 taxi firms and their behaviour soon changes as soon as the traffic wardens turn up.
thfcno1
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11:47am Thu 18 Oct 12
Howironic is this how you get your daily fix by hiring a taxi.
Basildon lad 21 why is a 21 year old on here all the time maybe you should get a girlfriend or is 21 your iq .
Wooden spoon what's wrong doesn't your benefit money extend to getting a taxi .
Rollocks why would a taxi driver take you and your pitbull from the dole office to the rehab centre.
Rollocks your name rhymes with what you say maybe you should change your name to cupid punt.
Don't compare taxi drivers to my family your faithfully don corleone
howironic says...
2:24pm Wed 17 Oct 12