Bridgnorth taxi drivers in licensing protest

TAXI DRIVERS today blockaded council offices in a Shropshire town in protest at a shake-up of licensing laws in the county.

Members of Bridgnorth Drivers' Action Group blocked the entrance and exit to the car park at Shropshire Council's Westgate offices in Bridgnorth as part of the battle against controversial plans to remove licensing zones in the county.

Six drivers and two customers on horseback took part in the protest which started at 12.30pm and lasted about an hour. Drivers claim the move to remove the zones would destroy livelihoods and put people at risk.

Duncan Gordon-Wells, action group chairman, said: "We are opposed to what Shropshire Council is trying to bring in. We have support from drivers in Shrewsbury.

"We are looking at possible further action. We just want Shropshire Council to wake up to what's going on.

"It is okay making big decisions in Shrewsbury but they're not relevant to the rest of the county. Towns have got different characteristics and this should be recognised by the council."

Mr Gordon-Wells said the planned changes could affect trade, with potential rises in fares putting people off using taxis.

Sheena Parry, a licensing consultant for the taxi drivers, supporting today's protest, said there was a safety issue, as teenagers wanting to get to reach rural areas could find themselves being taken by drivers who did not know the area.

Currently the county is zoned into five areas — Bridgnorth, North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Atcham and South Shropshire. Council bosses want to create one zone and set a single rate card.

Drivers claim fares in some areas could rocket by 300 per cent and some streets would be overrun by hundreds of taxis.

The council has previously said that there were "significantly inconsistent" approaches to taxi licensing which needed to be regulated.

By Lisa Rowley