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Well best Cllr Grundy re-read his Best Practice Guidance and the 85 act and stop talking a load of old tosh. It does make you wonder how these people get elected!!!

Perhaps someone better inform Cllr Grundy and his licensing officers of what the law actually is!!

A packed meeting, last week, of Chelmsford’s taxi drivers heard a report of the long history of Chelmsford Council’s behaviour towards this vital part of the area’s transport infrastructure. The taxi drivers have joined GMB Professional Driver's Branch, one of the fastest growing trade union Branches in the UK. The taxi drivers want the major political and industrial expertise that the UK’s 3rd largest Union brings and felt that it is required to progress the excellent job that the Chelmsford Taxi Association (CTA) has started.

Local councillors have not responded to the many invitations from the local taxi trade to see for themselves the impact of the policies that they have brought in are doing to this vital local industry. The meeting was told that Chelmsford Licensing Department is presiding over many ambiguities on the local taxi industry such as vehicle testing relating to tyre treads, lighting requirements and many other key safety issues. There were concerns about the reports of unacceptable behaviour from Essex Licensing Officers; one report spoke of an officer who, as of habit hangs up the phone on enquiries from concerned taxi drivers. The view of many Chelmsford taxi drivers was that the dictatorial attitude of many of the Licensing Officers makes a fair deal for taxi drivers impossible and improving the service to the public unlikely.

Other issues were raised about Chelmsford Council’s attitude to some issues that need urgent action such as, a limit on taxi numbers, rank spaces, licensing fees, fare structures, the proper and proactive enforcement of the laws against touts, the number of taxi tests, the ignoring of Government best practice guides and the fees for tests, and the council’s continuous increases of fees despite the recession.

Terence Flanagan GMB Organiser of Professional Drivers Branch's said,"GMB call upon the Council to immediately open talks with the GMB Drivers Branch in Chelmsford and save the public from the inevitable consequences of these misguided and destructive policies. The council should consider the scenario of a busy Saturday night in Chelmsford if there was no taxi service and the likely response of several thousand revellers unable to get home because of the decisions of the council.

The meeting decided that a series of unannounced strikes was the only way to get this council to indulge in some serious negotiating and GMB will assist them with that in any way that they need. The result for the electorate in the area will be no taxi service whatever, this council’s incompetence and belligerence defies belief.

GMB would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Chair of the Licensing Committee to talk candidly about all matters relating to Chelmsford taxi service.”