Source: BBC News
Taxi drivers in Coventry are considering not working in the evenings after being told they must remove safety grilles from their cabs.
More than 500 of the grilles have been put into city hackney taxis by drivers who fear they could be attacked.
But the city council said the grilles did not meet safety standards and could put passengers at risk.
Alias Yousef, Coventry Taxi Association chairman, said drivers may stop night work while legal action was considered.
The drivers held a protest at the city’s station earlier after the council said the grilles could be unsafe and may not be fitted properly and had to be removed by the end of November.
Mr Yousef said the association’s legal representatives were writing to the council warning that the matter could end up in court.
‘Alternative screens’
He said: “Until that happens the taxi drivers will just not work in the evenings, which will mean over the Christmas and New Year period there won’t be many taxis working at all.
“In fact there won’t be any working.”
The city council said research by two independent organisations showed the grilles or cages did not meet safety standards and were a potential risk to passengers.
A council spokesman said: “While we recognise the concerns of drivers, it must be our absolute priority to have safe taxis on the road for passengers.”
He added: “However, we have been working with LTI, who manufacture most of the vehicles, and Mann & Overton, to come with an alternative polycarbonate screen to protect both passengers and drivers.”
The council added that it had written to tell drivers they could get the screens fitted at a subsidised cost of about £65.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
How about this for a suggestion, fit the £65 Plastic Screen and fix the cage inside the drivers cab as it will then not endanger the passenger.
Mind you I am suprised the Vehicle did not have one fitted already when purchased as a New Vehicle, or are the Vehicles Second Hand, so you have to ask did the drivers remove the screens first then fit the cage?
If they did not then, I am a little suprised as every LTI or Metrocab I have ever seen has a plastic screen in the Bulkhead that is fitted in the vehicle.
Just a thought though.
well looking at the pic it seems like they is plastic screen behind the grill judging by the no smoking sign on the left so would think its a simple case of just taking it down so don’t know what they a whinging aboot