Cabbies 'not bothered' Wolverhampton is capital of private hire licences after criticism from other cities
Wolverhampton cabbies are “not bothered” about their city being the taxi licence capital of England as they are too busy worrying about a lack of work.
Wolverhampton Council was criticised by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham after it emerged a third of the northern city's cabbies are licensed here.
However, the council, which charges £150 less than other authorities, including Manchester, claims it is doing nothing wrong despite nearly a third of all England’s private hire cabs being licensed in Wolverhampton.
Black cab diver Rajan Abdul told the Express & Star: “It’s good for Wolverhampton Council because they are making money, and bad for other councils because they are not making money.
“Hackney carriage fees are reduced due to all the private hire licences they sell. There must be a loophole why so many drivers get licensed in Wolverhampton, that, or it’s cheap compared to everywhere else.”
The 30-year veteran said: “But that is not the problem, it used to be great before, there were nightclubs, and now the trams go to the station, that has taken some work from us too.
“In 10 years there will be no black cabs in Wolverhampton, it is impossible to make a living.”
A Freedom of Information request by the BBC revealed almost 9,000 drivers registered with Wolverhampton Council live in Greater Manchester.
Manchester Mayor Burnham complained: “How are they not checking up on those taxis and those drivers, but they’re taking in the money for it.
“They shouldn’t be doing it because they’re giving plates without being able to then monitor the performance.”
There are 36,000 private hire drivers with a Wolverhampton plate, which is close to 13 per cent of the city’s entire population 262,000.
A Wolverhampton Council spokesman said: “The council has never actively encouraged applications from drivers outside the city, existing legislation requires that if an application is submitted and requirements are met, the application must be granted. The council may not refuse an applicant simply because they live in a different area.”
“Our early adoption of digital technology has allowed us to offer a simple and efficient online application procedure, with the requirement that drivers attend in person for training and strict assessment before an application can be processed.”
The spokesman added: “Applicants are usually local to the area they drive in, but many have chosen to be licensed in Wolverhampton due to our efficient, yet rigorous, licensing process.”
“Public safety is of paramount importance to us. Partnership working with our Licensing colleagues and other agencies shows our commitment to upholding our responsibilities; we expect drivers and vehicles licensed by us to always maintain the highest standards.”
One drawback for local cabbies is insurance firms are now catching and beginning to refuse to cover those with a Wolverhampton licence.
Amrik Singh, aged 66, said: “The insurance firms believe all taxi accidents happen in Wolverhampton, when they don’t.
“I am just looking forward to retirement, I wait at the rank for two hours some days and just pick up a £6 fare. There is no way a young person could run a house and pay their bills by being a taxi driver.”
He added: “I’ve just got six months to go, and then I’m done.”
Merbin Hussain, who was also waiting for a fare, said: “Half of Wolverhampton town centre is closed, we just don’t get the jobs anymore. There are no clubs or attractions, people just go to Birmingham.
“If it was not for the school run I could not keep being a cabbie.”
