Angry taxi drivers opposed to disciplinary rules which would see them given penalty points have put together a petition with nearly 600 signatures.

Drivers complain they have not been consulted about the changes, which would see them accrue points for complaints about their conduct or for misdemeanours such as using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

David Wratten, of Cambridge City Licensed Taxis, told a meeting yesterday that a petition raising concerns about the proposal had gained 593 signatures.

Members of Cambridge City Council’s licensing committee decided not to approve the disciplinary system in principle but authorised officers to draw up a draft which will be consulted on.

They approved a new code of conduct for the trade, introducing new rules such as a requirement for drivers to pass basic English and numeracy tests before they get a licence, on top of the existing exams on motoring regulations and local knowledge.

However, Mr Wratten said his members were concerned about a section of the code which limited the ages and emissions standards of vehicles, warning drivers of wheelchair-friendly vehicles would be disproportionately affected because there are fewer of these available as environmentally friendly models.

Explaining taxis were not the only culprits, Mr Wratten said: “We are responsible for only 3 per cent of pollution in the city, 53 per cent of it comes from outside.”

Councillors agreed to defer implementation of this section of the code so further consultation can be carried out.

The committee’s other decision was to approve the undertaking of a survey which would explore whether there were enough taxis to meet existing demand.

Chairman Cllr Julie Smith said: “This is something the trade requested, the trade will pay for it and it will allow us to deal with the issue of whether there should be a limitation on numbers.”

Vice-chairman Cllr Colin Rosenstiel said a limit could only be imposed if the research proved there was no unmet demand.

Petersfield’s Cllr Kevin Blencowe said the taxi trade’s concerns worried him.

source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/

He said: “The trade aren’t getting the level of service the fee they pay deserves.”