'Our members patience has run out' - Union boss on planned taxi protests due to take place in Lichfield this week
Members of the RMT union driving Hackney Carriages in Lichfield are due to stage the first of three strikes this afternoon (Monday) over pedestrianisation work in the city centre.
They will protest over what they say is Lichfield District Council’s failure to address serious concerns over the new pedestrianised zone
The first go-slow protest will take place between 4.30pm and 6.30pm with two others taking place over the same time period on Wednesday and Friday.
Drivers say the pedestrianisation scheme - completed in September 2024 - is having a damaging impact on their livelihoods, the safety of other road users, and access to ranks , and that their concerns have been repeatedly ignored by the councillors responsible for introducing the scheme.
The RMT has been in discussions with various council departments for almost two years but says elected councillors have refused to meet drivers or properly engage with the union, despite the fact that all Hackney Carriage drivers are licensed by the council and pay to operate in the city.
The planned go-slow protest route will run from Frog Lane, past the Council House, along Birmingham Road to the Bowling Green roundabout and back to Frog Lane.
RMT Regional Organiser John Watson said: “Our Hackney Carriage members in Lichfield have tried to be reasonable but their patience has run out.
“Despite nearly two years of discussions with council officers, the councillors responsible for the pedestrianised zone have refused to meet drivers or even acknowledge the very real problems this scheme has created.
“The pedestrianised zone by itself is not the issue but what our members are demanding is proper mitigation so that drivers can work safely, ranks are sensibly located, and livelihoods are protected.
"None of that has been delivered or considered by these plans.
“We have put forward reasonable, low-impact solutions that would work for residents, businesses and drivers alike, but those proposals have so far been dismissed.
“These go-slow protests are a last resort and we remain ready to talk and to find a permanent solution that avoids any further action.
"Councillors need to engage with the union and together through negotiation deliver a workable solution."
Lichfield District Council has been asked for comment.
