Association caves in to cabbies’ pressure

HOWARD SYKES

One thousand private-hire drivers in Oldham will be spared Greater Manchester’s congestion charging — thanks to council leader Howard Sykes.

Town hall planners had wanted to exempt from the charge only hackney carriage drivers because they are allowed to use bus lanes — but private-hire drivers had threatened to seek legal advice.

Councillor Sykes persuaded his fellow leaders at a meeting of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities that the drivers will be too powerful a force campaigning for a “no” vote in a forthcoming referendum.

He told the meeting: “I have 90 Hackney drivers and more than a thousand private-hire drivers.

“We don’t really want 1,000 angry people talking to the public for three months. Why subject ourselves to a lot of grief when we could take the sting out of it.”

Stockport leader Councillor Dave Goddard agreed: “We have 114 black cabs and 900 private-hire cars.

“The fact is that the hackney drivers work when they want to. If you want to get a child to school in the morning, you can’t get a black cab.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and AGMA deputy leader, said there was no reason not change the original plans. “I have a thousand hackney drivers and six times as many private-hire drivers.”

The decision of the leaders to exempt the private-hire drivers will head off a massive row.

Bryan Roland, from the Bury-based National Private-Hire Drivers’ Association, had criticised the plan, pointing out that private-hire cars are exempt under London’s road-pricing scheme.

He claimed that the drivers are already under massive pressure with high prices for fuel and licence fees as well as the credit crunch.

As predicted by the Evening Chronicle a fortnight ago, Sir Richard proposed a referendum at the end of the three months consultation period. He was seconded by Susan Williams, leader of Trafford Council which is opposed to congestion charging.

The resolution was passed unanimously and the details are to be discussed next month. The electoral commission is to be asked to appoint an adviser and plans for an opinion poll are likely to be dropped in favour of the referendum.

Sir Richard defended the £3 million cost of the consultation exercise and said it amounted to only 50p a head for the whole of Greater Manchester.

City chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein said: “We have tried to be cost-efficient but we have got obligations to do it properly.”