I READ David Higgerson's article (May 6 issue), about lorry jobs "at risk". I would like to suggest that hackney carriage drivers are in a worse dilemma.

It costs in the region of £30,000 for a new hackney carriage (with interest).

We have to have the cab tested every six months - which costs around £45 - then there's the licence fee of £55 and the cost of a badge at £50.

The drivers have to have a knowledge test and a medical, all at their own cost, before they can even begin to earn any kind of a wage.

The hackney driver has to work well over the normal 40 hours per week which an average person does to earn a decent living and to keep his vehicle on the road.

Now that the government has increased the price of fuel and the road tax, cabbies are finding it very hard to make ends meet.

They also have to compete with private hire company drivers who come into town and illegally ply for hire on the streets of Preston.

They do this blatantly in front of the police who don't do anything about it.

We have tried to educate the public by telling them that if they do get into one of these private hire cars without pre-booking it, and it is involved in an accident, the driver's insurance is not valid.

We need to ask the government, the local council and the police to help us in our plight. We are seen as part of the public sector.

We want to be able to serve the general public and offer them the highest standards we can by buying new cabs and keeping them to the highest standard - for the customer's convenience.

Sandra Chester

Secretary

Preston Hackney Carriage Association

Ingol

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