Taxi wars to reach the States

Wednesday 12 July 2017

The long-running dispute over the future of Jersey's taxi-cab industry looks set to be finally decided in the States Assembly.

It follows industrial action sparked by a raft of fare reforms – including moves to “simplify” tariffs and absorb all ‘extras’ into a fee of just 20p – which saw mass disruption to travellers at the Island’s ports last month, causing private hire cabs to be drafted in to carry passengers.

Now, Senator Sarah Ferguson has decided to bring the issue to the full States Assembly, saying that drivers are at risk of being "trampled on." She also wants the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel, to talk to the Taxi Drivers’ Association under the supervision of a mediator.

She says she looked into the issue after speaking to the taxi drivers. She explained: " They asked me if I was aware of what was going on. I said, 'no' and when I did look into it, I realised it was something that needed to be addressed and discussed. I want to make sure that the taxi drivers are not being trampled on."

Last Friday, she lodged a proposition to annul the Motor Traffic (Cabs – Fares and Charges) (Jersey) Order 2017. 

Pictured: Senator Sarah Ferguson says "a little goodwill and discussion" will help resolve the issue.

Commenting on the taxi-cab fare structure, which sets the maximum charge to be levied,  and comprise three tariffs instead of up to eight, Deputy Noel said he had tried "...to bring about improvement for customers, while being fair and reasonable to the industry. " 

But Senator Ferguson says she is not sure of the "rationale" behind the changes. “The Minister seems to feel that he is a regulator and as such is able to negotiate the charges. But he has no power to impose prices on the private hire firms. He is making it possible for the cabs to eventually sit on the ranks but the taxis won’t be able to charge as much as them. Theoretically, cabs should be charging rank fares but it appears some of them are charging fare prizes."

Furthermore, Senator Ferguson says she is not confident about the attempt to merge what she calls “two separate industries.” “I don’t see any way to merge them without it being a real muddle. The Minister is trying to rationalise the industry so that the public is not confused about the prices but it is something that should be put into practice before we actually do it."

Pictured: An order was drafted by the Minister for Infrastructure to simplify the fare system but Senator Ferguson deems it "unsuccessful."

Senator Ferguson's proposition is accompanied by a summary of the taxi-cab industry review to date, signed by Mick Tostevin, president of the JTDA. He writes they are "dissatisfied with the way in which the Minister for Infrastructure has handled much of the Taxi-Cab industry review process" saying it was presented to the industry as a 'done deal.' 

He continues: "We feel that the Minister was then responsible for thrusting the Taxi-Cab industry into a crisis, which has been hanging over the heads of the drivers and their families for several years now, causing a lot of stress and anxiety."