Coventry taxi cab strike enters fourth day

Black cab drivers in Coventry are continuing their strike in a dispute with the council over the number of available ranks in the city.


Mr Zaman said there were not enough ranks in the city

Drivers said there were not enough, and colleagues have been given parking tickets when they park elsewhere.

The police and city council have until recently been lenient but some drivers were given tickets on Friday prompting drivers to go on strike.

The council said it would look at introducing more ranks.

Unions, the council and West Midlands Police have been holding negotiations to try to resolve the issue.

'Introduce cap'

Taxi driver Imran Zaman said the strike action would continue indefinitely until there was a result.

"We understand it is against the law to park on double yellow lines but we need a lot more rank spaces so we can legally work," he said.

Councillor Lyndsley Harvard, cabinet member for city services, said many cabs congregated in the city centre instead of using ranks in the suburbs.

He said they had held talks with the Taxi Association, and the council would also look at introducing a cap on the number of taxis.

But parking tickets will still be issued to cab drivers who "over-rank", misuse ranks or park illegally, he added.

Allens Taxis were picking up customers as us usual from outside Morrisons on Saturday.