Writing to the Leader of Bradford Council, Imran has levelled a number of serious questions over the treatment of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers by Bradford Council.

In his letter, Imran has stated that over recent weeks, numerous taxi drivers have approached him regarding the way in which they are being treated by Bradford Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Service, with many deeply concerned about the conduct and way in which the Service has been working.

The majority of the concerns raised with Imran centre around the excessive delays in issuing new licenses to drivers which have expired over recent months. These delays have left drivers unable to work and facing financial difficulties at a time when they when they have already experienced large shortfalls in income due to the decrease in passengers that has been created by the Coronavirus crisis.

However, Imran has raised further concerns around the further delays and obstacles in plating new, eco-friendly vehicles, despite Bradford Council’s push to improve air quality and implement a Clean Air Zone in the city centre, which is again preventing drivers from working and is putting their livelihoods at risk. The experience of drivers when dealing with Bradford Council has also been singled out for criticism, with many experiencing long delays between raising issues and receiving a response, forcing them to turn to Imran for assistance and to escalate their concerns.

Imran has therefore urged Leader of Bradford Council to investigate these issues and respond, and to address the challenges and obstacles that are being put in the way of taxi drivers to protect their livelihoods.

Speaking on the concerns raised by taxi drivers in Bradford, Imran said:

“Bradford’s taxi drivers are an important and much valued peg in our local economy, but over the last few months, they have been hit hard by the Coronavirus crisis with decreased trade because of lockdown and many spending their own money in ensuring that their vehicles are safe.

“Yet despite the challenges that they have faced and continue to face, the support that they have received from Bradford Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Service has been woefully insufficient, and their treatment in many cases has simply been deeply unacceptable.

“Bradford Council’s leadership now need to take an urgent look at the work of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Service and how it can be improved to meet the needs of our taxi drivers and to address the challenges that they face, not put even more in their path.”