TAXI drivers across the city have said trade is suffering and passenger safety is at risk because “every Tom, Dick and Harry” is being allowed to ply their trade in the city.

More than 150 drivers crammed into the Guildhall on Monday (December 10) to show councillors their frustration at dwindling trade in the city fuelled by an influx of taxis from across the county that they believe are not being held to the same high safety standards as those in Worcester.

Raja Hussain, chairman of the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, told the city council’s licensing and environmental health committee that the city’s taxi trade is suffering because cars from across the county – and licensed by different councils – are driving to Worcester and sitting in the city’s ranks waiting for customers.

He said taxi drivers in the city were having to spend between £15,000 and £18,000 to meet exacting standards required to be granted a taxi licence by Worcester City Council.

Mr Hussain told the meeting he knew of a driver that had left Worcester unable to get a licence only to return to the city to work when he had been granted a licence by Wychavon District Council.

He said: “We are held to very high standards here in the city of Worcester.

"If we are going to hold these standards, we should hold other people accountable. Where is the safety for passengers?

“If we care about passengers so much and we are passionate about safety, then we should bring them up to our standards.”

Mr Hussain said it was “diabolical” that the same safety standards for Worcester were not being held in the rest of the county.

However, Wychavon District Council has stressed its taxis are safe.

A spokesman for Wychavon said: “The policies to allocate taxi licences are determined by the individual council. "This does not mean that taxis in one area or another are unsafe, it is simply a differing policy.”

Mr Hussain said he had seen private hire vehicles picking up passengers illegally on the street “multiple times."

He also said he saw taxis licensed by Wychavon District Council waiting in the Foregate Street taxi rank - although they are legally entitled to do so.

He said: “The trade is suffering. You only have to go and look at the ranks to see that the taxis are hanging around a lot longer than before.”

Mohammad Sajad, also from the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, told councillors the “ball was in their court” and it was up to the council to take action.

Representatives of the city’s taxi drivers also criticised a plan to introduce livery and branding to hackney carriages in the city.

Mr Hussain said: “Whilst the trade’s income is going down, we are expected to fork out more money.

“One of the colours being banded around is white so you’re going to have to find a vehicle that is around two years old, you’re going to have to find a vehicle with a good service record, most likely with one previous owner, in excellent condition and now you’ve got to find it in white and it’s got to be an auto. I think you’re going to be struggling.

“We need to think about it very carefully before we start to move forward.”

The decision to continue looking at introducing livery to the city’s hackney carriages split the council’s licensing and environmental health committee but it was passed by six votes to four.

The council’s initial estimate of adding branding to taxis would be between £200 and £300.

Councillor Louise Griffiths said: “I like the idea, I think it would look nice but that initial cost does worry me.

“When we are asking drivers to mend their vehicles to such a high standard and then on top of that add livery to their vehicles I think it is just too much.

“It is an expense that is not affordable for most drivers.”

Cllr Roger Knight supported the idea of taxi branding and said it would make passengers feel more comfortable and know they were in safe hands using a Worcester City taxi.

Cllr Knight said adopting livery did not necessarily mean the burden of paying for it would solely be on the taxi driver and continuing the work would allow the council to look at whether it could subsidise some of the cost.

He said: “I do support this but I don’t support the idea of it being an extra cost for the taxi drivers."