BOLTON town centre was brought to a halt in a second round of protests led by taxi drivers.
Around 100 vehicles and plenty more cabbies demonstrated outside Bolton Town Hall against the Clean Air Zone charges which they are due to incur as of 2023.
There is also concern that, in order to avoid the charges, owners of commercial vehicles can be exempt if they upgrade that vehicle to one under five-years-old. The cost implications of this are large and possibly fatal to businesses, they say.
Feelings were intensified during the second instalment of the protests and if the organisers do not see any significant change, they warn that this will not be the last time it happens.
“This is just a starter. There’s a main course and dessert to come. Unless the council and government sit down and sort this out, we’ll keep coming,” said Mahmood Akhtar, vice-chairman of Bolton Private Hire Association.
“We’ve been going through a bad patch as it is for the past two years. Taxi firms are suffering. The drivers are suffering and the general public is going to suffer as well.
“Unless they come back to the table and scrap this Clean Air Zone we’re going to see a lot of problems in Bolton.”
Demonstrators repeatedly pointed out that ultimately it is not just them who are going to suffer the financial burden.
Sammy Patel, owner of Orbit Taxis, added: “At the end of the day it’s going down to the customers.
“It’s them that are going to pay for it, because if we’re getting charged then it’s going to follow on.
“Drivers aren’t going to be out of pocket eventually, it’s the customers.”
Siraj Patel has driven a taxi in Bolton for 25 years and the Metro Cars driver echoed Sammy’s comments
He said: “I want to send this message directly to the public – if you think that Clean Air Zone charges are for the trade and not for you – no. It’s for you, not for us.
“Tomorrow if we change our vehicle, it doesn’t affect us because when we buy the new vehicle obviously the weight goes to the public. Today you’re paying £5, tomorrow you could be paying £10.”
It was not just taxi drivers that came to voice their displeasure.
Neil Radleigh will be charged £60 a day to drive his van in Greater Manchester as of May 30.
He is currently unemployed but uses his van as a memorial for people who have died and raise awareness for issues such as knife crime
Mr Radleigh said: “It’ll be the end of this. That’s me off the road. I cannot afford another van or car.”
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Originally Appeared Here