TAXI CAB drivers have called for help from the Wokingham council, in order for their industry in the town to survive lockdown.

Muhammad Arshad, Chairman for the Wokingham Hackney (Taxi) Driver's Association, requested the council's help in an email on Wednesday 3.

The request proposed three means of ensuring drivers could run once the coronavirus lockdown is over.

Mr Arshad requested in an email that councillors suspend/write off all licensing related matters and charges, including Council MOT licenses and badge fees till the end of crisis.

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He also requested licensed vehicles which are coming to the maximum age limit be given some extension and the Association's previous request to look into smaller and electric cars should be allowed an age relaxation.

The last thing the chairman asked was for councillors to postpone the proposed fare rise, as requested by drivers prior to the pandemic, for customers for some time as a contribution from the trade.

He claims that these actions will allow drivers, who have already faced over a month without any income and face a tough year following the cancellation of many key events, to be able to afford to run their taxi businesses in future.

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Councillor Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said: "We’ve been supporting local businesses affected by Covid-19 in a number of ways.

"With the taxi trade, in partnership with the Public Protection Partnership, our measures include: ‘pausing’ vehicle and operator licences so people can save money, suspending fees and required medical tests to renew licenses until drivers resume work, reduced the cost of recovery fees by £40 for this and next year, and amended the Private Hire Operator schedule of fees to a per vehicle basis.

"We continue to use taxis for our Home to School transport, and taxi drivers can also apply for the financial help we’ve set up for all local businesses.

"We are open to consider other measures to help our businesses at this difficult time."

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Mr Arshad said to the News: "Even though many councillors and chief executive at Wokingham Borough council acknowledged the hardships and promised to help, we are still desperately trying to get some relief.

"It's getting harder and harder every day for drivers in the town."