| Cabbies stopped working for six hours from midnight as part of a long-running dispute with the city council, leaving many late night revellers with problems getting home.
Now Dundee Taxi Association chairman Graeme Stephen has said more strikes will follow — including the possibility of action taken without prior notice.
He said, “That was probably the first of many strikes to come. You will also see more rolling roadblocks and other things done without warning.
“We have also considered the possibility of striking during the day. If no progress is made soon, that is definitely something that could happen next week or the week after.”
Although an exact figure is not known, Mr Stephen estimated that up to 500 drivers took part in Saturday night’s action. Members of the TWGU, Dundee Taxi Association and Dundee Wheelchair and Taxi Association were all involved in the protest.
The drivers claim there are too many taxis on the road, and are particularly upset by Dundee Taxi Cab Ltd (known locally as 203020), which they allege is acting outside licence terms — something it categorically denies.
They would like to see the number of drivers on the road capped and an investigation into the firm launched.
Saturday’s strike coincided with one of the busiest nights of the year for the city’s pubs and clubs, as Scotland faced Italy in the key Euro 2008 qualifier.
“It went a lot better on Saturday night than we thought it would — we estimate there were only 60 cars on the road,” said Mr Stephen. “We were all extremely happy with how it went — the response we got was fantastic.
“Many of the drivers took their private cars out and drove about keeping an eye on what was going on. There were very few taxis on the road.
“We just wanted to make sure there were no young girls left stranded and in a state of distress. That was something we were worried about beforehand. Nobody would have liked to see somebody hurt. But luckily it doesn’t appear there was any more trouble than usual.
“We would like to thank the public for the way they dealt with the strike. The majority seemed to know it was coming and took the necessary measures to get home safely. I think most people know we have legitimate grievances and have to do something.”
Lord Provost John Letford, chairman of Dundee City Council’s licensing committee, has appealed to the drivers to return to negotiations. |
