Council sets aside £350,000 to pay for taxi refunds (From Gazette)

Council sets aside £350,000 to pay for taxi refunds

7:00pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News

COUNCILLORS have been kept in the dark over a legal challenge which could cost the council up to £350,000.

Sue Lissimore, borough shadow cabinet member for taxi licensing, is calling for answers from licensing bosses at Colchester Council after an administrative blunder led to taxi drivers being owed up to £1,000 each.

“We have been kept in the dark over this matter,” Mrs Lissimore said.

“It’s strange we have found out about it through the newspaper rather than through our colleagues in the coalition.

“It seems this is something they did not want to come out, which is worrying.”

The council has allocated the money to pay for the refunds, due to about 300 drivers and operators, because licence fee increases for the last six years were not properly advertised and have been ruled to be have been unlawful.

In July, licensing bosses said they were committed to reimbursing cabbies who apply for the refund.

A Colchester Council spokeswoman said: “This doesn’t mean that the full amount is set aside to be shared amongst the town’s taxi drivers.

“They will be getting different amounts or nothing depending on what they qualify for.”

Across the borough, there are more than 1,300 registered taxis.