Taxi drivers to boycott station

The taxi association said drivers unanimously agreed to the boycott

Taxi drivers plan to permanently boycott Birmingham's main railway station in protest at plans to charge them each time they pick up passengers.

In the next few weeks, cab drivers will have to pay 20p every time they pass through a barrier at New Street station in the city centre.

The charges have already led to a temporary boycott earlier this week.

Network Rail, which runs the station, said the plan means the station is opened up to more taxi firms.

Birmingham and Solihull Taxi Drivers Association said it would call off the action if the charges were dropped.

'Addressed concerns'

Currently, only the 1,200 members of the association can pick passengers up from the station, excluding 300 non-members.

A spokesman for Network Rail said the new system was fairer.

"We have not been informed about the boycott and if it is true then we are very disappointed as we feel we have addressed their concerns every step of the way," he said.

The association had an agreement with the rail operator where it paid a lump sum to enable drivers to work at the station.

Talks about adopting a new system and putting up barriers have been on-going since last summer.

'Forget the idea'

But association secretary, Mike Shingler, told BBC News that drivers will have to buy swipe cards at a cost of £800 annually and pass the cost on to passengers.

"They have now decided on a barrier system in a venture to gain more money," he said.

"People will have to pay more and they pay enough for taxis as it is.

"We say, if you want more money we will give it to you but forget the barrier idea."

He said drivers unanimously agreed to boycott the station at a meeting on Wednesday.