Cabbies at war with council over rank plan
City taxi drivers have reported Highland Council to the ombudsman watchdog over a bitter row that centres on the closure threatened Castle Wynd rank and the provision of adequate stances in the city.
Inverness Taxi Alliance (ITA) which represents 100 drivers, first complained to the public services watchdog in the spring, but were urged to try and sort out their differences with the council.
ITA chairman Andrew MacDonald said: “Nothing has been sorted and now we have written to the ombudsman detailing our unhappiness.
“We are facing a crisis in the Highland taxi trade, especially in Inverness where there are 22 rank spaces for well over 400 cars.”
The ITA letter accuses the council of not answering emails, months of silence, inadequate and inaccurate minutes from meetings, inadequate consultation and broken promises.
The council is accused also of ignoring a public petition supporting the retention of Castle Wynd before deciding to close it.The drivers claim the only sensible solution is to retain Castle Wynd.
The council said its chief executive had received a copy of the complaint to the ombudsman from the Inverness Taxi Alliance. A spokeswoman added: “The letter will be acknowledged in due course.”
