Anger as services go unpaid following Shropshire Council payment delays
Taxi drivers and bus operators say they have been left out of pocket after a new payment system introduced by Shropshire Council experienced 'delays'.
The council took to social media to apologise for the delay in making the payments to operators who provide a service to pupils before and after the school day.
One taxi driver who has driven pupils around for almost 20 years, has been left hundreds of pounds short after the council failed to pay him for the previous months' work.
The driver, who did not want to be named said: "Shropshire Council has been paying taxi firms for school runs for a number of years using one particular system.
"They have brought in a new system and it hasn't worked properly.
Contract
"People are losing their livelihoods. We are paid each month and now we are a week behind. The new payment system is having teething problems but we are the ones who are losing out. The council are breaching their contract with us. It seems so unfair as I have heard that bigger firms are still being paid but the smaller independent taxi firms are not.
"I have been working on routes for the council for almost 20 years and I have not had this type of problem before. I have no idea why they decided to change the system, it worked perfectly well before. Maybe it was to make life easier for them."
It is understood that there has been a delay in making payments to suppliers of school dinners and one supplier has said this is having a 'detrimental effect' on their business.
Shropshire Council said: "Following the introduction of a new payments system we’re currently experiencing some delays in paying transport invoices and expenses. We apologise for this and our finance team are working hard to ensure that all payments are made as soon as possible."
