Taxi bosses call meeting after Go Carz drivers strike in Telford

Drivers at Go Carz, now owned by Veezu, went gone on strike this morning in a dispute with the Veezu management team.

The Shropshire Star understands that the meeting will be held in Shrewsbury today, with the potential for more strike action if the outcome is not positive.

Drivers are asking for an open dialogue about a price rise that came into effect today.

Drivers feel that with the rising cost of fuel – something that has been felt across the nation – the latest price rise is not enough to cover their extra running costs and the cost of living.

Saf Khan, one of the taxi drivers affected, said: "We just want a dialogue with the company. We waited outside the offices for two hours this morning, nobody came out to speak to us.

"Veezu seem to want to do it all online, they have an online driver portal where you can raise a ticket, but nothing ever seems to happen. What we want is to be able to sit down together in a room and talk about these issues."

Well over 100 drivers gathered at the offices in Ketley this morning, prepared to speak to bosses. However, after no progress was made they travelled in convoy to Telford town centre where they toured around and flashed their hazard lights as one to draw attention to their plight.

A spokesperson for Veezu said: “Fares have been reviewed and small increases have been introduced. It is necessary to strike a balance between a fair price for the Driver Partners and fair price for passengers. When reviewing fares, consideration is given to the Hackney Carriage fares (set by Telford & Wrekin Council and which have not been increased for 10 years), as well as the rising costs faced by Driver Partners and the financial pressures faced by passengers in our community post-Covid-19. We will continue to review fares on an ongoing basis.

“Given the concerns raised by some of the self-employed Driver Partners, we are meeting with a small group of them later today (Monday, November 15). We are committed to addressing their concerns and finding a way forward. In the meantime, we apologise to passengers for any disruption they may have experienced related to our booking service.”