TAXI meters are used in Worcester and elsewhere to ensure that all customers pay a fair price for their journey, so it is quite right that complaints have been made about the few rogue cabbies who are trying to over-charge by demanding a flat rate.

However, we must be careful not to tar all taxi drivers with the same brush, because it is just a handful who are trying to rip off their passengers, and most of the cabbies in our city abide by the rules.

Also, and this is not a defence for switching off the meter, it would seem that Worcester taxi drivers are struggling to make a living because cabbies from elsewhere are working in the city despite not having a local licence, meaning that there is too much competition for fares and thus our local drivers are becoming desperate.

You could argue that if a taxi driver can no longer make a living through the industry, they should find another job. But that’s completely unfair on someone who has been a driver in Worcester for years and enjoys their job – why should they have to give up because of cabbies from elsewhere?