Birmingham cab drivers in fourth 'go slow' clean air protest

Sajid Mahmood said all drivers wanted further talks with the council

Drivers of black cabs have staged their fourth protest against proposed clean air zone charges in Birmingham.

Motorists with high-polluting cars will have to pay £8 to enter the city centre after the government approved the city's clean air zone (CAZ) plan.

But taxi drivers are upset at a £5,000 offer from the council to upgrade their cabs and want further talks. Dozens gathered near New Street Station.

The council has pledged £15m to help them.

The drivers staged a stationary protest on Smallbrook Queensway from 15:00 BST before driving slowly around Holloway Head and until 18:00.

They told BBC News they did not oppose the zone but wanted more assistance from the council.

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The money pledged will go towards bursaries for new electric vehicles or retrofit solutions.

However, driver Sajid Hussain said councils launching similar schemes in other parts of the UK had offered £10,000 interest free loans and urged Birmingham council to enter further talks.

Taxi drivers said some had felt intimidated by the police

Raja Amin (second left) and Sajid Hussain (second right) stood with other drivers as part of their protest

"In London, drivers got £10,000 towards upgrading but we're getting £5,000," said Mr Hussain, a black cab driver in the city since 2005.

"But the conversion is costing £12,000 so we've got to make up the rest."

Tuesday's first of nine "go slows" around Holloway Head caused long tailbacks and led to West Midlands Police attending subsequent protests.

But drivers complained at the force's approach after it said it would "deal with drivers appropriately" if they deliberately caused obstructions

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"The police have also been intimidating and threatening by threatening to give [drivers] tickets," Mr Hussain said.

"They are targeting cab drivers."

Sajid Mahmood, a taxi driver in the city for more than 20 years and RMT representative, said not all cabs can have a retrofit and new black cabs cost £70,000.

All roads inside the A4540 Middleway would be in the CAZ, but the circular route itself is not included

"Some larger taxis, that take more people and wheelchairs... can't be upgraded.. they'll have to pay more and that's a problem for them."

The CAZ is due to begin in January 2020 and would affect diesel cars manufactured before 2015 and petrol cars made before 2006 driving inside the A4540 ring road.

Birmingham's RMT's branch secretary Raja Amin has called for the proposed charged to be dropped and said the protests would continue.