London minicabs protest on iconic bridge to vent frustration at paying Congestion Charge

Image credit: IWGB UPHD (Twitter)

London’s minicab drivers took to the capital’s iconic Tower Bridge during a two-hour protest over paying the Congestion Charge yesterday afternoon.

The protest, organised by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), passed by and targeted the nearby Mayor of London City Hall offices. Private Hire drivers vented their frustrations towards the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for the new £15 daily Congestion Charge which minicab drivers now have to pay.

The drivers protesting blocked Tower Bridge which caused traffic to tail back.

The demonstration comes after the IWGB sought a judicial review of Khan's decision to introduce the £11.50 charge, which has since risen to £15, on the grounds that it is a case of indirect discrimination under the Equality Act.

The group argued earlier this summer that the charge is being imposed on a workforce that is mainly BAME (94% of London's 107,000 minicab drivers are BAME according to TfL), while black cab drivers, who are mostly white, continue to be exempt.

The union also claimed that the policy is in breach of a number of articles of the European Convention on Human Rights that cover discrimination, property rights, right to a family life and ability to carry out a profession.

Image credit: IWGB UPHD (Twitter)