London black cab protest falls on deaf ears amid Brexit

LONDON

Drivers of the iconic London black cabs claim their protest is going unheard amid looming Brexit uncertainties, despite a short extension granted by the EU for an orderly departure.

More than 100 black cabs blocked the roads to Parliament Square on Monday as part of a protest against a decision to strip them off some privileges.

Jim Thomas, a spokesman for the Independent Taxi Drivers Association, thinks they are being ignored as "all eyes are on the parliament because of Brexit".

"Anyone who has got any other problem… and any other protest is overlooked," Thomas told Anadolu Agency.

He said as cab drivers "we are excluded from main transport strategies".

"This means, we can’t use bus lanes, we can’t get disabled people to hospitals.

"We have been here over 10 weeks but we have been overlooked by the parliament because everything is centered around Brexit."

Thomas said the cab drivers want to be able to use the roads specifically allocated for London buses as before.

He said the cabs have been given the same privileges as buses have had for more than three centuries.

"We have been asked to drop people in wheelchairs half a mile down the street, saying… you have got to do the rest by yourself," he added.

Thomas said he knew Brexit is a very important issue but "we have been here for 10 weeks and no one has taken any notice of us."

"All I am saying is, open your eyes to the other problems going on in the country."

The black cab, one of the icons of the British capital, is widely used by Londoners and tourists, and they can be booked by disabled or sick people for hospital visits.