News
Newport faces over half a million in costs
Newport council faces a £550,000 legal bill after losing a judicial review over its decision to introduce age restrictions on taxis.
Council leader Matthew Evans told councillors at a council meeting yesterday that the authority plans to contest the amount being claimed by London law firm Neumans who represented Newport Taxi Drivers Association, if they do not accept a reduced amount.
The council believes the lawyers’ actual costs as a result of the judicial review into a change in its taxi regulations should be around £100,000.
Last November, a judge in the Administrative Court in Cardiff ruled in favour of the Newport Taxi Drivers Association after hearing the judicial review.
The case was brought after the council introduced age restrictions on hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, which meant that licensed vehicles could not be more than 12 years old.
Chairman of Newport Taxi Drivers’ Association, Lionel Morris, said: “Time and time again we said we did not want to take it to a judicial review.
“It should never have cost the people of Newport, the council should have sat down and talked to us.”
Labour council leader Bob Bright said the news came as a “bombshell” while Labour councillor John Richards questioned why the authority had not provided councillors with an estimate of costs earlier.
He added it was a “scandal and a disgrace” that half a million pounds of tax payers money had to be spent on the bill.
Source: South Wales Argus 27/05/10
Previous page: The Book on CD
Next page: Professional Training
