Dean Russell posed a question to the Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, on an important issue affecting the local community. The focus of the discussion was the challenges faced by the Watford Hackney Carriage Association following the closure of Pryzm nightclub in January. This was a real blow for our town that had real consequences for the local taxi trade.
Taxis are a lifeline for many residents, providing an essential service. They also play a pivotal role in the local night time economy. The closure of the Pryzm nightclub has particularly impacted the livelihoods of taxi drivers, who are eager to work.
Last year Dean met with the Watford Hackney Carriage Association to understand the difficulties faced by local taxi drivers.
In light of the challenges, Dean is now seeking ways to support the local taxi trade by encouraging ride-hailing service companies like Bolt to consider including drivers from the Watford Hackney Carriage Association in their 'Black Cab Scheme’. This could provide drivers with additional job opportunities.
Following the debate, Dean said, ‘I would like to thank the Leader of the House for her helpful response which I will start working on straight away. The closure of Pryzm was terrible for our town, and I sincerely hope that a new nightclub can open in the near future. Our hard working taxi drivers have been impacted by the closure, so I hope that the ride-hailing service companies will respond and consider employing these experienced drivers’.
