Taxi Drivers Rally Over Unfair Ticketing by PPA... Strike Possible -- UPDATED with video
Photos by Kathleen Foley. Video by Tim Moyer.
On Wednesday July 22, over 300 taxi drivers, along with allies from Media Mobilizing Project, Workers United, Philadelphia Student Union, Casino Free Philadelphia, Jobs with Justice and IWW rallied at 3101 Market Street outside the headquarters of the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA). The rally was focused on a list of demands taxi drivers have for the PPA:
- Fair parking ticket practices and an end to drive-by ticketing practices,
- A lowering of new PPA fees where, for instance, it now costs drivers $200 to put a new taxi on the road, and
- A return of all credit card money that has been misplaced from drivers' accounts through the PPA run credit card system.
Taxi driver and member of the Unified Taxi Workers Alliance John Hough explained of the rally, "drivers are suffering right now because of the recession, it is necessary that the PPA fix unjust policies and return the money they owe to drivers." Hough continued, "cabbies have trouble putting food on the table, while PPA has over 20 administrators making over $100,000--they are taking money directly out of our pockets with unfair and unregulated practices."
The sheer number of organized drivers and allies that came out Wednesday caught the city and the PPA off guard. After the rally hundreds of drivers drove in a caravan down to Filbert Street, where the PPA holds hearings, and on the way police were forced to shut down city streets, and block any entry to Filbert. The strength of the drivers was felt even before the rally as the PPA offered drivers a concession around drive-by ticketing. Cabbies however, expect to see more concessions and quickly. Hough of UTWA discussed the drivers next steps, "we will try to negotiate with PPA officials about correcting these injustices and will decide at that time whether further direct action, including the possibility of a strike, is needed."
All of MMPs Feeds