A COUNCILLOR has come under fire from East Hampshire Taxi Association chairman Pete Blackman for promoting VOCA.

Mr Blackman, who runs a taxi firm in Alton, said: “I am very dismayed that Cllr Phillip Davies of East Hampshire District Council claims to support local taxi firms by saying he is happy to speak to us, when he has never made any contact since the VOCA proposals were announced some time ago.

“I feel he has used distorted facts and figures to justify pushing forward plans that could harm us.”

Cllr Davies – who represents Greatham, Hogmoor and Walldown – said he was keen to meet Mr Blackman to discuss VOCA, which would use electric vehicles to offer a taxi for the price of a bus within a five-mile radius of Whitehill & Bordon and to stations.

Cllr Davies added: “I have thrown my weight behind this as it’s vital to help us tackle climate change. No-one wants to see our taxi drivers lose out, quite the opposite. This programme can really help them.

“Since May 2019 I have been speaking with the regeneration company at least monthly, often more, and in doing so have made the point regularly with them that we need to give professional drivers, including our local drivers, the opportunity to get involved. This is essential and common sense.”

Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company project lead James Child said: “We are, of course, keen to support local employment opportunities – it is a central requirement of this project’s long-term success – and have no desire to displace local taxi drivers. As it stands, we are not yet in a position to start recruiting drivers and much of the ongoing debate in the press is therefore

premature.

“The area needs a responsive transport solution and we’re working very hard to deliver the most appropriate realisation of that. To this end, we are confident that VOCA is the best way forward for the community as a whole. They are the ultimate beneficiary of our scheme, after all.”

Cllr Andy Tree, leader of Whitehill Town Council and county councillor for Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford, said: “We need innovative and strong public transport, but as part of that I do not want to see taxi drivers harmed – especially when many helped residents during the pandemic.

“I have pushed for local taxi firm involvement and will continue to do so.”