Posted on the 9th September 2025 in PHTM News
TELFORD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS STAGE GO SLOW PROTEST OVER NEW VEEZU FEES
Private hire vehicles were in short supply in Telford and Shrewsbury today as a group of Veezu drivers staged a "go-slow" protest against new fees imposed by the company.
The drivers claim the new charges will significantly increase their costs. Organisers say between 200 and 250 drivers in Telford are protesting against new surcharges, which add an extra £1 to peak-time journeys for customers and result in higher fees for drivers.
A spokesperson for the drivers, Mr Khan, stated that these new fees "will add up to £40 to costs for each driver per week."
According to Mr Khan, the drivers have asked Veezu to "rethink its policy and reverse the new charging scheme," but their requests have been met with "silence."
He says the company has asked them to use an online portal for comments and has refused a face-to-face meeting.
The protest began around 7:30am today, September 9, in Madeley, where drivers formed a slow-moving convoy to the firm's Telford office in Ketley.
A combined group of around 100 drivers then continued on to Shrewsbury in an attempt to meet with management.
Mr Khan expressed the drivers' frustration, stating: "Veezu has increased its rates from every angle, they're charging drivers more and they're going to end up paying around £30 to £40 more in rent per week...they seem to be stinging people from every angle."
He added: "It's very hard to get the attention of management... The main decision makers in London and Cardiff, they're numbers people really and they don't really care about the interests of the drivers as long as the revenues are increasing."
Mr Khan underscored the seriousness of the protest by noting that the drivers are self-employed and losing money by taking part. "That's how strongly we feel about it," he said.
A spokesperson at Veezu said: "At Veezu, we value the relationships we have built with self-employed driver-partners. We recognise that a small number of drivers-partners have raised concerns about recent changes, and this feedback is being reviewed.
"Veezu remains focused on providing a safe and efficient booking service for both driver-partners and passengers in Telford and Shrewsbury and these changes reflect that.”
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