Taxi workers’ union president: Cabs will not go on strike July 4

Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania president Ronald Blount said yesterday that it will be business as usual for city cabs tomorrow.

The news comes days after he told several media outlets that, in response to a piece of legislation signed by the state House and Senate Sunday and submitted to Gov. Tom Corbett, drivers planned to walk off the job on July Fourth, bringing traffic to a halt.

Cabs also circled Center City Friday afternoon in a horn-honking motorcade protesting the bill, which would put 15 wheelchair-accessible taxis on the street for 10 years and give the Philadelphia Parking Authority more oversight in governing cabs.

But Blount said that one of his main concerns regarding the legislation, a provision requiring the driver-passenger partition in taxis to be removed, has been addressed.

Blount said that removing the barrier would create a safety hazard for drivers. “There are still parts of the bill that are going to cause problems,” he said. “But they sent a letter saying even though it’s in the bill, they put it in writing that (the partition) is not going to come out.”

It is tacked-on provisions such as these, Blount said, that are sparking opposition to the bill.

“We’re going to have a meeting with our membership this Wednesday and we’ll decide then what we’re going to do,” he said. “Whether we need to file a lawsuit against this bill or what action we need to take.”