Black cabbies scramble for motor cover after Alpha insurance goes bust
THOUSANDS of London taxi and minicab drivers have had their insurance cancelled after Danish firm Alpha announced it had gone bankrupt.
Up to 700 taxi drivers and 10,000 minicab drivers are affected, according to the London Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA).
The company provides insurance through brands such as Cover My Cab and Protector, and it's not just black cab drivers who are affected.
A text message was sent to drivers to say that their insurance had been cancelled.
The Danish company filed for bankruptcy yesterday which meant that all policies were cancelled with immediate affect.
One driver posted a screen grab of the text message he'd received which read: "URGENT MESSAGE - your taxi insurance policy with Alpha Insurance is cancelled with immediate affect.
"Please contact Protector on 02074467676 where we will be able to arrange alternative cover."
Cabbies queued up outside London's Protector offices today while they tried to find out what was going on.
It's illegal to drive without car insurance and for a cabby that means they can't earn a living.
Steve McNamara from the LTDA told the Sun: "London taxi drivers pride ourselves on high standards of safety and compliance.
"We have notified all of our members about this change, to ensure that no-one is unintentionally driving without insurance. We will be supporting any of our members that may have been affected."
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A statement for Alpha Insurance said that insurance policyholders cover will be terminated as of May 8.
It also advised that drivers who need compulsory insurance to get cover from another company.
Earlier this year, more than 200 black cabs brought London Bridge to a standstill in a protest against Uber.
Drivers parked up and handed out leaflets demanding Transport for London stop “accommodating” the taxi app after officials refused to renew its licence last year.
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