A KEIGHLEY town councillor is calling for taxi drivers to be given one-off grants to help them survive the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillor Mohammed Nazam, who represents the town ward, says a number of local authorities across the country have awarded payments to self-employed hackney and private hire drivers.

And he is calling on Bradford Council to do the same.

“Taxi drivers have struggled for the past year and the trade will take a long time to fully recover from this pandemic,” said Cllr Nazam.

“I will be asking our MP Robbie Moore to put pressure on the council for grants to be made available as soon as possible.

“A number of councils up and down the country have awarded payments and Bradford Council should do the same.”

Cllr Nazam, a case worker, said many taxi drivers had raised concerns about the issue.

But Bradford Council says it has provided support to help drivers during the pandemic.

A spokesman added: “We value the really important work that our taxi drivers do. They are a vital part of our district’s transport network.

“This is why the council has provided drivers with four months of free licences during the initial Covid-19 period, as well as letting drivers and proprietors take a temporary ‘licence holiday’ to reduce their costs.

“The council has also provided £233,000 worth of free protective equipment for taxi drivers and their vehicles and we will continue to look at ways in which we can support them during this challenging time.”

More than 100 local authorities across the country have awarded grants to eligible drivers.