I read your item about mini-cab drivers urinating in public places and want to let you know how this has happened [Cabbies use our road as a toilet,Gazette,August 6].

I am a private hire driver for a local mini-cab company. I have worked for some time but recently there have been many changes. The owner sold out and this small family-run business became part of a much bigger cab business.

The new owner has taken away all our facilities including toilets. We work long shifts and sometimes sit for hours without work.

Before we had a drivers'room where we were allowed to sit with television, food and drink and use the toilets. We are now not even allowed on the premises.

Our controllers have been given instructions not to allow us on the premises for any reason and that means we cannot use the toilet.

Lucky for myself I live fairly close to the office and can pop home when passing. But there are other drivers who do not live in this area and have no option but to use public facilities or even public places.

The Public Carriage Office introduces many regulations that are intended to keep the public safe from bogus mini-cab drivers,all of which have cost genuine drivers money. Perhaps they should look at introducing a few policies to keep drivers safe?

We have abuse from drunken customers, we work long hours, and now, because of ownership changes, we have poor working conditions.

The winter will soon be here and drivers will be expected to spend anything from six to 12 hours in their cars no matter what the weather.

We are very sorry to the public that we have to urinate but what choice can we have? We are not allowed to use pubs' or restaurants' toilets unless we buy food, and there are few public facilities.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED.