Published: Tuesday, 5th August, 2008 12:00pm

Get a taxi to your Giro

by Annabel Williams

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A SOUTHCOTE post office is to become a taxi company base after its owners decided to diversify to survive.

Kashif Saleem and his parents are applying to operate up to five cabs from the post office in Coronation Square to try and save the ailing business.

Mr Saleem's bid was approved by councillors at the latest meeting of Reading Borough Council's planning committee. He now has to get a licence from the authority.

Mr Saleem says the taxi business would initially only be open during the post office's opening hours, used by pensioners to take their shopping home.

He said: "The idea came from our customers. We have a very good relationship with them, and they're always asking where they can get a taxi from around here as there isn't an office.

"A lot of them are elderly and don't trust taxis, but they know us and trust us."

Speaking at the planning meeting, Southcote ward councillor Pete Ruhemann said the post office was "very important" to people in Southcote but admitted it was "financially precarious".

He said: "I do think it's a good thing in principle. The post office is an important part of the life of that square."