An Ipswich-based taxi company at loggerheads with a fare comparison app over withheld payments say they have now been hit by fines.

IP Express said last month told this paper that they were owed £500 by the app Minicabit, and only after escalating their complaint with councillor Ruman Muhith did they get what they were paid. 

Now the firm says they have been handed seven fines amounting to £73.21 and removed from the app altogether. 

However, Minicabit has declined the opportunity to respond to these claims.

Co-founder of IP Express Cabs in Ipswich, Mamun Miah said: "This is basically daylight robbery.

"First they did not pay us, now they have removed us from their system so we don't get jobs from them and have started handing us fines with no explanation."

IP Express co-founder Moumun Miah said the company lost about 40% of their business as a result of being taken off the website.IP Express co-founder Mamun Miah said the company lost about 40% of their business as a result of being taken off the app.  (Image: Shikhar Talwar) Mr Miah emphasised that Minicabit is one of the biggest aggregators in the country and by being removing Ip Express from their system means that they are not getting as many jobs as they used to. 

It is estimated that the company has lost about 40% of their jobs because of being removed from the app. 

"It was never our intention to leave the app, we just wanted to be paid for the work we do, but in this case, we have been completely removed from the system," he added. 

"All I can do is just apologise to the driver working for me saying we just aren't getting the jobs anymore. 

Meanwhile, he also said that he has been getting fines without an explanation as to what they or their drivers had done wrong.

On Minicabit's website it is stated: "Please be aware that you may incur a penalty or fine if you intentionally misuse the minicabit platform or display poor operational performance for minicabit bookings such as Lateness, Driver no Show, Failed Meet & Greet (Airport bookings)."