After stating categorically that they were not going to put purpose built Mini Cab and Rickshaw bike Ranks all over the West End, Westminster have shown their true intentions by narrowing the pavement outside the busy night bar onAnon at the beginning of Shaftesbury Avenue.
Already a notorious touting hot spot, Westminster have made it easier for the Touts to rank up by removing most of the walkway in front of the venue.
After narrowing most of Shaftesbury Avenue down to one lane in each direction, causing major traffic congestion in the heart of the capital, Westminster have stunned London major transport companies by widening the road outside this late night bar. Zig zag lines have also disappeared in order to squeeze more touts onto this unlawful rank.
Myself and a few colleagues from the LTDF action group along with drivers operating a Taxi service on TweetaLondonCab have made a habit of phoning Westminster parking services in a bid to get these touts ticketed or at least moved on. Our calls are constantly falling on deaf ears. Westminster are turning a blind eye to the situation outside this bar. Even the Police refuse point blank to enforce the law that states if a PHV is illegally parked, it is deemed to be forming an unauthorised Taxi rank. As for Joe Royals TOCU squad, I don't believe they know where this club is as they never seem to venture more than a few hundred yards from Charing Cross Police Station.
There are now three Mini Cab ranks in this street alone and this problem is spreading fast.
Unlawful ranking will be high on the agenda for the RMT London Taxi Branch in the new year and as an act of unity we will be inviting all other trade organisations to join in and help with this fight.
We urge the LTDA, LCDC and Unite to stop this unnecessary infighting and direct their energy into fighting the true threat to all our trade.
Photos by Jim Thomas and Dizzy
This narrowing of the pavement is for the new contra flow Bus Lane which will eventually go straight over Piccadilly Circus.
ReplyDeleteThat stretch of road where the touts park with be no more next year when the new Bus lane becomes operational, and the road will revert to the usual one and a half lanes going east.
That’s what all the works are at the East end of Piccadilly.
Hope your daughters better
Greig (GBC)
I have been keeping an eye on your blog for some time. I gave a plug to you on my blog. Seems like common sense is pissing against the wind at present as far as thea PSV service is concerned..
ReplyDeleteBetter luck in 20 10
Thank you for the kind thoughts Greig.
ReplyDeleteOn closer inspection I now realise that you are indeed right, but the fact is the scabs are treating this area as a private rank.
I have spoken to a WPCO at this location and she told me that her controller, a SGT Ramsay from Charring Cross Police Stn told the scabs they can park there, WTF its not his job to change the parking laws!
I have complained to Westminster on many occasions but they don't reply.
I phone up Westminster Parking services and they don't bother to come round.
Why should we have to watch our work being stolen.
You cant keep saying "well not enough cabs work late week-ends"
this is happening every night of the week and as we go into this next kipper, with approx 15000 more scabs than last year, we are going to need all the work we can find.
When I first started to campaign about this club and Tiger Tiger, I wrote to all the trade associations, no one replied.
You have accused me in the past of being an unfair critic of the LTDA, But your wrong Greig I have criticised all the trade associations for doing and saying nothing about this problem for the past 3 years. (when was the last time this was mentioned in Taxi?)
If they had done something there would have been no need for a new Union, we could have joined them, had they started to act.
One workable rank outside Nobu's is not enough.
Greig remember when I pointed out the official waiting area at Kings X bridge and said the scabs will use this as an official rank and it would be the thin end of the wedge.
well it has escalated out of control. Although the station and the has gone the touts have moved into the centre taking their habits with them.
And there is only one union, one band of cabby brothers (and sisters) who are actually forming plans to fight back.
What is your mob doing?
John
ReplyDeleteThank you for the plug, I am a regular visitor to your site.
I have carried a rolling blog roll for some time now, Hope you get many hits mate.
I see the weather has been a nightmare for you over the new year.
All the best to you and all our brother and sister cabbies in Dublin, have a good one in 2010.
John thanks for digging out the Juggling video, I saw this some time ago and have been looking for it again unsuccessfully.