New Email campaign!

I have been asked by John the cabby kennedy to set up a new email campaign directed at Westminster Councils recent decision to License rickshaws as Hackney carriages.

This council has done everything in their power to destroy our trade, Please support this campaign. Get your friends and family to join in, lets send them as many emails as we can and let them know we are not happy about this. I will be writting to other driver groups who used the roads in central London as this is going to become very dangerous.
Thomas The Taxi.

Copy and paiste this email and send to

Martin Low, Director of Transportation Westminster Council; mlow@westminster.gov.uk

Dear Sir, I am concerned at recent news reports that you “Westminster City Council” wish to licence “rickshaws” I am concerned and would ask you to clarify a number of points which I am raising with you ;

(1) Rickshaws offer no impact protection from side, rear or front impact unlike other modes of transport.

(2) Where will wheelchairs be placed and assistance dogs ?

(3) Will smoking be permitted on rickshaws ?

(4) Where will rickshaws park ? I ask this because we seem to be losing taxi ranks within the West End of London.

(5) What legal status do you seek to be given to “rickshaws” ?

(6) What role is transport for London playing in this scheme ?

I look forward to your response shortly.

Your Sincerely,

The singing Cabby

Another string to your bow!


What a great voice!

Touting! Just what can you do?

By Thomas the taxi
Most agencies who deal with the London Taxi Trade will not accept the fact that there is a problem on our streets with touting.
Leaving aside the very dubious practise of satellite office’s and clipboard men, the local councils, the Metropolitan Police force, TFL and the PCO will not accept that Private hire vehicles are actually touting.
Having tried for many years now to get these agencies to clear up this problem, it is amazing how little success we have had in this area.
Even the commissioner for TFL, Mr Peter Hendy has gone on record at a London assembly transport meeting as saying, “the trade’s troubles are mostly imagined” and that “they should get out more and work longer into the night”. Other top brass at the PCO and TFL are completely adamant that there is no problem with licensed touting.
It leaves London’s Licensed Taxi drivers bewildered.
Do these officers ever venture out in the West End late on a Friday or Saturday night?
Are they blind?
The police will not get involved, although touting is in fact an arrestable offence they completely refuse to enforce this law.
Local councils are just as bad and do nothing, some have even given the touts there own private hire ranks, have changed traffic orders and instructed their parking enforcement officers not to penalise touts.
In a back lash from the amount of complaints they have received they have escalated their victimisation of licensed Taxis, with drivers receiving PCN's for dropping off passengers on double yellow lines, ( we are in possession of PCN’s for just this)
We saw hope in our future, when last year one of our numbers was elected to the board of TFL.
At last after many years of misrepresentation from people with their own private agenda, now we should have a truly responsible cab driver on the board.
Unfortunately after nine months this voice has remained strangely silent, refusing to answer emails and letters from drivers in the trade who are not members of LTDA. Not quite what the trade had in mind from this person.
With the conception of the blue pre booked only TFL stickers for PHV’s our troubles have escalated dramatically, as PHV’s now seem to be able to park and tout , anywhere they please, quite openly.
In the next few months we are about to see an explosion of rickshaw bikes take hold of the West end. Westminster Council is currently looking at becoming a pseudo licensing authority. They will dish out expensive licenses to anyone with a three wheeled death trap, in a bid to raise revenue. As an incentive they are to offer ranks, our ranks, to the rickshaws where they will be able to offer services as hackney carriages. They will also be able to ply for hire.
How can the public carriage office allow this to happen?
The debating has now reached stalemate. It is time for the trade to unite on these issues. Plans are now afoot for the first time since the early seventies that will see the trade representative bodies joining forces to act for the whole trade.
In other posts I have likened our current problems to the Second World War, with us being the ally’s and TFL/PCO and Westminster council as the evil axis.
Well, we have had our Dunkirk, our forces have regrouped and we are now ready to attack.
Watch this blog and the trade press for details, D Day is coming. Our troops will take to the streets fighting for the survival of a trade that is second to none, the best taxi service in the world. Given to the good people of London by Oliver Cromwell, over three hundred years ago.

We lost the first battle, Click here.

We will never surrender, we will fight them in the streets.

It has now been announced that the united trade will demonstrate our unrest, in a drive in to Trafalgar Square on Thursday 5th feb at 2 pm.
Don’t sit this one out.

Mid Term Inspection refund, drivers to get part payment.

By Thomas The Taxi.

A part refund of £18 will be paid automatically to drivers within the next 6 weeks.

The question, most drivers would like to ask is;

“what’s happened to the other £18"

How can the PCO get away with keeping our money in this way, a short fall of nearly half a million pounds.

The Public Carriage Office are saying that, the balance is what it is costing to get out of the contract with SGS.

Why is the London Taxi trade being charged for the PCO’s failure to negotiate a get out clause in a contract?

It is not just the drivers who have pre-paid this money, the PCO have also decided to put up the price of the annual inspection to £160, a rise of over 10%.

How can the PCO/TFL justify this inflation busting rise?

This has happened before, in other areas around the country, where it has been ruled that Licensing authorities can only charge a fee that equates to the true cost of the license and full refunds have had to be given.

The main question that has to be asked by our trade representative bodies should be;

"Is compensating SGS for the loss of part of their contract a genuine cost of the license, that can be passed on to the drivers?"

.

.In my opinion;

This is victimisation of the trade by a scorned TFL who thought they ruled the roost. They never thought they would lose the mid term as every one of the labour assembly members was adamant that our cabs would be unsafe and fall to bits if the inspections were scrapped.

When you receive the cheque from SGS, send it back and demand the full amount of £36. They can not charge you for work they have not carried out and the contract was with TFL not you personally.

We're not allowed to charge more than is on the meter so why should we have to pay them more than the price of a yearly inspection?

City cabbie to sue over taxi that burst into flames

By SUE GYFORD

A TAXI driver from Edinburgh, is driving a test case for compensation over a fault which leads to black cabs bursting into flames without warning.

David Gillan is claiming for lost earnings after his taxi caught fire in Frogstone Road West last February. The vehicle was one of 44 later impounded by the city council and branded unsafe for use.

At least one other cab in Edinburgh is known to have spontaneously burst into flames and the same problem has hit cabs in London, where 673 were taken off the road for checks.

The engine problems have only affected LTI-manufactured TX4-type cabs with a 56 registration.
Mr Gillan, from Pilton, shares the taxi with his brother Robert. As well as having the car impounded for a month following the fire, he said it had broken down frequently, causing further loss of earnings: "This is our only source of income, so to have the cab off the road has meant that we have lost a lot of money.

"In the last year-and-a-half we've had to deal with seven burst radiators, a ruptured thermostat, the inner wing collapsing, as well as three fuel leaks.

"I know one other cabbie with the same make of taxi as us and his vehicle was completely destroyed after the engine caught fire."

The father-of-one would not reveal exactly how much he is claiming, but said: "It affects my family tremendously. I come home and my wife gets it in the neck because I'm stressed, I've had to sell personal effects to pay the mortgage. We have to work all hours because we don't know when the taxi's going to break down again – I've not had a holiday for a year."

David Wilson, legal partner with Warners solicitors, who represent Mr Gillan, said: "There is clearly a fault with these taxis but none of the finance companies or garages that sold them, or even the manufacturers themselves, have taken responsibility. They haven't even admitted there are problems in the first place.

"We are representing a number of other taxi drivers over loss of earnings caused by these taxis."

Mr Gillan said he had been advised to pursue Black Horse Finance, with whom he had a legal agreement, rather than the manufacturers.

A spokeswoman for Black Horse Finance said: "As Mr Gillan intends to take this matter to court, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."

A spokesman for LTI said it was gathering information, but was awaiting legal advice.

TX1 fan said

What we need to consider is the root cause(s) of the situation we are in.

Since the PCO took over licensing of PHVs AKA minicabs there has been a marked increase in the number of Licensed PHVs. The PCO (according to their website) charge £298 for a PHV license. There are 50,000 PHVs x £298 = £14,900,000 yes thats nearly £15Million. Can you see an incentive to stop them printing money, er no sorry.... PHV licenses?

Now in most industries there is a natural law of supply and demand, too many plumbers, the price comes down, in our case... too many PHV's and the black cab trade shouldn't be affected too much because they only work off of legitimate pre-booked hirings and regardless of the number of PHV licenses out there the public have to bother to pre-book.

Back in the real world...

There just isn't sufficient legitimate pre-booked work for 50,000 PHVs, they need to eat, pay the gas bill etc. So is there a teeny chance they may be tempted to tout to make up their takings?

For our sake and those PHVs that abide by the rules the PCO MUST STOP PRINTING PHV LICENSES. They are causing PHVs to be tempted to tout by flooding the streets with PHVs without considering the consequences. Look at Page 32 of this publication www.phtm.co.uk/media/1231169654.pdf
Chelmsford in Essex has the same albeit smaller problem.

Why is it beyond the wit and wisdom of the PCO to get off their collective backsides and get out onto the street Thurs/Fri and Saturday nights and actually see the behaviour of the PHV operators for themselves? Well a cynical person might say, because they know it's going on and if they see it will have to act, and frankly they can't be bothered. Now, I'm not cynical but others might be ! eh?

I am a night man, I have seen a huge increase in the number of PHV touts in the last 18 months. I have seen a big drop in my taking over the same period, are these two issues related? well it dpends if you have bought your specs from Spec savers or the local garden shop (Rose tinted), I think the PCO shop at horticultural suppliers for their glasses.


Until the PCO grasp the concept of supply and demand the pressure on PHVs to tout will get stronger every week.

They (PCO) are happy to hide behind their "pat" answer the market will find it's own level. That level will be when we are run out of town.

Add into all this a complete lack of interest on behalf of the police to stamp out touting and we have the seeds of discontent.

Are you going to sit there and watch our trade dissapear in the back seat of illegally touting minicabs or join LTCPR? it's £32 a year that's £0.08p per day

As a closing comment a word to the wise..

If we push back against the PHVs touting and stop or drastically reduce it, we had better be prepared to work nights and cover the work or this arguement will be forever lost, I am and do are you?

Very last final thought, if you are a day man and think this doesn't affect you, think on, if theres no night work left, what shift pattern do you think my night colleagues and I will start working?

Too good to just be a comment!

London taxi cab public relations

By John "the cabby" Kennedy

“Launch date 31st of January 2009”
http://www.ltcpr.blogspot.com/

Yes after a lot of thought and debate at various tea stalls, cafes and ranks over the years I’m taking the plunge and will on the 31st January 2009 launch a online political lobby/pressure group named London taxi cab public relations. With the private hire trade on the march, with touting out of control, the creation of “satellite mini-cab” offices, Whitcomb Street and then couple this with a recession we are under threat like never before. Ever since the inception of a Mayor and the creation of transport for London we have become a political football to be kicked about by whoever holds this office so we need to change our relationship with Transport for London and place this trade on sound footings.

We happen to be adults who have no voice or say in the way our industry is run let alone managed, we were never asked if we wished to be controlled by transport for London it was just taken has a given. We moan, grown even complain yet it appears nobody actually listens; an example of this is the touting that happens every night of the week in the capital. Laws are passed, mini-cabs licensed yet the touting still goes on, those who have the power to do something choose to ignore the problem and instead seek to legitimise “ranking” of mini-cabs by amending traffic management orders, yet we witness the road traffic act applied in a rigorous fashion except; in the centre of London at night where private hire touts park illegally and the wardens walk on by.

The parking laws within the capital have made the job of the taxi-cab driver near on impossible especially now we have enforcement by CCTV but instead of us just appealing tickets we should have been seeking amendments to the Road Traffic act to take into account the job we do. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to park on a meter bay for free for 20 minutes so you or I could go to the toilet or maybe the bank to get some change? With camera enforcement of Road Traffic offences, the days of a telling off by a Police officer have gone, but has the pendulum swung too far the other way. Is camera enforcement fair?

After all just look at the way a blind eye is turned to touting, yet you or I happen to hit 35 mph on the embankment and yes you’re nicked. Let me make this clear I do not condone the breaking of the law but for people like us who drive for a living we can be unfairly punished for making a genuine mistake, surely a caution and/or a greater allowance of points on our driving licenses should be sort.

So I like many of you have had enough and I firmly believe the only way forward for us is to lobby campaign and apply pressure to those in authority so if we want change we must lobby all politicians ranging from local councillors, London Assembly members, the Mayor of London and both Houses of Parliament. I/we shall seek permission from you the subscriber to lobby on your behalf on the following issues:

(1.) To Split the Public Carriage Office in two, therefore divesting the mini-cab operation into a Private Hire Office. We can compete with each other but our right to “ply for Hire” must be protected at all cost. Transport for London and the PCO should be protecting this right and not seeking to undermine our position by interpreting and or amending the Private Hire Act of 1998 which has had the effect of creating hundreds of “illegal mini-cab ranks”.

(2.) One Badge One Vote on all issues that affect the working conditions of the London taxi-cab driver, they call it democracy.

(3.) To amend the road traffic act so that parking laws take full account of the job we do.

(4.) To seek a caution for a first time road traffic offences and a increase in amount of points allowed upon driving licence.

(5.) To ban “rickshaws” from the public highway.

(6.) To seek amendments to the Private Hire Act 1998 so it clearly defines what a operating centre is, so we end the madness of clipboard operators, oversized telephone booths becoming mini-cab offices and these anti-competitive practises.

(7.) Meaningful consultation to take place between transport for London and all badge/plate holders. Lets end the rumour mill by ensuring we know what is happening to our industry. If meaningful purposeful consultation is not forthcoming we shall revisit Parliament and seek alternative arrangements of management and may seek to divest ourselves from Transport for London control.

(8.) Retain the high standards of the knowledge of London, this examination still produces the world’s finest taxi-cab drivers our passengers expect no less.

(9.) With over 50,000 mini-cabs licensed in the capital and touting rife we must seek a “new enforcement unit” fit for purpose and funded by the mini-cab trade to ensure they do pre booked work only and finally end the epidemic of touting with the capital.

Now like any pressure group as goals are met and situations change we shall adapt, to changes in the political world and if need be change tack so that we meet the main aim and objective which is to place this trade back on sound stable footings and ensure the finest taxi trade has a future brighter than any headlamp the automotive industry can make. I certainly have more radical proposals but to lobby on those I would like to be able to seek a mandate from the majority of London taxi cab drivers so over time and as we increase the subscriber base this will become achievable, the more of you that subscriber the bigger the noise we can make in Parliament and the cheaper the cost will be to you all.

The initial cost will be £32.00p per year per badge holder this will be reviewed annually with the sole intention to reduce the cost to you. Cost will depend on the numbers that subscribe and I like all of you understand that we are at the beginning of a recession. Let me make this clear we are not a union nor trade association, we will be a political lobby/pressure group if “any” trade organisation wishes to work in partnership they will be more than welcome in fact looking back at those nine objectives how could they not want to !

Now this is an “e business” so we shall communicate with subscribers via email and keep you all informed of progress via the web addresses below, your subscription shall run from 1st May and be valid for one calendar year. Between 31st January and 1st May I shall be visiting various cafes, venues, garages and hopefully speaking to you the taxi-cab driver about how we shall meet these goals. But be under no illusion I/we shall use all modes of the media available to us from the printed press, radio, television to the world wide web, we shall highlight the plight of this wonderful trade to the world and will shall produce evidence to back up the claims we make. We will be denounced by some but when you know something is wrong and you understand that wrong you have a duty, a moral obligation to do something about it. One driver amongst our ranks who has worked so hard highlighting the problems we face on a daily basis is Thomas the taxi of the Anderson Shelter, without you this would not be possible so I personally thank you for your endless tireless work now come on board with me and let us place this trade back at the top of the tree where we belong, remember “a London taxi always leads the others merely follow”.

Application forms will be available at various sites such as the Chelsea Tea stall Chelsea bridge, Tom’s Snack Wagon on Clapham Common, the Astral Cafe Regency street and also downloadable from our website http://www.ltcpr.blogspot.com/ . Please fill out form and make cheques payable to ”London taxi cab public relations” and leave at one of the above named sites, if you choose to pay by cash please place money in an envelope provided.

Tune in to the Big George show on BBC London 94.9 fm on Friday 30th of January 2009 I will be launching LTCPR just after midnight you can call Big George on 0207 224 2000 or text on 07786 200 949 Monday to Friday between 10 pm to 2 am or log onto http://www.thelondondailynews.com/ to keep up to date with London news and the progress of LTCPR.

.

.

John Kennedy
Founder of the political lobby/pressure group
London taxi cab public relations.www.ltcpr.blogspot.com

.

Urgent Action Required by Enforcement.......click here for more

Its Going to be WAR

The London Taxi Trade has finally united under one banner and declared war on Westminster council, TFL and the PCO.

In the Words of the LTDA’s Taxi news paper
“LET BATTLE COMMENCE”

Quotes from the latest edition;

“Special dispensation:
Urgent enquiries at the PCO revealed that the relationship between the licensing authority and west one cars appeared too close for comfort. A view which was confirmed when the PCO responded by issuing an official announcement that W1 had in fact been granted a special dispensation by Westminster council, with the blessing of the PCO, permitting their vehicles to wait in Whitcombe Street prior to a booking being taken.
In simple terms the authorities were encouraging minicabs to rank up on yellow lines to the exclusion of all other road users including Taxi’s and in so doing become officially immune to Penalty Charge Notices being issued.
Meanwhile, licensed taxi drivers who leave their cabs for two minuets to answer a call of nature or wait at an ATM whilst the passenger withdraws funds to pay the fare are issued with a £120 ticket.
Other drivers are being hauled before the courts for simply waiting for prospective customers at locations other than specific official ranks.
Imminent Action:
Illegal ranks of minicabs are already flouting the law outside almost every hotel, bar and club in the capital. Is it the intention of the PCO toi replace London’s world renowned Taxi service with the ever growing band of unqualified, charge what they like Licensed PHV drivers, many of whom have been granted exemption from criminal records checks.”

Fighting talk at Last from the LTDA!
They finish the article with a highlighted passage:

THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW!
Plans for united taxi trade demonstrations are in hand.

Lets hope this is just not headline grabbing. The trade has never been so united on an issue and now is the time to strike.
What has Bob Oddy got to say about this issue of the taxi news paper, he has remained oddly quite for the past nine months with no comments at all on the subject.

D-Day, 31st of January 2009.

By thomasthetaxi

The LTCPR group is not the second coming.

John "the cabby" Kennedy is not the Messiah.

BUT;

The LTCPR are the only group/association that is actively engaged in a fight with the licensing authority, local councils and the metropolitan police on your behalf to; Save your job, your living.

No one else is doing anything positive. No one wants to take up the batten.

John "The Cabby" Kennedy is about to lead the biggest fightback seen in the cab trade since the early seventies, when the whole of the trade got behind their trade leaders after the government introduced VAT. For those who were there and can remember it was a great time and the trade should have gone on to become stronger.

But the trade fragmented and we went back to being 18,000 separate, individuals, who paid their associations money for very little return.

After thirty years of being pushed to the bottom of the pile and treated like second fiddles to the private hire trade the time has come to fight back.

It is time to show the PCO/TFL that it is indeed us who pay the fiddler.

This trade has sat back and taken every thing TFL has thrown at us. Our leaders have become dogs with no bark.

In this recent episode with the proliferation of mini cab ranks serviced by clip board johnnies, “our man”, who has been on the board of TFL for over eight months now, has not made one statement to the trade as a whole, about this situation.

We are on the beaches with our backs to the sea, nowhere to go.

Do we let them swallow us up in “Harmonisation” , the word that is on everybody’s lips at Windsor House, or do we show this bunch of ex bus drivers a touch of the old Dunkirk spirit and Unite.

At the end of this month, you will see the launch of the LTCPR group.

The 31^st of January will be our D-Day.

Keep watching this blog for details, John will make an announcement in the next two weeks. This year, even though we face one of the worst recessions every seen in this trade, we will fight to get back the work that is there, that is ours.

This year is going to be the most exciting year the cab trade has ever seen.

But we need you, your trade needs you. Don’t sit back and wait any more, get involved, or it will be to late this time.

Campaign Update.

Three weeks into our Email campaign and its already clear we have a major fight on our hands.

The one ally we thought would be sympathetic to our struggle was the Mayor himself. Unfortunately Boris, with all the business he has to attend to as Mayor and with his own battle with the loony left wingers on the London assembly, he doesn’t seem to have the time to deal with our problem personally. So our email was passed to one of the Mayors advisers.

The first reply received was from the Mayors Director for Transport Policy, Kulveer Ranger.

Those of you who also sent emails will have had the same stock reply, but for the benefit of the drivers who never joined the campaign I will outline what Mr Ranger said in his email very briefly

• The PCO have not licensed or appointed a minicab or private hire rank in Whitcomb Street.


• These arrangements have been put in place by West One Cars, Westminster City Council, the Heart of London and the local police.


• A new private hire operator office in Leicester Square in the TKTS (ticket) booth has been licensed by the PCO.


• Westminster City Council have made changes to the tour bus stand in Whitcomb Street allowing any vehicle to drop-off and pick-up passengers between 9pm and 4am.


• The scheme is operating on a trial basis for three months.
  

Mr Ranger has asked Ed Thompson, Taxi and Private Hire Director at TfL, to remind the operator of the regulations, and to ask Westminster Council to enforce the parking regulations. He has done so and will monitor the situation.

So Mr Ranger has assured the Cab trade that West ones car’s seen night after night waiting, sometimes for 30-40 minuets are all waiting for booked jobs to be walked down from the TKTS kiosk by marshals and are not in fact forming a rank.
Finally he patronisingly adds;

“There are several PCO appointed taxi (black cab) ranks in the area around Leicester Square and West End, including Cranbourn Street, which operates with PCO-funded marshals late night on Fridays and Saturdays” .

So when it comes to the Mayors office, it seems we are back on our own.

Next came a reply from Martin Low, Director of Transportation for Westminster council, on behalf of the Leader of the council Collin Barrow.

He explains that, the “High Vi” men, seen in the news report on BBC, in Leicester square are in fact City Guardians handing out leaflets telling late night revellers how to phone or text for a cab. Although there is a close up of one, with the word “marshal” printed on his back.

The explanation of the situation, tugging at the heart strings, is that thousands of people are stranded every night, because they can't find a black cab. Totally untrue!

Since 24 hour drinking laws were introduced, there is no longer a chucking out time where thousands of people are suddenly turned out on to the streets, all at the same time.

The fact that his council, have removed hundreds of Licensed Taxi rank spaces and placed others out of easy reach of the travelling public, added to the sight of hundreds of unlawfully ranked, touting private hire vehicles causing massive congestion might have something to do with the lack of black cabs in certain streets. The ranking PHV’s outside Tiger Tiger is a discussing misuse of the satellite office, with vehicles Double parked in a 24 hour bus lane.

Taxis now have to keep moving through the West End if they can’t find a rank space because it is Westminster’s policy to use CCTV to penalise Cabs who stop for longer than three minuets on double yellow lines, even if they are just dropping a fare.

Our final email this week came from the Public Carriage Office’s Senior Vehicle Compliance Manager Barry Cook.

Writing on behalf of Peter Hendy, Ed Thompson and Mary Dowdye.

The email was in reply of the complaint lodged with the three above about the contravention by Addison Lee of the guidelines laid out in press release 16/08 .

Apparently;

In the case of the Addison Lee signage, an application was made by the operator/owner to the PCO to approve their signage which did not meet with section 5 of the guidelines. After an initial rejection of Addison Lee’s signage, the signage was modified and a decision by the Licensing Authority was taken to grant approval. This decision was made because the final design did not, by virtue of its size, design or location, detract from or obscure the licence disc or the red route sticker, nor did it prevent a clear view through the rear view mirror.

You mentioned the removal of the rear wiper. The PCO have not had an application from Addison Lee seeking approval to remove the rear wiper arm, and appropriate action is being taken.

Don’t hold you breath though these thing take time, unless it is in respect of a black Taxi which can be dealt with over night.

Again Mr Cook flatly denies the knowledge that black cabs are failing the inspection through a removed back ash tray, although a meeting took place on the 27 November 2008 by representatives of Unite and senior officers from the PCO. A case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing no doubt.

All the authorities involved with the London licensed Taxi and Private hire trades claim that the main problem in London lies with unlicensed touts. To be honest I see about 3 a week, not a problem in my mind.

What I do see every night is hundreds of licensed private hire vehicles breaking the law by ranking and touting and nobody is taking any notice.

It seems we have a fight on our hands and it is clear that not even our own associations or union is doing enough to fight our corner.

The end of this month will see the launch of a new type of pressure group. Keep logging on as next week, John “The cabby” Kennedy will announce just what the newly formed LTCPR group is all about and how to join.

Time to Stand Up in Court !

by John Kennedy.

Westminster City council appear to have approved “illegal mini-cab ranks”, Camden council too, Westminster City council wish to licence “rickshaws” as London taxi-cabs, the PCO/TFL approve clipboard operations which have the effect of creating even more “illegal mini-cab ranks” couple this with a complete lack of enforcement by the Metropolitan Police due to lack of understanding and resources and we have the chaos we see upon the streets of the capital.

I’m self employed yet the rules and laws that govern my job are been steamrolled by a statutory authority that doesn’t seem to give a “toss” about the London taxi trade, this cannot continue and I would ask that the Mayor of London intervenes and stops the present policies that are in effect destroying the London taxi trade. You removed the six monthly test, you gave Bob Oddy a seat on the board of TFL yet all this will mean absolutely nothing if you continue to allow TFL to destroy the world’s finest taxi service. Boris you chair this authority and I’m afraid your inaction leads many to believe you either don’t understand the plight of the London taxi trade or you seek to damage us like the previous incumbent. We are also suffering from the recession London now finds itself in, yet I heard you backing those who work for banks and other city institutions and after countless emails we in the taxi industry don’t seem to warrant a reasonable response. Honestly I waited 10 days in December to receive a response from Mr Ranger (your transport advisor) that even I could have written within 30 seconds!

It is I’m sad to say time for all the trade organisations to go to court, to seek judicial review of the many decisions made by PCO/TFL after all they love to send out letters telling us we are “touts” yet they can’t even consult with licensees over matters that effect our lively hoods.

We need to seek redress in the courts, for we have nothing to lose except our pride. Our pride in the great job we do no matter how many bombs go off, no matter the weather, no matter what day of the year. If the authority that grants us a licence is determined to destroy us by its failure to take into account the job we do when interpreting a Private Hire Act we should all seek redress and compensation in the courts. When has this body ever consulted you and me on anything that matters, they can’t even arrange temporary taxi ranks to get people home on New Year’s Eve, they can’t fund a taxi rank outside the Buddha bar on Victoria Embankment.

So let us see how good the trade organisations really are especially the two who spent so much time sowing the seeds with TFL, for the clock is ticking and I will sit back no longer and watch my lively hood disappear in front of my eyes. The LTCPR will launch on the 31st of Jan 2009 and with your support, we shall pick up the baton that others have thrown to one side and deliver a message to all Politicians, that the London taxi trade is not dead.

They may see our lights burn brightly but wait till they hear the horns!

It’s time to stand up and be counted, it’s time to stand up in court.................

PS Applications forms to join LTCPR will be available shortly at various taxi venues throughout London, I/we need your support.

Lets start the year with a new campaign.

Below is a copy of the email sent today to Peter Hendy, Kulveer Ranger and Boris Johnson. Feel free to help our campaign and send to everyone you can think of in the PCO/TFL

Boris Johnston; mayor@london.gov.uk,
Ranger Kulveer, mayor's director of transport; Kulveer.Ranger@london.gov.uk,
Peter Hendy, TFL commissioner ; peterhendy@tfl.gov.uk,
Ed Thompson Head PCO; ed.thompson@pco.org.uk,
Mary Dowdye PCO; mary.dowdye@pco.org.uk,
Martin Low, Director of Transportation Westminster Council; mailto:Councilmlow@westminster.gov.uk
Bob Oddy; boboddy@tfl.gov.uk,
David Brown, TFL/PCO; david.brown@tfl.gov.uk,
Barry Cook, Senior Vehicle Compliance Manager, Barry.Cook@tfl.gov.uk,
Len Simpkins,
Head of Strategy and Planning len.simpkins@pco.org.uk,





Dear sir
I am appalled at the actions of the PCO and have been greatly insulted by recent press releases from TFL trying to cover up the fact that mini cab ranks are now common place in central London with the full knowledge of the PCO/TFL and Local councils.

Two dictionary definitions of the term “Taxi rank”;

1. A taxicab stand (also called taxi rank, cab stand, taxi stand, cab rank, or hack stand) is a queue area on a street or on private property where taxicabs line up to wait for passengers.

2.Taxi Rank
Noun
a place where taxis park while awaiting customers; "in England the place where taxis wait to be hired is called a 'taxi rank'"[syn: cabstand]

Taken from Len Simpkins press release 49/08;
There have been reports about a minicab "rank" being set up in Whitcombe Street, near Leicester Square. These reports are incorrect: no rank is permitted for minicabs or other private hire vehicles, here or elsewhere in London.

Same article;

Whitcombe St.
A dispensation is in place allowing licensed vehicles from West1 Minicabs, the operator licensed to use the TKTS booth, to wait a short time for a booked passenger.

As Private hire vehicles already have the right to stop to drop off and pick up passengers at this bus stand “for as long as it takes to do so”, along with Hackney cabs, the only reason a traffic order was needed, was to allow Private hire cars to form a rank and wait for job from the booking kiosk in Leicester Square as stated by Len Simpkins in the above Press release. The order makes no distinction if these jobs are pre-booked or booked after the cars arrive on this bus stand.
The met Police were instrumental in initial setting up this private enterprise venture. They supplied, police no waiting cones and gave on site protection to the Ranking PHV’s in case of trouble from the Licensed Hackney cabs, until it became a controversial issue. They have now withdrawn this assistance.

Therefore I state that this bus stand is being used as a Private Hire Rank, with the full knowledge of Westminster council, The PCO/TFL and the metropolitan Police. As is the west side Regent Street, corner of Air Street, Swallow Street and Heddon Street. Plus The Haymarket outside Tiger Tiger and High Holborn north side, corner Drury lane (two lines one on pavement).

I charge the PCO and the officers therein with failing to enforce the Hackney Carriage Laws. The officers in charge of the PCO Ed Thompson and his assistant Mary Dowdye should be removed from their posts, as they have constantly failed to protect the License conditions of the Licensed Hackney Carriage industry.

Regards
James Thomas badge no xxxx
Sent on behalf of;
the drivers of Royal oak Taxi shelter,
Members of The Anderson Shelter,
http://theandersonshelter.blogspot.com/,
and the newly formed LTCPR,
http://ltcpr.blogspot.com/.

Shambolic London transport arrangements after New Year celebrations

London media fail to tell the real story that families and New Year revelers struggled to get home from the fireworks display and celebrations in central London, London Daily News correspondent John Kennedy gives the real story on New Years eve in London.

By John Kennedy.

Yes the fireworks may well have been fantastic and certainly the message given to Londoners by our Mayor was positive but when it comes to transport this city fails its citizens. I like many taxi-cab drivers worked New Years eve only to experience yet again road blocks at every major junction denying yet again London taxi-cabs the right to “ply for hire” and pick up customers who wished to get home safely by Taxi-cab.

Park Lane southbound and Grosvenor Place northbound were turned into parking lots, traffic couldn’t move and I like many taxi-cab drivers gave up, for what is the point in trying to work if the work is in the central zone but the Police along with transport for London deny you access to streets and roads which would allow you to remove revellers from theses very streets and roads.

Continue reading article click here

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Looking back on 2008

See stormcabs review of the new Merc Taxi, really a must see, if you are thinking of buying one!


Len Simpkins new Plan to get rid of Londons Taxi's