For two years now, I have on a regular basis been complaining about the Illegally ranked PHV's outside the night Bar Tiger, Tiger.
Along with hundreds of other drivers, we have sent thousands of e-mails to Westminster councilors, Westminster's Leader, Martin Low Transport manager, The PCO, TFL, The Mayor, His transport advisor and The Met police.
We have to date recieved only one reply, from the PCO saying that the bar was a registered supplier of mini cabs and that parking outside was the responsibility of Westminster council
Why the wall of silence at this spot.
Is it because the bus stand outside has been sub let to this mini cab provider as the one in Whitcomb Street?
Enough is enough with this venue. We have given them every opportunity to be open with us.
It is now time to seek other avenues with repect of the lost revenue to the London Taxi trade which in two years comes to a small fortune.
We now have to find out who and what is ultimately behind this situation and we may have to sue the individuals reponsable for lose of earning to the trade in court. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reply to an earlier letter from Luke Howard on behalf of every one at the PCO/TFL
On Friday night at about 8: 40 pm, while attending my mothers 90th birthday party, my taxi was broken into by a young white male. The worrying thing is that he appears to have picked the lock, not smash the window, as is the normal MO of the local smack heads in Harrow. My garage informs me that they know of no other break in done by picking the lock in this area. Myself and the hotel manager watched on the CCTV as this person approached the taxi and gained entry in seconds. He took my surveillance equipment plus a few personal items he found in the glove box. As I had the cab washed specially for this occasion I presented it to the police station in South Harrow hopping they would finger print the door. I was amazed, they had no intention of finger printing the door and did not keep the photos of the thief that were downloaded from the CCTV images. As far as I know, the police have not contacted the Hotel to view the CCTV footage. Is it a cab driver thing? Are the police just plain biased towards Taxi drivers?
Worst of all I phoned my insurers only to be told my policy did not cover my personal possessions. It turned out to be an expensive night off.
John Kennedy of the LTCPR has suspended the new Carry On Complaining Campaign this week and has decided to try to get as many drivers as possible to E-mail Jacqui Smith MP the Home secretary to provide transport for London with extra resources and Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice to open courts on a 24 hour basis so instant justice can be met out to those that choose to prey on others and steal work in front of our very eyes.
If you want to get involved in this new campaign click on the Link;
Just a quick thank you to all the drivers who took part in the demo and our E-mail campaigns. Below is the report of a massive police crack down on the touts carried out over the weekend by the Met police and the PCO/TFL.
This is a direct result of the pressure you the drivers have put on the Licensing authority by demonstrating and joining in our e-mail campaigns against the touts. This is proof that we are finally getting through to them and that they now realise, they cant ignore this massive problem for much longer. We wont let that happen.
But don't stop now, Carry On Complaining and remember 'We Shall Prevail and Prosper'.
The Metropolitan Police Service and Transport for London continue to tackle illegal cabs and touting
Twenty-five arrests were made over the weekend following Operation Helvellyn, part of a drive to tackle taxi touts in central London.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Transport for London (TfL) funded Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU), targeted illegal cabs during a high visibility operation overnight on Friday 20 and Saturday 21February 2009.
Uniformed Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers patrolled hotspots to tackle touting and other cab related issues. They also offered advice to members of the public warning them that any minicab journey that is not booked through a licensed minicab operator is illegal, uninsured and unsafe. Bar and club managers whose venues attract high numbers of illegal cabs were also advised on the danger these cabs pose to their customers.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:
"The safety and security of people travelling around London is a top priority, and during the election I promised to crack down on the illegal touts that put the lives of Londoners and visitors in danger. I want everyone to be able to enjoy a good night out without being preyed upon by these illegal touts as not only can they be dangerous individuals, but their cars can also be uninsured death-traps. We are doing all we can to stop them, and partygoers can make themselves safer by using our fantastic Cabwise text service, which quickly provides the numbers for safe licensed taxi and minicab companies in the area."
Chief Superintendent Joe Royle, Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) said: “We are working together to keep London moving safely and committed to driving down crime and the fear of crime even further. Illegal cabs and touting undermine the legitimate cab trade and pose a serious threat to the travelling public. The Transport Operational Command Unit regularly targets policing activity on illegal cabs, and carries out major operations targeting offenders who pose as cab drivers.
“The safety of the public is paramount and I would advise everyone not to get into any vehicle that they have not booked and always book a cab through a reputable PCO licensed operator.”
Steve Burton, TfL’s Director of Community Safety Enforcement and Policing, said: “We are determined to crack down on touting, which can be a cover for more serious crimes like robbery or sexual assault. No one should ever take a minicab without a booking – they are illegal, unsafe and uninsured, and it is just not worth the risk. To get home safely, take a black cab or book a minicab through a licensed operator.”
Mayor Boris Johnson has taken a tough line on touting, and any licensed driver convicted of touting will now lose their Public Carriage Office (PCO) driver’s licence. He also announced last year that the number of dedicated cab enforcement officers in the Capital would be doubled to 68. The Cab Enforcement Unit has made over 4,500 arrests for touting and other cab-related offences and dealt with another 2,000 offences by way of summons since 2003.
This weekend’s operation also involved TfL’s PCO, checking on the activities of licensed drivers and operators, and the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) which carried out roadside safety checks of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in the Strand and in Haymarket.
Outraged cabbies have attacked plans to extend Staines train station’s taxi rank, claiming Hackney carriages already clog the car park.
Arguments between private-hire taxis and Hackney carriages have been raging since the rank opened at the station five years ago, with private-hire company Ronia Mini Cabs, based on the same road, accusing Hackney drivers of stealing their customers and acting abusively.
Spelthorne Council, which must approve all Hackney carriage licences, has put forward proposals for an extra two spaces on the Gresham Road rank and a further seven spaces across the borough.
The council says it received a 43-signature petition from licensed taxi drivers for the Gresham Road plan.
At a meeting on Tuesday night councillors voted to consult the public on the plans.
Ronia driver Terry Lyden said: “At peak times at the station you have 15 Hackney carriage drivers all in the car park waiting for business. We have been battling five long years against the rank being there.
“At the moment with three spaces it’s chaos because no one abides by the rules.
“Because these drivers pay the council more money for licenses it’s like they are the council’s customers and the council is just bowing down to them.
“There are no numbers on the amount of licenses the council can issue.
“But the drivers complain there are no ranks to park at, so they won’t come to the council for licenses.
“We have heard nothing about these plans, the council is not representing all parties.
“Certain drivers are just ignoring the rules by shouting at customers for business and waiting in the car park.
“The rank is dangerous as it stands, extending it should be out of the question.”
Councillor Colin Davis, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “There are two sides to every argument and at the end of the day we have to do what is best for the customer.
“Ronia Cabs had a brilliant bit of business initiative in setting up next to the train station but they cannot have it both ways.
“As private-hire they provide a different service.”
He added: “There is a clear business case for providing more taxi ranks in the borough and the proposed locations reflect customer demand.
“There will be a consultation period of a month in which views and issues will be received and considered by the council.
“Assuming no objections are received we would hope these new ranks could be in place by the end of April.”
Posted by Thomas The Taxi Click on Photo to enlarge
Has Hammersmith and Fulham sold our rank to a Mini Cab firm?
I was shocked an horrified last night, to find a notice on the Post which displays the Taxi rank sign on the Shepherds Bush rank, this notice of impending doom has received no publicity and so far has been totally ignored by drivers who probably thought it to be a notice telling mini cab touts to stay off our rank.
After spending 6 billion pounds on a shopping centre, brand new Underground station and bus terminus, Hammersmith and Fulham borough council want to revoke the three cab rank on the north side of the green that serves the new underground station. This rank is widely used all day and in to the early hours by Taxi drivers who have a constant battle with touting PHV drivers because of the amount of work that passes through this location. Why on earth does Hammersmith and Fulham want to revoke this rank? would it be that it interferes with the smooth running of the clipboard man from the Underground toilet club on the green?
Again we see a local council battling against the Licensed Taxi Trade. The Mini cabs who, will still rank at this spot, even if the Rank is revoked, will be laughing their heads off at our dilemma.
We must save this important rank, but we need to hurry as we only have till the 27 th February to lodge a complaint. The details are on the poster and also below.
Dear Sir/Madam, I am a licensed taxi-cab driver and I wish to object to the removal of the said taxi rank at Shepherd’s bush. You should note this rank is providing a service to local people and providing much needed road space for taxi-cab drivers to work from.
With the present economic climate more and more of us are having to work from ranks and this is one which I have begun to work from recently.
I am contacting the Public Carriage Office and would ask kindly that you reconsider this action.
Yours Sincerely,
You can telephone directly;
Ian Hawthorn - tel - 02087533058
(thanks to eze)
Update from CSP;
I have just phoned Hammersmith & Fulham council regarding this URGENT matter, all calls & enquiries on this matter are now being redirected to a DEON HALLETT on 02087532385.
(our thanks for your quick response to CSP)
Or you can write to; ( but time is running out!) Ian Hawthorn, Head of Network and Management;
Network management group, Highways and engineering division, Environment department, Town Hall extension, King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9JU.
We have now had a chance to digest the e-mail reply to our complaints made to the Mayor of London, which have been sent to his transport advisor, Kulveer Ranger to be dealt with.
These e-mails have been passed over in the same manner that the e-mails we sent to everyone at TFL and the PCO were passed over to Luke Howard. It seems to my untrained eye that this pair of very expensive PA’s are reading from the same script.
The biggest worry of all, is that Westminster Council’s Transport manager Martin Low is sending out almost identical replies to e-mails sent to him. Surely he should have his own script.
If you receive thousands of complaints from Taxi drivers to say that PHV drivers are illegally ranking, touting, parking and generally nicking our work, then it would be a good bet that this is actually occurring. Then when you have a demonstration of 8,000 disgruntled Taxi drivers its time to hold up your hands and investigate the matter fully.
But no, Mr Howard, Mr Low and Mr Ranger all say they are disappointed with our attitude and that this is not the case as no illegal ranking, no illegal touting, no illegal clipboard men and no illegal parking is happening. Because the PCO have put out press releases for mini cab drivers to tell them to stop it.
Ed Thompson, the head of the PCO has gone on the BBC and said that PHV/minicabs will never be allowed to rank up or ply for hire.
So why was it tonight, whilst driving through the West end of London, did I see PHV’s ranked outside Tiger Tiger. In a 24 hour bus lane I counted 23 vehicles all with TFL blue stickers. Some double parked, blocking the flow of buses who never seem to complain. Fabric has a line of PHV’s working from a Licensed Taxi rank as Crystals in Wells Street and the Shepherds Bush Rank
How come I saw a line of PHV’s with blue TFL stickers outside the entrance to Heddon Street, with a clipboard man feeding them jobs as he touted openly.
Whiskey Mist at Hereford Street has a line of ranked up mini cabs as does the Egg club in York way, but their clipboard men are calling themselves co-ordinators.
Essex road has three pubs with illegal clipboard men within a hundred yards of each other. Even Kilburn high roads now has clipboard men outside its pubs.
After being told that the PCO had taken action against the clipboard man and the mini cab firm in Bear Street by Westminster's Martin Low, I was astounded to find a man in a High Vi jacket with the words Licensed Mini cabs directing unsuspecting members of the public into a line of waiting, illegally ranking PHV’s, with a feeder rank on the Licensed Taxi rank adjacent to Bear Street. Perhaps these mini cab drivers don't have a computer!
After our successful Demo Last Thursday, the Association, the Club and the Union seem to have lost momentum. Although the LTDA have met with Martin Low! something they could have and should have done before the Demo.
So it is up to us to up the pressure now.
Its time to step up a gear, one battle will not win a war.
This week we will restart our email campaigns.
Each week we will pick one venue to focus on.
This week will be Tiger Tiger, favourite spot of the car bomber.
Below you will find an e-mail for you to copy and paste into you e-mail client. Get your friends and family involved, the more the merrier.
Dear Sir,
After listening to yourself on the James Whale show I would like to bring to your attention the illegal activities of touts operating on your roads within the borough of the City of Westminster.
You should note this very same venue had a car parked outside illegally which turned out to be a bomb, yet the authorities which included you, Westminster council, seem to turn a blind eye to the illegal clip board operators and the parking of cars in the 24 hour bus lane. The venue is Tiger Tiger in the Haymarket.
I/we shall identify other venues in the very near future and also bring these to your attention, it was pleasing to hear you on the radio and you have clarified a number of points which concerned me.
Would it be possible to refer this mater to your licensing department because this must surely concern those who grant licenses to these premises considering there is so much illegal activity happening around the said premises?
Yours Sincerely,
PS I have copied this to the PCO as I understand you work closely with them, maybe you could ask them to revoke or suspend the operator’s license in light of the illegal activity that appears to take place outside this venue on a nightly basis.
The PCO and TFL have been funneling all our e-mails to one person, lets now unravel this process and send this E-mail to Martin Low and copy in everyone on the E-mail list...Click Here for list.
Everyone who e-mailed Boris Johnston in our E-mail campaign will have received this generic reply. Instead of us all answering seperatly lets take a leaf out of Kulveers "Make your job easy" book and send him this generic reply, prepared by White Knight.
White Knight's reply in red;
Dear Mr White Knight,
The parking controls on Whitcomb Street are the responsibility of the City of Westminster and I am afraid that the Mayor does not have jurisdiction over the borough for these matters. In fact, they did not consult Transport for London (TfL) before making the changes. This is a matter you will need to take up with the City of Westminster.
So I should take this up with the City of Westminster?? What are you doing for your money then?? You have (conservative estimate) Eight Thousand-that's 8,000-taxi drivers demonstrating in Central London-something we did not do lightly-and you say "take it up with Westminster Council!"??
The PCO assures me that it will only license operating centres, including satellite offices, if they comply with the relevant legislation. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square does meet these requirements. Other requests, such as mobile centres have been refused in the recent past for these reasons.
Please can you send me a copy of the legislation appertaining to "Satellite Offices". I was in the West End on Saturday when 4 young girls (the exact type of vulnerable person this scheme is supposed to cater for) were being sent from the kiosk in Leicester Square to the Taxi rank in Cranbourne street because they wanted to go to Russell Square, a £6 taxi fare, but were not prepared to pay the £20 minimum charge of this "Satellite Office" (which doubles as the half price ticket booth for the Theatres and probably sells Ice-cream cornets in the summer!)!!! I know that they came from there as they had a "Secure Car Home" leaflet. Had I charged £20 I'd be in trouble with the PCO for Overcharging!!! Please explain to me then, what all the windows by alley ways with spinning yellow lights on the end of an electric extension lead are called? They used to be called 'Fly-by-night' minicab offices!!! The Mayor has not made and does not intend to make any change to PHV legislation to allow them to ply for hire. This is touting. He is committed to reducing touting and is doubling the size of the TOCU cab unit. Furthermore, his "one strike and you're out" policy against touting has led the PCO to revoke some 30 PHV driver licences since 1 August.
They are already doing it , mate...it's out of control..unenforced and making a mockery of the Legislation!!! Why do you think we took to the streets?? Would you really like me to show you?? Back in the '90's I accompanied Steve Norris, the then, Minister for Transport in London, around the West End....I will be only too happy to give you the "Knobber Norris" Tour!!!
I can assure you that there are no 'PCO approved' clipboard operators and minicab ranks. The PCO made it clear in recent PCO Notices how private hire operators and drivers were permitted to work, and neither clipboard operators nor plying for hire are permitted. The PCO have restated this in PCO Notices 41/08 'Guidance for PHV Operators', 42/08 'Guidance for the drivers of PHV. Plying for Hire', 43/08 'Competition law compliance by PHV operators' and 49/08 'Leicester Square (Whitcomb Street)'.
Kulveer, stop wasting my time and I'll stop wasting yours! All these Notices mean squat....you sent me one about "one strike and I'm out!" and I'm allowed to ply for hire....but then of course it would be Politically incorrect to send it to the Private Hire Drivers without sending it to the Taxi drivers...forget the waste of resources!! Do you honestly think that any of the Private Hire Drivers read these Notices?? We (Taxi drivers) all read it and felt insulted....how to make friends and influence people!!!! I was therefore disappointed that the taxi trade went ahead with the protest on Thursday 5 February, which caused disruption and delays in Central London. It seems that this action took place at a time when the Mayor had delivered a number of measures in response to requests from the taxi trade. This includes the removal of mid year inspections, increased enforcement against taxi touts, the introduction of a fuel price supplement and the recent success in blocking the Ministry of Justice proposals to water down penalties for taxi touting. These have all come about as a result of proper discussions with the taxi trade. London faces an acute economic situation at present and rather than situation worse I would prefer to work together with the trade to continue to promote and improve conditions.
You were disappointed?? Not half as much as I that I had to do it!!!
What increased enforcement??? Most offences are committed by Private Hire Drivers...fund it from their licence fees and target them, not us. The resources are not being properly managed...the TOCU have been harassing the Taxi Trade when they should've been targeting the minicabs, both licensed and un-licensed. And what fuel supplement??? There has been NO fuel supplement...it has cost me a fortune.
I feel extremely let down by Boris....it's too little too late!!
Livingstone damaged this Trade and Boris' credibility is seriously damaged by accepting a large donation from Addison Lee's John Griffin-Give it back!!!
TfL failed to adequately clear the streets of Snow-read last night's Standard. London's Taxi drivers came out to work (if they weren't snowed in) and gave a service to the Public on the Meter....we didn't treble or quadruple our prices like minicabs!!!
Stop knocking us...we give you a World Class service for nothing....we don't cost you a dinar!! Give us one tenth of the subsidies you give buses to run around empty!!! You want to talk...let's talk....what are you going to do to stop the double standards that are in operation at the Public carriage Office???
I have given this City 25 years service after learning my way around the streets of London. Parliament says that if I want to be a Taxi driver I must buy or rent an iconic purpose built vehicle that retails at around £32,000. And then you and the powers that be, let minicabs undermine the service I provide with standards based on the "Lowest Common Denominator"...
Let's stop playing games...you either want a properly regulated Taxi Service in London or you don't!!! We give you a service that is envied all over the World. Well traveled business people appreciate us after some of the Taxi services that they have to use in other towns and cities. If you want a second rate service like New York....carry on!!!
Thank you for writing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ipPERYvHQ Yours sincerely Kulveer Ranger Director for Transport Policy PS. Please send me a copy of your Transport Policy
Following the response I got from Westminster Council, I have now received a rather imprudent response from Luke Howard at the PCO through my London Assembly member Navin Shah.
The letter from Mr Howard shows a presumed vent of frustration against blogging, accusing The Anderson Shelter and other Blogs of organising a widespread but ill informed campaign about this issue.
The only information that has been challenged in our blog were two statements made in one of the first videos made about the Whitcomb Street mini cab rank. These statements were removed by the editor of this site after a complaint by Martin Low because they could have been interpreted in a manor that may cause offence.
Other than that no complaints have been received.
Mr Howard echo’s the statement made by Westminster Transport Manager Martin Low that the problem at Bear Street and Charring Cross Road has been dealt with and action has been taken against the person and operator, who they both stress is not West One Cars.
This activity is still being witnessed on a nightly basis. So much for the letter of the law!
Still not a word about the touting seen nightly outside the Tiger Tiger venue in the 24hour Bus Lane.
Why is this issue cloaked in a shroud of secrecy?
Of all the complaints we have lodged about this particular venue, we have had only one series of replies just after the car bomb episode.
TFL said that the touts parking outside this venue were the responsibility of Westminster CC Parking enforcement department. Westminster replied that the bus lane was in fact the responsibility of TFL and the PCO said they had no control in the matter of parking illegally or otherwise.
Since then not a word. So night after night the touts park up outside this venue unabated by the CCTV and the parking wardens. Yet in the adjacent Lower Regent Street the wardens queue up waiting for the Tesco lorry to park on the bus stop where every night a ticket is issued. The matter of touting has never been mentioned by TFL/PCO/WCC and as far as we know the TOCU squad has never visited this venue.
The trade has found it insulting that the licensing authority has made very little effort to enforce the law when it comes to touting by PHV drivers outside venues in the West End. For many years now, we as a trade have been victimised for the least little contravention, no matter how small.
After a successful demonstration last Thursday the trade now expects its leaders to take this situation forward by meeting with the PCO/TFL and WCC. But with the belligerent and confrontational attitude of its officers, we can only assume that the PCO/TFL are spoiling for a fight.
In the melee that has ensued since the Anderson Shelter first broke the story about the rank in Whitcomb Street, with the article dated25th November 2008 and emails sent to John Thomas (LTDA), Bob Oddy (LTDA), MP’s and Assembly Members, you would have thought that our representative on the board of TFL, who has been present at all the London Assembly transport meetings since this story broke, would have come out and made statements to the trade. But to the trade’s amazement, not one word has been publish by this TFL board member.
It has led to a campaign to ask where Bob is. Posters have been seen around London asking if anyone knows the whereabouts of this "Missing" Person.
There is absolutely no point in having a cab driver on the board of TFL if this person is not going to talk to the trade about such important issues. Its like having a guard dog with no bark and no teeth.
We have seen more support for the London Taxi Trade, in the last few months from Peter Hendy than from our own Bob Oddy. Seriously worrying.
The London Taxi trade turned up in huge numbers to show their objection to the current policies of Westminster council and the PCO to implement Mini cab ranks on the streets of the capital. Drivers are up in arms at Westminster's lenient approach to the constant abuse of the parking restrictions by private hire drivers who can be found in large numbers illegally ranking outside virtually every club, pub, bar and restaurant in the west end. The taxi trade in London, which has been described as the best service in the world, is perplexed at the apparent misinformation being put out to the media by Ed Thomson and other officers at the PCO who flatly refuse to admit that a problem exists. Drivers are now asking the question are these officers the right people for the job. If the people in charge of both trades are totally in the dark and will not admit to a problem, are they fit for purpose? Perhaps it is time for a change of personnel at the PCO. Westminster's transport manager, Martin Low, the man behind the Whitcomb Street minicab rank scandal, is another spreading misinformation. Tonight on BBC radio London he made a statement that there was only about 600 taxis working at night in the centre of London, totally untrue. The true figure is around 8000. After being the target of an e-mail campaign directed by The Anderson Shelter, he has sent out a generic reply to drivers virtually accusing them all of spreading negative propaganda. The E-mail has offended the whole of the trade and to add insult to injury this council employee has now posted his reply as an article in this months Taxi globe. Not a good move for someone already inundated in complaints from furious Taxi drivers.
Well done to the drivers who put themselves out today to demonstrate.
It is now up to our joint trade leaders, who have united for this issue, to take the trade forward. We must not give up ground on this offensive, the evil axis (PCO/TFL/Westminster city council) is on the defensive. We must not give in one inch, the law has to be upheld. Touting and ranking by Private Hire is illegal and has to be eradicated before we as a trade can move on.
If 25,000 Taxi drivers say there is a problem, then it is a good bet to believe that there is a problem. By constantly saying there is no problem, just adds fuel to the flames of discontent and can only result in confrontation. We are not alone, some of the capitals biggest suppliers of Private hire are also dismayed by the level of touting from apparently legal licensed private hire drivers, as they see their job numbers falling every week to the touts.
Posted by Thomas the Taxi Firstly I would like to thank my Assembly Member Mr Navin Shah, who has been working on this issue on my behalf and has taken the time to personally write to the leader of Westminster council, Collin Barrow
Its amazing, everyone who wrote to complain about the Whitcomb Street rank, to the leader of Westminster council and admitted they were Taxi drivers, all got the same insulting letter as a reply.
Now if you were an MP or London Assembly member you got the same letter with extra paragraphs.
In the drivers reply you are told that there is a slight problem with UNLICENSED mini cabs touting, but if you are an MP or AM you are told about a problem with a clipboard operator at the junction of Bear Street touting for LICENSED private hire drivers. Plus LICENSED PHV touts operating in and around Coventry Street.
But not to worry!
Mr Barrow explains to the MP or AM that this problem has recently been dealt with by the enforcement officers from the carriage office. Apparently there have been 5 arrests (that should stop it once and for all), which took place on the 15, 16 and 17 of January. Three days, five arrests, that’s almost two a day, truly unbelievable.
Where did this action take place, wait for it, Whitcomb Street.
The PCO has arrested drivers who were touting on the space set aside for West One Cars.
I understand that the PCO is taking action against the clipboard man, operating at the junction of Bear Street. They have given him the same amount of time to stop this touting as they have given Addison Lee to replace the rear wash/wipe arm (as long as it takes or till he retires?).
Apparently this action, to put people into vehicles, that have a safety record of a reported 8 serious sexual assaults every month, including rape, is purely to improve personal safety.
Mr Shah has also written to the PCO on this issue but as yet he is still waiting for a reply, no change there then.
With the demo tomorrow there is new fight in the hearts of the cab trade. Every night the streets of Soho are swarming with mini cabs parked on double yellow lines, red routs and bus lanes, some for hours on end. While the CCTV camera operator's watch for London Taxis to step slightly out of line, nothing is done to stop the scabs (minicabs).
You might be interested to know that a person who monitors CCTV for the purposes of traffic enforcement (amongst others) should be licenced by the SIA. If you get a ticket, apparently you are within your rights to ask for details of the licence of the camera operator. If they don't have one the ticket issued is invalid. You may be surprised to Know that Westminster Council are not averse to overlooking this requirement. Not just parking but MTVs too. It's worth a try.
Also Westminster Council must contact Luke Howard of TFL/PCO as they are at odds on the legality of cars waiting to become hired by bookings on the Whitcomb Street, Mini Cab Rank.
Martin Low, transport manager of Westminster council, has said it is not legal for cars to wait to be hired, which is correct in law but apparently Luke Howard says it is perfectly legal.
We can not move forward until this question is sorted out.
Legal ruling due on speed cameras.
A court is due to rule on a legal test case which could pave the way for an avalanche of challenges to speed camera convictions from millions of motorists.
Lawyers are arguing at Manchester Crown Court that all devices authorised since 1992 are illegal because the law introducing them on to British roads had been wrongly implemented by successive home secretaries.
A successful appeal on the constitutional principle may lead to drivers demanding repayment of an estimated £600 million in fines imposed and the annulment of penalty points and bans.
Retired computer engineer Aitken Brotherston, 61, of Lymm, Cheshire, has brought the case on appeal against his conviction for driving 52mph in a 40mph zone.
Mr Brotherston said he "firmly believed" that the LTI 20/20 Speedscope laser gun which captured his speed provided an inaccurate reading.
Defence barrister Michael Shrimpton said each home secretary since Michael Howard had effectively set up their own scheme of ministerial approval and were wrong to pass such devices as the LTI 20/20 without parliamentary scrutiny.
Mr Shrimpton said the case concerned a "big constitutional point" which addressed the "fundamental relationship between the executive, the courts and the legislature".
He said there was no problem with lasers as a precise speed measurement but the way in which they were operated, which Parliament should have the opportunity to debate.
He added it was "horribly unconstitutional" for ministers to evade parliamentary scrutiny with general orders which did not specify devices.
A number of cases throughout the UK similar to Mr Brotherston's are currently in the court system which Mr Shrimpton said was likely to be eventually resolved in the House of Lords.
