Jim Kelly Misleads Cab Trade

The chairman of the Unite Cab Trade Committee, Jim Kelly has jumped on the band wagon in a mud slinging competition, started by the LTDA, aimed at discrediting the newly formed RMT London Taxis Branch that has been so warmly welcomed by disgruntled members of other trade organisations.

As with the lies that we have seen published in the Taxi paper, Mr Kelly, whose membership is falling at an alarming rate, has gone over the RMT web site with a fine tooth comb, to try to find a controversial topic with which to embarrass members of the trades biggest growing union and stem the exodus from within his own ranks.

After weeks of burning the midnight oil, Mr Kelly has found a small paragraph that,if read incorrectly, can have dual connotations over the true meaning of the passage.

The piece on the web site states.

"The RMT organises over 80,000 members across all sectors of the transport industry."

True, it does just that. This includes Licensed Taxi drivers,Bus drivers and believe it or not train drivers and shunters.

"In the Taxi and Private Hire vehicle trade, we have members across Britain including in Greater London, Leicester and Swansea."

If you read this sentence again you will see the author has called the trade we work in, as Licensed Taxi drivers, "The Taxi and Private Hire vehicle trade", a common mistake which we see in the press week after week, made by journalists lumping us all in the same trade as if we are one. A mistake that the former head of the PCO, Ed Thompson, made publicly on national TV, when he said "where I come from they're all Taxis, Private hire and black cabs".

Now what Mr Kelly has tried to do here, is insinuate that the RMT represents drivers who work solely in the Private hire trade, which it does not.

It was in a statement made to hundreds of working Taxi drivers at the Royal Oak Taxi Centre, that General Secretary Bob Crow said in his speech ;

"The RMT do not represent drivers who work solely as PHV drivers. If we are approached, we point them in the direction of the GMB and Unite".

Something that Jim Kelly has omitted to tell his readers is that Unite do represent PHV drivers all over the country.

However there may be a grey area within the "Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Trades".

Some Hackney Carriage drivers, outside London, can hold dual licenses and work as both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire, mainly in small towns across the country, in which there are no radio circuits for Hackney Carriage drivers.

The RMT only represents Licensed Hackney carriage drivers, we have no private hire drivers as members.

The London Taxi branch of the RMT has no intention, now or in the future, to work with or represent Private Hire drivers. We leave that to the dedicated Private Hire Unions such as the GMB.

We also have no business connection with the Private Hire industry, unlike the LTDA who have a 20% share in a certain Private Hire company.

Today, 23rd November 2009, every member of the RMT London Taxis Branch has received a letter from the General Secretary Bob Crow that states "The RMT do not have minicab drivers as members".

James Thomas.

Lead Officer, Ranks and Highways

RMT London Taxi Branch.

COME AND JOIN US!!....By Mark1967

This isn't a thinly disguised appeal for you to join the RMT. Hopefully the actions you read about on this site, both highly visible ie; protests and pickets outside the offices of Councils and Government departments and the not so visible ie; letter writing, email campaigns, and attending meetings will be all the recruiting tool we need.

No,this is an appeal to our fellow cab drivers.You may be a musher, you may rent, you may be radio, non radio, liveried or just a plain black coloured cab.

We NEED you!

For some time now there has been a campaign to take back the work that was going in the cars of touts. These touts would hang around outside busy venues harassing members of the public into getting in their "Taxi". Meanwhile you and me would be driving round and round in circles with our lights blazing, oblivious to the fact that our work was being hijacked before we could get a sniff.

The explosion of the disastrous and hopefully soon to be revoked "Satellite Office" experiment made things much much worse.

Fortunately drivers from many different backgrounds and trade organisations have had enough and have decided to strike back. Without going into excruciating detail the basic premise is...just be where the touts are, its as simple as that.
Drivers should form ranks with their lights blazing anywhere there are touts. Nobu, Jalouse, Tiger Tiger, Smiths, Zuma, Abacus and many more. The work coming out of these places is very good, both in volume and quality. Behind the scenes, there have been moves to get official ranks installed at many of these venues. Some of these have now opened and are running well.

However the touts are still sniffing round and having a field day, because too few drivers are "putting on" these ranks.

Please, please...when driving past these places, if you see 1 or 2 Cabs parked up with their lights on, join on the back of the rank. These ranks move very well.

I have seen the new Nobu rank empty as I pull away with a job and when I turn into Piccadilly there are 10 or 20 cabs following each other, lights a blazing??

Meanwhile the queue for Paddington is back to the Harrow Road??

The target we want to achieve is to see the new ranks getting a high level of service, then we can move on to the next target and start the ball rolling again. Places like the Oxo Tower, Buddha Bar, Hakkasan and Sophisticats, all need our attention. You dont have to drive round and round in circles, the work is out there.

Please help.

We hope shortly to post here a comprehensive list of all these ranks/venues together with their times of operation. If you need any more information please contact;
The Anderson Shelter at Downtheoak@aol.com.

Thanks

Mark Sherlock

Ranks and Highways

RMT London Taxi Branch

How Long are they going to let this go onAnon...by Thomas the Taxi.

If you work nights, you will have seen a line of cars, night after night, illegally parked outside the late night bar "onAnon".

Last night was no different.

As I approached the bar from Piccadilly Circus I saw the line of illegally parked PHV's right back from the entrance of the bar to the pedestrian crossing.
I stopped adjacent to the Mini cab rank and phoned Westminster Parking Services. After initially speaking to Anthony, I was immediately put through to the night call centre manager, Les Wilson, who listened to my complaint and assured me he would send round an officer (CEO) to deal with these cars.

As I sat there waiting to log how long this process actually takes from initial call to warden turning up on site, I saw something, like a dream, a blast from the past, I just couldn't believe my eyes.
Round the corner from the direction of Piccadilly Circus came a London Bobby, on the beat.
He went straight to the mini cab on the back of this rank and told him in a firm manner to "MOVE". As he went along the line, I got out of my Taxi and asked him if he had been sent by Westminster Parking Services, he replied that he had not and this was his beat so to speak.

I told him that I had informed WPS, as in my opinion, these cars illegally parking in front of a venue that holds a PCO license as a satellite office constitutes touting. His reply shocked me again as I was expecting the same old "they can wait to be hired", rubbish.

He said "No sir this does not constitute touting, it constitutes forming an unauthorised rank, contra to section 46 of the Hackney Carriage act of ........." his words were lost in a storm of abuse from the Private Hire drivers.

He then politely pointed out that I, was indeed double parked and asked me to move along, which I did.
Even as he was telling the drivers to move, other Private Hire Vehicles were stopping and "Putting on", replacing the touts that had moved. One driver refused to move as he "Worked for this club and had been told by Charing Cross Police station that he could legally rank here".

As I pulled away the officer was taking out his note book, but I didn't see what the final outcome was as I wanted to comply with the officers wishes.

30 minutes later.

I passed the venue again and it was smashed alive with touts clambering around the customers as they were leaving. I picked up a young girl who told me,

"Its a nightmare trying to get past those private taxis".

I asked her if she knew, because of the illegal manner in which the journey in one of these vehicles is undertaken, the insurance could be deemed as invalid?

She replied that the drivers of these vehicles tell the customers that Black taxis can't stop at this venue as the RANK is licensed to them and only they can pick up passengers at this bar.

Its Time that the PCO/TfL started to revoke the licenses of the venues that constantly break the conditions of that license. Places such as onAnon, Tiger Tiger, Swallow Street and Heddon Street have no legal parking outside, but still every night we see lines of unlawfully ranking mini cab touts.
Why were these licenses issued in the first place?
Surely the PCO has a duty of care to inspect these premises before a license is issued?
Most of these venues have no legal parking outside and yet TOCU, PCO enforcement and the local councils are just turning a blind eye.
What protection are they offering us for the money we pay for our license?

This situation is not going away. We must demand a judicial enquiry in to the PCO.
This is something we need to do now.

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277 rapes in London in October.

Question: "Why are the figures rising so fast" asks the Commissioner of Police.

Answer: because the Police, PCO/TfL and local councils are doing nothing about these illegal touts, most licensed by TfL, who pressure young females into riding in their mini cabs as they leave night clubs. These unlawful ranks have become a breeding ground for predators looking for women who may not be in full control of their own safety.

See article in the Evening Standard Click here

Also see the BBC article Click here

Continuing Saga of the Bush Rank.....by Thomas the Taxi.

We have today received a communication from Councillor Alex Chalk, about the Shepherds Bush Rank.


Thank you for your message. I have made some enquiries about this matter. This is the text of the response I received today from the relevant officer:

“The Taxi rank is being moved 5 metres westwards. This is because the current location is a safety hazard as it opens straight on to the pedestrian crossing. The public carriage office was consulted on and agreed the change.

The work started on Monday and will be finished and the rank reopened by the middle of next week. The rank will then be properly signed and enforceable, which it hasn't been up to now.”

I do hope this clarifies matters. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist further.

Best wishes,

Cllr Alex Chalk


Having spoken to Officers from Hammersmith Council I am amazed at their reasoning behind moving the rank. They have no records of any accidents involving Licensed Taxis at this location, but are basing their argument solely on the prediction of a computer model that says there might be an accident at this location some time in the future.

I would just add, I see no need to take any further action in this case.
The rank has been moved approx 15 feet and will be clearly marked out as a licensed Taxi rank (hopefully).
This is a result for the Anderson Shelter and the LTDF because the original plans were to move the rank 50 meters along the north side of the green.
Well done to all the drivers who have put themselves out to work this rank, just make sure you continue to give the public this first class service.


Source for article, Lee Cocklin, LTDF. Photo by Thomas the Taxi

Mini Cab driver charged over West End pedestrian death

A mini cab driver has been charged with manslaughter after a pedestrian was knocked over by a car in the West End of London.

Imran Raja, 37, was charged following an accident in Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, at 1942 GMT on Saturday.

Apparently mini cab driver Raja, hit the man and tried to drive off but was stopped by his passenger who called the emergency services. The victim, who is about 50 years old, has not yet been formally identified by police.

Mr Raja, who is being held in custody, is due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Police were alerted by the ambulance service to the incident, involving a black Ford Galaxy, at the junction of Old Burlington Street and Clifford Street. The man was taken to University College Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Anyone who can help the police with their inquiries should contact the incident room, on 020 8358 0300.

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Plenty of passion left in the trade,

even from the twilight brigade,

(of which I happen to be one).

Warning Strong language.

Westminster's Disappearing Ranks episode No1......By Thomas the Taxi

Langan's Brasserie

Every week more and more of our ranks are disappearing. Although Westminster City Council has just marked out four new ranks, three have proved to be completely unacceptable or unworkable.

• Who are these faceless people who manage to make such horrendous mistakes when it comes to the Licensed Taxi trade?
• Surely the joint ranks committee were shown the plans for these new ranks?
• Why weren't these issues sorted out at their meetings with Westminster planners?

It's so easy to get it right, you only have to look at the fabulous new rank outside Nobu. This rank has become very popular and is serviced well, although some nights the touts need a little push to move them on.

But believe it or not the initial site for this rank was fifty yards south of the exit towards Piccadilly with the cabs facing away from the club/restaurant similar to the situation in Cornhill close to the night club Abacus. Only after complaints from within the trade, has the Nobu rank been re-sited.

Of the other three new ranks, two are sited past the exit of the venue leaving customers to walk a gauntlet of touts to get to a Licensed Taxi. The new rank outside the entrance to Jalouse, although sited well, embarrassingly finishes 2 hours before the club turns out.

What are our Joint Ranks Committee members doing, other than falling over themselves to claim the kudos in their respective trade papers.

A Joint Ranks Committee should be made up of a mixture of day men and night men to ensure that every Taxi drivers needs are looked after properly.

Christmas Party Season

We are just about to enter the Christmas party season. It was about this time last year we saw Westminster install the infamous private hire rank at Whitcomb Street. After the bad press of last year and subsequent folding of the booking kiosk in Leicester Square, they have covertly installed standing areas under the title of "Loading Bays". Off road loading bays have been installed all over the heart of the West End. At night lines of Private hire vehicles can be seen using these bays as ranks while Westminster Parking Services Traffic Wardens (CEO's) just walk by, obviously having been told to leave these vehicles alone.

Westminster Parking Services have also made it clear they do not intend enforcing parking restrictions that should keep Licensed Taxi ranks clear of touts. The TOCU squad who should be doing this on a regular basis, only seem interested in black cab drivers badges and bills.

This situation has to be addressed now. If you are in an Association, Club or Union, contact your reps now and find out exactly what they are doing to combat this onslaught from the Private Hire Touts.

What's been happening in W12 click here for full story

Oxo Tower Car Services Brooms Locals to Black Cabs.... By Thomas the Taxi

Last night a friend of mine was handed a "Car service guarantee Docket" by a customer leaving the Oxo Tower restaurant who only wanted to go to Waterloo.

From what we can make out, as customers arrive at the restaurant, they are handed a ticket which they are then asked to fill in the destination. They are told that as the Oxo Tower is off the beaten track its impossible to get a taxi and are guaranteed a car service from "Elegance Cars, PCO approved" on leaving.

Trouble is the drivers from "Elegance Cars, PCO approved" don't want to do the locals, so short journeys are broomed to unsuspecting Licensed Black Cab Drivers patiently waiting outside.

This action constitutes touting. It has been made perfectly clear to these car services who operate satellite offices inside premisses that they must wait to be approach and must not make the first move by offering a service to customers. Repeated breaches of licensing regulations could lead to the revocation of the operator's whole licence.

.................................................................................................................

Surprise Surprise, For Camden Council

Just noticed last night that Camden Council in their infinite wisdom, has decided to lower the speed limit on one of the most congested high streets in London. On certain parts of the working day, taxi drivers would just love to be able to do twenty miles an hour up Camden High Street.

Still it just goes to show how much money this council is prepared to waste in their fight against your right to own a motor car. They will continue to make it as difficult for you as possible, till they have you all riding bikes

What next?

At a guess I would say, average speed cameras, which is fine by me as long as they take out all the traffic humps that do so much damage to our vehicles.

Westminsters Lawless Wardens.

Hi Jim, this is what happened last night outside Nobu/Funky Buddha.

I just arrived and didn't have time to straighten up properly on the rank, when this car parked behind me so I got out and tapped on his window, no response, thats when I took a picture of his reg no.

Then he got out; thats when I realised he was a traffic warden. He was wearing a blue uniform with the name warden written on his shoulder,unfortunately I didn't get his number. He didn't say anything he just started to walk around the back of his car, thats when he said without looking or turning "Arsehole" !
I said "what did you say?", he repeated himself and continued to walk away. I didn't respond because I was shocked at what he said. The cab behind looked on in amazement at what was going on.

I had to move up on the rank because there was a cab behind me and a space in front, so now I'm on point. Someone walked over to my window, he asks "how much to Harrow?", I gave him a price,he gets in and I did a u-turn. So now I'm facing Berkeley Sq.

An embassy police car was just passing in the opposite direction. I caught their attention and they stopped. I told them what had just happened and they said they would make a note and report it. I pulled up a bit further to get level with the wardens car and take another picture. My passenger was sympathetic with me, as he had seen what had happened, so he didn't mind me stopping to take a picture.

I tell you something Jim the whole incident shook me up but talking about what happened to my passenger calmed me down a bit. By the time I dropped him off I was a lot calmer but still angry. This incident took place at 1.05 am on the 20th of November. Here are the two pictures that I took.
The Car was a 2003, Silver Vauxhall Zafira Club 16v, LN03WUX

Steve.
Visit Steves great site here

Editors comment.

No one is above the law of the land. Traffic restrictions are laid down in Traffic Management Orders (TMO's) that are granted by the Secretary of State for Transport. All emergency services have a duty to observe parking restrictions, but in some cases, when on emergency calls, this can be overlooked.

Traffic wardens are not part of the emergency services and have a duty of care to observe Traffic Orders. This warden had no right to park on this Licensed Taxi rank and committed an offence. The driver and owner of any vehicle except for a Licensed Hackney Carriage found standing on a rank may be liable to a fine of up to £2,500 as laid down in TfL/PCO release 07/09. He also had no right to swear at a member of the public which constitutes verbal assault and is not befitting of a public servant.

If in future you have any complaints about the conduct of Westminsters Traffic Wardens (CEO's) you can complain directly to;

Kevin Goad, Assistant Head of Parking for Westminster City Council.

Just email, KGoad@westminster.gov.uk

Cabbies welcome Bath taxi marshal scheme

18 November 2009
Taxi drivers in bath have welcomed the council's recent introduction of a pilot taxi marshal scheme designed to offer increased safety for cabbies and their clients.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is stationing two designated marshals on a number of taxi ranks at weekends in order to keep problems such as anti-social behaviour in check.

Both the authority and local police have hailed the commencement of the scheme as a success, with the supervision provided helping to ensure a more pleasant experience for cab users, reports the Bath Chronicle.

This verdict was echoed by Bath Taxi Association chairman Rob Hollingdale, who stated that feedback from drivers was proving equally positive. He said: "The taxi marshals make a big difference in managing queues so that both cab driver and customer are safe for the journey home from a night out." Last week, Stirling Council confirmed that it will also be using taxi marshals over the Christmas period following a successful trial of the scheme last year.

However this time last year our very own Westminster City Council tried to introduce Private hire ranks, laid out with traffic cones plus, for the first few weeks, an attendance service from the Metropolitan police.

While other councils all over the country had come to the conclusion that Licensed Taxis are the safest form of travel, Westminster, under the disastrous Safer travel at night scheme, aimed unsuspecting night revellers into private hire vehicles. The fact that we see 6-8 serious sexual assaults including full rapes every month doesn't seem to put the council off this unsavoury practice.
Eventually after many complaints were received about overcharging, bad driving and yes assaults from these drivers, the service was dropped.

Perhaps this year Martin Low along with councillors Daniel Astaire and Danny Chalkley, could think about temporary weekend ranks for the use of proper Licensed Taxis. It is insulting the way this council has shown a bias in favour of Private hire.
A trip though the West End at night shows a shocking lack of enforcement as the council seems only too happy with the lawless state that exists outside bars and clubs.

Unfortunately it is not just Westminster, Islington,Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark and the Corporation of the City of London are just as bad.

As the Christmas Party season approaches, we need marshaled ranks strategically placed in the busiest areas with clear access for taxis to service these ranks, which would mean entry to all contra flow bus lanes. No more driving round in circles just to get a couple of hundred feet into Oxford Street and a left turn from Denmark Street would enable Taxis to arrive back in the heart of the West End without having to fight their way down Shaftesbury Avenue.

Its just plain common sense really, something that seems sadly missing in the corridors of power these days.
....................................................................................................................

Steve Mac gets it wrong again.
http://www.dac-callsign.com/09/Oct09/page4.html

Brian Rice Chairman of Dial-a-Cab says;
The only problem with that is that everything written by him in the future will always have the reader wondering if it is correct!

Letter From a Butter Boy.......by Thomas the Taxi

I have only had my badge for a short while but I joined the LTDA the day I got my badge.

One day whilst on a hotel rank I saw minicab after mini cab being loaded up with cases and because of this website I knew that they were going to the airport.

I wanted to do something I feel that I have the skills to help win this work back so I wrote to Mr Oddy and we had a meeting.

In all my years in the working world I have never been spoken to in such a disgusting manner in a one to one meeting as Mr Oddy chose to speak to me.

His use of foul language did him no justice and is inappropriate for a General Secretary of a trade body.

At the end of the meeting he told me to F*** off and get out

But what is more worrying is his answers to my concerns and questions.

I told him that a black taxi is an iconic vehicle and he answered:

• A black taxi is the most uncomfortable vehicle in the world
• A mini cab no mater how old will give you a smooth ride

I told him that we are the premium service and we are cheaper than mini cabs. He answered:

• A lot of mini cabs have reduced their prices and are more competitive
• The mini cab driver probably knows his way to the airport better than me as he goes there all day long

He seemed to champion mini cabs over the trade he is supposed to represent.

The meeting went on for an hour and he spent most of the time patronising or ridiculing me.

I have met his type before a bit out of his depth and to be fair to him, he probably would like to do something but just does not have the skills for the position he is in.

He said a lot more and it is quite surreal some of the things he said

Tittle Tattle.....by Thomas the Taxi

So, now we know who was behind the "Take our work back

campaign". Steve McNamara, better known to his more

intimate friends as "The Invisible Ranker"

In his latest article in the Taxi newspaper Steve said;Now I am totally up to speed on the history of this and the other night club ranks that have recently been introduced and nowhere at any time where the RMT involved in any way shape or form, so what was the bloke in the vest doing?

Well Steve, I don't know what history book you've been reading but it obviously has nothing to do with the "Take our work back campaign".

Mark White, John Kennedy, John Paul Pace, Dizzy Disgruntled, Paul Walsh, Metro Mark, Danny, Karl James, Dawn Cooper, David Hopkins, Mark Sherlock, Steve Emment, myself and many more are the drivers from the RMT, who can still be found every night on the main nightclub ranks, even the more impromptu ranks like Shoreditch House, the Oxo Tower, Zuma's.

If proof were needed just ask the others, who are there night after night like;

Peter Rose (Unite)

The drivers and dispatchers of Dial-a-Cab under the co-ordination of Alan Fisher

Grant Davis and friends from the LCDC who have been seen at clubs like the Oxo Tower

Plus dozens of non radio and non politically motivated drivers who have also joined in.

Last but not least the LTDF taxi forum which has organised late night hits on most venues.

The LTDF hit squad, as they like to be called is made up of a cross-section of drivers from right across the whole trade. The taxi trades only truly independent, united group.

The burning question on all their lips is WTF were you Steve? As one of the most recognisable characters in the Taxi trade no one has actually seen you on a rank outside a club.

Steve also said;

The work went quiet last year and I and many other drivers started to create our own ranks outside various clubs and bars where touts or some dubious car firm were making themselves busy.

Partly right Steve, you just missed out the fact that you were being paid handsomely by TfL to pretend to marshal the rank in Cranbourn Street, spending most of the time, three nights a week drinking coffee with your ex-colleagues from the Met. Money for old rope aye.

So instead of keeping your eye on the ball, after all this job was paying better than driving a cab, you let an outside firm of Taxi Marshals come up the inside and outbid for the contract. What a fine piece of management from the LTDA that was.

Last point Steve the photo on the front of the Taxi newspaper is a fake. It was so obviously taken in the daytime. The white cab on the front was not the first to legally rank there, that honour went to Karl James who, being a gentleman, actually pulled off to give the first legal job to Natalia. Just incase you have never heard of Natalia, she was the one who started the ball rolling at this venue, when she contacted the dispatcher at Dial-a-Cab after receiving hostile treatment from the door staff of Nobu and Funky Buddha.

Finally;

I’m not much of a fan of the various Internet sites and chat rooms revolving around the trade, mainly because most of them are dominated by a few loonies who spend hours typing messages to other loonies and anoraks.

Stevie, not true. We all know how you love to trawl the forums with a plethora of different ID's and user names. If you want to play the incognito card mate, you should make sure you don't use the computers at Woodfield Road. Its amazing the tracking programs that are available now days.

Is this the Logo you had trouble seeing and reading, Steve "you should have gone to spec savers"

Photo by Danny

Steve, this article has been the best thing for the recruitment of new RMT members since Bob crows visit to the Royal Oak back in August.

Just a few Posts from the Forums you don't go on.;

"Really, what is the point of writing a stupid article like that ? I thought he was more intelligent than that.

Why not be honest and say he met a bloke from the LTDF, he seemed a nice guy and they had a chat for a few minutes about the rank etc"

"I've just come from the bank. I am no longer a member of the LTDA. I shall be seeking new membership elsewhere."

"letter will be on it's way to accompany my membership cancellation and, being a loony, I'll publish it on LTDF site.2

" what he needs to realise is that the "looneys" he refers to include LTDA members. F****g retard."

"FFS this could be the straw that breaks the camels back of my LTDA membership mate"

"Just read Mcnamaras piece in Taxi. What an utter c**t. Sorry to use that word but I'm f*****g furious at him"

"They can do without my £200 a year, I'm joining the RMT"

"I've just read McNamaras piece. I was going to wait a month after joining RMT before quitting LTDA. Tomorows the day"

"yes im in the RMT but i didnt move because they are better, it was because they cant be any worse, just like the election , we wont vote cameron in we will vote brown out, im a working driver i stress working , nothing in that rag represents my thoughts at the moment, regarding the trade,"

Just A Little Reminder to the TOCU Squad.....by Thomas The Taxi

Guidance for the drivers of private hire vehicles

Plying for hire and touting

Only a licensed taxi (‘black cab’) may ply for hire. PHV drivers are not allowed to ply for hire. The following guidelines are issued to assist private hire drivers in their understanding of what they may and may not do.

1. You must not draw attention to yourself as being available for hire. Any act or gesture accompanied by a conversation with a member of the public suggesting you are available for hire without a prior booking from your licensed operator is unlawful. This applies whether you are in your vehicle or not.

2. If you are approached by a potential passenger, whether you are sat in your vehicle or otherwise, you must direct the passenger towards your licensed operator’s office to make the booking there in person or you may hand out a business card bearing the telephone number of your licensed operator, so the person can telephone the operator to make the booking.

3. You must not accept bookings from anyone other than your licensed operator.

4. You are not to allow any passenger to enter your vehicle without first having received a booking from your licensed operator.

5. Any vehicle movement with a passenger on board without a booking allocated by a licensed operator is illegal.

6. You must wear your PCO badge at all times whilst working in order to identify yourself as a licensed driver.

Drivers that are also licensed as PHV operators should pay close attention to PCO Notice 41/08 that provides guidance for licensed operators.

Any PHV driver plying for hire or accepting fares that have not been booked through a licensed operator is committing an offence that may result in a fine and the loss of their PHV driver’s licence.

Mary Dowdye

1 December 2008 Head of Standards and Regulations ....47/08.

Plus 07/09

Taxi Ranks

Drivers of PHVs are reminded that they must not park or wait on taxi ranks.

The driver and owner of any vehicle except for a licensed hackney carriage found standing on a rank may be liable to a fine of up to £2,500.

Mary Dowdye

25 March 2009 Head of Standards & Regulations

From Podcast to Tweets

A few weeks ago, the link on this site that allowed viewers to download an audio podcast stopped working. Also the link that played the audio translation as you viewed the site, stopped working.

I must admit to being upset as, by the amount of downloads, this was quite a popular tool, well used by quite a few of my regular followers. Unfortunately the service has been withdrawn as the company who offered the service Odeo, has now evolved in to one of the biggest phenomenons of the 21st century TWITTER.

At first glance twitter seems to be a complete waste of time and energy. 140 characters to tell anyone who wants to follow you, what you are doing or thinking at this moment in time, on a list that's constantly moving along. A free text service (as long as you have an Internet enabled phone, although some service providers will give Twitter updates by text as part of your package)

But this isn't as irrelevant as it looks. The guys behind this application, have left the service open for users to come up with their own innovations. Software companies have developed beautiful designed user friendly interface's with multi account accessibility, plus third party applications that link to other social networking sites. Within a short space of time, we have seen brilliant users come up with @name-tags, re-tweets, hash-tags and other useful ideas that have spawned pockets of user groups, media updates, traffic news, business opportunities and retail outlet discount offers. All the major newspapers and TV news stations Tweet. Bloggers use the service to advertise new posts , celebrities and politicians inform followers of their latest escapades.

There seems to be no end to the possibilities of Twitter as a social networking application.

One group who have turned this fantastic tool, into a service to provide the public with a low cost means of acquiring a licensed London Taxi is

TWEETaLONDONCAB.

Regular viewers of this site will know I have mentioned them before, but to be honest, I

thought their service was a fad, one that would soon disappear when drivers became bored or just couldn't be bothered to put themselves out. How wrong was I?

Not only do they take bookings, its also a way of keeping in touch with fellow drivers, road works, club rank updates and other useful information can be passed around in seconds.

The thing I missed most when I came off Dial-a-Cab after 20 years, was the company. Driving a taxi late at night can be very lonely and sometimes dangerous. With the group of drivers on TweetaLondonCab I never feel alone or insecure.

TWEETaLONDONCAB has now hit the 2000 followers mark, generating large amounts of work every day of the week. The greatest attribute of this revolutionary virtual taxi rank is the drivers, who are providing a first class service they feel is second to none. Within just a couple of months they have built up a data base of regular, well satisfied customers who now won't use any other form of booking a cab.

The driver base is expanding everyday. "The more drivers we get the better" says co founder Karl, " One day I hope to see 5000 drivers using this service".

If you would like to find out more about this unique service, go to their website where you can find out exactly how they operate. Click here

The best thing about this service is, its completely free.

Apology

I have always said, that if it were shown that I have posted an article that is seen to be unfair, I will remove or change the offending article if challenged.

Although I have not been challenged in this particular case, after reading an account in the latest edition of the Badge, I feel I may have been disingenuous over the outing arranged by the LCDC to take PCO head John Mason on a site trip.

I have now re-edited the article and apologise if it gave offence.

Editor Jim Thomas.

M4 Bus Lane RMT Campaign Moves On....By John Kennedy

Here I am delivering the first batch of letters from Taxi-cab drivers to their respective MP's at Parliament. Yes the RMT London Taxi branch doesn't just picket,we campaign in public and fully involve politicians & the media when we need to on your behalf.

I must say a massive thank you to all the taxi-cab drivers at Heathrow Airport and of course all the RMT reps who have done a marvellous job at getting well over 1000 letters signed by taxi-cab drivers who are concerned at the lack of enforcement by the Highways Agency and the Metropolitan Police. A special thank you to RMT Heathrow Airport Rep Micky Moran and hope you get over that cold/flu.

The new director of Taxis and Private Hire John Mason assured me he is doing his best to push this issue up the agenda at both the Metropolitan Police and the Highways Agency. I must say this is refreshing for this stretch of motorway is not the responsibility of Transport for London. We at the RMT London taxi branch will be contacting yet again the Highways Agency & if progress isn't made moves are afoot to arrange a picket and protest (Operation Wilson/Pickett) outside both the Department of Transport and the Home Office on Horseferry Road and Marsham Street SW1.

End the silence and join the RMT London taxi branch,the only union in the taxi trade dealing with the real issues that affect you the London taxi-cab driver. Contact the branch at Londontaxi@rmt.org.uk and/or have a look at the website of the specialist transport union RMT at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ .

PS. You should all note we are in Parliament later this week meeting with MP's regarding Clause 19 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (no.2) Bill. If this Bill makes progress through both Houses of Parliament and finally receives Royal Assent you and I will be ranking next to 3rd world transport in the very near future. Honestly the LTDA and the union UNITE are selling you the Taxi-cab driver out by stating they seek a ban but at the same time letting a bill progress through Parliament that will damage your wealth and will set a very dangerous precedent of ranks on the public highway for non taxi-cab type objects/vehicles. Remember the surface transport panel of Transport for London is discussing the possibility of bays for private hire vehicles ! If you want to ban rickshaws/pedicabs from the public highway join the RMT London Taxi branch.We don't just talk about banning we campaign too.