Griffin, Above the Law?.....By Thomas the Taxi.

Photo by the Caretaker

Back in 1998 when the Private hire act was passed, we were been told by the PCO/TfL, that certain Laws regulations and guild lines would be enforced to protect the Licensed Taxi trade from the onslaught on unscrupulous Private Hire operators.

In fact, the main reason Ken Livingston fought so hard to get mini cabs licensed, was to stop touting, by making the drivers and operators answerable by law which he thought would also bring down the escalating amount of sexual assaults on passengers picked up illegally outside clubs and bars late at night.

The licensing of the Private hire trade has fail miserably to alleviate these issues.

So, in respect of the Private hire act 1998, why has one man, one operator, been allowed by the PCO to break so many conditions, of the terms of his PCO issued license?

John Griffin's Addison Lee was the first mini cab operator to set up satellite offices (The Hippodrome and Stringfellows to name but two) before it was legally possible to acquire a license to do so.

His drivers were the first to use the Royal Parks and continued to do so even after a High Court judgement banned them from doing this.

His vehicles were the first to carry identifying livery which he had to remove after complaints were voiced by the Licensed Taxi trade.

When the regulation was changed, his vans carried livery that did not conform with the regulations. His vehicles also had their factory fitted rear wash/wipe arm removed.

The licensed Taxi trade complained on mass and was told by a PCO licensing compliance officer that in fact the conditions of fitness appertaining to Private Hire Vehicles was not a set of laws but a list of guild lines.

Addison Lee was told to replace the wash/wipe arm but arrogantly took the best part of a whole year to comply with this request. All the time this was going on, Taxi drivers were having stops put on their taxis for not having the ashtray fitted in a vehicle that neither driver nor passengers could legally smoke in!

Next John Griffin sends his drivers a letter ordering them to commit the criminal offence of driving in the M4 bus lane (putting both driver and passengers in danger and invalidating the terms of their insurance). Griffin was also filmed by the BBC in one of his vehicles ordering the driver to enter the bus lane.

The PCO have taken no action against this man over this serious breach of conduct.

Griffins drivers now believe they are above the law and routinely park on licensed taxi ranks. Thousands of photos of his vans illegally parked on Taxi ranks have been sent to the Public Carriage office complaints department, so far no action has being taken by the PCO to stop this.

Some time ago Griffin applied to the PCO for a license to run a "Taxi Bike" service. While his request was (and still is) being considered, his fleet of motor bikes have been issued with a temporary PHV license to operate under private hire regulations.

Not satisfied with this Griffin has plastered a bastardised version of the word Taxi on his two wheeled mini-cabs, calling them TAXY BIKES

Addison Lee also pay Google, the Internet search engine, to have their adverts at the top of the search list when potential passengers enter the words; London Taxi, Airport Taxi or just Taxi.

By paying for this service it is deemed that they are advertising their services as Taxis.

Griffin was heard to describe his mini cab firm as a "Taxi Empire with 2,500 Taxis" on the TV program secret millionaire.

How much more is the PCO going to let this man get away with?

What next, a fleet of TX4's with Addison Lee plastered all over the bodywork?

For-Hire lights?

Their own Addison lee ranks?

The PCO have shown time and time again that they are not fit for purpose as licensing authority for private hire. They constantly fail to enforce the law and bend over backwards to accommodate, dodgy back street mini cab offices. They have done little to clear up the hoards of illegally operating Clipboard Johnnies and it is time that the Department of Transport stepped in. The enforcement arm of the PCO, the so called TOCU squad, have done even less and probably should be sent back to walking the beat.

The London Licensed Taxi trade, The best Taxi service in the world deserves better protection than this.

Time for the worm to turn time for action.

The LTDF and the TaG Hit squads have been doing sterling work at night and are making a difference. People leaving late night venues have been delighted to see rows of taxis waiting to take them home after being ripped off for many years by the touts seen outside virtually every bar and restaurant. Follow us on Twitter or get free text updates of hits on clubs from the LTDF Taxi forum.

A message to John Mason

John Mason has given us a tenner back off our license fee.

Is this to compensate for the mess the PCO is in?

Is this supposed to make up for the revenue we've lost under his watch.

Is this supposed to make up for the work being lost every night to dodgy back street operators?

Is this to make up for the doubling of the victims of serious sexual abuse and rape at the hands of sexual predators driving PHVs

Well John it don't! and you can have my tenner back.

Perhaps we should have a mass protest, where every Licensed Taxi Driver in London (approx 25,000) should turn up at the Palestra Building and personally hand back the tenner to Mr Mason.