Insult to Injury...By Thomas the Taxi.

After the infamous press release confirming exactly what I've been banging on about for many years, that there is a frightening increase in the number of serious sexual assaults (54% last year 2009) that are occurring in licensed and unlicensed PHV's, you would have thought that Chief Superintendent Joe Royle and his Cab enforcement officers, would be taking to the streets to put an end to the massive lines of endless, illegally parked, illegally ranking and illegally touting mini cabs.

But you would be completely wrong.

Over the last few nights Cab Enforcement have mounted the same attack on ordinary working Taxi drivers in the same predictable road stops for badge and bill. In an even more surprising move, the City of London Constabulary are now mounting Badge and Bill stops on entry into the city.
They, however are taking no prisoners. If for some reason you are not in possession of both badge and bill, you will be nicked. The fine is a staggering £280.00.
If however you are an illegal scab unlawfully ranking outside Abacus and are unfortunate to get nicked, don't worry the fine is only £100. And if the nasty Mr Mason takes away your license, don't worry, just carry on working. Chances are you will never get bothered again...

On Friday night, it was reported on the social network site Twitter, that Compliance officers were seen in Shaftesbury Avenue, talking to the touts in the loading bays that Martin Low conveniently placed for them to use as ranks. No one was seen to be arrested and the scabs were left to carry on touting.

Just around the corner in the 24 hour bus lane, on the bus stand outside Tiger Tiger (which also is part of a Licensed Taxi rank for 9 taxis) minicab touts were touting openly. The fact that there are two marshals assigned to this rank at weekends makes no difference, the scabs just rank outside the club and tout unhindered.

Its not the marshals fault, they have been ordered by none other than John Mason (Head of PCO/TPH) to stand at the very point of the rank. They have been told they must not, under any circumstance, get involved with the touts. This leads to much abuse from passing Taxi drivers, who don't understand that their hands are tied. (utter waste of our license fee by TfL)
I have spoken to the lads who work there and they say they constantly phone, (on their own mobiles) Westminster parking services but are ignored. WPS say they have no power to ticket touts parked on Licensed Taxi ranks. This is of course a lie, as in their own hand book the contravention is a code 45.

I have sat at this location for many hours and observed these touts at work. Any passenger who is deemed to be too drunk is walked up the Haymarket by security staff and left to hail a black cab or left at the mercy of a potential rapist. One night I witnessed a young girl who obviously had been sold too much alcohol in this club. She fell against the steel barriers and was knocked out cold. An ambulance should have been called by the door staff and the incident should have been reported. But they just manhandled her into a scab van which drove her away from the club. A second similar incident occurred shortly after.
Click here for archived story.

Moving up the road to Regent Street, traffic was at a complete standstill as touting minicabs jostled for prime positions on the junction of Swallow Street. The touts have also taken to parking in the middle of the road on the Licensed Taxi Rank. The parking wardens just walk by, sometimes chatting and waving at their new found friends, but they never ticket or move the touts on.





So, after many years of complaining to the relevant authorities about Tiger Tiger, On Anon, Swallow Street and Heddon Street, plus with the added news of the 54% rise in mini cab related sex attacks, you would think that someone somewhere would care enough to do something.

But you would be wrong.

No one cares, the figures are massaged and manipulated and the ground work is non existent.

The only trade being enforced is us, the Licensed Taxi trade.

The Police are treating these crimes as if its beneath them to enforce. They have a duty of care to protect the public and they are failing in their duty.

But the biggest culprits are;

Peter Hendy, John Mason, Joe Royal, Martin Low and Mayor Boris Johnson.
The muggings, robberies and serious sexual assaults including full rape, which are happening night after night by licensed and unlicensed PHV drivers, are happening under your watch.
And you are not taking a blind bit of notice.

The crime of Illegal touting is being left unenforced in a bid to clear the streets of potential drunken trouble makers. This is of course at the expense of the hardworking Licensed Taxi Driver, again voted the best Taxi service and drivers in the world.