"ID Badges" could Spark Civil War Between Drivers...

In June, 2009 after months of a concentrated email campaign, complaining about the lines of licensed private hire cars waiting to be hired outside most night venues across the capital, the licensed Taxi Trade was presented with a PCO/TfL press release 19/09, signed by Mary Dowdye (Deputy Head of PCO) and Dave Stock (Head of service delivery).

Mary Dowdye with Brian Rice (Dail-a-Cab)

This edit, was a reminder to operators and drivers alike, that they must not accept bookings anywhere other than inside the building forming the venue. They were told that the Licensing Authority (TfL) did not consider entrances to the building, or open areas adjacent to the street outside the building (whether cordoned-off, roped-off or divided with planters etc.) should form part of the licensed operating centre premises.

The PCO/TfL release went on to say operators,

• Must not, under any circumstances accept bookings on the street.
•  Must keep booking records securely on the venue premises, and they must be available for inspection by the PCO or police officers.
•  Must display a copy of their licence at each operating centre specified in the licence.

 As usual the private hire trade took absolutely no notice of the “reminder”.

PCO cab enforcement never followed up on the notice and now the situation is worse than ever before.

Ed Thompson, Boris Johnson and John Mason have all said that TfL have a policy in place to deal with touts, of one hit and you’re out. Strong words that unfortunately are just that, words and nothing more. The actual arrest and conviction rate is scandalous.

Something is not right with this situation. We have seen Westminster City Council and the City of London Corporation go out of their way to make new Taxi ranks a laughing stock by placing them away from the main exit of venues and in most cases, facing in the wrong direction.  Just a short time ago, Westminster commissioned a survey which found if people see a for-hire sign as they leave a venue they will normally use this form of transport over the unlawful tout.

So why do they insist on hiding Taxis behind lines of Touts and sexual predators? 

We have seen lines of minicabs outside night spots for many years and most of the trade have become accustomed to seeing this. We now have evidence that this is in fact intended and is a direct result of the original Safer Travel at Night (STaN) agenda set up by TfL. Clipboard Johnnies are no more than stealth Private Hire marshals.

Last year everyone connected with Taxi licensing ran for cover as the Metropolitan Police released figures that showed a 54% increase in sexual attacks. Bosses at TfL have kept their heads down and very little information about these figures is available without going to the trouble of making freedom of information searches. One such search found that, as attacks rose by 54%, the arrest and conviction rate went down by 50%.

2008 saw 6 PHV drivers convicted of serious sexual assaults. 

2009 saw only 3.

Just the other week, Peter Hendy said openly on LBC that he did not recognise these figures, that they were the result of a militant Taxi driver’s blog. The fact that they had come from the Met and could also be found on TfL’s own website was not mentioned.

Hendy was billed to appear on the Nick Ferrari show a week later, so a number of drivers emailed questions in to the program. A few concerned drivers who phoned in were told to wait to be called back by operators at LBC. Unfortunately, the calls never came and nothing was mention about the statement made on his previous visit to the station. Such is the power of the Commissioner for TfL that he can control the media. We saw a media black out last year when London was bought to complete gridlock by three demonstrations organised by the United Cabby’s Group.

More action is planned for this year by both the UCG and the RMT. Its amazing how much trouble just a few hundred well placed vehicles can cause. One suggested target is the six major River crossings in central London which if blocked would cut the capital in half.   

54% increase in serious sexual assaults:

Why have these figures suddenly been buried, along with the STaN agenda by a capitulating United Taxi Group? Why are they remaining silent? Why have they sold the trade out?

Now with the introduction of ID badges on vehicles we could see a civil war break out on the streets of central London. This is a diverse action designed by TfL with the help of the LCDC to deflect trade activists away from the real threat to our trade, Touts and Satellite Offices.

The time has come to say “No more broken promises”.

The time has come to take our fight onto the streets.

The time has come to cut off the blood line to these ineffective Trade Orgs by cancelling your subscription.

We have to let them know we are not going to roll over and accept harmonisation with private hire.

Figures have been released that indicate there are now 72,000 Private hire driver licenses and this figure shows no sign of slowing down.

The Taxi trade has a history spanning over 300 years and we are not about to let a handful of ex bus drivers destroy “The Best Taxi Service in the World”.

If we stand together, against this agenda (STaN) laid down by the former Mayor in a bid to irradiate the one area of transport he despised, we will be victorious.

If we tear our selves apart with the petty tribal cronyism exhibited by the current Unite Taxi Group, then we will disappear.

 

As London’s transport infrastructure falls apart when the subsidies’ start to dry up in the wake of this recession, the Taxi trade must be like cockroaches, weathering a nuclear storm.  

Watch out for a new Blog entitled "Carry on Complaining". It will give details of email campaigns and have lists of up to date email addresses....