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This basically means if you didn't see it, it didn't happen.
This is the line that has been taken by TfL as they try to fudge over the fact that Private Hire drivers are illegally using the ranks of the Licensed Taxi trade to Ply for hire and park. Rather than deal with the problem directly, they are turning a blind eye as the monster they created runs out of control.
No budget for enforcement, they say.
So where has the money gone... Palatial working conditions at Palestra?
Our license fee and that of private hire is supposed to be ring fenced
£10M a year in license fees alone and they have no money to enforce.
TfL's head of LT&PH John Mason stated:
I have never claimed TfL has no authority for Abacus and would welcome an understanding as to how you have reached this conclusion given my previous emails to the RMT on this matter and actions taken by us in light of the taxi trade concerns regarding this venue.
Its not hard to figure this out John!
We see what goes on there night after night with little or no action from your lot.
Why do we see lines of Diamond cars hanging up touting outside Abacus, Revolution and the Apt Bar, contra to the PH regulations that clearly state PHV can not wait to be hired.
James T Button also stated that PHV can not stand, end of.
How often must we video these drivers touting click here . Where is the one hit and your out at this place?
Mason also stated:
Similarly, with regards to the Grosvenor House Hotel, we have taken considerable action to deal with concerns raised by taxi trade relating to this location, including increased enforcement of the parking restrictions utilising CCTV and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Again John, what we see is every time this Hotel holds a function, lines of PHV block the kerbside forcing Licensed Taxi drivers to double park in order to collect fares from this hotel.
Where is this considerable action? Click here for last nights Sony awards fiasco.
But this time John, TfL have gone too far:
Last night after filming the kerbside activities at Grosvenor House, I looked up at the CCTV camera on the corner of mount street, the one you said would be closely monitoring the Taxi rank situation, unbelievably, it was facing south in the opposite direction. (I see no ships Johnny)
Just days after the assassination of the most wanted terrorist in the world, while London braces itself, waiting for retaliation from his followers (Possibly in the form of a car-bomb left on at Taxi Rank, as with Tiger Tiger) TfL turn the CCTV camera away from the front of this prestige venue.
TfL's LT&PH have proved time and time again that they are not fit to administer as a licensing authority as they just turn a blind eye when things start getting out of hand.
London is on a "Severe" security level. Thats one down from the highest, which I believe is "Critical".
You would have thought that after 7/7 and the Car bombs at Tiger Tiger, things would have changed. But TfL turned of the security cameras so they couldn't see the touting outside a busy London Hotel. Thats unforgivable John.
Thinking about it, we had a car parked on the Taxi rank in Bury Street St James opposite two busy restaurants. It was there for 8 weeks and as far as we know never received one parking ticket. Is this what a "Severe" security situation means?
The person ultimately responsible for this gross negligence of security, should be sacked.
Very Hostile Ed!
ReplyDeleteNo doubt Mr Mason will soom be issuing a press release telling the world none of what you say is remotely true.
Forget video evidence and 000's of eye witness accounts, all of it is made up by us!!!!
How you keep your job amazes us, if we offered customer service (that's us by the way) in the manner that you do we would revoked ASAP.
It was noted tonight that the security camera had been pointing at the Taxi rank all day and most of the early evening until the touts turned up on mass.
ReplyDeleteThe CCTV camera then suddenly turned and faced south, while the touts had a field day.
I noticed that aswell
ReplyDeleteIts as if they know when to gturn the canera away.
As the touts pull up on the rank, you can see the camera swing south.
I have been inside the observation control room at Palestra and was suprised the detail these CCTV cameras can pick up. You can even see the date on the taxi disc of vehicles. It would take a fool not to realise these touts are parking on our rank.