Touting Out Of Hand, No Enforcement....by Thomas the Taxi

Vauxhall Cross contains a collection of night clubs, plus on the Albert Embankment there are a number of cafes and restaurants. For many years now touts have operated in the area, completely unabated by the local authorities or PCO/LTPH enforcement officers. Lines of licensed private hire cars illegally rank along the beginning of the Wandsworth Road on club nights, feeding a hi-viz clipboard Johnnie who accosts clubbers by the gates as they leave the venue.


Just around the corner two clubs, Fire and Holst are served by a brigade of blue vested PHV drivers who stand around touting unchecked. Many complaints have been made by Taxi drivers, but the operation still goes on unchecked.


Last week while driving along Albert Embankment I saw an army of blue vested PH drivers, standing outside the night club just before the one way system. I parked the cab up to see how these scabs were operating. 


There is a clipboard man in full sight of the public, on the pavement. But not content with forming a queue most scabs walk up and down mingling with the crowed trying to tout fares.
 Cars even park illegally on the pavement. While I was there I saw first hand the drivers touting and arguing with each other in a feeding frenzy style bid to "nick a job". So now they are stealing from each other as well as nicking our work.

  

Most of the drivers I saw in this area, seem to work for a Car firm, VVC and had blue vests carrying a number. But there were also other scabs there without vests who were observed picking off the odd job.

Another Touting hot stop has re-emerged outside the late night Bar On Anon. With the bus lane suspended, Diamond cars, the same ones that tout outside Abacus and the Apt Bar in the City, have taken up residency in the bus lane completely unhindered by council or carriage office enforcement.