Boris, although briefed by TfL staff, showed no knowledge of the
allocation of manpower concerning enforcement officers. He stated that
when they (meaning his administration) came into office they doubled the amount
of officers in the Cab Enforcement team (Not strictly true as 56 is
not 34 doubled, unless you work for TfL's spin doctors).
He truly looked amazed when Caroline Pidgeon, who is leader of the Liberal
Democrat London Assembly Group, Chair of the London Assembly
Transport Committee and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, explained that at night, out of a
force of 56 officers, only 6 were on full time night duty with no one working
weekends. As most of the minicab rapes and sexual assaults happen on
weekend nights, this situation is completely unsatisfactory.
Asked about the recent increase in attacks, Boris used 2003 as a
comparison with recent rape figures to give a more favourable result. The truth
is TfL have been widely embarrassed in the media and on radio with a 54%
increase publicised in November last year, showing the figures from
2008 to 2009.
2010 showed small decrees in attacks but the figures
were flawed as Met officers were suspended for interfering with the statistics
by telling victims they could not report their attack as a crime.
It is now clear that Boris has been kept
in the dark in regards to these attacks and the unacceptable lack of manpower
in enforcement.
Many concerned individuals have written to Boris about these
attacks over the last three years, with most communications passed on to TfL,
completely bypassing the Mayors office.
It would seem TfL’s STaN agenda has been kept well away from Boris
as TfL/LTPH seek to harmonise the License Taxi Trade with Private Hire.
More questions from Caroline have been submitted and will be given
written answers.
We will post as soon as we receive.
See also the UCG post on this issue. Click Here
Boris was unprepared for the questions given by Caroline. It was obvious that the answers he did give, had been written for him by Hendy's Muppet Mason. Had that air of amateurishness about them.
ReplyDeleteNot good enough from the Mayor. Rape destroys families and should not be brush away so frivolously.
How would Hendy feel if his daughter Anna or son David was raped?
How would he feel if he got a call from the police to say his wife Sue was in hospital after being attacked by a rapist minicab driver?
Would we see more enforcement then?
you bet you life we would.
Boris why are you putting so much faith in this man Hendy, who told the taxi trade not to issue receipts with Back Boris on, how soon you forget!
why haven't the LTDA, LCDC or Unite contacted assembly members in this way to put the mayor under pressure.
ReplyDeleteTime now for the Unions to utilise their Parliamentary members and get questions asked in PMQ's
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHendy got rid of the TOCU unit because they wouldn't tell lies about deaths on bendy buses for extra budget cash. See Link below and read extract from Hendy's email.
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/ofE2Dj
How can Mr Mason survive this? It seems that he and his Comedy of Errors called LTPH have been exposed for what they are: A self serving sham, much like the UTG.
ReplyDeleteThey had notice of the questions yet still could not come up with the truth!