Who Wags the Dog....by Thomas the Taxi.

A Flood of Complaints:
Complaints have flooded in from drivers over the past couple of months, that Addison Lee are contravening the Private hire act in the form of forming illegal ranks, some are saying this is to provoke a high court battle to give Private hire shared use of our ranks. 
Not only are they  "Standing waiting to be hired" they are regularly parking on Licensed Taxi ranks.


John Mason has been informed and has supposedly had meetings with the management at Grosvenor House Hotel (One of the most abused ranks) and we have been told that a couple of hundred penalty charge tickets have been issued. Unfortunately there doesn't seem any evidence that this is having the desired affect.


But the problem is much bigger than just one rank:
Night after night, Griffins vans continue to stand on the GHH rank something stinks here. 


Griffin to take on TfL? 
Griffin goads TfL, in the same way he took on the authorities over the M4 bus lane issue? (And we all know what happened there).
But Mason seems petrified of taking on Addison Lee's perpetual rule breaking. Probably because TfL is said not have the budget for a court battle with Griffin.


Well John, what about the one million pound you just found laying in the cupboard? Use that.


Every night more and more license taxi ranks are seen to be taken over by these imitation taxi's. The rank of many hotels seem to be the latest target with the main contravention happening every night on the Grosvenor Crescent Rank.


The Anderson Shelter calls on all License Taxi drivers to complain direct to the Director of Taxis and private hire, John Mason and tell him, if he doesn't stamp out this problem now it will soon escalate in to a situation where violence could break out at these sites. He must have the courage of his convictions and enforce the law now. 


Contact Mason by Email at: 


johnmason@tfl.gov.uk
  


A Solution:
The Anderson Shelter would like to offer a solution to this problem!
Give Cab Enforcement a couple of radio controlled smart cars which could be directed to hot spots. 
On arrival tickets could be issued to the offending PHV drivers.
This operation would be self funding.
Plus;
If PHV drivers are convicted of touting, their vehicles should be taken away and crushed.

It simple! Works fine in New York. 
(Although in that city, all the cab drivers carry guns).
  
Question To John Mason:
Have you read TfL Press releases appertaining to this offence? Obviously not.
So we will just remind in true blue peter fashion  " One that was prepared earlier".


PCO Notice 07/09
Further guidance for the drivers of private hire vehicles

Taxi Ranks
Drivers of PHVs are reminded that they must not park or wait on taxi ranks.
The driver and owner of any vehicle except for a licensed hackney carriage found standing on a rank may be liable to a fine of up to £2,500.

Mary Dowdye
25 March 2009 Head of Standards & Regulations


For full Press release click here

United Cabbies News, Issue 2...By Thomas the Taxi

The UCG have done it again.
Suburban drivers sold out by the LTDA as Kingston Station Rank is given over to Private Hire.
T&PH and the Police turn a blind eye as Private Hire contravene the Private Hire Act.
Licensed Taxi drivers (YB) are threatened by the police with arrest under section 5 of the Public Order Act of 1986, while the LTDA  do nothing to represent their suburban members.


For full story and lots more (that you wont find in any other trade publication) see issue 2 of the United Cabbies News click here:

http://ucg-london.co.uk/united-cabbies-news/

Apparently Brian Rice, Chairman of Dial a Cab recognised the danger of what the LTDA had agreed to in 2006. Seems none of the trade leaders saw the same danger on the horizon: 

See Call sign, April 2006 Chairmans report.

This is STaN in action.
An agenda that John Mason said was just an old agenda from 5 years ago that they no longer use!!! 
So, whats the new agenda then John?

Then we had the release of the new sexual assault figures over the week end after a high profile joint agency enforcement action that, in his words, are a direct result of Safer Travel at Night.


While the UTG print this mis-informing release, parrot fashion and unquestioned, Taxi Leaks pulls the press release to pieces.
1,300 arrests last year, but under 200 convictions and revocations.
(Remember the letter to the Chair of the RMT London Taxi Branch, 590 convictions and revocations in the last 3 years!)
Its convictions we want to see, not the arrest of innocent drivers made to make the statistic look better. 


How about publishing the statistics for minicab driver convicted of rape and sexual assault for last year?


Now why would the other trade media be taken in, so easily?
see page 16 of the United Cabbies News; 

http://ucg-london.co.uk/united-cabbies-news/

Engagement Policy for Associations Representing London Taxi Drives 
See just what your handsomely paid trade leaders have had to sign up to, to get their feet under the top table. The response on page 17 is one of the best pieces of writing i have seen in the trade press for many years.


Is their no one in TfL or T&PH who has any idea of how the Licensed Taxi trade functions?


When Taxi drivers are turned down for the position of knowledge examiner for lack of experience, can some one please tell me what qualification and experience Nikki Harris brings to the table, to enable her to take over from Robin Gillis as head of Ranks and Highways?


TfL have been slowly getting rid of all the staff who have been working to the STaN Agenda. 

Wonder who will be next?

End of the beginning? ..By Travis B.

Travis B writes:

Following A Press Release trumpeting to the world the decrease of 20% from 143 to 111 (TfL's maths not mine!).

Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: 'These results reflect the hard work by officers from both the police and TfL to tackle touting, cab-related sexual offences and other illegal cab activity in the Capital.

Let us dear reader look a little closer at these results

• We all thought Peter Hendy did not recognise the 143 Figure, yet today he does as it enables TfL to show a large decrease. When was he telling the truth, Today or some weeks ago on LBC?... BOTH CANNOT BE TRUE Peter!
• No mention of convictions and that's what counts of course. 1300 Arrests sounds much better, Convictions from figures available as follows: 2008: 6 (Six!) 2009 (Three!) can TfL tell us what percentage of the 1300 led to a conviction?... Do they dare?
• True it is a decrease on 2009's appalling Figures but as anyone with a half decent understanding of statistics will tell you its trends you need to identify. so attacks in 2008 were 98, 2009 143, 2010 111 so TfL are to be congratulated on what exactly? Average attacks per year is 117 so doubling the enforcement team has reduced attacks by 6 (six).

• No doubt since the non UTG groups have ensured all this has got a high profile by demos at Oxford Circus, leaflets at Windsor House, GLA members being e mailed etc. has at least got TfL beginning to take our concerns seriously at last.

LET NO ONE ELSE TAKE THE CREDIT, IT IS YOUR PRESSURE THAT HAS HAD THE DESIRED EFFECT AND WE MUST KEEP IT UP. 
Wednesdays demo. etc.  must go ahead as well as the UCG News & press campaigns.

• Plenty of spin no doubt at upcoming meetings by LTPH all glad handing each other etc, Be not fooled
• Once again TfL use the words Cab when they mean minicab, ...WHY? 
• We also need to know how many licensed PHV's were caught so Mr Steve Wright of the Private Hire Association can go back to parliament to update the transport committee.
• Taken from The Havens website...
  'Only a minority of sexual assaults in London - perhaps 10 to 20% - are reported to the police.'

So let the message to TFL be this, to paraphrase Winston Churchill:

'This is not the end or even the beginning of the end, it is perhaps the end of the beginning'.

SPOT ON WINNIE our campaign marches on!

Its That Easy!....By Thomas the Taxi.

John Mason, Peter Hendy, 

This is how easy it is for the 

"Predator"

Scrap the Satellite Offices.

Limit the PHV licenses.

Enforce the Law.

Thats how easy it is to stop!

Demonstration Wednesday 25 th Mid day till 2 pm

Demonstration Wednesday Mid day till 2 pm

The RMT have invited talks with John Mason and Peter Hendy to discuss the 54% increase in rape and sexual assault figures, to try to find a solution to this problem.

ATTACKS:
2008...98

2009...143

2010...120

and the 50%drop in detection and conviction


CONVICTIONS:2008...6

2009...3

2010...?

Mason and Hendy have refused to meet and discus this issue and Peter Hendy has dismissed these figures as inaccurate and the product of a militant cabby's blog, even though they come from his own website. Our figures have been received by way of  freedom of information requests.

The RMT London Taxi Branch, would therefore like to invite every Taxi driver irrespective of political belief to attend Palestra Building on Wednesday 25th May 2011 at mid day till 2 pm.

LTDA, LCDC, Unite, RMT, UCG and unaffiliated, all are welcome to come along.

This is an important issue and we should not let our political leaders try to push this aside as propaganda. 

We believe the reason behind these attacks is the ever increasing number of PHV licenses dished out like confetti by LTPH in a bid to raise revenue. Over 70,000 PHV drivers now, which is increasing by 16,000 each year.

TfL say it would be illegal to limit PHV licenses 
But when offered 50K by LTDA's Bob Oddy, they are now considered limiting suburban licenses.

One rule for them and one for us. 

1. PHV Licensing should be suspended until by natural wastage, it reverts back to a level similar to the Licensed Taxi Trade. 
2. Scrap satellite offices. 
3. Stop the illegal ranking outside night venues.
4. Enforce the Law.

These four measures will drastically reduce the Sexual attacks.

 Please support this important issue.
Other interested womens groups have been invited and may be attending.

Letter of Concern From Knowledge student.

Dear Sir,

I have just been introduced to your website The Anderson Shelter and, being a student of the Knowledge, I am very interested to read what is being said.

I have just reached the 21’s stage of the kol and I am amazed at Mr John Mason’s quotes. “56’s are running on time and 28’s and 21’s are running at 34 days.” That is interesting as I have had to wait 41 days for my first 21 and another student, on 56’s, has just had an appearance on Monday 16 May, the very same day as Mr Mason’s comments, and was given 85 days. I would like to know where Mr Mason is getting his facts from.

So far TFL, through running late and not through me getting grade D’s of which I had two on 56’s, have cost me 83 days. That’s 83 extra days without an income, 83 extra days of sheer hard work and 83 extra days of trying to retain the Knowledge and learn even more.

On another issue regarding the KOL examiners vacancies. I contacted TFL’s human resources and explained that although I have not yet completed the KOL I would be interested in applying. Would this affect my KOL appearances etc. I was told, by email, to apply. “Not only may I be a suitable candidate by it would also show that I have a great interest in the subject in am studying.” My wife and I then spent approximately four days in completing the on line application forms and duly sent the completed documents to TFL. I was then told that would not be suitable as I did not have enough experience, or words to that effect!

The examiners have my utmost respect. They really do. They have all done the KOL, been out on mopeds in the pouring rain and freezing cold, studied for all the hour God sends, called blue book, cross sections and found thousands of points, gone on the nerve wracking appearances etc. Mr Mason. I would love to see you and your back room staff do the KOL. I really would.

Name withheld By Editor.

Taxi-PH relations re Grosvenor House at Breaking Point...By Thomas the Taxi

After getting the run-a-round for over a year, the Licensed Taxi Trade have finally had enough of LT&PH's failed administration, constantly seen to be impotent in the enforcement of Private Hire drivers who, constantly contravene the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire laws.


John Mason has stated on numerous occasions that he was "sorting out" the problem with firms like Addison Lee and Lewis Day, parking their vehicles on the licensed Taxi ranks. But that's all we ever get, just talk.


Night after night PHV's are seen parked on the Taxi ranks and forming illegal ranks of their own. One place particularly bad, is the exit to The Great Room, where PH drivers chance their arm touting guests as they leave.

It has been rumoured that at the coming AGM of the LCDC, John Mason will announce he has found £1m from our license fees (after claiming for the passed year there was no money), to be used for more enforcement. 
Perhaps he may like to start by putting TfL marshals at this Hotel in the company  of Joe Royals TfL enforcement officers. 


If TfL are seriously short of cash for our ranks, they should think about sponsorship like Barclay's Blue-bike superhighways. Perhaps Lloyd's Bank would think about marking out our ranks with their brand of green tarmac.


As the serious sexual assault and rape figures go through the roof (despite Peter Hendy's denials), we can see a direct link with the rise in the number of PHV licenses dished out like confetti, currently at an all time high of over 70,000 and rising by 1300 every month.


iPhone Click here

TfL Press Release – Consultation on exemptions to taxi and private hire vehicle age limits

Consultation on exemptions to taxi and private hire vehicle age limits

* Consultation begins on Monday 23 May
* Decision on exemptions to age limits to be made later this year

Transport for London (TfL) is asking for the opinions of the taxi and private hire trade in a consultation on proposed exemptions to age limits which will be introduced for both taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in 2012.

The consultation will begin on Monday 23 May 2011 and will run for eight weeks. Responses to the consultation will be considered by the Director of Taxi and Private Hire, and a decision will be taken on exemptions later this year.

John Mason, Director of Taxi and Private Hire said: “The Mayor is implementing a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing emissions harmful to Londoners’ health”.

“Transport for London has consulted closely with the taxi and private hire industry on elements of this affecting the black cab and private hire trade and we now welcome comments regarding the proposed exemptions to vehicle age limits”. (See editorial comment 1.)

Road transport is responsible for around 80 per cent of airborne pollution (PM10) in central London where air quality is worst, with black cabs contributing 20 per cent of this. (See editorial comment 2.)

Age limits for taxis and PHVs are being introduced from January 2012 as part of the Mayor’s air quality strategy. These plans include a range of measures to clean up transport including cars, buses, vans and lorries as well as taxis and PHV vehicles.

The age limits will be in force from 1 January 2012 for vehicles already licensed as Taxi and Private Hire in London, while minimum emission standards for newly licensed vehicles entering the taxi and PHV fleets will apply from 1 April 2012.

EDITORIAL COMMENT...

1. “Consulted Closely”:This statement alone contradicts the stance taken on behalf of the Mayor, in the original statement about Taxi age limits. It was made quite clear that TfL believed their were no systems for the retro fitting to Euro 5 standard available for taxis to extent the life span of the vehicle! No garage we spoke to, who offer this service, have been contacted by the Mayors office or TfL. So just who have the Mayors office been consulting with? The DoT have also said that if a vehicles passes as fit for service it should not be excluded by way of an age limit!
2. “Black cabs contributing 20 per cent”. This is purely a guesstimate with figures pulled out of the air. There are currently 2.8m private cars registered in the Greater London area, 7k buses and over 70k PHV's, plus an unknown number of lorries, coaches and foreign vehicles using London’s roads daily. That makes Taxis under 1% of the vehicles in central London and the Mayor is saying we are responsible for 20% of the pollution! Sorry Boris, your figures are unacceptably inaccurate. To arrive at an accurate figure the total amount of diesel consumed by the trade as a whole would have to be sort. This you have not done.

The Licensed Taxi Trade is being made the whipping boy for the failure of both the Mayor and TfL to keep up with developments in clean engine technology. We are being held back by the current conditions of fitness to find a cleaner, cheaper vehicle. 

There has been plenty on time for TfL to insist that manufacturers put cleaner engines in vehicles. The same manufacturers who were included in the consultation group who made the offer of a 15 year age limit to the Mayor on our behalf.

New York's 18K yellow cabs were retro fitted with hybrid engines some years ago and have just announce a ten year contract with Nissan, who will provide the next generation of cleaner vehicles for the city's Taxis at £18k per vehicle, while we are looking at £33-42K per Taxi.

Our trade is being run into the ground and is currently on the brink of financial ruin, by a licensing authority riddled with inefficient, unqualified and inept failures. There are currently no senior figures at TfL/LT&PH that have any connection with or knowledge of, our trade and its traditions. Most officers come from a bus or tube background.

Over the passed 18 months we have seen a plethora of top officers removed from their highly paid posts and if the rumours are to be believed there are more to follow.

As Mary Dowdye is finally shown the door I will end this post with a quote from the current chairperson of the LCDC Grant Davis who said:

“The LCDC are very happy to announce  the departure of Mary Dowdye from her post at LT&PH.

Since becoming Chairman of the LCDC I can honestly say that every meeting I ever had in her company, I left thinking what job does she actually do?

I firmly believe that she never really understood or tried to learn about the licensed taxi trade, and as such, will not be any loss to the trade.

Au revoir Mary”

News Flash. By Jason Byrne.

Cab Trade Rejoices as Mary Dowdye Goes. 

The woman who gave us the "they're only guild lines" on PHV livery, 
The woman responsible for taking away the need for planning permission for Satellite Offices.
The woman responsible for scrapping the need to keep PHV driver details and journey booking records on site, 
has finally departed from the PCO (LT&PH).


Many in our trade believe the actions taken by this woman, contributed heavily to the avalanche of PHV licenses, the mass growth in open touting and an unprecedented 54% rise in serious sexual assaults including rapes on her watch.


Mary "ding dong" Dowdye (so called because her TfL Blackberry phone never stopped ringing with drivers complaining) is the latest from an old brigade of "Kens People" to move or be moved from the PCO. 


We will never forget the shambles, involving "Killer on the knowledge" Shamsul Haque, who murdered his wife, assaulted his daughter, assaulted a police officer and exposed himself in public, then was given a PHV license and allowed to sign on the knowledge. After two major demos at Penton Street and much publicity in the media, certain top PCO/TfL officers started to move or be moved from their posts. Jeroen Weimar, Ed Thompson, Len Simpkin and David Brown have all been replaced. Dowdye was demoted soon after the affair from "Assistant Head of the PCO" to "Joint Head of Licensing Standards". 


Again under her watch, a child molester and Taliban fighters were allowed to become Licensed Private Hire drivers. Many hoped she would have gone earlier, after her sideway demotion.


As Mary glides into another highly paid position with TfL or the like, she leaves behind the Iconic London Licensed Taxi Trade, close to financial ruin.


So Mary you'll forgive me if I don't sign your good luck card and toast your departure.


Worse of all, she leaves behind a trail of shattered lives and broken families, people who will never be the same again. 

It is to those I raise my glass and say

"God Bless"

John Masons critic of the UCG News and their reply

Director of Taxis & Private Hire, John Mason recently emailed The United Cabbies Group to complain about some of the content in the first edition of United Cabbies News (UCN).

Mr Mason specifically asked that we print his comments in edition 2 of UCN, however due to the a lack of space we have decided to publish Mr Mason’s comments on our website, along with the UCG’s response.

Dear Sir / Madam

United Cabbies News, Issue No1, April 2011

I read with interest the first edition of United Cabbies News. I was encouraged that in the “Welcome” article you stated the aim of the publication was “to bring you a trade publication that is both informative and exiting to read, and delivers all the facts about what is happening in the London Taxi trade”.
Having read the magazine in its entirety, and given your objective, I feel compelled to respond to a number of the points that were made. I also want to correct a number of factual inaccuracies to set the record straight.

Firstly, on Page 4 you report that there is “whisperings of conflict” within the Knowledge of London examination team and that over the last few months five examiners have resigned, some in protest at TfL’s civil servant managers constant meddling and overruling examiners when they have not scored a student. I am afraid the truth and the facts of the matter are, as always, very different.

For the record, in the past year we have had two resignations, one dismissal, one retirement. Two of those examiners were part time and we are in the process of recruiting two full time examiners to replace them. When they are in place we will have more full time examiners, spending more time undertaking examinations, than ever before. It is also worth pointing out that the examiners themselves are “civil servants” and first and foremost employees of TfL, not taxi drivers.

To claim that we in some way are orchestrating delays with The Knowledge or worse, manipulating results is, quite frankly absurd and without basis or fact.

Had you asked (and I hope you would agree that whilst I do not meet you formally I have always responded to email requests from you) I would have had no problem confirming that March was an especially difficult month for us in terms of appearances. I am sorry to say that during the first part of the month we were not meeting our target for appearance appointment . This was primarily due to an increasing volume of candidates now on appearances and the examiner vacancies I mention above. We have some measures in place to improve our performance on appearance targets. Currently 56 days are running on target (or under time if acceptable to the candidate), 28 and 21 days are over at 34 days but again this is reducing and we will continue to work towards meeting these targets.

I would like to make clear that we never, ever, intentionally delay the
appearance target dates. We do absolutely everything we can to meet or exceed them and have made lots of changes to this end. Obviously the recruitment of two additional examiners will help in this respect the team are continually seeking to improve efficiency without compromising quality. This has included maximising the time that examiners have for exams by changing working hours, reducing “out days” and removing the “initial talk” amongst other things.

Secondly, with regards to the Private Hire Consultation, I would like to make clear that, contrary to your assertion, this was not launched as a direct result of action and demonstrations by the UCG. The fact of the matter is that the consultation was due to start in late 2009, but I wanted to understand more
fully the key issues of both the taxi and private hire trade. I therefore asked for the consultation to be placed on hold and the proposals set out in the consultation are as a direct result of extensive and significant valuable, rational, constructive and helpful dialogue with both the private hire trade and the very taxi drivers associations you clearly oppose.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, are the wild and completely unfounded allegations of some sort of hidden agenda behind the Safer Travel at Night campaign. For the record the presentation you used extracts from in the first edition of your publication is more than 5 years old and of little value in terms of either understanding or communicating current policy.

To be clear, there is no “hidden agenda” or “secret plans” to destroy the taxi trade. There have been no secret deals behind closed doors between TfL and members of the taxi associations you oppose. No requests have ever been made by TfL to trade papers not to publish anything from the STaN presentation and no concessions have been sought from taxi driver associations for not doing so.

I remain disappointed that the UCG continues to claim that the rise of reported cab related sexual offences is a direct result of the Safer Travel at Night campaign and, in particular, solely as a result of licensed private hire. There is no evidence whatsoever to support such a claim and the leaflets that you continue to distribute can, at best, be described as misleading, irresponsible and offensive.

The bottom line is that the Safer Travel at Night campaign has, and continues to be, very successful in raising awareness of the dangers of using unlicensed minicabs or getting into licensed minicabs without booking and checking to those most likely to be subject to a cab related sexual assault.

Despite the above, as you know we have and continue to take action and through the consultation put forward various proposals which you responded to. This included:

∙ Reviewing the situation of operators in venues which is exactly why I
instructed that we put a hold on issuing any more operator licenses in 3rd party venues back in July last year;

∙ Reviewing where private hire operators in 3rd party locations such as
newsagents and shops;

∙ Looking again at the issue of planning permission / consent for
operators in such venues and a range of other issues such as driver and vehicle identification, CRB checks etc. etc.

This consultation is clearly a major priority for us and the taxi and private hire trades as a whole. The sooner we can progress without distractions such as unnecessary demonstrations and responding to correcting incorrect and misleading statements such as those distributed in your leaflet or made in your paper the sooner we can progress to a conclusion.

I trust you will print this response in your next edition.

Regards

John Mason
Director
London Taxi and Private Hire

Dear Mr Mason

Thank you for your feedback regarding United Cabbies News.

If we may, we will respond to your accusations of factual inaccuracies on a point by point basis.

Firstly, on Page 4 you report that there is “whisperings of conflict” within the Knowledge of London examination team and that over the last few months five examiners have resigned, some in protest at TfL’s civil servant managers constant meddling and overruling examiners when they have not scored a student. I am afraid the truth and the facts of the matter are, as always, very different. For the record, in the past year we have had two resignations, one dismissal, one retirement. Two of those examiners were part time and we are in the process of recruiting two full time examiners to replace them. When they are in place we will have more full time examiners, spending more time undertaking examinations, than ever before. It is also worth pointing out that the examiners themselves are “civil servants” and first and foremost employees of TfL

Our article on the Knowledge was written as a direct result of numerous unsolicited emails and telephone calls received from KOL Students expressing their concerns at delays in their appearances.

Clearly Mr Mason as you have never started, let alone completed the KOL you will never truly understand the arduous, monumental and laborious task of the KOL, as anyone who has completed it will testify. There are plenty of ups and downs and challenges to overcome on the long journey to gain a London Taxi driver’s license.

All Knowledge students fully expect to encounter set backs along the way, however, in our opinion it is unacceptable that students are being delayed due to the apparent incompetence of Taxis & Private Hire (TPH) and Transport for London (TfL).

Many Knowledge students have young families to feed and often have to endure severe financial hardship during their studies. We believe it is necessary to make TfL aware of the grievances the student’s have with TfL, especially when an already lengthy task is made even more difficult by TfL’s failure to keep to a schedule.

Ultimately, these delays are seriously affecting people’s lives.

To claim that we in some way are orchestrating delays with The Knowledge or worse, manipulating results is, quite frankly absurd and without basis or fact.Had you asked (and I hope you would agree that whilst I do not meet you formally I have always responded to email requests from you) I would have had no problem confirming that March was an especially difficult month for us in terms of appearances. I am sorry to say that during the first part of the month we were not meeting our target for appearance appointment. This was primarily due to an increasing volume of candidates now on appearances and the examiner vacancies I mention above. We have some measures in place to improve our performance on appearance targets. Currently 56 days are running on target (or under time if acceptable to the candidate), 28 and 21 days are over at 34 days but again this is reducing and we will continue to work towards meeting these targets. I would like to make clear that we never, ever, intentionally delay the appearance target dates. We do absolutely everything we can to meet or exceed them and have made lots of changes to this end. Obviously the recruitment of two additional examiners will help in this respect the team are continually seeking to improve efficiency without compromising quality. This has included maximising the time that examiners have for exams by changing working hours, reducing “out days” and removing the “initial talk” amongst other things.

We stand by our comments that examiners have resigned because they have felt undermined. We understand there is now a new system whereby Knowledge students have an option to score or review an appearance/examiner, how can this new system do anything but undermine an examiner?

Our understanding is that the KOL was not only designed to test a student’s knowledge but also to test his character under pressure. Do you imagine that once the Student becomes a cab driver and has a bad experience with a drunk he will be able to review or score his experience?

Maybe cab drivers in the future should be required to carry out a health & safety audit before each journey commences.

As to us reporting you had lost 5 Examiners, you admit to 4, therefore on that point we stand corrected.

We understand that your current level of examiners is counted as 7.5 (this we presume is civil servant speak) and your target is 10, therefore you currently have only 75% of your targeted capacity.

It is a known fact that when the economy is suffering KOL applications rise considerably, therefore to be running, currently at 25% below strength clearly is a concern.

As we stated in issue 1 of United Cabbies News, we are fearful that potential Knowledge students, (the lifeblood of our trade) are being deterred from signing up due to the extra time it is taking to complete and are choosing to take the much easier option of becoming a PH driver instead.

We hear that the number of PH drivers licensed by TfL last year totalled over 16,000, and that Licensed Taxi’s had a net gain of less than 150 drivers, please can you confirm if this is correct?

Secondly, with regards to the Private Hire Consultation, I would like to make clear that, contrary to your assertion, this was not launched as a direct result of action and demonstrations by the UCG. The fact of the matter is that the consultation was due to start in late 2009, but I wanted to understand more fully the key issues of both the taxi and private hire trade. I therefore asked for the consultation to be placed on hold and the proposals set out in the consultation are as a direct result of extensive and significant valuable, rational, constructive and helpful dialogue with both the private hire trade and the very taxi drivers associations you clearly oppose.

So in late 2009 TPH felt there was a need to review or consider TPH policies and yet this consultation finally happened 12 months later?

How many PH licenses were issued in that 12 months?
How many Satellite Offices were licensed in that time?

Three demonstrations were held during those 12 months, all of which would have been called off instantly if we had been told that you were intending to review the monster created by TPH, perhaps the appalling rape and sexual assault figures released late last year shook your Office out of its apathy!

Mr Mason, the ‘love in’ between the LTDA, Unite, LCDC. TPH, TfL and WCC is apparent for all to see. You state you are making progress, they agree, they then state they are making progress and you agree.

You use words like ‘valuable, rational, constructive, helpful, extensive, and effective’.

Meanwhile outside Abacus and many other venues, minicab drivers are now wearing bibs identifying themselves as Minicabs. So we now have sign written vehicles and sign written drivers, what’s next Mr Mason minicab drivers wearing baseball caps with built in flashing orange lights?

Touting gets worse every day, yet you are having constructive meetings?

The situation out there at the moment is best described as a football match where all hell is breaking loose in the penalty area, meanwhile you the referee are booking the corner flag.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, are the wild and completely unfounded allegations of some sort of hidden agenda behind the Safer Travel at Night campaign. For the record the presentation you used extracts from in the first edition of your publication is more than 5 years old and of little value in terms of either understanding or communicating current policy.

We beg to differ.

We find your flippant and dismissive remarks about the STaN agenda astounding to say the least!

The UCG have been gathering evidence of the agenda behind STaN, if ever evidence was needed to prove the agenda behind STaN, we suggest that you look no further than Kingston upon Thames.

Members of the UCG were recently taken on a night time guided tour of Kingston Town Centre, all of us that attended were left absolutely gob smacked at what we witnessed there.

Lines of illegally parked PH vehicles as far as the eye could see, marshalled PH pick up points outside all of the main night time venues, van loads of Metropolitan Police officers parked on almost every street corner totally ignoring the illegal activities of PH drivers, not a single traffic enforcement officer in sight to move on the PH vehicles parked on the Taxi rank outside Kingston station, PCO signage advertising PH pick up points (ranks), minicab booking kiosks all proudly displayed under the banner of Safer Travel at Night (STaN).

Incidentally the PCO logo’d sign next to the pick up point advertises phone numbers for three local PH firms, in addition in much smaller text is a number to call should you wish to call a Licensed Taxi.

Guess what happens when you try to call a licensed Taxi….?

“This number is no longer in service! “

Now where have we heard this before? It certainly has a ring of familiarity to it….of course, the STaN report! The very initiative that you claim is of little use in understanding or communicating current policy!

It appears that you are implying that the contents of the 2006 STaN report is not current policy?

Perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten us with what exactly is the current policy?.

Perhaps you could also inform us as to when the directive was issued to discontinue the ‘former’ policy that was highlighted in the 2006 award winning STaN report?

Or is it simply the case that the agenda behind the 2006 report is still being adhered to by the multi agencies involved in the implementation of STaN?

Maybe the existence of a ‘new’ agenda is being kept secret from the taxi trade, just like the original was kept secret until it was uncovered in November of last year by a UCG member?

It appears to us that you are in denial Mr Mason, just like your boss Peter Hendy was in denial when he disgraced himself live on air in front of thousands of listeners on LBC radio by denying the 54% rise in sexual assaults, despite TfL publishing the very same figures on their website.

Is Mr Hendy, Commissioner of TfL genuinely unaware of the statistics? Or did he conveniently forget the highly embarrassing figures in an attempt to hide the truth from the public and ultimately protect a failing agenda?

To be clear, there is no “hidden agenda” or “secret plans” to destroy the taxi trade.

Please forgive us Mr Mason when we say, we don’t believe you!

There have been no secret deals behind closed doors between TfL and members of the taxi associations you oppose. No requests have ever been made by TfL to trade papers not to publish anything from the STaN presentation and no concessions have been sought from taxi driver associations for not doing so.

We can assure you Mr Mason that there is no mention of ‘secret deals behind closed doors’ in the first edition of UCN.

No mention of requests from TfL to the trade papers to not mention STaN, and certainly no mention of ‘any concessions’.

Where has this come from?

We simply asked the question, why has there been no mention of the STaN report in any of other taxi trade publications?

I remain disappointed that the UCG continues to claim that the rise of reported cab related sexual offences is a direct result of the Safer Travel at Night campaign and, in particular, solely as a result of licensed private hire. There is no evidence whatsoever to support such a claim.

Can we make one thing very clear; the UCG does not oppose Safer Travel at Night, any initiative that has public safety as its objective will receive our full support.

The STaN article in the first edition of UCN highlights the fact that STaN enjoyed successes in its early years, unfortunately, then came the usual TfL meddling, the removal of planning permission, the removal of the need to keep booking records on site etc. This in our opinion is where STaN started to go drastically wrong.

We strongly believe that the whole sorry satellite office fiasco MUST be scrapped until such time that TfL and the Police have the resources required to enforce the law effectively.

In our view STaN has failed and TfL should hold up their hands, admit their mistakes and go back to the drawing board.

If in future a new STaN report is compiled, we hope you will consider sending it (in its entirety) to ALL Taxi trade organisations and not just the watered down version of the report we received in 2006.

We have previously stated the reasons why we believe STaN is failing and sexual assault figures have gone through the roof, why don’t you tell us what you think the reasons are for the huge increase?

Recently we requested a breakdown of the sexual assault statistics via a freedom of information request, ie, how many were committed by Taxi drivers?, How many by PH drivers? etc, we were refused the details on the grounds of cost!

This despite the fact that you have claimed to have previously been shown these figures by the Police.

The Police say they do not have these figures, who is telling the truth?

It is fair to say that if a London Taxi driver is arrested for a rape or sexual assault the media would be all over it like a rash, and rightly so, however a PH driver committing the same crime appears to be far less news worthy.

We are sure that if 147 sexual assaults had been committed by Licensed Taxi drivers, there would be a public outcry and we and the rest of the world would have heard about it.

The leaflets that you continue to distribute can, at best, be described as misleading, irresponsible and offensive.

The UCG totally refute these allegations! The leaflets were designed to warn the public of the dangers of getting into un-booked minicabs, for you to describe the leaflets as you have is ‘at best’ laughable.

Below is what we perceive to be misleading, irresponsible and offensive.

Misleading – Peter Hendy the commissioner for TfL recently denied the 54% increase live on LBC radio, describing it as the work of militant blogists.

Who is being misleading here?

Irresponsible – TfL saw fit to issue convicted wife killer Shamshul Haque with a PH license and deemed him a fit and proper person to begin studying the Knowledge of London, with a view to becoming a London Taxi driver, despite his previous convictions for exposing himself in public, assaulting his daughter and a police officer.

And you accuse us of being irresponsible!

Offensive – 147 sexual assaults categorised as ‘cab related’, besmirching the world renowned reputation of London Taxi drivers.

We believe this to be extremely damaging and downright ‘offensive’.

The bottom line is that the Safer Travel at Night campaign has, and continues to be, very successful in raising awareness of the dangers of using unlicensed minicabs or getting into licensed minicabs without booking and checking to those most likely to be subject to a cab related sexual assault.

We would have thought that the last thing you could describe 147 sexual assaults in a year is ‘very successful’.

The unfortunate truth is that rapes and sexual assaults will continue until more resources are provided to enforce the law and effective deterrents are introduced.

Do you think just four dedicated night time enforcement officers in a city the size of London is enough to cope with a problem that has reached epidemic proportions?

Four officers to police 70,000 plus PH drivers and 25,000 licensed taxis!

On an actuary type basis you probably have more chance of getting run over by a jumbo jet whilst shopping in Oxford Street than you do for getting nicked whilst touting.

Despite the above, as you know we have and continue to take action and through the consultation put forward various proposals which you responded to.

Bearing in mind the figures above, the touts know there is very little chance of ever being caught, there appears to be very little fear amongst them.

As you aware, it has taken more than a year to get the clipboard operator that was arrested by your under cover officers outside Embargo’s night club in Chelsea to be prosecuted, as far as we are aware, this case is still ongoing?

This included: Reviewing the situation of operators in venues which is exactly why I instructed that we put a hold on issuing any more operator licenses in 3rd party venues back in July last year; Reviewing where private hire operators in 3rd party locations such as newsagents and shops; Looking again at the issue of planning permission / consent for operators in such venues and a range of other issues such as driver and vehicle identification, CRB checks etc. etc.

With all due respect, it is all well and good reviewing and looking again at the issues, however, we don’t want reviews, we want action, real action, real deterrents, because frankly you can introduce as many laws, rules and regulations as you like but without the officers to enforce them it will remain a pointless and futile exercise.

This consultation is clearly a major priority for us and the taxi and private hire trades as a whole. The sooner we can progress without distractions such as unnecessary demonstrations and responding to / correcting incorrect and misleading statements such as those distributed in your leaflet or made in your paper the sooner we can progress to a conclusion.

To suggest that the epidemic of touting that goes on in London every day, and your office’s inability to deal with the monster that it has created is because of our magazine and a demo at the Bank belittles the Office that you hold.

With all due respect Mr Mason, the sooner TfL and the Police start doing their jobs properly and enforcing the law in a meaningful and effective manor, the sooner we can go back to work.

Trust us Mr Mason, none of us want to be giving up our time, for free, in an attempt to highlight the problems we face, however, we feel we have no other option as there is very little coming from the other taxi trade organisations that are paid to represent and protect their own members.

I trust you will print this response in your next edition.

Please remember we are not part of the United Trade Group (UTG) and we have certainly not signed up to your ridiculous engagement policy, so unlike those that have signed up we are under no obligation to print your response.

However, due to the fact that we are already over subscribed with articles for the 2nd edition of United Cabbies News, we have decided to publish your comments, along with our reply on this website.

We look forward to your reply

Regards,

United Cabbies Group.

Posted with full consent of the UCG.