Read about recent demo at Stratford
I had prepared a scathing article about the problem, but at the eleventh hour I received news of a possible solution on the horizon.
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| Drivers Blockade Stratford Station |
I have been reliably informed that yesterday a meeting took place between Newham Council, LTPH and local drivers. The problem of the disappearing signage and rank removal was discussed in great detail. Representatives from Newham took a considerable amount of documentation away with them and agreed to a follow up meeting in two weeks time. I am told the local drives left the meeting much happier.
Again, this has highlighted a major concern that is affecting suburban drivers across all sectors.
- Ranks ARE being moved
- Ranks ARE disappearing.
Unfortunately most suburban drivers have just sat back (much like their centre sector colleagues) and just let it happen.
There is no magic fix. Drivers themselves have to take positive action to get their point across. All trade groups could help with effective lobbying (in a coordinated approach with TfL/LTPH) of the local authorities for rank space. Ranks must be appointed on appropriate sites, in the correct position to attract passenger groups.
It’s no good placing ranks away from station exits (as withKingston ,Richmond
It’s no good placing ranks away from station exits (as with
Editorial Comment:
What protection are we getting for our license fee, at the moment, none!
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Yes Brilliant Article .
ReplyDeleteA Mini Cab Office in a Underground Station Forecourt . Mini Cabs Rank near Office . So People use a Mini Cab.
A Taxi Rank Should be the First Choice . Not Second Choice . Basically Taxi Work is being Taken Away . Why Have the Best Taxi Drivers in the World . Boris Johnson should Want people to use the Best . We have knowledge of our Areas we go the correct way . So Why are Surburban Taxi Drivers ranked up away from Stations letting Mr Minicab Charge More , Not know where he is going . Gives a Great Impression of London.
Keep This Going . If enough people say Enough is Enough We did the Knowledge we have earned the right to earn a living . Things could change for the better.
Every time a taxi rank is moved away from a station and a minicab office goes in, someone in power gets a fat wad of twenties, and that's why it happens. No-one in power cares about the quality of the service the public gets, or about the fact that the taxi trade green and yellow has provided hard-working Londoners with a rare route out of poverty for hundreds of years while the minicab industry provides nothing but opportunities for crooked councillors, crooked licensing authorities and organised crime bosses.
DeleteIf all the people in Stratford use a taxi to get home, a wheelchair user on a main road leading into Stratford will see a steady stream of wheelchair-accessible insured available taxis charging controlled fares, whereas if all the people in Stratford use a minicab to get home, that same wheelchair user will see a steady stream of inaccessible cars charging what the hell they like for uninsured pickups. This is why the only morally acceptable stance for the authorities is "taxis approved, minicabs tolerated", and if the public interest counted for anything, Boris and Mason would be willing to openly declare "taxis approved, minicabs tolerated" and to take whatever steps were necessary to ensure that all taxis were kept busy at all times and that minicabs merely picked up the excess demand at busy times.
Contrast the massive amounts of public money being spent on making the tube network wheelchair accessible with the tiny sums returned to the public coffers by renting station premises to the minicab companies which destroy the viability of taxi ranks and lead to the entire area losing wheelchair accessible taxi travel. It is clear that the real reason for minicab offices in station premises has nothing to do with the small amounts of money going over the table into the public purse and has everything to do with the large sums of money going under the table directly into the pockets of the crooks in TfL. The unwillingness to show favouritism towards taxis can only be explained by a willingness to accept bribes, and if the public understood that, anybody who was unwilling to openly favour taxis over minicabs would instantly be recognised as belonging in prison rather than in public office.
Glad to see that Surnurban drivers are taking a lead and having meetings and taking action to bring the various groups to the table it's the only thing than can help bring these matters to the attention of the wider arena and make it possible to gain ground and set about resolving the problems that is why trade Unity is so important for all our futures. If you are a member of a trade group that does not support a real united trade you should be asking your leaders why there can be no excuse to not having a strong united trade to take on and deal with matters that concern us.
ReplyDeleteWell worth watching the clip, its a prime example of how to say absolutely nothing in 9 minutes.
ReplyDeleteMind you, JM said that he got rid of old guard from PCO and brought new blood compayable with rhein way of thinking. Then he provided to take instruction from the PHon what he should do and assured them it will be done.
ReplyDeleteIn the past he said to Taxi Trade that he does not consult or negotiate with Taxi Trade but opinions might be considered.
It's all a deceit and lies, lies and more lies.
Good shout out Andy.
DeleteMost drivers won't see the seriousness contained within this video.
I would now plead with suburban drivers to use the ranks still in existence.The rank at Haro;d Wood station only ever has cabs on it when they are parked for shopping.There is a minicab hut but if there was a regular presence the public would use taxis.
ReplyDeleteHey guys i have just driven past Abacus, no cars or cbj. Maybe license revoked again?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see the suburban drivers not having a pop at the green badge drivers and are seeing the real problem ,,, as for the ids I have only seen two ybs with them and both in central London , ,they are hard to notice at night and when I did notice The difference my first thought was lucky sod I wonder if that was a long one into town, and thought he was proud and honest to be a London suburban cabbie with nothing to hide the same as me , not a cheat or thief, , and if I was in town late or when it's very busy and no cabs about , I know the public or myself wouldn't think twice about getting into a suburban cab dropping off helping out,,,,instead of getting into a stinking scab or one of the thousand s of Addison lee scabs who barley speak English, .
ReplyDeleteunbelievable............
Deletecan't beleive you said that! its these ybs that are hurting your income, if punters want addison lee, its their choice, nothing we can do about that but if they want a black cab, they want a green whos got the knowledge.
DeleteQuote Anon Feb 12th 05:04 am
Delete'can't beleive you said that! its these ybs that are hurting your income, if punters want addison lee, its their choice, nothing we can do about that but if they want a black cab, they want a green whos got the knowledge.'
If you really believe that a handful of Suburban drivers are hurting the Taxi trade you are living in a dream world. The real enemy of the Green badge is himself, but that can also be said of yellow's too, because BOTH shoot themselves in the foot at EVERY opportunity. What suits them today won't suit them tomorrow and as for your quote about getting a 'green who's got the knowledge' this would be the same green that ' don't go south' or says 'I don't go as far as Muswell Hill on me holidays'
Think about the jobs you knock back and realise that EVERY job knocked back WILL become a mini cab job and it wont be coming back.Face facts, 99% of people in London want a mini cab because they are perceived as cheaper, we are in most instances 'The Last Resort' after the scabs and rickshaws. When Black cab drivers stop being choosy,conceited and clever we might get some work back.
Speaking to my Yb buds and trying to tell them that hailo could and would make a massive difference to them if they all got on it, met with normal shrugs of shoulders and " nah not here, they wont pull of rank for job " Give up, some people cant be helped.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE BEEN ON HAILO SIX WEEKS GOT NEW IPHONE WORK NIGTHS NORTH /EAST LONDON NOT ONE JOB
Deleteim a yb and rank city airport every day. i recevied my identifiers two weeks ago on a saterday thay were in my cab on monday . no problems untill today i was on point and a gentleman came up to the window and said can you take me to gresham st .or shall i take the cab behind a green badge driver no i can take you its ok the green badge driver came over and said of course he can take you he then got in my cab id like to thank that cabby im sure i will see him at the airport sometime.it turns out whilst in a cab a week ago he was told never to get in a cab with a yellow disc .id like to thank that cabby aswell NOT
ReplyDeleteI don’t want to rub salt into yb wounds but was not London City Airport, at one time, a green badge airport? If yes isn’t this an example of yb area creep. I have seen a number of times that yellow badge asking we have London City Airport so why not Heathrow.
DeleteThe many times I have had a job from LCA the fare has gone to a green badge knowledge area, therefore a passenger may well request a green badge as a preference. I see nothing wrong in that choice as many green badges also rank up there. And to tell you the honest truth I would request a green badge at the LCA. The reason being is I know that the gb has done a more extensive knowledge and that supreme effort ought to be recognised.
Have a look at LCA’s web page [http://www.londoncityairport.com/VisitingTheAirport/page/PublicTransport]
and note the advisory tariffs destinations, of course most yellow may know these major landmarks but does LCA taxi advice recognise that a huge amount of its passengers will be going into London.
London City Airport today Heathrow tomorrow?
While a green badge has obviously completed a more extensive knowledge, most green badges have only done the green badge knowledge, whereas the vast majority of the yellow badges I know spent a fair time doing the green badge either once or more than once but were not able to complete due to family commitments, and then did the yellow badge some time later. I wouldn't be surprised if the average yellow badge has spent more time in total doing the knowledge than the average green badge, just not all in one go.
DeleteBut what most affects your ability to do the job well is where you habitually work, and if I wanted a cab at City Airport I'd pick the yellow in preference because he will do job after job after job from there whereas the green badge is unlikely to do more than one a day, and might even be someone like me who has never worked City Airport once and has no idea where the traffic jams on that side of town might be.
And your last sentence should be "Heathrow today London City Airport tomorrow", since you are clearly an aggressor masquerading as a defender.
Ive heard it all now....ybs have a more extensive knowledge of london?well do the gb now then,youll be out in no time...A scores all round.that above post has hit new depths of desperation in my opinion.delusionary fella you are matey......
DeleteJust tell YOUR punters in the burbs that ,We suburban drivers know the area, and the Green ids on cab only know Inner London and havent done the knowledge in the suburbs ,That way they will want us to take them home " pre-booked" It works both ways gbs 1/3/12 I think war we be inevitable now .
DeleteAnonymous 02:41 - I am a green badge, and former yellow, but if you want to call anyone who has a fuller all-round view than you "delusionary", go for it! I keep finding that the green badges here accuse me of being yellow while the yellow badges here accuse me of being green, which suggests I'm being fair.
DeleteThese impact presentations bring back so many memories of Civil Service patter to me.
ReplyDeleteMen and women who are brainwashed by the very senior command, and other groups of investors and partners.
Millions of pounds are spent on up to date groups and 'think tanks' (??)
Phrases such as 'Risk & Asset Management', 'Contractual Delegations' , Performance Management and Reporting', Public Service Agreements' 'Objective Priorities' 'Service Transformation Agreements', and many many others.
At the end of it, and as I can testify, you end up with a diluted service to the paying taxpayer public, and ludicrous health & safety regulations that not only decry the whole purpose of a service or department, but embarrass the rank and file officers who have to abide and serve by it.
John Mason and Helen Chapman's speeches above, clearly outline the point I am trying to make.
The presentation was well delivered, sounded inteligent, sounded sincere and to all and sundry.....sounded extremely competent.
BUT..........Never in the history of The London Taxi Trade has our profession seen so much carnage, non-compliance, utter disarray, chronic breakdown and woeful organisation.
This is what happens when you spend too much time in cosy offices reading drafts and procedures, and not enough time in the field of operation, to practice what the drafts are teaching.
Eventually, you get all draft and verbal.........and no actual movement in the operational field.
Before I joined the Civil Service, I was a Warrant Officer 2, Non Commissioned Officer in the Guards.
During my time, I served in a specialist unit, being deployed all over the world.
Health & Safety, Service Transformation Agreements, Contractual Agreements, etc.......were phrases and words that I had never heard of.
Horses for courses ? Absolutely Not ! How do I know ? Because I can honestly say that on every deployment our unit were sent on, we never once came away without our intended brief being carried out efficiently, quickly and utterly professionally.
A man died recently in three feet of water whilst feeding bread to swans. A witness dialled the emergency services who responded and were unable to help. Why ? Because the water was more than ankle deep, and it was against Health & Safety Approval. Defying the rules is a sackable offence.
Do you think the officers who turned up joined that emergency service to be suffocated and embarrassed by that ?
Standing by to watch a man drown, because the water was more than ankle deep ? I couldn't sleep at night !
Which gets me back to my point. Mason and Chapman deliver the spiel both professionally and slick.
Will it help our struggling trade ? Don't you believe it !
It is a concocted brief of gobbledigook, delivered in impact presentation format, to make it appear that TFL have everything under control.
Meanwhile, the footman soldiers from Hendy's Command, are trying to wipe us out of London.
Men are coming to kill us folks.......have no illusions whatsoever.
8829 Semtex
When the ids come in on 1 st march I think you will find the yellow badge ranks like city airport will be full of yellow badge drivers And the greens will not bother to put on, and head to town, I understand your worry but things will soon iron themselves out..... Iv had people refuse my cab as it is silver and not black, I get a lot of doormen saying flyers don't want a tx4 and want a vito, and watched people being loaded in the merc van behind me
ReplyDeletedon't agree, there has always been a good mix of both at lca and the ids will not change the way they work, why should it? neither are doing anything wrong.
DeleteLondon city airport has always been a mixed rank.From day one the majority of drivers were yellow badges.Those that were there from day one,yellow and green were recognised for their efforts some years ago.It seems that sadly LCA will witness the first serious altercation between drivers over this ID issue.That will do the image of the trade a lot of good.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen as predicted, the LCDC Green Badges who work LCY are hoping it happens so that:
Delete1. The Airport have the YB's moved out.
2. Mr O'Sullivan and his pals arrange a mini HALTS to get £££££ for themselves.
That muppet Grant Davis states in The Badge about justice being done, who's fooling who? Once an actor always an actor!
There is also a yellow badge rank in hendon that has not been used over last two years minicab office has gone in ......
ReplyDeleteThe taxi rank signage is poor ... minicabs even drive and park over it as it is not being used by yellows ....
A yellow badge friend tried using Hendon Central rank but didn't take a penny there.
DeleteHendon central was a great rank used by a regular team of green badges for many years , but when they closed the exit from the station that was next to the rank it it just died, if you put on the rank you can still see the old exit doors right next to the rank. Maybe we could get them opened again,,,,Otherwise don't bother withnthat rank unless you need to use the gym that was once a cinema.
DeleteWhy don't we just scrap the knowledge of London and green badge , it's seems every mini cab yellow badge or some one who has had a driving job in town at some point , could have easily have got the green badge but had to many commitments to bother doing it , even my great aunty mord who drives to royal college of music once a week from golders green , knows as much as a green badge she tells me.
ReplyDeleteI used to drive a milk float in sidcup which is the suburbs.technically i should be allowed to drive into london deliver some milk and then pick up someone and drop them off in ,bexley or dartford.why not?im as entitled to do that as any yb or miniscab.i know all the big roads and can avoid ,say,charing x rd,bayswater rd or chelsea bridge when the pco are out so i cant see the problem.when a yb picks up in front of me in ,say,wardour st,i know hes a proud and honest taxi driver just helping me out.cheers yellow badge driver,i dont know what id do without your help.....
DeleteStay focused, buddy. There are drivers and there are controllers. YBs and GBs are drivers. Bob Oddy, John Mason and John Griffin are controllers. Minicabs are drivers who are in league with the controllers. No dispute between different types of driver should ever let you lose sight of the ball.
DeleteThere should be directional ranks in Central London so that YBs returning to their sectors have a chance of taking a fare with them.
ReplyDeleteYBs have an extensive Knowledge of their area, far far more than a GB, who has only ever done ONE cursory appearance and then been gifted all 9 sectors.
If I was in town and wanted a taxi home, I would look for a YB identifier, as I would prefer a taxi driver who actually knew where he was going.
you'd be looking a long time mate, central london is where cab driver come into their own, once your out of town the punter preferes to direct you to their street, as they don't expect you to know a back street in the subs and they always have their preffered route to their door step.
DeleteTeextwo.........your on a wind up surely?
DeleteThe law does not currently permit a rank where short rides are refused, but the Law Commission could change that. Clusters of 9 long distance ranks at crucial spots in Central London to be shared by GBs going home and by YBs would benefit both financially and would screw the minicabs in my opinion.
DeleteAs for flagging down a YB in town when you want a lift to the suburbs, unless you have very good eyesight, how would you know which sector he worked? Also, if you had a medical emergency you might find the YB dumped you in a side street rather than risk meeting anyone in authority who might finger him for picking up out of sector, so flagging down a YB out of sector is not a brilliant idea. When I was a YB I found being repeatedly flagged down in Central London even though my hire light was out rather depressing.
Anyone wishing to boycott the identifiers, or even who just opposes the 15 year limit, might like to know that a leaflet marked "There's now only one way - UKIP" is available at Great Suffolk Street Services, and when folded in half it fits beautifully in the plastic holders which TfL helpfully posted to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI'm a yellow badge and can't see the problem with these identifiers if u got nothing to hide whats the problem ? I do think some greenboys are well paranoid about the numbers of yellows working in town though.
ReplyDeleteCant disagree with you on that.maybe the gbs are a bit paranoid about the numbers working uptown,but to be fair can you blame us when you read some of the posts on here from ybs?its obvious to all but the most one eyed that something has badly upset some ybs as far as these ids are concerned.how can a yb like yourself not be bothered by the ids when others on here are so rabid against them?i think we both know the answer to that one dont we?its a pity those in the ucg cant see this themselves.there is an agenda here and it stinks to high heaven.this is being kept alive when it should really be over.we wear badges around our necks and ids in the windows.if someone wants to report you then they will do the same as they always have.the name checker website has gone,which seemed to be the main sticking point as far as most people were concerned,including myself.so why this argument or dispute is still going on is ridiculous.ybs do suburban work and gbs work in town.you can probably count the number of gbs working suburban sectors on one hand,but if they wanted to that would be their perogative,as they have done what is called the all london knowledge.ybs work their sectors and can drop off in town if their customer so wishes,as they have done the suburban knowledge.if they work in town they are working illegally and are not insured to do so.this is the simple truth and the libes are not blurred.it is black and white.lets all stick to the jobs we have trained to do and get on with our lives as this is going round in circles.
DeleteWhen teextwo gets a job into town who reckons he returns to his sector empty Its his attitude that has helped build the predjudice towards yb drivers.
ReplyDeleteHaving been denied having my say in a reply twice, I take it that the people who run this site are adverse to someone telling the truth and pointing out where the Taxi trade is going wrong. So I'll just say have a long hard look at yourselves, because its you who has the future of your trade in your hands and it will be you that ruins it, through your sheer inability to see further than the end of your bonnet and your total lack of vision of what the powers that be have in store.
ReplyDeleteWe should be sticking together to preserve our living, but alas this will not happen. Divided we stand United we'll fall.
You have been warned......well only if this gets past the censors.