Just A Few Reminders About Tomorrow’s Demonstration In Whitehall.

Just A Few Reminders About Tomorrow’s Demonstration In Whitehall.

by | Nov 7, 2016 | London News

The demo has been called by the UCG and is supported by the LCDC, RMT, ITA, Dads Defending Daughters, Mayfair Mod and SaveTaxi, groups that have the trades best interest at heart.
The demo is official and has full permission from the Met police.
BELT UP :
This is not a mass ply for hire, so lights off.
But remember when your light is off, you are not classed as working and must wear your seat belt.
Also don’t play with your phone while driving or stationary with the engine running.
Use hands free.
If you want to take photos/Videos and your stuck in the demo traffic, get out to take them.
It’s rumoured that TfL’s new Compliance Team will be out in force, but remember, as you are not working….
They have no power to stop and talk to you i.e. NO BADGE AND BILL CHECKS
As demo is official, you are not causing an obstruction, so if you receive a letter regarding your actions at the protest, asking you to attend Palestra… ignore it.
On past demos letters were sent out, but as far as we know, there was no action taken against drivers who were advised by their orgs not to attend Palestra.
(We believe that out of the dozen or so letters sent out, only one driver attended)
As a government body, TfL’s COs can not mount a surveillance operation without a document called a RIPA.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (c.23) (RIP or RIPA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covering the interception of communications.

http://taxicaselaw.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/what-is-ripa-rip.html

If you see a CO taking plate numbers or ID badge numbers, take their photo, approach and ask to see their RIPA. If they don’t have one, take their details which you are entitled to and make an official complaint to the police.
(Remember these new COs have been gagging at the bit to report drivers over the last week, for The heinous crime of not having CC stickers).
Our demos have always been peaceful, let’s keep it that way.

Please comply with all directions from the police.

    
TfL COs Coming a down Hard On Taxis. But Are They Exceeding Their Authority…. By Paul Sweeney.

TfL COs Coming a down Hard On Taxis. But Are They Exceeding Their Authority…. By Paul Sweeney.

by | Nov 7, 2016 | London News

Word coming back to us from the front line that these COs have been instructed by TFL to really get in our faces.

Considering its alleged lots of these COs were/are ticket inspectors or PHV drivers, then you can see we are going to face a few issues.
We’ve heard reports COs getting heavy at Kings Cross and Waterloo.
One driver a old boy, was totally confused with this new mandate and did not have the required TFL stickers. The COs started to get heavy and when other drivers became involved, the driver was told to leave the rank.
These COs do not have the authority to ask you to leave the rank. TfLTPH have said openly stops are not being dished out, just warning letters sent through the post.
 
This is what Taxi Leaks have been told, so we must take them at their word.
Drivers then pointed out to the COs the Ubers parked and openly touting at the St Pancras drop off.
A CO replied “we have been instructed to focus on Taxi Trade”.
This is going to continue and whilst we are receiving the heavy treatment, the untouchable PHV trade continues to bring London towards Anarchy.
Editorial Comment : 
Where are the Orgs on this matter?
The LTDA have posted many times about being in attendance at St Pancras and yet when the COs turned up, not one LTDA marshal insight.
The Orgs need to wake up and do something united. Any Org who does not want to unite on the discrimination being inflicted on our trade by TFL, should be removed from your patronage.
   
Letter To Taxi News: Burn Your Bridges…And Learn To Swim Against TheTide.

Letter To Taxi News: Burn Your Bridges…And Learn To Swim Against TheTide.

by | Nov 7, 2016 | London News

Considering we have 5 representative Orgs, we have no real leadership.

Personally I only recognise the LCDC, RMT and UCG as being on our side. In my opinion, the LTDA and Unite are not.
None of them have achieved anything except the LCDC with the Identifiers.
They all come up with exclusives and FOI stats and …do nothing at all.
On a small scale they are okay for legal cover and advice … sometimes.
There are no Orgs directly hitting TfL.
They all seem to want to get their feet under the table with TfL and the GLA, but are scared to rock the boat.
God forbid they upset the powers that are destroying us.
The LTDA tell us their expensive, top of the tree PR company suggest it is unwise to protest.
So how do the public find out about this government’s aim to deregulate the Taxi industry in favour of a tax avoiding American tech company based in Holland?
Because the public do not read Taxi or The Badge.
We cannot even inform our own drivers, let alone the uninterested public.
Uber have shown their cards for all to see, via the IEA.
Informed Taxi driver knew all along this is the aim of Uber, TfL, Mayors Johnson and Khan, and HM Government.
We’ve known all along that Uber are the pathfinders of TTIP.
We’ve known all along the vast majority of the mega rich and powerful want more power and more riches via a slave class tucked nicely up in bed with an all inclusive Federal Government of Europe, aligned to the Federal Government of America, where worker ants will never aspire to anything but serve their company with religious vigor.
But I digress …
What does this expensive, top of the tree PR company, retained by the LTDA suggest in retaliation?
Don’t rock the boat, and more consultations with our ‘Owners’.
And where has that gotten us, may I ask?
WE DO NOT NEED TO BE A PART OF ANY ORG.
Just take out private legal insurance.
As you might have gathered, I’m pissed off with them all.
They all seem to have no sense of urgency, nor do they have the backbone to stand up to the ones who are killing us.
No doubt Org members will reply to my rant with promises of stuff in the pipeline.
And maybe they have, I don’t know.
But don’t you think it’s a too little too late?
The three Orgs that I personally acknowledge will make excuses of all kinds, not enough funds, not recognised by TfL, excluded by others etc. etc.
And again some of that might be true.
The bottom line is we’ve not won a thing.
Uber are winning and winning and winning.
You either stand up to a bully … or bend over.
There will be no protests called before Christmas, because that would affect the family man and woman on the eve of Christmas, during a lean time already.
But I feel there should be some bastard protests, four, five or twelve hours long, two, three, five days a week.
This Mayor is playing for time.
Read his proposed promises – he’s promised us what we already own, with a few fringe benefits thrown in. He has his eye on being PM. He will not like us showing London, showing the nation that he cannot control his own staff at TfL….. or us.
Don’t go cap in hand and ask to be allowed around the negotiating table. 
ACT SO THEY ASK YOU!
This is war!
 
Lenny Etheridge. 
TfLTPH, Oh What A Tangled Web You Weave…by Jim Thomas.

TfLTPH, Oh What A Tangled Web You Weave…by Jim Thomas.

by | Nov 4, 2016 | London News

Just when you thought scandals at TfLTPH couldn’t get any more convoluted, another little gem drops into our lap.

In an email reply to a Taxi driver, TfLTPH’s head of policy Tom Moody, makes the statement that a minicab operator/driver who accepts a booking and takes payment, there is in our (TfLTPH) view, what amounts to a contractual arrangement between the operator and the driver.
He goes on to say, “I don’t think that it is for us to comment on any specific contractual arrangements between the various parties”. 
INTERESTING COMMENT FROM THE HEAD OF POLICY AT TFL, WHICH SURELY INDICATES UBER ARE A TRANSPORT PROVIDER AND NOT A TECH COMPANY
Let’s not forget that this is also the same licensing regulator that is currently insisting that our trade give free credit to all in sundry, using both chip and pin or Contactless transactions….
One rule for PH….and a stiffer one for us.
Many drivers believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg as one major CC company has warned (as predicted) it’s transaction costs could soon rise.
TfL’s tenuous links with third parties stakeholders are beginning to leaked out.
TfLTPH have been unwavering about the rear siting of the CC reader, even in light of safety concerns of drivers.
LTPH have reluctantly allowed independent companies to supply machines attacked to a bluetooth printer, knowing full well that when (not if) TfL bring in the requirement for the CC reader to be attached to the meter (rumoured to be coming into affect summer 2017), the smaller machines i.e. CabApp, PayPal, iZettle and the like, will become obsolete.
This would mean an approximate loss of investment by the driver to the tune of £400.
Although Helen Chapman recently stated that “at present” they had no plans to do this…. The LCDC have alleged in the last issue of the badge, that TfL have employed an independent consultant to contact major CC companies, with a view of doing just this!
Just as you were thinking, this couldn’t get anymore damming, the Twitter account @TfLTPH put out this tweet, showing a bias towards to a certain third party stakeholder.
As most of the Taxi top digital advertising screens in London belong to Verifone, we ask this question:
Why are TfL paying a company to advertise its own credit card service ?
TfL : Woefully Inadequate, Incompetent And Biased. Remember Remember The 8th Of November…. By GreenbadgeJohn.

TfL : Woefully Inadequate, Incompetent And Biased. Remember Remember The 8th Of November…. By GreenbadgeJohn.

by | Nov 3, 2016 | London News

Lets be honest, …The actions of TFL are actually completely predictable, as they are under immense pressure from us in the taxi industry, they are naturally going to respond against us in kind and try to intimidate us into giving them justifiable and defensible reasons to bring the public into the domain, supporting their actions…and by the same defensive strategy try to alienate us as Luddite’s and uncooperative objectors.

The whole ploy of publicly endorsing (and advertising the ‘TFL’ card payment message) is a strategy of elevating TFL’s public status whilst placing us as second class subservient followers of the tfl doctrine of “do as we say or else” mantra. As the 8th November demo approaches we will all have our say in the media arena and try to remember that.

So keep calm and carry on, and remember… ‘card payments are not a statutory payment recognised in UK law neither are they compulsory legal tender’.

Ironically, TFL allows re application of fraudulently acquired minicab drivers medicals…provided they have another cloak and dagger tfl arranged test (forgetting they all attempted to defraud the current system tfl and attempted to deceive) also allowing NSL testing centre’s to license private hire vehicles who’s drivers presented the cheapest third party non fare paying passengers insurance cover notes …not 12 month policies or documents of hire and reward insurance they were meant to have.

Now as a consequence, private hires vehicles flood the London streets, whilst at the same time tfl are attempting to put stops on Taxis, to prevent them working for the unobtrusive or minor credit card notice failings and other related acceptance discrepancies….none of which are safety or life threatening.

Dont put up with this nonsense.. this is a corruptly derived plan… demonstrate our complete disgust…

8th November … be there in the square… we have more questions for TFL than they have or can possibly answer…only public attention and media exposure will draw the corrupt poison from TFL which is killing our business whilst they get rich.

Be Lucky

greenbadgejohn

Editorial Comment : 

The Licensed Taxi trade has drawn a line in the sand….and asked all orgs, rank and file drivers to cross over the line in a show of United Trade support.
Even though they haven’t balloted their members, the LTDA have decided not to cross the line with the rest of the trade, after taking advice from their political advisors……there’s a surprise.