Letter To Editor : Eddie Symes’ Reply To Steve McNamara, In Regards To Monday’s Meeting.

by | May 23, 2015 | London News

This is the email reply, HATDU Chairman Eddie Symes sent to Steve McNamara LTDA, with regards to Mondays meeting.

Hi Steve

Thanks for the invite to the taxi trade meeting on Monday 18th May.

I regret to inform you that HATDU will not be attending for the following reasons, on 23/3/15 HATDU asked to be invited to attend a meeting hosted by Siwan Hayward [TFL] regarding enforcement in London and at Heathrow.

As HATDU are the only taxi trade organisation whose membership are all registered to work at Heathrow we believed that we should be allowed to represent our members on an important issue regarding Heathrow.

On 24/3/15 Siwan Hayward consequently invited HATDU to attend this meeting on condition that the UTG [LCDC, LTDA & Unite] had no objections.

We were then informed by Siwan Hayward on 29/4/15 that Unite had opposed HATDU attending as this could lead to other trade organisations [UCG & RMT?] being allowed into meetings in future and we assume that the LTDA supported Unite on this issue as the invitation was withdrawn.

The HATDU Committee are also disappointed that HATDU is not represented at the current consultations regarding c/card acceptance by London taxi drivers as we are the only trade organisation that actually manages a processing business for its members and we believe our seven years experience in this field would be invaluable to point out the potential benefits and pitfalls involved especially at Heathrow.

At a time when the taxi trade is under attack from many directions we believe that all trade organisations should come together and show a united front but unless all trade organisations are allowed into all relevant meetings with TFL, GLA, Mayor’s office and Mr Bob Oddy this will not happen.

You can’t pick and choose which meetings HATDU can attend.

I also take issue with your remark on the answerphone message that I was being invited because I’m a ” face” at Heathrow.

Whilst this may be true after working there for 37 years, I believe that I should have been invited as the Chairman of HATDU a legally registered Society with the 3rd largest membership of any organisation only consisting of Licensed London taxi drivers, apologies to UCG if I’m wrong with my figures.

I will be copying all relevant parties to this e-mail.

Regards

Eddie.


     With thanks to Eddie Symes

Manchester PH working Uber In London.

by | May 23, 2015 | London News

Last weekend, two Manchester private hire cars were spotted working in central London using the Uber platform. Photos of both were captured and appeared on twitter.

I have enclose this photo of one particular vehicle spotted along Piccadilly which I’ve called Londuber. According to the logo on the back, it’s registered to a ‘rental company’ called Rikshaw here in Manchester.
I tracked down the company to a car wash, staffed by illegal’s who wash your car for £3 cash.
This is one of those sites which are often raided by Police and Immigration services like immigration law firm Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. in Oakland, CA. The staff scatter and are replaced next day. You know the type of thing, I am sure you have them in London as well as every other City in the UK.
People can visit us if they need help and advice on immigration related laws .
In this car wash, you can hire a plated vehicle by the day, week or month.
The vehicle is SUPPOSED to be fully insured, but I would not want to rely on that.
The alarming thing here is…how can it be classed as safe for someone to hire a car for the weekend in Manchester and then drive 200 miles to work London, sleep in the car etc and drive back late sunday P.M.
IF the vehicle is insured, what chance of a payout if the Insurer has not been told the true purpose of the Insured?
Les.
Source: TaxiLeaks

Boris Johnson defends ‘market forces’ killing black cab trade

by | May 21, 2015 | London News

Boris Johnson: No longer the cabbies' friend

Boris Johnson: No longer the cabbies’ friends

London’s black cab trade is dying and there is little anyone can do about it, Boris Johnson claimed today.

The London mayor faced down jeers and abuse from an audience of cabbies as he defended the “market forces” that threaten to put the historic trade out of business.

“You are dealing with a huge economic force which is consumer choice and the taxi trade needs to recognise that,” he told a meeting of the London Assembly.

“Everywhere I go I see yellow lights and I can see the taxi trade is dying and it grieves me, but it is very, very difficult to fight a huge change in consumer preference.”

He claimed the rise of Uber and other minicab apps meant that the trade’s decline was impossible to stop.

“I’m afraid it is a tragic fact that there are now more than a million people in this city who have the Uber app, ” he said to jeers from dozens of cabbies in the public gallery.

Faced with shouts about Uber drivers undercutting cabbies he shouted: “Yes they are. It’s called the free market.”

He suggested that cabbies were fighting a losing battle in trying to get the Uber app recognised as a taxi meter which would therefore require a licence.

He also rejected calls from Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon to revoke Uber’s licence due to safety concerns.

Pidgeon claimed there is a huge problem with Uber drivers driving without insurance or background checks.

“We don’t currently think there are sufficient grounds to revoke their licence and I’m sorry that is the advice I have been given,” Johnson replied.

The mayor did say he would take measures to restrict the number of licenses issued to minicab drivers in order to reduce congestion.

There are currently around 80,000 minicabs in London, up from 50,000 when he first became mayor.

However, Boris’s refusal to take any further action against Uber means London now faces what cabbies described today as “the biggest ever taxi protest” next Tuesday.

Previous protests over the issue have brought London to a halt.

Responding to the threat of protest, Johnson replied: ” There’s a rail strike on Tuesday you might get some fares.”

Johnson previously had a lot of support among London taxi drivers, even enlisting some to distribute ‘Back Boris’ receipts during his first mayoral campaign.

However he was left visibly shaken today as received shouts of “clown” and “joke” from the assembled cabbies with one shouting “I voted for you once, I must have been on drugs,” while another shouted. “You want to be PM? You’re a joke.”

He added that any attempt to revoke their licence would be quickly overturned in the courts.

Source: Polictics.co.uk

Mayor Boris Johnson plans rickshaw ban for London

by | May 21, 2015 | London News

 

Rickshaw

Boris Johnson has been making the argument to ban pedicabs since December 2012

Mayor Boris Johnson has announced he wants to ban rickshaws in London to help ease traffic congestion.

He does not have the authority to do that so he is seeking government legislation for a pedicab ban.

He also wants to reduce the number of minicabs, a move the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association has welcomed.

It estimates there were 13,000 new private hire drivers in London in 2014 partly owing to the rise in popularity of cheaper car booking apps like Uber.

Mr Johnson has been making the argument to ban pedicabs since December 2012 because, he said: “Although there are a number of responsible pedicab companies, the fact is that these vehicles jam up the capital’s roads and consistently fail to ensure the safety of their passengers.”

Analysis by Tom Edwards, BBC London transport correspondent

On any night in the West End you can’t miss the bells of Rickshaws (or Pedicabs as they are officially known) plying for trade.

While some tourists and the odd refreshed businessman seem to enjoy them, the authorities have wanted to get rid of them for a long time. While there are responsible operators, there is also a cowboy element where there are fears over safety and concerns over the amount they charge.

In 2002, I sat in court as the black cabbies tried and failed to get them banned. Pedicabs operate using a loophole in the metropolitan public carriage act 1869 and are classed as stage carriages not Hackney cabs and so can ply for hire. If the mayor wants them banned he will need to redo that legislation. That will take time and will probably involve legal challenges.

Transport for London (TfL) said there were 78,690 minicab drivers in London and over the past year that number had risen by 12,268.

Mr Johnson said: “We must be able to take action against the threat posed by the massive increase we are seeing in the number of private hire vehicles.

“There are only 25,000 black cabs and 8,000 buses in London and yet there are already over 75,000 minicabs and rising. We’re starting to see a threat to free movement of traffic on the roads.

“We will also be seeking powers for TfL over pedicabs – which so far have been completely immune from regulation.”

‘Step too far’

Labour London Assembly member Val Shawcross said action was needed to make rickshaws safer, but a complete ban was unnecessary.

“A blanket ban is a step too far,” she said.

“What is needed is a much greater level of control, with just a limited number of licences given to operate for tourists in a small number of safe locations.

“If Londoners want to use them for their personal use that is their choice, but let’s be clear that rickshaws should not be operating as taxis.”

The Mayor is seeking to include the legislation in a London Bill in this year’s Queen’s speech.

Source: BBC