by News Desk | Sep 10, 2016 | London News
Did you ever stop to wonder, in the light of the hold ups we’ve witnessed, concerning Taxi driver licence application and renewals, how it could be possible for Uber to get over 600 of their new driver applications licensed every week, for over a year. Many of their applicants without the necessary enhanced DBS record checks!
by News Desk | Sep 9, 2016 | London News
News broke over the weekend that the DVSA were going to scrap the Taxi driver test as from December 2016.
Yes, you heard it right, after many years of calls for a more level playing field regarding the standard of driving for Taxi and private hire drivers, the DVSA, instead of calling for all private hire drivers to undertake the same driving standard requirement, have decided to scrap the Taxi driver test altogether.
The decision came out of the blue and Local Authorities were only officially informed this Tuesday.
On the face of it, the decision is unbelievable!
Over 200 Local Authorities have mandated the DVSA test as a requirement for Taxi drivers Licence.
The DVSA have a captive market for this.
The only reason I can see to relinquish this Money spinner is the Government intend to deregulate further and see this test as a barrier to new entrants (refugees) seeking to enter the trade.
I think the situation requires close scrutiny.
TfLTPH put out this statement on social media, today:
‘We have been advised by DVSA that they will stop delivering taxi driving tests on 31 December….
A driving test will still be a licensing requirement, but they will no longer be provided by the DVSA.’
Meanwhile in London, it is widely believed that the Government/TfL are on course for a full scale Private Hire deregulation to break the back of the Taxi trade.
On Tuesday, TfLTPH put out a notice that the Licensed Taxi rank at the Tate Modern, installed at a cost met from the licence fee of Licensed Taxi drivers…..would be suspended to assist the dropping off of passengers arriving for he GQ magazine awards, an event attended by Mayor Sadiq Khan.
TfL’s sign, being unsigned has no legal standing.
A notice was also attached to the rank post.
What happened next was absolutely disgraceful. Far from being a place where attendees could be dropped off, it turned into a toutfest of unbooked PHVs. Taxis were stopped by marshals from using the rank, which was being used by private hire cars as a private hire rank.
While minicabs took control of the rank directly outside the main exit point if the venue, Taxis had to queue in Great Guilford Street.
The whole situation became a shambles as pre booked PH vehicles were blocked in by packs of touts. No compliance officers were visable at the location to stop the illegal plying for hire, but in a bid to save face, TfLTPH put out this series of tweets
We would stress at this point that although previously informed by TfL, not one representative from the Licensed Taxi orgs connected to the Joint Ranks Committee bothered to turn up and check out the proceedings. The unfolding saga was documented quite clearly on social media throughout the evening and into the early morning.
A colleague of Taxi Leaks phoned LTDA’s Richard Massett Wednesday afternoon, for clarification on what had transpired the previous night at the Tate Modern.
Executive committee member Massett, also chair of the Joint Ranks Committee, said he had been informed of the notice to suspend the rank, but had no idea what had happened.
Is this the best we can expect to get, after paying money to this org, to represent our best interests?
EXTRA COMMENT:
For those who find the DVSA decision confusing, this from the NPHA
Dear Members:
We sent you an email earlier today concerning the fact that we have had confirmation, from both the Department for Transport and the DVSA, that taxi assessments will not be conducted after 31 December. Any bookings made and a slot allocated before that date will go ahead.
There seems to be some confusion on this point: the DVSA test is for taxi driving; nothing to do with vehicle testing. Those of you whose councils already mandate the DVSA taxi driving test will know exactly what we’re referring to.
As far as vehicle testing is concerned, that is still very much a local issue regulated by local conditions on the vehicle licence.
No doubt licensing authorities will be considering how to account for this development in their policies over the coming weeks. If your licensing authority currently mandates the DVSA taxi driving test as a pre-condition of being granted a taxi or PHV licence – or indeed requires this for existing licence holders as well – you may wish to approach the council and make enquiries as to their future plans and requirements.
As always, we welcome your reaction and input on this matter; we have endeavoured to advise you as soon as we got confirmation.
Thank you for keeping in touch.
Best regards,
Donna D Short (Mrs)
Director/Company Secretary
National Private Hire Association
by News Desk | Sep 5, 2016 | London News
Offensive and Inappropriate, Night Tube Advert.
Mr Brown,
I am writing to you to complain about a night tube advert run by TfL that is both misleading, offensive and wholly unbecoming of TfL as the Taxi regulator.
I find it beggars believe that I should be writing such an email to a professional public body as to the tone and content of one of it’s adverts.
There is a night tube advert of which a copy of the image has been forwarded to me by one of my members genuinely upset and aggrieved at this.
Upon opening this image I too was shocked, how could an advert like this pass any type of scrutiny before being released, this of course assumes that it is thoughtless, careless and stupid rather than vexatious.
I enclose a copy below, the words that cause offence are:
THE NIGHT TUBE
Tourists and Londoners rejoice! The central and Victoria lines run at night on Fridays and Saturdays, so no more drunken 3am chats with a black-cab driver for us.
What is this supposed to mean? That Black cab drivers are drunk while driving passengers? That conversing with a black cab driver is disdainful? The very fact that a cab driver is out there driving passengers home safely (while their wives/husbands/partners are at home in bed) seems to have escaped you, we too would like to sleep at the same time as our families. Working shift patterns is stressful, places great strain on family life and complications for long term health. Many DUI attorneys recommend to
check my site for more information on DUI charges and how to prevent drunk driving or you could contact legal experts from
Patrick B. Courtney, P.A. firm to get help. There are lawyers from
www.criminaldefenselawyervirginia.com/dui/ that can help with the legalities of such cases.
The gratitude we receive from our regulator is a disrespectful slur on our character, the fact it comes from our regulator suggests that even our regulator is subliminally telling passengers not to use us. The closing words “for us” is meant to mean what?
You do know that Londons Taxis have been driving your tube staff home late at night on discounted rates for many years. Is that what is meant by “for us”?
On behalf of the London Taxi Trade I insist that this advert and all it’s electronic images are forthwith removed immediately and a full apology made to the London Taxi Trade.
I have also made a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency.
Len Martin
Chairman
United Cabbies Group
Uber today outside Sutton Station, openly touting.
STILL THINK THERE’S A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD ?
by News Desk | Sep 4, 2016 | London News
Imagine, you pick up two or three male passengers, it’s obvious they’ve been drinking. They take you to a destination, 10 miles from the centre of London, it’s two in the morning and they direct you to a quiet, badly lit, side street.
by News Desk | Sep 4, 2016 | London News
There isn’t any question that having the PED in the back of the taxi could be a threat to driver safety. That is why in March 2011 we at DaC sought and obtained permission from TfL to site our PED’s in the front of the taxi, although it is wired to the taxi and gives a printed paper receipt, the PED can be passed to the passenger in the rear of the vehicle or through the luggage window and the driver remains locked in the front of the taxi.
I sought permission for the PED to be sited in the front because I was convinced at some stage TfL would mandate the acceptance of Credit Cards, which they have now done. Because, in case of any debts due to excess credit card usage
IVA experts can help to sort out such issues. he difference is we at DaC understand our trade, those employed at Palestra do not!
Since the
3 March this year I have sent over thirty e-mails to TfL highlighting their error regarding having the PED in the back of the taxi and six months later they inform me that it is still being discussed!
Why are they being so pedantic about this situation? They have made a mistake and those of us that know our trade have pointed this out to them, why they choose to ignore our advice is beyond me, or is it they are so high and mighty and out of touch, they think they always know best?
They have got this totally wrong and if they persist on this disastrous course it is only a matter of time before one of our colleagues is badly injured or worse and the blame will be with TfL and they will have a huge lawsuit on their hands for negligence, especially as we can prove they were warned, but too stubborn to heed our warnings!Brian Rice
by News Desk | Sep 2, 2016 | London News
One in four Londoners fear they will not make it home safely in a minicab in the early hours of the morning, new research suggests.
A quarter of people living in the capital who use minicabs fear a risk to their safety when travelling in one between 12am and 4am, according to a new survey carried out by YouGov.
The survey for the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association revealed that almost half of minicab users in London doubt that they would be fully insured for any injuries sustained if they were involved in an accident.
And nearly a quarter of Londoners who use minicabs began travelling in them more over the last two years, the research found.
The LTDA has criticised popular minicab app Uber after it launched a legal challenge to tough new private hire rules including requiring drivers to pass a basic English language tests and a crackdown on insurance requirements.
Steve McNamara, LTDA general secretary, said: “Today’s figures are yet more proof of the need for action to ensure that Londoners feel safe and secure when using a minicab.
“Uber’s recent campaign for TfL and the Mayor of London to water down the overdue and much-needed update to PHV [private hire vehicle] regulations shows how out of touch they are with public opinion.”
Mr McNamara added: “The regulator must not only follow through on its proposed changes, but must take further action to raise standards across the industry, if it is to fully address passengers’ concerns and offer them, and other road users in the capital, proper protection.”
But Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London, said: “More that 2 million Londoners use Uber on a regular basis and because of the convenience and safety the app has brought to the industry.
“Uber is not a traditional minicab firm so it is interesting to note that Uber was not mentioned in this poll.
“Uber keeps a record of all drivers’ insurance documents and drivers cant access the app unless they are in place.
“Uber has helped raise standards in the private hire industry by using technology to give people more information than ever before, from their driver’s details to being able to share a live map of their journey and an electronic receipt showing the route taken.”
The survey of 1,037 adults was carried out last week.
Source: Evening Standard
by News Desk | Sep 1, 2016 | London News
The ITA believes that TfL’s card machine fiasco is a scam.
A scam backed by credit card companies and groups with vested interests in the deregulation of minicabs, and the demise of the Taxi.
Steve McNamara has to hold his hands up and publicly announced he was wrong to agree to such a toxic mandate.
Isabel Dedring is gone, but not forgotten.
The old TfL Board, which was infested with privateers, has been dispersed. We have a new TfL Board now.
The unctuous former Mayor of London has been given the task of cocking-up Britain’s relationship with the rest of the world.
Most of the people who agreed upon this current
merchant solutions and Credit Card Mandates are gone.
So please do not use the term ‘set in stone’, to fob us off.
The trade needs every Taxi Organisation to demand a rethink.
Taxi drivers are sick and tired of their Orgs doing nothing, but accepting the ‘inevitable’.
We need to hear that the Orgs are willing to take to the streets, if need be.
We need the Orgs to publicly state that they believe the current TfL Credit Card Mandate scam is ill thought out and potentially dangerous.
We need the Orgs to state they accept the TfL Credit Card Mandate is unworkable.
We need the Orgs to state they recognise the law of the land over the misguided and unworkable mandate TfLTPH have concocted.
We need the Orgs to listen to their members.
• The ITA wants card machines to be a mandatory piece of equipment for Taxis.
• The ITA believes the fixed machine in the back of a cab should not be compulsory.
• The ITA believes the choice of equipment should be that of the Taxi driver, not of the regulatory body.
• The ITA believes the Taxi driver should be able to shop around for a card machine, and not have to sign expensive contracts.
When we revert back to the original reason behind the need for a card machine mandate, we come to a singularity; the need for taxis to accept credit and debit card payments.
All was well until the greedy people got wind of it, and realised they could earn some easy money off the backs of hard working Taxi drivers.
Whist PH minicab drivers can saunter around London, untouchable, breaking the law, and terrorising the public; Taxi drivers are being regulated by undemocratic, illegal and draconian methods, threatening their livelihoods and revocation of their licenses.
This has to stop!
It is time the Orgs got together and publicly announced their intention of a unified mass disobedience, and ignored the mandate.
Demanding that TfL and all the Orgs returned to the negotiating table and redressed this unmitigated sham.
If your Org refuses to act upon this manufactured travesty, leave them.
There are plenty of good Orgs out there who will welcome you with open arms.
Posted by,
The Independent Taxi Alliance
Nunquam redono nunquam deditionem
by News Desk | Aug 30, 2016 | London News
Recently the press has not been the best friend of the cab trade. Reporting is often biased and sloppy, and journalists persist in printing outdated stereotypes of the trade, so unlike the trade that we know and love.
However, the press has rallied somewhat in the coverage that has been given to the Taxi Charity and I thought readers might find it interesting to know which parts of the media have written about our veterans, their wonderful skydives and the work of the charity.
The coverage began in France, when Fred Glover and Ted Pieri, both WWII veterans from the Airborne Division, revisited Normandy and carried out a tandem skydive in aid of the Taxi Charity. Interestingly the Evening Standard also carried a piece.
Fred, Ted, Graham Pike (a Taxi charity committee member) and I followed up the Normandy jump with a skydive with the Red Devils on 25th August.
Naturally the veterans were again deservedly newsworthy, and we have coverage for both events ranging from the Jersey Evening Post, the Daily Mail, and People magazine’s website in the US.
Yet more publicity has been in the Worthing Herald, Guernsey Press, Irish Independent, West Sussex Gazette, Ouest france, the Celebrity Auction, Forces TV, MOD blog, Belfast Telegraph, Forces TV, BT.com, the Times, Mature Times.
Now we have been able to announce the thrilling news about winning the final of the National Lottery awards, and the Standard has published our entire press release. Of course everything becomes yesterday’s news in the shortest possible time, but as ever, I hope that some of this coverage will resonate with the public and remind them of all the wonderful things that London’s finest do for them
—
Frances Luczyc Wyhowska
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