Early last week one of my best friends, Taxi Driver Danny Hussey, was swooped on by around ten Compliance Officers, in Tooley Street.
They claimed his Cab Driver License was over a year out of date.
Although my mate had received his DBS in March 2015, his Cab License refused to turn up, even though his wife sent four written requests. To be fair to all parties concerned, he had moved address.
It seemed obvious that my friend had filled in all the correct forms and sent them to the correct address, with all the correct details, because he had been issued with a DBS. But according to Transport for London, “You will have to go through the whole process again. Including a new medical and new DBS. Believe me I am not one hundred, but two hundred percent sure you are looking at, at least eighteen weeks before you can work again.” Who can afford four or five months out of work?
TfL were unwilling to accept any responsibility for this cock-up. And Danny was told he had to stop work immediately.
I rallied the troops and was preparing for a mass demo outside Palestra House everyday until Danny’s license was reissued. After all, the license is just a fee. Danny was still a legitimate Taxi Driver; considering he has passed the Knowledge, passed his advanced driving test, passed his medical, and still had two years left on his current DBS. We felt he was being treated harshly. Surely, we thought, TfL could give him a temporary license/cover note? But it seems red tape in Palestra House is made of the unbreakable and unimaginative kind, when it is applied to Taxis.
Luckily Danny is a member of a union. He contacted the RMT, and they started negotiating on his behalf immediately. More and more it looked like TfL were not going to budge. More and more it looked like a long drawn out war of daily demonstrations on the horizon. Why do TfL assume that every Taxi driver is up to no good? No one, it seems, is given the benefit of the doubt from Palestra House – even those like Danny, with an unblemished record. To cut a long story short, the RMT negotiated a temporary license for Danny, with the proviso that he also renews his DBS. Don’t ask me why. At least they accepted his medical certificate was still valid.
Post negotiations, this story takes a different turn; highlighting the human side of TfL. Danny is dyslexic. So when he arrived at the TfLTPH licensing office the next day, he was met by a friendly and extremely patient TfL officer, named Minette. She helped Danny through the whole process. Other members of staff, like Jessie, went out of their way to make Danny feel relaxed, and defused a potentially stressful situation. Enjoying a cup of the Best Organic Coffee can also be a great way to stay calm and focused during such times. Danny told me of the chaos he witnessed, where drivers in similar situations to his, obviously burdened by financial hardship, were pleading with staff for their licenses, so they could just simply go to work. I will not betray details, but suffice to say Danny wished he had some spare cash to give one particular driver, whose story was heartbreaking. This is the day to day routine for counter staff at TfLTPH; dealing with drivers under extreme stress, caused by inept clerks and inconsiderate bosses, who delegate the sharp end of the stick down to them.
Danny could not speak highly enough of Lewis Norton, Branch Secretary of the RMT, for turning eighteen weeks into two days. I refuse to compromise this story by promoting one Union or Org above another. Needless to say, if you do not belong to any Union or Org, get your head out of the sand and your finger out of your arse, and join one now, before you are forced to take a long and unexpected holiday. You do not want to find yourself up against a stubborn and unaccountable TfL, without some form of backing.
Be lucky.
Lenny
Editorial Comment:
There is no need for any driver to lose work under these conditions:
a) You have your DBS back and it’s clear.
b) You have completed and submitted your application:
These are the words of Leon Daniels, who was speaking on behalf of Sir Peter Hendy, appertaining to the Transport Act.
“Where we are provided with a complete application, including the results of the DBS check and any other necessary information, but have not yet made a licensing decision before the old one expires, the existing licence will remain in force until a decision is made in accordance with section 17(7). In these circumstances, a driver will not be issued with, nor require, a temporary licence pending a decision being made on their application.
Please note that contrary to the comment in your email, section 17 of the Transport Act 1985 only applies to London taxi driver and vehicle licences, not London private hire vehicle driver licences.
Kind regards
Leon Daniels | Managing Director
Transport for London | Surface Transport | Palestra |
If you are sending your application off using the postal system, send it recorded delivery.
Any driver who had lost work after being told they can’t, after receiving a clear DBS and having presented a completed application form, should seek compensation from TfL for loss of earnings. In these extreme cases it’s not the drivers fault, so TfL should reimburse the driver for work he/she could have undertaken while unlawfully denied the right to work.
We would also like to thank Angela Clarkson and Heather Rawlings from their time and effort spent, bringing this FOI request to the attention of the national press.
We should also like to thank Danny Sullivan for an earlier FOI request which produced this graph showing that more TfL licensed minicab drivers were involved in sexual assaults and rapes than unlicensed fake drivers.
But… Bob, Steve, Richard…don’t let he truth get in the way of a good story….again.
FROM THE PAPERS:
IN THE SUN
UBER drivers are accused of rape or sex attacks on customers nearly three times a month in London.
They were suspects in 32 cases reported by female passengers in the capital across 12 months.
The tap-and-ride app, which now operates in 20 UK cities, claims to be the “safest ride on the road”.
(Funny, not a word about the AddVan here!)
IN THE MIRROR
Female passengers have made 32 claims of rape or sexual assault against Uber drivers in London over the past 12 months.
The Metropolitan Police Service and West Yorkshire Police released information on reports relating to the minicab app after The Sun requested information from 14 police forces.
West Yorkshire Police received four reports of serious sex assaults and eight violent incidents from February 2015 to February this year.
The Met had recorded 154 allegations including minicabs, private chauffeurs and even rickshaw riders.
(Nothing again about the AddVan!)
IN THE INDEPENDENT
Uber drivers are accused of sexually assaulting or raping customers almost three times a month, according to new figures which have outraged rape campaigners.
Freedom of Information data obtained by The Sun newspaper revealed 32 assault claims were made against employees of the taxi-hailing app in London over the past twelve months, equal to one every eleven days.
(Again, not a word about the AddVan!)
What ever next:
They might even claim the kudos for sorting out St Pancras and not even mention the week long demonstrations organised by Dads Defending Daughters and attended by drivers from every org. Oops, too late…they already have.
Action for Cabbies wholly supports and agrees that all taxis should accept credit cards and that passengers are able to pay fares by cards as well as cash; what we do not support is the ban on transaction surcharges and the surcharges being levied against drivers.
If card payments become as popular as TfL suggest they will be, TfL’s ban is likely to cause annual losses to the taxi industry of over £9m a year, losses the industry can ill afford when it is under unprecedented competition from minicabs.
Therefore, Action for Cabbies has funded a claim brought by driver, Mr James Thomas, for a judicial review of TfL’s decision to ban drivers from passing on transaction fees to passengers where they are paying by card.
The claim was formally served on TfL yesterday, 17 May 2016.
It is our view – and the view of Rosenblatt (Jim’s lawyers) – that TfL’s ban is both unfair and irrational.
A much fairer solution, and one supported by the majority of all respondents during TfL’s 2015 consultation, would have been for TfL to have allowed drivers to charge a surcharge which reflects their transaction fees, but no more than these fees incurred by the driver.
We very much hope that Jim’s claim will encourage TfL to review its decision and adopt this fairer solution.
Thank you for your continued support, stronger together.
Action for Cabbies.
Editorial Comment:
Of course the CC mandate is a great idea, it brings us inline with most of our competitors. But at the same time, we can’t have an open ended agreement where equipment suppliers can raise the odds ever time the opportunity presents itself.
If the percentage of card users rises in line with TfL’s expectations, at present rates, the trade will lose over £9m a year. If the surcharge should rise as contracts come up for renewals, the trade could possibly be losing £18m every year.
It should be left to individual drivers, to decide whether they charge the passenger or not. If using more economical equipment from companies such as iZettle, PayPal or CabApp, all set at around 2.75%, some drivers will feel they can absorb the charge.
But many drivers feel 4-5% plus a 20p transaction charge is an unwelcome expense, which they should be able to claim back from passengers, using their facility.
The trade has to protect itself and should never agree to any arrangements which may put its future in a precarious position.
It’s been alleged that yesterday, the LCDC along with other invited trade organisations who make out the exclusive united trade group (UTG), snubbed the the proposed meeting with Tf under the new Mayor. Reason being, Mike Brown was allegedly insisting that Leon Daniels be present.
Below is the response from TfL’s Mike Brown, in regards to the trade’s snub.
Sadiq Khan who has been heavily lobbied by most of the taxi organisations, and other close and trusted trade supporters, is well versed of the problems within London’s taxi industry. It is believed that once he has his feet under the table and fairly reviewed the structure and processes of the trade that changes will be introduced.
Taxi House Woodfield road. Drivers support Sean Paul Day at complaint hearing.
This afternoon, Sean Paul Day appeared before a complaints committee at Taxi house, accused of lying about the LTDA’s JR bid, they claim was running in parallel with the Action For Cabbies Fundraising campaign.
Drivers turned out to support Sean and the forecourt of Taxi house soon filled to over capacity, with approximately another 50-60 Taxis queuing in Woodfield Road.
Sean faced the committee accompanied by Marc Turner who was not allowed to speak. But Marc was allowed to read a prepared statement in support of Sean, at the end of the meeting.
The hearing lasted just over an hour.
Support from #SaveTaxis group.
Sean was seen leaving the building with supporters, shown to the door by Bob Oddy.
We asked Sean of the outcome and it appears no decision on his future as an LTDA member was made today. He has been told he will be contacted by mail and informed of the committee’s decision in due course ( much in the same way they expelled Mike Calvey).
Below, Oddy is quizzed, ‘where has the money gone Bob?’
“We would always urge passengers to book their journey or make sure they use a properly licensed cab.”
Minicab drivers who operate illegally in Birmingham are being warned they will be caught and face prosecution.
New signs have been installed across Birmingham’s city centre, reminding minicab drivers against breaking the law by touting for on-street business, a specific offence known in the trade as ’plying.’
Almost 50 rogue drivers were found illegally picking up people in the city during the last 18 months as part of a crackdown.
Warning signs informing plyers CCTV is in operation have been erected around the city centre. The 100 reflective signs have been put near prominent entertainment spots including:
Broad Street
Hurst Street
Ladywell Walk
Offenders face penalty points, hefty court fines and being struck off the council’s books.
West Midlands Police works in partnership with Birmingham City Council’s licensing team to tackle illegal plying for hire.
People who accept unbooked lifts from private hire drivers are not insured in the event of being injured in an accident; only Hackney Carriage vehicles can take fares without being booked in advance
These signs leave no excuses for rogue drivers, if they illegally ply for hire they will be caught.
The majority operate legitimately but there are those who seek to take advantage and make extra cash. Some drivers will use weak excuses such as giving a friend a lift home yet are unable to provide their name or address.
We have seen drivers given six to nine points on their licence along with some drivers being disqualified from driving. One driver was left with a court bill of £1,800.
We have received information, from an extremely reliable source, that Leon Daniels is calling an urgent meeting with all trade orgs !
Our source states all trade orgs, but what they actually mean is, only those trade orgs whom TfL allow to sit at their table.
The UCG, HADTU, and the Suburban Drivers Alliance, of course are excluded.
Recently, there has now been a wealth of information made public, which appears to have put Managing Director Leon Daniels’ future with TfL in a precarious position. The meeting looks to all intent and purpose to be an eleventh hour bid to pour calming oil on the troubled waters.
Let’s hope that if this meeting goes ahead, those attending will insist that minutes of this meeting and any future meeting with TfL be made available to the whole trade, soon after the meeting.
Drivers from all orgs and unions are calling for the current unfair exclusions, to be dropped as soon as possible by new Mayor Sadiq Khan. For too long, TfL officials have been able to choose which factions of the trade they meet, with more militant groups left out in the cold.
Inclusion to the Cabbies Cabinet has been used as a bargaining tool and held over the heads of the United trade group member orgs, for too long, seemingly giving TfL the edge at face to face consultations.
Speaking to other drivers at Heathrow today, I was informed that the Hilton hotel, terminal 4 is now operating a rank type system, where the concierge actually calls uber cars up to the main entrance, loads the punters in and off they go.
No prebooked etc zero. Instant rank and hail.
This is apparently happening everyday and you can see Uber at most of the Heathrow hotels doing the same.
The feeder park today was six hours, whilst Uber cars sit on every Terminal drop off, touting and waiting for the ping. They’ve surrounded every nook and cranny at Heathrow, the taxi Marshalls might as well give up.
Four Met police to control four terminals!
Whereas at Gatwick, they have 95 dedicated police officers, plus back up. BAA and HAL are openly allowing this to happen 24/7.
TfL manpower, who should be stopping this illegal practice, were again at Paddington, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, reporting licensed Taxi drivers for the heinous crime of over ranking.
Heathrow in my opinion is on its knees.
13/5/16. Please remember this date.
Heathrow is currently wide open, and we have repeatedly warned the Met for about a potential Uber terrorist attack. Yet they have done nothing, apart from focus on speeding traffic on the Airport boundary roads.
Security at this Airport is a disaster waiting to happen. Uber drivers have turned Heathrow into a Calas type camp.
And for urinating/defecating in residential gardens, they are to be rewarded with their own feeder park.
Unfortunately the main Unions out there in the taxi feeder park seem clueless and have said next to nothing.
Uber are illegally picking up, whilst the law abiding taxi trade stews.
News broke last night, of two emails which have been exposed, showing conversations between TfL’s Leon Daniels and the Head of Uber UK, Jo Bertram.
First, at the GLA Transport committee we had the lie from Leon Daniels ‘They have switch on, switch off insurance’.
Followed by another lie ‘Yes they do have a landline’.
Now we have new terminology, ‘Long Term Pre Booking’ and ‘Short Term Pre Booking’, to cover up the fact that contra to the regulations of Private Hire licensing, Uber don’t do ‘Pre Bookings’.
If you want an Uber car, you have to use the app when your ready to go.
The document, unearthed by the LCDC, seems to help Uber cover up its lack of pre-booking options.
A judge has requested to block the use of credit cards on the Uber app to prevent Uber’s “illegal activity” in the capital. Visa and American express cards are already being rejected.
In the latest move to ban Uber from operating in Argentina, a court order was issued yesterday by the Buenos Aires City Government to block the use of credit cards on the ride-sharing app. In the resolution, the magistrate orders he National Agency of Communications (Enacom) to “arbitrate the necessary measures on the providers who supply Internet service to the company.”
According to the Transportation Ministry, “the application is already blocking credit cards.” Infobae reported that effectively, Visa and American Express users have had some problems paying for Uber. Mastercard however, still works for the moment, apparently.
The impediment comes in response to a request by public prosecutor Martín Lapadú on April 18 to have the Uber webpage and smartphone application blocked. Lapadú put in the request to Enacom to issue the injunction and yesterday Judge Claudia Álvaro ruled that the blockade will be applied to the “City and Greater Buenos Aires Area, until the company conforms to the rules of the capital.”
Álvaro’s reasoning is due to the fact that, in his opinion, the company jeopardizes the health and safety of its passengers by not carrying the relevant insurance or conducting sufficient background checks on its drivers. This is in contrast to local taxi drivers who can pay up to AR $200,000 for a license and are required to go through a rigorous vetting process.
Since Uber arrived in Buenos Aires on April 12th, there have been day-by-day clashes between the company and local taxi drivers. The latest move comes after car-towing, fines, road blockades, office raids and fights between local drivers, all of which have failed to stop Uber from operating in the city.
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