26 January 2015
RMT Press Office:
RMT London Taxi Drivers today registered their dismay at comments made by Sir Peter Hendy regarding the licensed taxi trade that it is ‘not the job of TFL to protect the taxi trade, but the public’.
In an interview with London’s Evening Standard the Transport Commissioners’ comments have exposed his gross ignorance of the trade.
As a highly regulated service, the licensed taxi industry provides the public with a safe, secure travel option. Protecting the standards of the industry in turn protect the public.
Sir Peter Hendy has added ignorance to insult through comments on the ‘archaic’ legislation that governs the taxi industry while failing to cite a single one and instead choosing to refer to an interpretative almanac of taxi law written by James Button QC.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;
“Sir Peter Hendy seems unable to grasp the basic concept of legislative law as he continues in his defiant defence of smartphone app Uber while offering the meaningless drivel that TFL ‘try to apply the law fairly’.
“Whilst TFL may be able to argue that they do not have a duty of care to taxi drivers in the legal sense of the phrase, as regulator it is unquestionably their responsibility to enforce legislation Parliament has seen fit to allow to remain in force regarding the comparative roles of both Taxis & PHVs.
“TFL should not allow the roles to become blurred without the authorisation of Parliament.His comments and attitude are in step with the recent GLA investigation Future Proof: Taxi & Private Hire Services in London which found TFL’s management of the trade ‘woefully inadequate’.”
Ends
