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Dial-a-Cab driver Eddie Lambert covers the PH&T show
at Coventry for Call Sign… Following the disappointing PH&T Show at Wembley last October caused mainly by a clash with half term holidays and religious festivals, the organisers (Private Hire & Taxi Monthly) have changed the format from two shows a year over two days each, to just the one show but to hold it over 3 days. They also changed the venue to the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry, the new home of the Sky Blues - Coventry City Football Club. As Coventry is also the home of LTI and Patons (TW200), both companies ran trips to their factories – something that was popular with many drivers. As usual, the bulk of the space was taken up with a large choice of vehicles. In addition, there was everything you could need to start up and run a radio circuit - from radio equipment of various levels, telephone booking equipment, vehicle navigation equipment and office sundries such as tea, coffee |
PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI SHOW 2006 |
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drinks and even gaming machines! Not forgetting of course, credit card swipe machines, driver sundries such as cleaning agents, greetings boards, receipt pads, licensing plates, roof top lights, alternative fuel systems to reduce emissions, legal advisers, accident cover, driver organisations and even drivers! Incredibly open, a company going under the name of Dunross were advertising that they provide drivers from the Czech Republic already trained and vetted as cabbies! Apparently they run a training school in Prague and train the drivers according to where they are destined for, so a driver going to Plymouth will be trained to know their way around Plymouth whilst one destined for Darlington would be trained for there. Apparently Matrix - a PH operation based in southwest London and part of the RadioTaxis Group, already have 30 drivers sourced by Dunross at |
a cost believed to be £1,000 a head! The company behind Dunross is no stranger to the trade or controversy - it’s Taxifast who control the Taxi-Bank operation that is well known within the trade for trying to takeover everything and doing anything they can to circumvent any obstructions to their desires and who are always quick in trying push any legal obstructions to their plans out of the way (see Aug 2002 Call Sign or online Here One stand I took an interest in was Limoseen, who supply an LED name board that really catches the eye. The only drawback I found when talking to them was the cost of around £70 each (+ VAT). I asked how much for 2,000 explaining that I was a DaC member. They said they had already been down to see Brian Rice and had a good meeting, but could not say much more at present. So Brian, yes - they would be great as this year’s Xmas present or even if DaC sold them at a subsidised price, I for one would be seriously interested. Liza Upson, PH&T Monthly’s organiser for the show was delighted with the response to the new venue and format and told Call Sign she believes that once the trade realises that there is only going to be one show a year, visitor levels will climb even higher with exhibiters having longer to develop products and show bigger advances in between shows. Eddie Lambert (V37) |
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 A TXII Chassis on show at the LTI stand but visitors were also interested in the twincarbs! |
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In a world where technology moves at an astounding pace, DaC Network Administrator Jonathen Winterburn takes an occasional look at the latest gadgets… JON ASKS WHAT’S NEW? |
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 My first tree house consisted of about a dozen pieces of different-sized wood and was only just capable of taking the weight of a 10-year old. It seems things have moved on a little since - especially if you are looking at the new modular tree house from UK design studio Sybarite (www.sybarite-uk.com/009.htm). The 'Concept Tree House' is designed to be built in rural areas of England, where planning authorities frown upon bog standard dwellings that could impact on all that greenery. That said, some ‘flexibility’ of planning regulations would be required to pull this one off! According to the company: |
 How the new treehouse might look "The 'belly' of the tree house accommodates undulating kinetic baffles that utilise wind power to generate electricity. The plan form also meanders to the extent that modular sections can be prefabricated so that the overall size can vary from a single bedroom house up to a five-bedroom model. The prefabricated design can be installed on site within two weeks, is extremely lightweight, uses many recycled products, is part self-sustainable and low on maintenance." As a concept, this may never actually happen and as a reality there's little chance of ever affording it. Still, it beats a dozen pieces of dodgy wood any day…! Jonathen
Winterburn |
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