Dial-a-Cab on the
move…
I wrote in the
last issue of Call Sign
(May) that our efforts to find new
larger premises had been thwarted due to
the property agents attempting to get
DaC involved into a bidding situation –
something that we refused to do. I’m now
pleased to inform you that the position
we took has borne fruit and the agents
have now returned to us and accepted our
original offer, something I suspected
would happen!
Contracts have now been exchanged and we will be free to move to
our new building as from 1 October this
year - although realistically I cannot
see us fully occupying the new building
until the new year.
Our new headquarters is Marten House, which is situated in East
Road approximately 100 metres from our
current position. On a personal note, I
am delighted that we have acquired the
new premises, which will enable us to
make this business even more successful.
I am even more delighted that we stood
by our original decision of not being
cajoled into paying more than our first
offer for the building!
Arbitration election
You will see elsewhere in the magazine,
results regarding the election of the
four new Arbitrators. I would like to
thank everyone that put their names
forward for consideration, but I am very
disappointed with many of you for not
participating in the vote.
1,917 ballot papers were distributed, yet only a miserly 1,024
bothered to return their ballot form.
Whilst I understand that our Arbitrators
are rarely used, that is not the point.
Those of you that didn’t vote, obviously
could not be bothered to take just the
few minutes needed to complete a ballot
form in order to participate in the
Society’s affairs. It does appear that
apathy reigns - even within Dial-a-Cab.
Hundredth issue of
Call Sign
I have just realised that this issue
of the magazine is the 100th
under the Editorship of Alan Fisher. I
am not sure if anyone else has realised
or whether there is any other reference
to this fact elsewhere in the magazine.
I believe that we have the best publication within the taxi
industry and the only one that is
totally uncensored, as well as being one
of the very few that does not include
those ‘made up’ letters which seem to
appear in other magazines/papers.
The magazine is still as fresh today as it was a hundred issues ago
and without doubt the most informative,
which makes our members the
best-informed drivers within our
industry. It is no coincidence that
other publications read Call Sign
in order to obtain stories that will be
of interest. Just this week I read an
article in The Badge by one of
our subscribers who was relating the
situation regarding Kingston and its
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minicab ‘ranks’. I wrote
of that situation in the Chairman’s
report more than two months ago and they
have just caught up with the story!
Still, better late than never and I
suppose copying is the best form of
flattery!
I find it particularly pleasing when I see someone who takes a
pride in what they do and Call Sign
reflects the pride the Editor has in his
position. After all, as I have told him
many times: Alan, you are the only man I
know who can read a letter upside down
on my desk from a 100 metres away – not
that you are nosey or anything – just
investigative journalism I assume!
Anyway, keep up the excellent work Mr
Fisher - ably assisted by your ‘proof
reader’ - and well done!
Winning and retaining
accounts
As you are all aware, we are currently
very successful and I am extremely
pleased to inform you that we have
retained the Rothschild account,
together that of Morgan Stanley after
they both went out to tender. In
addition, as from 1 July we will be
servicing the Citigroup account in
preference to ComCab. We won this
account due to service issues and it is
now up to you, the DaC members, to
decide whether or not you wish to retain
this account.
There is not one other company that can compete with us at the
moment regarding invoicing and the
Management Information Statistics (MIS)
that we can supply to your clients. That
is one of the reasons that we are so
successful. However, at the end of the
day we can have the edge over our
competitors regarding technology, but if
you do not cover the work then we will
lose the accounts – it is as simple as
that and entirely your decision. I
personally feel that the BoM have given
you every advantage over your
competitors – whether you wish to take
that advantage or not is your decision.
You will see elsewhere in this issue of Call Sign
that the Complaints Committee has
expelled many members due to their not
completing the minimum 40 trips per
month. It is obvious to me that the
majority of members take a very dim view
of others who do not ‘pull their weight’
in order that this Society can progress
even further. I am totally confident
that the BoM have done everything we can
in order to give you the tools so |
that we may
progress – the ball is now in your
court! Taxi
Newspaper
I recently read in Taxi Newspaper
an article by Barry Hooper in which he
seems to have his sights set on Geof
Kaley. I have never had a problem with
individuals having differing views, but
what I find particularly distasteful is
when these attacks become personal, as
was the case with Barry’s article.
I’ve known Barry for many years and I am somewhat surprised that he
has resorted to this type of attack, I
always considered him a man of ideals
and principals. Then, as I continued
reading his article, there was also an
unjustified attack on Dial-a-Cab and for
me that was the final straw. There is
not any need for me to defend Geof Kaley
as he is quite capable of doing that
himself, but when I read the nonsense
Barry wrote about DaC, it makes you
wonder whether everything else he had
written was also just the same utter
rubbish?
In my view, Geof Kaley has done more for the radio circuits in
London than any other person. He was the
man that endeavoured to give us that
Polished, Professional, Corporate image
- something that Dial-a-Cab has
emulated. However, since Geof departed
from ComCab, the pupil has overtaken the
teacher and now to have these derogatory
remarks made about him must be
particularly hurtful.
Barry goes on to write that DaC won Citigroup from ComCab because
we were prepared to offer more cars –
utter drivel! Barry knows me well enough
in that all he has to do is pick up the
phone and I would be happy to give him
the facts, then he would not be in the
position of going into print and making
himself look a complete idiot by those
who are in the know. Citigroup
previously had two suppliers - a car
company and ComCab. As from 1 July they
will still have two suppliers - the same
car company and Dial-a-Cab with both
doing the same volumes as in the past. I
can understand Barry feeling somewhat
miffed that we have taken one of
ComCab’s largest accounts, after all,
Barry’s LTDA own a 20% stake of ComCab
so there will be less money going into
the coffers of the LTDA – yes, that I
can understand. But to then come out
with that utter garbage in order to
placate the situation does him no credit
at all. It would appear that he actually
believed the letters that were sent out
to ComCab drivers. As I said before,
Barry, please just pick up the telephone
in future.
Brian Rice
Chairman
Dial-a-Cab |
