Call Sign July 2007 - Page 10 - COMPLIANCE OFFICER’S REPORT

COMPLIANCE OFFICER’S REPORT
Hello ladies and gents, This is my first report as Compliance Officer for our Society and in the short time that I have been in this important position, I realise even more what a responsible role it is and how hard it can sometimes be to evaluate the information from all sides and come to the appropriate decision. I believe my experience and understanding of the Licensed Taxi trade and my varied roles since you, the members elected me to the Board of Management, will certainly stand me in good stead. I feel this is an ideal opportunity to mention a little about my role as Compliance Officer and to give a brief explanation of what happens when either a full member or journeyman is the subject of a complaint and, of course, the manner in which a complaints meeting operates. Firstly, as my title indicates, my role is ensure that all of our members operate within the rules of our Society, be it by their actions, manner and their endeavouring to follow procedures. In the event I’m given notice of a member not following procedures or who has allegedly committed a misdemeanour, I will attempt to contact that member to discuss the issue or request in writing their version of the complaint. The outcome may result in no further action, or I may consider it necessary to issue a warning or severe reprimand, which will then go onto the driver’s record and is the maximum of which I have the power to administer. If in my judgement I believe the committee should hear the alleged offence, I will inform the member of that decision together with a date on which the hearing will take place. A complaints hearing consists of a committee made up of three drivers picked at random, plus a Chairman (selected from the Board of Management) whose role is to ensure the meeting is conducted in a proper and fair manner in accordance with Society rules and procedures. The committee, who after hearing the details presented by me, may ask questions of the	complainant, after which both the complainant and myself will leave the meeting whilst the committee in the presence of the Chairman deliberates. It is the sole responsibility of the committee only to reach a verdict and administer a penalty should one be deemed necessary. The Chairman is not permitted to influence or direct any of the committee in their decision, however he can be called upon for guidance and advice if so requested. The complainant can appeal against a judgment they feel may be undeserved and the appeal will be heard by the remainder of the Board who have no previous knowledge of the complaint. The sentence could be reduced or increased. Complaints are received pretty much on a daily basis from all angles and it is my job to safeguard the reputation of our Society and of you the members. I realise some of the decisions I will have to make may be difficult, but my role as I have already mentioned is to make sure all our rules and regulations are followed correctly and fairly for everyone and this is what I will try my hardest to do - I am my own man. I have taken on board a lot of what previous Complaints Officer, Tom Whitbread, already had in place, but I will add my own input and hope to carry out the role with integrity and make any necessary changes for the good of the Society. In my short period in this particular role there are a few important issues that have come to light that I would like to bring to your attention and which I hope you will all take on Board. Please remember that working ranks are physical and that you must be on them before you	actually book in. The call centre monitor GPS to ensure that queue position number one should always be the first Dial-a-Cab driver on all ranks (especially E14C, E14S and W101). The only exception would be a taxi that was cancelled which as you know, would revert back to the head of the queue in the number one position. This will be closely observed. If your journey takes you beyond the M25, please remember to inform the call centre of the actual destination e.g. Southend and not just E99 or Essex. This is very important and failure to update the correct destination will often result in late payment. If you are instructed by a client to take a longer route such as the M25 or North Circular, please authorise the trip through the call centre at the beginning of the journey before making any final choice of route. Using the M25 may at times be quicker, but it can significantly increase the meter fare and clients are now rightly more conscious of their invoice charges. Please read your trip details carefully and follow any additional information that may be added - remember some trips have more than one page of information. The Society rules and procedures we work from are there to make it fair for everyone. I have listed a number of points that will now be closely monitored and once again, I hope that all of you will operate within these guidelines at all times. After already speaking to many of you over the past month, it is quite clear that you want me to carry on Tom Whitbread’s good work and enforce the correct rules in a fair and just way and to take appropriate action if they are broken. Please don’t give me the need to contact you for a breach of these rules. I firmly believe that on Dial-a-Cab, we have the fairest system and the best selection of drivers in the taxi trade - let’s all work together and keep it that way, it will certainly make my job a little easier. Allan Evans DaC Compliance Officer

Call Sign Home Page

Page 14