Call Sign March 2012
Page 20
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2011 DAC AGM
continued from page 19
ger, they would take little notice. However, it would be different if that
be paying for all our new equipment and that even after that, we would
cab had its' for hire sign on. He said that in his view, when yellow badges
still be in a very healthy position because we had always looked after
were introduced in the 1930s, they should have had identifiers straight
our money and mentioned that we currently had in excess of £7million
away. He added that he felt certain that there were some yellow badges
in the bank. Looking at any takeover at present would be a very risky
that either worked in town or were working outside of their own sector
business he added, but also reminded everyone that we were talking
and it shouldn't be allowed as they did not have the knowledge that we
about our fellow taxi drivers and we shouldn't be looking at destroy-
did in London or of another zone. Roy then quoted two instances from
ing another circuit because when it came to it, we were all taxi drivers
Call Sign, one where the driver had obviously used a satnav with a sec-
"...and I personally wouldn't want to see any harm coming to those
ond driver who had been rude to Allen Togwell."They were both green
drivers."
badges," Roy said.
A driver asked from the floor whether it was true that RTG had lost
Showing much knowledge on the suburban scene, Roy went on to talk
the UBS account and Brian confirmed it, adding that we had also ten-
about how attempts were being made to get yellow badges away from the
dered for the account but that ComCab had won it. The Chairman
E14 `Island' and Greenwich suburban drivers away from London City
added that our tender was very competitive with an extremely low
Airport. He then spoke about the east London drivers who used to cover
service charge, but part of the winning tender included no driver gra-
O2 work in the evening and that they wouldn't be able to do it anymore
tuity. Brian said that he still believes that price denotes service and
because it wasn't their sector. He reiterated that in his view we were
that if you don't pay the rate, then when it gets busy you won't get the
heading towards a divide and conquer mentality feeling that suburban
service. He also spoke about a system in someone else's tender that
drivers should be able to work in any suburban sector. Brian disagreed
suggested arriving at a customer's address with a dead clock, then
saying that drivers should only be allowed to work in the sector that they
starting it and adding £2 at the end. Besides probably costing the
were licensed for. Roy went on to say that he was concerned John Griffin
client more rather than less, Brian considered that it would be illegal
would step in as we divided and Brian actually said that he wouldn't be
as you were charging more than the metered fare.
surprised to hear that some yellow badge drivers might give up their
Gerry Allen (E19):
licence and start work for AL because they had been taking green badge
work and without that, they would suddenly find their takings going
Gerry spoke about the "reverse"
down. He also thought that yellow badge areas were reaching saturation
run-ins that Brian had just spoken
point but that if they were forced to stick to their own sectors, then the
about and Brian confirmed that if
situation could improve. He said he realised that some people were try-
a fixed price went over what the
ing to discredit both John Mason and Helen Chapman at LTPH, but
meter showed, it classified as
Brian thought they were doing a good job under difficult circumstances.
being illegal. In ending, Brian
He added that some groups thought there was a secret agenda at Palestra,
congratulated Gerry on his
but Brian disagreed and thought they really were trying to update the
Marshalling at both House of
trade and gave some examples of that.
Commons and Lords and told the
DaC driver that both Houses had
John Rubini (F55):
spoken very highly of him. Gerry
John returned to the lectern and asked what arrangements we had
got as much of a round of
with minicab companies. He asked who was on Concierge. Brian gave
applause as it's possible to get in
a list of car companies but added that these were selected by clients
a large hall able to hold around
and were nothing to do with us. John asked what effect Concierge
200 drivers but "filled" with just 30 of us including one whose fin-
was having on us and Brian said that most of our work on Concierge
ger was changing from mauve to an orangey shade of blue! But brave
was holding up well except for one city account, whose use of cars
soul that he is, the editor continued with only the occasional painful
had gone up. John asked about one large account that was on the
wince!
verge of moving to the Island and whether that would make any dif-
Roy Hayden (L38):
ference to their usage. Brian didn't think it would other than some of
their fixed price trips that returned into town would have to be
Roy asked about a headline in the
increased.
Evening Standard that inferred a
22% fare increase during the sum-
Divyesh Ruparelia (V59):
mer Olympics was still "on the
Divyesh was last up. He asked
cards." Brian told of an earlier meet-
why we couldn't do away with our
ing at Palestra with John Mason
gratuity to improve our competi-
where the Chairman was told that
tiveness? Brian repeated his view
there would be a 5.3% fare increase,
that our service could drop if gra-
which included an extra 20p flag
tuities were dropped. He added
drop. Any suggestion of a further
that some accounts now had a
increase for the Games was a non-
capped gratuity of £2.50 but that if
starter and not even discussed.
he were to ask drivers whether
Brian believed that there are some
they wanted to give it up altogeth-
out there who had tried to make political capital by talking of "greedy
er, driver's views would be split
cab drivers," but again said that the suggestion was never going to be
down the middle.
taken seriously.
The meeting ended at 12.30 with Brian thanking all those who had
Roy then brought in a non-DaC topic when asking whether the new
made the effort to get to the HAC in such atrocious conditions.
green and yellow identifying stickers was a form of divide and conquer
among taxi drivers, saying that one day we may need those 3600 subur-
ban drivers. Brian gave a personal view that he wasn't against the stick-
ers although he added that the other two circuits might not agree as they
Alan Fisher
both had suburban drivers in their fleets. Brian's view was that if one of
Whose typing finger is now going for a long soak!
our drivers saw a yellow badge driving down Kings Road with a passen-
