Page 22
Call Sign March 2012
With the Mayoral elections
London Mayoral elections
looming in May, candidates will
be fishing for votes and possibly
Who's best for
making promises in order to win
favour with the electorate! And
there cannot be a more hotly
contested fight than that
taxi trade?
between the candidates for the
prestigious title of Mayor of
London.
So to give the candidates some food for
thought and win over the hearts of taxi drivers
Robert Moss (D08):
Ian MacDonald (C64):
throughout the metropolis, Call Sign sought
some suggestions from Dial-a-Cab drivers as
"I would like to see the
"The next Mayor must
to what they would like implemented that
Mayor cancel PH satellite
keep bearing down on
could improve life in the capital...
offices because they are
touting in the interests of
so hard to police and mas-
public safety. And while
sively open to abuse.As an
we're on a public safety
Bob Jones (H74):
added incentive for my
theme, if the Mayor were
"Boris said in his previous
vote, I would like to see
able to control pedicabs via the police on the
manifesto
that
he
fewer traffic lights to assist traffic flow and
grounds of causing an obstruction - as they do -
promised to get rid of the
finally, the Mayor should force all pedal cyclists
that would be most gratifying."
bendy buses and he has
to wear safety helmets!"
done just that. For a politi-
cian to keep his word is
Ronnie Marlow (L81):
Keith Reading (W76):
great! But if there's one
"I would like the winning
thing he could do to win my vote, it would be
"Please Mr Mayor, stop
candidate to insist that the
to make cyclists pay for their own cycle lanes
widening the pavements
boroughs especially
and facilities instead of costs coming out of
and therefore restricting
Westminster - be more
general road tax users coffers. That would get
the roadways under the
lenient towards we taxi
my `X' in his box!"
guise
of `pedestrian
drivers with regard to
enhancement` schemes
PCNs
and
parking
that actually reduce traffic
Tony Lewis (F42):
enforcement in general. If the passenger takes 2
flow and therefore have a negative effect on air
"Bendy buses going are
or 3 minutes to come out to the cab, or they are
quality as we all sit in almost stationary traffic.
great, but I'd also like to
This is especially true of those endless road
slow to alight, that seems to be a perfect oppor-
see a new Mayor get rid of
works all over London where a big deep hole is
tunity for some jobsworth to send a ticket in
pedicabs from the streets.
dug up and nothing seems to happen for ages.A
the post or slap one on the windscreen! If you
They
park
outside
Mayor should bang heads together of those utili-
can prove you were waiting with good reason,
Hamleys and theatres,
ty planners in order to get the job finished."
the ticket should be scrubbed without further
block bus lanes and road-
ado. End of story!"
© Call Sign Magazine MMX11
ways so that taxis can't pick up or set down.
Then when they are on the move, they go so
slowly that they hold up everything behind
Bernie Cochrane (V92):
them. Restrict them to running around Hyde
"I'd vote for any candidate
Park, like they do in Central Park, New York
promising to remove pedi-
City. Here, they are just a dangerous menace!"
cabs from the streets of
London. They are a danger
Robert Donald (O47):
to everyone including
taxis, other road users and
"I think all cyclists, espe-
pedestrians alike simple!"
cially the `Boris Bikes'
brigade, should undergo a
cycling proficiency test,
Tony Osborn (S45):
carry third party insur-
ance and clearly display
"Access to the Olympic
that fact on their bike
Route Network (ORN)
before being let loose onto the streets. The
lanes would have been so
Barclays biking scheme should hold a registra-
beneficial to the taxi trade
tion database of responsible, certificated hirers
and its' passengers, espe-
before the bikes can be accessed from the
cially those actually
mooring harnesses. I saw two cyclists coming
attending Olympic events.
towards me in Bond Street, obviously peddling
I do not want to have to charge an excess
in the wrong direction against the flow of traf-
amount of money because I am stuck in traffic
fic and when I pointed out that it was danger-
or forced to use a circuitous route. It would not
ous for them as well as other road users, they
be fair to the public and particularly so if they
kindly offered to re-arrange my teeth! I gra-
had no interest in the Games but got caught up
ciously declined their offer by driving off in a
cloud of smoke! Anyway, I'll be voting for Boris
in traffic through no fault of their own. A
because I do not trust Ken, I think he is a `med-
promise to do that could win Boris the taxi
dler' and I have no confidence in him at all."
trade at election time."
