Mailshot
Page 34
Call Sign March 2012
Either write to Call Sign at
a road.The driver then placed a barrier on the
outside of his vehicle. I asked if the driver
Dial-a-Cab House
was to be prosecuted for endangering the
or email us at
workforce and if so could they please for-
callsignmag@aol.com
ward me the court date so that I could attend
to give evidence against them. The PCN was
cancelled.
Short, sweet and not
If useful to Mike or any other DaC driver,
then you should write back to Westminster
in touch with me again.
beneficial!
stating these facts and quoting my PCN ref:
If you could do this then I would certainly
Dear Alan
WM71745335. I will of course be available
appreciate it, so thanks in anticipation...
At present the Government is trying to cap
to be a witness for Mike should he require me
Ross Campbell
benefits at £26,000 equivalent to £35,000
as to the legality or otherwise of the PCN.
London Taxi Enthusiast and LVTA mem-
before tax. Running costs for a taxi are
Number two PCN was at the council's money
ber, Liverpool.
approximately *£15,000 per annum, so in
box machine also known as the Piccadilly /
Sorry Ross, but read the next letter ...Ed
order to net £26,000 takings would need to
Berkeley Street yellow box junction.
be £50,000 per annum. Even then, the taxi
I challenged this one on the grounds that
It's goodbye from him...
driver would be worse off as he / she would
the PCN was issued for stopping in a box
be expected to pay council tax, medical pre-
Dear Brian
junction. The case went to the adjudicator. I
scriptions and eye tests etc etc. It doesn't
Many thanks for your kind letter concerning
told him that the exit to the junction was not
sound very fair to me!
my retirement and for your good wishes. I
always easy to see or judge and once I found
*Running costs of £15,000 in my estimate
must admit to feeling very sad on Friday 13
myself there I realised that I should keep mov-
are as follows: Insurance £1000, deprecia-
January when I went to the fitting bay to
ing, which I did with judicious use of the rear
tion £2000, interest £1000, road tax /
have my terminal stripped out after having
brake, creeping forward at aprox 1cm per sec-
accountant / plate / meter £1500, AA /
been with Dial-a-Cab for almost 40 years. DaC
ond. I explained that if the video was watched
maintenance £3000 and fuel £6500. Total
has been a big part of my taxi driving life
in conjunction with the millisecond counter -
£15,000...
since I started in 1958 and I have enjoyed
which it should have been then my expla-
Mike Lyons (Y52)
every moment of being a member of
nation would be verified and as I had not
Good point Mike. Benefits are certainly
London's best radio circuit.
stopped, the offence did not occur. I was not
something we don't get much of as part
I have sold my taxi to an American service-
charged with entering a box junction when
of the Mayor's transport system. If we
man who repairs US planes at their
the exit was blocked and the PCN was
were, your £6,500 fuel total would be
Mildenhall base in Suffolk. When his service
revoked in my favour .
slashed and the words `fifteen years'
over here ends, he is going to take the taxi
I really am fed up to the back teeth with
wouldn't be so hard to listen to ...Ed
back home to the States with him and it is
these councils taking our hard earned money
nice to know that it won't just be scrapped.
for ridiculous PCN's. I'd love to know how
And speaking of Mike
I would like to wish you and everybody at
many buses get them for stopping in box
DaC the best of luck for the future.
Lyons - and his PCNs!
junctions! I also wonder whether there is not
Monty Dobrin (Ex-B56)
some way that we as self-employed single
Hi Alan
There was an article from Monty in the
traders can charge the council for our loss of
I am prompted to write concerning two
January issue regarding his forthcoming
time spent arguing these cases - especially if
PCNs received by fellow drivers, as I received
retirement and the hope that his
we win. I would like to bill them £60 per let-
one of each in the same places! The first was
Fairway would find a loving owner. Our
ter and increase the charge to £100 if not
the case of Mike Lyons (Y52) in January's
thanks to Brian Rice for sharing this let-
paid within 14 days, than set the bailiffs on
Call Sign. If Mike recieved his PCN on
ter with Call Sign ...Ed
them to recover the costs!
08/12/2011 at aprox 15:40hrs, I have some
Stephen Hassan (P95)
news for him. I received my PCN (via a smart
While adjudicators will not accept us as
car) that stated I had stopped in a restricted
Westminster
commercial vehicles, they will accept
road. After viewing the video evidence and
that we make commercial deliveries and
revisiting the site (just past the zebra by the
TaxiCard sign of
therefore come under the 20 minute
toilet in the Strand) I decided to appeal on
waiting rule on single and double yellow
the times???
two grounds. The grounds for the appeal
lines providing there are no special
were that the road marking is a single yellow
Dear Sir
timed restrictions as in no stopping at
line and as I have a PLG (Private Light Goods)
Due to their financial cutbacks,Westminster's
any time etc. As for the 1cm per second
licence, as all taxi drivers do, I am entitled to
Transport Department will not be renewing
movement, that is perfectly legal provid-
load for 20 minutes. Ok, I made no mention
my TaxiCard despite my being 88 years old
ing you don't eventually run out of road
of using the nearby facilities - which I did
and completely blind. So I am writing to
space! ...Ed
before going on to `unload' some goods at a
thank Dial-a-Cab for all the wonderful service
nearby watchmaker! I stated that there were
I have had from you over the years. My regu-
Monty's Fairway please...
no signs on either side of the road from the
lar weekly return journey from Waitrose in
crossing to the beginning of the church
Alan,
the Kings Road to my flat in the Westminster
access road, therefore in my opinion I was
Just a quick not to see if you can help me out.
Alms houses has been full of interesting con-
entitled to load/unload on that stretch of
I have just been reading the article in the
versation with your drivers and I shall miss it
road. The reply to that argument was that
January Call Sign regarding Monty Dobrin
very much.
there is signage at several places within the
(B56) and his impending retirement. I had
Please convey my gratitude and best wish-
city stating unloading / loading times.
spoken to Monty towards the back end of last
es to your staff and all your taxi drivers.
However they still cancelled the PCN. Had
year regarding his Fairway and we had talked
Mrs H.P.Raines
they not done so I would have taken it to the
about him passing it over to me for preserva-
London SW1
adjudicator. The second part of my appeal -
tion after its working days are over this
Sorry to hear about the loss of your
and possibly of interest to Mike was as I
month. I'd said to him that I'd be back in
TaxiCard Mrs Raines. It sounds very
explained to the council, that the driver of
touch, but unfortunately I've managed to mis-
harsh and if it was up to Dial-a-Cab, you
the `smart car' taking photos was himself ille-
place his telephone number. I wonder if you'd
would undoubtedly still have it. But
gally parked having removed a barrier which
be able to pass a message somehow to him via
sadly it is out of their hands ...Ed
was in place to protect workforce digging up
the radio circuit so that he may be able to get
