Call Sign October 2015

Page 3

from the editor’s desk

Luddites? Us?

this issue, Dial-a-Cab driver Marc Turner (R97)

reveals that at least one garage owner sees noth-

The Luddites were 19th century self-employed

weavers who feared the end of their trade and

ing wrong in supplying both us and the U-men

and in full view of everyone - well in front of

protested against new labour saving devices.

Generally speaking, referring to someone or a

Marc’s camera!

Even Marc admits that the garage concerned is

group of people as Luddites is considered to be an

insult.

doing nothing wrong, so for drivers who agree

with that sentiment, just ignore Marc’s article and

At City Hall on Wednesday 16 September, Mayor

Boris Johnson in a moment of pique, referred to

carry on looking downwards, hoping that some-

one else will make everything ok again.

the most respected taxi service in the world as

Luddites when answering a question on electric

Travis Kalanick’s Uber could be aligned to the

proverbial snake in the grass; but the question is

taxis at Mayors Question Time. So let me explain

something to Boris: There is only one Luddite here

whether they should be looked on as a legitimate

part of London’s transport system as per TfL’s

and that is you. There is only one person here who

has spent multi-£millions on bringing back the two

requirements.

This magazine has reported on at least two occa-

wheeled transport that was so popular around 100

years ago. There is only one person here who in

sions on Addy Lee drivers doing something stupid.

On one occasion that included deliberately run-

order to clean our atmosphere of pollutants, has

introduced more roadworks and traffic congestion

ning someone over in Knightsbridge! But let’s be

honest, we’ve also reported on two taxi drivers -

than we have ever seen before. London is now

a Freedom of Information request, it would be

choking and at a standstill. There is only one per-

interesting to ask how much TfL earn from taxi and

neither of them on DaC - who were found guilty

of rape. Sadly, it’s the numbers game. There are

son here under whose reign the capital city is get-

minicabs, compared to how much they earn from

ting speed limits more suited to the horse and cart.

cyclists... and then find out who they spend the

25,000 of us and the law of averages says the a few

will be wrong ‘uns. The same with Addy and co

And it’s all down to you, Mr Mayor! If you stay at

most money on???

City Hall much longer, we may see the reintroduc-

because as painful as it is to admit it, they are a

respectable private hire company who will do

tion of the horse and cart, because we are

Syrian refugees

undoubtedly going backwards.

You would have to have a heart of stone not to feel

whatever it takes to become even more successful

- but will not do so illegally.

So is there anything you can do to help? Well

sad about what is happening in Syria. Those

you could admit that your tenure has been an

Syrians lucky enough to get out of their war-torn

So compare that to Uber; a recent Freedom of

Information request to the Metropolitan Police

abject failure and that your legacy has been to

country - even luckier if they have managed it with

bring London to a halt and make Londoners afraid

their family intact - then have to find somewhere

asked how many times Uber had been mentioned

in crime reports for the 12 months up until March

to breathe in. And perhaps you could do us all a

to go. There was never any doubt that the UK

favour and go now. We’ll cope without you...!!!

would take a large number because that’s what we

2015. Anyone fancy having a guess? Twenty? Fifty?

A hundred??? Would it surprise you to know that

do. If the cause is just, we support it.

It reminds me of the work cancer charities do;

TFL’s baby has been mentioned no less than 600

Luddites... or a nation of

times! But of course, as we all know, TfL treat them

medical research teams are coming up with the

wusses?

exactly the same as any other PH company. Mind

most amazing treatments that can help prolong

TfL and the Mayor have announced a doubling of

you, they’d be hard pressed to find any other com-

the life of those patients that have been affected by

Pedestrian Countdown crossing sites by this time

pany mentioned that many times in crime reports

any form of cancer. Is that thanks to the govern-

next year when around 800 London crossings will

to actually compare Uber with!

ment? Well yes, some money does go into research,

have a Pedestrian Countdown clock.

They do say that the whole world is mad except

but it’s the individuals who donate to charity that

In addition, there are to be eight new 20mph

me and thee - and even thee is a bit daft!

provide so much of the money they need - albeit

speed limits pilot schemes on the TfL Road

Hmmmm...

never enough.

Network added to the 25% of all London roads

So I have a question that must be asked; at the

that are already 20mph. Lambeth and Hackney

And another close-down

time of writing, no one really knows the exact

will be introducing 20mph on their roads later

If you work on Sundays, you will be used to the

number of Syrian refugees that will come to these

this year.

traffic problems caused by the closure of the Royal

shores - even accepting the 20,000 over 5 years -

As no one else will say it, let me be the first: We

parks and the constant messages on DaC terminals

but going by TV news reports, these are not beg-

are becoming a nation of wusses! Don’t get me

asking if The Mall is open yet.

gars and they will be looking for work so that they

wrong, every single one of the 64 pedestrian

There were the four consecutive Sundays when

can provide for themselves without being a drain

deaths in 2014 was a tragedy; many have a family

Regent Street closed to traffic and no one could

on the state. That begs the question as to where

to whom that person isn’t just a statistic but some-

move. Disabled passenger wanting to go shop-

those jobs are, because contrary to government fig-

one who was loved. The same applies to the 13

ping? Tough! That was followed soon after for a

ures there are many who already just cannot find a

pedal cyclists that died. Every single one is a tragic

complete weekend closure thanks to the

job. So will they then make their way to

death, but should those untimely deaths mean that

RideLondon event when even taxis and buses

Caledonian Road to sign up with Uber? You say

the whole way we drive changes? I’m sorry to say

were stuffed if they wanted to cross the river - or

no, because they will not be able to provide the

that my answer is no...

even cross the A4 at Cromwell Road. If you worked

Disclosure and Barring Service requirement

How many times have you waited for a set of

that weekend, then you either reduced many of

(formerly the CRB) or the three years driving expe-

traffic signals to change to green, even though no

the fares through the embarrassment of how much

one was crossing and you just sit there watching

rience needed before they can operate a Private

simple journeys came to, or you just cut your loss-

Hire vehicle. But you’d be wrong, because

es and went home - which many did.

the clock count down? By the same token, how

many times have you seen pedestrians take their

Transport for London say refugees who have

Then we saw the cycling Tour of Britain on

lives into their hands by dashing across the street

applied for asylum will not be required to undergo

Sunday 13 September with road closures all over

in between traffic? How many times have you seen

such checks!

the centre again, especially in the Whitehall and

cyclists totally disregard lights or speed along in

This country needs to do what it can to help

Westminster areas. Want to get to Waterloo? Not

and out of slow-moving traffic and hit - or almost

these people, but whatever work they eventually

over this bridge mate!

hit - someone crossing the road? In fact, is there

find must NOT be in connection with driving a

We have to accept that as one of the biggest

anyone on Dial-a-Cab who can honestly answer

PHV unless they can provide the same documents

tourist destinations in the world, we are always

“never” to the above three questions? Of course

that we and legitimate PH drivers have to have

going to have big events taking place. So if we say

there’s not, so isn’t it about time that pedestrians

before gaining a licence.

that RideLondon put us on the map and so did the

and cyclists took some responsibility for them-

Tour of Britain, why did Regent Street have to be

selves. Why should today’s hi-tech cars have to go

closed for four Sundays. And more importantly,

Can Uber and taxis work

along at a ridiculously slow 20mph - in a manual

shouldn’t taxis be given some kind of priority?

drive car it actually forces you to drive in a lower

together?

What’s the point of our wheelchair access?

gear and pump out even more emissions.

Ok, it’s a stupid question and the answer is obvi-

Mr Mayor, can you yet see why no one in this

If the Mayor truly believes that the deaths are

ously no. In fact there is more chance of us link-

trade believes a word you say...???

the fault of motorists, why doesn’t he reduce the

ing up with Addison Lee - and that is so unlikely

Alan Fisher

speed limit to 5mph or even ban us all. Perhaps as

as to be almost irrelevant! Nevertheless, inside

callsignmag@aol.com

Call Sign October 2015

Page 4

It was Harold Wilson who said a week was a

threatens to clear the auditorium. After 15 min-

utes, it became noisy again and the occupants

long time in politics. Well it certainly is, as it

were told to leave - no one did. The Mayor

appears that politics and the licensed taxi

then went on to call taxi drivers Luddites and

industry in London can be turned on its head

within just 24 hours!

that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

On 15th September, there was a debate in

You can just imagine the reaction. City Hall

Security moved in and although a few drivers

Westminster Hall regarding the London Taxi

got up to leave, they were persuaded to stay by

industry and the unfair competition we face.

the remainder. The police then arrived and per-

It’s probably fair to say that most MPs that

spoke were in total agreement and extremely

suaded drivers to leave; some still wouldn’t but

complimentary regarding our trade. Of course

police reinforcements arrived and the meeting

came to an abrupt end.

we had total support from new MP for

The Mayors behaviour towards the trade was

Kensington and Chelsea, Victoria Borwick.

appalling; the man who courted us in 2007/8

But as most of you are aware, she has always

supported the taxi industry in London - not

had the sole intention of antagonising the dri-

only when her husband Jamie was Chairman of

that Messrs Khan and Goldsmith do have a

vers that were present - and he succeeded. We

forget that Boris Johnson is a professional

Manganes Bronze, but at every opportunity

good grasp of our trade, the latter even stating

politician and he achieved everything he want-

since and especially when she was Deputy

that it was illegal to cap PH licences and that the

ed to by infuriating drivers. We, in turn, played

Mayor at the GLA and Member of the London

only way to cap their numbers was for them to

Assembly on the Transport Committee.

complete a watered down KoL - which would

right into his hands by reacting to his remarks.

Other notables that sang our praises were the

also ensure that English was spoken. Not sure

He knows the trade’s morale is at an all-time

low and that taxi drivers are angry and worried

debate’s instigator Zac Goldsmith, MP for

where he got that idea from - must be from that

about their futures. He knew it wouldn’t take

Richmond Park and North Kingston and Sadiq

chap that writes every month in Call Sign!

too much for drivers to react.

Khan, MP for Tooting. Both these politicians

We then move on the 24 hours I wrote of ear-

warned of the dangers that the London trade

lier with the venue moving from Westminster

I’m told that a Security Guard was injured

faced and were extremely supportive of our

Hall to City Hall where we have Mayors

when a door was opened and he tripped, but

that was not how it was reported in the news

cause.

Question Time and members of the public can

that day. That claimed angry taxi drivers demon-

I’m sure both these gentlemen are sincere

attend. This had been widely publicised and

strated at City Hall and a Security Guard was

with their sentiments, but I can’t help but won-

hundreds of extremely concerned taxi drivers

der if both - being professional politicians - also

attended and were packed in like sardines, with

injured. In an interview, the Mayor backed that

have their eye on a bigger picture; Zac

the upstairs overflow having to be opened.

claim up. But I am led to believe that that was-

n’t what happened.

Goldsmith as the prospective Tory candidate

Even so, many drivers were locked out.

I totally support the drivers that attended

for the Mayoral election next May and Sadiq

Val Shawcross, a great ally to the taxi trade,

and agree with their sentiments, but we must

Khan when standing for the Labour Party. Now

met the drivers outside and informed them

whilst I agree with most of what they said, I

there was not much on the agenda regarding

learn from this episode and not put ourselves

can’t help thinking back to the Mayoral election

taxis, but that she’d point out to the Mayor why

in a position where experienced politicians can

turn the tables on us and make us look like the

in 2008 when a certain Boris Johnson courted

so many drivers were there. Anyway, that great

aggressors, whilst they are the victims.

the cab trade, visiting our watering holes and

friend of the taxi trade back in 2007/8 - ie Mayor

So there you have it; 24 hours in the life of

was extremely complimentary towards the

of London Boris Johnson - entered the audito-

trade. He also did a job on the LCDC because if

rium to be welcomed by a lot of booing!

the trade and where we are turned from heroes

I remember correctly, they even went as far as

Naturally, Boris just smiled.

to villains by professional politicians.

having receipt pads printed that were in sup-

The debate discusses the reduction in the

Brian Rice

port of the-then prospective Mayor. Seven years

number of Police Community Support Officers

Chairman

on and there is not any doubt in my mind that

(PCSOs) and the Mayor takes a real grilling, the

Dial-a-Cab

Boris Johnson has not been a friend of the taxi

industry during his term in office and to this

day I don’t believe he even understands our

industry. When he says he will put a cap on

minicab licence numbers, he can’t because it is

illegal and then he goes on to say our trade

PAUL’S TAXI SPECIALISTS LTD

operates in a free market; that just proves how

little he understands the issues facing us. Taxi

drivers spend on average 4 years and 2 months

Unit 10, Ford View Industrial Estate, 83 New Rd Rainham, RM13 8ET

completing the KoL. We are then told what

vehicle to purchase that by law has to be wheel-

chair accessible and then what tariff to charge.

Tel: 01708 553037

How on earth is that a free market?

FREE AIR FILTER WITH EVERY SERVIC

WE ALSO HAVE CABS FOR RENT

I’m hopeful that my scepticism is wasted

on our two new friends and whomever is

TX1 servicing from £48

TX1s, TX2s, TX4s and Vitos

elected in May supports us as they did in

TX2 servicing from £70

Rentals from £165 per week

the House of Commons when they were

TX4 servicing from £90

looking to gain support from taxi driver’s

votes.

All Work Undertaken

I’ve neglected to mention the leader of the

Lib Dems on the London Assembly, Caroline

Servicing - Running Repairs - Overhauls - Small Fleets Welcome - Discounts Available

All TX1, TX2, TX4

Pidgeon, the only reason being is that she is

not an MP and was not present at the debate.

Starters - Batteries - Alternators - All with 2 year Warranty

This lady is a real friend of the Taxi industry and

has been since she was elected to the London

Fax: 01708 551443

Web: www.PaulsTaxiSpecialists.co.uk

Assembly back in 2008. However, reading

through the transcript of the debate it appears

Call Sign October 2015

Page 5

MAYORAL CANDIDATES PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION ON TAXIS

Tuesday 15 September saw a 90

Transport Minister

Andrew Jones said that

minute debate in Westminster

London’s taxis were the

Hall on the future of London’s

gold standard right

taxi fleet called by Tory MP for

across the world. He

Richmond Park and London

said that there was cur-

rently no legislation in

Mayor hopeful, Zac Goldsmith.

London - or anywhere

This was exactly 24 hours before

else - that would allow

the trade gathered en masse at

the number of private

City Hall.

hire vehicles to be limit-

Without efforts to balance the playing field,

ed. But he added that

the capital would lose its iconic black cabs, Mr

officials were working

Goldsmith warned. He said that London's taxis

closely with TfL and

were famous around the world and remained

said that he thought we

an absolutely vital part of the capital’s trans-

needed to look at the

port system. He went on to call for more clar-

issue and develop the

ity in the regulatory system as he voiced con-

evidence required to

cerns that London taxis could become “extinct

consider whether legis-

Zac Goldsmith

in a matter of years” unless action was taken.

lation needed to change.

Labour Mayoral candidate and MP for

Mr Goldsmith, who is also a staunch envi-

Mr Jones said that new technology was chal-

Tooting, Sadiq Khan, said that both TfL and

ronmental campaigner, said that taxis could

lenging traditional operating boundaries

the Government had failed to enforce

ply for hire, wait at ranks, had fares and strin-

between the taxi and PH trades and was

existing legislation and also failed to pro-

gent service standards set by TfL; while PH

straining the relationship between TfL and the

vide new regulations to ensure new

vehicles had to be pre-booked, could not legal-

industry. He said Government was fully aware

entrants to the market operated fairly.

ly ply for hire, did not have fares set by TfL or

of changes and challenges that were affecting

Mr Khan added: “Rather than a race to the

have to pass The Knowledge.

the taxi and private hire vehicle industry in

bottom in deregulating the black cab, should-

He said: “The emergence of Uber has turned

London and elsewhere within the country.

n't there be innovation of regulation of the pri-

the system onto its head and because of the

He ended by saying that he could not yet

vate hire vehicles and Uber in particular, to

speed of the Uber App, their cars are effective-

give a date for when the Government would

make sure there is a level playing field?”

ly hailed by users, thereby evaporating the one

be responding to the Law Commission

He went on to warn that the rise in numbers

key advantage enjoyed by black cabs.”

report on the issue, but added the work had

of private hire vehicles in London would lead

The Tory Mayoral candidate said that

been “extremely powerful.”

to problems of further congestion, pollution,

licensed black cabs should be helped to switch

Labour MP Grahame M. Morris brought up

illegal parking and the “death of the black cab

to contactless payment systems, while also

the question of what damage the huge influx

as we know it.”

adding that there was a case for subsidising the

of minicab drivers had on air quality and con-

He urged Government to bring forward leg-

process. He added that taxis were already

gestion in central London, while new

islation which provided a clear definition to

adapting quickly and from 2018 all new taxis

Kensington and Chelsea MP and GLA member

protect the distinction between taxis and pri-

would be zero emission capable.

Victoria Borwick gave a rundown of her fam-

vate hire vehicles, claiming that it was really

He said: “I think we need to try and find a

ily’s involvement with the licensed taxi trade

important that the Minister and the current

way to maintain the two tier system that dis-

and gave an eloquent speech on why this trade

Mayor responded “...because if they don't,

tinguishes between (mini)cabs and taxis. I

is unique and should be preserved.

then the next mayor will.”

absolutely do not want to deny people the

Perhaps the best points so far as this

Mr Goldsmith said costs were piled

choice that they clearly want and need in

trade’s drivers are concerned came from

onto black cabs by regulation and they

London, so there's no question of banning

Tottenham MP David Lammy. He spoke of

were already the most regulated taxis in

Uber, but I do think there is a need to have

visiting Courtney Connell’s Knowledge

the world by far, while standards among

more clarity in the regulatory system.

school in Bethnal Green and what those

private hire vehicles needed to be raised.

“It is an unarguable fact, in my view, that

attending had to go through in order to get

He said he wouldn’t think twice about

without efforts to balance the playing field we

a Badge. He spoke of the dedication needed

putting any of his children into a taxi, but

will lose the black cab in London... and

and referred to it as an institution before

worried that they could become extinct in

London, I have no doubt, will be a lot poorer

speaking of Uber and saying that the

a matter of years.

for it.”

Government’s slightly relaxed attitude to

international companies that do not pay tax

in this country “had to stop.”

He added: “Of course such a company can

Hammersmith Flyover

undercut established institutions. It is well

known across the world that people can

refurbishment completed

arrive in London, get a second-hand vehicle,

jump through very few hoops—the bar is so

ajor work to strengthen the Hammersmith Flyover has now been com-

low—go to the Uber office, get the technolo-

pleted. The refurbishment took two years and the flyover is now fully

gy and for very little training, they too can be

part of the explosion that we are seeing across

restored and strengthened. Work often continued through the night to

the city which is now polluting our young

try to keep disruption to road users and residents to a minimum. Some

people’s lungs. Of course the city is congest-

Dial-a-Cab drivers may disagree after getting caught in some horrendous hold-ups on

ed; it is all the private hire vehicles that peo-

weekends when the flyover was shut, but it undoubtedly could have been much worse.

ple are picking up. In this economy, where

TfL say they are continuing to work closely with Hammersmith and Fulham

one in four young people in London is still

Council to make Hammersmith gyratory safer and more accessible for cyclists, as part

unemployed, we are seeing many young stu-

dents doing this as well. Is that right? Is that

of their wider borough cycling improvement strategy.

good? It cannot be.”

Call Sign October 2015

Page 6

Jery’s World

“Look Ponsonby-Smythson, I specifically warned you that on October 5th taxi drivers might get quite touchy when asked if

their meters are as good as Ubers!”

Fifteen more touts prosecuted

TfL has successfully prosecuted a further fifteen drivers in July and August as part of its on-

going crack-down on illegal taxi and private hire (TPH) activity in London. Their Complianc

team carry out thousands of checks on licensed vehicles and driver licences across London

to help keep the public safe and stamp out illegal TPH activity in addition to undertaking

hundreds of investigations into complaints from customers and from the legitimate taxi an

private hire trade.

Among those caught was Ian Vassell who was caught on Charterhouse Street illegally

plying for hire, accepting a private hire booking without a PH operator’s licence and for

using a car for PH use on a public road without the correct insurance, PH vehicle licence or

PH driver’s licence. He was found guilty of all five offences, fined a total of £330 and

ordered to pay TfL’s legal costs of £500. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Peter Emeka was convicted after being caught in Charterhouse Street for the same

offences as Vassell. He was fined a total of £800 and ordered to pay TfL’s legal costs of

£360 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Kwaku Yamoah Kesse was convicted after being caught in Clapham High Street for

similar offences and found guilty. He was fined a total of £1,210 and ordered to pay TfL’s

legal costs of £500. He was disqualified from driving for three months.

Dosso Costea is a taxi driver who was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’

court on 22 July 2015 after being caught in central London working after the

expiry of his driver’s licence and using a vehicle for passenger hire on a public

road without the correct insurance. He was found guilty of both offences, fined a

ordered to pay TfL’s legal costs of £150. His DVLA licence was also endorsed with six penalty points.

These cases led by TfL’s TPH Compliance and Legal teams are in addition to prosecutions which are put forward by London’s policing

agencies for touting and other cab-related offences, through the criminal justice system, to improve taxi and private hire safety across

the Capital.

Anyone wishing to report touting can do so by going onto the TfL website using this shortcut:

https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/12368.aspx

Call Sign October 2015

Page 7

Call Sign has been saying it constantly over the past year, now the

FT says it too...

Politicians take

London into gridlock!

years just to crawl along the Embankment at

the Congestion Charge came in and calls any

2.8mph - comparing it to New Horizon’s

improvement meagre, adding that the conges-

28,000mph as it bypassed Pluto!

tion threatens to worsen London’s air quality -

He went onto to write about the emissions

which already breaks legal limits since slow

the lanes were causing with their horrific hold-

moving traffic produces more pollution than

ups because slow moving traffic pumps huge

free flowing does.

amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen diox-

Transport for London say that in the CC’s

ide into our overloaded atmosphere, which

first few years, it helped to cut delays by

"What can I do next!!!"

not only breaks Euro agreements but also costs

around 26 per cent. But the FT says that snarl-

This magazine is non-political. Who Dial-a-

a huge amount in fines.

ups have returned with road space being “gob-

Cab’s drivers vote for is no one’s business

Then last month, the Editor re-printed a

bled up by other projects such as the Cycle

other than the drivers themselves, but over the

question and answer session he had with the

Superhighways.” It goes on to talk about con-

past year Call Sign has found itself unable to

Mayor in 2007 prior to his election, and now in

gestion added to via roadworks.

keep quiet on the question of how well - or

2015 asked readers if they considered that

Then they came to Uber and the app revo-

otherwise - Mayor Boris Johnson has done

Boris had kept his word so far as his answers

lution adding to the worsening congestion,

during the 7.5 years of his 8 year tenure.

were concerned. The apparent answer to that

explaining that PH numbers have jumped by

Two months ago in the Editor’s column,

was no!

26 per cent in the past two years - and that is

Alan Fisher compared Boris to NASA’s New

Now the Financial Times has joined in

according to Department for Transport’s own

Horizon mission to photograph dwarf planet

with an article from Tanya Powley and Andy

figures.

Pluto and jokingly compared it to the cycle

Sharman headed ‘Cab Apps and vans

Boris Johnson now wants his TfL to limit

superhighways the Mayor is so proud of. Whilst

reduce City to a crawl’.

the number of private hire vehicles - a bit

Alan’s comparisons were deliberately frivolous,

The article starts by saying: “London is stuck

late now we think. The only limit we think

the article correctly inferred that the Pluto mis-

in a jam. A rash of roadworks, sprawling bus

his 8 years deserves is a 6 month cut in his

sion took nine years to arrive at the furthest

and cycle lanes and a taxi app revolution have

time in power...

(dwarf) planet in our Solar System from Earth!

made the British capital one of Europe’s

Ron Yarborough

He then “suggested” that the mayor’s policies

most congested big cities.”

would soon mean that it would also take 9

It continues by comparing traffic levels since

Call Sign Online

Call Sign October 2015

Page 8

The same garage renting out Uber cars and licensed taxis? Marc

Turner investigates...

“Milking” the

taxi trade???

few months back, I began hearing

rumours about a West London

garage that was apparently renting

out vehicles to both licensed Taxi

drivers and also to Uber drivers. Whilst scep-

tical, I decided to put feelers out and within

virtually no time, I was being sent info and

links revealing evidence of truth...

I hastily contacted Gurinder Dhillon,

the owner of Premier Cabs, Indigo Taxis,

(Belvedere) and Otto Cars PH but Mr

Dhillon was on holiday. However, his

spokesman confirmed the worst and said

he would email Dhillon, who would then

contact me on his return. He didn't!

On Tuesday 25th August at 3.45pm, I

brazenly entered the 'traitors' den with its

licensed taxis and Toyota Priuses side by side

in the yard and workshop. It would be fair to

say that Gurinder Dhillon was not best

Ubers and taxis in the same garage. Marc asks if that is right...

pleased to see me and very quickly tried to

berate me on his perception of my “conduct

In conclusion, I must state that

the bottom' - a man willing to sacrifice integri-

on Twitter.”

Gurinder Dhillon’s disloyalty to the taxi

ty and reputation for personal gain in the

I explained that I was doing an article for

trade is not unlawful; nor is it illegal -

name of business.

Call Sign on his unique perspective of the

even though some might say it was might-

It’s now out there and in the court of taxi

taxi/private hire industry and it would be with

ily immoral!

drivers to make up their own minds.

or without his acquiescence. I hoped it

Whereas Mayor Boris Johnson and the

Personally speaking, I could never trade with

would be with it, but he looked uncomfort-

incompetents at TfL are just inept, Gurinder

someone who was contributing to the down-

able and was rather uncooperative through-

Dhillon’s activities are more pernicious and

fall of my own beloved industry...

out our unscheduled and strained meeting.

fuelled by the pursuit of a quick buck, which

Marc Turner (R97)

Dhillon tried to illicit my address, but had

makes him culpable in the present 'race to

to be content with my mobile and email on

Call Sign Online

his seeming pretence that he needed another

week to think about talking to me. He

You may not need us now, but cut us out for when you do!

refused outright to be photographed or

recorded during our exchanges.

With all his front, he was unwilling/unable

LOCKHOUSE SECURITY

to defend what I as a licensed taxi driver

would call the indefensible. Mr Dhillon never

did contact me. My first impressions of him

All types of locks, opened, repaired and replaced

being disingenuous, disobliging and even

10% discount on keys and locks for DaC drivers

dishonourable seem to have been proved

correct.

Transponders / chipped keys

While on the premises of Gurinder

On site key cutting services including taxis

Dhillon, I observed unwitting taxi drivers

Locks replaced / fitted to insurance specifications (BS3621

arriving

(apparently

sent

from

Burglary repairs / boarding up

Westminster Insurance judging by snatch-

es of conversation I overheard) to have

Additional security / security upgrades

Taxi Witness CCTV installed. If they'd had

Safes opened, repaired and serviced

an inkling as to what was going on at

Grilles and security gates

Depot Road W12, they might have

thought twice before handing their hard

Specialists in UPVC doors and windows / patio doors

earned money over.

Free estimates / no call out charge

While in the yard, I decided to take photos

24hr service

of cars, taxis and the garage front - with no

name sign apart from Unigate (see cover pic).

You can find us at:

But Mr Dhillon took exception to this, ran

8-10 The Arcade, Farnham Road, Harold Hill

out and ordered me off his premises. Could

his be a man with something to hide? At that

Tel: 01708 371115

point I decided take my leave anyway.

Call Sign October 2015

Page 9

Mayor insults taxi drivers at Question Time as

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

AT CITY HALL!

With so much advanced publicity

via notice boards and online, the

Mayor’s Question Time on

Wednesday 16 September was

always going to be a touchy

meeting, but it was far worse

than that after Mayor Boris

Johnson insulted the chamber of

London’s taxi drivers with hun-

dreds waiting outside on a day

named the International taxis

day of action when world-wide

anti-Uber action was planned.

The chamber was also diluted by

TfL apprentices, obviously to

keep the numbers down.

At 9.55, just prior to the commencement of

the meeting, Val Shawcross walked out to

speak to some of the drivers and explained

that there wasn’t much taxi business sched-

Taxi drivers were inside the chamber and also at the grounds outside

uled, but that she would point out why so

many taxi drivers were there. Within minutes,

the meeting began and the Mayor walked into the chamber to a cho-

rus of boos. His response was a BoJo smile!

Ten minutes later, the Mayor was asked about the proposal to cut

1000 PCSOs from London. To hoots of derision, the Mayor said he

hadn’t heard of any such plan, even though it was pointed out that the

plan was already under discussion. London Assembly member

Joanne McCartney called the Mayor’s statement “astonishing” con-

sidering that he was the Chair of MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing

and Crime).

The Mayor claimed that it wasn’t true and that Joanne had just lis-

tened to a press release. Ms McCartney responded: “Are you calling me

a liar?”

The Chamber became even noisier and Val Shawcross asked drivers

to be quiet because there was a danger of the meeting being halted. A

question was then asked about electric taxis and the Mayor’s response

was to call the drivers Luddites for not being prepared to move into

more advanced taxis. Drivers whistled and jeered and within seconds,

City Hall’s security moved in, followed within minutes by police.

More police soon arrived - many with dogs - and the building was

cleared. One person - said to be a member of City Hall’s security

staff - was said to have been knocked unconscious as more drivers

piled in.

Drivers who were unable to get in due to there not being enough

room were said by police to be attempting to storm the building and

police advised people to keep clear of the area. But no arrests were

made, although the head man of the “Mayfair Mob” (Mickey

‘Deathwish’) was briefly arrested, although soon released to cheers

from drivers.

The demo then moved onto Parliament Square, but not before

bringing the surrounding roads at City Hall to a standstill. Chairman

Brian Rice’s daughter Carla, who works in Tooley Street, told Call

Sign: “There were riot police outside my office! The whole office

stopped and watched. I went outside and saw Tooley Street com-

pletely gridlocked!”

Call Sign October 2015

Page 10

OPERATIONS AND COMPLIANCE

Hello Ladies & Gents,

As you know, for the past six months we have been offering fixed price account journeys to all Airports as

well as trips that end up or begin outside of the M25. The fixed rates are based on mileages and also the

length of time a trip should take to complete. It is very difficult to compete with certain incredibly low

prices, but experience tells me that many clients still prefer to travel by taxi for many reasons and at the

prices we are offering, we are certainly generating a lot more of these types of journeys from many of our

regular accounts.

There is always a need to be driven safely and professionally and there is no travel safer than

being in the back of a licensed taxi.

As I have previously mentioned, the fixed rates are priced according to the length of the journey and

the fixed rate will remain at all times. However, any excess waiting time or additional mileage will be

adjusted at the end of the trip. This is done purely to make the fare more competitive and with so much competi-

tion out in the workplace, it is important that you try to understand why we are taking these aggressive measures.

Please remember to call the Contact Centre at the completion of the trip if you have any additional destinations or you incur waiting

time. Waiting time is calculated at £27 per hour (45p per minute) pro rata to the minutes that you wait after the booked time. As you are

aware, there is no reject penalty on Fixed Priced rejects but I can honestly say that we have processed a lot more airports over the last few

months and some very nice trips to destinations outside of the London areas, so it seems to be working; but we need your full support!

Coverage

Now that the school holidays have been and gone, coverage in the South West areas especially is becoming a problem once again.

SW18, SW15, SW11 and SW4 are four zones that cause the dispatchers great difficulty and I am at a loss as to what else can be done

to provide many of our biggest accounts with an acceptable and reliable level of service. Messages are sent out way in advance of the

required times on both Pre-Bookings and ASAP trips, actual pick up locations and destinations are given on the job offers and run-ins

are increased, but on many occasions to no avail.

Sooner or later these clients will say enough is enough and look for alternatives. I am once again asking you all to assist us, because if

trips are continuously timed out or rejected, we will lose these accounts.

Contactless trips

You may not be aware that as of the beginning of September you were able to process a Contactless Credit Card transaction through

the system up to a combined amount of £30. There is a very quick software upgrade required to the PED which takes a few minutes,

so please pop in to Roman Way who will be only too glad to assist you.

Finally, can I please remind you once again that booking-in procedures are now closely monitored and the small minority

that feel they can exploit the system to gain an unfair advantage over fellow members will be dealt with in a true and

proper manner. The ‘Procedure Rules’ are designed to not only protect the Society, but to make it fair and equal for all of

us; it is my job to make sure that these rules are not violated in any way...

Allan Evans

DaC Operations / Compliance Manager

LOOKING AT (TAXI) LIFE

With Tom Quigley (Y33)

the Career Officer to become a Career Officer?

Careers Officer

How would the interview go?

I have often thought about what was prob-

“Well you seem to have no idea about what to

ably the first serious interview that I ever

do; perhaps you can use that skill in persuading

had. My memory seems to recall it as meet-

others to do exactly that!”

ing the Careers Officer.

Somewhat anxious, this meeting was to pro-

pose and direct me into the best way forward to

Young Taxi Drivers

earn a living, which would in turn lead me to be

The old saying goes that as you get older, the

able to support and raise a family. And in all

policeman get younger. That proverb had a

honesty, back in 1970 most of what would I had

lovely twist to it when one of my recently

been advised I actually had no interest in - or

passed-out Knowledge students - 24 year old

even a clue as to what was to lay ahead.

George - picked up a somewhat worse-for-wear

It was a time of full employment, when CVs

employment in Tesco’s before moving on to

young lady in Camden on a Friday night in his

for the ordinary man in the street hadn’t even

working on the ‘black stuff ’ - ie tarmac laying and

cab. The young lady soon started being sick and

been thought of and agency work was virtually

concrete gangs where like so many others before

George immediately pulled over. Whilst not too

non-existent - except in the White Collar sector.

and after me, I even stood on the corner of

happy, George had the good sense of not

If a shop or factory advertised a job, you were

Cricklewood Lane in the early hours waiting for

putting himself in the vulnerable position of

interviewed or taken on as a trial. The thought

any lorry or van drivers who were looking for

getting into the back of the cab in order to try

of making a career in just one particular indus-

labourers for a day’s pay; a far cry from what was

and help the young lady.

try was never in my mind. That’s just as well,

recommended and at the time I probably regret-

Amazingly, George saw a policeman walking

because as I recall it I was told that a career in a

ted the advice offered.

along so he ran over and asked the policeman

bank or insurance company would suit the par-

But I digress. I assume that there are still

to come and help. The policeman came to the

ticular skills I had shown in school, as believe it

Careers Advisors / Officers in schools and it gets

cab, looked at the girl, then looked back at

or not, I was quite an academic.

me wondering: Is the advice given still the same

George and asked: “Where’s the taxi driver!”

What I never knew then, nor indeed did my

with the obvious of submit a good CV, apply on

When George replied that he was the driver, the

Career Advisor, was that despite the skills I had

line for a job that is probably already gone or

copper said: “Bloody hell, mate, you’re a bit

shown, the thought of spending my life enclosed

taken and only being advertised to make the

young for a cabby...!”

in an office looking at the same walls and nowa-

company look impartial and fair and to further

days a computer as well would have felt totally

their image as an employer of young people.

Tom Quigley

alien to me. Having spent my first year of

It even gets me thinking as to who advised

Call Sign Online

Call Sign October 2015

Page 12

Dial-a-Cab driver and Vito owner, Gary Cox, looks at the current spate of

catalytic converter thefts and offers Call Sign readers some advice...

WHERE’S MY CAT!

seem to be quite so busy these days. Well

has been removed from the taxi, as scrap

it is a means to an end.

metal dealers tend to give customers

The following may give you some

cheques and not cash. Hmm, I wonder

ideas as to why you’re so attractive to

why that is?

ugly men - the type that steal catalyt-

So if you decide to follow my advice,

ic converters from Vito taxis...

go into a garage and ask for a ‘cat lock’

A diesel engine, when working, will

but expect to pay just under £200. Or

produce via exhaust gases what is com-

you can always take the gamble of losing

Every now and again, we at Call Sign and

monly known as black soot. So a catalyt-

a couple of grand for a ‘cat’ replacement

Dial-a-Cab get the nod from someone in

ic converter is fitted internally within

- not to mention two days off work at the

the establishment explaining that some

that exhaust system to catch those

least and a trip to the DaC credit union

old lags are looking for a free ride on our

offending gases. The part of the exhaust

in Hackney Road!

backs, or have pasted their wisdom onto

holding the

‘cat’ can be seen if the

Then again, you could buy a proper

some up-and-coming engineering impre-

wheels of the Vito are turned onto a full

cab and watch the nasty little man trying

sario. So with those dark, wet nights

lock - just handy for a scallywag to get

to crawl under it as you laugh to your-

descending quickly to muffle the sound,

into with a hacksaw blade, which in turn

self; after all, if the new Vito engine is all

it's time for us to get our belt and braces

will also cause much damage in the

it’s cracked up to be, you could be

on for the attack, which seems to have

process. The ‘cat’ has in its centre a hon-

tempted perhaps? The only question is

already started on catalytic converters

eycomb core made up of palladium -

how much? How much!!!

on the north east side of town again. The

which is silvery white in colour and ideal

“Hello can I book my cab in for a cat

only question is how many owners will

as an alternative to gold and silver,

lock please. When do I want it? Er, yes-

bother to report the crime...

alongside platinum and the equally rare

terday please...”

So before you go chasing off to your

and expensive member of the platinum

local Mercedes dealership and waiting a

family, rhodium. Say no more!

Gary Cox (O46)

fortnight to have a cat lock fitted, you

So the only problem your little scally-

Call Sign Online

could always slip into KPMs - they don’t

wag will have left is shifting it once it

Taxi Driver Of The Year Dinner and Dance

‘ Remembering those less fortunate than ourselves’

The Taxi Driver of the Year Charity Fund presents their Annual Dinner and Dance on Saturday 7th November 2015

It will be held at the: The Holiday Inn Regents Park, Carburton Street, London W1W 5EE

Reception 6.15pm for 6.45pm dinner. The cost of tickets has been held at last year’s prices: £65.00 per head. As

usual, tickets will include an excellent four course meal with half a bottle of wine per person and of course the

evening is complemented with dancing to an excellent live band.

With your support, The Taxi Driver of the Year Charity Fund is able to make substantial

donations to the taxi trade charities that support them.

Don’t be the one to miss this great night out; come along to the Holiday Inn Regents Park

and enjoy the good food and great company.

This event will prove to be an enjoyable and memorable occasion for all.

Please complete and return the form together with your cheque made out to TDYCF to: Russell Poluck MBE (Hon Chairman)

5 St Brides Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 6BT

RSVP by 12th October 2015. Please print and make cheque out to TDYCF

Name:

Title:

Company (if applicable):

Address:

Tel:

Email:

Number of tickets:

Dietary requirements:

Veg

□ Fish

□ Meat

□

Dress smart

For further information, contact Russell Poluck: 07850 056 765 • Tel/fax 020 8952 1357

Email: brussella@talk21.com • Website: taxidriveroftheyearcharityfund.com

Registered with the Charities Commission No: 1000761

Call Sign October 2015

Page 13

Call Sign at the

Downing Street demo

Cliff Giffin

(C55) asks

Call Sign to

quieten

the

vuvuzelas!

Sorry officer, it was worth a try!

long with around 200 supporters

and many others who joined in,

Call Sign was at the SaveTaxi

demonstration in Whitehall right

opposite the gates to Downing Street.

Well I am

Brilliantly organised once again by taxi driver’s

part of the

wife Artemis Mercer, the Prime Minister -

taxi trade!

wherever in the world he was - would have

heard the cacophony of noise consisting of

taxis, cars and bus drivers hooting.

Like the recent one outside TfL’s Victoria

Street office at Windsor House, in addition to

drivers, the demo saw families gather to make a

point, but always with a smile on their faces -

although the South African World Cup has a lot

to answer for when it introduced the vuvuzela

to the world! They blasted out non-stop for the

whole two hours - mainly blown by driver’s

children with seemingly boundless energy and

apparently huge lungs!

Once again the event was covered by TV

news and Artemis put the trade’s case forward

in a succinct manner. TfL via their COO of

The PM

Surface Transport Garrett Emmerson again

wasn't in!

claimed that they apply legislation fairly and

equally and that Uber complies with private

hire licensing requirements.

With a breakdown of talks, further demos

have been organised. One is on October 5 at

Windsor House between 14:00 - 16:00.

Others are “rolling” demos. They are on 13

October from the TUC to Friends House and

return (15:00 - 17:00); 19 October from

Hogarth - Hammersmith between 08:00 and

10:00. There is also one on October 28 from

Tower Bridge to Wandsworth Bridge via all

the Thames bridges. That one is scheduled

from 16:00 to 19:00.

Reply to David Lessman

In the Mailshot section of the September Call Sign, David Lessman (D19) asked a question that was taken to the following month’s

Board Meeting by Company Secretary Howard Pears for discussion. David wrote:

“I have been fortunate to cover a couple of fixed price account rides recently and whilst I bemoan the fact that some have been

considerably under-priced, on a time basis they represent reasonable value. However, I regard it as most unfair that not only do I then

lose 7.5%, I have to pay VAT on top, making a 9 percent deduction. Would the BoM consider removing the variable subscription on

fixed price rides?”

Howard Pears told Call Sign: “Further to David’s letter regarding fixed price trips attracting 7.5% subscription, I can confirm that I

presented his letter at last Friday’s Board Meeting (4 September) and the principle of removing the variable subscription was consid-

ered by the Board. After an in-depth discussion, the Board agreed that as fixed price job offers do not attract any penalties if they are

viewed and rejected and that members are fully aware of what they receive for completing the trip (including the 7.5% subscription),

the current system and pricing policy should be maintained.

What must also be remembered and considered is that weekly fixed subscriptions are currently £10 plus VAT compared to £30 plus

VAT previously charged.”

Call Sign October 2015

Page 14

Mike Son leaves the DaC Sales Department for Buck House to become a...

TOURIST FOR THE DAY

to be the finest taxi service in the

And then a (grumpy) taxi

world and we need to show that not

passenger as well...!

just by being knowledgeable, but

also by being courteous and smart.

On 10th September it was my wife’s birthday and I decided to take her

to somewhere she has always wanted to visit - Buckingham Palace. And

what a great day it was!

Back to Sales

I assumed that we’d have to queue to get into the Queens Gallery,

I work within the DaC Sales team

Royal Mews or the State Rooms, but no. Yes, security was strict but that

under Keith Cain and we are con-

didn’t interfere with the staff ’s eagerness to help. Even though there

stantly trying to open new accounts,

were hundreds of visitors, any questions were answered with courtesy

but that is proving to be much more

and a smile.

difficult than it ever used to be due

Visiting the Royal Mews was fascinating. Again we had a very knowl-

to the ever-increasing cost reduc-

edgeable and friendly guide who told us about the history and many

tions of the competition. However, there has been an increase in the

other aspects of the Royal Carriages. Being close-up and personal was

number of accounts opened but drivers should understand that

quiet an experience. The most recently built Queen’s Royal Carriage was

account clients are constantly asking for reductions in their total trav-

built in Australia with a battery operated heating system and electric win-

el costs, which of course include taxis.

dows in addition to a CCTV camera!

As you may already be aware, we do offer ‘Economy’ trips that are

Until recently changing over to a new TX4, I was the long-time proud

in the main are for longer journeys but which sometimes can be up to

owner of a fairly well-used (ok, old) Metrocab. So as you’d expect, I was

25% below the metered fare. This is proving to be of interest to both

intrigued to see one of the Queen’s Limousines on display - an absolute-

existing clients and others who are getting to know about our cost

ly pristine example of how a limo - also not new - should look. As some

saving strategies via word of mouth. Everyone in the Sales team is

Call Sign readers may know, former Board Member Tom Whitbread

working hard in introducing DaC to potential clients, completing very

was a member of the late Queen Mother’s chauffer team. Looking at the

complexed Tender documents for large corporates (see Keith Cain’s

limo in front of me, I had to wonder if that was the car Tom used to drive

article on Tenders in this issue...Ed) and following up when accounts

because he was always a stickler for keeping his cab ultra-clean.

are opened, so what is really soul destroying is when many drivers

Ok, so that’s the tourist bit done and you may well ask just what

reject so many trips - especially in the morning peak hours.

the relevance of a Buck House article is with regard to Dial-a-Cab?

Perhaps it’s time to think about withdrawing the ‘reject’ facility.

Well, quite a lot actually; there’s courtesy, cleanliness and good

Remember Private Hire drivers don’t have an accept/reject button and

business sense for starters!

take it as read that every offered trip is automatically accepted?

I have been a licensed London taxi driver for fifty years and like you, I

Mike Son

often feel angry with the manner in which TfL and our ‘mate’ Boris are

apparently indifferent to the plight our taxi industry finds itself in. And

DaC Sales Dept

again, like you, I often feel dispirited about our future.

But - and it’s a BIG but - that doesn’t make me want to be rude

to our passengers, because they are our business. But downright

HACKNEY ROAD TAXI TYRES

rudeness was something I experienced a while ago.

I had to take a cab from Fenchurch Street Station to Hackney. The

result was that I received a volley of verbal abuse from the driver - not

FOR THE BLACK CAB TAXI TRADE

one on DaC I’m pleased to say. He told me that he didn’t want to go to

Hackney and that it wasn’t worth his while because he’d now have to sit

in traffic coming back to the City. I looked at this dope - perhaps unsur-

• Austones for the TX

prisingly dressed in a filthy shirt and shorts, with a partition window so

• Barums for the Vito

dirty that it wouldn’t have surprised me to see mushrooms growing

through it! But I needed to get to E8 and had to insist that he took me.

On route he continued to give me ‘verbal’ about his life prob-

• Michelin and Continental

lems and traffic conditions, while throwing in the occasional

obscenity. I really had taken all I could stand and as politely as I

also supplied

could, I asked if he would mind being quiet and just to get me to

Hackney.

•

4-wheel laser tracking

When we arrived, I decided to let him know I was a London cab dri-

ver and didn’t take kindly to his manner and the fact his clothes and the

for the Mercedes Vito

state of his cab wasn’t doing our trade any favours. To make this story

more exciting, it really needed for him to tell me that he couldn’t care

• Puncture repairs

less and that I should just ‘eff off ’! But he didn’t and actually apologised

for his behaviour. Dull for Call Sign perhaps, but at least a small saving

grace for the trade.

• Also free tyre checks

Quite astonishingly, a few weeks later I saw the same guy again on the

rank - although it was he that recognised me and he again apologised.

This time his cab was clean and so was he. I didn’t ask why he had been

Find us downstairs the

like that, but assumed that perhaps it had just been a bad day. But would

DaC Credit Union at

that have been an excuse? Sadly not, because we all have the occasional

bad day and can’t just take our anger or annoyance out on passengers.

The Peterley Business Centre,

Even though drivers feel they are being disenfranchised by

472 Hackney Road, E2

Transport for London in favour of minicabs, we still need to repre-

sent ourselves to the public and business sectors as courteous,

smart and knowledgeable. There are too many cab drivers that are

0207 729 5237

scruffy in their clothes and whose cabs are filthy. We are supposed

Call Sign October 2015

Page 15

TfL? The Police? The Mayor?

PEDICABS: DOES

ANYBODY CARE?

Let’s just hope that

there isn’t another

emergency inside a

West End theatre or in

Dangerously overloaded???

the

pedestrianised

Leicester Square or

all Sign has asked that question

Covent

Garden,

many times. We know who reads

because Pedicabs just

this mag by our mailing list and the

wouldn’t be able to

constant requests for extra copies

clear the routes they

from various governmental and licensing

constantly block. Yet

departments. We even know the answer

no one will do a thing

because we’ve heard it many times. It isn’t

about it.

that they don’t care, but there’s nothing they

The LTDA showed in

can do about it! What we don’t know is why

a DVD some years back

no one can do anything. What are we talking

what would happen

about? Pedicabs apparent invincibility against

were a Pedicab to have

A policeman totally disregards a pedicab parked on the

prosecution.

a crash with a taxi. Call

pavement

Call Sign has spoken to the police and the

Sign has also seen

inference seems to be that Pedicabs don’t

over, because it looked as though they would

instances of Pedicabs going over and another

pose any threat and cause no real problems.

on several occasions. The other shows

where the scarf of a Pedicab passenger became

TPH / TfL seem to suggest that they are out of

Pedicabs parked on a pavement with an officer

caught up in the bike’s wheels. Yet no one

their sphere because they aren’t licensed. We,

of the law just ignoring them. As the headline

seems to care.

London’s taxi service, considered to be the

asks: Does anybody care?

Just look at these two photos sent in by Dial-

finest in the world, are licensed. We cause no

Perhaps someone, somewhere, will have an

a-Cab drivers. One driver followed an over-

trouble when doing our job, but that doesn’t

answer and show that they DO care…???

loaded Pedicab for a mile and said it was so

seem to stop our drivers receiving PCNs for

dangerous that he was amazed that they actu-

Alan Fisher

setting down, picking up or waiting for their

ally completed the journey without turning

passengers.

Editor, Call Sign Online

Call Sign has never stopped in our battle

against minicabs. Not regarding their exis-

tence - we have long accepted that those

companies with nice cars and drivers that

obey the rule of law are a fact of life. What we

don’t accept is that they are the same as us

Call Sign says...

and we never will.

Pedicabs have now not just become a nui-

sance; they have taken over the streets. Look

TfL and OnRoute

at them on any dry Friday / Saturday night

when they swarm around the West End like

But surely the numbers are OffRoute...

flies, stopping where they want, driving

wherever they want regardless of road signs

TfL’s new monthly magazine, OnRoute, recently hit the internet and

and constantly providing danger to other

we have to acclaim it as a well-produced and professional mag. It cov-

road users and pedestrians. Numbers of inci-

ers all aspects of Transport for London’s business but is aimed mainly

dents regarding them hitting other vehicles

at Taxis and Private hire.

are only low because they don’t hang around

But the first issue of OnRoute caught our eye for one specific reason; it

and you have no chance of catching them in

London’s traffic.

contained several items under the general heading of ‘numbers’ within TfL -

needless to say the one concerning Taxis and PH was the one that not only

interested us, but then shocked and frightened us as well. The figures are

Call Sign

said to be correct as of 24 August 2015 when there were 85,742 licensed

October 2015

private hire drivers! Is that something TfL are proud of? We can’t imagine

Editor: Alan Fisher

that any of the larger PH companies are too happy with that either, but we

Address: 39 - 47 East Rd, London N1 6AH

wouldn’t mind being TfL’s bank manager, because that is one hell of a lot of

Tel: 0207 251 0581 Fax: 0207 553 7293

Email: callsignmag@aol.com

licence fees! It’s certainly a shrewd way to boost circulation as well! OffRoute

Website:cwww.22-callsign.co.uk

or what???

Printers: Premier Print Group

25,067

Licensed taxi drivers

25 - 31 Violet Rd, London E3

Design: Aldan Publications

22,359

Licensed black taxis

Tel: 07958 300 428

85,742

Licensed private hire drivers

Email: debbiefresco@googlemail.com

68,955

Licensed private hire vehicles

Views and opinion expressed in Call Sign must

not be assumed to represent those of the Editor or

2,934

Licensed private hire operators

Board.No part of Call Sign may be reproduced

And as of mid-September 85,742 had become just under 88,000!!!

either manually or electronically without the express

permission of the Editor.

Call Sign October 2015

Page 16

Face it, coming in from the suburbs first

Another true story from Geoff Levene

thing in the morning nowadays, the chance

of finding a job - whether from the com-

GOLFING WITH MORRY THE MENSCH?

puter or on the street - is somewhat unlike-

time at Kaplinsky's Hotel in the Catskills. He

ly. Time was when you could sign on and

was there on the day when a special foursome

get something straightaway, but that is now

set out to play. It comprised Meyer Lansky,

the stuff of legend.

Frankie Nussbaum, Morry the Mensch and

So there I was at 5.45am in the Uxbridge

Sollie Schvitz. Lansky was leading when Sollie

Road, Harrow Weald when I saw a middle-

birdied the 17th by chipping in from 25 yards.

aged woman waving from the other side of the

So Sollie won. Lansky took it in good part and

road. Crikey! To be honest, I didn't think she

it was said to be just coincidence that Sollie

was going to Canary Wharf but my immediate

was found in a block of concrete the next day.

impression was that she’d probably just missed

My friend Joe plays every Sunday. So on one

the bus to her early morning cleaning job.

particular occasion, he enjoyed his round,

So I did a ‘uee’, put the window down

grabbed a salmon beigel and arrived home to

and smiled expectantly... until she said it:

would make any difference, I did see a sight

find he had a full house. As well as his wife

“Looking for business, love?” Well, a new

recently that set me thinking. It was during the

Sally, son Ricky and daughter Michelle,

sexual proclivity! Can you be turned on by

hot weather; I had noticed a driver get out of

there was Uncle Lew and Aunties Rose and

a lady wearing rubber gloves, carrying a

his cab to buy a drink. He was quite short and

Sylvia. It was decided that they would all go

scrubbing brush and bar of carbolic soap!

wore a polo shirt and grey shorts made from

out for tea. Sally’s coat was hanging over the

And I thought it was just me!

tracksuit material. Nothing wrong with that,

bannister at the top of the stairs. She went

Although we’re struggling, there is always

but there was something else that made me

almost all the way and then reached up. And

someone worse off. Like the passenger I heard

turn away with embarrassment. It was his

that was when it all kicked off. She overbal-

on his mobile recently. He was telling his

underpants - they were longer than the shorts.

anced and fell down the stairs. Michelle began

friend: “Yes we're still house-hunting. We were

Had he not noticed... or didn't he care?

having a panic attack; Lew started clutching at

looking in Barnes - Lonsdale Road actually. It

So what can we do to make life less stressful?

his chest as Rose sat down with a bump. Joe

was no good, not big enough for our wine cel-

ordered Ricky to get a bag for Michelle to

lar.” How sad!

Both the good lady wife and I are classical

music fans - actually we like all music from

breathe into. He quickly came back - carrying

Anyway, the lack of work is a worry. A recent

a plastic Tesco’s carrier!

contributor to Call Sign’s Mailshot reckoned

Bach to Chas 'n Dave. I also like London

Greek Radio because listening to that music is

“A paper bag, you muppet,” Joe roared, “I

he had the answer - ban drivers from wearing

want to save her, not suffocate her!”

T-shirts. Really? What does he think would hap-

like being on holiday!

Joe phoned 999, explained and left the

pen if the Dial-a-Cab Sales team said we could

I know Mark Twain said it was the perfect

operator to ask: “So how many ambulances

offer lower prices so long as customers didn't

way to spoil a good walk, but golf is very pop-

do you want???”

mind drivers turning up wearing a sombrero,

ular with the Cab Trade. I've never played it

There's nothing quite like a nice relaxing

clown’s suit, six inch stilettos and carrying a

myself, but for some reason I was reading the

round of golf...

trombone? I have a feeling they might say

memoirs of that doyenne of Jewish-American

Geoff Levene

“Bring it on!”

golf, Drewster ‘Droozie’ Goldberg. The book

But although I don't think a dress code

- ‘Schmooze with the Drooze’ recounts his

Call Sign Online

Call Sign October 2015

Page 17

Licensing fiasco!

Call Sign’s September Editorial told the dis-

wasn’t that my payment hadn’t arrived -

because current advice is that applicants who

tressing story of a driver (we’ll call him Bill),

they’d already had it for 44 days - but they said

haven’t yet received one, should apply for a

whom we didn’t name at his own request and

they couldn’t do anything until 60 days had

renewal pack around four months before

who after using the Post Office ‘Check and

passed.

their current date expires.

Send’ service to renew his licence, then

“I first contacted the LTDA and asked if my

So we have to wonder why a process

rather stupidly forgot about it and during a

trade organisation had any way of helping me

that should be simple in today’s modern

police check in Docklands was pulled up as to

get my licence. The short answer was no!

hi-tech world is taking almost one quarter

why he couldn’t produce his licence. He

Their only advice was that if I needed to go to

of the year - and for some drivers even

showed them the Post Office confirmation

work to feed my family, then I should just go.

longer. Perhaps we should also ask our-

and receipt for payment and the police

I couldn’t believe they were telling me I

selves whether the sudden influx of pri-

allowed him to carry on working. One week

should break the law. They did add that they

vate hire drivers

- according to last

later, he was arrested by firearm carrying

would support me if anything happened - ie

month’s Call Sign up to 2400 per month -

police for fraud because he was driving with-

if I was caught! But who would then have the

is affecting the time our licence renewals

out a licence - even though he had paid for it

police record - the LTDA or me? What if I had

are taking because four months is ridicu-

and the police had previously said he could

an accident and my passenger got hurt?

lous.

continue. The delay was with the DBS

Would my insurance pay out and would I be

However, in Paul’s case there was a happy

(Disclosure and Barring Service). The

charged with driving while uninsured? What if

ending. He told Call Sign: “My licence is on

police later told the driver that no charges

the injuries were much worse? Surely that

its way and I can’t thank you enough for your

would be laid against him, yet three months

advice is wrong because it is encouraging peo-

emails to LTPH. But can I say to Dial-a-Cab

later and he still could not work as no licence

ple to break the law and that could affect the

drivers that when it comes to your licence

had yet arrived.

rest of their working lives. There was no way

renewal, give yourself plenty of time. You may

Now Call Sign has heard of a similar

I was going to risk my licence.”

well need it. But without your licence, the

story, but on this occasion the driver is

Paul then spoke to an advisory service

problems will quickly mount up...”

happy to be named. Paul Lashmar (B21) -

that is part of the Met Police and they told

Following the now infamous City Hall

whose dad Bob has been on the circuit

him that re-licensing was running

meeting called off after the Mayor decid-

since 2000 - called us and relayed a sad

“months behind and not weeks.”

ed that the taxi drivers present were

story.

Paul phoned Call Sign and told us his story

Luddites, the meeting reconvened later

Paul’s licence was on the verge of expiring

and the reason why he had been late in apply-

in the day. Labour GLA group leader, Val

and he, like Bill, applied via the Post Office

ing, but there was little we could do to help

Shawcross told the Mayor about the

service. His licence was due to expire on 12

other than to write a letter to London Taxis

appalling situation re licence delays and

September and Paul admitted that he was late

Private Hire explaining Paul’s circumstances,

suggested temporary licenses after some

in applying - although most people would say

including the bereavement, and to ask if they

drivers had waited up to 18 weeks, paid

that 6 weeks before the date should be more

could do anything to speed up the system.

the fee, completed all the necessary

than enough. In Paul’s case, a very close fam-

But we advised Paul to think very carefully

paperwork, but could not go to work. The

ily bereavement was the reason that every-

before going back out to work because of

Mayor blamed a shortage of 20 staff and

thing got put onto the back burner. However,

what occurred to Bill in the first case and the

said there was a backlog of 37,000 appli-

the DBS - who Paul had both written to and

treatment he later received - ie being arrested

cations after admitting that was partial-

met personally - advised him that it would be

and then waiting even longer.

ly due to the number of PH drivers enter-

months rather than weeks before he could get

From 17 June 2013, the Disclosure and

ing the trade. He said he would act

his licence! Paul told Call Sign:

Barring Service (which was formed by the

immediately. The headline of Licensing

“I’ve got a family, a mortgage and bills to

merger of the Criminal Records Bureau and

Fiasco is probably an understatement...

pay; being told that I would be unable to

Independent Safeguarding Authority) intro-

work until the licence arrived was terrible

duced changes to the way they operated. The

Jamie Corum

news and I really didn’t know what to do. It

result appears to be ever-longer delays

Call Sign Online

Call Sign competition winners collect!

our lucky winners collected their prizes in the latest Call Sign competitions with Paul Churchill (A04) and Call Centre controller

Curls Villiers picking up their London TAXI board game prizes, while Paul Pavlou (W11) and David Ballard (N28) struck

gold by both winning a pair of VIP seats at the O2 to watch one of One Directions last ever concerts before splitting because

after Wednesday 3 December, they will have toddled off in four directions!

The London Taxi board game is available at Amazon, but make sure you put London in before Taxi.

Brian Rice

presents Dave

Ballard with

his One

Direction tick-

ets while Paul

Churchill takes

his Taxi Board

Game home to

play!

Call Sign October 2015

Page 18

STOPPED TOO SOON...

passenger was intending to pay by card from

first drop-off, you’re going to have a problem

the outset. I doubt if anyone is going to

when the remaining passengers give you fur-

object if you then manually reduce the

ther destinations, meaning you could lose

metered fare by 20p or so if the meter were

out monetarily!

to over-run by a unit,” he told Call Sign “and

“Clearly, with the recent increase to £30

keeping the passenger happy makes for a

when passengers pay via their Contactless

card facility, that is easier and quicker all

pleasant atmosphere all round!

round and a welcome improvement,” Daren

“This latter option is probably the safest

concluded.

bet, because if several passengers get in with-

out making it clear that there could be multi-

Alan Green

ple drop-offs and you stop the meter at the

Call Sign Online

PEDESTRIAN COUNTDOWN

CROSSINGS TO DOUBLE

...and more 20mph zones to come in

The Mayor and TfL have announced that the number of

Pedestrian Countdown crossing sites in London will be doubled

by the summer of 2016. The Mayor had set TfL a target of upgrad-

ing 400 of the crossings technology by April 2016. That number

has already been surpassed with more than 430 sites upgraded

and TfL have now stretched the target by a further 400 sites,

meaning 800 crossings - around 20% of all pedestrian crossings in

London - will have Pedestrian Countdown by summer 2016.

The work forms a key part of the Mayor and TfL’s road safe-

ty target to halve the number of people killed or seriously

injured (KSI) on London's roads by 2020, compared to the Government baseline.

Daren Morley gives some useful credit

During 2014 the plan helped reduce the number of pedestrian KSIs by 7% compared to 2013.

card advice

The news comes one year after London’s first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan was published.

Across the Capital, huge improvements for pedestrians are now well underway with hundreds of

s the Contactless credit card

junctions improved to make them safer.

upgrade continues apace, an easy

Mayor Johnson said: “Ensuring that London’s streets are safe for all road users, including

enough procedure, some drivers

pedestrians, is a top priority. Statistics show that we’re heading in the right direction, but we’ve

got to do more to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. This is

have enquired what happens if

part of the action we’re taking on a number of other fronts, including significant improvements

they have already stopped the meter at the

to major road junctions and working closely with London’s boroughs to ensure roads with high

end of the journey and the passenger then

footfall are even safer to use.”

offers a credit card, because they can’t seem

Added to that, almost 25% of all London roads are now 20mph and earlier this year plans

to process the card normally by selecting ‘To

were outlined for eight new pilots of 20mph speed limits on the TfL Road Network. Lambeth and

Card’ at that point?

Hackney are also seeking to introduce 20mph on their roads later this year.

So Call Sign spoke to Daren Morley,

See page 3, ‘From the Editor

Dial-a-Cab’s in-house trainer, who advised

the following...

“If the meter has been stopped prior to the

passenger offering a credit card when the dri-

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union

ver is expecting to be paid in cash, simply

press the ‘To Clear’ button and the MDT will

revert to the choice of ‘Clear’ or ‘To Card’.

Ever needed money quickly but were anxious about

Press the ‘To Card’ button; fill in the ‘Pick-

variable bank interest rates?

Up’ and ‘A/D’ Zones as you would normally

Well wonder no more! If you are a subscriber, journeyman or

when accepting a credit card trip and then

member of staff at Dial-a-Cab, then you qualify to join the

process as normal. If you re-start the meter, it

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union. Any member of your family residing

means the MDT won’t read the original trip

and therefore correct meter reading, leaving

at your address also qualifies for membership!

the whole process open to question because

Then if you are over 18, have been a member of the Credit Union for

the driver has input the fare manually.

over 3 months and have established regular savings, you can borrow

“Alternatively, treat every trip as a pos-

up to 3 times your total savings…

sible credit card journey and fill in the ‘To

Card’ fields at the very start in prepara-

The cost?

tion for processing normally at the end of

Just 1% per month on the outstanding balance (or APR of 12.7%).

the journey. You can always go ‘To Cash’ if

Loans can be paid back early AND there can be an annual dividend on your shares.

you’re handed the readies,” he advised

The question is: Can you afford NOT to be in it…?

with the Morley smile!

Call us on 020 7729 8171 or 020 7749 0585

“The other obvious option to maintain

provenance of the correct meter reading is to

Members of the Financial Ombudsman Service

leave the meter in the ‘hired’ mode until

Member’s funds protected up to limit set by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme

either cash or a credit card is produced by the

DaC Credit Union Ltd, Peterley Business Centre, 472 Hackney Rd E2 9EQ

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

passenger, and then proceed as you would if

Registration number 213263

it had been made clear to you that the

Call Sign October 2015

Page 19

Tenders

Activity of the Dial-a-Cab Sales team during

August is normally very lean due to the holi-

DaC Sales Report

days, but I am pleased to report that we have

With Keith Cain

been kept very busy dealing with a couple of

tenders, one of which is so in-depth that we

disappointment to us when they see that the

have six people working on it! I have complet-

meter reading was far more than the fixed

ed many tender documents in my time, but I

fare. It is unfortunate that we have had to

have to say this particular one is by far the most

offer clients some fares at low prices, but with

testing of them all.

everyone being cost conscious it really is a

To give a bit more understanding about what

case of doing that or not getting the trips at

I’m referring to, before Christmas we demon-

all. Although these trips are going further out

strated our booking platform to this particular

of town, it is difficult for us to show on the

client and in the New Year they held one-to-one

trip offer the area or place rather than just the

meetings to gather more of an understanding

post code. We do understand that post codes

as to how it worked. Some weeks later they

do not always mean much to some drivers,

compiled a questionnaire in which we were

but if you do accept a longer trip and are not

asked to participate by answering. Fortunately

sure where it is, just ask the controller to

our response was accepted by the client and we

assist you and if you feel for any reason you

were short-listed onto the next stage.

are not happy to do it, they’ll take it off you

ments in the time frame set. We will do it, but it

That next stage consisted of us answering a

and re-dispatch it.

company risk assessment, which covers all

does take senior staff away from their day-to-day

activities, which in turn can hold back other

aspect of our own company security. This doc-

important projects slightly.

No rejects?

ument wanted answers about the security of

I think it’s fair to say that major clients and

I was disappointed to receive feedback from

our own systems, from entry to the building,

indeed the smaller ones are starting to follow

the Contact Centre that in the first week back

security of our computers and our data securi-

the same procedures. You just cannot take any

after the holidays, coverage in the morning in

ty. All these documents are very concise and

type of risk in not carrying out due diligence on

the south west areas was causing us serious

contain pages of questions. Many questions

prospective suppliers. Once these documents

problems. So much so that clients were threat-

simply ask for a yes or no answer, but it does

are sent in, another evaluation takes place and

ening to close accounts. I found it difficult to

become complex when you answer yes and are

the successful supplier will be invited to partic-

believe about the type of trips being affected,

then instructed to give a full explanation about

ipate in a pricing exercise. That successful sup-

but to say it didn’t impact on my feelings

how we carry out our procedures.

plier will be made aware of the decision in

would be wrong. This may sound like an old

Soon after the Risk Assessment arrived,

November, with the contract going live in

cliché, but I have just tried to explain the

we received the Request for Information

January 2016.

lengths we have to go through to win accounts

document. This document covers all other

We can only hope that the clients final

and service from staff and more so, from you

areas of our business and operation.

choice is us, but despite all of the hard

the driver, is what keeps them using us.

In addition to answering the questions, we

work being put in by people here, it could

I have never been an advocate of forcing

are also asked to attach our own business docu-

be all for nothing. But hopefully it does

drivers to do trips, but my frustration at this

ments such as a Business Continuity Document,

show that to win an account really takes a

time is being pushed to the limit and I am

Health and Safety and Environmental Policy,

great deal of time and effort.

now thinking that perhaps it may be time to

which concerns our carbon footprint etc. We

consider that. We have to look at the morning

have also been asked to supply proof of our Staff

procedures and changes must be made. We

attending data security training sessions. We

Fixed prices

are renowned for our service, but if it breaks

have to include flowcharts that show our opera-

There are more fixed price journeys going

down we have to fix it - no matter how diffi-

tion procedures; these have been regarding

through the system and I’m pleased to see

cult a decision that is...

from how we handle bookings, to how we

that some clients are ordering more of these

process a trip query from a client. The pressure

trips with us, which is obviously good news.

Keith Cain

on us at the moment is to complete both docu-

However, drivers have been expressing their

Head of Sales

Off with the old!

Signifying the Dial-a-Cab re-branding, the new taxi door and seat logos are being steadi-

ly rolled out across the fleet, endorsing a bright modern image and ‘reflecting’ the DaC

taxis presence on the roads of the capital. As the evenings draw in, potential passengers

cannot fail to see our cabs’ new logo reflected in even the dimmest street lighting!

But what few subscribers will realise is the full extent of the re-branding process and

the attention to detail that was involved.

Not only was great care taken over the design of the door/seat logos, the update extends

to the small nameplates affixed to the MDT itself and credit card PED fitted in the cab.

At DaC House, much of the stationary has already been changed as the process of

modernisation continues to proceed, with even the computer monitors in every office

throughout the building displaying the new logo as the default screen saver image.

A spokesperson for the company told Call Sign: “Every facet of our operation is

steadily being changed to our updated logo to reflect the bright modern design of

the 21st century and drivers are requested to attend our Roman Way depot at their

earliest convenience to facilitate the change over to the new logo onto their taxis.”

And whilst there, you can have the PED updated so that it can accept the new

maximum ‘contactless’ payment which recently increased from £20 to £30...

Alan Green (E52), Call Sign Online

Call Sign October 2015

Page 20

In the last of this series, Cab Guide, City of London Guide and City of Westminster Guide Bob

Woodford looks at another infamous peace time London explosion…

Blast!

I am sure many readers will have noticed the memorial (pic-

ting it down) has a

tured below) on the North Woolwich Road underneath the

plaque on the wall

Docklands Light Railway line close to Pontoon Dock Station

(see pic) dedicated to

when taking fares to or from London City Airport.

the firemen and their

At 6.52pm on the evening of 19th January 1917, London’s biggest

families.

ever explosion took place and destroyed a large part of the area of

In Postman’s Park

Silvertown - which back in those days was in the borough of West

(Little Britain) there is

Ham in Essex and today, of course, falls within the London Borough

a plaque (see pic) dedi-

of Newham.

cated to PC Ed

Greenoff who helped

to evacuate the factory.

An enquiry into the

incident judged that

Silvertown was a totally

unsuitable place for a

TNT plant - the report

had been kept as top

secret until the 1950s. I

recall many years ago,

an episode of Upstairs,

Downstairs when the

maid, Ruby, showed up

at the house covered in

soot and shaken by the

Blast and although she

received some sympathy

from household mem-

bers above stairs, the Mr

A quick glance at the date and you’d assume that this Blast was a

Hudson / Mrs Bridges

result of First World War enemy action - but that was not the case.

combo ordered her in

Silvertown was once a huge industrial area nestled on the banks of

no uncertain terms to

the River Thames, directly to the south of Victoria Dock and east of

‘pull herself together’!

Bow Creek. It was developed in the mid-19th century and took its

Go and

name from Sam Silver, one of the first to set up a factory there.

check those

Silver’s enterprise imported natural rubber from India, which

memorials

was instrumental in producing some of the first Bell’s patent

out if you

telephones in the 1880s. Dangerous and toxic products were

are unaware

handled and made in the Silvertown enclave, such as caustic

of them.

soda, sulphuric acid, creosote, petroleum and manure - so you

saved

can just imagine the kind of stench that filled the air!

the biggest

Workers and their families lived in rows of densely packed terrace

Blast for

houses between the docks, railway lines and industrial premises. Now

this final

here’s the clincher - a Silvertown chemical plant owned by Brunner

article in

Mond & Co adapted its plant in 1915 for the production of

the series. Next month sees my new series: They think it’s all

Trinitrotoluene (known to most as TNT) - a highly explosive sub-

over - IT IS NOW! which will take a look at ‘London’s Lost

stance in great demand on the Western Front.

Sporting Heritage’.

Initially the company resisted the official approach from the

Government because of the factory’s proximity to residential housing -

Bob Woodford

TNT was extremely hazardous and many munitions workers found that

Call Sign Online

it turned their skin canary yellow, caused vomiting and chest pains.

On this catastrophic night, a fire started at the factory resulting

in the detonation of high explosives - Blast!

A large part of the munitions works was instantly destroyed, togeth-

Keith Reading

er with several nearby buildings and streets. The damage was felt on

Professional Toastmaster

the opposite bank of the Thames when a gas holder exploded on the

Master of Ceremonies

Greenwich Peninsula (now the site of the O2 Arena) - the Blast was

heard over 100 miles away.

Tele: 01279 465 938

As you can imagine, there was an immediate response from the local

Mobile: 07774 860 374

community, but the geographical isolation of the area hindered the res-

Email: kgr.2@virgin.net

cue work. The casualty list was a tragic 73 people dead, over 300

injured and as many as 60,000 properties damaged to some degree

10% discount for DaC drivers and staff

with the cost of the damage estimated at over £250,000, an enormous

sum in the early part of the 20th century.

Fellow of the Guild of

Check out the photo of a fire fighter’s dwelling on Fort Street,

Professional Toastmasters

which you will find next to the old Fire Station. And whilst look-

ing for the memorial, the old Fire Station (thank Boris for shut-

Call Sign October 2015

Page 21

According to recent figures from the

Department for Transport, the number of pri-

vate hire vehicles in London has risen by 26

Topographical Testing

percent rise since 2013 with 62,754 private

vehicles operating in the capital. The figure

had increased up to more than 67,000 by July

for Private Hire?

with the number of licensed PH drivers up to

83,300 - and in the two months since then

of how easy it was to acquire a PH licence. He

they have increased by another 4,500. Taxi

said that the test to gain their licence should

licenses are pretty much the same as they have

become more complex, reiterating it to the

been for the past few years - round about the

1998 Act which stated that PH drivers should

25,000 number with licensed vehicle numbers

undergo a topographical knowledge test.

hovering at around the 22,300 mark.

That wasn’t in the original draft, but was even-

Then three months ago, London Mayor

tually included after lobbying from the

Boris Johnson suddenly announced on LBC

London Taxiboard and the Radio Circuits in

radio that there might have to be a limit on

particular. The London Taxiboard no longer

the number of actual PH drivers in

exists, but the debate goes on.

London and that he was considering forcing

The Chairman added that the test at that

drivers looking to drive a minicab, to pass a

time was a simple map reading exercise, which

Knowledge-like test to prove their geographic

2006 and Brian Rice was querying in

did not demonstrate a topographical knowl-

expertise

- albeit much easier than the

Call Sign why PH didn't have to have a

edge. He said it should be replaced immedi-

Knowledge test London taxi drivers have to

topographical test

ately by LTPH as it was in the legislation and

undergo.

that he believed LTPH were not testing PH dri-

As a by-product, the topographical tests

‘Topographical Testing’ included in the Act. I

vers to the standard the Act suggested and

- carried out by TfL rather than the pro-

think we really hoped it would be a watered

ended by saying that entry was just too easy.

prietors - would also confirm that the dri-

down version of the Knowledge but which at

One year later and the DaC Chairman was

ver could speak and understand English.

least would have consisted of some effort on

at a Taxi Drivers open forum held at TfL’s

Many taxi drivers - including the Editor of

the applicant’s behalf. What we have actually

Palestra. Brian again brought up the fact of a

Call Sign - long believed that a test of this

got is a map reading exercise.”

topographical knowledge being originally

type would give too much respectability to PH

Over the following years, the Chairman

part of the remit to become a Private Hire dri-

drivers.

Dial-a-Cab

driver

Ken

continued to mention his belief in Call Sign

ver. It was ‘noted’!

Comerford (F89) has given his view in this

of having a topographical knowledge for PH

Now at last the Mayor seems to agree and

issue’s Mailshot and he too is against a mini-

drivers. In 2012 he expanded his views to

has come up with ‘his’ suggestion for a topo-

PH KOL. Views are - and will probably stay -

outside of DaC by including them in the End

graphical knowledge! Would a topographical

divided, but it does look as though the test

of Year Report. We were already in an eco-

knowledge test suit Uber? A spokesman said

will come to pass. When I asked Alan Fisher

nomic downturn, yet minicab numbers were

they agreed with the Mayor re language

if he still thought the tests were unnecessary,

growing unabated, passing 65,000 compared

requirements but were currently happy with

he admitted that he had changed his mind

to the 25,000 in the taxi trade. Three years on

their own in-house testing. What a surprise..

and that even though he still believed they

and that taxi number remains almost the

would give PH more respectability, in his view

same! According to Brian, the reason for the

Michael Toomey

they were now a necessary evil and he now

expansion in minicab numbers was because

Call Sign Online

believed that they should be backdated by 12

months and that every PH driver licenced in

the past year should have to be tested by TfL.

But Boris wasn’t the first to come up with

“Not enough ranks at UG stations”

the suggestion of a topographical test;

eader of the Labour group at the London Assembly,

there is one person on DaC whose view has-

Val Shawcross, has said that whilst a 24 hour tube

n’t changed. DaC Chairman Brian Rice has

service in the capital will be good news, with just 77

maintained for years that we should have

just such a test, warning Call Sign readers

out of a total of 142 London Underground stations hav-

over the years that without such a test,

ing taxi ranks outside, how will passengers get to their

numbers could go through the roof. That

homes if they do not live close to the stations.

has now happened and instead of cutting

She has called for taxi ranks to be put in at stations

the numbers, TfL have just made the roof

currently without them.

higher!

In 2006, the then PCO released a docu-

ment putting forward a PH Topographical

Knowledge test. In his Chairman’s Report

of March 2006, Brian criticised it claiming

that their version involved just the ability to

read a map and added that any institution

able to satisfy the PCO’s requirements for car-

rying out the assessment would be allowed

to do so and that included the PH operators,

who could then test their own drivers! The

Chairman went on to wonder in print as to

how many would actually fail! He added a

somewhat tongue-in-cheek comment: “I sup-

pose the idea of just testing yourself would

be something of a non-runner!”

Brian ended the report by saying: “I must

say it makes me smile just a little when I think

of how hard our licensed industry worked

during and after 1998 in an endeavour to get

Call Sign October 2015

Page 22

Earlier this year, one of TfL’s

seemingly never-ending

Should credit card

Consultation documents asked

for views on whether passen-

acceptance be compulsory?

gers should be able to pay by

to accept cards. These included that it should

they gave me an extra £5. As for the other

debit or credit card in all London

be up to the driver if they accepted card pay-

drivers, they were probably remarking

licensed taxis. It closed in July

ments; others said they didn’t like the fee

about how the game was finished while

and we are awaiting the result.

charged for processing the cards or that it

letting a £35 job almost disappear into a

But unlike previous Consultations, this

was unsafe and they had security concerns.

PH vehicle.

one caused a split in driver’s views with many

Some said passengers were still happy to pay

Alan, it really will be dead if we fail to

saying that because they were individual busi-

cash while other drivers quoted the per-

quickly realise that it is a customer-led

nesses, any decision on individual taxis

ceived difficulty or cost of installing the card

industry that we’re in. I know loads of fel-

acceptance of cards or otherwise should be a

payment equipment as a good reason not to

las like those four. They rant and rave at

personal one and totally dependent on that

go that way.

how we are letting the trade down and

driver’s point of view.

TfL have said that should they decide to

then come out 'for a few quid' and twist

Other drivers have pointed to Uber and

go ahead following the Consultation, then

the knife that's already in our backs by

suggested that many of the undoubted pas-

it could be in all newly licensed taxis from

not moving with the times.

senger numbers they have taken from us

October 2015 and in all licensed taxis

Alf is a great one. I remember his arti-

went to the app not because of cost, but

from April 2016.

cle about being unable to get a cab at

because they knew they could pay by card

This letter was received by Call Sign from

Sainsbury’s on Finchley Road. He slaugh-

without having to ask several taxi drivers and

our former music correspondent, Mickey

tered cab drivers and he had to - of

hope that one would say yes.

Lappin...

course he did - eventually phone for a

Bus and Tube users can pay by card and if

“There were five cabs on the hotel rank

minicab.”

you actually offer cash to a bus driver, he/she

I was putting on with me being the fifth.

All radio drivers are fitted with credit card

will be unable to take you - something that

One of the other four drivers was TAXI

machines, but that doesn’t mean that every-

many would say is every bit as bad as not

Newspaper columnist Alf Townsend who

body accepts cards. Call Sign would like to

accepting cards.

was standing with the other drivers close

hear your views on why they should or

According to TfL, around 50% of taxis cur-

to the hotel entrance. Passengers

shouldn’t become compulsory...

rently accept cards but their research also

approached them and then started walk-

suggests that a huge majority of taxi passen-

ing back to the hotel reception; suddenly

gers (83%) want to be able to pay by card in

one of the other drivers spotted me at the

all licensed taxis.

back and asked if I took credit cards. I

The licensing authority also gave reasons

said yes and they sent the passengers

given by drivers as to why they did not want

over to my cab. The job came to £30 and

Learning the drill!

Regular visitors to Dial-a-Cab House will be familiar wit

the construction work going on next door. Previously,

demolition activities of the old office block did not really

affect us other than the noise of Bob the Destruction

Worker busily tearing down the bricks and mortar that

was, in order to clear the site for a new residential prop-

erty to be created on the fringe of the City of London

and right on our doorstep!

Every new property needs new foundations to sup-

port the intended new development, so the bigger the

proposed property, the stronger the foundations need

Mickey Lappin thinks we are letting

to be and that’s why a Rotary Piling Drill - akin to

the trade down by not making card

something out of TV puppet series Thunderbirds -

acceptance compulsory

had to roll into town!

Not quite International Rescue but this machine

does a similar job by drilling deep down into the ground

and excavating earth to allow reinforced concrete to be

TAXI AIR

poured into the remaining orifice to support the build-

ing that will ultimately sit on top. Big buildings need

big foundations and that means a B-I-G drill!

CONDITIONING

On the day Call Sign visited Dial-a-Cab House, the Piling Drill was right up

against our party wall - uncomfortably close to the Society’s office and car park below. So close, in

All makes and models

fact, that the immediate area of the rest hut and parking spaces alongside the wall had to be cor-

serviced and repaired

doned off for safety reasons.

A spokesperson for DaC told Call Sign that sometimes the drill was working so close to our

Mobile service - we

building that when standing on our roof it was possible to actually step onto the drill’s platform at

come to you!

the top of the drilling machine… ‘If you were so inclined,’ the spokesperson added with a grin!

Because cracks have already appeared in the party wall on our side as a result of the ongoing

Call Mick Wheeler on

building works adjacent to the office, the party wall is now monitored every 20 minutes while the

drilling continues to operate so close to our property. Monitoring markers are also mounted on the

020 8715 0079

building works side of the wall to check the stability of the brickwork.

There’s a drill to be learned - but not one we expect to need again!

Covering London

Alan Green

Call Sign Online

and the Home Counties

Call Sign October 2015

Page 23

aC driver Sean Farrell (B39) looks at trade history from a different angle

Brethren of the Whip

es and was published just two years after

dence of the children - a cabman testified he

Jehu and

Captain Bailey set four cabs on an impromp-

was still on the rank in Lupus St at the time

tu stand near the May Pole in the Strand. On

of the accident. And secondly, the term dates

Jarvey

page 38, a vicar accuses coach, a personifica-

well before Charles Jarvis ever saw the inside

You may recall that

tion of a hackney coach:

of the Old Bailey.

a couple of issues

“If you have gotton your cup (like Jehu)

1810, a clergyman somehow

back that our colo-

ye drive as if you were mad and become

managed to leave £800 in a hackney

nial troublemaker,

dangerous in the night.”

coach. After realising his loss, the

Norman Beattie,

The cup the vicar refers to was the one that

unfortunate man killed himself. A

sent the editor a

was poured over Jehu’s head, thus anointing

few days later it was noticed that a

clipping of a news-

him King. For coach, it meant that the hack-

hackney coachman “...who had been

paper from

1887

neymen of the day drank far too much beer

poor, was now driving a new coach

concerning the case of Mary Hanniwell,

and were a danger to one and all.

with two horses.”

who it is alleged drove a cab in London dis-

The term Jarvey - describing a cabman -

Police arrested him and on the under-

guised as a man. I looked into the case of

is harder to pin down, though it was used

standing that if he returned the remaining

Mary and other women associated with the

in much the same context as Jehu. Latter

£700, the £100 he spent on his coach and

trade in the September issue of Call Sign, but

sources imply the term arose from the

horses would be treated as a reward. Jarvis

this month I am concentrating on the

cabmen themselves after it was felt that a

immediately produced the £700! The name

description of Hanniwell, given by that 1887

cabman named Jarvis was wrongly con-

of the coachman is not revealed, but as early

newspaper clipping as “...this female Jehu.”

victed of manslaughter on the testimony

as 1810 the press were using ‘Jarvis’ as an

Older readers may recall a series of trade

of several children.

embodiment of the whole trade.

anecdotes by Jehu - the pen name of Simon

In 1878, Charles Jarvis was tried at the

In less than a year ‘Jarvis’ had been corrupt-

Hogan - that appeared in Taxi magazine in

Old Bailey for driving over two men, close to

ed into ‘Jarvey’ even though the two terms

the 1990s. In what was probably the best-ever

his home in Effingham St, Pimlico (later

were still used synonymously with the trade,

collection of personal memories regarding

demolished to make way for the Churchill

before the latter became more prominent.

the history of driving a cab, Simon used the

Gardens Estate), killing one and injuring the

Jehu and Jarvey; neither a firm of solic-

full wealth of his 90 years, most of which was

other. Many of the witnesses who identified

itors nor a comedy duo, just another

behind the wheel and continued writing until

Jarvis were children ranging in age from 9 to

piece of history that is all but lost...

he passed away in June 2000.

11 years, all of whom knew Jarvis as a neigh-

Hogan used the pen name Jehu as it had

bour.

been popular within the Victorian press in

Sean Farrell (B39)

There are two problems with this theory;

describing a cabman, sometimes as an hon-

firstly, Jarvis was acquitted despite the evi-

Call Sign Online

orific title, other times as a pejorative.

It is in the Old Testament book of II Kings

Chapter 9 that Jehu (pronounced Yeh-hu),

having been appointed king, drives in a char-

THE SALIERI RESTAURANT

iot towards the city of Jezreel. A watchman

on the city walls warns that “…the driving is

376 Strand, WC2

like that of Jehu, the son of Nimshi; for he

driveth furiously.”

Jehu is then reported as killing King Joram

We Invite Dial-a-Cab drivers and their guests to our

who came out from the city in his own chari-

restaurant where you can partake of the finest food and wine

ot; then he chased after and killed King

Ahaziah, the king of Judah, who tried to flee

And as a thank-you for helping our clients come

from Jezreel. Once inside the city walls, Jehu,

and go over the years, we are happy to be able to

observing Joram’s mother Jezebel, looking

offer you a genuine 25% discount on your bill

out from an upper window, ordered three

eunuchs attending her to throw her from the

window and down into the street. Jehu then

We are certain that you will be delighted

drove his chariot over her body - “trod her

underfoot” - before going to have a celebra-

tory feast.

It was therefore an easy link for scribes

in the 19th century to associate the furi-

ous driver from the Bible to the furious

driving of the hackney cabmen and

coachmen, but the link with the trade

Please bring along your badge or Bill as ID

goes back even further.

The earliest reference I am aware of in

Salieri Restaurant

describing a hackney coachman as a Jehu

dates way back to 1636 in a pamphlet enti-

376 Strand, WC2

tled Coach and Sedan - Pleasantly Disputing

Reservations: 020 7836 1318

Place and Precedence.” The pamphlet was

very much against the rise in hackney coach-

Call Sign October 2015

Page 24

Summer’s here and what could

An occasional review from a struggling 14 handicapper at some of

be more enjoyable than a short

the marque golf courses I've had the privilege to play in my golf

golfing break to some not-too-

days away from the taxi…

distant places in France along

with some golfing pals. Last

SIMON’S GOLF COURSES

month, Simon played at

Hardelot les Pins on his first day,

around 35 minutes from the

Eurotunnel shuttle…

Day 2

After hopefully a good night’s sleep following

the Hardelot les Pins round, you will be

ready to take on the magnificent Belle

Dunes Golf Course at Fort Mahon Plage - a

30 minute drive from our Le Touquet base.

And that’s what we did on the second day of

our short break.

This course was opened in 1992 and I

played it soon after that. It already felt

mature back then and it is even more so

now.

It isn’t far from the sea, although Le

Manche is never in view. But it’s a course that

is both links and pine wooded at different

The beautiful backdrop to one of the par three holes

stages of the round. What you will also find

are huge sand dunes on almost every hole

not that they’re poor, just too similar.

all served up by the owner at a very reason-

and when the wind picks up, the low

However, you will be tested here. Keep

able price.

whistling sound created certainly adds to the

on the Fairways; precise iron play to the

Next month sees our third and final day of

experience!

contoured fast greens is the order of the

golfing just the other side of Le Tunnel. See

In summer, the greens at Belle Dunes are

day.

you then...

lightning fast; try to be below the hole or a

Then it’s back to your choice of the Hotel

Happy golfing…

missed downhill four-footer becomes an

Bristol or Le Nouveau Caddy Motel at Le

uphill ten-footer! But nothing is perfect and

Touquet and then out to one of the many

Simon Wallis (M11)

the one possible thing that lets it down are

restaurants such as Le Paris, where I recom-

the par 3s, which are much the same length -

mend Le Coq Hardi - rustic French cuisine

Call Sign Online

Rugby World Cup

For the next four weeks,

extending back to Cole Road for approximately 24 taxis). There is also

one at Arragon Road. This rank is for approximately 31 taxis.

London will continue

A shuttle service will operate from London Road for any disabled

hosting two Rugby World

taxi passengers who need assistance getting to the stadium.

Cup venues as well as a

Several roads around the stadium, including a section of the A316

between London Road and Hospital Bridge Road will be closed to

number of Fanzones.

general traffic for three hours before kick-off, during the match and

During that time road

two hours after the match.

changes will continue

Fanzones

and special arrange-

There are Fanzones at both venues. The Olympic Park Fanzone is next

ments are in place for taxis (and private hire

to the Stadium and the Twickenham Fanzone is in Old Deer Park.

There will also be a Fanzone in Trafalgar Square with rugby-themed

vehicles), but roads in the area will be exception-

activities taking place. The Final on 31 October will be screened live

ally busy...

at Trafalgar Square and roads around there will be closed between

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

12:00 and 22:00.

Montfichet Road and Westfield Avenue will be closed when

London match dates:

matches take place at the Olympic Stadium. Road closures come into

Saturday 3 October: England v Australia, Twickenham 8pm

effect around 45 minutes before each match ends and once in place,

Sunday 4 October: Ireland v Italy, Twickenham 4.45

taxi ranks in Montfichet Road (Stratford Station) and Westfield

Wednesday 7 October: South Africa v USA, Olympic Stadium 4.45

Avenue (Cow Pub) will not be available. Instead, a marshalled taxi

Saturday 10 October: Australia v Wales, Twickenham 4.45

rank will operate in Warton Road / Montfichet Road. Access will

be from the High Street and Warton Road. Ranks in Roundhouse

Saturday 17 October: Quarter Final, Twickenham 4pm

Lane and Meridian Square will continue to operate throughout

Sunday 18 October: Quarter Final, Twickenham 4.45

matches.

Saturday 24 October: Semi Final, Twickenham 4pm

Sunday 25 October: Semi Final, Twickenham 4pm

Twickenham Stadium

Friday 30 October: Third Place play-off (Bronze), Olympic

Taxis can drop off passengers in London Road between Cole Road and

Stadium 8pm

March Road before kick offs. There are two ranks in operation at

Saturday 31 October: World Cup Final, Twickenham 4pm

Twickenham Stadium: London Road (rank opposite March Road

Call Sign October 2015

Page 25

On October 5th, the High Court in London will start to untangle the legal position regarding London. DaC Board Member

Joe Brazil looks at some of the relevant facts...

To strive, to seek, to find... and not to yield!

vehicles. Under current law

the term transport service. Surely that includes

this is not possible because,

services that describe themselves as ride shar-

apart from bringing criminal

ing? Within existing regulations, this following

prosecutions, licensing officers

description relays the letter of the law:

can only take action against

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

vehicles licensed in their own

1995 c. 50PART III Goods, facilities and ser-

area. Our proposed reforms

vices Section 21ZA

will make it possible for licence

“Transport service” means a service which (to

conditions prescribed as part

any extent) involves transport of people by vehicle.

of national standards (which

Pretty clear cut, I would have thought, so let’s

will form the entirety of Private

have a real bit of enforcement; one that doesn’t

hire licence conditions as well

just involve newly prescribed offences and let’s

as the minimum core of taxi

get the authorities to move forward with us.

conditions) to be enforced by

These regulations exist now. Transport for

any licensing officer against

London should not allow the implied criticism of

Inside Dial-a-Cab, you see the

any licensee.

“a perceived lack of interest in enforcing existing

industry in its totality. You

Now as you can imagine, this could work in

rules” to be the headline that condemns all

our favour if it removes PHVs that are obviously

watch the machinations of gov-

authorities for not imposing or acting now, future

touting to a great extent throughout their work-

actions are supported by law at this time. We com-

ernment and law meddling

ing day, but would this alleviate the problem of

ply. We bought the vehicle or had it adapted at

“a perceived lack of interest in enforcing exist-

incessantly with an industry

our own expense, we changed the face of London

ing rules?” Transport for London would, I’m

to a more caring community and a more inclusive

that has taken hundreds of

sure, disagree. I would proffer that without the

London. The introduction of non-compliant vehi-

years to reach the worldwide

introduction of new rules, you would imagine

cles lessens London as a whole.

bit of a catch-up on existing statutory regula-

gold standard, that of which we

We remain the gold standard for taxi

tions would be a breath of fresh air.

transportation across the world, whilst our

have achieved. What follows are

Existing regulations regarding disability

competition instead reaches new depths

my thoughts regarding some

access have been glossed over with a PHV cul-

with the race to the bottom mentality that is

ture pervading London. You have to ask why,

pervading London’s PHV transportation. Let

proposals and the state of some

with the introduction of as many as 85,000

the standards be raised to that which we

of the regulations at this time...

licences being issued to PHV drivers, there has

have achieved, or, non-compliance should

When you take the time to view the Law

been no enforcement regarding disability access

be punished. These are national standards

Commission reports, you soon come across

within their fleets? If TfL truly want to reduce

after all and London, as we know, should at

areas that could have far reaching implications

those PH numbers, enforcing disability access

all times be open to all.

for us as taxi drivers. It shouldn’t come as any

on all vehicles is the way forward.

Starting on October 5th, the High Court will

surprise that steps are in place that could create

Enforcement regarding the Disability

start to untangle what is the legal position

problems and add expense to our industry; as

Discrimination Act 1995 is inadequate and

regarding London. We know where we stand.

usual, this comes in the manner of a double-

surely not to be condoned; calls of shame

Where we finish, greater minds will decide...

edged sword that could end up monetising

should be directed to all the authorities

indiscretions by all. And whilst we may be car-

involved. The terms in the following act seem

Joe Brazil

unambiguous in their description of vehicles;

rying out our lawful business, we will be under

DaC Board Member

they neither use the term taxi or PHV but use

even more scrutiny than usual. Below is an

extract from a Law Commission report. The

fixed penalty possibility is of special interest...

The Law Commission (LAW COM No 347)

Enforcement (Chapter 13)

1.42 As with the administration of the

licensing system, enforcement is carried out

by licensing authorities. However, most of

their powers only extend to their own

licensees. Furthermore, many licensing

EARLY TREATMENT MEANS SPEEDY RECOVERY

enforcement officers told us that their pow-

Treatment for pain & discomfort doesn’t have to be expensive

ers were not sufficient to tackle the breach-

es of conditions and licensing law they

encountered.

The Centre offers fully qualified therapists in Physiotherapy,

1.43 Many of the problems with enforce-

Osteopathy, Sports Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Remedial

ment derive from the lack of adequate

Massage, Indian Head Massage, Hydrotherm, Massage

resources and a perceived lack of interest in

enforcing existing rules. These are not

Therapy, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

issues that legal reform is apt to address.

On the other hand, we make a range of rec-

Call us on 020 8507 8169

ommendations to enhance licensing officers’

or mobile 07973 639 473 for an early appointment

powers, including granting them powers to

Email: andy@bptconline.co.uk or fax: 020 8507 9650

stop a licensed vehicle on a road without

Out of hours enquiries welcome

the need for a police officer to be present; to

impound vehicles for touting and to issue a

fixed penalty notice to a person whom they

Barking Physical Therapy Centre

have reason to believe has breached any

90 Longbridge Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 8SF

provision in national standards.

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am till 8pm and Saturday 9am till 2pm

1.44 We also recommend that such pow-

www.bptconline.co.uk

ers should apply in respect of out-of-area

Call Sign October 2015

Page 26

erry Vandome (V26) has been dri-

ving a cab for 30 years, the last 25 of

them with Dial-a-Cab. But it wasn’t

MARRIED TO THE CAB!

that part of his life that Call Sign

Terry and his

wanted to know about. On this occasion it

number plate

was his personalised number plate: M1 WFE.

“It all started some years ago,” said Terry, “I

hankered for a Porsche sports car, specifical-

ly a 911 Carrera and have to admit to being

pany up north and

something of an anorak, but my then-wife

went through the

gave me an ultimatum - it was either her or

usual DVLA proce-

the car so I never got to get that Porsche!

dure and have now

But years later I heard about the number

had it for around five

plate and it brought back memories of not

years. But my thirty

getting the Porsche. But it certainly grabs the

years in the game

attention,” he said smiling as he pointed to

have shown me how

his pride and joy.

it was and how it is

“Other cab driver’s say they can relate to it,

now for taxis. The

having to spend so much time on the road to

economics have cer-

earn a living - especially with the downturn in

tainly changed over

business of late and the high costs associated

those years.

with running a household, not to mention a

while ladies often throw me a wry smile. I

“The late David Kupler - ‘Kupcake’ to

young family growing up fast and needing to

even get requests from people to take a

most long-timers on DaC - was going to write

be fed and clothed!”

photo alongside the cab. Usually it’s tourists,

a poem about me and the number plate but

As Terry pointed to M1 WFE, he continued

who get a picture of themselves with the

never got around to it, and now, of course,

with his story...

iconic London taxi to show off back home -

sadly it is too late. He is sorely missed,” Terry

“I regularly get comments from younger

while at the same time they ask to also get in

said thoughtfully.

cab drivers saying that they know what I

my unusual, personalised number plate into

Alan Green (E52)

mean, referring to the long hours many find

the bargain!

necessary to work when supporting a family,

“I bought the number from a coach com-

Call Sign Online

Every issue of Call Sign takes a look back at ODRTS history through the pages

of the magazines of the time with a Flashback…

DIAL-A-CAB FLASHBACK

This issue goes back 48 years to a Joe Toff Editorial from the August 1967 issue of ODRTS News

Magazine...

EDITORIAL

Lords and Mountview amalgamation?

In the July issue of the ODRTS News Magazine, a letter from Radio Taxis (Southern) Ltd was published offering their

thanks for the co-operation of ODRTS when Mountview experienced a power failure. This goes to prove just how much

closer the two major London radio circuits are working. This of course is extremely gratifying and one must wonder why

all this didn't happen sooner, nevertheless the possibilities of being even closer are imminent. Amalgamation cannot be

dismissed and one's eyes must surely boggle at the thought.

The business potential is boundless and makes one’s heart beat a little faster. Of course there would be many obstacles

to overcome; for instance the administration differs a great deal, the set-up is different, even the calling of jobs is differ-

ent. But the drivers and the cabs are the same. At the next meeting of the Joint Radio Committee (consisting of

Mountview and Lords) one item on the agenda will be to discuss ways and means, pros and cons, possibilities and analy-

sis of amalgamation.

It is not the intention of the writer to sway you one way or the other, but if ever there was a reason for

you to write in your views, this must surely be it. Providing sufficient space is available, every letter will be

published. Now is your chance to give your opinion. This invitation also goes out to any of our friends on

Mountview who care to drop us a line.

This brings me to the point of apologising to Radio Taxis Southern Ltd, as their address published in error by the printer in our last magazine was our

one at 144 Shirland Road! This prompted Mr Freddy Franks, Mountview's Secretary, to enquire whether a pantechnicon was available to enable him

to bring all their office equipment over to us. Sorry Freddy!

Once again please note the extreme caution you must exercise with your radio sets in the boot of the cab. It appears that the last warning went

unheeded as a report came in a few days ago that a set had been saturated in oil and it was only with the co-operation of Pye in cleaning up the mess

that the subscriber was not presented with a bill for a very large amount of money. So take care; if you do carry oil in the back, make sure it's well

wrapped up otherwise it works out about £100 a pint!

There are one or two points I would like to make, mainly for new subscribers and also to refresh the memories of some of the old 'uns. POB means

that you are technically POB until your meter is in the for hire position. One new driver received a reprimand for coming in on open call when his meter

was still not cleared although he stated he had been paid off. As far as this circuit is concerned, while the meter is still engaged or on stop, you are POB.

One other driver was given seven days suspension for not having his radio on. He was on a credit account job and was called to be re-directed but could

not be contacted and the Society was put to an extra expense of over £3 to send a second cab to pick up. As many of these credit accounts are impor-

tant news items, delays can be serious as well as expensive. Continual contact with the driver is one of our main assets and of vital importance to some

of our customers. Please bear this in mind and also that a suspension for any period means that no radio service will be given to the offender, but sub-

scriptions must still be paid.

As you are aware, there have been some changes made in the Control room, the most important of which is that there is now a manager on both day

shifts - namely Bill Browne and Reg Frost. We wish them both luck and hope for your continued co-operation with them.

And of course, the best of luck to you all...

Joe Toff (B04)

ODRTS News Magazine Editor

Call Sign October 2015

Page 27

BORIS: How did he do?

Simon, Martin & Phil

DaC drivers respond to

last month’s article...

In the last issue of Call Sign, we published

the aims/promises of Alexander Boris de

Francis, Andy & Tony

Trevor, Dave, Brian &

Pfeffel Johnson - Boris for short - as given

Jackie

to this magazine just a few short months

Francis Robinson

(G18): He’s making

before he became London Mayor in 2008.

progress yes; but with little time of his term

power to limit the explosion

We remembered how he had courted the taxi

left, he’s struggling.

of private hire, yet did noth-

trade’s vote by paying visits to our watering

Andy Dale (L57): No, unsuccessful. End of...!

ing. We have now been

referred to by him as Luddites,

holes, drinking our tea and constantly refer-

Tony Coleman (J6): Successful? No, he totally

which my dictionary describes

ring to us as the best taxi service in the world.

shafted us!

as one who is opposed to change or innovation,

As he enters the last part of his term in office,

Trevor Wright (G13): Just two words. Failed

but he has changed by not keeping the promises

we asked if his aims/promises to this trade

miserably!

he made post his election!

matched up to what he had actually done...

Dave Ellis (J11): No, he has not kept his

As of publication time, just one opinion

Simon Scott (O40): No, not done too well

promises. He openly campaigned for votes as

came out in partial support (see above

as far as I can see. I think he treats it like a

a ‘friend’ but has not delivered.

from Francis Robinson). We also had

Saturday morning job!

Brian Tredler (D79): He has only been suc-

many drivers who offered their opinions,

Martin Adkins (F47): Definitely failed! Got us

cessful for private hire in my eyes, certainly

but whose responses were unprintable in

to vote for him but not fulfilled his promises.

not for taxis!

a family magazine!

Phil Butcher (A98): I don’t think he’s kept

Jackie Kott (Y88): All those promises, yet he has

all of his promises, so it’s a ‘No’ from me.

done nothing for the taxi trade. He had the

Royal

Win £100 for

Wharf

a caption!

introduction

Dial-a-Cab drivers have to pick up in some difficult places while

often completing difficult manoeuvres! If you can think of an

with free

amusing caption to this photo of one such example, send it to

Call Sign at callsignmag@aol.com or drop it into Driver’s

brekkie!

Reception for the Editor’s attention and the best caption will

win £100.

Captions via snail mail or email by Tuesday 13th October and

the best one will receive £100...

oyal Wharf is a new devel-

opment in Docklands that

comprises almost 4,000 new

homes and a free breakfast

introduced it to London’s early morn-

ing taxi drivers recently by developers

Oxley Holdings and Ballymore.

The cab drivers pulled up alongside

the Royal Wharf information centre

and went from being peckish to con-

tented within minutes!

The development will be on

the corner of North Woolwich

Road and Barrier Point Road -

near Pontoon Dock DLR station.

Call Sign October 2015

Page 28

ompleting what has been the

biggest ‘Bash Boris’ issue Call Sign

JAMES O’BRIEN LASHES

has ever put out, we cannot allow

the response to Boris Johnson’s

“Luddites” insult to the London taxi trade

OUT AT THE MAYOR!

from LBC’s James O’Brien go unmen-

tioned! In his morning phone-in, Mr

“Luddites insult is a disgrace!”

O’Brien said:

your youth you had decided

“Boris Johnson is a disgrace. His insult to

taxi drivers at City Hall was one of the most

to pursue a profession that

involves three or four years of

reprehensible single public postures that I

have seen anybody take, but as I said, I

training, a hefty investment

thought that he was pretty rotten before! He

and a lifestyle that is very spe-

insulted every taxi driver in the country and I

cific, if you had done that and

wish I had an objectivity switch so that I could

you’d paid for it and signed

come to it completely cold and fresh. But I

up for it and you studied for

can’t because I have this belief - it may make

it and you signed a contract

promising x, y and z for a, b

me sound a bit undergraduate, a bit Citizen

Smith, a bit mad leftie - but I can’t help what I

and c and then they just

offered a, b and c to anybody

believe.

I believe that there is a class of people in this

who hadn’t done the training,

country, indeed right across this planet, who

made the investment or

look at money and don’t think that anybody

lifestyle choice?

and investors in the City. And if I sound like a

else deserves it! I know it sounds mad, but I

And that thing about no one else being

Communist, then call me a Communist! I’m

believe that Goldman Sachs and the people

able to use a meter; yes we were just jok-

not, I’m the very opposite to a Communist; I

that set up Uber and Boris Johnson and all of

ing! We know it’s been enshrined in law for

think every taxi driver in the City should be

decades, but I’m Boris Johnson and I’m

his banker mates and politicrats, I think they

able to operate independently and continue to

all look at London cab drivers earning in some

going to instruct TfL to completely ignore

earn a decent living.

it. You know that thing that protects your

case around the £60 or £70,000 a year mark -

I thought there was a chance they’d win

please don’t phone to tell me you earn only a

entire profession from being picked off

until it happened at City Hall and the

fraction of that - I know and I’m going back in

and filleted, well we’re getting rid of it!

Mayor called the taxi drivers Luddites. No,

time a bit as well. But just like the tube drivers

Well we’re not even getting rid of it, we’re

it’s not a four letter word or a particularly

- how dare ordinary people earn that sort of

just bringing in a new company funded by

profane intervention; it’s not a particularly

money. How dare tube drivers earn that type

Goldman Sachs and letting them ride

pungent insult... but my God it was a care-

of money? They’re peasants! Do you remem-

roughshod over all the regulations that

fully considered one! Boris Johnson has

you signed up for when you took that deci-

ber the rhetoric! And that’s what I think they

dedicated his entire life to creating an

believe when they look at taxi drivers. £60 or

sion to invest and train.

image of someone who bumbles from one

This conversation is not just about taxi dri-

£70,000! These people don’t need that sort of

encounter to the next and is almost taken

money! How can we get our hands on some of

vers, this conversation is about nurses, it’s

by surprise when he finds himself standing

it?

about teachers and tube drivers, railway work-

on a stage bumbling to thousands.

They see this huge ocean of cash that wash-

ers, it's about soldiers, police officers, it’s

Absolute fraud! He knew what he was

es up every year in a city like London actually

about fire fighters; it’s about absolutely every-

doing at City Hall. I think it was an act of

going into the pockets of the people doing the

body who does a job that is not dedicated nec-

deliberate provocation.

work and they ask themselves how they can

essarily to producing profit for private

You have a few hundred cab drivers who

investors.

get a piece of the action? In fact, you know

turned up to make a perfectly valid protest

what they say to themselves? How do we get

That’s why they hate the taxi drivers! It’s

and the Mayor effectively insults them and

because “they” are not getting a piece of the

all of that action? How can we get people to

then looks surprised when they get cross in

do the driving for peanuts, allowing us to

action. And that’s why they hate the tube dri-

return and calls off the whole meeting in retal-

trouser the difference?

vers because they don’t think that peasants

iation to their retaliation! A reaction to their

If you are one of my friends behind the

should earn £50k a year. And that, ultimately,

reaction. That is almost Victorian in terms of

wheel of a taxi at the moment and if I said it to

is why they hate all of us and laugh and rub

the contempt it displays for the ordinary man

you in theory about another profession a cou-

their chubby little hands with glee every single

and woman. What’s that? You don’t like being

ple of years ago, you’d have shot me down in

time they succeed in turning us against each

insulted? We’ll close the meeting then.

other.

flames! And that’s where my politics comes

The first taxi drivers in the world to use

into it, because I truly believe that they pick us

Taxi driver; you, my friends, have been a big

an App to take bookings were London cab

part of that problem over the years and now

off one by one. Look what they’ve done to the

drivers. Luddite means you don’t like new

tube drivers, look what they’ve done to the

it’s your turn, so you’ll get the same defence

technology. So it wasn’t just a fraudulent

teachers. If teachers go on strike over the poor

that all those other constituencies deserve. At

posture, it was a lie.

pay they receive, the nation is successfully

least you will here.

And yet for me - and I want to be wrong -

turned against them. We’ve been turned

Do you think the insult by the Mayor of

it’s huge because that is him giving ‘the finger’

against absolutely everybody. It is expressing

London to the Capital’s taxi drivers was a nail

to the taxi trade. That is not him saying any-

audacity to believe that even if you’re not a

in the coffin of the cab trade? And in the inter-

thing that sounds remotely like he wants a

est of balance, you can give me a ring to tell

member of their funny little club that you

happy resolution. I think this is his parting

should still be able to earn a decent living.

me why you won’t mourn it. I will! I took two

shot to his friends in the City.

cabs yesterday. The first was a black taxi to go

Even if you drive a tube train, you should

“Before I go chaps, here’s the taxi trade,

still be able to earn enough to live in the city

and meet some friends in the pub. The black

yes, absolutely marvellous! We’ll have to

where you work. If you drive a cab you should

cab cost me quite a few quid going from east

pay the drivers a little bit, but the mini-

still be able to earn enough in the city where

London crossing the city towards Camberwell

mum wage should cover it!”

you serve, but “they” hate it! And this unholy

but he absolutely knew where we were going

And that’s what he’s doing; he’s gift wrap-

trinity of Boris Johnson, his friends in the

and even the pub we were being dropped at.

ping you, he’s putting a stamp on your back-

media and the banking sector have conspired

The second was an Uber that my friends

side and he’s dropping you in a letterbox

booked; we got into it and you can just insert

to create an environment in which the taxi dri-

marked: My friends in the City!

vers of London are being filleted, gift wrapped

your own nightmare!”

Here are the three areas of offence: If in

His callers then took over…

and served up to the hedge fund managers

Call Sign October 2015

Page 29

Thanks to the Dial-a-Cab driver who sent us

a review on The Times CEO Summit that

was held in July and for some reason, Call

Now we know who

Sign wasn’t invited to! Because of that obvi-

ous oversight, it meant that we missed a

speech from the Government’s Business

Secretary, Sajid Javid, that mentioned this

we’re up against

trade alongside that of our “friends” at Uber.

Mr Javid said that the Government would

Minister David Cameron - would not bow to

continue supporting innovation and disrup-

pressure from British taxi drivers!

tive tech because it would “lead to higher pro-

He added: “Berlin and Paris might want

ductivity.” That led him onto Travis

to ban Uber, but we welcome disruptive

Kalanick’s baby, Uber, which after destroying

technology of that type and others. We

the taxi business in San Francisco, is now

want the best deal for customers. They

attempting to take over the world regardless of

will decide, and they have already decid-

who or even what stands in his way.

ed with their wallets that they want to pay

At the time of the meeting, there had

for that service. We can’t stand in the way

been violent protests from Parisien taxi

of technology. You can either embrace it

drivers that led to its UberPOP ride-shar-

and try and work with it or you can push

ing service that used unlicensed drivers,

it away. We benefit from promoting new

being banned in France. The same hap-

technology, because ultimately it’s in the’

pened with the German service.

interest of consumers...”

Back to the meeting at The Times offices

Well, one good thing is that at least now we

and Sajid Javid. Obviously not wishing to

really know what and who we are up against.

antagonise London’s taxi drivers, whom he

Uber founder Travis Kalanick wants to

Don’t we Mr Cameron???

knew were already upset at the apparent

take over the world!

favourable attitude TfL were treating Uber

Baghwat Singh

with, he announced that the Government - obviously with the full knowledge of Prime

Call Sign Online

London taxi drivers were at City Hall as demos took place all over Europe and the rest of the world. Call

Sign’s Mike Higgins reports on the Day of Action in New York...

Taxis World Day of Action - US Style!

'hug therapy' mode to help 'drivers' who have been ripping me off every day and who are now in

the financial jack pot because their little scheme is apparently going down the tubes!

Where was their support... for me? For us? On Fifth Avenue during rush hour stealing

street hails??? At Terminal 4 JFK hustling tourists??? Oh puhleeeeze! Would you DaC guys

come out in support of minicabs? Thought not…!

I think that’s another reason why there were only about 1,000 drivers at the rally out of 55,000 valid

hack licenses. They want to support a just cause; they want to support solid leadership. But with all

due respect to the great people trying to help, there have to be some basic distinctions between rep-

resenting folks who are being driven out of business, versus trying to bring them under one tent with

people who are putting them out of business (in my opinion). Where was that in the dialogue?

In any event, it's another example of just how far we have to go and how lazy we - yes we - have all

been in addressing these issues. So to those tireless organizers who truly want to help, let's get back

On September 16th, members of the New

to basics and support the yellow cab drivers first; then we can deal with the Workers of the World.

York Taxi Workers Alliance held a profes-

sionally run demonstration with their mem-

Mike Higgins

bers - and friends of the cause - in front of

NYC Taxi News for Call Sign Online

Governor Mario Cuomo's office on 41st

Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. The

drivers' enthusiasm at the rally was a glaring

contrast to the grey, bleak eye-sore of a sky-

scraper that the Governor has apparently

decided to call his political home.

The demo addressed many of the talking

points that drivers are concerned with today

in regards to the assault by the multi-billion

dollar corporate Death Star known as Uber.

Many speakers voiced their opinions about

how the Uber fuzzy math is lowering ALL dri-

ver wages and creating a global, part-time

'gig' economy - and destroying real jobs.

However, one of the things that immediately

struck me was the pointed attempt by the

NYTWA leadership to address the problems of

yellow cab drivers, green car drivers, black car

drivers ...and Uber drivers!

What? Huh? Screeeeeech! Uh... ya kinda lost

me on that last part, gang!

I was there as a yellow cab driver to support

the cause of helping exploited yellow cab dri-

vers! Isn't it a bit early in the game to start

singing kumbayah with every driver in the

City? And, speaking frankly, I'm not exactly in

Call Sign October 2015

Page 30

Mailshot

Either write to Call Sign at

decided to sit in the hotel lobby to eating

product than proficiency and capability.

their packed lunches before forming a

It is of course possible that a satisfactory

Dial-a-Cab House

queue outside for the hotel loo ...Ed

outcome may not be achieved; the legal,

or email us at

structural or financial terms offered may in

callsignmag@aol.com

Minicab prices

the end be unacceptable, or Radio Taxis may

find another partner. Indeed, some of the

Hello Alan

Phone numbers

delays could be because they are also nego-

I only pass this on as it was told to me, but a

Hi Alan

tiating with a third party. Do we have a Plan

friend of mine (not a cab driver) said he was

I think it may be helpful if the DaC number

B in place, or at least under consideration?

quoted £98 by Addy Lee from Heathrow

was printed on the new door logos. A few

Laurence Kelvin (W88)

(terminal not known) to the Westbury

customers have asked if there is a phone

Brian Rice replies: That’s fair comment

hotel. He had enquired, as a cousin of his

number (when handing out our cards) as

Laurence, but I believe economies of

was arriving from Australia. I said I thought

they prefer to phone. I think it would have

scale could make two or three loss mak-

our price (from the rank) would be between

been an extra advertising tool at no extra

ing businesses into a viable proposition.

£60 and £70 depending on traffic. However,

expense and maybe it’s not too late to

RTG approached us with their thoughts,

his wife works for the Sunny Hill Private

make an amendment?

which we did not believe were accept-

Clinic in Hendon and as a special favour (!!!)

Shawinder Singh (H66)

able. Consequently we went back with

their usual local minicab firm wanted £58,

Both phone numbers - credit cards and

our own suggestions just before they

which also included parking at Heathrow.

cash - are on the back of the handout

moved premises and we have not heard

Michael Harris (F79)

cards and also on the “fingertips” ad on

anything since.

Hi Mike, I think most now realise that

the tip-up seats. There are no current

Are there other plans? Well there could

Addy Lee are not cheap on cash but chop

plans to incorporate it onto the door

be, but as you stated earlier who wants

the price for account clients. But I'm sure

logo and I think the old logo with its

to get involved with failing organisa-

someone from DaC would take them to

optional cash strapline ad shows that

tions? When you state “...our problems

LAP for £58 if it was at a time when traffic

very few drivers would have it put on if

are more to do with sales and demand

was reasonably light, but I doubt you'd

offered, because very few did! Sorry

for our product than proficiency and

cover it if it was a meet and greet from

Shawinder ...Ed

capability,” I couldn’t agree with you

the airport back to town. And what about

more. We offer a first class service that is

the Docklands minicab company that

Peter’s tea stall v the

unfortunately being undercut by 85,000

does LAP for under £40! And we never

minicab drivers that are increasing at the

even mentioned the U-know-whats...Ed

hotel!

rate of 2,500 per month and whilst that

Dear Alan

system prevails then all licensed radio

Merger 1

A large hotel chain are refurbishing the

taxi circuits will struggle to survive.

Dear Sir

building behind Anne and Peter’s tea

Can you please thank Mr Tremlett for an

stall on the north east corner of Finsbury

open and truthful view - and my own per-

Live and learn!

Square EC2... and guess where the

sonal thoughts on our merger! Maybe this is

Alan

entrance / drop-off point is going to be?

a time for an open and honest discussion for

Having now given the September Call Sign

Yep, you’ve guessed; right outside the tea

all drivers to attend together with Board

a full read, I got a chuckle out of reading

stall’s back door! So it will be interesting to

Members, if legally allowed.

my little contribution in Mailshot and see-

see if Islington Council stand firm in the

Gerry Mulcahy (W78)

ing some interesting info on the ‘TX3 that I

defence of the small businessman and

If it ever goes beyond the talking stage,

did not know.

woman and your cheap cup of tea.

then there would have to be a number of

I also liked the article on my good friend

One thing is certain; Anne and Peter are

meetings - including one to change our

Bill Munro’s retirement. He is an amazing

not going to back down and go easily into

status ...Ed

repository of knowledge on vintage taxis

the night for anybody. Besides, just look at

and a pillar of our club, the London

all the extra business they could pick up

Vintage Taxi Association - in addition to

from hotel guests. I mean, can’t you just

Merger 2

being a really nice chap!

imagine Peter being asked to send over two

Hello Alan

John Freeston, LVTA Vice Chairman

bacon rolls and a mug of tea for room 86!

In the last issue of Call Sign, there was a ref-

Windham, New Hampshire, USA

Gary Cox (O46)

erence and brief discussion about the possible

My office library has several of Bill’s excel-

There are lots of DaC drivers that use

merger. Without doubt, I am sure that our

lent reference books on taxis constantly

Peter’s tea stall among the many taxi

most capable Chairman is dealing with this in

staring down at me, yet for some strange

drivers who work after 6pm and late

the best possible interests of the Society and

reason I spelt his name Monroe instead of

into the night. While Gary’s point may

its members. However, the idea that two fail-

Munroe. Sorry Bill! Perhaps a book on

have been laced with his irrepressible

ing organisations would become a successful

how to spell the names of taxi trade

humour, it’s important that small busi-

enterprise when combined seems strange to

celebrities should be considered! ...Ed

nesses aren’t totally steamrollered in

me, and not a policy usually recommended by

the same way that TfL are trying to rid

management consultants or business

Authority???

London of the worlds’ oldest - and still

schools. Yes, I am familiar with the concepts of

best - licensed taxi service. It really

economies of scale, improved efficiency,

Hi Alan

This is in response to Brian's Chairman’s

wouldn’t look too good for the hotel if

reduced overheads etc, but our problems are

Peter’s had to close and taxi drivers

more to do with sales and demand for our

Report re a PHV topographical knowledge...

Call Sign October 2015

Page 31

Mailshot

Brian, I sit uneasy about your ideas for

words. Then they gave Dad some money to

Figures

PHV taking a topographical test. I think it

fix his cab and they left with their tails

Hello Alan

will give them a credibility they don't

between their legs. One for the good guys!

I read with some interest your article under

deserve and water down our own KOL. TfL

It’s so hard not speaking to Dad any

the above heading on page

23 of the

should just stop issuing licenses. Fact is it’s

more, I spoke to him every day on Skype

September Call Sign. I was wondering where

a huge income for them - more so than

from Florida and miss him more than I can

you obtained the stats from as for some time

ours I suspect; Ergo gridlocked roads,

say. He was a Gentleman with a heart big-

I have been curious as to how the 15 year age

empty buses, empty Taxis and empty PHVs.

ger than himself and my hero; the last 14

limit is affecting the number of taxis on the

We need to be more robust in our demon-

years without Mum had been so hard for

road. I wonder whether you could help in

strations. By ‘we’ I mean all traffic vehicles

him but he never complained about any-

this regard.

that are goods services: Buses, Taxis, PHVs,

thing. They don't make them like that any-

David Fletcher (O15)

Construction and Emergency services to

more and if he is looking down, he’ll have

The figures were genuine, David. They

help get rid of this shower in City Hall.

that wonderful smile on his face and be

came from TfL at Palestra ...Ed

Surface transport also, including Gas,

remembering his great times with ODRTS.

Electric,

Sewers,

Fibre

Optics,

Thank you so much, Alan...

Terrible for London!

Maintenance and Repair

/ Upgrades.

Larry Gold

Hi Alan

The old GLC pandered to influential lobby

Kissimmee, Florida

Who among us would have ever thought

groups (no, I did not have time to reply to

There are still a few copies of the Early

that we could look back with almost fond

the Cycle Consultation). They were

Years of ODRTS brochure available. It

memories of those days when the London

deemed not fit for purpose! Let's get rid of

details our early history from 1953 until

licensed taxi trade was controlled by the

TfL and GLA and bring back sensible

we went over to Data transmission ...Ed

Public Carriage Office? So now does TfL

authority.

stand for Terrible for London?

Ken Comerford (F89)

Next London Mayor

Rodney Lewis (aka D77)

Brian Rice replies: You made me smile

Hi Alan

Hi Rodders, pleased to hear that your

Ken; you reminded me of Wolfie in

Re the article in September’s Call Sign on

recent illness is now on the way out ...Ed

Citizen Smith with his 'Power to the

the Mayor’s broken promises, when the

People' and that's not being face-

next prospective Mayoral candidates write

tious. However, you might be too young