Your chance to voice your opinions about TfL's consultation on card payments.

TfL recently held a consultation about Credit Card payments in regards to the licensed Taxi trade. Many drivers felt the questions were loaded in favour of an agenda already decided by TfL and decided not to take part. Therefore, only 349 licensed Taxi drivers actually responded to the consultation. 

AskPOB have decided to redress this issue and are carrying out a survey, asking the questions that drivers feel should have been asked in TfL's consultation. 

Please give this survey your full support.

  Dear Driver

Here's your chance to voice your opinions about TfL's consultation on card payments which managed to get just 349 responses. So, please take part today to help create a true reflection of trade opinion.

AskPOB is currently conducting an independent survey to establish driver opinion on card payment solutions and possible changes to taxi tariffs. AskPOB is an impartial third party, working in collaboration with trade organisations and groups to reach as many drivers as possible, and to understand how drivers would like to best use card payment facilities and at what cost.

The last driver consultation conducted by AskPOB yielded over 1,400 responses and delivered a comprehensive voice from the London taxi trade on recent changes at Tavistock Place. 

By completing this survey, AskPOB will once again ensure that London taxi drivers are being heard. 

AskPOB is a free subscribed service giving all drivers a voice.

Please use this link for survey: >Click Here<

Many thanks and be lucky,

Perry Richardson
AskPOB

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IF YOU CARE, BE THERE...LTDA BRANCH MEETING TODAY 5PM WOODFIELD ROAD

It's no good just moaning that your representative org isn't doing anything, or they at not listening to your worries. It's no good just talking to other cabbies in shelters or on ranks. 

You have the opportunity of shaping the policy that's made on your behalf by turning up at branch meeting. 

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The Shape Of Things To Come? Plus Uber Drivers New Delivery Service.

A young mother has accused an Uber driver of calling her a “black c***” and launching a brutal assault after a row over making multiple drop-offs.

Paramedic Taleka White, 27, says she was dragged out of a minicab and punched twice in the face after her driver flew into a rage in Addiscombe, south London, in the early hours of Sunday.

She says her face smashed into the ground after she was sent flying by the second blow.

The man allegedly called her a “stupid black c***” and a “black b***” during the ordeal at about 3.30am on Sunday morning.

The mother, who has a four-year-old son, is unsure why he became so aggressive, but says he grew angry after some confusion over the destinations.

The women had taken a lift using the minicab app after a night out in Croydon town centre on Saturday and agreed to make separate drops, in the same fashion the proposed UberPool will operate.

She said the driver was polite at first but became rude during the journey when her friend told him he had missed the turning to her house.

He then started to insult Ms White after she continued the journey alone.

Ms White said: “He started to abuse me, saying ‘you stupid black c***, your friend gave me the wrong directions’.

“I sat in the back of the car crying, I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.”

Although frightened, she continued the journey to her mother’s home in Addiscombe – where the driver allegedly became violent.

“He pulled up outside my mum’s and as I was gathering my stuff, he got out and opened the door and dragged me out,” she said.

“As he did this I started wailing and he punched me in my face. 

“I put my hands up and was screaming to get my mum’s attention and he punched me again.

“I went flying down the road and landed on my face. He ran into his car and drove off.”

Ms White was left terrified and injured, with a lump on her head, bruising and a bloodied wrist and knuckles.

She visited A&E on Sunday and needs to return to have an X-ray on her hand.

She called on Uber – which she says has not even refunded the journey – to ban the driver.

“He should not be allowed to work for a cab firm ever again,” she said.

“It’s disgusting – Uber should not be employing someone like that. I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

The matter has been reported to police but Scotland Yard was not yet able comment.

Should be interesting when Uber start their UberPool service when their drivers will be expected to pick up, upto 4 separate, unrelated passenger. 

Not only could you be getting into a car driven by a stranger....would could be sitting next to 3 other strangers on rout.

Meanwhile News Of Uber Driver's New Deliver Service:

Mini-Cab driver Waseem Anwar Choudry, 31, of Chichester Court, Slough gave his wife eight dresses to bring back from Pakistan, which unbeknown to her had 3.5 kilogs of the class A drug – worth almost half a million pounds – sewn inside.

Border Force officers found the drugs in Nazreen Anwar’s bag after she stepped off a flight from Islamabad on June 28, and she was arrested.

In interviews with National Crime Agency investigators the 28-year-old said she had been in Pakistan for a two week holiday, and claimed her husband had given her the dresses to bring back, saying she did not know the drugs were inside.

Choudry had been due to fly back a few days after his wife but did not board the plane, and he was arrested by the National Crime Agency six weeks later attempting to re-enter the country at St Pancras International rail terminal, having travelled from Pakistan via Paris.

A must watch video on Uber's new service

  

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UCG On Night Ops With The Tout Squad.

On Friday November 13th, Trevor Merralls and I were granted very rare full access to the Mets undercover Cab Enforcement Unit and were invited to join them for a night to observe what they do and how they do it.

We met at 9pm and were warmly welcomed at their Kings Cross base. The team is led by Inspector Tracy Allison, under her are 5 sergeants and 55 PCs. It seems a lot but bearing in mind that’s to cover 31 London Boroughs 24/7 it really is not. The two proactive teams (those on the streets) are split into two groups of 24.

As they are specialist officers and if numbers are diminished through sickness, injury or leave they cannot draft in untrained temporary staff, with the exception of decoys, so you can see they are understaffed .

Staffing levels notwithstanding we can tell you they do an excellent job, are totally dedicated and their professionalism is second to none.

At the briefing Tracy told us that they work on intelligence received from the Met, TFL and cab drivers who report touts etc.

The number one area for touting and sexual assaults is Shoreditch. With that in mind we got in an unmarked car with Tracy and her Sergeant ,Mike and headed toward Shoreditch High St.

Eventually we and the second car parked in Garden Row and waited.

Two decoys were situated within 30 yards in Gt Eastern St.

No tout would ever know that the young woman on the corner and man opposite were Police. They blend in perfectly.

Our in car teams were in constant contact with the decoys and each other; completely invisible to the touts.

Tracy explained that there is a marked difference between those deemed illegally Plying for Hire and those blatantly Touting.

To clarify this, if a PHV is empty and sees a prospective fare with their hand up , if they stop and the prospective passenger asks to be taken to wherever, this is classed as P4H.

If a PHV sees a person who looks like they may be needing a ride home, stops and asks them if they need a cab, its Touting.

The reason the CEU target touts as oppose to those Plying for Hire is as follows.

Illegal P4H, although a criminal offence, it is not what is known as a ‘Recordable Offence’, by which I mean the police cannot take a DNA sample when the suspect is arrested.

Touting is Recordable and a DNA sample is always taken upon arrest

DNA samples from touts have led to many convictions for crimes committed in the past, which is why the CEU will wait to arrest one.

In a perfect world they would have the manpower to nick both P4H chancers and Touts; the world in which we work is not perfect though.

We saw a number of PHVs pull up next to the the decoys and then drive away.

After some 40 minutes we had a bite. A car stopped next to a decoy and engaged in conversation, on a hand signal our car blocked the the tout from the front and the second car blocked him from reversing. It happened so quickly that no tout can hope to escape. The CEU have this blocking exercise perfected.

This character had no licence, no insurance and was suspected of taking and driving away.

He was arrested and taken to a local custody suite and the car was seized and driven to a police pound.

Another unlicenced tout was arrested in Fairchild St and taken to a different custody suite to be charged.

At this point the Shoreditch area was seen to be ‘burnt’, Police jargon meaning that their presence there was known and it was time to move on.

Tracy and Mike decided that we would then drive to Camden, another toutshotspot.

On the way Tracy called her colleague who had taken the first tout to be charged and asked if anything was known about him.

It was, she immediately rang the officer who was impounding the vehicle and that is when I heard the most chilling words any woman and to an extent men could hear ‘ Search that car for a Rape Kit ‘ !!

It transpired that he had serious previous including the worst crime toward a woman. He was a dangerous predator and who knows what he had in mind that night.

A Rape Kit, is Ropes ,Gloves, weapon etc.

I must reiterate that this person was unlicensed but there are many more like him on the streets.

We next parked in Camden and the decoys were deployed. After a while a very suspect PHV stopped. The driver got out and was about to approach our man but a marked police car with blue lights flashing, on a completely unrelated job, stopped within 20 yards of us and the prospective tout did nothing.

We then moved on to Camden High St and it didn’t take long before our decoys were touted, this time by a licenced PHV driver.

He was arrested and taken away for questioning and charging.

As I said earlier each of these touts can have DNA samples taken which is of great help to the police.

That night was a real eye opener as to the scale of the problem; it is huge.

The CEU do their level best to fight the problem but are outnumbered.

Please don’t blame them for inadequacy, it’s not their fault. It’s a game of Cat and Mouse. On Friday it became clear there are many more mice than cats.

(We have not forgotten who ran the mouse breeding programme)

Angel Clarkson

UCG Secretary

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New Free Currency App : Take Foreign Bank Notes, Give Change And Receive Bonus

ABOUT WORLDCASH - THE CURRENCY APP

Billions are lost to Merchants throughout the United Kingdom because they only accept pound sterling. WorldCash, The Currency App lets Merchants accept foreign currency as easily as pounds. The WorldCash Currency App is downloaded FREE and lets businesses like retailers, restaurants, hotels and taxis accept foreign banknotes as easily as they currently take pound notes.

You select the currency you are being offered and you are guided through the transaction, told how much currency to take and how much change to give in pounds. Then you just change the banknotes at any location shown on the App to change back into pounds plus a “cash cushion” to cover fluctuations. Guaranteed.

How much business have you lost because you and your customers only accepted pounds?

With WorldCash you can:

Expand your customer base

Close sales you never could before

Increase your profit

Exchange back to pounds 24/7

Click Here For Link To Download : http://ift.tt/21khQxk

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Westminster To Consider Borough Wide 20MPH Speed Limit

A  20mph speed limit could be introduced on almost all residential roads and high streets in London by the end of the decade, according to the mayor’s transport advisor.

Motorists could be restricted to that limit within the M25 on all but a major arteries into the capital, according to Isabel Dedring, deputy mayor for transport.

Westminster City Council is now to consult on whether to relax its policy towards 20mph speed limits. 

Most central London boroughs have already implemented 20mph limits across residential streets but up till now, Westminster has resisted the policy, incurring hash criticism from campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us. 

Westminster is now to seek views on 20mph zones and limits in a consultation on a draft walking strategy, expected to be published before the end of the year. 

spokesman for the AA said: “In principle we have nothing against 20mph zones although you have to remember when you are slowing traffic down you slow down the working life of the city.”

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TfL's Informal Statement On Proposed Ride Share App.

TfL have informally announced today on their Q&A account @TfLTPH that as far as they are concerned, passenger sharing apps such as UberPool are legal. 

TfL now say the confusion is in the statement made by Sir Peter Hendy when questioned by Caroline Pidgeon in front of the transport committee of the GLA. 

@TfLTHP are saying that Hendy was referring to the UberPop service —which is banned across most of Europe— which uses unlicensed cars and unlicensed drivers.

Going by what they have said today on Twitter it looks a racing certainty that TfL will be licensing Uber's ride share App UberPool, under the Transport Act 1985, which they say permits ride sharing in London.

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First Major Credit Card Equipment Supplier To Make A Statement On TfL's Announcement Re CC Mandate.

VeriFone's press release. 

IN RESPONSE TO THE TFL ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY:

“Verifone welcomes proposals by TfL to mandate card and contactless payments in Taxis from October next year”.

“As the leading supplier of credit card payment machines to taxi drivers in London we are ready to help with the installation of payment terminals into all cabs and will of course provide support and training to drivers using the service for the first time”. 

“In the weeks ahead we will make our expertise and understanding available to TfL and other industry bodies as the process of defining exactly how these requirements are to be introduced is put in place”.

Jon Wheeler

Head of Global Taxi Business – UK

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All London Taxis To Have Contactless Payment Facilities By Next Year.

By now, you will have heard the news that from next year, every Taxi will have to have a TfL approved Contactless Credit Card payment system, fitted to the vehicle under the terms of the conditions of fitness. This will not be free to the driver as they will have to pay a rental fee. The driver will also have to pay the card surcharge which (at present) we believe has been set at 5%.

To compensate the driver, there will be a small increase in the metered fare. This means that passengers who pay cash, will be subsidising those wanting credit. (Can't wait to see the headlines in the papers when that comes in)

But it doesn't end there. This new measure will not put bums on seats as drivers will still be able to refuse. 

Drivers on point of a terminal at Heathrow will still refuse unattractive jobs wanting to pay by card, the passenger wanting the Old Vic from Waterloo in the rain on a card will still be passed along the line. In fact the sight of thousands of Taxis with old socks and plastic bags over the contactless payment system in the back could be detrimental to the image of the trade. 

Contra to what many people believe, there has never really been a shortage of drivers able to take Card payments.....12,000 drivers on Hailo, 7,000 drivers on Gett, plus thousands of Cab App and iZettle users all with the facility to clear payments from street hails. Then you have even more drivers on radio circuits that clear street hailed CCs. 

And now an assault on in app card payments has begun with a certain competitor complaining to Visa about CabApp's clearance of Visa payments by the driver. It's going to get nasty.

In my opinion, the only people who will be laughing all the way to the bank, are the third party suppliers who will be renting out the equipment. If TfL projections are correct, this business is worth somewhere in the region of £24m a year, all of which will be taken out of our pockets. 

Here's would the GLA Transport Committee had to say about the new measures:

The Transport Committee welcomes Transport for London’s (TfL) announcement that taxis will have to accept card and contactless payments from next year.  (Actually, the GLA have been misinformed, acceptance hasn't been mandated just having the facility has, as part of the CoF) 

Making the acceptance of card payments more attractive to cabbies was one of the important recommendations made in our ‘Future Proof’ report into the taxi and private hire industries - and it is clearly common sense. (How is paying a rental and paying the card surcharge, making card acceptance more attractive to driver?) 

Passengers will no longer have to worry about carrying cash and it is very positive news for drivers.  

We heard evidence from New York during our investigation, where the introduction of card payments boosted business (not so! The Yellow Cab industry in New York has been decimated by Uber who have now stepped up its assault on the trade by slashing fares by 20%. The industries medallions which were once worth billions are now virtually worthless and unsaleable) - so this gives licensed taxi drivers a golden opportunity, in a hugely competitive market.

The elimination of customer surcharges for card payments and the reduction in transaction fees paid by drivers should all add up to a better, more efficient service for customers. (The way they have phrased this passage is as if drivers have been paying transaction fees which are now going to be reduced...again the GLA research seems to be years behind the reality of the situation).

Remember all the hyped up stories of little old ladies with suitcases going to Maida Avenue not being able to find a card payment cab at Paddington. They were splashed all over social media by the perfect "look at me" drivers saying that everyone should be made to take cards.

We tried to warn back then, they couldn't force the trade to give credit and that you should be careful what you wish for with TfL, as it will always be the drivers who lose out and have to pay, but we were accused of being dinosaurs. 

TfL have shown they have no regard for public safety. Just look at the way they dish out new PH licenses which this week will top a record 93,000, that's £43.8 million in licence fees from PH

The public are being subjected to a PH service who's drivers have no clue where they are going, have to take their eyes off the road to follow a sat Nav regardless of where it tells them to go. Plus none of their drivers have any advanced driver qualifications, resulting in numerous collisions. 

London arteries have been clogged to the state where the capital is libel for a heart attack. London's  congestion is causing illegal pollution levels which is killing over 9,000 people every year.

TfL's legion should be changed from 

Every journey matters...to

EVERY POUND NOTE COUNTS.

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Former MP Tim Yeo loses Sunday Times cash claim libel bid

Former Conservative MP Tim Yeo has lost his libel case against The Sunday Times over a "cash for advocacy" claim. 

Tim Yeo, South Suffolk MP from 1983 to 2015, claimed his reputation had been "trashed" by three articles in 2013. 

The newspaper alleged he breached parliamentary codes of conduct by telling reporters he could promote business concerns in return for cash, the High Court heard.

It suggested Mr Yeo, 70, would approach ministers for a daily fee of £7,000.

Representing Mr Yeo at a week-long trial, Desmond Browne QC said his client was quite unjustifiably tarred with the same brush as another MP who had been exposed a week before.

But in Wednesday's High Court ruling, Judge Mr Justice Warby said he found some of Mr Yeo's evidence "utterly implausible" and, overall, he did not present "convincingly".

Martin Ivens, editor of The Sunday Times, said the decision was "a victory for investigative journalism". 

He added: "It vindicates the role of the press in exposing the clandestine advocacy by MPs for undisclosed interests."

Undercover journalists

The articles had stemmed from a lunch Mr Yeo had had with two undercover journalists who posed as representatives of a solar energy concern in the Far East.

They alleged that Mr Yeo - then chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee - was prepared to, and had offered to, act as a paid parliamentary advocate who would push for new laws to benefit the business of a client.

They also contained comment to the effect that he had shown willing to abuse his position to further his own financial and business interests.

Mr Browne said the Sunday Times acted in numerous respects "with a singular lack of responsibility both at the journalistic and the editorial level".

He added: "Mr Yeo was the unfortunate victim of that irresponsibility. 

"He says that in his last years of service as an MP, his reputation was trashed."

'Evidence was untrue'

Dismissing the case, Mr Justice Warby said he was unable to accept Mr Yeo's evidence that he was unable to remember an email which mentioned a "generous remuneration package".

"I can think of none who convincingly claim to have no interest in money, yet end up with an annual income in excess of £200,000," the judge said.

"I do not consider that Mr Yeo is such a person. In my judgment this evidence was untrue. 

"I am not persuaded that it was honest either."

Times Newspapers Ltd said the articles were true, fair comment and responsible journalism on matters of public interest.

Gavin Millar QC, for Times Newspapers, said: "The day after the lunch the claimant, a very experienced parliamentarian, admitted that he had been aware at the meeting that it was being proposed that he undertake lobbying activities which were incompatible with his public office."

According to the newspaper, Mr Yeo has agreed to pay its legal fees of £411,000.

Source: BBC News 

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Press Release : Cap:App Public Launch Tomorrow.

Jobs – as we build up our PR campaign and promote to passengers you will start to see jobs appear. The ‘boxing bell’ lets you know there’s a Hail Now nearby. For Pre-bookings tap on the icon to see all pre-book jobs.

Driver Ownership – cab:app has created a trade owned app and we already have 3,870 drivers who’ve earned free cashback, which can be redeemed for cash or converted to shares in cab:app. In early December we will launch our ‘cabbie crowdfunding’ to enable drivers and the taxi trade to own more of cab:app as we continue to invest in technology and PR to expand.

Charity Partners – in addition to helping drivers and passengers, cab:app aims to help charities. We’re delighted to announce our launch partners in the UK are Action for Children, Barnardo’s, Target Ovarian Cancer and Penny for London. In Ireland, we’re working with the children’s hospice LauraLynn and the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association.

Update your app – from end of day Wed 25th November, please download the latest iOS and Android driver apps from the link http://ift.tt/1Sk0877 to accept jobs and the new features for passengers e.g. PayPal payment option, loyalty vouchers on longer journeys.

How it works - to help drivers get started Peter has created some short videos to explain the key features. Click to view http://j.mp/1R6gIc3

Cab:pay changes - in addition to pre-registering cards for jobs we have just added PayPal as a payment option to give passengers more choice. Combined with our new chip and pin device (which goes contactless from January) cab:app provides drivers with the cheapest, fastest payment solution on the market.

One of our competitors has directly contacted Visa to stop drivers using the manual option for processing Visa cards, which delayed our launch.Going forward we have agreed with Visa that drivers will only use the ‘Send Link’ feature to email or SMS the payment page to the passenger’s mobile device to enter their Visa card details. 

Please view the ‘Send Link’ video http://j.mp/1R6gIc5 if easier you can always order a chip and pin from the ‘Promotions’ section of the driver app. For drivers taking payments from corporate accounts ‘not present’ in the cab you can also login to the website payment page to take all card payments https://cabapp.io/login

Thank you to everyone in advance for your support and patience, as the long term success of cab:app will ultimately be determined by drivers. 

cab:app Team 

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook 

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Uber labelled 'seedy backstreet minicab firm' by senior MP Ian Wright.

Private hire firm Uber was today accused of being “a seedy backstreet minicab firm” by a senior MP.

Business Committee chair Iain Wright said a promotion in France offering passengers the chance to book a “hot chick” driver meant Uber was running a “carry on cabbie” service.

The firm has already apologised for the promotion from its Lyon office’s website which began with the question “who said women don’t know how to drive?”

Uber’s UK head of policy Andrew Byrne told MPs today the promotion had been “ill judged” and unrelated to the British operation.

The Uber executive had been called before a hearing of the Business Committee investigating the digital economy.

Mr Wright said to him: “Uber were offering to set up passengers with ‘hot chick’ drivers. You’re just a seedy backstreet minicab firm, aren’t you?

“This is not disruptive technology, this is ‘carry on cabbie’.” 

He went on: “In terms of the worst excesses of minicab principles. This is not something we want on the streets of Britain is it.”

Mr Byrne responded: “Certainly what happened in Lyon was a completely ill judged marketing stunt, and is nothing to do with the operations in the UK.”

He explained that the company had over a million customers in London and had created some 20,000 jobs for drivers.

He went on: “That’s something that is really genuinely positive and that is a contribution we’ve made to the city London and we hope to bring to other cities around the UK.”

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Questions on the numbers of London PHVs and defining plying for hire, in parliament yesterday

       Jim Fitzpatrick (Lab)........Andrew Jones (Con)

In Parliament yesterday, Jim Fitzpatrick Labour, Poplar and Limehouse, asked the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire.

The question was answered by Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport).

He said "the Government is responsible for the legislative structure within which local licensing authorities deliver the licensing regime for taxis and private hire vehicles. Enforcement of the licensing regime, including ensuring that private hire vehicles do not illegally ply for hire, is therefore a matter for local licensing authorities and the police"

Jim Fitzpatrick Then asked the Under Secretary, "what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on introducing a statutory definition of plying for hire in the taxi and private hire vehicle industry".

Andrew Jones replied:

"As part of the process of considering all the recommendations in the Law Commission’s report on reforming taxi and private hire vehicle legislation, my Department is continuing to discuss the proposals with colleagues in other Government departments.

The Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions in due course."

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Going By TfLs Record On Security, How Safe Do You Feel, Driving Your Taxi Round The Capital?

Wanted In Connection With One Million Person Genocide, but judged fit to be a minicab driver by TfL.

In 2012 Taxi Leaks exposed a story of a Mr M Hakizimana, 41, alleged by the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, to have helped Hutu soldiers kill civilian members of the Tutsi ethnic group during a million person genocide in 1994.

Home office were aware of this man for a number of years and his past would have been flagged up on any CRB check. 

Yet under Sir Peter Hendy's and LTPH's Director John Mason's watch, this man was judged a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire Licence.

A national newspaper, reported he was working for a private hire operator in East London. 

As far as we know he is still wanted for war crimes and could still be driving a minicab around the capital.

Taliban Fighter Judged Fit To Be Minicab Driver By TfL

Also in 2012, a Taliban fighter in Dhani-Ghorri in northern Afghanistan, renounced for their improvised explosive devices (car Bombs), told the Guardian newspaper he lived most of the time in east London, but came back to Afghanistan for three months every year for combat.

"I work as a minicab driver," said the man, who has the rank of a mid-level Taliban commander. "I make good money there (in the UK), you know.

These are just two of the worse cases, we believe there are many more.

Statement From Helen Chapman :

"EVERY APPLICANT FOR A PH DRIVERS LICENCE HAS UNDERGONE A FULL DBS CHECK."

But, how do you carry out an enhanced DBS check on someone who has only been in the country for a matter of months? The simple answer is...you can't.

We are informed that applicants who have lived in another country for longer than 12 months in the last 3 years have to provide a letter of good conduct from that country. 

It's also been alleged that these letters can be purchased by anyone in police stations in India for as little as $300

Freedom Of Information :

 Our researcher recently carried out a freedom of information request on the number of applicants, needing this type of letter, who have applied for a PH drivers licence in a six mouth period.

These are the details:

In the six months April to September 2015, there were 564 applicants who were licensed after providing such a letter.

Every day, every night, thousands of PHVs are left unabated outside mainline termini, government buildings, concert halls, hotels and restaurants. 

Unbelievably laxed security at St Pancras where minicabs are allowed to park, double park, for hours at a time.

With the countries security level currently on SEVERE, do you believe TfL are doing enough to safeguard the citizens of our capital from terrorist attack ? 

         HOW LONG BEFORE THIS THREAT 

                   BECOMES A REALITY

  

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Boris's Cycling Chief Wrongly Calls LBC Reporter 'Liar'

This is the remarkable moment that Boris Johnson's cycling chief snapped and called LBC's reporter a liar in a row over the cycle superhighway.

Reporter Theo Usherwood was at the new cycle superhighway in Vauxhall and noted that 40% of cyclists weren't using it, riding on the road instead.

But when Nick Ferrari put that to London's cycling commissioner Andrew Gilligan, he fumed: "That report I've just heard is a complete lie. I think he is quite clearly lying."  

Theo hit back, insisting that his numbers were actually a conservative estimate. 

    WHAT A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY 

Source: LBC.

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In Parliament This Week : What Do They Know...Written Answers.

Written Answers - Home Office: Taxis: Arrests (18 Nov 2015)

Jim Fitzpatrick Labour, Poplar and Limehouse.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many private hire vehicle drivers have been arrested in (a) London and (b) the UK for offences related to plying for hire in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: Minister of State, the Home Department, ministry of justice. 

The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of private hire vehicle drivers arrested.

Written Answers - Department for Transport: Taxis: Wheelchairs (20 Nov 2015)

Daniel Zeichner Shadow Minister (Transport).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) Uber vehicles, (b) black cabs and (c) private hire vehicles are wheelchair accessible.

Andrew JonesParliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport).

The results of the Department’s taxi survey in 2015 showed that 58% of all taxis (Hackney Carriages) in England are wheelchair accessible. All 22,500 London taxis are wheelchair accessible as required by Transport for London’s ‘Conditions for Fitness’ taxi licensing policy. 175 authorities (61%) require wheelchair accessible vehicles in all or part of their taxi fleet.

We do not keep comprehensive statistics on the number of wheelchair accessible private hirevehicles, including those operated by Uber or any other private hire operators. However we do welcome initiatives by such operators to improve the service they provide to those who need additional assistance.

Daniel Zeichner Shadow Minister (Transport).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he intends to implement a single consolidated legislative framework for taxis throughout England and Wales.

Andrew JonesParliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport).

A single legislative framework for taxis and private hire vehicles throughout England and Wales was one of the recommendations of the Law Commission following their comprehensive review of taxi and private hire legislation.

The Government is continuing to consider the Law Commission’s report in its entirety and in line with the protocol that exists between the Government and the Law Commission, the Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions in due course

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On the trail of the skinny Latte! ...by I'm Spartacus

Today I called TfL to clarify some issues about DBS (CRB in old money) having received my renewal pack

I currently hold an enhanced CRB and subscribe to the update service so anyone require a check can go online and do so, great I thought TfL will accept that no problem.

Wrong! 
It's the incorrect type of enhanced check as it doesn't state it covers vulnerable adults, yet the actual check is the same and because I subscribe to the update service TfL can check instantly if anything is untoward.

Note that with the DBS I hold it's ok to work in a school, children's home or nursery but not drive a cab!

If however I am an asylum seeker or have refugee status TfL can't ask for those 'robust' certificates of good conduct from abroad or conduct a DBS check at all!!!!

Meanwhile the cycle superhighway is opening up to be used intermittently as the cyclist chooses, pedestrian terrified and put at risk as pavement are narrowed etc.

We best not think the thousands of unnecessary extra PH vehicles and the latest self indulgent idea from Zak Goldsmith to scrap bus lanes as evidence of the complete utter incompetence and lack of foresight by the Mayor as some kind of conspiracy against us for fear of being called paranoid.

Andrew Gilligan, Camden Council, Johnson and TfL seem unable to recognise the 'bleeding obvious', it's a complete fiasco.

So when those cyclist on their third world sweatshop produced bikes arrive at their non tax paying multi national to work in the PR department, we can rest easy as every Skinny Latte drunk is Fairtrade.

Who says they don't care about anyone or anything else such as the pedestrian, the delivery driver or the public services funding that keeps them alive.

Every Fairtrade Skinny Latte (bought at another well known taxpayer) proves otherwise, don't you just love 'em.

I'm Spartacus

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