Press Release From The London Suburban Taxi-drivers’ Coalition.

Dear member,

 

You have certainly noticed the illegal activity surrounding smart phone app based private hire drivers especially Uber forming illegal ranks and jinking car park systems at stations near you.

This kind of illegal activity “ pickpockets" you the driver. We now have a London wide problem with this activity. Following the recent demonstrations at St Pancras it is time to bring this to a head. If we allow this to continue private hire drivers will become more emboldened and in the end there will be a long illegal rank directly outside  every station/car park. 

The problem of illegal parking by private hire drivers especially Uber has now reached breaking point. In the suburban extension of Stoke Newington the problem is so great that they are parking 2 or 3 deep so you cannot possibly even stop for hail in the street which is exactly what they want.  Meanwhile at Tottenham Hale private hire drivers are using the NCP as an illegal taxi rank in order to line their pockets at our expense. 

At Wimbledon Bridge hard-working taxi drivers have been forced to stage demonstrations apparently due to Uber vehicles forming a “rolling rank” outside the station.

 

We know by now that  Transport for London don’t want to enforce regulations for private hire vehicles only  for taxi drivers. with the recent blockades of St Pancras station by green badge drivers determined to defend their living, now is the time for hard action in a time of increased adversity from our non taxpaying enemies.

 

To be fair to the councils they are receptive to the problems being faced with the advent of smart phone technology. This is a relatively new phenomenon  which all of the London authorities will have to catch up to.

 

It is the duty of all  of us to let them know that this problem unless sorted out will only get worse.

 

Below is a copy of our communication to NCP. As it progresses we will let you know.

Our taxi organisation the  London Suburban Taxi-drivers’ Coalition wish to inform you that-.

Your NCP car park is being used for illegal parking  and an illegal taxi rank by Uber and other private hire vehicles.

 

How does it work-

Apparently there are 2 cameras situated by the NCP car park, but it appears that only one of these cameras is functional so drivers cannot be seen parking in the car park.

 

They are not parking inside the boxes  (which are all occupied) they are parking outside the boxes and then using the phone “app” in order to show that they are visibly available for hiring to customers who come out of the station. Not only is this illegal and detrimental to our workplace and earnings but it is also making a professionally run NCP car park into a “ dodgy den”.

 

How to progress-

We are providing some photos of the offending vehicles. When you check your records we are certainly you will find that most if not all of these vehicles are parking illegally.

 

We are representatives of the LSTC with over 500 members many of whom work in the Tottenham Hale area. They have asked us to investigate this and  put a stop it. There are a range of options at our disposal. We are sure you will agree with us that  a parking business must be run in a safe manner and illegalities prevented.

 

If  you could set up a meeting at Tottenham Hale we can provide further photographic evidence and discuss ways that this could be prevented.

 

With the advent of Uber and other smart phone-based private car hiring apps a new phenomenon has occurred London wide where owners of private hire vehicles are forming illegal “ranks” outside stations. They will park everywhere and anywhere they feel like if they can get away with it. This has recently come to a head with demonstrations and blockades around the St Pancras area. Camden Council are acting on the problem and the same has occurred at Wimbledon Bridge. It is extremely likely that at the Abbey Wood development cameras will be going in to prevent this sort of illegality and politely we can only say that unfortunately unless the NCP (and other private car parks) are correctly enforced then this will become widespread. The taxi associations across London (working with the local councils and developers) are determined to stop this kind of thing as it brings traffic chaos, pollution  and congestion into the area.

 

Politely we are sure that you are aware from a business point of view this is detrimental to your business a situation that is in nobody’s benefit.

 

If you would like to call  or e-mail us, we will be most happy to set up a meeting between yourselves and our association and provide further documentary evidence in order to achieve a solution.

 

Nick Gilbert. 

London Suburban Taxi-drivers’ Coalition

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