History is a great teacher if you're willing to learn from it, sadly I don't think we have... By Harry Wall.

The Olympics should have been enough to drive home the true intentions of our regulatory body but, for some reason, we chose to ignore it. That was the big one for me, the most clear, defining moment in TFLs history that should have unified our trade and launched us into battle there and then. And I was screaming about it at the time but few people listened, instead the majority opted for burying their heads in the sand, as usual.

We never learn from our mistakes. 

We never seem to understand the magnitude of what's facing us, how it will affect us or the human cost of our ignorance. We're one month into 2017 with Uber's new license looming in the air and still, to my knowledge, none of the orgs have met to formulate a plan or strategy with which to fight it. 

I find this shocking and I'm obviously not alone or the ITA wouldn't have been able to call demos like they have.

 

Five cab trade orgs and not one of them can see what's needed and does it, that's why we now have the ITA in the first place.

Damaging news breaks on a near regular basis but it's become so commonplace it's accepted as the norm, that's how far we've gone. Where we should use such news to our advantage we don't bother. It's the effect of years of lies, deceit, bullshit, treachery and betrayal has had on our once noble profession which is so deep seated it seems as though it's engrained in the fabric of the trade now.

A brilliant piece of work in Taxileaks on Friday 3rd Feb by our colleague Lee Ward highlighted the ease with which the establishment manoeuver themselves through spats with those nasty common people who try to use the law to win their case. It's called delegated legislation and "allows the Government to make changes to a law without the need to push through a new Act of Parliament." Read the article and learn something, Lee explains how easy it is to ruin an industry without getting your hands dirty and it's all legal.

That's how they'll tailor make Uber's new license, everything will fit just nicely.

Brilliant work by Lee Ward on Taxi Leaks.

There are 3 words I'd like you all to consider.

The fist one is malfeasance which is defined as :

"The will and intentional action that injures a party".

The issuing of Ubers license has caused nothing but hardship and a sharp drop in our living standards, also as recently reported we now have evidence of depression and attempted suicides brought on directly by TFL.

The irony being if any of us call the Samaritans we're calling an organisation run by a lady who's married to Graham Craig, Commercial Development manager at TFL.

You couldn't make it up!

Secondly, nonfeasance which is defined as :

"Failure to act where action is required."

We can all testify to an unquestionable lack of compliance leading to a near total lawless London in terms of Taxi and Private Hire.

Third, misfeasance which is defined as :

"The willfully inappropriate action or intentionality incorrect action or advice."

I sat behind Leon Daniels when he told City Hall that Uber had a landline knowing full well they didn't. I also heard him say Uber had on/off insurance which we all know doesn't exist.

These three alone should be enough to end our torment but it seems even blatant lies, deceit and bullshit isn't sufficient.

We had the treachery of the Olympics where all the work went to PH even though we helped sell it and now it's widely thought Mac and Slease have betrayed us by working with TFL to feather their own nests.

 

Any pennies dropping yet?

This is a fight we have to fight on our own.

It has to be driver led from now on and I urge all of you to consider the ITA as our only option for direct action from now on.

I've made it plain I've no faith in any org, even my own.

We have to face facts and accept they can't do what we want them to, for whatever reason, it doesn't matter. This is now a make or break situation with drastic action needed and it has to be completely mercenary with an unwavering intent on ruining anyone who stands in our way, our families depend on it. 

Those in TFL have no regard for any of us, the human cost of their actions is irrelevant to them and we should afford them the same attitude from this day forward. Forget those who've swore blind they'll help us then disappeared, they've done so for a reason. 

We can't afford to waste any more time meeting people, we should have started 2017 by bringing London to a standstill as a statement of intent but we missed the opportunity, again. But we can still make a huge statement week in and week out by causing as much hardship to TFL as possible. Look what happened when the RMT threatened to paralise the tube network for two days, TFL caved to the point of getting the action postponed. When you have that kind of power you get results. 

We have the same power but we just don't realise it, but TFL do and that's why they're so keen to intimidate us with threats of revoking our licenses at the first opportunity.

Horrible, vile, corporate whores, all of them.

Fear and capitulation is a choice, don't choose it.

Fight back starting March 1st.

from Taxi Leaks http://ift.tt/2kBGObM
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