Redressing The Balance... Letter To TfLTPH From A Grateful Passenger

The piece below is an extract from a letter sent to TfL by a grateful passenger. Taxi Leaks would like to thank TfLTPH for passing this on to us by way of their Twitter account. 

My taxi driver and I got talking during the journey and he asked me where I'd been. I told him that I'd come from visiting my mother for the final time, she being 82 and living in Plymouth, me being towards the end of the terminal illness and living in East Yorkshire.

He told me that his sister in law had recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer and was struggling emotionally. He wondered if I had any advice to give. 

The traffic being heavy, I was able to tell him my story and give him as much advice as I could.

When we got to King's Cross he very kindly waived the fair. We shook hands and parted. I wish I'd taken his name or the cab number, as I wanted him to know that the fair I should've paid will be donated to the Dove House Hospice, which I attend regularly and I shall never forget his kindness.

All too often London cabbies get bad press. I would like to redress the balance a bit.

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Institute of Licensing | Institute writes to Government to highlight failure in taxi licensing system

The Institute of Licensing (IoL) has written to the Government to raise concerns about failings in the taxi and private hire licensing system that is putting public safety at risk.

IoL President, James Button, said in the letter: 

“We are aware that there is currently much discussion ongoing in relation to the licensing of taxi and private hire drivers, operators and vehicle owners, including the recently established working party by Minister of State John Hayes MP. We are conscious that any discussions must seriously consider the adequacies of current arrangements concerning criminality checks, data sharing and ability of licensing authorities and police practitioners to identify concerns relating to licensed individuals and those seeking to be licensed with a view to maintaining public safety and taking appropriate action as necessary.”

The letter addressed to the Home Office, DfT, National Police Chiefs Council and the chairman of the newly established Taxi and Private Hire Working Group, outlined the result of its member’s survey about the level of checks undertaken, data sharing with the police and other similar issues:

• Less than 25% of respondents consider the current data sharing arrangements are satisfactory
• More than 50% of respondents agreed that changes to the Notifiable Occupations Scheme affected information sharing between police and licensing authorities
• 72% of respondents said that do not receive immediate notifications from the police when a taxi licensee (driver, operator or proprietor) is under investigation, arrested or charged
• 42% of respondents said that the Data Protection Act used as a reason for not sharing information
• A substantial 80% of respondents agreed it would useful would it be to have a single point of contact within the police for taxi licensing issues

Mr Button continued: “The IoL has raised concerns previously with the Home Office in relation to data sharing between police and licensing authorities in relation to taxis. In March 2015, we put on record with the Home Office our concern over the then imminent changes to the Notifiable Occupations Scheme and the proposed removal of Home Office Circular 006/2006 which provided guidance to police forces about the disclosure of convictions and other information in relation to people in professions or occupations which carry additional trust or responsibility (notifiable occupations). In summary, the concern at that point was that the changes would increase uncertainty and inconsistency in data sharing.”

The IoL is currently leading on a project to develop a national model convictions policy for licensing authorities to consider adopting locally. It has been working with the Local Government Association and the National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers on the project and the aim is to consult on the draft document imminently. This project has been undertaken with the sole purpose of providing a potential national minimum standard endorsed by the relevant organisations with a view to raising consistency across England and Wales.

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Decision Later Today on Uber's future in Brighton and Hove, could result in disappointment

Taxi from across Brighton and Hove campaigning outside of Hove Town Hall against Uber.

Taxi from across Brighton and Hove campaigning outside of Hove Town Hall against Uber.

THE future of taxi-hailing app Uber in Brighton and Hove is to be decided in a closed-door meeting tomorrow, The Argus can reveal.

Cab companies have fiercely criticised the secrecy surrounding the relicencing decision, in the wake of Transport for London’s move last month not to renew Uber’s licence to operate in the capital.

The Argus understands the decision will be taken by council officers in conjunction with the three councillors who are their party leads for licensing.

A vote between councillors Jackie O’Quinn, Labour, Linda Hyde, Conservative and Lizzie Deane, Green, resulted in the decision to hold the meeting behind closed doors.

Cllr Hyde has consistently and publicly said she was in favour of an open meeting.

An announcement on the future of Uber in Brighton and Hove will be made after the meeting concludes.

Cllr Hyde said: “All I wanted to be clear about was that there should be a public meeting.

“That doesn’t mean I have already made up my mind one way or the other.”

Officers are due to present evidence on the fitness or otherwise of Uber to hold the licence to provide taxi services in the city.

In a letter to council officers, Streamline Taxis’ vice-chairman John Streeter said: “The licensed trade here in Brighton and Hove are bitterly disappointed that council officers and councillors have apparently decided not to hold a public enquiry into Uber’s application to renew their current licence here in our city.”

A previous letter from the city’s three largest taxi firms, Streamline, Radio Cabs, and City Cabs, alleged: “Uber Britannia Ltd is not and cannot be a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.”

The firms said Uber had broken its promised to use only locally-licenced drivers. The letter added: “We remain also very concerned that such an operator attempts to dilute, if not ignore altogether, the very high standards prescribed by the council’s Blue Book.”

In September, a petition with more than 1,000 signatures was presented to the council, asking them to re-examine the licence.

Rob Lawrie, a Brighton taxi driver, said: “Originally, Uber told us they would only use Brighton and Hove vehicles. Since then, Uber has paid drivers to come in from out of town and promised them at least the minimum wage.

“Every weekend we have 200 to 250 out-of-town drivers coming in, which is reducing the income of all Brighton drivers by 25 per cent.”

Uber launched in the city on October 28 last year, after being given a licence in October 2015 after four days of deliberations by the council. The licence will expire on November 4.

The company was granted its licence on the condition it abides by all the conditions in the Blue Book – a set of guidelines for the local cab trade.

Uber’s Fred Jones said: “More choice and competition is good for consumers as it raises service levels across the board. Uber has been embraced in Brighton with over 125,000 people using the app this year alone. Uber does not set shifts so is also empowering Brighton’s private hire drivers. We hope to continue to provide the app Brightoners have come to rely on.”

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Beleaguered app hires PepsiCo’s Tony West as chief legal officer

Just a month after Uber drafted in Hogan Lovells to launch a legal challenge to Transport for London’s (TfL) decision to not renew its private hire licence, the US-based ridesharing company has hired Pepsico’s Tony West as its new chief legal officer.

In a company email, Uber’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said that West, who served as PepsiCo’s executive vice president for public policy and government affairs, general counsel (GC) and company secretary, was ‘exactly what Uber needs now’.

‘He has public company experience leading a global team of lawyers across more than 200 countries. As a former federal prosecutor and senior Department of Justice official in the Obama administration, he’s well equipped to handle the investigations into our past practices. And at Pepsi, he has emphasised diversity on his team and across the company.’

Khosrowshahi added: ‘Perhaps most importantly, Pepsi has been named one of the world’s most ethical companies 10 years in a row. Under Tony’s leadership, I’m confident that we will one day join this list.’

Before working for the Obama administration West was a partner at Morrison & Foerster for over seven years. He will begin the role next month and replaces Uber’s current chief legal officer and GC Salle Yoo, who confirmed in September that she would be leaving the company after five years.

West will have his hands full as the company is facing several legal challenges over the coming months, including a legal challenge to TfL after the transport provider revoked Uber’s licence to operate in London in September. According to TfL, Uber’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and how medical certificates are obtained were among the reasons it came to the decision.

‘Uber’s approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications’, the statement read.

Hogan Lovells regulatory partner Charles Brasted is advising Uber, and has instructed Tom de la Mare QC of Blackstone Chambers.

The firm has previous history advising the company, as it acted for Uber last August on its legal challenge against new guidelines proposed by TfL. The regulations included written English tests for drivers and insurance for drivers for the entire time that their vehicle is licensed. In that matter, TfL was represented by its in-house team and instructed Martin Chamberlain QC of Brick Court Chambers.

Paul Dacam, who has since retired from the firm, led for Hogan Lovells and instructed de la Mare QC alongside Hanif Mussa of Blackstone Chambers

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Uber Accused Of Not Disclosing The Full Picture To Its Worried Investors.

TFL's New Cash Cow Announced, As They Intend To Raise Extra Funding From The 125,000 Minicabs.

Uber drivers are among those who face paying an extra £3,000 a year each to operate in London even if the company keeps its licence, according to The Sunday Times.

Transport for London (TfL), the regulator, plans to force private-hire vehicles to pay the £11.50-a-day congestion charge because of concern that the proliferation of minicabs is choking streets and emptying bus services. If Uber shoulders the payments, it could cost the company between £20m and £60m a year. 

At a meeting of licensing and enforcement officers in Leeds this month Tom Moody, head of policy for taxis at TfL, said the authority would propose the move within months. “We will be looking at the congestion charge potentially for all private hire vehicles,” he said. “In the summer of next year, we will likely be consulting on that and other policies.”

It is understood that the “other policies” being considered by Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, include extending the charge from 6pm until 11pm or midnight and applying it on Saturdays for the first time.

Congestion and Uber competition have caused sharp drops in bus use. 

According to a presentation to the TfL board, passenger numbers have fallen 5.6% in two years, creating a £100m hole in the authority’s coffers. In big cities outside London, bus use is down 4%.

Source : Sunday Times. 

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT: 

It seems there was a method behind TFL's madness of giving out PHV licenses like sweets, after all....they are now going to charge them the congestion charge. That's  125,000 times £30k per year. The expanded London Minicab fleet is now being blamed by TfL for the massive congestion that is bringing London to a grinding halt. 

Funny, when Tom Moody announced the proposed bonus to TFL's coffers, he never once mentioned the segregated cycle lanes or the fact that at any one time, there are twice the number of buses needed. 

The daily spectacle of a wall of buses, adding to the congested pollution...Total number of passengers 6, not counting the drivers!

Outside the rush hours, you can see empty bus after empty bus. Driver etiquette is appalling with blatant disregard to yellow box junctions (which buses are exempt from paying fines). 

We've also seen a huge upturn in the number of bus related RTAs, caused be driver fatigue. It's a well known fact that many bus drivers are supplementing their income by driving long shifts ironically working for Uber. TfL registered Prius can be spotted, parked up outside most bus garages. 

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Looks Like The Wheels Have Come Off Uber’s Operations On Another Continent

Uber now has massive concerns about the legality of its operations in South America. 

The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc, Dara Khosrowshahi, will visit its operations in Brazil next week. 

The company told Reuters on Friday, that Brazil’s Congress nears a vote on legislation threatening Uber’s business model.

Khosrowshahi will visit Sao Paulo, Uber's biggest city by trips, and then onto Brasilia, the nation's capital, on Monday, according to a person familiar with the executive's plans.  

 

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Canary Wharf Sales Worker Sacked After Bilking Taxis To His Home Near Brighton.

A serial fare dodger has been sacked from his job after it was discovered that he had failed to pay for taxis from London to the south coast. 

Jake Dean, 24, who worked in sales in Canary Wharf, told cabbies that he worked for JP Morgan before setting off to Peacehaven, to the east of Brighton. 

He admitted that he had racked up more than £600 in unpaid fares but said it was ‘just impulsive’. 

Dean hailed a cab outside Waterloo train station in February and told the driver that he would get the £256 cash en route when he was closer to home. He told drivers that his card would not work so would offer to make a bank transfer or deliver the money to their address. 

On one occasion he said he would sell a games console so that he could pay the driver back. 

However, he failed to do so and ended up facing magistrates in Brighton. 

He told them: ‘I take full responsibility and apologise to the taxi drivers, they just wanted to do their job. It was never malicious, it was just impulsive.’ 

The court heard of three other taxi fare dodging incidents between December 2016 and February this year, where Dean strung drivers along promising payments. 

He told the court: ‘I was working in sales in Canary Wharf. 

Due to the fraud, I have lost my position. These four mistakes were my own fault and I am very sorry for what I’ve done.’ 

He was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £621.40 in compensation and costs

Source : Metro. 

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TfL Shoot Themselves In The Foot (Again) With Conflict Of Interest Over CC Clearance Interest Rate

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Here We Go Again, More Designed Chaos From TfL, The Borough Consultation.

TfL are proposing changes at the junction of Borough High Street with Marshalsea Road and Great Dover Street, in Southwark. 

The junction carries high volumes of traffic from Elephant and Castle and Bricklayers Arms towards London Bridge and Southwark Bridge. 

During the peak hours it can be heavily congested and this causes delays for the bus routes that use the junction, as well as for other road users. 

Borough Underground Station is located on the western corner of the junction, and there is high demand for pedestrian crossing points as a result. 

It has been the location of a high number of collisions, many of which involved pedestrians or cyclists.

TfL say they have looked closely at the issues and are now proposing a number of changes that are intended to make walking easier and safer and improve journey times, especially for the eight bus routes which pass through the junction.

To see what TfL are proposing, and have your say in this consultation, click link below 

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Smart motorway revenue generation revealed

Smart motorways were originally sold to motorists as a more efficient way to use the roads. Their innovative technology and time saving insights were going to free up traffic flow and reduce air pollution. Apparently.

However, could it be that they are really just another means of raising revenue through driving fines?

The red X

There will soon be a £100 fine for anyone caught driving in a lane marked with a red X. The red X is used predominantly to indicate when the hard shoulder has been closed. Not only will defying the red X now garner drivers a £100 fine, it will also incur penalty points on their licence.

The fine announcement follows Highways England sending out 50,000 warning letters to drivers who had been caught using smart motorways wrongly. A third of those letters related to drivers who had driven in a lane with a red X displayed above it. If all those drivers had received fines, instead of just warning letters, a cool £1.6 million would have been raised. Clearly, someone in charge has been doing some sums.

Safety concerns

The RAC agrees that handing out these fines is the right thing to do. The organisation hopes that the implementation of the fine will deter people from driving in closed lanes, which is often dangerous due to a hazard.

Seeing motorists using these closed lanes also makes other drivers frustrated, which can be dangerous in itself. This is especially true when people are intentionally using the closed lane until the last minute so that they can then cut in and get ahead of other road users.

Education needed

The red X that indicates the closed lane is very clear. However, in the cases of other transgressions, it may be lack of education about smart motorways that is causing motorists to make errors. Many don’t realise they are doing anything wrong. 

The Department for Transport is expected to release plans for the new smart motorway fees shortly. In the meantime, it has been suggested that drivers be given more information about how to use smart motorways in the correct way. This would mean fewer drivers ending up with unexpected fines.

Not only would this help people to avoid fines, but it would also make smart motorways safer to use. At present it seems that many drivers are unaware of the risks involved with not using them properly.

For example, many people are unsure of what they would do if their car was to break down at a point when there is no hard shoulder to pull onto. Without this knowledge, there’s much greater scope for a breakdown to result in a nasty accident.

(In case you were wondering, there are emergency bays spaced along smart motorways at regular intervals. These can be used in the event of a problem. Meanwhile, you are advised to always check your tyres, oil, fuel and water before making a journey, to reduce the risk of a breakdown.)

Unfair fines?

With so many drivers being unaware of exactly how they should be using a smart motorway, it could be said that it really isn’t fair to impose fines on people until they have been given far more education about the new way of using these particular roads.

The lack of effort in terms of educating drivers certainly points to an intention to use smart motorways for revenue generation. The move will add to the pressure on drivers already struggling with rising motoring costs. Clearly, using smart motorways incorrectly can result in dangerous situations. However, does that make it right to prioritise fining transgressors before sufficiently educating them?

A cynic might presume that information is being withheld in order to catch people out when they are unsure of how to drive on these new roads. Perhaps our smart motorways are simply offering a smart new way to make more money from the UK’s beleaguered car owners.

With this in mind, Highways England has been asked to provide motorists with a better education about smart motorways. Drivers need to know what they do, how they should be used, and what the different signs mean. They also need to know what not to do, so that they can avoid being fined!

Are you confident that you understand all the rules and regulations relating to smart motorways or will you be one of those who could be in line for a fine due to lack of knowledge? 

Let us know your views by leaving a comment.  

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Uber War Of Words Explodes As Council Boss Hits Back At 'Fake Outrage' Coventry Politicians.

A war of words has erupted between councillors in Coventry and Wolverhampton as the row over Uber licensing in the city reaches boiling point.

There is a long-running dispute with Coventry accusing their Midlands neighbours of exploiting a loophole in licensing regulations to allow Uber drivers with Wolverhampton licences to operate in the city. 

Wolverhampton Council has made £1.3m by giving out taxi licenses this year - with over 200 of these drivers operating out of Coventry.

There are concerns that the licensing of Uber cabs is affecting Coventry’s black cab trade - though many residents are in support of Uber’s presence in the city.

Today, a top Wolverhampton councillor hit back at “fake outrage” Coventry politicians and said that the authority was only interested in preserving its “long-standing cosy relationship” with the hackney carriage trade.

It came after Coventry councillor Damian Gannon accused Wolverhampton of handing out Uber licenses "like sweeties".

This is the staggering number of Wolverhampton taxi drivers exploiting loophole to work in Coventry

Wolverhampton City Council’s Cllr Alan Bolshaw, chairman of City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing committee, said: “The attitude of some Coventry politicians towards the issue of private hire licensing is getting tiresome.

“I’m afraid my patience has run out with those who are cynically trying to drag the reputation of City of Wolverhampton Council through the mud to further their own agenda.

“I think it’s about time someone called out the motivation of these people who are hiding behind smoke and mirrors. The reality is that there is a long-standing cosy relationship between Coventry City Council and the hackney carriage trade and preserving this relationship is what this is really about.

“Of course the hackney carriage trade, which has been protected in Coventry for so long, doesn’t want competition. They are doing everything possible to try and stifle competition which is simply not on because it is the people of Coventry who suffer.”

      Councillor Alan Bolshaw

Thanks to a loophole, Uber cabs can pick up fares in Coventry despite not being licensed to operate in the city.

That means an accident could potentially leave passengers uninsured.

Black cab drivers in the city say Uber drivers undercut their prices and do not have the same standard of safety checks that they do.

But taxi users in the city say all they want are value fares and efficiency.

Cllr Bolshaw said Wolverhampton was doing nothing wrong in giving out licenses to drivers.

He said: “Surely Coventry councillors should be welcoming the fact that 240 jobs have been created in their city due to the private hire licences we’ve issued?

“It is galling to hear the fake outrage voiced by certain individuals in Coventry who know full well that we are doing nothing wrong here in Wolverhampton. All we are doing is following the law which allows taxi drivers and operators to choose where they get their licence.

“Frankly, this smacks of sour grapes. Coventry know that our systems and processes are modern, efficient and far superior to their own. This is why drivers choose to come to us. People are trying to make out that our standards are lower than Coventry’s, but this is absolute nonsense.

He added “Nobody is fooled into thinking that the Coventry opposition is about safety – this is about protectionism and perpetuating the status quo to the detriment of customers.

“You only have to look at the comments left by residents on the Coventry Telegraph website to see that they welcome competition and want that choice. 

“I hear people talk about the supposed ‘gold standard’ of black cabs in Coventry. If that were true, people would have nothing to worry about from increased consumer choice and competition. The bottom line is that the time has come for those who are peddling myths and playing dirty tricks to be honest about their motivations and stop using City of Wolverhampton Council as a scapegoat."

Coventry taxi drivers and council members including cabinet member for city services Cllr Jayne Innes launch a campaign for safe professional taxis outside Council House

Talks between Cllr Jayne Innes, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for city services and Cllr Bolshaw two weeks ago seemed to have yielded a positive outcome, with talks of improved communication between the two mooted.

But any good feeling appears long gone, with Coventry councillor Damian Gannon accusing Wolverhampton of "handing taxi licenses out like sweeties".

He said Wolverhampton did not "give a damn about how it makes the taxi trade unaccountable to Coventry residents".

     Cllr Damian Gannon

Cllr Gannon said: "Ideally, the taxi trade should be accountable to Coventry residents so if you drive a taxi in Coventry you should be accountable in Coventry.

"At the moment Wolverhampton are exploiting a gap in the licensing regulations to make as much money as they can and that is just plain wrong. Treating taxi licensing as a cash-cow undermines local democracy, it undermines public safety and it undermines the ability of taxi drivers to make a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

“But we also need to accept that the trade has changed and companies like Uber are not going to go away. We need a better way to ensure that they can operate in a manner that delivers an accountability, public safety and fair wages. Council’s should not be pitched against each other in a race to the bottom of licensing regulations.

“At the moment Wolverhampton City Council are undermining local democracy, public safety and worker’s rights and it is not good enough.

"It's time they treated taxi licensing as less of a cash cow and took its duties and obligations much, much, more seriously as a result, I have written to the Minister for Licensing and Metro Mayor to ask them to put pressure on the council to stop this race to the bottom.

"This is a regional problem, it needs a regional solution and the regional mayor Andy Street should step-in and resolve it.”

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PLANS to limit the colour of cars which can be used as taxis in Barrow, will "force cabbies out of work", say drivers

'It's like forcing every shop in town to paint their frontage the same colour'

Barrow hackney taxis will be brought in line with Carlisle where the vehicles are white. Taxi driver Wayne Casey from Carlisle.

Barrow Borough Council's licensing department has launched a consultation to adopt a new regulatory policy which will apply to all 365 hackney carriage and private hire drivers currently licensed.

The new policy includes imposing restrictions on the colour of vehicles allowed as hackney taxis and banning any vehicle which is older than seven years for all drivers.

The proposed changes state the exterior colour of all 157 hackney carriages must be white, except for the London type black cab; which can be either white or black. Private hire vehicles must be any colour, other than white.

All drivers are self-employed which means any expenses incurred have to come from their own pockets. 

Bob Mullen from the Furness Taxi Trade Association said the stress and cost would add to the "already unhealthy lifestyle that we are forced to lead". 

Mr Mullen, a taxi driver of 14 years, said more than 150 hackney cars would be forced to adhere to the 'white-only' rule. 

The reason given is to distinguish between hackney and private hire vehicles but as has been pointed out by the trade time and time again at trade liaison meetings all that needs to be done is to remove roof signs from private hire vehicles, then if the vehicle has a roof sign it’s a licensed hackney taxi," he said. 

"It’s like forcing every shop in town to paint the frontage the exact same colour. 

"Nearly every wheelchair accessible vehicle in the area is private hire and white which would not be allowed under the proposed rules. 

"Evidence can show that any other colour except white is very difficult to source and that these vehicles are very expensive, therefore these proposals would lead to either a vast price increase or a scarcity of wheelchair accessible vehicles. This is disability discrimination at its worst."

Responding to Mr Mullen's concerns, Cumbria County Councillor Sol Wielkopolski said the Conservatives would "scrap this insanely petty rule" if his party was in power on Barrow Borough Council. 

The chair of Barrow Conservatives said: "If Furness Conservatives are elected in Barrow we'd scrap this insanely petty rule and listen to taxi drivers."

If @FurnessCons are elected in Barrow Elections we’d scrap this insanely petty rule and listen to taxi drivers. >https://t.co/wUKdaf5ars<

— Sol 🇬🇧 (@SolWpolski) October 26, 2017

The restriction on the age of a vehicle is being brought in to drive up standards. Around a third of current taxis in Barrow are believed to be older than seven years.

Mr Mullen said: "The age restriction would lead to a vast increase in expense both for the owner driver and the operators who rent out vehicles to drivers.

"We have already noticed a scarcity of new faces entering the trade and any of the operators will confirm that they are struggling to recruit new drivers."

Barrow Borough Council's licensing committee is expected to decide whether or not to adopt or amend the new policy in December or January.

Latest new restriction to hit Barrow taxi drivers

The proposed changes are the latest in a series of new restrictions and regulations being imposed on Barrow's taxi drivers.

Applicants for licences now need to undergo the test and existing drivers would need to take the exam when their licence is up for renewal. Failure to reach the pass mark would result in their licence being revoked.

Taxi drivers will have three attempts to take the test – if they fail the third test, they will be banned from resitting it for six months.

Last Christmas, a number of drivers were pulled up for decorating their cars with festive signs and ornaments.

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Uber Finally Sees Decline in Riders

For all of Uber’s screw-ups, none of them ever seemed to hit their bottom-line money making. The self-driving cars running red lightsdidn’t do it. The sexual harassment scandals didn’t do it. The fare manipulation and price gouging schemes didn’t do it.

Maybe it was a combination of all of the above, but something finally did it. According to CNet, Uber has experienced its first-ever decline in ridership, according to business travel expense accounting firm Certify.

“Whether it’s a reaction to the latest headlines or the introduction of new features like tipping, the power of consumer choice has become a major factor in travel and entertainment expense spending,” Certify CEO told CNet in a statement.

Certify only tracks business travel, by monitoring expenses and receipts. Uber’s not obliged to disclose their general ridership numbers across the board because they’re not yet a public company. But the business travel community is beginning to buck Uber, according to Certify data.

Admittedly, it’s only a one percent drop for Uber business nationwide. Though here in San Francisco, the birthplace of Uber, the rideshare company saw its largest decline with an eight percent loss of its business riders. The city may be home to massive corporations, but that doesn’t mean our residents have to be its pawns.

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TfL, Not A Fit And Proper Licensing Authority Part 3. The Production Of Fake Medical Certificates ?

Last month, I had to have a medical, inline with the terms and conditions, of my TfL Taxi driver licence.

Both myself and my doctor are of the opinion that because of the way driver medical procedures are currently set up, TfL have made it extremely easy for anyone (of a mind), to produce a fake medical certificate. 

At present, medical application forms are sent out to drivers, who then take the form to the doctor to be completed at the surgery. On completion, the form is given back to the applicant, who then has to provide an envelope and a stamp. 

It is then up to the applicant to post the form back to TfL.

It is extremely easy to produce a copy of the form, which the doctor will then fill in and return to the driver. 

The applicant could then transfer the information to the original form, changing details to insure a pass.

It is also extremely easy to stop this abuse.

All it would take to stop this abuse, is for a stamped return envelope to be sent out with the medical form. That way the doctor could fill in the form and post back to TfL without the need to return the paperwork back to the applicant. 

It would cost very little (under £1 per application) to produce a stamped addressed return envelope and even if TfL were to decide not to cover the cost, a small amount could be added to the licence fee. The safety of the public should transcend such a small amount. 

My doctor said he would be more than happy with this procedure, as it would stop future fraudulent abuse.

A simple idea to say the least, but then the best ideas are normally just simply common sense. 

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT: 

Blast from the past. 

We all read the expose' below in the Sun (also carried by other national publications) in October last year. But since the article hit the headlines, like everything Uber/TfL related, the scandal soon became a wall of silence. 

ROGUE GPs are coining it from minicab and Uber drivers by lying on vital forms about their fitness to carry passengers.

Three doctors caught by The Sun were happy to sell a faked medical all-clear — required to get an official cab licence.

• Have these two doctors 'Dr Ashraful Haque Mirza and Dr Abdi Issa Creek' been struck off ?

• A third doctor in Barking was also I'm,I acted but unnamed in the article.

• Have the drivers who paid for fake medicals had their licenses revoked ?

The Sun's investigation from August 2016:

http://ift.tt/2ovRcme

Are 13,000 Uber drivers, without proper DBS certificates, currently picking up members of the public?

Last month, it came to light that over 13,000 Uber drivers have been licensed by TfL after presenting fake criminal record check DBS certificates. 

Helen Chapman took it upon herself last month, to defend these drivers at a meeting with Taxi trade orgs, saying (in her opinion) all drivers would subsequently pass a proper enhanced TfL certified DBS. 

As a result, all 13,000 were given 28 days to re-present. 

Helen also appears to be quite happy with the fact that 13,000 drivers without adequate checks have been picking up members of the public since January. TfL actually said nothing about this scandal, until the story was given to the Sunday Times by the LCDC.

When asked why Taxi drivers (caught up in a backlog of licence applications renewals) weren't being allowed to carry on working, Helen Chapman said she wouldn't be able to live with herself should a Taxi driver without a certified DBS commit an offence, while waiting for the enhanced criminal record check to go through.

We wonder what suddenly changed her attitude when it came to 13,000 Uber drivers without proper DBS clearance? 

Taxi Leaks would suggest that any member of the public who has been a victim of an attack by one of the drivers without a proper DBS, should sue TfL, who have admitted they knew about this and chose to say nothing for 10 months.

Another question that should be asked:

Are Uber currently paying a licence fee to TfLTPH whilst appeal going through? 

Or operating for free, courtesy of TfL?

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TFL Not Fit And Proper, Part 2 : TfL Licence Uber Driver Banned By Bath Council

Appeal For Unwanted Clean Clothing And New Sanitary Products. .... By Dean Thomas.

If you have any unwanted clean clothing please drop at LTDA house Woodfield Road #taxiwarmclothing.

We will be distributing it to the homeless community on Wednesday 29th November outside Charing cross police Station in Agar Street.

Wanted : 

• Men and Women's warm, clean clothing

• Men and women’s underwear

• Sanitary products are wanted (but must be new).

Last year was an amazing success and we would like to match or go bigger.

Everyone is more than welcome to attend from 7.30 pm.

We are London taxi drivers who care about the homeless on our London streets.

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Not Fit And Proper To Be A Licensing Authority? Part 1.... By Jim Thomas.

A few weeks ago, drivers started reporting sightings of private hire vehicles, sporting liveries for a certain Russian Cable News Channel. 

The sighting were passed on via Twitter to TfLTPH, who confirmed that the full vehicle livery seen in the images, in some cases covering the rear TfL roundel, was not authorised and should be removed by the owner. TfLTPH said the information would be passed to compliance and on street enforcement, for them to deal with the matter.

Not forgetting....Addison Lee took absolutely no notice of TfL compliance/enforcement, when told their Rugby World Cup livery was illegal, they carried on and saw their contract through. 

When asked if any action had been taken against Addison Lee, TfLTPH confirmed that no action was taken.

Sighting continue on a daily basis 

It now seems that compliance/enforcement have not dealt with this issue and it  now appears we have another advertiser, taking no notice of TfL....why should they, as no action was taken in the past with Addison Lee! 

Hypocrisy Or Bias?

Recently, Taxi drivers were warned at ranks, that their Taxis could have their TfL licence revoked if they left a certain copy of a trade publication in the back window. N one incident caught on camera, a TfL CO removed the publication from the vehicle, while her colleague was talking to the driver.

TfL PCOs were insisting drivers removed copies of the Taxi paper from view, with some COs saying the paper was being used as unauthorised signage, while others stated the paper constituted unauthorised advertising. 

    

 

Is this more proof of TfLTPH's bias against the licensed Taxi trade?

At present, TfL appear to wait until they have a complaint against an individual PH vehicle carrying the livery before they take action. They then inform the person complaining that the vehicles owner will be contacted by compliance and told to remove the livery. Going on the abundance of sightings (often the same vehicles already reported), this doesn't appear to be happening. 

We asked TfL TPH if the legislation had been changed recently to allow full liveries on PHV's, and this was the reply they gave us...

  

A Tip, For TfLs Head Of Compliance And On-Street Enforcement, Siwan Hayward And TfL General Manager Helen Chapman.....

Surely (if TfLTPH compliance is serious), it would make more sense to contact the company supplying the wraps/stickers, inform them that the work they are carrying out on London minicabs is in breach of current legislation and ask for a complete list of PHVs already supplied with front, side and rear strikers. Then every owner/driver can be notified in just a few days. 

Just incase TfL have any trouble locating the company responsible for the illegal stickers, we've investigated and found it to be a company by the name of 'StickerRide'.

• Their European base is at the White Collar Factory, 1 Old Street Yard, London EC1Y8AF.

• Their contact number is +442039481106 

• And their email address is info@stickerride.com.

This way, every vehicle in contravention of the PHV act 1998, can be notified within days and all illegal adverts removed. 

Even the Met police are now stopping non-compliant PHVs.

In this security conscious climate, the Met have more important issues to deal with, without doing TfLTPH compliance's job for them.

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