Dads Defending Daughters : A Week Of Disobedience...by Marc Turner.

Last week was momentous for the London cab trade. 

Billed as a 'week of disobedience' it achieved five consecutive days of demonstrations against the authorities who've blighted our lives with their connivance and facilitation of You know who.

Organised by 'new kids' on our industries block, 'Dad Defending Daughters'. with the backing of the RMT. People said it couldn't be done, as it had never been tried before, why should that assumption have been doubted? 

What was so astounding is that we've always been 'org' lead. They've called the tunes that their followers have danced to. Not anymore. 

Last week London witnessed it's historic first ever 'drivers lead' demo, which the trade orgs were content to support. 

The action was brought about due to the frustration of Camden Councils inability or disinterest to enforce their own waiting restrictions in the set down/waiting bays in Pancras Road NW1 by Saint Pancras Eurostar and Kings Cross stations. They've become a hub for 'non prebooked' oportunistic PH cars, causing traffic congestion as well as posing a huge security risk. 

The five day Stations blockade proved the doubters wrong and brought about negotiations between TFL and RMT. 

Dads Defending Daughters were most grateful for the cooperation of the Mayfair Mob, LTDA, and UCG.

Government might be extolling the virtues of 'disruptive technology'...but that works both ways, and for an unforgettable week technology was 'our' great aid to disruption!!!

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Revealed: ‘Worrying’ hike in number of people hospitalised after bus crashes in Islington

Safety campaigners this week called for action over a steep hike in the number of people being hospitalised after bus crashes in Islington. 

Safety data published quarterly on the Transport for London website show 65 people needed hospital treatment after incidents on or involving buses in the borough in 2015. There were 29 in 2014, an increase of 124 per cent.

Of the injuries in 2015, 33 were serious compared with 11 in 2014.

While in 2014 there were no fatalities in Islington, in 2015 one person died as a result of a collision with a bus.

Meanwhile, across the capital, hospitalisations from bus incidents increased by 22 per cent in 2015 and fatalities by 40 per cent.

Bus safety campaigner Tom Kearney, who was left fighting for his life after being hit by a bus in Oxford Street seven years ago, said he was horrified by the figures.

He said: “Based on TfL’s own numbers, Islington’s numbers are even more horrific with a 200 per cent year on year increase in the number of people taken to hospital from a bus safety incident.”

Green Islington councillor Caroline Russell described the figures as “worrying”. “The most recent figures show a worrying increase in bus collision incidents in Islington and in the numbers of people both seriously and slightly injured in these crashes,” she told the Gazette. 

“Looking at one year of data may not set a statistical trend, but Islington residents will be concerned to see so many people hospitalised this year due to incidents with buses.”

But Tony Akers, TfL’s bus chief, said the casualty rate for the capital’s bus network remained “low” with an average 2.6 injuries per million passenger journeys.

“The majority of those injuries are minor,” he added.

He added: “Safety remains our top priority and we have announced a major safety programme, which includes updating bus contracts.

“It should also be noted that the overall trend for collisions involving a bus or coach where someone has been killed or seriously injured has fallen by 48 per cent over the last decade.”

The sole person killed by a bus in Islington last year was 22-year-old City graduate David Wood, who died under the wheels of a double-decker at the junction of Clerkenwell Road and Farringdon Road on August 20. He had been due to start work as a radiographer at St Bart’s.

Source : Islington gazette

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Wes Streeting Says "I'll Continue To Fight To Save Taxi Trade".

MP Wes Streeting has vowed to keep up the pressure to save the taxi trade after calling for better regulation of private hire cars in the House of Commons.

The MP for Ilford North, wants stricter laws governing the private hire car trade, which includes minicab drivers working for Uber.

He had tabled a private member’s bill but a second reading scheduled for Yesterday, will not be going ahead.

Mr Streeting said: “Unfortunately, because Parliament has run out of time, my bill will not get a second reading this time, but the campaign goes on.

“Having put the issue on the agenda in Parliament in front of the Chancellor, the focus will now shift onto working with the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), the London Cab Drivers Club and others to keep up the pressure on the government and the next Mayor of London to take real action to save the taxi trade.”

Drivers of London’s black taxis have a long-standing feud with Uber, which allows users to speedily hire a cab through a smartphone app. Many believe the drivers are not being regulated properly over insurance, taxes, plying for trade and driving ability. 

Mr Streeting introduced the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Operators Regulation bill with a short speech, known as a 10-minute rule, last month. He called for all drivers of private hire vehicles (PHVs) to take additional tests that show they have the necessary skills and knowledge, as well for regulation around taxes and insurance.

Mr Streeting has also raised concerns that Uber drivers often choose not to pick up blind people with guide dogs after a survey said this was “all too common an issue with private hire vehicles”, adding that passengers had faced sexual discrimination from some drivers. 

In response to accusations about drivers not having adequate insurance, an Uber spokesman said: “Every driver that partners with Uber has the correct full commercial insurance and Uber keeps a record of every policy. When a policy expires the driver can’t take trips until a new policy is in place.”

On the guide dog accusations, they added: “Uber celebrates diversity and does not tolerate any form of discrimination whatsoever.”

Also in Parliament this week, Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) said:

"We have regular meetings with the Mayor of London and discuss a range of topics including the Private Hire Vehicle trade.

"The respective standards between taxis and private hire veh"icles are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL)".

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Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Blasts Uber For Poor Treatment Of Workers

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak just threw some shade at Uber. 

On Monday, at the Future Transport Summit in Sydney, Australia, Wozniak denounced the ride-hailing company’s disputed labor practices and critiqued what he sees as its monopolistic ambitions. 

“Like a lot of people, I have some distrust of Uber and how their drivers don’t really realize at first that they aren’t making much money, maybe losing money on the wear and tear of their cars,” Wozniak told reporters at the summit. 

“That’s how I think of Uber: Not very nice thoughts,” Wozniak added. 

David Rohrsheim, general manager of Uber in Australia, responded to Wozniak’s remarks by noting that Uber drivers have a job with rare flexibility. 

“It has to be a good deal for partners or otherwise they won’t use the platform,”. 

Wozniak isn’t alone in criticizing the app. Class-action lawsuits filed by Uber drivers in California and Michigan argue that the company wrongly classifies its workers as independent contractors, allowing it to drive down their wages and withhold benefits. As contractors, drivers are exempt from minimum wage requirements and don’t receive certain state and federal benefits. Both lawsuits contend that Uber drivers are, in fact, employees, a designation that comes with greater labor protections

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest organized by the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance against ridesharing services Uber and Lyft in 2015. 

Wozniak added that he’d prefer to use Lyft from now on. 

Lyft, which is Uber’s main competitor in the U.S., agreed in January to expand benefits for drivers. Lyft drivers can no longer be fired at will and have the right to settle termination and pay disputes through arbitration. Despite those gains, Lyft drivers, like Uber drivers, are still considered independent contractors.

Wozniak told reporters he’d also like to see more competition in the ride-sharing market. “I would rather there be a lot of competitive forces,” Wozniak said. “I’d like there to be four or five choice that are like Uber anywhere you go.”

The Woz might get his wish. Several new ride-sharing services are scheduled to hit roads soon. Chariot fit Women, which launches Tuesday, is an alternative ride-sharing service with all-women drivers, exclusively for women. Another service, Juno, hopes to become Uber’s mirror opposite. It’s drivers will not only have employee status, but will also get equity in the company, in addition to several other perks. 

Despite his concerns about Uber, overall, Wozniak isn’t too worried about the sorts of economic changes Uber represents. 

“You might come up with a new technology and some old jobs disappear and there are robots building cars,” he said. “Well, the jobs pop up somewhere else. The economy just shifts, it moves.”

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

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Taxi Drivers, Getting The Message Across, Promoting Safer Travel At Night.

Ive posted on various occasions, the amazing work being carried out, at night, by the small bunch of militant activists involved in taking back the ranks and work being lost to touts. 

They call themselves the Mayfair Mob, although they don't confine their fight to he small area around Mayfair. This mysterious group operate right across London from Shoreditch, through the City of London, Soho, Mayfair, Chelsea, Kensington and all the way to Shepherds Bush (the home of British football).

With help from the Mob's brilliant ranks and highways agent, they've had new ranks appointed and implemented, plus old ranks extended and repainted. 

But best of all, they've been highly effective in taking back work, lost to touts and bent door staff. We've actually seen a reduction in dodgy firms working the doors of clubs.

Just who are these knights of the night?

The Mayfair Mob are a collection of independent drivers from all orgs and unions. Their Philosophy is, "it's not the colour of the lanyard that matters, it's he badge on the end the counts'. A clean cab, no brooming and take all card payments.

Most nights, and always on specific hits, the mob are supported by the AdVan, sponsored by the LTDA. 

Over the passed few months, there has been concern over the message displayed on the posters. Although most drivers understood, the message was completely lost on the majority of night revellers. A definite missed opportunity.

It's a unbelievable what we as a trade have to put up with. Clipboard men now stalk custom outside on the pavement and a new phenomenon...the mobile booking office.

But yesterday, the LTDA launched a fantastic new poster (also to be conveyed on flyers and receipt pads, available from the driver of the AdVan and Taxi House) with a hard hitting message that shows the public just how unsafe unrecorded minicab journeys can be.

This crystal clear message, will not be lost on the public. 

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Proof They Buy Off Bad PR : Uber faces $100 million bill to end drivers dispute

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Are TfL Dragging Their Feet Over Uninsured Uber And PH Drivers? The Tech Is Available Now.

Below is a press release from Plan Insurance Brokers, who have developed a system which could put a stop to uninsured Private Hire Vehicles fraud overnight. 

PRESS RELEASE:

TfL Ticked off by Minicab Insurance Fraud

TfL consult Tech Savvy Brokerage to tackle uninsured taxi and private hire drivers.

TfL have met with Plan Insurance Brokers to discuss innovative methods of confronting the widespread issue of taxi insurance fraud. Plan came to the regulator’s attention after outlining plans on social media for an online portal with the working title Taxi Insurance Checker (TIC.)  

UBER 


Private hire regulation has received greater scrutiny in the last 18 months due the emergence of taxi booking apps such as Uber that have seen driver numbers increase by 62% since 2010. Outdated systems for detection can no longer cope with the volume of drivers.

BLACK CAB DRIVERS 


London’s cabbies have staged demonstrations due to what they deem to be a soft touch approach to the enforcement of existing rules on these companies by TFL. The regulator has subsequently issued a raft of new measures aimed at addressing the ongoing problems.

Together with the GMB Union Professional Drivers’ Branch and Plan Insurance Brokers, TfL have begun the process of consulting on a means of using technology to rid the UK’s roads of uninsured Private hire drivers 




Why is action needed? 


There are over 300,000 drivers licensed to carry passengers on the U.K.’s roads. A nationwide audit leaked to the BBC revealed that up to 93% of drivers might have invalid cover. 

MD of TfL Leon Daniels described the current means of detecting drivers without suitable insurance as a “laborious, hopeless manual system.” 

{Let's not forget that Daniels, TfL's Managing Director, defended Uber drivers to the GLA transport committee, saying they had an on-off insurance policy which they could just switch on when they had a passenger. After checking with the Association of British insurers, we found that no such policy was available. Editor's comment}

It’s important for the general public that Taxi and Private hire drivers have appropriate insurance cover due to: 

Public Safety Concerns – as illegal touts target vulnerable passengers

• Delayed Compensation Payments – as the public are driven in uninsured vehicles

• Higher Motor Insurance Costs - as law abiding drivers subsidise premiums

• Licensed Taxi and Private Hire drivers not being “fit and proper” persons

How will TIC Work? 


TIC will provide authorities access to live information regarding the validity of taxi and private hire drivers’ insurance and crucially whether their policy provides cover for carrying passengers for the purposes of “Hire & Reward.” The portal is similar in concept to the Motor Insurance Database, which has significantly reduced the number of uninsured drivers on the UK’s roads.

 

All insurers offering taxi and private hire insurance will need to be registered on a database as approved suppliers. The Association of British Insurers have been invited to join the process as have The Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Met Police. 

How are uninsured public & private hire drivers evading existing systems of detection? 

Presenting False Insurance Documents – either doctored or duplicated documentation is supplied when applying for a Taxi or Private Hire licence.

Operating with Expired, Cancelled or Invalid Cover:

To avoid their vehicle showing up on the police’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition checks as unregistered on the Motor Insurance Database drivers take out cheaper private car insurance that does not provide cover to drive passengers for the purposes of “Hire and Reward.” 

Using Identity mirroring” scams – multiple drivers may be operating under one licence using one vehicle 




QUOTES

 “We’ve been lobbying TfL for sometime on the issue of drivers operating with invalid insurance. The response from TfL to Plan’s proposals was positive. I believe they saw real value in the technology particularly for operators. 

This is due to the way the drivers’ personal data is protected by an encrypted code, without this an operator’s access to the vital information regarding a driver’s cover would be restricted.” 


Steve Garelick Head of GMB Union Professional Drivers’ Branch

“TIC is a perfect example of how technology can streamline processes and reduce costs. If implemented TIC will greatly improve safety for passengers by removing uninsured taxi and private hire vehicles from London’s roads.” 
Ryan Georgiades, Managing Director, Plan Insurance Brokers 

KEY STATS 

120,000 licenced taxi and private hire vehicles on London’s roads.

Private hire driver numbers in London have surged from 59,000 to 95,000 since 2010.

In 2011 the Metropolitan Police estimated that in London alone 1,125 incidents of sexual assault had been committed by private hire touts

ABOUT PLAN 

Plan Insurance Brokers are public and private hire insurance specialists with over 25 years experience. 

Based in Purley, Surrey they employ a team of 70 and handle over 14,000 policies a year with a total Gross Written Premium of £17 million. They operate using software developed in-house and are known within the insurance industry for their forward thinking use of technology.

Plan are short-listed in the upcoming Family Business of the Year Awards due to a commitment to innovation, thought leadership and charity.

For further information regarding Plan Insurance Brokers or their TIC proposal contact: Grant Georgiades, 0203 004 5572, grant@planinsurance.co.uk

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