Letter to Editor : Touting and associated dangers of unbooked minicabs...by Tom Scullion.

While London is safe for most people travelling at night, we still have major concerns over the dangers of travelling in unbooked minicabs.

All minicabs must be licensed by TfL and must be booked in advance. Any minicab that isn't booked by phone, email, an app or in a licensed minicab office is illegal and unsafe.

Your minicab is classified as unbooked and unsafe, if:

A private hire or minicab driver approaches you on the street

You approach a minicab driver on the street directly, and they accept your journey without a booking - even if the driver is licensed by us

A bouncer, or somebody with a high visibility jacket and clipboard, hails you a minicab on the street

Even minicabs lined up outside pubs and clubs are breaking the law if they accept your fare without a booking first.

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Even though Tfl think it is acceptable to jump in an Uber car then make a booking it is not, its illegal.

Uber drivers are afforded more privileges than A Green badge London Taxi driver for example:

NSL testing centre licenses PHV drivers without hire and reward insurance and since this has been brought to tfl's attention they are still blatantly ignoring the law by licensing 700 PHV drivers every week.

  

Tfl have granted an operators license to Uber who openly encourage their staff / drivers to ply for hire, in fact Uber do not accept pre-bookings which spits in the face of the 1998 PHV act.

Uber drivers are allowed to ply for hire anywhere in the UK eg. Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton , City Airport and as far as Bath.

Ubers terms and conditions and in sec 3 ( acceptance of bookings) it states " You should be aware that the transportation provider to which your phv booking is allocated and who provides transportation services may be licensed in an area other than where the booking is requested or the transportation service is provided" ok well lets look at PHV act 1998 sec4( sub 2) : A London phv operator shall secure that any vehicle which is provided by him for carrying out private hire bookings accepted by him in London is ( a ) : A vehicle for which a London phv licence is in force, driven by a person holding a London phv licence. So no one else can pick up in London unless your licensed in London, What do you think of that then.

Imagine a Green badge driver touting outside their area Gatwick for example the Police would throw the book at them and they would also be arrested for no insurance. Hire and Reward insurance is VOID if you are breaking the law by touting or working outside your licensed area.

 

The Police turn a blind eye to Uber drivers plying for hire or touting in our Capital 24/7 look at the mainline  train Stations plagued with these drivers plying for hire electronically through their App.   Yet if a Taxi driver has the audacity to over rank its a instant nick. 

One rule for us, and no rules for them.

Be lucky 

Tom Scullion

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Bottled It Again?: LTDA Tone Down AdVan Message.

The best thing to come out of Taxi House for many years was the hard hitting AdVan poster, showing the public the true extent of the dangers of using an unbooked minicabs. 

The poster was backed up by a freedom of information request reference number and carried an image that had appeared on TfL's own safer travel at night campaign posters. We know it was having an impact, because the touts and potential predators were getting irate, plus the GMB Union, weren't happy bunnies either.

We also knew TfL would be not be very happy with the content of this poster. 

A certain trade org recently applied to TfL (Under a freedom of information request) for statistics appertaining to minicab assaults and rapes over the last 12 month period. When given the requested statistics, TfL asked for them not to publish, as they may frighten people away from using minicabs. However, they statistics were leaked on social media. 

These latest statistics were obtained legally by FOI request from tha Metropolitan Police, so any complainers haven't got a leg to stand on. 

The original AdVan poster was designed by myself and sent to Steve McNamara who replied that he would put this to the LTDA lawyers. I thought that would be the end of it.

I was amazed and over the moon, when I found that they had posted a similar poster on the AdVan and it was out on the ranks, informing the vulnerable just how dangerous it could be to jump into a minicab without going through the correct channels. 

Unfortunately true to form, we now find that the LTDA have bottled it with the message and dummed down the stats.

The wow factor 154 recorded sexual assaults, have been reduced to just an alleged 32 attacks from Uber drivers. 

Why have the LTDA dumbed down this campaign?

Have they again capitulated to the wishes of the complainers.

It's not just Uber drivers who are attacking, sexually assaulting and raping passengers. Last year there were 154 sexual attacks, only 32 were alleged to be Uber drivers.

There ar now more questions that need answers:

Why have the LTDA dummed down the message?

Who has complained and to who?

Why would the LTDA take notice of any complaints?

Did the LTDA feel that going with the original poster would mar their chances of getting another executive committee member on the board of TfL?

Do the LTDA feel that a seat on the board of TFL is worth compromising public safety and letting down their members and the trade?

Should the LTDA resign from the board of TfL and not seek reappointment?

Being on the board of TfL is a massive conflict of interest which grossly affects their ability to represent both their members and the Taxi trades best interests.

This latest issue is a cop out, designed to appease TfL and the GMB (who also represent licensed Taxis)

If they are going to cave in this easy, then they might as well stick the monkey back on the van, because that's obviously how TfL view the LTDA.

While the organ grinder plays the tune, the monkey dances.

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Expelled, For Seeking Answers To Questions : Swept Under The Carpet? ... Not This Time.

This trade IS sleep walking into oblivion.

Certain people we trusted, have been partnered to the agendas, the bad decisions, in full knowledge of the direction we were being taken.

They sat back, said and did nothing. Certain trade reps were/are afraid to speak out, incase they're  turned away from the meetings and black balled. Smaller, more militant groups have been excluded altogether.

A tribal system set in place, engineered to keep us divided and weak, while affording those complicit, a cosy little number.

Look at the state of our once glorious trade.

The overpriced Taxis, the advertising, some smothered by all over liveries and super sides which tarnish the look of our once iconic vehicles. 

Look at the symbolism.

The different coloured lanyards, diaries, IDs, window stickers, all of which divide the trade further, instead of helping unite the rank and file. 

We have been forced into subgroups, reducing any form of resistance and diluting the spirit to fight.

Not satisfied with going forward together for the benefit of the trade, seeking singular glory, dropping a spanner in the works of any plan put forward by others, which fails to result in all the kudos coming their way. 

They've filled their respective magazines and news letters for many years with self glorification content which further added to diversifying the workforce.

Anyone who stands up and cries foul, is immediately castigated and expelled. 

                   >CLICK HERE<

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LondonTaxiPR New Advertising Campaign To Promote The Trade.

Hi all, just a quick post to make you all aware that we at LondonTaxiPR are raising funds for a new advertising campaign. 

The target required is 14k ! The campaign is for advertising the trade in 30 London clubs & bars, as well as in 8 stations. 

The coverage on this is huge, and targets the young social audience, plus all ages passing through the stations. Estimated quality impacts on this campaign is approx 3.5 million. Quality impacts are the amount of times the ads will be physically seen over the 4 week campaign period.

Washroom posters, beer mats, bar towels, mirror signage will all be promoting our trade & service. 

Many have voiced their demands for our trade having positive PR. If you want advertising & PR for our trade then we, at LondonTaxiPR have the campaigns to introduce it. All we ask is for you to back your demands.

Just 1000 drivers contributing £14 gives us this target, the same as 1400 drivers contributing just £10, and all the money contributed by each of you, helps to promote you and your trade. 

HELP US, TO HELP YOU ! 

To join in & contribute towards this new fantastic campaign, targeting London's clubs, bars & stations audience, go to http://ift.tt/23fsPGD and click on the PayPal donate link at the bottom of the page. 

This trade has recently shown that it can come together and support positive actions. The generosity shown by the trade in contributing to such actions is superb. Let's make another positive campaign happen. 

You can find out more about us by visiting our website http://ift.tt/23fsPGD or follow us on Twitter @londontaxi_pr 

YOUR FUTURE, IS OUR FUTURE ! 

Many thanks 

Lee & Gary

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Sarah Lacy, founder, Editor in Chief, CEO PandoDaily.com, On Arianna Huffington Joining Uber Board.

Really sad and hurt and disgusted to see the news that Arianna Huffington is joining the board of Uber. This is a company whose treatment of women has been so horrible that the UN Women's group backed out of a deal with them. That's right: When it comes to women's issues, Uber is "the North Korea" of startups. 

It's an organization that has blamed women's attire or alcohol intake when they've claimed to be assaulted in Uber cars. It's an organization that does marketing stunts alluding to women as prostitutes. 

Not only that, it's an organization that threatens the lives and families of female *journalists* specifically. So Arianna is doubly selling out "her own." 

It gets worse: Arianna was at the dinner where Emil Michael threatened to "go after" the families of me and other journalists in the most disgusting ways you can imagine. And she did nothing. When I asked her she said she didn't hear it. Convenient. I asked if she had heard it, if she would have reported it. She did not answer. 

This is all the more harrowing to me because Arianna was my previous "boss" when AOL bought TechCrunch. And sadly, I was the one who defended her as AOL eroded so much of the value of the brand-- specifically TechCrunch's fierce voice and willingness to call out bad actors in the tech world. 

I was in labor with Eli when Michael Arrington was ousted from the company. He and Heather had promised me the job of editor in chief. It was given to someone else by Arianna while I was in labor. Even then, I gave her the benefit of the doubt as she likely didn't know about this plan. 

But today, I have no illusions that Arianna supports women, journalists or otherwise, if it's remotely inconvenient for her. 

Four years ago, she sent Eli baby presents when she needed me to stay at AOL. Today, she goes to work for someone who actually threatened my family. It's staggering. 

Paul and I have frequently debated what would have happened if I'd stayed at TechCrunch. He'd long argued AOL would have never allowed us to the journalism we've done over the last four years. I argued the right leadership at TechCrunch could have kept the fierce, truth-telling, no bullshit spirit that made it the industry's conscience in it's pre-AOL heyday. 

Sadly, today's news confirms that I was wrong about Arianna. There's no doubt we would have been silenced. 

On one level, I feel like I've dodged a bullet making the decision I did to leave four years ago. But it makes me so sad to see a strong powerful woman in the industry sell out so many other women who don't have a voice. For what? Money? Power? 

THIS is what holds women back in tech, in media, and in any corner of the business world.

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Cinnamon Spice Restaurant, Put Customers In Fake Minicab.

Cinnamon Spice Indian Cusine Restaurant put a group of customers in a fake minicab that had no insurance, no TfL vehicle licence and was not driven by a TfL licensed driver. 

The complaint below has appeared on the Trip Advisor 

This restaurant provided a car for a group last night and then that car was stopped in a routine traffic stop by police and was found to have no licence, no insurance and no PCO licence in the drivers name. 

When challenged the passengers stated that the restaurant had ordered it for them. 

Turns out the car was driven by one of the friends of someone who worked in the restaurant, they were charging £55 to go to Excel. 

What an utter disgrace!! 

They could have been injured and the passengers would have had no legal leg to stand on to claim compensation. 

Advice would be to hail a black cab.

Visited April 2016

Manager at Cinnamon Spice, responded to this review, 2 days ago

We used this mini cab office when customers ask us to do so, we than confirm the prices with the customer. I was told it was £45 and I told the customer. 

The company we phoned is called Budged Cars tel no. 02079356444.

Please beware of them as we will never use the again.

I have had a word with the cab office and they said that the customers were not charged and that the police was doing a routine checks on cars and that they are all licences and insured. I also have informed trading standard and reported to the police.

I or cinnamon spice have no interest or involvement with this cab office and I can only apologise for any inconvenience caused.

I thank you for bring this to our attention as we were not aware of this.

If you would like to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact me at the restaurant.

Kind regards

Mohammed 

Cinnamon spice

12-14 Glentworth Street

London

NW1 5PG

Source : Trip Advisor. 

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Huffington Press Founder, Invited To Join Uber.

Founder Arianna Huffington, has been invited to join the board at Uber. 

Arianna, an exponent of the benefits of napping should fit in well with the uber work force who regularly take naps, unfortunately this happens when they're driving. 

Why not ask her on Twitter what she is going to do about the sexual assaults and rapes

the vast amount of insurance fraud, the drivers who are in deep water from bad car loans, the people who have been injured in Uber car accidents, the people who have lost thousands of pounds after their account details were sold on the dark web, and the environmental damage caused by flooding the roads with 30,000 cars, that take ridership away from public transit. 

Tweet her now @ariannahuff. 

Send her links to stories, reports and data. 

She needs to address these well documented issues.

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