More Good News : St Pancras Parking Problem, Solution Found.

We would like to give an update on the St Pancras parking situation. After a series of demonstrations the like of which the trade had never seen before that were instigated by the group known as Dads Defending Daughters (DDD), a member of the Mayfair Mob (MM) working closely with the RMT was able to get a meeting with Camden in early May. This meeting would never have been possible without the brilliant and somewhat genius plan the DDD had implemented and actioned to perfection.

The airport style drop off as mentioned in this months TAXI was a great idea on paper and would of definitely solved the PHV parking issue, but in reality was flawed on many counts and rightly rejected after consultation. The potential for congestion , double parking and the obvious security issues flagged by the Border Agency plus timescale issues ended any hope of this plan. 

At the meeting, the two representatives from Camden were well informed and suggested using double yellow lines. It was at this stage that the MM member suggested that implementing the double yellow lines on an experimental order would be the quickest solution, as the consultation can take place after the lines had been painted. This is by far the quickest option available and there is no reason why it would not be successful.

At present Camden are unable to issue PCNs till after the grace period has been applied. Although members of the MM came up with ways around the grace period for Camden, the lines are a better option. Once the lines are painted no vehicle will be able to wait there and Camden's marshalls will be able to issue PCNs immediately. This solution will require the presence of marshalls, but Camden will be approaching TFL to help with this. It is also hoped that once word gets around that PCNs are being issued, this will act as a deterent. There will also be the option of phoning 101 and reporting vehicles illegally parked causing an obstruction and asking police to help clear the area. 

We hope that the sudden appearance of the LTDA's marshalls at St Pancras is purely for the greater good of the trade and they are not there as a publicity stunt, trying to undermine the solution agreed with Camden. This solution was gained not only by some great work from the Dads Defending Daughters , The Mayfair Mob and the RMT London Taxi Branch, but also by drivers from every taxi org. We feel that all Orgs and drivers should back this solution and stand united even if it isn't the solution they envisaged. 

This solution is currently with Camden's design team and they have given a date of mid June for works completion. We are expecting an update and will forward the info onto the trade as soon as we are in receipt of it.

We would also like to congratulate the UCG on their outstanding achievement, of getting the engagement policy withdrawn. A new Mayor hopefully means change and what better way to achieve this, than with new voices joining the old voices to show the trade United as one.

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Important Announce From The UCG June 8th Demo Cancelled.

Following a Committee of Management vote, we are suspending the planned action of June 8th.

We trust the integrity of Val Shawcross and thank her for trusting us.

She has shown commitment to our trade, with a new transparency towards trade meetings.

The whole trade should support Val and her team.

Angela Clarkson 

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Breaking News, The United Trade Cartel Has Been Smashed.

At a meeting held this morning between the UCG and deputy Mayor Val Shawcross, a deal was hatched to approve engagement by all trade orgs with TfL, finally putting an end to the restrictive and highly damaging engagement policy. 

The meeting between Val Shawcross and Helen Chapman Trevor Merralls and Bryn Phillips was called today to discuss the actions of Leon Daniels and the outdated  Engagement Policy.

The United Cabbies Group said they would not suspend the preposed industrial action on the 8th of June, unless terms were met. 

After the meeting Bryn Phillips made this statements in a series of Tweets:

"Drivers. We have had a very constructive meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Transport this morning. The engagement policy is history.

"The concept of "selected orgs" has been consigned to the dustbin. We insisted RMT are also given a seat at the trade table.

"We can also confirm that bus lane access for licensed London taxi drivers will continue an could even be extended to cover all bus lanes. 

Val Shawcross will report to the Mayor soon.

"The boat has a new crew and a new captain. Old policies have walked the plank.

We meet again in three weeks to try to map out a way forward to save your jobs"

The UCG secretary Angela Clarkson put out a short statement on Twitter:

Trevor Merralls had a very fruitful meeting with Val Shawcross and TFL.

The  committee are now discussing suspension of proposed action. 

The UCG remain committed to positive talks with the new Mayoralty.

Well done to the UCG, this is something we here at Taxi Leaks have been campaigning for since the engagement policy was first introduced. 

This is a major step forward for the trade in our fight for survival. 

Something else that should be pointed out:

Today's meeting was fully minuted and the minutes will be available by freedom of information request. 

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Addison Lee, Arrive In Greater Manchester.

Addison Lee arrives in Manchester. 

London PH Giant Addison Lee arrives in Manchester, EXCEPT, they missed it on their Sat Nav and instead set up in a nearby Town, usually the case with PH drivers, but not the Companies. 

Addison Lee are however owned by U.S. Equity group Carlyle and it must be remembered that Mark Twain (another Yank) once said of Manchester.

“I would like to live in Manchester, England. The transition between Manchester and death would be unnoticeable.”

However , for whatever reason, locating near Manchester but licensing with a more efficient authority is no doubt a wise one.

Lets hope they can give UBERK a run for their money. It is not a coincidence that UBERK have an 'Office' in Stockport as well.

Read more: >mcrblackcab.proboards<

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TfL Caught Bang To Rights Issuing PH licence Without CRB Check.

This tweet appeared on Twitter yesterday afternoon.

It followed this document which was posted earlier in the day.

We have been told repeatedly by TfL that Private Hire drivers go through the exact same process as Licensed Taxi Drivers when applying for or renewing their licenses. 

Last April we were warned in the media 

'Criminal record checks BANNED on foreign murderers and rapists who want to be minicab drivers if they have applied for asylum or refugees status'

TfL brushed these claims under the carpet and  repeatedly stated on Twitter, Private Hire Licenses are not issued, unless the driver has first completed an enhanced DBS check. 

At other times, we were told 'people that have lived in a foreign country and haven't lived here long enough, could be licensed subject to a letter of good conduct from the last country they lived in'. 

Well it seems they lied.....again!

Lies such as;

• They have switch on, switch off insurance.

• They complied with all the regulations when they first applied for their licence.

• They definitely have a land line for bookings

And now this;

Many Licensed Taxi drivers have been put out of work, some for many months, after Peter Hendy decided to scrap the temporary licence system that had been in use, with absolutely no trouble for decades. He said he could trust Taxi drivers to receive renewals just incase they had committed serious offences while waiting for their new licence to be processed. 

Now we find out that TfL have allegedly been issuing new and renewals to Private Hire drivers, without first receiving back DBS criminal record checks....One rule for us, and yet a completely deferent rule for PH.

A driver asked the question on Twitter, why are the org not all over this

He was told by a certain political lobbyist, that they had been silenced by TfL's gagging policy. 

At this, the same tired trolls rolled out to defend the engagement policy, but were told 'call it what you like, but the engagement policy clearly prohibits criticism of TfL'.

We have been informed the Mayor will be looking into this issue. 

This situation is unacceptable. TfL can no longer be trusted.

TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE TAXI TRADE, THE ENGAGEMENT POLICY MUST BE THROWN OUT.

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New PH Feeder Park At Heathrow : A letter to the editor, from Tom Scullion

HAL / BAA have fast tracked a feeder park to a company who do not comply with tfl's rules or regulations a company who have been exposed and expelled all around the World for non compliance with the regulations of the particular City, County or Country.

How will HAL implement this mini cab feeder park? 

Are the car park charges be in line with the Taxi feeder park ?

 I am also interested on the Civil aviation authority's views on allowing cars to operate at airports in the UK ? I am pretty sure it breaks their own rules.

According to a leading insurance brokerage company there are 183,000 PHV drivers in the UK who do not have the correct insurance are BAA going to allow PHV drivers a permit or RFID readers without checking that they are correctly insured to pick up HAL's passengers ?

This back door deal with Uber seems to me, to be rushed through without consultation with the taxi trade and all of the other stakeholders including the trusting passengers who use and work at Heathrow airport.

The minimum requirement for registration must be a full audit including identity checks with finger prints, CRB checks, fleet management controls for MOT,  vehicle maintenance records and Full hire and reward insurance displayed in the vehicle at all times.

Tfl and the Police should have inspectors working with HAL to have daily vehicle inspections to make sure the vehicle are road worthy and are interrogated  with ANPR systems on every terminal 24/7 including searches for rape kits.

Is it true that HAL signed off the uber mini cab feeder over three months ago without any dialogue with the Taxi trade and other stakeholders like the trusting public it would be interesting to review HAL's  detailed data on this invisible review.

Will other PHV companies like Addison Lee be allowed to use this VIP car park? 

If not why not?

All seems dark to me.....

The only trade organisation to pick up the baton is The UCG well done Guys.

I feel really sorry for the local residents around the Heathrow area who have been subjected to the plague of filthy  drivers and I agree something has to be done, but HAL's decision to reward bad behavior and to cosy  up to a company who has no control or responsibility for their drivers is outrageous, imagine the costs of refurbishing our old feeder park then hand it over to a PHV company who do not have the ability to pre booked a job, which is against tfl's rules is nonsensical.

Is HAL's secret agenda to allow uninsured unchecked private hire drivers to force the London Taxi trade out of the airport ?  

Recent reports claim there are only four Police enforcement officers at Heathrow and by contrast Gatwick have over 90 if HAL want a third runway they need to step up big time, here is another example of lawlessness the Hilton on T4 has an illegal Uber rank plying for hire, it's all got out of control.

Not a word from TfL's new enforcement officers who stand around Edgware Road traffic lights shooting the breeze what's that all about ?

When are they going to be employed at Heathrow airport?

The whole issue of E plying for hire must be addressed by  the government, MP's and the courts in great detail as this current Wild West do as you like minicabs free for all has to stop.

Be lucky 

Tom Scullion.

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CAN'T DEMO BECAUSE OF YOUR MORTGAGE? HOW WILL YOU PAY IT, WITH NO JOB?

There is a UCG demo on 8th June, between 2pm and 4pm, Victoria Street and Windsor House.
It is a protest to highlight the corrupt state of Transport for London to a wider audience; with a call for Leon Daniels to go.

It is not aimed at the new Mayor. How could it be? His seat is not yet warm.

I am not a UCG member.
I understand the insignificance of replacing one corrupt official with another.
But the public, whose support we want, need to be informed of our struggle.
The whole of TfL needs to be reviewed.
London needs a Public Enquiry, looking into TfL's unhealthy relationship with rich disruptive organisations, from management level up to Johnson, Osborne and Cameron.

My union, the RMT do not support the demo. They also believe that Daniels will not be sacked, but promoted; re Hendy.

I personally do not care if Daniels is beatified.
This is not a tit for tat vendetta against Daniels. It is a public statement that we believe Leon Daniels is not fit to serve in his existing position.

Officially the RMT feels it deflects from real issues. But I believe this is an issue that needs public airing.

The LTDA do everything to undermine the UCG and any other trade organisation.
They did the same last time out, with an 'all fur coat and no knickers' lobby come photo opportunity at Parliament, the day before a demo.

The LTDA and TfL are too cosy. So cosy in fact it is hard to discern one from the other.

The LTDA boast about their relationship with MPs and officials. Look where that got us.
We are in this state because of the LTDA's cosy, ineffectual relationship with MPs and officials.
The LTDA are poodles.

Unite are more like a political party than a union. I am still waiting for that grand conjuring trick they and Tom Watson promised us, a year ago.
Luckily I did not hold my breath.

This lack of urgency, and my feeling that the Taxi Branch seemed to be of no real consequence to the largest union in the land, were my main reasons for leaving.

The LCDC are more a taxi newspaper than a taxi movement.

They released embarrassing emails between Daniels and Jo Bertrum, showing collusion between TfLTPH and Uber. But the readership of The Badge are only cab drivers.
It is the public who need to be informed.

The LCDC supply the bullets for others to fire, but are nowhere to be seen, for fear of upsetting the new Mayor or anyone else they might photobomb to raise their profile.

A refusal to 'out' Daniels in public, by Orgs who refused to sit at the same table as him, smacks of grandstanding.

This demo will not inconvenience the public too much. It is occurring during a convenient time the Metropolitan Police agreed was not overly disruptive.

TfL hierarchy must be rolling in the aisles watching this division.

Whenever we need to show unity, an enemy within throws a spanner.
If we die, it will be due to Machiavellian ambition and driver apathy.

I for one will be on that demo calling for Daniels's head. And why not? He conspired to take ours.

I will also be calling for a public enquiry, and highlighting how the rape and sexual assault of vulnerable Londoners, by TfL Licensed Private Hire drivers, has gone through the roof, on Daniels's watch.

So if you need an excuse not to attend, you can always use that old chestnut "My Org told me not to.", that is your perogative, your conscience.

If you work during the demo, any Taxi demo, then you are crossing a picket line. And you know what that makes you.

by Lenny Etheridge

   

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