LTDA To Hold Elections At Northern Branch Meeting Tuesday 21st June.

An animated Sean Paul Day interviews Paul Harris, one of the nominees for the position of LTDA Branch Chairman.

The election will be at the next LTDA branch meeting on Tuesday, 21st June, 7pm at Newman Catholic College, Harlesden Road, NW10 3RN. 

I implore all LTDA members to attend the meeting and effect change, as the vote will be taken from those in the hall.

On the set of 'when Sean met Paul' a London Taxi Radio Production. 

Paul Harris is one of the nominees standing for election as Chairman of the LTDA (Northern Branch).

So if you are a member of the LTDA and want a say in the future course of the Northern Branch, then please attend the meeting.

You can't moan if you're not prepared to shape trade democracy. 

     

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How Can TFL Allow UberPool To Continue? ... by Jim Thomas.

A few months ago, Taxi Leaks asked on the TfLTPH Twitter account if they could give a link to the legislation that allows Uber to operate it's new ride sharing Uberpool service, attached to their smartphone app.

In typical TfL style, I got no reply. 

A reply was finally given to another driver, although not as comprehensive as we would've liked.

In reply LTPH said that the transport Act 85 permits ride sharing.....Unfortunately, they failed to point out that there are certain conditions which have to be adhered to with private hire undertaking shared rides with individual payments:

Taken from the transport act 1985 on line

The conditions state quiet clearly:

2)The conditions are that—

(a)all the passengers carried on the occasion in question booked their journeys in advance; and

(b)each of them consented, when booking journey, to sharing the use of the vehicle on that occasion with others on the basis that a separate fare would be payable by each passenger for his own journey on that occasion.

TfLTPH's Twitter account completely ignores this and have posted a tweet referring to the fact that UberPool only use licensed private hire vehicles and require the specific consent of each customer involved.

We repeated the statement that each customer needs to be "pre-booked" and give their consent, we got this reply.

AND YET, THIS IS WHAT UBER TELL PASSENGERS

Then we had Managing Director Leon Daniels, educating Uber’s CEO how to circumvent the legislation telling her she shouldn't be putting this information out on Twitter

 

It's just like when Admiral Lord Nelson put his patch over his good eye and said the immortal words "I see no ships".

Uber have stated on numerous occasions, that they don't do pre bookings and in the recent Uberpool case where a young lady was assaulted by two male passengers, it transpired no one in the vehicle had ordered an Uberpool journey. It's alleged that this has become common practise as the journey is more expensive and the company draws a larger commission from the driver than single pick up journeys.  

Again we see Uber contravening regulations that should see their licence revoked, but TfL turn a blind eye and have bent over backwards to justify the fact that they licensed Uber in 2012 knowing full well they didn't comply with all the requirements necessary at that time. 

a) Uber have never taken pre booking

b) Initially Uber never had a landline for bookings, a requirement under the PHV act 1998.

TfL however continue to lie about the situation by repeatingly putting out this tweet:

 Questions that need to be answered:

Why are our orgs allowing this behaviour to go unchallenged?

Why are they not protecting the working practises of the drivers from whom they take money in the form of subscriptions?

In 2012 our representative orgs sat back and did nothing about a PH company who was illegally issued with 12 licence variations (satellite office licenses), the same week they were licensed as an operator, without first waiting the require 12 months from initial licensing as an operator. 

This same company is now allowed by TfL, to turn up at certain venues around the city of London and set up private hire ranks, fed work by openly touting clipboard men. 

Old Billingsgate, RD2 cars allowed by TfL to form rank and wait to be hired. 

TfL and their compliance teams always turn a blind eye to this particular operator, as it would seem, do our representative orgs. 

They can't even say they didn't know about this issue, because Taxi Leaks has informed them on many occasions.

Unless our orgs get off their backsides and start taking TfL to task, then the whole future of Licensed Taxis in London is in danger of dying out.

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Jo Bertram Quits Twitter, Over Alleged Abuse From Taxi Drivers.

Uber’s UK boss claims she's been forced to quit Twitter after being bombarded with sexist and abusive messages from taxi drivers. Bertram claimed the attacks have included one angry cabbie saying he hoped she would “get run over by a Toyota Prius”, while others have criticised her appearance including one who said she looked like Jimmy Savile. 

How terrible! But not quite as life shattering as some young ladies, who have been sexually attacked and raped by Ms Bertram's Uber drivers!

The executive, who is in charge of the minicab app across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, spoke about the abuse today at a “powerful women” conference being held in central London. Funny though, she never spoke about the abused of the 32 victims included in the freedom of information request, plastered over the add van, seen nightly around central London!

Ms Bertram told the Fortune Most Powerful Women event at Holborn’s Rosewood Hotel that she now gets staff to check her Twitter account as she cannot face logging into it herself. 

She was quoted as telling the audience: “If you are going to make changes there is always going to be someone who doesn’t like that change.” The biggest change in her industry is the increase of over 50% in incidents of minicab driver related rape and serious sexual assaults, reaching a record high of 154 from February 2015 to February 2016. 

She added: “Unfortunately it is probably a small group who are not representative of the group at large or the industry at large but it is important to remember that it is not personal.”

Perhaps Jo would now like to address another group of invited guests at a lavish sponsored evening at the Rosewood Hotel, namely the victims and close family members who were raped and sexual assaulted by her drivers. Perhaps she can explain what she means by the term "collateral damage".

Uber has faced frequent criticism from London’s black cab drivers, with many blaming the mobile phone app for harming business and increasing congestion on the capital’s roads.

It's clear as day that this latest stage manager speech from Ms Bertram is purely a PR exercise. It come a day after one of the firm’s own drivers called for UberPool service to be banned, after a young lady passengers was attacked by two male passengers who did not want to share their journey. 

Instead of quitting Twitter over a few tweets, perhaps Jo should consider quitting Uber over her companies woeful recorded on passenger sexual attacks.

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TAXI DRIVER HONOURED BY THE QUEEN AFTER 30 YEARS WORKING TO HELP UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN

A TAXI driver who has spent 30 years making a difference to the lives of underprivileged children “thought it was a joke” when he found out he was being honoured by the Queen.

Michael Son, 72, of Dulverton Avenue, Westcliff, has been selected to receive a British Empire Medal.

A committee member of The London Taxi Drivers Fund for Underprivileged Children, he has been working hard to help vulnerable children and those with special needs for many years.

Mr Son became a full time London cabbie in 1965.

In 1986 he became an active unpaid committee member of the fund, dreaming up innovative ways to raise the profile and gather much needed funds of the charity.

The fund has been in existence since 1928 and provides social activities, outings and funding for specific projects for physically or mentally disabled or socially deprived children in London.

Mr Son said: “I thought it was a joke at first. I’m absolutely chuffed, honoured. It was something I was totally unaware of and I am very grateful.

“It represents all the work everyone has done. I’m over the moon to be recognised and excited to receive it.

“We take underprivileged children to the seaside every year and try to give them a magical day out.

“A bit of my responsibility is to try and raise funds. We couldn’t do any of this without the support of our wives and partners and all the support from the taxi drivers.”

Mr Son was vice chair of the charity from 1998 to 2001, progressing to honourable executive chairman from 2001 to 2004.

During 2004 he became the special projects manager.

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Letters To Taxi Leaks From Paul Sweeney And PaddyWC1. Plus Doorman Abusing Taxi Driver.

From Paul Sweeney:

This was all over social media yesterday. 

A London cabbie innocently tooted the uber minicab at a junction. 

The minicab driver then proceeded to shower the cabby with abuse. He then used his car as a tool, to try and force the cabbie off the road. 

After dangerously overtaking the Taxi, he pulled up sharp and got out, with the intent to attack the taxi and driver. 

This type of scenario happens daily, all over London. 

So what are our orgs/unions doing to ensure we get the protection we deserve?

We as a trade have to watch our Orgs/Unions arguing amongst themselves point scoring, whilst our drivers are being attacked or threatened. 

For God sake, I'm fed up having to witness trade faces point scoring or anything to do with egos. 

How about you all start acting like Adults!

I know for a fact drivers are totally fed up watching you all tear strips of each other. How about you organise together and start dealing with these uber scum bags. 

TFL and Met Police are not protecting our people. Will someone do something. The poor cabbie who had to face this attack, was just doing his job.

Editorial Comment:

Things are changing fast. The iconic image of the London Taxi driver is losing its gloss. Attitudes towards us have changed dramatically in the last few years. People no longer want a safe, well executed journey home. They are willing to put safety to one side to save a few quid! 

Minicab drivers are becoming increasingly aggressive when we try moving them off our ranks. Doorman refuse to help keep ranks clear and in certain places, use our ranks as waiting areas for the cars that bung them for work. 

Call the police, forget it they don't want to know.

And as for compliance officers, they are only interested in harassing Taxi drivers for over ranking at stations while minicabs park wherever they like, openly touting.

This scene below would never have occurred 10 years ago. Doorman aggressively, protecting illegally parked/ranking minicabs.

  

From PaddyWC1:

People buy clothes made by children in primark etc so using the likes of Uber only mirrors that. Most people today I'm afraid have no social conscience or big picture mentality. They don't understand the dangers they are complicit in fuelling, until of course it boots down their door.

Just look at the Uber drivers as example, they sign up to be slaves, then start crying about how they are treated. They allow the government to use them as a tool to pull apart a 360 year old institution because of their laziness and dishonour. 

They like to be labelled victims when it suits them, thinking they have some legitimacy in their gripe. They dont just want jam on both sides but they want jam with everything.

The problem is they have created a rod for their own back, based on GREED from every angle.

We had to complete the knowledge to have the privilege to work the streets of London, its a contract and they have turned us over in a pernicious and devious way and we cant be having that.

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Uber driver calls for ban of "dangerous" Uber Pool after female passenger is assaulted by two other passengers

An Uber driver has called on the company to stop its "dangerous" UberPool car sharing service after he was forced to call police when a woman was attacked in his cab.

James Farrar, the co-founder of driver organisation United Private Hire Drivers, said the problem arose when he picked up two passengers in Cranley Gardens, Kensington, on Saturday evening, who were unaware they had ordered an UberPool service.

Mr Farrar said the two young men then set upon the female passenger who was already in the car.

He told the Standard: "When I got there these two guys were aggressive, they'd not realised they were in a shared service, the user interface is confusing.

"I took a decision for my safety and the safety of the other passenger that I would not carry them.

"There was an argument, they kicked her in the back and dragged her up against the wall.

"I tried my best to defend her and they set upon me as well.

"The police came, but the main attacker had left the scene. The other guy attempted to leave the scene in a cab but I stopped him."

Another motorist witnessed the incident, which happened at about 9pm, and said he saw the passenger turn on Mr Farrar.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Standard: "I was driving in my car from Gloucester Road towards Fulham Road and when I got to the bend I saw a guy standing in front of a car with his arms up.

"I saw a commotion going on in the road. It was a black guy, a young boy, I couldn't tell if he was punching him, he was wrestling him from behind and threw him on the bonnet.

"I asked what's happened, and he said 'he's just assaulted a girl in my car'.

"I pulled my car up and approached the guy. I asked what was going on and the guy said 'nothing, nothing' and stormed away, but the police caught up with him."

Mr Farrar is now calling on the company to stop the service, and for TfL to impose a ban.

"It absolutely should be stopped," he said. "In fact it should never have started.

"We told TfL this is a dangerous service, it's dangerous to drivers and it's dangerous to the public, especially late at night."

Mr Farrar has also criticised the company for asking its drivers to sign a letter to Val Shawcross, London's Deputy Mayor for Transport, asking her to review taxi regulations and to support Uber's ride sharing service UberPool.

In the letter drafted by Uber, the company claims that UberPool has saved 124 metric tonnes of CO2 due a million passengers choosing to share a mini cab in the past six months.  

However, UPHD believes the figures are misleading as UberPool is drawing passengers away from public transport.

Mr Farrar said: "Uber must stop using the name of drivers to peddle corporate white and green wash. Uber doesn't bother to give a full accounting of its carbon emissions to independent bodies like the Carbon Disclosure Project and is now blatantly spinning the data to create a misleading picture.

"However, if Uber wants to work with drivers to secure worker rights, a cap on TfL licensing of private hire vehicles and to end UberPool and similar ride sharing services, then our door is wide open."

An Uber spokesperson said: “Londoners have chosen to share their journeys by choosing UberPool more than a million times, so we were extremely concerned to hear about this incident. We have been in contact with both the driver and passengers concerned and will assist the police with any investigation.  

“We make very clear to passengers at the time of booking UberPool that they are opting to share their journey. It has proved to be a popular new choice for people in London as it allows them to save money, while also helping to cut emissions and congestion compared to taking the trip alone.

"Drivers can also make more money by having two fare-paying passengers in the car at the same time. 

“Last week Uber gave its partners the option to sign a letter to the new Deputy Mayor for Transport to ensure the voices of private hire drivers in London are heard.

"This was completely optional and almost 9,000 drivers chose to sign that letter which pointed out the vital role they play in keeping London moving - especially at times of day, and in parts of London, where public transport is limited or unavailable.”

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “I am extremely concerned to hear of this incident and have launched an urgent investigation.

"We will be speaking to the police and to Uber about this particular case and we will confirm that Uber are ensuring passengers are made adequately aware that they are ride sharing with strangers when they book UberPool.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers had attended but the situation had been resolved amicably and no arrests had been made.

Editorial Comment:

What, no statement from Leon Daniels?

This is serious stuff and the buck sits with Leon as TfL's managing Director of surface transport.

Does he still work for TfL?

Seems to have been a bit quiet lately!

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D-Day For The Taxi Trade. Trevor Merralls Speech, UCG AGM 6th June 2016.

   

The United Cabbies Group have smashed the cartel that has kept the Licensed Taxi trade divided for the past six years and kicked the engagement policy into touch.

Expect now to see the trade media brimming with headlines, exclaiming how 'they've ' done this and how 'they've' done that, complete with customary back slapping and finger pointing, as certain trade figures seek to jump on the bandwagon. 

The usual suspects, presently queuing up for photo opportunities, with smiles like Cheshire cats. It appears that soon as a GLA member or Deputy Mayor stands still, out comes a camera phone.

But now the exclusiveness of the 'United Trade Group' is now a thing of the past.

The UTG orgs agreed to and backed up the policy which saw other trade groups excluded, to the detriment of the trade. If you ignore mistakes of the past, you are at risk of repeating them. 

Two of the three constituent orgs, making up the UTG, accepted terms and conditions of entry, that they themselves didn't meet. Plus we had eight wasted years of the LTDA's General Secretary on the board of TfL. 

'United Trade Group', a cruel joke, or just the worst description ever!

Far from Uniting, the engagement policy kept the trade divided. 

Un-minuted meetings where time after time, our so called representatives continually rolled over to TfL's proposals.

Uprising!

Years of weak representation gave rise to new, more militant groups. Drivers took it upon themselves to take on campaigns, the UTG had long since given up on. 

We've seen the rise of the RMT, UCG, the Mayfair Mob, the Shoreditch Mob, Dads Defending Daughters, plus the 'SaveTaxi' Facebook group (14,500 members).

A victory for common sense.

With the UCG's major victory, the capitulates have had their power base stripped away. 

At last, the engagement policy is dead.

 

For the first time in 6 long years, we see every representative group included in the mayors new open door policy. No more elitism, no more exclusions.

Now the fun begins as the dirty tricks brigades from the discredited groups, open fake Twitter and Facebook accounts. These keyboard warriors, will troll through social media platforms, trying to discredit anyone and everything that's positive. Using anonymity, their vile attacks will be aimed at keeping the trade fragmented, playing right back into the hands of those who would scheme to destroy us. 

I read this today on a Facebook debating group:

'It's not only TfL that needs a clear out, our org's and unions could do with one also'.

Sometimes the solutions are so simple, we overlook them.

Trevor Merralls talking about Uber Bristol at the UCG AGM 6th June 2016, another not to be missed video.

   

Videos from Support Black Taxis YouTube channel.

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