All Rise.....But Will Our Orgs Rise To The Challenge?

So here we have it Uber is seeking judicial review over improvements to the PH regulations.

All others in the PH world are in favour.

It's entirely reasonable that PH drivers have an appropriate decent level of English as they have to deal face to face with others, many of whom won't have English as a native tongue.

The same applies to having the phones (yep telephones Uber) staffed by London based staff with knowledge of the topography. 

As for insurance, it's a no brainer, how can you licence a PH vehicle for a year yet not have the appropriate insurance in place for the period? 

If people want to have SDP insurance then they have to surrender the PH vehicle licence and pay the CC, you can't have it both ways.

We already have cars being driven by one licensed and two unlicensed drivers, people falling asleep at the wheel, daily RTA's, multi devices on windscreen, rampant touting, virtual PFH the list goes on and on and it's getting worse.

It's certainly interesting and we wonder if any e mails and content of telephone calls from officers in TfL or indeed between the UTG and TfL will come to light?

What's clear is that despite the smooth PR exterior behind that is a company that can't abide any proper standards for passengers or drivers as the cost base rises to the true cost of provision and that will derail the sweatshop.

I won't make predictions on the outcome, but we should certainly now be using the famously trumpeted one million pound fighting fund informing the public of the FACTS.

All the unions and orgs need to get together and issue a joint statement on this in order to counter the propaganda and this time without seeking individual acclaim.

Will we rise to the challenge?

No further questions M'Lud.

I'm Spartacus

  

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No, No, No....We Cant Stand For This.....Where Is The Representation We Pay For

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It's The Big One....Uber To Take TfL To Court Over New Regulations

Uber has launched legal action against London’s transport regulator over new rules that threaten to limit its business in the capital.

The billion-dollar startup is seeking a judicial review to halt the introduction of new rules it claims are too strict.

Transport for London set out new regulations earlier this year after a wide-ranging consultation of the taxi and minicab industry following a long-standing feud between Uber and London’s black cab drivers.

The initial regulation was previously welcomed by Uber, but in recent months the details of the rules have become too onerous, Uber claims.

Now, Uber is pursuing legal action over the matter, filing official papers with the courts this week after sending a so-called letter before action to TfL.

TfL said it would defend the legality of the new regulations.

“We responded to Uber’s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations,”  said TfL's spokesperson.

“These have been introduced to enhance public safety when using private hire services and we are determined to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market with space for all providers to flourish.”

Uber is challenging four of the new rules; requiring written English tests for drivers, having to locate its customer service call centre in London, requiring insurance that covers drivers when they are not working and having to alert TfL of changes to its business model or app.

It last week rallied customers to contact the mayor of London urging him to review the regulation while business leaders and entrepreneurs have also written to Sadiq Khan asking him to rethink the rules, raising concerns that the red tape could stifle innovation and London’s digital economy in the wake of Brexit.

It comes as the mayor promised to make new plans for the future of the taxi and minicab industry in the capital.

A spokesperson for the mayor said: “Sadiq has asked his team to produce a comprehensive new strategy that will herald in a new era for the capital’s taxi and private hire trades.

“Further details will be released later this year of a plan that will deliver radical improvements for customers, a boost to safety, support for the taxi trade and further improve the quality of service offered by the private hire trade. There will also be a concerted effort to make London’s taxi fleet the greenest in the world.”

City Hall would not be drawn on whether this would include reviewing the new regulations, agreed under former mayor Boris Johnson.

Tom Elvidge, general manager at Uber London, said: “This legal action is very much a last resort. We’re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process withTransport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.”

General secretary of the London Taxi Drivers Association Steve McNamara on Monday said he was confident Khan would do “what’s right for London”.

Other minicab firms in the capital have backed the new regulation, however.

Addison Lee chief executive Andy Boland said: “Having previously backed the proposals it’s hard to understand Uber’s resistance to implementation of these new regulations. The whole industry was fully involved in the consultation and there is a strong belief that they will benefit both passengers and drivers.”

Gett managing director for Europe Remo Gerber called Uber’s U-turn on the regulations “baffling”.

“Frankly we’re surprised we’re wasting time on this. We should be focusing on the post Brexit needs of London, not minor operational details,” he said.

Editorial Comment :

It appears that Uber are against their drivers being properly insured to carry fare paying passengers, one would assume that they would welcome the regulation on compulsory Hire & Reward insurance but as we already know they continually push the boundaries.

TFL took over the responsibility for licensing London’s taxis and Private Hire vehicles from the Public Carriage, the PCo were originally set up to protect the travelling public, TFL took on this role and should have ensured that Private Hire vehicles required Hire and Reward Insurance at the time of licensing, but this has never been a requirement by TFL.

TFL have failed the travelling public of London miserably by giving them the impression that Private Hire vehicles are safe and fully insured, this gives the fare paying passenger the false impression that they are safe and fully insured in the case of an accident.

Would Uber’s passengers not benefit from the drivers being able to converse with them in a competent manner also, apparently not according to Uber.

Now lets not beat around the bush, we all know why Uber have suddenly taken umbrage to these new regulations and that is they will no longer be able to charge ridiculously low rates as their drivers would not be able to afford to carry on working on their platform whilst paying for Hire & Reward insurance. They would also lose a large source of new drivers for the transient population of drivers.

There is of course another problem with Uber, they openly state that they do not accept pre bookings and that they are an “on Demand service” which is outside of the scope of their private hire operators license.

TFL need to win this challenge otherwise London will erupt into utter anarchy with private hire drivers running around uninsured and unlicensed totally unabated.

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London's Chaos Theory. Could They Really Get It This Wrong By Accident?... By Jim Thomas.

I totally believe, there is an underlying agenda to get rid of the London Taxi trade, going far beyond the woeful inadequacy of TfL. 

It's widely believed that most of Inner London's borough councils are party to the conspiracy against us. You only have to look at the way we've been treated by Westminster, Camden and Islington.

No planning committee from any of the councils, could have bought this amount of congestive chaos to our streets by accident???

The magnitude of this incompetence, surely must have been managed!

After witnessing the gridlocking of streets surrounding the Cycle Super Highway's segregated cycle lanes, they are now actually set to expand the nightmare right across the board, with Cycle Super Highway 2. 

This manmade mayhem, is to be followed by the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, which is likely to include a total ban on all motor vehicles (except buses and cycles) in Tottenham Court Road and part of Baker Street.

Just where are they expecting the traffic to go?

Pollution levels at present far exceeding European legal limits, allegedly causing an extra 20,000 preventable deaths per annum.

And it's all about to get much worse.

Taxi drivers are gifted with a six sense in regard to traffic flow. We have the ability to look at preposed schemes and evaluate the likelihood of its success. 

Yet neither TfL or local council planners, have ever tried to seek advice from the trade. Instead they pin all their hopes on graduates, many of whom live outside London, using computer modelling. 

The evidence that much of this chaos is part of an agenda relates to the fact, they generally take no notice of consultation results. 

London has now been turned into the world's biggest building site. Virtually every street in central London has road works of one form or another....

Who's computer predicted, central paving along most of the length of Oxford Street East, would improve traffic flow?

Who's computer predicted, narrowing the entrance to Regent Street from Piccadilly Circus would improve the chaos around Eros? 

Its total Lunacy

A ten year old child could have predicted problems from narrowing major roads, yet their computer model missed it ???

SO WHATS BEHIND THE CHAOS AND MAYHEM?

We saw it first at the London Olympics in 2012. TfL failed to provide ranks at the Olympic park and spectators were directed by an army of stewards from the stadium to expanded bus assembly points, and straight onto the tube. Olympic Tickets came with 24hr travel passes (the same at Lords and Excel). Taxi ranks were moved and hidden in side streets well away from the exits, while spectators were shepherded onto public transport.

We saw similar efforts made at Twickenham were spectators were directed to waiting buses while Taxis were excluded from streets around the stadium.

We've also seen our work touted by rail staff, airside, at Heathrow using lies about Taxi fares to attract more customers onto the Heathrow Express.

 

The same thing has just happened at Edgbaston, where Taxi ranks were replaced by a £5 a head bus service straight to New Street Station. With the bus company using the Taxi rank as a bus stop.

We will soon see a revolution in shopping trips to London with the forthcoming CrossRail service which they allege will bring so many people to Oxford Street, it will be the busiest shopping area in the world. 

Is this why we are being excluded from major roads in these areas ? 

• Oxford Street

• Tottenham Court Road 

• Baker Street

If Taxis can't get to the shops, people are not going to use us, they will take the tube!

Our night work could drastically reduce, when weekend night tube opens. 

Where is the new network of Taxi ranks outside night tube stations?

Visit the suburban stations and see the new PH booking offices, many inside the station forecourts!

TfL and Network Rail (oh look at who their new chairman is) have been getting away with touting our work for many years, facilitated by piss poor weak trade representative orgs and Unions, who prefer to fight amongst themselves rather than concentrating on who the true enemies are. 

TfL's compliance officers currently harass Taxi drivers at mainline ranks while turning a blind eye to touting from PHVs.

Why is it we don't see TfL COs, regularly checking the booking details of PHVs at stations, why do they only concentrate of Taxis ?

Compliance teams turn up frequently at pop up Taxi ranks, yet when did we ever see them at the entrance to the restaurant inside the BBC car park on Wood Lane, or the side entrance to Westfield, or what about the pop up PH ranks at the Brewery and Honouree Artillery company when there's functions on? 

It just doesn't happen.

Recently, we found a certain PH company (RD2.com) had been given special dispensation from TfL and the Corporation of the City of London to form an illegal Taxi rank on red rout double red lines, to be available for immediate hire at a function on Lower Thames Street, outside Old Billingsgate. 

The United Trade Group engagement policy which held us back for four years, was always going to be scrapped after Boris exited stage right, as the new mayoral administration looked for a way to quell the unaffiliated demonstrators, but the UTG are still there and still excluding other orgs at compliance and rank committee meetings.

Their excuse is "you have to be invited by TfL"...

I beg to differ on this as the Joint Taxi Ranks Committee is a self appointed group who sometimes invite TfL to their meetings and not the other way round.

It needs to be sort it out and soon. We have to make sure every group have representatives invited.

We have for months seen a trend for disgruntled drivers to break away from the traditional subscription based representation. New driver groups such as the Mayfair Mob, Dads Defending Daughters and Action4Cabbies have appeared and in the case of the Mayfair Mob, are beginning to achieve impressive results. 

Trade representation has always mirrored football supporters mentality. Loyalty to a certain colour of lanyard has definitely held back progress and helped to keep the trade divided. 

But drivers are now starting to question their own orgs apparent lack of results.

Now the engagement policy is gone, everyone is playing in the big league. Perhaps it's time to take a leaf out of the beautiful game and have talent scouts look for the best people from all the teams, and bring them together in a united squad.

"Taxi United" supported across the board by every driver. 

Sounds better than a fragmented disenchanted trade.

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Suspicious Minds.......TaxiApp, Introducing The A Team.

Since word of Taxiapp came out, some doomers & gloomers can't quite believe a band of committed Taxi drivers can possess the knowhow to achieve such a seemingly unreachable goal. Some have said, "we'll come aboard if it takes off". 

If Taxiapp is to succeed it'll need 'brave hearts' and their support from day one!

Cynicism's like folding your arms, stepping back and commenting on affairs like the two old boys on the Muppets. Just throwing out adverse and derisive comments  Whereas others really try to effect and improve the lives of those around them, Which's correct and noble.  

At Taxiapp we, with  hundreds of drivers who've so far signed up believe  a credible challenge can be mounted against the corporate 'Goliaths' who await with anticipation the demise of the 'Street Hail' so they can pick our pockets!!!!

As our trade sips in the Last Chance Saloon, we may never again have the opportunity to influence events. We'll be hostages to fortune, with the usual suspects making 'fortunes' out of us!!!!

Fellow Cabmen and Women.

YOUR TRADE NEEDS YOU!

      Introducing the team:

  Ladies first, Mirna, flanked by Sean, Phil and Scot.

This pic was taken Friday 12th August, after an extremely productive meeting with TfL TPH. They're considered to be Taxiapps A Team and represented us and the trade admirably.

We wandered beforehand if TfL would be authoritative, obstructive, disparaging,  even censure or condemn our aspirations. They were anything but!...During the meet they enthused over the concept of Taxiapp at one point describing it as 'unique'! 

They are prepared to give us as much assistance as they're allowed. 

Taxiapp feel the TfL representitives found it refreshing to be eyeballing working cab drivers, who know how things are and what they're talking about, rather then corporate executives types chasing pound notes, feigning flattery for the cab trade.

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Taxi drivers launch $215 million lawsuit against City of Ottawa weeks before Uber becomes legal

Cabbies worried about the dwindling value of their plates are suing the City of Ottawa for $215 million, weeks before Uber becomes legal.

Members of Ottawa’s beleaguered taxi industry filed the class action lawsuit Friday, accusing the city of failing to properly enforce its own taxi bylaw after the ride-hailing company arrived here nearly two years ago.

The plaintiff is Metro Taxi Ltd., which carries on business as Capital Taxi, and holds a licence to operate and dispatch taxicabs. It is also a broker. Company co-owner Marc Andre Way is also named as a plaintiff. Way is the largest single plate holder in the city. As of 2015, he and his family owned 87 plates.

Thomas Conway, Way’s lawyer, said Friday the lawsuit was filed on behalf of about 755 plate owners, brokers or both

Way himself could not be reached for comment. In an opinion piece published last March, Way wrote about the city’s obligation of “fairness to drivers.”

“The goal is to keep supply and demand (of licences) in balance so that drivers can afford to stay in business,” Way wrote.

In a press release sent Friday afternoon, Ottawa city clerk and solicitor Rick O’Connor said the lawsuit would be “vigorously defended.” He also said no other public comments would be made as the matter is now before the courts.

The statement of claim, which has not been tested in court, says the city owed a duty of care to the taxi industry, which required the city to take “reasonable steps” to maintain the integrity of the regulatory scheme.

It claims the city created a scheme for taxi services that, in order to function effectively, required investment from plate holders

The scheme created and maintained the market value of the plates and, the statement of claim says, the city “actively and deliberately encouraged the growth in the market value” by permitting the sale of plates and capping the number issued.

The city directly benefitted from the market value of the plates, including through fees levied on the transfer of plates, the lawsuit says.

Yet when Uber came to town, “the City breached its standard of care by taking no steps to enforce the regulatory scheme against Uber and taking vastly inadequate steps to enforce the regulatory scheme against Uber’s drivers,” the statement of claim says.

It goes on to state that the failure of the city to enforce its own rules was an operational decision not based on economic, social or political factors, and did not result from a policy decision of the City made “in good faith.”

“The City’s refusal to enforce the regulatory scheme is not defensible, justifiable, or intelligible. The City’s refusal conferred an obvious advantage on Uber and its drivers,” the statement of claim says.

Cabbies from Toronto, take their anti-Uber protest to Parliament Hill. Until now they have targeted most of their Uber-related protests at City Hall, since the municipality is the regulator for taxis.

The lawsuit says amendments contained in the city’s updated taxi bylaw are unlawful and unreasonable because they didn’t provide plate owners with reasonable notice of the changes to the regulatory scheme, which the plaintiffs claim is inconsistent with previous changes to the rules.

The claim seeks a court order declaring that the city’s updated taxi bylaw, passed in April, is beyond its power and legal authority.

The bylaw created a new class of licence called private transportation company, which will essentially allow Uber to operate legally in Ottawa as of Sept. 30.

The plate holders are also seeking an order of restitution for fees collected under the taxi bylaw.

According to the statement of claim, Uber drivers operated taxis within the meaning of the city’s bylaw, while the company acted as broker, but neither obtained the necessary licences to do so.

The claim says class members asked the city to take “reasonable steps” to enforce its regulatory scheme, and notes the city prosecuted a “limited number of Uber’s drivers.”

“The City did not take any steps to enforce the regulatory scheme against Uber,” the lawsuit says. “Uber continued to operate its services in the City of Ottawa. The City knew that Uber would continue operating its services unless the City took steps to enforce the regulatory scheme against Uber or took meaningful and reasonable steps to enforce the regulatory scheme against Uber’s drivers.”

The lawsuit also claims the city’s updated taxi bylaw provides a number of advantages to Uber and its drivers not available to class members, including lower fees, the purchase or lease of plate and the installation of in-vehicle cameras.

KPMG, which was hired to review the city’s taxi bylaw last year, predicted plate owners would seek damages from the city if council established a new category for alternative services, like Uber. That prompted the city to get an opinion from its own legal consultants, but the 30-page review is confidential.

However, the city made one excerpt from the legal opinion public.

In the lawyers’ opinion, “The city would likely not be held liable for the economic losses suffered by existing holders of regulated taxicab plates and plate holder licenses should the value of those plates decline as a consequence of regulatory changes approved by city council and adopted through a bylaw which would affect the taxicab industry by, among others, relaxing the controlled entry into the vehicle-for-hire business in Ottawa.”

The city’s legal department also concluded the city is under no obligation to provide financial compensation for any loss in plate value

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Uber Are Scrapping Yellow Cab Option From Their App.

The last bit of cooperation between Uber and yellow cabs is going out the window.

The car-service giant is killing off the UberT option in three weeks — and as a further slap to the yellow hacks, it will soon be relaunched as a green-cab-only option in the outer boroughs, The Post has learned.

UberT saw a 40 percent decrease in ridership in the last two months.

The option was convenient for people who wanted to take a yellow cab but didn’t want to have to hail it from the street. It was particularly popular in lousy weather.

But it was unpopular with riders because of a $2 surcharge. Riders also didn’t like having to reach into their wallets to pay for the trip, rather than have a card on file that gets charged automatically through the app.

When UberT ends on Sept. 1, UberX will start offering green cabs in all boroughs without a fee.

Riders will also be able to charge their fares directly to their Uber accounts, as with UberX.

“Bringing green cabs onto the more popular UberX platform will be a boon for the struggling green-cab industry,” said an Uber spokesman.

“This change will help support the green-cab program, which provides reliable rides in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan — areas that yellow cabs tend to neglect,” the spokesman added.

The Post has previously reported that sales of green-taxi permits have been sluggish, partly due to competition from app-based services like Uber and Lyft.

In 2015, green cabs did 52,000 trips per day compared to yellow cabs’ 400,000 trips, said Uber.

The outer-borough taxis mostly serve Brooklyn, which takes up 38 percent of the trips, then upper Manhattan and Queens with 28 percent of trips each and then The Bronx with 6 percent.

Green cabs also will take over UberWAV, the handicap-accessible option on the app. Accessible vehicles are currently available only through UberT.

The app also will be launching a pilot program for accessible cars in all five boroughs. Riders can order those cars via UberX.

“They’ve treated all drivers as if they’re disposable,” complained Bhairavi Desai of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, predicting that the $2 surcharge would doom the plan to failure.

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