If C4 are looking for innocent victims, here's a few: .....by Veritas

• The British taxpayer for subsidising this company with tax credits and housing benefits.

• The British taxpayer for not receiving what's due from Uber's tax machinations.

• The other drivers who have suffered the RTA's brought about by massive overwork, poor driving standards, no knowledge of a complex and dynamic city.

• The victims of the predators, the shattered families, the blighted lives.

Still it's all about technology and we are all Luddites said Boris

No we are not, we are decent, honest hard working people who deserve better, just like every other victim.

TfL do you job and hound this anti social mob from our shores.

These are your rules....not ours. 

Why are you not enforcing them ?

 

  

 

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Channel 4 News Special : Uber, the real lives of its drivers...

Just incase you missed it last night, Channel 4's Ciaran Jenkins investigates the real lives of Uber drivers....."I don't see my wife, I don't see my kids, no holidays, no security, less than the minimum wage, assaults by drunken passengers" but they still do it. 

Funny though, not one word about the the Tax Credits, Housing and other benefits !

...

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Camden Council Announce New Set Down Area At St Pancras.

In September and December 2015, in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) Camden Council trialled an airport style drop-off system outside St Pancras International Station. The trial saw the drop-off and pick-up bays segregated from the carriageway with cones, so vehicles would need to enter the area and keep moving rather than wait or double-park.

The idea was that this would encourage self-policing amongst motorists. Signs were erected to notify motorists of where to go and our enforcement team, along with officers from TfL and British Transport Police, were on hand to support the trial.

Following a period of consultation, we have  revisited the design of the original system. The two bays between the entrance to the station and Euston Road will be removed and replaced with double yellow lines and double kerb “blips”. These markings indicate that no waiting or loading is permitted at any time.

Vehicles that are stopped for no longer than necessary to allow passengers (and their luggage) to alight will be exempt from the restrictions. However, vehicles will not be permitted to wait or stay at the location for passengers to arrive or any other purposes.

Drivers who may need additional time to drop-off or pick-up passengers are advised to use the bays north of the entrance to the station, which will retain their current time limit, or the NCP car park.

Why are you making changes?

We believes the new restrictions will lead to the following benefits:

Reduction in congestion caused by vehicles waiting longer than two minutes

Reduction in vehicles double parking

Increased safety for pedestrians by increasing visibility of the road that had been reduced by parked vehicles

Increased safety for cyclists who will no longer be forced into the path of on-coming traffic

When will this happen?

It is expected that the work will be carried out during the week commencing 22nd August 2016, weather permitting. Works will be carried out at night and will involve the removal of white bay markings and laying down yellow markings in their place.

There is likely to be a short “settling in” period of a few days during which TfL and our enforcement officers will be present to advise drivers. Following this, Penalty Charge Notices may be issued to vehicles breaching the restrictions from 29th August 2016.

The scheme will be monitored and additional signage will be installed if necessary.

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MAYFAIR MOB (MM) RANKS UPDATE : Taking The Work Back

Firstly the MM would like to thank TFL Ranks & Highways for their hard work and support over the last 18 months.

BEDUIN

Islington Council are raising an experimental traffic order after agreeing to rank time changes. The new rank plate should be in place soon. The MM would like to thank Smithfield Tennants' Association for their help in getting the consultation over the line. 

SUSHI SAMBA

TFL are currently trialling a rank here on Friday and Saturday nights supported by trade marshals. Although this needs a permanent rank for every night, this is a step in the right direction. The MM have submitted plans to TFL for a permanent rank and also have other options if this plan is rejected.

SKY GARDEN

Plans have been submitted to TFL to move 2 rank spaces from the top of Philpot Lane to outside Sky Garden at the bottom.

KANALOA

Plans have been submitted to TFL for a 2 space taxi rank outside this venue.

SEXY FISH

Plans have been submitted to TFL for a rank on Berkeley Square just up from the entrance. The MM understands that the LCRC have also requested a rank here in Bruton Lane. We feel that our plan would serve this venue better and produce more work but will support any rank gained at this venue by the trade. 

SIX STOREYS

We have submitted rank plans to TFL for a rank at this venue. The venue is due to open this Autumn in Soho Square. We have also entered into dialogue with the owners of this venue. 

HEAVEN

Plans have been submitted to TFL for a 3 space rank in Villiers Street. 

ARTS CLUB

DOVER ST

We have requested a two space rank outside the Arts Club.

This will provide the club with a service as the new Novikov extension is expected to require existing rank space. 

We are in contact with various councils pushing for the appointment of new ranks, and the upkeep of existing ranks

 

We are also working on other projects which will benefit the trade immensely once completed. We will update the trade when we are able to.

We are working with the UCG and RMT on various ranks and highways projects and hope to achieve more positive results for the trade through this collaboration.

We would like to thank all drivers that are currently working the ranks. TFL's biggest hurdle is taxis parked on working ranks as councils will reject rank requests whilst this is happening. Please use common sense if you need to leave a cab on a working rank in case of emergencies by not leaving it on point.

Please follow @givethem10 for the latest ranks info and please

GIVE EM 10. USE EM OR LOSE EM 

Be lucky drivers

Editorial Comment: 

Well done to the Mayfair Mob where land yard colour counts for nothing.

This amazing work load has been carried out voluntarily, by a group that is currently excluded from the official Joint Trade Rank's Committee. 

Didn't I read somewhere that Val Shawcross has thrown out the engagement policy?

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Geely In Partnership With Uber, To Make Taxi Drivers Obsolete.

Geely owned, Volvo Car Corp. and ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. have signed a $300 million agreement to co-develop autonomous sport-utility vehicles that will either be used as self-driving taxis or sold to consumers.

The two companies will announce the joint project Thursday, saying the Swedish auto maker will conduct much of the initial engineering on a platform for an XC90 SUV that is capable of piloting itself. At some point, Uber will take that technology and use it as the foundation to develop its own self-driving vehicle technology. Volvo will do the same.

Under the agreement, Uber will buy XC90 SUVs manufactured by Volvo. Volvo is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and has been among the more aggressive players in the established auto industry when it comes to developing and advocating for autonomous vehicles.

Uber, known for its ride-hailing service, has been developing autonomous vehicles and envisions a day when those cars could replace its tens of thousands of contract drivers. It recruited a team of researchers and scientists from Carnegie Mellon University, hired the hackers who wirelessly took control of a Jeep in 2015, and earlier this year hired Ford’s Sherif Marakby to head its global vehicle programs.

Uber and Volvo will work together on dynamic mapping, object identification and other hurdles that face many companies working on driverless cars.

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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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