Uber Driver Who Assaulted Taxi Driver, One Year suspended sentence, Fined £880, Ordered To Do 150 Unpaid Hours....Report from Marc Turner.

Yesterday (August 25th) at Highbury Magistrates Court, Uber driver Mohammed Dalim was found guilty by District Judge Nicholas Rimmer of One count of assault by beating.

Dalim was fined £680 Court costs and £200 compensation to Jon Cox, the Taxi driver Dalim punched in the back of the head at Kings Cross on 23rd March, this year. Dalim was given a one year suspended sentence and also ordered to serve 150 unpaid hours of work by 27 August 2017.

The hearing lasted approx two hours. 

Judge Rimmer deliberated for approx thirty minutes.

It was an intriguing case. At one point the Judge asked the temperature be lowered when Jon Cox locked horns with defending lawyer Joseph Lawrence. 

Star of the  proceedings was witness for the prosecution cabbie Lee Barron. Lee not only witnessed the accident, but intervened by braking up the fracas. 

Lee's performance was spellbinding. 

He made the defence lawyer look like an amatuer. Even the Judge looked impressed, and in his summing up spoke of how credible the prosecution witness was. 

Another nail in Dalim's coffin was a statement read out by the arresting officer PC Francis, who described the altercation as "one taxi driver punched another" (which just goes to show, even the police can't distinguish between Taxi & PH).

 Interestingly in Dalim's statement to Police on being read his car registration, he replied "I 'think' that's correct".

 Finally Mohammed Dalim, took to the stand. Previously a bus driver of twelve years, he explained he'd been with Uber for just over a year. But, in giving his side of events, he seemed to suffer persistent 'amnesia'. 

Prosecuting lawyer Lorna Ewen made short shrift of him.

Judge Rimmer described his testimony as 'vague'. 

Dalim's evidence appeared to revolve around a conspiracy theory, explaining "Everybody knows there's a war between Black Cabs & Uber, and I am a victim of this".

His delusion went as far as believing that Mr Barron and Mr Cox had coluded to set him up. 

No doubt he thought the police were in on it as well!! 

John Cox, Marc Turner and Sean Paul Day, outside the court

On a lighter note, the Clerk of the Court approached the press section of the gallery and exclaimed "I've never seen so many members of the press, why so much interest in my court"?...There was Steve (LTDA), Gregg (The Sun), Marc Turner (Call Sign) and the irrepressible Sean Paul Day from London Taxi Radio. 

Marc Turner replied "This case has great significance and interest in the Taxi and Private Hire trades. 

The lady clerk questioned "Why"?.. Marc explained in hushed tones "Because the defendant's an 'Uber' driver". She came back with "Who's Uber"?.....To which Marc Turner declared his undying 'love' for her!!!! To laughs all round.

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Credit Card Mandate...And The Curious Case Of The MetroCab....Letter To Taxi Leaks.

I have to agree with Alan Fleming comment on the previous post, relating to tfl and the safety of cab drivers, but then did they ever have a clue on that matter alone? 

No of course not, just turn up at the office, draw their huge over costed salaries and whilst they sip their lattes cab drivers have stress coming though their veins at heart busting amounts...cycle lanes balls ups...Uber balls ups... no choice of cabs to replace the ones they currently drive (due to emissions, over complication on long term business prediction evaporations) and now this credit card school boy sticky tape ideology dream... completely pathetic.

Leon Daniels should be fired immediately and his pension should be given to the homeless. In my humble opinion, he  would never himself sign the type of deal he expects us to work by.

Example:
If you signed a contract with any supplier of goods, eg....Virgin Media (I know them well), you will be given a statement of contract such as, Length of term, cost of service (per month in this case) and very importantly, penalties for breaches by either side.... which basically means if you do not fulfill your side of the contract you will legally be in breach of contract with financial penalties forthcoming, and likewise if the supplier changes inherent details such as costs to supply, you will have automatic rights of cancellation without financial penalty. 

That is the basis of a two party contract.

TFL however fits into an intimidatory role within a two party contract with the term "Mandatory" which rewrites the initial contract in the suppliers favour simply because you must have this to operate your business of employment.

Take the current situation with the MetroCab. 

If you sign a three year contract (which seems to be the 'approved' non choice by Taxi world) and if after 6 months into your three year contract they decide to charge a monthly fee of £10, wouldn't that material change invalidate any signed contract signed 6 months earlier (like any UK supplier?). 

The simple answer is no... as currently, there is no other package out there approved by TFL.

If you did decide that they were taking the pee and bailed out of your contract, as you would have every right to do, TFL will be waiting to invalidate your licence for non compliance and as I've said this before, a complete act of contractual duress... as you have no other choices available as a Metrocab owner.

Where are all these so called legal representatives, many Licensed Cab drivers have paid for years to represent them?

Why is the whole credit card mandate so irreversibly flawed with such juvenile ineptitude?

Can this be the same legal set up due to be challenged by Uber later in court? ...my god help us!

Someone out there, Legal, union, TFL, anyone. 

How on earth has this issue spiralled out of all proportions to the stage we are now at when hundreds or maybe thousands of cabs will never be fitted with card processing equipment approved by an authority (TFL) unless they understand that in a two way contract, ...a supplier has to attract a willing customer, and a taxi user must have a willing participant of trade i.e. a card processing facility. Whatever pressures TFL apply, a whole litany of broken card machine excuses will hit our customers and damage the facility of choice and damage our user accessibility. This will clearly not do our trade any good.

So remove the red tape bureaucracy and help taxi drivers to be happy to take card payments without TfL's unwelcome meddling.

My advice is, don't sign any contract...unless you can leave without penalty if the supplier changes any of the financial detailing to suit themselves.

Be Lucky

greenbadgejohn (on twitter)
Always on the side of the cab driver

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Tomorrow, Friend Of The London Taxi Trade, Frances Wyhowska Skydives To Raise Funds For Normandy Trip

Tomorrow, friend of the London Taxi Trade, Frances Wyhowska will be doing a skydive of 12000 feet, with the Red Devils, in aid of the The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled, to raise funds for next year's trip to Normandy 

If you would like to sponsor Frances, this is the link. 

http://ift.tt/2aqhXBa

Please use the  hastag #Frances

Any help, no mater how small, will be gratefully received

Another committee member, Graham Pike and two veterans are also jumping

Two WWII veterans, Ted Pieri (90) and Fred Glover (92) are undertaking a tandem skydive with the Red Devils on Thursday 25 August 2016 to raise funds for next year’s Taxi Charity D-Day trip to Normandy. 

Ted and Fred will be joined by Taxi Charity committee members Frances Wyhowska and Graham Pike.

Ted, who lives in Erith, Kent, joined the 1st Airborne division in 1943. He did his first parachute jump in 70 years in 2015, and enjoyed the experience so much that he’s willing to jump again to raise money for the charity.

Fred Glover was a member of 6th Airborne ‘A Company’ who were tasked with landing within the infamous Merville Gun Battery in 1944. This will be Fred’s first parachute jump since his time in Normandy.

Please watch this short video where London Taxi Driver Allan "Ossie" Osbourne,  talks about why he loves taking the veterans on these trips..

   

> Please Click On This Link To Donate <

The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled

>See more on YouTube<

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PayPal's Neat Solution To The Credit Card Mandate : Unit Fitted In TX4... By Jim Thomas.

Last night at the KXTC Camley Street, Mike Smith showed me his newly fitted rear compartment PayPal cradle. Apparently once you have the contactless unit, the total cost of cradle, printer and all the fittings is around £219 plus VAT. 

The unit was fitted at MAM electrical, unit 9 Mitre Way W8 (opposite ComCab's office), where he was charged £84 inclusive of VAT. Mike said he was really impressed at the standard of workmanship and how helpful this company was. 

Best attribute of this fitment is that you can take the unit out at night to discourage theft. But also you can use the unit  should you wish, with any of the other CC clearance companies who use this model. As you don't have to sign a contract you can just use the system that suits you the best. PayPal, iZettle and CabApp currently have the lowest transaction charges around 2.75%.

Another bonus with this system is the rear view is not impaired in any way, unlike the larger CC machines that block the view between the rear headrests. 

Mike has accounts and units with both PayPal and iZettle, so if there's a problem with one, he can just replace it with the other. Unfortunately this setup has not been approved in either MetroCab or Vito Taxis. Another woeful mess from TfLTPH. 

Under 5 weeks to go to the deadline and they the whole CC situation is in still in chaos. 

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Who Said Demos Don't Work? : St Pancras, Finally Gets Double Yellow Lines, Double Kerb Chevrons.

Last night, under cover of darkness, Camden Council's roads and highways department painted the new double yellow lines including double chevrons on the kerbside at the St Pancras Station drop off. 

The council team turned up complete with warden, moved off all the illegally plying for hire minicabs and painted the promised double yellow lines. Amazingly, some minicabs were reluctant to move, some vehicles were parked with no driver present and so a removal truck was called for. 

After the job was successfully carried out, many minicabs were returning, so the truck stayed behind. Car drivers were informed if they didn't move off, they would be lifted and taken away by Camden Council. 

This new trial has come after months of serious negotiation on behalf of the trade, by the Mayfair Mob's ranks and highways team. St Pancras drop off was bought to the notice of the council after a 5 day demo was called by Dads Defending Daughters and the Mayfair Mob, heavily supported by the RMT and the drivers from all orgs who turned up en masse for the five days to support the action.

  

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Police and TfL, Still Ignoring Assaults On Female By PHV Drivers In Harlington.

Dear Taxi Leaks 

Thank you for your comments supporting residents, and women in particular, who have to put up with this behaviour on a daily basis. 

I'm the woman who made the film and I'm pleased that so many people shared the video. After a few days, we hit 4,000 views. 

I received a call from the local police who arranged for me to visit this no-go area with a female PC to presumably show it was safe. 

In fact she was treated with total disrespect and the drivers laughed at her and she had to admit, as other officers have done, that it isn't safe for a woman to visit alone. 

After intimidation by the drivers and complaints that they were on YouTube, the PC advised them that they could complain and have the film removed because it identified them (a bit tricky to assault a woman filming you and not reveal your identity). 

  Aggressive Uber driver from the original footage.

As a result, Youtube took the film down but by then it had received around 7000 views and I have lots of requests to find a way to edit and repost. 

As far as I'm aware the police have taken no action against the men - although the local Inspector assured me he would do something before he moves on, having been promoted! 

I'm not holding my breath. Our GLA members (Whittle and Kurten) have raised our PHV issues with the London Mayor and lots of emails (& Twitter etc) have been copied to TfL. 

Hillingdon Council is currently running a consultation to give it more powers to tackle PHV abuse of our public parks (closes 23rd August). 

So thank you everyone, your support is important. While PHV drivers act like scumbags and their colleagues stand back and do nothing to clean up their act, I will keep plugging away. Thanks again. 

Editorial Comment :

Incase you missed the original article > Click Here<

Well done Christine, Taxi Leaks will assist you in anyway we can. 

If you do have the original footage, you can send it to us by email (taxileaks@mail.com) and we can add it to 7 FaceBook groups with over 18,000 members. 

It's scandalous to think that TfL haven't acted to help solve this problem as these aggressors are licensed by them.

Hope you get some satisfaction from the local police inspector, but as you say, I wouldn't hold your breath.

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LET'S ALL TAKE THIS WIN.....Dads Defending Daughters

Today is the culmination of a Driver led five day drive-in at Kings Cross/St Pancras this Spring, and shrewd bartering with Camden Council, during the following months.

Ray Mann negotiated an Experimental Order that was approved in May, and promised to be put into place by mid June. Mid June turned into mid July.

When nothing was done by mid July, another five day demo was called. Camden pleaded with Ray to speak with the instigators of the demo to call off the protest; with a guarantee that the work for the Experimental Order had been signed off for mid August.

Mid August arrived and the signs went up in Pancras Road, informing the public that work would commence on the 22nd.

A week long protest was immediately called, for Monday 5th September, just to 'encourage' Camden, who have a reputation for reneging on promises.

During the Driver led five day protest, the RMT and LCDC were in full support, and the LTDA had their Advan present.

The demonstrators, who fluctuated between 300 to 500 on any given day, were from all the Orgs and Unions, and some unaffiliated drivers.

We all know who called the drive-in, who wholeheartedly supported them, who participated in the drive-in, who refused to support it, and who claimed to know nothing about it.
We all know who got the Experimental Order on the table, and accepted and finalised.

A mention in dispatches to the RMT's Andy Vito for assisting Ray Mann, must be acknowledged.

Also it would be unfair not to mention the high vis marshalling carried out by the Mayfair Mob, the LCDC and LTDA after the demo.

We also know who stated that an Experimental Order of double yellows, with double blips and signage, was a waste of time, insisting that an airport style pick up and set down zone was the only way.

And we all know that this week saw an unelected quango taking credit for the Experimental Order, once the signs went up.

If they want the 'win', the 'victory' or whatever they wish to call it, let them have it. Who cares?

Does it really matter that the misinformed remain uninformed?

What I can categorically state without fear of contradiction, is that we the drivers who demonstrated for those five days at St Pancras, chipped in to pay all the fines of all the drivers who fell foul of the authorities that day.
It is common practice for driver led protests, to cover each other when Orgs and Unions are unable or unwilling to do so.

All this fighting amongst ourselves is detrimental to the cause.
We all know who physically wins back the ranks, flooding them with cabs, forcing the Scabs off.

We all know who negotiates hard for new ranks. We all know who called mass demos, stopping London.
We all know who invaded the BBC and got 'Uber rape' into the public domain.

We all know who had seat ads and receipt pads with assault stats printed up.
We all know who got the Freedom of Information rape stats for the trade.
We all know who blew open TfL's Ubergate emails.
As we all know who signed off on a toxic card machine fiasco.

And we all know who sat in silence whilst the London Taxi trade burned, during their time on the TfL GLA board.

You can all take the plaudits, if that is your thing. But you must all take the blame too.
Who cares who gets the pat on the back?

Who cares who points the finger or who is to blame?
All this disinformation is splitting the trade from within. This is far more dangerous than TfL or Uber.
Let us all put the past where it belongs.

And let us join together, fighting a common enemy.
I do not care which Org or Union you belong to. You are a Taxi driver, the finest in the world. I do not care what colour your lanyard is or which political Party you support - you are a Taxi driver.

Let's get the Orgs and Unions to put aside their petty differences and focus on the challenge before us.

Orgs and Unions seem constantly bickering and unsupportive of each other, in a feeding frenzy for membership.

In truth, the Orgs and Unions are your mouthpiece. 'Your' mouthpiece, not theirs.
Tell them what you want. If they refuse to listen, vote with your feet and leave. Attend branch meetings, and speak up.

Do not be like the twenty thousand apathetic drivers who leave everything to others. Signing a direct debit and leaving the decisions and proactivity to your Union or Org, is not enough. In fact it is detrimental.

If you remain silent, how are they to know what you want?
How are we supposed to show force, if you do not turn up?

A driver I'm on nodding terms with, whom I know from many demos going back decades, with Georgie Vyce, Alan Fleming and the like, was receiving a ribbing about his proactivity.

"Citizen Smith" was having the piss taken out of him because he had lost work during the five day St Pancras drive-in.
One jovial antagonist worked out his friend had lost around twenty working hours during that week.

It was all good fun, but one comment struck home: "I don't do demos." said one laughing driver, "They don't achieve nothing."

Although his double negative is true, his shiftless sentiment is all too common amongst the subservient majority.
And then came Smithy's retort, "No they don't. Because wankers like you can't be arsed to turn up."
There is no reply to that truism.

The state of this trade can be summed up by the realisation that only fifty percent of drivers are in a Taxi organisation. The other half remain out in the cold.

We have a newish Mayor of London; Sadiq Khan.
I cannot help but admire a man who has risen to his station from such humble origins. 

No one gave him his education - he took it. What Mayor Khan has achieved, he fought and worked hard for.
The Mayor of London cannot be bullied; not by us, not by Uber, and not by the Government.

I am not saying that a man like Sadiq Khan cannot be influenced or seduced by promises of higher office, but I believe he cannot be bought off as easily as his predecessor.

Our fight is not against Khan. Our fight is alongside Khan.
It is not about unqualified protectionism. Ours is a righteous battle against Uber; a company totally bereft of any redeeming virtues.

A company globally reviled by good, hardworking people like you.

A company backed by Goldman Sachs, who would skin a turd to turn a dollar.
They are also backed by the Qataris and Google; who will invest in anything, even Uber-rape, in their fight to diversify before their respective bubbles burst.

The highest form of human existence is to be a servant.
Often mistakenly viewed as the lowest level; to be a servant is to be of value. To be of service to others.
Otherwise you become insignificant and your existence pointless.

Drivers on social media spout endlessly on about dress codes, credit card machines, brooming, meter rates, etc. They could also help their trade by making sure it still exists this time next year.

People use Uber because of price. A price kept low by deregulation and TfL compliance. This is where we make our stand - the rest is incidental.

Be more proactive, support protests, support a Union or Org, and be more vocal at meetings - to paraphrase JFK, 'Ask not what your trade can do for you. Ask what you can do for your trade.'

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