Alleged Corruption At TfL TPH, Concerning Top Directors And Managers.

Did you ever stop to wonder, in the light of the hold ups we've witnessed, concerning Taxi driver licence application and renewals, how it could be possible for Uber to get over 600 of their new driver applications licensed every week, for over a year. Many of their applicants without the necessary enhanced DBS record checks!

Allegations have been made, that there's been an agreement in place between Uber and top TfL officers to fast track uber applicants through the system,

 

The alight ions made on social media state:

TFL AND UBER ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENDANGERING THE PUBLIC, BY FAST TRACKING DRIVERS WITH NO CRIMINAL REVIRD CHECKS BY ARRANGING EMBASSY SPONSORSHIP. 

WHILE ACTIVELY HOLDING UP LICENSED TAXI DRIVER APLICATIONS.

Every week more and more evidence is piling up, showing collusion between top TfL officers and Uber. 

This below is just the latest in a long line of documents leaked to the trade. 

Unfortunately no one seems to know what to do with this mounting of evidence. 

The LTDA have suddenly turn into a cardboard copy of the Mayfair Mob, trying to usurp kudos gained by the Mobs militant activist.

When will our orgs and a Unions wake up and go to the highest authority in the land and demand a public inquiry into the goings on between Uber and officials from TfLTPH. 

Every day we are subjected to lie after lie for our licensing authority. 

The time has come for answers.....no more questions.....no more let's wait and see.....no more it's all going on in the background.

#NoMore.

Leaflet issued by the Indelendant Taxi Allience 

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Summary of Save Taxi meeting with TFL on 8th Sept'16.

Yesterday myself and Artemis met with Silka Kennedy Todd (Head of Taxi and PHV Stakeholder Relations) and Edgerton Rodgers (TPH Compliance Delivery Manager) and had a positive meeting discussing a number of trade issues.

Rather than delay these minutes we have decided to post the points discussed however please note we are awaiting some clarification on a couple of bits of information and will advise asap when the details have been received.

We discussed the following:

We'll start on a positive - Recruitment has started on an additional 250 compliance officers promised which is very welcomed.

They will have CSAS powers to do checks and take drivers off the road for non compliance (an explanation about what CSAS actually is will be posted later). They will work with the police, use Intel and follow up on intelligence collated from TPH division.

They will continue to support the Globe and Neon Operations which uses high visibility enforcement to disrupt and deter illegal touting, plying for hire, obstruction/congestion/waiting around venues and blocking of taxi ranks.

We raised the recent issue of PHV roundels being removed or tampered with and asked how would vehicles be identified to be stopped and checked in these instances. It was confirmed ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) will and already is being used. 

In addition, compliance teams are already working closely with the police on Operation CUBO which specifically targets illegal driver activity including that of no insurance. The police are using a new hand held device which identifies any culprits!

For reference, the number of Taxis v's PHV vehicles being stopped and checked is now pro rota'd for fairness ie. far fewer taxis are pulled in comparison to the number of PHV's  due to the fact that there are far more PHV's vehicles on the road. The % of each sector stopped is comparable.

For info, one of the biggest area's of non-compliance is not wearing s badge for both  PHV and Taxis drivers. 

We have been asked to remind everybody of the requirement to wear your badge. Wear it with pride after all you worked so hard to get it! If nothing else it helps customers to have confidence in the trade that they are being driven by a professional licensed London Taxi Driver.

The new compliance officers will be rolled out between now and next Spring.

TFL would like to really encourage more women to the role and pointed out that there are part time positions so could benefit many parents!

They have clarified that should any taxi driver wish to apply they would have to give up their licence as it would be a conflict of interest! 

They are going to send the link to apply so we can post it should anyone in the group be interested! We will post shortly.

The City of London police are running their own operation targeting the use of fog lights for illegal touting. We will try and get some stats to share at a later date.

Uber v's TFL

We asked for clarification on exactly what did the judge rule at the recent hearing as there was much confusion and conflicting reports.

Basically the legal teams are working on this at the moment and TFL will issue a statement clarifying this and their position next week w/c 12th Sept. We will post this as soon as it has been issued.

What is clear however that the requirement to have H&R insurance in place from when the PHV licence is issued and for the duration of the licence has been upheld. In fact all new PHV applicants are already required to have this since June this year and all existing PHV drivers from 11th July. This is already effective and does not come into force from 1st Oct as with some of the other regulations.

PHV drivers must have their insurance certificate on them in the vehicle (not necessarily on display) should they be asked to present it by either a passenger, compliance or the police. 

6 more TFL admin assurance officers have been employed to receive calls from compliance officers to check valid insurance and follow up with the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau).

We asked what action is taken against drivers if they 1. are stopped but do not have their insurance docs on them and 2. are stopped but found to not be insured. TFL are going to advise specifically on the start to end process of a couple of different examples and we will post once received. 

Another real positive piece of news is the move to report Taxis and PHV's separately. The Met Police are introducing a new system called 'Copa' which will differentiate between the two going forwards. We expect this to launch approx end Oct (not 100% confirmed) however it is unlikely we will be able to analyse and draw any conclusions from the data collated until next Spring as it will take time to build.

Edgerton thanked everyone that sends through non-compliance reports of any kind of illegal activity and assured us that it all does get reviewed. 

He did ask however for us to remind everybody to please be mindful about the information sent in so that you do not break the law and incriminate yourselves. For instance, you may be reporting somebody genuinely touting or stopped on a taxi rank however on many occasions, the evidence presented is often a video recording on a mobile phone while driving. If this is given to the police to follow up you could end up being prosecuted yourself for holding a hand held device while driving.

Please remember that if you see an incident that needs reporting, ALWAYS get out of your vehicle to record any video evidence or take photo's. 

Nobody is trying to deter anyone from reporting anything and all the information received is very welcome but please put your own safety and licence first! 

To be able to investigate or take action TFL ideally need the number plate, roundel details if possible and date, time & location! Obviously photo's or video's are really helpful but only if you follow the advice above! 

Here is a reminder of the touting links:

http://ift.tt/1GmalPl

http://ift.tt/2cgmpGi

CREDIT CARD REGULATION

I have collated a list of drivers understanding of what is required so that TFL can directly confirm and clarify if each point is correct. For instance she said they have not issued any instructions that drivers should get into the back of the cab to assist a passenger if the fixed CC machine fails as this had been raised as a real safety issue for drivers recently. She was surprised we thought this had been advised. I explained it is contradictory from the advise given when you get your badge! 

She was keen to understand in what instances we thought this would be necessary and how us supposedly getting into the back would help. She asked what sort of problems we have now with hand helds! 

She said they would be taking a common sense approach to the CC requirements. I explained that is too vague as drivers fear getting stopped and reported by compliance which adds to the stress of the job. We can't work thinking will a particular officer be lenient and take a common sense approach or will they be the one to report by the book! 

I will post everything I receive back in a bid to help clarify our position and resolve any confusion as soon as it is received.

We raised the GQ Awards taxi rank suspension and the anger felt by the taxi trade. We explained that it would of been much fairer and easier to have kept the taxi rank and have a separate PHV area in the car park that the taxis were moved to. I reminded them that the ranks were ours and that we had worked hard to have the right to use them and pay for them out of our license fees! 

I think it is clear to say TFL have listened to the feedback and lessons will be learnt for the future. 

I think we have to take them at their word unless something like this should ever happen again. 

TFL board

Silka confirmed that Helen Chapman is now soley responsible for the taxi and PHV division and works directly with the Deputy Mayor and Mike Brown the Transport Commissioner.

Not new news we know, but she confirmed Leon Daniels and Garret are still at TFL but very hands off and not directly involved in the Taxi and PHV trade.

NIGHT TUBE ADVERT

We asked were they aware of the ad and for

clarification if it had anything to do with TFL.

She categorically confirmed that TFL had not endorsed it or had any involvement in it.

The ad appeared in The Sun on Sunday Magazine called Fabulous on Sunday 4th Sept.

CROSS BORDER HIRING

We asked why a system called Geo Fencing was not made a requirement for Uber to install so that a driver can only receive jobs for the area they are licensed in. Surely this would help the number of out of town PHV's working in London and adding to our congestion! 

We were shocked to learn that this is a massive issue for TFL and compliance but unfortunately PHV legislation which is set by the government and not TFL, states that a PHV driver can work anywhere in the country and it is not illegal to work outside of the town they are licensed in. 

Another issue for TFL is that is they do pull a PHV driver for non-compliance it is also very complicated to enforce our London regulations as they are registered in another town with different rules and compliance! This is a major issue for all of us and one we feel must be addressed with the Government.

We also need to lobby the Government regarding capping PHV numbers as again this ruling is not set by TFL and out of their control.

Regarding PHV's having to pay Congestion charge & extending the operational hours of the CC zone, they are waiting on a steer and decision from Sadiq. They did reiterate that Sadiq is committed to protecting and supporting the taxi trade and that he will be issuing a statement of his plans very soon. We are hoping it will come this side of Christmas but the actual timing could not be confirmed. Changes are beginning to happen and there really are many things being worked on in the background so we must just be patient for a little while longer!

We asked if they would they be open to a TFL/cabbies Q&A meeting at City Hall to engage with drivers and listen/address their concerns - numbers could be managed by balloting tickets. They already hold suburb forums/surgeries so were not opposed to the idea. They are going to look into the logistics and get back to us as apparently something similar had happened in the past. We will let you know the outcome.

Neon Endorcement Results regarding Drive Offs. We ran out of time but they are going to email to clarify exactly what drive offs mean and what is done to follow this up. Do drivers just get away with it? 

Feedback regarding King's Cross - we were asked how we thought the new Enforcement was going that was introduced last week ie.double yellow lines.

I also raised the point about the line of the rank and explained it would be much more logical to have the feeder rank in Camley Street to join the main rank.

This is going to be passed on to the relevant department for review.

Regarding the recent conviction of the PHV driver Mohammad Dalim, a statement from the legal team has been requested and will be forwarded on as they were unable to discuss personal circumstances yesterday  due to confidentiality. 

To finish on a positive note, they confirmed that TFL planned to increase taxi ranks by 20% by 2020 as part of the rank action plan! 

We have agreed to meet again at the end of January'17.

We hope you are agree that there are many positives to be drawn from the information shared with us. While we know there are still many issues, frustrations and wrongs within the trade, things do feel like they are beginning to happen. Regardless of what happens inbetween, we will continue the fight to protect and save our trade and look forward to the next meeting in the New Year to continue our dialogue.

Shelley Harnett

#SaveTaxi ... Stronger together ❤️

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Breaking News : TfL take Backward Step In Regards To CC Mandate And Taxi Condition Of Fitness

TfLTPH have shown today, show that the Credit Card mandate is a product of third party interest rather than what's best for the driver and the passenger. 

News was a foot early in the day when CabVision posted on their Twitter feed that there would now be a soft launch to the conditions of fitness concerning rear fitting of machines in Taxis. 

I then spent all afternoon trying to get a statement from the TfLTPH Twitter account but as normal with important trade issues, my questions were completely ignored. 

It was then left to the Chairman of Dial a Cab to break the news via the Save Our Black Taxis FaceBook account. 

Apparently the mandate is still being finalised as new legal implications have emerged and so the date for mandated acceptance has been moved from the 3rd of October p the end of the month 31st October. 

The condition of fitness fit CC machines to be rear fitted, has now been moved to 1st Jan 2017 and that official.

TfL will of course be busy letting all third parties know the new arrangements before they make an announcement to the trade. 

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Letter To Taxi Leaks : Taxi Drivers need to file complaints with London Travel Watch, who may in turn influence the Mayor

MasterCard Sued For £14bn In Largest Ever British Legal Claim Over Credit Card Fees.

Credit card group MasterCard is being sued for £14bn, the largest legal claim in British history, in a landmark lawsuit over allegations that it overcharged 46m UK consumers.

The claim, which MasterCard said it would oppose vigorously, is the first major case under a new framework for class action lawsuits on behalf of multiple claimants. It revolves around fees imposed by MasterCard on businesses that accepted its debit and credit cards between 1992 and 2008.

Law firm Quinn Emanuel, which filed the suit at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleges that these charges – known as “interchange fees” – were set at an unlawfully high level and pushed up prices for British consumers.

The claim was brought by Walter Merricks, the UK’s former chief financial services ombudsman, on behalf of around 46m consumers he claims have lost out.

It follows a 10-year legal battle between MasterCard and the European commission that ended in 2014 with the European court of justice concluding that the credit card firm’s fees for cross-border transactions were too high.

In a long statement on its website, the law firm said MasterCard has spurned a chance to settle with the commission, instead of choosing to fight its case through the courts.

“MasterCard lost this battle at every level and showed complete disregard for its cardholders and consumers at large, focusing instead on generating unlawful profits,” Quinn Emanuel said in a statement.

Merricks, who spent 10 years in charge of oversight of British financial firms, said: “The filing of this claim is the first step towards consumers obtaining compensation for what MasterCard did.

“MasterCard charged billions of pounds of unlawfully high fees for its sole benefit and to the detriment of consumers. It has already been found to have broken competition law, the basis of which was to protect consumers, and that cannot be disputed.

“There is no basis upon which MasterCard can contend that its card fees were not unlawful.”

He said that because MasterCard’s fees had already been ruled unlawful in the European court, the claim need only prove that consumers suffered losses as a result.

Under the UK’s framework for lawsuits on behalf of multiple people, which was overhauled in the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, anyone who lost out is automatically eligible for compensation unless they opt out explicitly.

Boris Bronfentrinker, a Quinn Emanuel partner, said: “Despite criticising this action publicly in July and further insulting consumers by referring to the UK’s new collective action regime as ‘unfortunate’, MasterCard has since turned over evidence [witness statements and expert reports] that allows us, even at this early stage, to robustly value the claim at £14bn.

“They are now preparing for a tough legal battle which we estimate will go to trial in 2018 unless they are prepared to make UK consumers a fair settlement offer before then.”

He said MasterCard had made “no effort” to compensate consumers who lost out, despite acknowledging that the fees had been passed on to them.

“It is not clear how MasterCard can now turn around and argue the opposite to prevent our case from succeeding,” he added.

MasterCard said: “Now that the claim has been filed, we will take time to review it in detail, however we continue to firmly disagree with the basis of this claim and we intend to oppose it vigorously.

 “We deliver real value through the benefits of security, convenience and consumer protection, and we are committed to investing in our payment services in order to continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of all our customers.”

In a separate blog post, the company said interchange fees are good for consumers and said similar cases in the US had been thrown out of court. Interchange fees are paid by a retailer’s bank to the bank that issued a credit card used in any transaction. The retailer’s bank then charges the retailer to cover its cost. The fees are fixed by credit card companies and are often incorporated into the prices that shops then charge consumers.

Funds linked with Chicago-based Gerchen Keller Capital, the world’s largest litigation funder, will provide up to £40m to fund the litigation.

There has been one previous case under the new rules on collective action lawsuits, on behalf of pensioners who claim they paid too much for their mobility scooters. But the case against MasterCard is the first to test rules intended to allow suits on behalf of vast numbers of claimants.

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New Dress Code For Taxi Drivers, Plus Licensing Authority In-House MOT's

Taxi drivers in Scarborough will have to adhere to a new dress code under proposed new rules put forward by the borough council.

MOTs must also be carried out at the council’s depot under the plans, which will go out to consultation later this month.

The authority has admitted that it knows its proposals will not be popular but it is determined to ensure the service is consistent and professional.

A report, which will go before the council’s Licensing Committee, states: “As a minimum standard, males should wear long legged trousers or tailored shorts and a collared shirt which has a full body with either short or long sleeves.

“As a minimum standard, females should wear long legged trousers, knee length skirt or dress and a collared shirt or blouse which has a full body and short or long sleeves.

“Footwear for all drivers shall fit around the heel of the foot and allow for safe operation of the vehicle.”

T-shirts with offensive slogans, hoodies, sandals, football tops, tracksuit bottoms and clothes with holes or visible damage would all be banned.

The authority admits that forcing drivers to have their car’s MOT carried out in Scarborough will be unpopular.

The report adds: “The Council is aware that the requirement for all vehicle MOT tests and compliance checks to be undertaken at the council depot in Scarborough is of concern to the trade. 

“Presently an MOT may be undertaken at any MOT certified garage, anywhere in the country, with the additional compliance checks being undertaken by Licensing Officers over a two week period, twice a year.

“The consistency of existing MOT tests is of concern, particularly considering the results from two licensed vehicle operations conducted since October 2015, where faults were found with vehicles which had only recently undergone and passed an MOT test.”

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A Level Playing Field.... Or Deregulation To A One Tiered Service?

News broke over the weekend that the DVSA were going to scrap the Taxi driver test as from December 2016.

Yes, you heard it right, after many years of calls for a mor level playing field the DVSA, instead of calling for all private hire drivers to undertake the same requirement, have decided to scrap the Taxi driver test.

The decision came out of the blue and Local Authorities were only officially informed this Tuesday.

On the face of it, the decision is unbelievable! 

Over 200 Local Authorities have mandated the DVSA test as a requirement for Taxi drivers Licence.

The DVSA have a captive market for this.

The only reason I can see to relinquish this Money spinner is the Government intend to deregulate further and see this test as a barrier to new entrants (refugees) seeking to enter the trade.

I think the situation requires close scrutiny.

Meanwhile in London, it is widely believed that the Government/TfL are on course for a full scale Private Hire deregulation to break the back of the Taxi trade. 

On Tuesday, TfLTPH put out a notice that the Licensed Taxi rank at the Tate Modern, installed at a cost met from the licence fee of Licensed Taxi drivers.....would be suspended to assist the dropping off of passengers arriving for he GQ magazine awards, an event attended by Mayor Sadiq  Khan. 

A notice was also attached to the rank post. 

What happened next was absolutely disgraceful. Far from being a place where attendees could be dropped off, the rank itself was taken over by a aggressive marshals and was used by private hire as a private hire rank. 

While minicabs took control of the rank directly outside the main exit point if the venue, Taxis had to queue in Great Guilford Street. 

The whole situation became a shambles as pre booked PH vehicles were blocked in by packs of touts assured by the marshals.

Later into the evening, although no compliance officers were sent to the location to stop the illegal plying for hire and in a bid to save face, TfLTPH put out this series of tweets

We would stress at this point that although previously informed by TfL, not one representative from a Licensed Taxi org connected to the Joint Ranks Committee bothered to turn up and check out the proceedings. The unfolding saga was documented quite clearly on Twitter throughout the evening, into the early morning. 

A colleague of Taxi Leaks phoned LTDA's Richard Massett Wednesday afternoon, for clarification on what had happened the previous night at the Tate Modern. 

Executive committee member Massett, also chair of the Joint Ranks Committee, said he had been informed of the notice to suspend the rank, but had no idea what had happened. 

Is this the best we can expect to get, after paying money to this org, to represent our best interests?

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