Pearl Harboured- Never Again!

Make no bones about it, the licensed taxi trade was hijacked, not by a cab company, but by financiers- the global kind-  of the likes we have never seen before. 

It mattered not that the new product didn’t meet the conditions of fitness or the driver come remotely close to acquiring the required standard necessary to work the ‘on demand’ market, TfL was intent on facilitating the government bidding and roll it out anyway. 

Stringent licensing conditions set in place to honour safety, liberty, and equality, meant our trade had never had to communicate the benefits and safeguards of using a licensed taxi. It also suffered from fragmentation and had no one to speak with a unified voice on its behalf. 

Not unlike the cross org work ethic employed by The Mayfair Mob or the principles of DDD, really hope that the team at Taxiapp can bring many fractions together and encourage everyone to get involved with their respective trade association or union. 

Members of taxiapp are aware that we need to be in long match conditioning, and that each and everyone of us has a role to play. One thing is for sure, we will go through hell and high water to make sure we do win back all that is rightfully ours. 

Never again will we soporifically trust our government, or  it’s regulators to insulate us from the free market’s rapacious risks. As with all extreme capitalists, their only concern is the bottom line. Their aim simply was to remove a state licensed product- traditionally based on socio-economics of supply and demand- and replace it with a corporate monopoly with no social concept whatsoever. Never again will we be caught sleeping at the wheel. 

To allow it would be something akin to a game of monopoly where  one person owns everything and everybody else (us)  trips around the board getting punished as we go. Shat we experienced was the systematic attempted takeover of a regulated trade. 

At times it felt like everything- including the kitchen sink-  was thrown at us. But you know what, we are still here, despite not having  any marketing, despite not having any PR or advertising links. We are here because we offer  a solid product that is vibrant, valid, and required by London and Londoners. 

Because of that, and because of you the drivers, the drivers that are seen every where doing what it takes for the trade,  the ones that refuse to be identified for all eternity by the cardinal sin committed by the 3 Amigo’s, are the ones that will never suffer the tiredness of defeat. 

For that- and I know I can speak on behalf of the whole team at Taxiapp- we are beyond grateful, we are truly humbled. Thank You 

Forward Facing Only 

Sean Paul Day

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One Taxi Trade, One Message...We Call On Government To Set Up An Enquiry Into TfL

Every driver needs to support this demo. 

There can be no fence sitting. No egos, no tribal mentality. If you want to carry on being a licensed Taxi Driver, then you need to turn up.

TfL have tried desperately to divide the trade at every opportunity. The implementation of the Credit Card Mandate was no more than smoke and mirrors, designed purely to keep us at each other's throats.

• TfL waited 4 years to go to court over Uber driver insurance. 

• They lied to the GLA

• They lied to the Taxi trade. 

• They coached Uber how to get round legislation

• They relaxed regulations. 

• Compliance has been a white wash.

While new regulations were bought in which take even more of your income, Uber have been given a free hand to run riot.

They've been aloud to operated from unlicensed premises, they've lied about having a landline, admitted they don't do pre bookings....in fact it's now come out under oath in the Toronto verdict, that it's the driver who takes the booking in their vehicle. A total disregard of the Private Hire Act 1998. 

 TfL have aloud all this to go on. 

The GLA made promises 

The new Mayor made promises 

All promises have been broken

It's clear TfL have no intention of changing Uber's modus operandi. 

We've seen drivers licensed with fake medicals, fake topographical passes, no UK driving licence, no enhanced DBS checks, plus now we've been told TfL refusing to publicise the results of multiple FOI requests, for full minicab related sexual assault (including rapes) statistics because they say it's not in the public interest.

The United Cabbies Group have called on the trade (drivers, orgs and unions) to attend a mass protest, to be held on the 8th of November, around Trafalgar Square and along Whitehall, at 2pm.

Permission has been granted for a letter to be delivered to the Prime Minister, calling on the government to set up an enquiry into TfL.

No one is fighting your corner for you.

It's time to turn up and fight....or sit back and watch your trade die. 

TIME FOR TALKING HAS RUN OUT.

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Appeal From The UCG...Please Support And Send This Letter To Your MP

As you are no doubt aware TFL are trying every way possible to avoid publishing the latest Taxi / PH sexual assault figures.

A member of the UCG has asked that you email your MP as a matter of urgency requesting their help to force publication.

The letter below can easily be cut and pasted into an email to your MP.

Please take a few minutes to do this. The figures MUST be made public asap.

Thank you

UCG Committee...

In March this year, in response to a Freedom of Information request, Transport for London agreed to publish Taxi / Private Hire (using the Public Interest Exemption) sexual assault statistics in the ‘coming weeks’ they never did.

In response to another FOI request on August2nd 2016 they said they anticipated publication on September 20th 2016 – they still have not done so, despite several assurances that they are imminent.

During the interim period women have been sexually assaulted, having had no warning from TFL of the possible dangers associated with using Private Hire vehicles.

 

Having used Section 22 of the FOI Act to justify their response, I believe TFL will shortly be in breach of FOI regulations as the use of Section 22 is conditional upon the ‘existence of intent to publish ‘ BEFORE the FOI request is made.

I would like you, as my MP, to demand the immediate publication of a complete and comprehensive statistical report of the sexual assault fata.

TFL REF: FOI – 0870-1617

 

Thank you

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Taxi Leaks Readers Give Opinion On The Dave Davies Letter.

Dave
Formally seconded, some along with yourself have been campaigning for years for an inquiry.

The UTG didn't want to know, in my opinion in case they were excluded from the now proven meaningless consultations or in the case of the LTDA the lucrative recruitment opportunity of badge day, in effect they allowed TfL to corrupt their representative remit and render themselves impotent.

Others have come together, fallen out etc etc, some support policies publicly such as defining plying for hire or WAV yet undermine it in the shadows, you have either got a policy or you haven't, don't get your 'orchestras' caught on the fence!

Tariffs, cross border hirings, bogus documents, sexual assaults, tax avoidance, political interference and lots more all are subjects to be looked into.

I have previously called for a proper trade summit with an independent chair where surely no one would not want to sign up to our demand for an enquiry, let's have an all trades demo outside DfT, questions in the house etc etc. 

No bleating 'don't want to inconvenience anyone', or 'if their there we ain't coming' and all the rest of the tired old bullshit, all because someone might cancel their membership or yet another trade organisation' spring up.

Forget 'London is different' let's get the entire country involved for maximum impact, let's be clear the threat is existential to us all.

SIMPLE DEMANDS, ALL ON BOARD FOR THEM

MASSIVE AND CONTINUING ACTION UNTIL GOVERNMENT NATIONAL AND LOCAL HEEDS US!

I won't say the time is now, it's well overdue, will the leadership step up,? If not sweep them away! 

I'm Spartacus.

 .........................................................................

Great post, I will forward adjusted template letter on to my MP without fail.

I also agree with a fellow post responder about the tight arses who didn't pay into the crowd funding petition to raise funds for an enquiry but now think the time has come for a second serious crowdfunding collection petition especially with all the serious happenings at TFL since the last one and I am convinced that the mood in our workplace has driven a greater sense of fighting spirit and taxi trade camaraderie higher than it has been in all the time I can remember in the past.

A £25 fighting fund donation per cabdriver donation should sought & a numbered sticker should be issued similar to the ones cab drivers displayed after earlier drive-ins (I was there in the square etc) just to make each drivers donation feel significant, proud & displayed with pride... as it really has now become a seriously desperate fight for survival and that cannot be stated any louder.

Be Lucky

greenbadgejohn

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Dear Sir,  

I am not a london black taxi driver but I fully support your trade.

I have on previous occasions sent letters to my MP Joan Ryan, expressing my concerns regarding the huge number of PH and the way uber and its 'partners' have been allowed to operate in our city.

Today, I have forwarded the letter by Dave Davies to her as my MP as requested on Taxileaks. 

Yours in support, 

Rosemarie Odell

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Letter To Taxi Leaks : Taxi Trade Must Call For A Public Inquiry...by Dave Davies

London Thunderbird Taxis Are Go...

Watch our for five Thunderbirds taxis in London this weekend!

The publicity stunt hosted to celebrate the new series of ITV’s Thunderbirds Are Go, will see five traditional London black cabs transformed on October 22 and 23 into either Thunderbird 1,2,3 or 4. A tribute to Lady Penelope’s iconic six-wheeled pink Rolls Royce, FAB 1, will also be available to hire.

Each car will be transformed with wings, personalised number plates and what are being billed as ‘rockets’ – though even the Tracy family have to abide by the law. Scott Tracy, who drives Thunderbird One in the series, will give every passenger a mission and each cab will be driven by a take on Penelope’s Parker.

Thunderbirds Are Go is ITV’s reboot of Gerry Anderson’s classic Thunderbirds (1965) which continues to draw in new fans to the incredible Gerry Anderson original 51 years on from its original production.

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Midnight Flash Demo, Joined By Exciting New LED AdVan.

Late last night, London's finest, decided to bring to public attention, the disgusting bias and agenda being waged against the Taxi trade by our licensing authority TfL

While TfL's PCOs visit mainline stations harassing hard working Taxi drivers with Badge and Bill checks and operation Neon officers casually saunter from McDonalds to Starbucks around Mayfair, illegal touts are openly touting, encouraged by TfL's lapsed attitude. One of the worse areas appear to be the Shoreditch High And surrounding streets.

It's being alleged by disgruntled Taxi drivers, that both TfL COs and City police are turning a blind eye, letting the touts clear the streets, because it's cheaper than actually policing the area and keeping the public safe. 

It's also alleged, 75% of all minicab sexual assault and rape victims, have been picked up outside clubs are bars in the Shoreditch area.

Concerned members of the Flash Demo group were joined by other groups such as the Dads Defending Daughters, Mayfair Mob and the ITA. Drivers assembled at Finsbury Square at 11:30 pm and on the stroke of midnight, made their way to Shoreditch, bringing the area to a complete standstill. 

The night time protest also saw the latest addition to the trades armoury, a LED screened AdVan. Financed by the brand new -driver owned, driver lead- TaxiApp. 

This latest Demo is the third in eight days. 

A spokesperson for the drivers said:

"We intend to step up our action now, and could be having three demos a week, eventually increasing to daily demos, if TfL keep choosing to ignore us."

The spokesperson went on to say:

"TfL must be worried, as all the different groups are uniting. The recent protests have also attracted support from the majority of trade representative orgs. The one thing TfL fear is our unity. There seems to be only one org who refuses to support the latest wave of action and there's no prizes for guessing which org that is.

"The police were initially caught out but were in good spirits and some even told protestors they supported our action."

 

"Initially the protests was kept between a small group of individual drivers, but word of mouth, surprisingly saw over 300 drivers turned up".

As the protest dispersed, drivers were adamant that more flash style action needs to take place, as a compliment to main line demonstrations.

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