HOLDING THE MAYOR TO ACCOUNT AND INVESTIGATING ISSUES THAT MATTER TO LONDONERS

Over a decade ago, London led the world by introducing a Congestion Charge in the centre of the city. The scheme has proven successful, keeping a lid on private motor traffic and creating new space for buses, cyclists and pedestrians on the busiest part of our road network. Congested cities around the globe looked to London as they considered how to tackle the gridlock on their own streets.

However, congestion has begun to increase sharply again, and not just in central London but across the capital. Traffic has slowed down and road users are spending longer stuck in delays. Buses have become so unreliable that usage has begun to fall, after many years of growth. The causes of this change are complex and multiple, as our investigation has identified.

What is clear is that the current Congestion Charge is no longer fit for purpose – it is a blunt instrument using old technology that covers a tiny part of London. Fundamentally, vehicles should be charged according to their impact on congestion. Charging a daily flat rate to enter a zone may discourage some people from using part of the road network, but

this approach is failing to target vehicles spending longer on the roads, at the most congested times, and travelling in other areas where congestion is high.

We recommend in this report that the Mayor should make plans now to introduce road pricing in London. This idea has long been discussed, but until now the political will to make it happen has been lacking. Delaying further is not an option. There are a number of options for how this happens, which TfL will need to work out, including the geographical scope, monitoring technology and integration with Vehicle Excise Duty and the Mayor’s emissions charges. In the interim, immediate reform of the existing Congestion Charge to target it at journeys causing congestion would be worthwhile.

There is a range of other measures that could also help to tackle congestion. The Mayor could do more to reduce the impact of roadworks, strengthen the on-street response to major traffic incidents, and encourage Londoners to receive personal deliveries in more sustainable ways. However these measures alone will not be enough to tackle London’s congestion problem

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So what drives me? .... By Lee Ward.

I am sure that the regular readers of Taxi Leaks have noticed that I have supplied posts to this platform, but I have never explained why.

Let me give you a little background to myself first.

I have been in this industry for over 20 years, I started as a weekend telephonist to supplement my income as a new father, that went on to dispatching by voice (the good old fashioned way) and then by computer. This lead me to be a qualified Taxi/Private Hire driver and have held this badge with the Sheffield City Council ever since.

During this time, I have also been a part of the management team of two of the largest Private Hire companies in this are, Mercury and City (450 and 1000 cars respectively) and between these two posts I owned in partnership a company we called Phoenix (started with 4 cars and built it up to 180)

I am now back as a full time driver.

So why did I start this crusade that I find myself on morning noon and night?

Very simple, I found myself in a dark place, a very dark place....

The industry has been very good to me, it has provided for my family and myself, it has given me friends for life and it taught me a few good lessons in life, but it left me...

It left me when I could not make the living I was making.

It left me when I had to say NO to my wife and kids basic requests for simple things.

It left me when I worked on a day to day basis to pay bills and put food on the table...

It left me and I wanted to leave this world, thats how dark that place was that I was in.

I would have probably gone to that place too, if it was not for the ever present thought that my wife and kids would be distraught and with nothing at all coming in, not even what little I was providing, and the thought that if I went to that dark place and did what those little voices were saying to do.... my mother would have fooking killed me !!!!

So I looked at that dark place and stared at it and searched in that recess what it was that had done me in such a way to make me have these thoughts and feelings, and the more I looked, the deeper I searched, I found it... and it was not me that had brought me to this, or even made this dark place I looked into...no, it was this government, and all the authorities that continually shout out that they are their for public safety...

I understood that, I totally got it, but...but what about my family and myself? what about OUR safety?

What about us having food, having heating, having clothes?

Is that not safety also?

Is that not a part of why I pay my license, so they can police the industry that I am in?

I guess not...

So I decided that my dark place was going to be my driving force, and thats why I do what I do....

I do it because I am proud, I do it because I have responsibilities...

I do it because I love this industry...

And I do it for ME....

I may be a small fish in a big pond, but a lot of small fish together are a dangerous thing....Piranha spring to mind...

And as for the house brick through my family home's window, if you are reading this 'boy' thats not going to stop me moron...it just fuels me.

As Eminem said...

Yeah, it's been a ride
I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one
Now some of you, might still be in that place
If you're trying to get out, just follow me
I'll get you there......................

Love

Wardy

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Blockade at the bank Day 4 : New Day, New Plan.... By Jim Thomas

After the police slapped a section 14 on the Demo at the Bank, organisers decided to throw a curve ball in retaliation to the 30 minute restriction and changed the venue for day 3 to Parliament Square. 

The Met Police had already put into operation restriction around the Bank Junction and were left red faced as no one turned up. At first they thought they had beaten the protesters but it soon became clear, the boot was on the other foot. 

Westminster was gridlocked for best part of an hour till the traffic police turned up. They then made a catastrophic mistake in funnelling the Taxis over Westminster Bridge which unbeknown to them added the procession of taxes to their preordained second target... the Waterloo IMAX round about. 

Waterloo bridge soon became gridlocked along with Westminster. York Road was proper engines off and north of the river the Aldwych tailed back into the City's square mile. 

Again traffic cops turned up and tried to disperse the protesters by waving them back across Waterloo bridge. 

The convoy then moved on to the third venue, again hitting the Rotunda at London Wall before the signal was given to disperse for the day. 

Then came the bully boy tactics. As they had been given the run around, some Met officers were telling drivers "you are being filmed, and if you are filmed in multiple locations tomorrow, TfL will prosecute you". 

This is a ridiculous statement as this is exactly what Taxi drivers do....they ply their trade in multiple locations every day... this scaremongering doesn't hold water, and (so I'm told) today, the fight goes on. 

 On the City Police Website last night, they said: 

"Conditions for the Taxi demos are in place to limit the disruption across London and to ensure emergency vehicles can access all routes." 

So far, they haven't issued a new section 14 limiting the time of assembly. 

The ITA Twitter account have broken their silence tonight to confirm Demo will take place at Bank Junction at 3pm on the dot. 

Editorial Comment :

It is now widely believed that the proposed ban traffic at the Bank Junction has a hidden agenda and is not to make the junction safer. 

Safety has nothing to do with the restrictions, if that were the case, then Buses and Cyclist would have been banned. 

It's alleged this experiment is being forced on London to facilitate the movement of construction trucks and heavy plant, while work takes place on the two new skyscrapers are erected. It's also alleged, heavy plant and lorries will be issued permits to use the Junction while all other traffic apart from buses and bikes will be excluded. 

Complete silence again from the two wheelchair users on the board of TfL, have repeatedly refused to support the right of disabled people to have access to the Bank Junction.

So far, the demos have been an overwhelming success. Taxi Leaks has been informed that further action is being planned to continue in to the next couple of weeks.    

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Bank Junction Blockade Day 3 : Plans Kept Off Social Media Leaves City Police In The Dark.

Major Victory For The Taxi Trade, Over Who Can Call Themselves A Taxi..... By Jim Thomas

Seem a Minicab company can no longer pretend to be a Taxi!

Well done to everyone who made the effort to put in a complaint to the ASA, after it was shown Addison Lee had changed the heading on their download sites for their minicab app. 

Well Done to Advertising Standards Authority who have told Addison Lee to remove the WORD TAXI from Addison Lee's advertising as they are Private Hire and not Taxis. 

The decision shows just how inadequate and incompetent TfL are as licensing administrator. We've known for a number of years that TfLTPH have been biased against the Taxi trade and have relaxed regulations in respect of Private Hire minicab operators. In extreme cases they've even turned a blind eye. 

Drivers complained about Addison Lee to TfLTPH Twitter account and were told by the account operator that Addison Lee were right to call themselves Taxis although no other explanation was given and on investigation, no one at TfL was willing to put their name to this statement. 

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld the regulation set down in the Private Hire Act 1998 which clearly states that Private Hire Operators and Derivers can not use the words Taxi, Taxis, Cab or Cabs in any form to advertise for trade. 

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Bank Junction Blockade, Day 2 Another Resounding Success.... By Jim Thomas

After the success of Mondays protest, the City Police decided to try to scupper the moral of demonstrators by making a new caveat to the section 14 and reduced the time allowed to just 30 minutes. 

But instead of breaking the spirit of the drivers, it had the opposite affect making them more determined to put the message across. 

Police had no liaison with the organisers who were getting the message to the drivers by word of mouth. As the demonstrators were ordered to disperse, another venue was given out and the protest became a rolling ply for hire moving on up to Old Street round-about. 

Traffic was light but the area soon came to a complete standstill as thousands of Taxis changed destination. 

By 5 o/c traffic police had turned up on motorbikes and imediatly directed cabs away from the round-about. It soon became clear to the police that a third and forth venues had gone out to the troops. Those who could, made their way back to the Bank, while others made their way to the London Wall Rotunda. 

Well done to the drivers who again have answered the call, fighting the fight for the trade to retain access to the Junction at the Bank. 

Before the drivers dispersed, organisers gave out details for tomorrow, with nothing put out on social media, the police left in the dark. 

Amazing turn out today with larger numbers expected tomorrow 

"A spokesperson for the ITA said:

Today has been a great success inspite of the attempt by old bill to scupper the protest. 

"Today has been a major success for the ITA, our biggest and best demo so far. We expect even more drivers to attend tomorrow and are confident in getting the message across to the Corporation of London.

"Also we would like to make it perfectly clear that the ITA is completely independent of all the trade orgs and that no org or union committee members have anything to do with our actions today."

It's now 6pm and just been told the drivers have been informed to go back to work. 

Mission accomplished. 

EDITORIAL COMMENT:

One thing that's come to light during these protests at the bank is the ease in which the traffic has been cleared when the demo starts to disburse. The phasing of traffic lights has been altered to aid traffic flow.

We believe this is evidence that TfL and the Corparation of London have been artificially adding to the chaos on London's streets to push forward their own agendas. 

Are TfL responsible for corporate manslaughter with thousands of extra needless and  preventable deaths cause by the pollution from the congestion they are causing to further their own agendas ?

Once again TV news media blanked the Taxi protest.

Fake news stories have already started surfaced in advertorial publications, trying to lead the story down other avenues, in a bid to big up major advertisers.

Eventually agendas will be exposed and the whole truth will comes out. Hopefully in court.

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I Have A Fishing Rob...Doesn't Mean I Can Fish.... By Lee Ward.

I have continued to work on my theory (knowledge actually) of the Uber App being illegal, and have continued to search for further evidence.

Some information that I was intrigued to read was from the TfL Press Releases that are found online. The one that I was intrigued about was from the 9th of April 2014 headed ‘TfL Invites trades to help shape regulatory framework for taxi and private hire apps’ where it stated:

However, the rapid pace at which smart phone based technology has been developing in recent years has led to a need for clarity about what is required in order for apps to comply with the regulatory framework in London. 

TfL is seeking to clarify that position and has asked the taxi and private hire trades for their input to formalise the regulatory framework and ensure there is a level playing field for all operators.

 

Leon Daniels, TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: `We welcome developments that make life easier for passengers. 

`As in many other areas of transport and retail services, apps can offer passengers the potential of better and more convenient services. 

`We are asking the trades to embrace these advances in technology, which have the potential to further improve London's taxi and private hire services, and have asked them to be part of the formal process to help shape the regulatory framework in this rapidly developing area.'

It goes on to state;

Apps can put a customer in touch with licensed private hire operators, either by signposting a customer to a choice of licensed operators or by transmitting a customer's data directly to a specific licensed operator.  Apps that deliver this service do not in themselves 'make provision' for the invitation or acceptance of private hire bookings.  Only a licensed operator can 'make provision' for the invitation or acceptance of a booking

And then…

While it is perfectly legal for an app to put a customer directly in touch with a licensed hackney carriage driver, any app that puts a customer directly in touch with a private hire driver without the booking being accepted by an operator first is illegal.  Even if the licensed driver is also a licensed operator, the booking must be accepted at the licensed premises.  A booking can not be accepted by a private hire operator in a vehicle or through a mobile phone on the street.

Now for the threats of legal action, and a reminder of whatslegal (from the very same statement by TfL on the 9th of April 2014)

Only a private hire operator licensed by TfL can make provision for the invitation or acceptance of, or accept, a booking for the purpose of private hire in London.  A licensed private hire operator has to meet a number of legal and regulatory requirements and is subject to regular compliance audits and checks to maintain public safety and promote a high quality service to customers.

Any private hire operator found not to comply with these requirements will be subject to action which can include the suspension or revocation of its licence.

And furthermore states;

Private hire apps may either direct a potential passenger to a choice of licensed private hire operators or transmit the passenger's request directly to a licensed operator who will then accept and record the booking and allocate a driver.  From TfL's perspective, the essential aspect is that an app facilitates a customer to be put in direct contact with a licensed private hire operator.  Any app that puts a passenger in direct contact with a driver for the purpose of a private hire is illegal and TfL will take appropriate action against the person responsible for the app.

Now here is the other info to throw into this mix, the rules and regulations about what an App must adhere to are NOT mentioned again in any post throughout the consultation, none that I could find anyway.

So lets start with some court case about Meters shall we?

On the 2nd of October a certain Leon Daniels stated in regards to the court case mentioned that;

"The consultation we are running has various ideas that came out of the earlier consultation and discussions with the taxi and private hire trades and others. These include stricter rules on insurance, English language and navigational skills. Other ideas around changing the rules governing the use of Apps are clearly more controversial, and we want as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and tell us their views.'

Finally, we have a comment referring to the use of Apps, but only stating that these Apps will be controversial…probably supported by the previous statement of...

“and to review the current regulations that were written well before smartphones were invented.”

So I guess at this point, he had accepted that Apps were bending the rules, and being the want to be politician, he was choosing his words carefully.

Sorry Mr Daniels, but I see through this, I apologise for having a brain and not being a stereotype taxi driver as you perceive us all to be.

OK, so this doesn’t really show much apart from a hint of someone at TfL who is playing a careful game, so let me introduce some other information.

The initial concern shown in the News Press from TfL about the legality of Apps was in April 2014, and it has been shown through a FOI that was discussed on Taxi Leaks on the 1st of August 2016 that Leon Daniels had private conversations with Jo Bertram from Uber UK (article linked here) that happened to start on 11th of June 2014…and then the discussion of Apps being legal went away…I wonder why?

We can always guess, assume or make a conspiracy theory about this, but that would have no support right?

Erm, wrong

This conversation was simply because we had started to prove that Uber were illegal and that the Authorities, TfL and the rest of the licensing authorities across the country had turned a blind eye to this fact.

I can partly see why other authorities have allowed them to be licensed, if the big and mighty TfL have allowed it then it must be legal right?

Wrong again…

TfL through the association with one Leon Daniels have become corrupt, and this may be the best act in the country, just like the famous quote from the film ‘Usual Suspects’

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Perhaps the greatest trick that Uber ever pulled was that they made everyone believe that they were legal…

Let’s be honest here, Uber has a great business model and an App that is great for the customer and driver alike… Yes, I just said that, it’s really me, honest…

But it’s not legal... so it doesn’t count. And here is why. Remember the bit that TfL stated then never bothered to refer back to or address? No? well, its this bit..

Private hire apps may either direct a potential passenger to a choice of licensed private hire operators or transmit the passenger's request directly to a licensed operator who will then accept and record the booking and allocate a driver.  From TfL's perspective, the essential aspect is that an app facilitates a customer to be put in direct contact with a licensed private hire operator.  Any app that puts a passenger in direct contact with a driver for the purpose of a private hire is illegal and TfL will take appropriate action against the person responsible for the app.

Now we add a couple of statements under oath from Uber employees or comments made by a Judge...

First, due to time order and the fact that Uber did not want to pay for a license to be a ‘Transportation Provider’ in Canada, the judge pointed out the terms of the license agreements which stated that;

“Rasier is engaged in the business of providing lead generation to the Transportation Provider comprised of requests for transportation service made by individuals using Uber B.V.’s mobile application (“Clients”).  Through its license of the mobile application (“Software”), Rasier provides a platform for clients to connect with independent Transportation Providers.”

•         “Rasier does not provide transportation services, and is not a transportation carrier.  In fact, the Company neither owns, leases nor operates any vehicles.  The Company’s business is solely limited to providing Transportation Providers with access, through its license with Uber, to the lead generation service provided by the Software, for which the Company charges a fee”. 

Rasier is the name of the company that owns the Uber App (basically) and this shows that the App is nothing more than a tout. (I will keep this short, not for want of proving the point, more for the fact of keeping this post short)

The next point on this is a direct quote from Jo Bertram’sWitness Statement from the Uber Employment Tribunal;

45. ULL is responsible for accepting the booking made by a passenger, as holder of the operator license. However, at the point that a request is made by a Passenger, there is no obligation to provide a vehicle. As I explain below, the booking is accepted by ULL as the relevant private hire vehicle operator and allocated to the Driver. A booking is not accepted by ULL until a Driver has confirmed that they are available and willing to take it. Confirmation and acceptance then takes place by ULL almost simultaneously. A Driver is entirely free to make themselves available to provide the transportation services or not, which is described in further detail below. As such, the Operator License has no impact upon the freedom a Driver has when using the platform.

Here is the part that I think the telephone conversations were regarding (or part of anyway) and that is where it states that;

A booking is not accepted by ULL until a Driver has confirmed that they are available and willing to take it. Confirmation and acceptance then takes place by ULL almost simultaneously.

Almost simultaneously…. That’s NOT before, is it? Or has my ability of the English language left me? I don’t think it has, but I do think that Jo Bertram was careful in using the words almost and simultaneously…it detracts from the basic English of saying ‘after the booking is accepted by the driver, ULL record the booking’

Cambridge Council were given a demonstration as to how the Uber system worked and the following is what Cambridge released to drivers who were complaining about Uber;

1. The Uber rider opens the Uber app, selects their pick up location and presses the “request” button. The rider also has the option at this stage to enter their intended destination and to ask for a fare estimate. 

2. Based on the criteria set by the local Uber staff managing the system through the dispatch tools, the Uber system identifies the most appropriate licensed partner-driver to offer that trip to.

3. When an available licensed partner-driver and vehicle has been identified, the relevant Uber operator for that partner-driver (i.e. the operator licensed by the authority in which the vehicle and its partner-driver is licensed) accepts the booking, logs the booking on the system and sends a confirmation of the booking to the rider (containing the driver's name, photograph, licence plate etc). If the system establishes that no nearby vehicles are available to carry out the trip the rider is notified through the App that no cars are available. 

4. The relevant Uber operation maintains the record of the booking in accordance with its local operating conditions.

Part 3 is simple UberTalk for when a driver accepts a booking request from a passenger (rider sounds just wrong)

Here is a flow chart showing how the Uber App works, see for yourself.

Now I am no Ironside, and certainly no Inspector Morse, but this is not difficult to show that the Uber App is illegal because until a driver accepts the request for a journey then a customer cannot make a booking.

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Act) 1976 states at Section 56

Operators of private hire vehicles.

(1)For the purposes of this Part of this Act every contract for the hire of a private hire vehicle licensed under this Part of this Act shall be deemed to be made with the operator who accepted the booking for that vehicle whether or not he himself provided the vehicle.

Where it says “every contract” is the important part. By a driver saying yes he’s acting as an operator. The contract is with the passenger and the operator, not the passenger and driver.

All other Apps that I am aware of have been developed to work WITHIN the Laws of this country, no matter if those laws were laid down before the idea of smartphones and Apps were so much as an eye in their creators twinkle, those App providers have worked within the Laws of this country and I, as I assume most of you, are willing to accept those. But for an App to be designed to work worldwide and expect that it satisfies all the criteria of every country that it is launched in both beggars beyond belief, and shows the naivety of the authorities that license it.

This World Map shows where Uber has either been banned or is in trouble, last updated 23/12/2016

I can have a fishing rod and it will catch fish all over the world, but it’s only legal when it meets the local legislation…

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