Westminster Council To Relocate And Implement New Taxi Ranks

CITY OF WESTMINSTER TAXI RANKS (VARIOUS LOCATIONS)

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Westminster City Council proposes to make the following Orders under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 as amended:

2. The general effect of the Orders would be to provide taxi rank facilities and revise existing parking controls, as follows:

(a)  Burlington Gardens, to extend the existing “at any time” taxi rank opposite Nos. 3 to 5 from 8 metres to 10 metres (the adjacent diplomatic parking bay and residents’ parking spaces would be moved eastward by 2 metres);

(b)  Charlotte Street, to introduce two “at any time” taxi ranks outside the Charlotte Street Hotel (to replace 10 metres of single yellow line waiting restrictions);

(c)  Dover Street, to relocate 10 metres of the existing “at any time” taxi rank outside Nos. 5 to 7 to outside the Arts Club at No. 40 Dover Street (to replace 10 metres of double yellow line “at any time” waiting restrictions);

(d)  Frith Street, to introduce three taxi ranks (15 metres) outside Nos. 18 and 19, to replace 15 metres of double yellow line “at any time” waiting restrictions. The ranks would operate between 6.30 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. and waiting restrictions would apply outside those hours;

(e)  Hamilton Place / Piccadilly

(i)  to introduce two “at any time” taxi ranks in Hamilton Place outside No. 138

Piccadilly;

(ii)  to relocate the pay-by-phone parking bay outside No. 138 Piccadilly to

outside No. 140 Piccadilly;

(iii)  to replace the existing lengths of single yellow line waiting restrictions on

the north side of Hamilton Place with double yellow line “at any time” waiting restrictions;

(f)  Harewood Avenue / Great Central Place

(i)  to introduce an “at any time” feeder rank (25 metres) outside BNP Paribas

Harewood Avenue (to replace three pay-by-phone bays and a length of “at

any time” waiting restrictions);

(ii)  to introduce an “at any time” feeder rank (30 metres) in the centre of the

carriageway of Harewood Avenue opposite Blandford Square; 

(iii) to relocate the three pay-by-phone bays referred to in paragraph (f)(i) above to Great Central Street (to replace 6 metres of the bus stop clearway on the east side (south of Melcombe Place) and 9 metres of double yellow line “at any time” waiting restrictions;

(g) Wardour Street, to extend the existing “at any time” taxi rank outside the W Hotel at No. 40 Wardour Street by 10 metres north-westward (to replace a length of “at any time” waiting and loading restrictions).

3. The proposed Orders and other documents giving more detailed particulars of the Orders are available for inspection until six weeks have elapsed from the date on which either the Orders are made or the Council decides not to make the Orders between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays inclusive at WSP, Palace Gardens Suite, 27th Floor, Portland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5RS.

4. Further information may be obtained by telephoning the Council’s agents, WSP, telephone number (020) 3116 5998. Details are also available at https://is.gd/NqacaS.

5. Any objections or other representations about the proposals should be sent in writing to the Council’s agents, WSP, Palace Gardens Suite, 27th Floor, Portland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5RS, or by email at tmo.westminster@wsp.com quoting reference 7330/SD, by 11th August 2017. All objections must specify the grounds on which they are made.

Dated 21st July 2017

JONATHAN ROWING

Head of Road Management

(The officer appointed for this purpose) 

Statement of Reasons

The introduction of taxi ranks in Charlotte Street, Frith Street, Harewood Avenue and Hamilton Place/ Piccadilly, the extension of the taxi ranks in Burlington Gardens, Wardour Street and the relocation of the taxi rank in Dover Street are considered necessary to provide additional taxi rank facilities at locations where there is an identified demand.

The introduction of the pay-by-phone parking bays in Great Central Street will ensure that there is no overall loss of parking bays in the area following the introduction of a taxi rank in Harewood Avenue.

The introduction of double yellow line “at any time” waiting restrictions in Dover Street and Piccadilly are necessary to prevent obstructive parking 

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TfL Ignores Difficult Question Asked 12 times, But Defends Questionable CO's Identity

TfLTPH have been refusing to answer this simple question 

@TfLTPH (12)

Could you please tell me what legislated regulation, gives a CO powers to remove property (a news paper) from my Taxi ?

I asked the question after viewing the video of the two COs harassing a Taxi driver on the Harrod's rank and finally taking away a copy of Taxi newspaper that they insisted had a misleading title.

As you can see, I've asked the question 12 times and so far not had one answer. 

And yet another question I asked just once 

@TfLTPH

Could you tell us if the Blonde CO at Harrod's is the same person who drivers for Uber

Kristina Kristinele http://moby.to/uh0z3h

They have answered 14 times and actually although I only asked once, answering me 5 times.

Me thinks the woman doth protest too much. 

The best thing that's come out of all this, is that we've now been told leaving this issue of the back shelf, is probably the best way of informing the public and quite legal as it transpires, TfL have no powers to remove the magazine from your vehicle.

It's thought to be so affective that provincial licence Taxi associations have asked the LTDA to supply them with copies of the issue. SouthEnd Taxis have asked for 500 copies. 

Every driver in London should now put this issue on their back shelf and let's get this message out to the public that TfL have been busy trying to cover up.

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Addison Lee Suffers Latest Defeat In Legal Row Over Gig Economy Rights

Addison Lee has become the latest company to face defeat in court over its treatment of workers as “independent contractors” without rights to holiday pay, sick pay or the national minimum wage.

The employment judge Joanna Wade issued a damning verdict against the £260m-a-year-turnover minicab firm, ruling that it had unlawfully failed to pay the cycle courier Chris Gascoigne, 48, holiday pay and attacking its attempts to “frighten off” Gascoigne from challenging his employment status.

The ruling at the central London employment tribunal that the cycle courier should be classed as a “worker” follows similar verdicts in cases brought against Uber, City Sprint, Excel, and eCourier.

It comes as the government considers recommendations from a Downing Street review to bring in a new law that any self-employed worker under “control” or “supervision” from their contracting company should be considered a “dependent contractor” and benefit from holiday pay, sick pay and the minimum wage.

There are now an estimated 1.1 million people in Britain’s gig economy. Addison Lee’s main business involves 5,000 minicab drivers, who it classes as self-employed, but it also has approximately 500 couriers. Around 40 of them use bicycles, like Gascoigne, who delivered parcels in London for Addison Lee for almost seven years before leaving in March.

“I am really happy,” he said. “It is an important verdict. This is a pretty tough job and I think it is only fair considering what we do. The payments don’t justify the fact we don’t have these pretty basic rights.”

The judge highlighted Addison Lee’s use of contradictory language in its contract to avoid the courier being treated as a worker. Workers were given Addison Lee-branded bags and T-shirts, responded to a central controller and used Addison Lee IT devices, including a system that had no “decline” button when a job was offered. 

Meanwhile Gascoigne was asked to sign a contract that stated: “You agree that you are an independent contractor and that nothing in this agreement shall render you an employee, worker, agent or partner of Addison Lee.”

Wade said the evidence showed “couriers need to be responsive and work quickly during a tightly controlled working day” and pointed to recruitment material on its website saying “we are proud of our couriers – we’d love you to be part of that”.

She said: “It does not say: ‘We want to find couriers who are independent and work on an ad-hoc basis. If you do account work you [will] be a self-employed sub-contractor and for non-account work we will be your agent so you carry the risk.’ Not only is this confusing and wordy, it is not the way the business ran, or could run, as [Addison Lee] well knew. This is why it employed ‘armies’ of lawyers; to do the best possible job to ensure that the claimant and his colleagues did not have … worker status.”

Wade also said she was saddened that the contract included a clause “designed to frighten him off from litigating”. It stated that he should “indemnify Addison Lee against any liability for any employment-related claim or any claim based on worker status brought by you”. This, said the judge, “suggests they knew the risk of portraying the claimant as self-employed”.

Gascoigne’s case was supported by the International Workers of Great Britain trade union.

Its general secretary, Jason Moyer-Lee, said: “As if we needed any more evidence, today’s judgment once again proves our point. The law is clear, and employers in the so-called gig economy have been choosing to unlawfully deprive their workers of rights. Yet another domino has fallen with regard to the inevitable conclusion that people in the so-called gig economy are workers.”

A spokesman for Addison Lee said: “We note the tribunal’s verdict, which we will carefully review. Addison Lee is disappointed with the ruling as we have always had, and are committed to maintaining a flexible and fair relationship with cycle couriers.”

Source : Guardian. 

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Our Badge Is Not Enough To Use A LUL Toilet! You Now Need A Sticker.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, TfL come out with even more ludicrous regulations. If you're in need of a good laugh, have a read of this posted on the TfL website. 🔽

Oxford Circus station and Warwick Avenue station toilet access for taxi drivers

As part of the Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, the Mayor made a commitment to give taxi (black cab) drivers better access to Transport for London (TfL) facilities, such as toilets.

A trial is underway at Oxford Circus and Warwick Avenue Underground stations to give All London and Suburban taxi drivers access to the staff toilets at the two Tube stations.

In order to use the facilities, taxi drivers will need to leave their paper taxi driver's licence with the control room while they are in the station. This is to ensure the safety of drivers in case of a station evacuation.

These arrangements will be kept under review, and are only open to London licensed taxi drivers. Further information about the access to other TfL sites will be released in due course.

Oxford Circus station

Taxi drivers may park at the (new) rest rank in Conduit Street and leave their taxi for up to 60 minutes.

To access the toilets enter the station via entrance 2 (outside Tezenis) or 3 (outside United Colors of Benetton) and contact the station control room using the intercom.

During Night Tube hours, as well leaving your licence with the control room, you will be asked to wear a sticker to show that you have access to the staff area, as it will be closed to the public.

Access to the staff toilets will be available to taxi drivers at the following times and days:

Monday to Friday: 05:30 - 07:30, 10:30 - 17:00 and 20:00 - 23:59

Saturdays: 00:00 - 23:59

Sundays: 00:00 - 23:59

It is not possible to grant access between 07:30 - 10:30 and 17:00 -20.00 on weekdays as these are peak operational times.

Warwick Avenue station

Parking is available at the nearby refreshment rank. Taxi drivers may leave their taxi on the rank for up to 45 minutes but are reminded to use the refreshment shelter when it is open.

The station toilets will be available from:

Monday to Friday: 10:30 - 15:30

These times avoid the morning and evening commuter peak and match the opening hours of both the station and refreshment shelter. Ends...

I can just imagine it... Sorry mate we've run out of stickers, you'll have to wet yourself !

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TFL's Cosy Little Arrangement... Plus, Totally Failing The Disabled.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive. 

Why has TfLTPH general manager taken to sending Jo Bertram letters in an attachment?

Is that to stop the contents being available to freedom of information requests?

Nice little special relation ship going on here between Uber and a licensing authority who's commissioner refuses to meet with Taxi trade orgs !!!

TfL Totally Failing the disabled :

TfL have Totally failed disabled Taxi passengers in London. Segregated cycle lanes are now proving to be a massive problem with Taxi ramps -which enable wheelchair users to board Taxis- (the only 100% wheelchair accessible service in London) 

Dr Alice Maynard and Tanni Grey-Thompson, both wheelchair users, both on the board of TfL and both had been informed of this difficulty before the implementation of the segregated lanes, but both failed to speak up for the disabled lobby. 

Both have also failed to speak out against the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, which could see wheelchair users disenfranchised from Europe's busiest shopping street. Absolutely disgraceful. 

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Mexico Cab (Taxi) Drivers Attack Uber Drivers In Pitch Battle

   

A raucous crowd attacked Uber drivers and their vehicles with clubs and stones outside the Mexico City airport, according to the company, as licensed taxi drivers demonstrated to demand a “total halt” to app-based rideshare services in the capital.

Video of the demonstration showed people throwing eggs and flour inside the windows of vehicles, kicking doors and trying to rip off side mirrors. One man destroyed a sedan’s rear window with a large rock.

“What happened is a very grave attack on everyone’s freedom and right to make a living in a dignified manner,” Uber said. “Incidents like this are completely unacceptable and we trust that authorities will act so that justice is done.”

Wednesday’s attack and a taxi drivers’ protest outside the Colombian embassy on Tuesday to proclaim solidarity with cabbies in that country and around the world are a clear signal that newly issued regulations designed to create a legal framework for Uber and the smaller Cabify have not put an end to Mexico City’s simmering taxi dispute.

An Uber spokeswoman, Rocio Paniagua, told Televisa news that between 10 and 12 cars had been damaged in Tuesday’s clashes. Some drivers were struck but there were no reports of serious injuries. She said taxi cabs had been used to block off the street but those who took part were not carrying anything to identify who they were.

At Wednesday’s protest, leaders of the Organised Taxi Drivers of Mexico City union denied any involvement in the “regrettable” incident. They promised to pursue only legal avenues and said the attack had been carried out by people fed up with Uber drivers parking in their neighbourhood for airport pickups.

“They are decisions that the neighbors of the area made but we have nothing to do with it,” said a union spokesman, Juan Carlos Rovira. “We say so categorically.”

This month Mexico City became the first city in Latin America to set down official regulations for smartphone-based ride services such as Uber. They call for the companies to pay 1.5% of fares to a fund for improving transportation; require drivers to register and submit to annual inspections; and bar them from accepting cash or establishing the equivalent of taxi stands.

Cabbies questioned whether Uber drivers may have been breaking that last rule by parking outside the airport. Paniagua said the company’s drivers were not permitted to wait on airport grounds so they stayed in the surrounding streets until customers who summoned rides were in a place where they could be picked up.

Several dozen medallion-cab drivers rallied at the demonstration, setting off firecrackers. They hoisted signs calling rideshare operators “criminals” and criticising the mayor, Miguel Angel Mancera, for letting them operate.

They vowed to continue pushing for the regulations to be repealed or modified until they feel there is a truly level playing field. “These transnational applications are infiltrating different countries as an economic parasite, endangering the livelihood of thousands of taxi drivers and their families and devouring the market for the legally established service,” said a union official, Ignacio Rodriguez.

Uber is increasingly popular among middle- and upper-class Mexicans as they turn to what they consider a safer, more reliable, more pleasant, convenient and cost-competitive alternative to street cabs.

In a poll, 80% of Mexico City residents surveyed gave Uber positive ratings, compared with 52% for medallion cabs. Just 12% said they backed a ban on Uber.

Francisco Rodriguez Esquivel, a 61-year-old who has been driving a cab for 15 years, said the airport attack was the “unfortunate” but unsurprising result of pent-up frustration.

“I think it’s a logical consequence, that people start to get desperate because these companies continue to work and are probably even laughing at us,” Rodriguez said. “The struggle continues, and it is going to continue until this gets fixed.”

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TfL COs Protecting Stakeholder Partner Uber From Bad Press

TfL Compliance officers are now protecting their partners Uber from bad press. 

Although they do not possess the power to enter a Taxi and take anything out of the vehicle without th drivers permission, two TfL COs harassed a Cabby on Harrod's  rank entering the vehicle and removing a copy of a Taxi paper that had been left on the shelf of the back seats. 

The first CO insisted that the headline was misleading "Rapist Uber Driver a Jailed For 12 years".

The second CO said "This is not TFL's belief !".

The driver said "So you think that didn't happen?"

And the CO replied "I can't say it did or it didn't".

Well perhaps the young lady should read the Taxi...or the Daily Mail, and she may be better informed. 

   

What next?

Will TfL be policing the drop bins at stations and Cabby shelters removing any publication that puts their partner Uber in a bad light?

Is this not 'censorship'.

It's my belief that TfL do not have the power under law to remove any property from within the vehicle, I have been informed by other COs that in their opinion they don't. 

Taxi Leaks have this morning asked TfLTPH on their Twitter account, what regulation gives them the right to enter and remove property from a Taxi, but as yet haven't had a reply.

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