Day 3 : ITA Protesting Against A Licensing Authority Refusing To Protect The Public

Yesterday's protest at Marble Arch was an overwhelming success. A big thank you to all the drivers who put themselves out to support their colleagues. The police used disruptive tactics by stoping protestors driving around Marble Arch and diverted Cabs southbound onto Park Lane.

At one point police stopped traffic entering Park Lane northbound but this soon backfired as traffic in SW1 came to a standstill.

Grosvenor Gate was closed by police out riders, but Curzon Gate remained accessible through most of he afternoon. The protest built up steadily with cabs arriving from all direction and soon traffic came to a standstill with surrounding areas gridlocked. 

TfL stopped the buses running, and for over two hours none were seen in Park Lane, Bayswater or Edgware Road. 

After the demo, the Met a Police issue threats to future protestors saying that any driver seen deliberately driving slow, stopping for no reason or wilfully obstructing others risk prosecution. They also warned that they have body worn cameras which would be used to gather evidence against us. 

           

 

Funny, no such warnings were issued to a banned terrorist group who were allowed to march across London and converge on Whitehall. It seems terrorists have more rights under European Human Rights laws than Cab drivers. 

But overall the support officers policing the protest were in good spirit. Their job is to do their best for both protesters and the public caught up in the insuring chaos. The organisers felt a good balance was achieved, in spite of the disruptive measures which actually backfired and helped spread out the protest. 

Day Three:

Today's legitimate protest location is Parliament Square at the earlier time of 12 o/c midday for Prime Minister's Question Time. 

We can expect the police to try to disrupt with diversions again, so please turn in to social media and WhatsApp groups for information. 

The fight goes on....

Long Live The Taxi Trade 

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Day Two Of The Driver Led Proactive ITA Series Of Protests.

Militant drivers will be holding a mass ply for hire this afternoon at Marble Arch, 3:30 pm. 

It is hoped that we will achieve the same turnout this afternoon as yesterday. 

The protest will have the same list of grievances as Mondays protest, but with the added bonus....a forewarning to Westminster Council, TfL and Sadiq Khan, of the utter chaos that will ensue following the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.

Unless affirmative action is taken by TfL to address the issue forthwith, the protests will continue til Friday 19th January, and intermittently thereafter.

Policing was light to begin with on day one at the Elephant, but as the week goes on, it's expected there may be a more heavy handed approach. So let's not give them any reason to pull us.

 

  • Lights on....mass ply for hire

  • Lights off, seat-belts should be worn 

  • Try not to touch your phones while driving

We've been informed that TfL are asking protesting drivers to reconsider their actions, but truth is, they have offered nothing to reconsider about.

Sect. 26 (2) of the PHV ACT 1998, gives TfL the right to immediately revoke Uber's operating licence. 

The licensed taxi trade, via The ITA, call for the immediate, and unconditional revocation of Uber’s licence.

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PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ITA LEGITIMATE PROTEST: LICENSED TAXI DRIVERS AGAINST TfL

The week commencing 15th January the licensed taxi trade will stage a series of peaceful protests against Transport for London (TFL). The protest is due to TfL’s passivity in dealing with illegal activity and the disregard they have for the safety of the travelling public. 

Unless affirmative action is taken by TfL to address the issue forthwith, the protests will continue til Friday 19th January, and intermittently thereafter.

TfL has published a 21-page letter stating that it found the company’s central computer accepted a booking only after a driver had done so. 

The process fundamentally changes the way a Private Hire Driver can be accessed, stating, “the point is determinative and that Uber’s current operating model is accordingly unlawful”.

The ITA – an umbrella pressure group made up of 5000+ individual black cabs drivers who have been effected directly by the illegal activity- firmly believe the judgement should be overturned and proceedings brought against senior Uber managers for perjury.

Even though Uber is deemed ‘Not Fit and Proper’ to operate in the Capital they continue to do so pending an appeal. As far as we’re concerned, nothing has changed except Uber can now operate and is exempt from paying the Operator Licence fee.

This is inaction by TfL is unacceptable. No other company would be granted diplomatic immunity in the same way as Uber has. Playing lip-service does nothing to address the illegality of their operation or ensure public safety. A strong message needs to be sent by TfL so other companies who might consider entering the market need to abide by the prevailing legislation. 

Evidently, not doing so has grave consequences.

http://ift.tt/2mGOtrp driver-who-stabbed-wife-to-death-convicted-of-murder- a3395481.html

http://ift.tt/2r5udVm driver-killed-children-perfect-dad.html

http://ift.tt/2mI9stW rape-drunken-women-pick-up-bar-jahir-hussain-east-london- jailed-12-years-convicted-taxi-a7837686.html

http://ift.tt/2r9834r palace-attack-latest-updates-uber-driver-sword-police- officers-mall-court-chowdhury-a7959256.html

           

Further allegations involve Uber not reporting to the authorities a series of sex attacks by its drivers where at least one case resulted in the attacker striking again. In the year to February 2017, Scotland Yard recorded 48 alleged sexual assaults by Uber drivers, most of which were reported by passengers. Others allegations were made through Transport for London (TfL), the capital's regulator.

Why did TfL not follow these allegations up sooner? Why did they wait until a senior Met Police Office expressed his concern? Failure to report public order cases meant it was too late to prosecute by the time word reached police. 

Surely, to not follow up these allegations, or trusting a corporation -whose T&C state that they are not responsible for the behaviour of the driver- to do what is ‘fit and proper’ is abdicating their regulatory duties to maintain standard based practices.

ITA insist on questions being answered regarding the initial licensing of Uber. Jo Bertram (previous Vice President for the UK & Nordics), is quoted at the time of saying, “Uber passed TfL’s most stringent and comprehensive audit of a Private Hire Operator to date passing with flying colours. We cannot however, find any documentation of this in-depth audit or who conducted it?

Further concerns are that TfL allowed Uber to conduct medical examinations of new drivers over the internet, and fast track criminal checks on its own drivers, a process that was supposed to be carried out independently. Meanwhile, due to the vast number of PH licenses having to be processed

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) were struggling to renew taxi driver licenses on time. Sometimes seeing delays of up to 4 months

http://ift.tt/2mGQwvK reveals-dodgy-gps-getting-cash-to-help-minicab-and-uber- drivers-fake-medical-test-over-fitness-to-drive/

http://ift.tt/2ra9Ztu drivers-apply-new-criminal-record-checks.html

Although the emphasis focuses on TfL’s relationship with Uber, the consequences of that relationship have been severely shouldered by the taxi trade for nearly six years, much of which has gone unreported by the mainstream press.

Therefore, under Sect. 26 (2) of the PHV ACT, the licensed taxi trade, via The ITA, call for the immediate, and unconditional revocation of Uber’s licence.

ITA Liaison Correspondent

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The ITA Urge London Taxi Drivers Concerned About Their Livelihood To Join Them At The Elephant And Castle Today 3:30 pm

The driver led Proactive ITA will be holding a mass ply for hire this afternoon at the Elephant and Castle, 3:30 pm. 

They are hoping to draw awareness to the fact that TfL have conspired and colluded with, an illegal, unfit private hire operator. 

Today's gathering is just the first in a series of gatherings which will take place this week.

The ITA urge every driver, concerned about their livelihood to attend. 

Below is a list of grievances currently being experienced by London's Licensed Taxi drivers. 

• TfL, are currently allowing an unlicensed, unfit and illegal operator to flout the law

• TfL are currently allowing a third of the unlicensed, unfit, illegal operator's workforce (13,000 drivers) to work in London, after presenting fake DBS certificates when applying for their private hire licence

• TfL are allowing private hire drivers to work, after producing fake medical certificates when applying for their private hire licence

• TfL are allowing Private hire drivers to illegal accept direct hirings in their car

• TfL accept private hire drivers who's licenses have been revoked by other licensing authorities

• TfL colluded with an unfit operator during a police investigation

• TfL conspired with an unfit operator to streamline private hire applications

• TfL refused to initiate checks on an unfit private hire operator for 5 years

• TfL assisted an unfit operator to illegally circumnavigate regulations

• TfL lied to the GLA about PH on/off insurance cover

• TfL lied to the GLA about checking an unfit, illegal operators modus operandi

• TfL lied to the GLA about an unfit, illegal operator's nonexistent contact phone number

• TfL have caused mental, physical and financial stress to legitimate licensed Taxi drivers. 

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New Justice Secretary To Review Worboys Parole After Pressure From Cabinet Colleagues

Justice Secretary David Gauke has requested advice from lawyers on whether the release of black cab rapist John Worboys could be challenged in court.

The decision of the Parole Board to approve the release of Worboys later this month caused outrage amongst his victims, charities and MPs.

According to the Sunday Times, Mr Gauke, who became Justice Secretary last Monday, has come under pressure from four fellow Cabinet ministers to bring a judicial review of the decision.

In a statement, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed lawyers had been asked to make an assessment on the merits of an intervention.

Although we were told the parole board decision was final and couldn't be changed, we are now told that's not the case. 

Can these four fellow cabin ate members now put pressure on the Justice secretary David Gauke to now have a look at a few other problems the London Taxi trade have been told can't be amended or changed.

Let's see this man put a complete halt to the unsafe, illegal car service, currently working on a theoretical licence in the interest of public safety!

Let's see him put an immediate stop on the 12,000 private hire drivers with fake DBS criminal record check DBS certificate!

Let's see him revoke the licenses of the many hundreds of private hire drivers who presented fake medical checks!

This posted earlier today on the LCDC FaceBook group by Chairman of the LCDC Grant Davis :

Let’s hope the Justice system sees sense and reviews this whole situation:

And why they are at it, let’s scrape the whole PH “letter of good conduct sham” and also put a stop to the remaining 12,000 PH drivers with fake DBS working and putting woman at risk!

If the Govt actually want to do something for woman safety, let’s do it properly for woman’s safety now and going forwards.

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Part 2. The Future....The End Of The Road For Those Who Will Not StandUp And Fight

The Future....The End Of The Road For Those Who Will Not Stand Up And Fight...by Dave Davies.