The State Of The Trade : Time For A Council Of War.

When Churchill was offered the job of Prime Minister by the King he said “I only hope it’s not too late, but I fear it is”

But never the less he took on the job at hand, later at dinner making this toast... “Here's to not buggering it up”.

Churchill was a big Taxi user, here he is paying the driver in 1908.

The State Of The Trade 

The engagement policy as it stands must be torn up, it has seriously damaged the trades drivers representation. There must be no good behaviour clauses. We should not be going cap in hand to TfL, Mike Brown should be begging us for meetings on our terms, not his.

As it stands now, our trade is on the verge of collapse. 

We are in the last chance saloon and we have only two courses to choose from; 

1. Fight hard, fight for victory, even if it entails fighting dirty

2. Or behave, capitulate and die out.

We have a clear view of our enemies now and unfortunately they include some from within our own ranks, who have turned against their own to get into TfLs good books.

The gravy train is now at the end of the line!

It’s time to draw a line in the sand. 

Only you can decide on which side you stand;

a) With the rank and file trade fighters

b) Or with the I’m alright Jack apathetic capitulates.

The first thing Churchill did as coalition PM, was to form a war council. 

We need to form our own war council as soon as possible, consisting of 6 members who will represent our 6 representative groups. 

No one must be judged solely on what they’ve done or said in the past, but what they can do now and in the future.

I’ve had some gruelling battles with other drivers over the years, and I’ve still got many who despise me over my actions and outspoken personal opinions. Recently, I’ve been accused of changing with the tide, but those who can't change there minds, will never be able to change anything.

Personally, I’ve never held onto a grudge based on historic rhetoric or circumstance and I’ve always believed that everyone is entitled to a second chance.

But the football supporter politics of members following their org leaders has got to stop. It's time to judge these people by their actions (or non-action in most cases).

To use a phrase from the sport, come and have a go if you think your good enough. 

So What Is Our Aim...You May Well Ask!

I will answer in one word 

“Victory”...because without victory, there will be no survival, no trade!

Our policy must be to wage war on our enemies, if it involves fighting dirty, the so be it. 

There must be no surrender, no capitulation and no more negotiated wait and sees.

At present, our entire trade appears to be in full retreat, with moral at an all time low. Many drivers are deserting the trade they worked so hard to become part of and are going back to former professions. But to many, this job is all they have, all they know. 

We must never give up.

We should not flag or fail...whatever the cost, we must defend our trade and never, ever, surrender.

One bond unites us all, musher, journeyman, plus supporting industry....we need to fight to save all our jobs. 

Negotiation has never worked with TfL so we have to hit them hard where it hurt them the most, there financial potential.

As the great man himself once said, “if we fight, we may not win.... but if we don’t fight, I guarantee, we will lose. 

  

But what ever happens as we go forward now, we must not allow this glorious trade to go down without a fight.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT : 

Watch this short video to see how Prince Charles feels about the London Taxi Trade.

   

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TfL forced to drop plans to slash Taxicard budget in face of Town Hall opposition

Council bosses have welcomed a commitment to maintain funding for the popular Taxicard scheme after Transport for London and City Hall proposed cuts in their support.

Operated by London Councils, the scheme funds subsidised taxi journeys for disabled and mobility impaired Londoners, allowing them to make journeys many would otherwise struggle to carry out on public transport.

Funding is provided by TfL, which is chaired by Mayor Sadiq Khan, and London’s local councils, with users paying just a small contribution towards their fare.

In December London Councils, which represents all councils in the capital, expressed concern after TfL proposed a 13% cut to its funding in the coming financial year, followed by further, smaller, cuts in the following years.

Councillor Julian Bell, Chair of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee and the Labour leader of Ealing Council, claimed the proposal went against Mayor Khan’s election pledge to support the scheme.

In a letter to City Hall, he also warned that the cuts, which were proposed without first carrying out an equalities impact assessment, could leave them open to a legal challenge.

In response to the criticisms Val Shawcross, Mr Khan’s transport deputy, insisted the Mayor and TfL were “fully committed to the Taxicard scheme, and can guarantee that there will no reduction at all in the service being provided anywhere in London.”

On Friday London Councils announced that the planned cuts had been dropped with TfL now guaranteeing that, in the 2018/19 financial year, the scheme will receive the same level of funding as it did in the previous year, as well any increases needed to cover rises in taxi fares.

Cllr Bell said: “We are delighted that we have secured this commitment on behalf of London’s Taxicard users and our member boroughs.

“TfL’s proposal to cut their funding contribution to the Taxicard scheme would have had a significant impact on the level of subsidy offered, limiting people’s ability to travel in and around the capital.

“Now we know that TfL’s Taxicard’s budget will be maintained in 2018-19, we can focus on ensuring the scheme works in the best possible way for users and our member boroughs

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TFL's Helping Hand For Uber, Good Luck, Or Contrived ?

While Uber Could Theoretically Pay No Fees For Three More Years, 46 Private Hire Firms Have Stopped Trading Since The TfL hiked Fees. 

New figures have shown almost fifty Private Hire Operators have closed their doors since the 5000% rise in license fee’s by Transport for London was introduced.

The Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), which campaigned to get Private Hire Vehicles (minicabs and chauffeurs) in London licensed, will challenge Transport for London (TfL) in the High Court next week (6th February).

It has brought about judicial review proceedings for what it sees as punitive and unfair increases in the cost of Licensed Operator Fees.

A freedom of information request to TfL has shown that in September 2017, when the new fees were approved, there were 2,445 PHV Operators licensed. By 3 December 2017, there were just 2,399. TfL has stated that it needs to increase costs to meet operator licensing, compliance and enforcement costs.

Steve Wright Chair of the LPHCA says: “I have spent all my working life seeking to improve standards and safety in London. TfL’s own figures show there are fantastic levels of compliance because Operators in London have been regulated for over 15 years. We are concerned that monies raised by these increases will not be used for Operator compliance but be used elsewhere by TfL.’

He added; “We are taking legal action ‘more in sorrow than in anger’. What we hope is that the High Court will rule in our favour and that TfL will engage with us and other key trade bodies to discuss fees that are realistic, affordable and proportionate to the cost of running its compliance and enforcement function.”

TfL’s own figures show that the most compliant medium-sized operators are being subjected to punitive costs. Some long-established minicab companies have seen the cost of a five-year licence escalate from £2,826 to £30,000. By simply adding one vehicle, their costs would rise to £150,000. The addition of one driver would take them into a higher tier and cost the company £54,000 at the point of licence change.

A TfL spokeswoman told Evening Standard that the number of businesses closing was “fairly consistent” with recent years.

She said the fee rises were “proportionate” after a dramatic rise in the size of the industry over the last five years had greatly increased the costs of overseeing them. The fees will fund extra compliance officers “who do a crucial job in driving up standards and ensuring passengers remain safe”.

The case will be considered on various aspects including the allegation that TfL did not undertake a considered and thorough consultation prior to the introduction of these fees and failed to carry out an independent regulatory impact assessment.

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Exclusive Breaking News: Taxis Left Unplated For 12 Weeks Or More To be Removed From Service In London.

New regulations from TfL regarding unplated Taxis, could put huge a strain on fleet rental garages, that have excess vehicles they have no drivers for.

It’s common practise for large fleet owners not to plate taxis until they have a rental client. 

An alleged email has been sent to NSL from TfL requesting that any Taxi vehicle left unplated for 12 weeks or more, must be removed completely from London’s fleet and will not be eligible for plating in the TfL licensing area. The current time limit for unplated vehicles was 2 years I believe. 

Taxi Leaks has asked TfL to confirm this new regulation. 

We await their reply. 

Worrying New MOT Rules, 

are due to come into force this spring, but there is already concern that they could put the safety of vehicles at risk. 

Under the new system, a new set of failure and defect categories will be introduced labelling problems as ‘dangerous’, ‘major’ or ‘minor’. The RAC is concerned that while any dangerous faults will lead to failure, vehicles with minor problems will pass the test.

EU roadworthiness package

The new measures are part of the EU Roadworthiness Package that is being introduced in May 2018. 

There are concerns that the classification will leave the seriousness of defects open to the interpretation of the tester, and this could lead to confusion.

RAC Spokesman Simon Williams said that while the new changes might seem sensible, they are concerned that many motorists could become confused by the system when indicating how serious a fault is with their car.

Rather than creating a straightforward black and white system of pass or fail, the new system leaves the status of the vehicle open to interpretations and could vary from one test centre to another. There are also other changes coming in that could further confuse matters.

Changing status

For example, under the new guidelines, there will be new criteria for steering mechanisms. A steering box leaking oil would be a minor fault, but there is room for interpretation on the part of the tester. So, while some might see it as trivial, others might see it as dangerous and fail the car.

The RAC went on to say that while they acknowledged that the government had little choice in the new regulations, they believe that the current MOT system works fine and doesn’t need to be amended.

Diesel Emissions Again:

While it appears that MOT passes for petrol vehicle appear to be easier, the war against diesels escalates.

Following the scandal in recent years with the diesel cars, any vehicle that has a diesel particulate filter or DPF will be issued with a ‘major’ fault if there is any visible smoke from the vehicle, regardless of the colour.

There will also be checks to see if the DPF has been ‘tampered’ with or ‘removed’ and if the tester finds it has, then the owner must prove ‘legitimate reasons’ for this action such as cleaning. But any car without one can be failed without any further reason.

This highlights the ongoing anti-diesel movement from the authorities with new measures being harsher on diesel vehicles than on petrol. Garages have been required to check the DPF as part of the MOT since 2014, but the new standards will see an instant fail if the vehicle is producing smoke of any kind and the filter is missing or altered.

Maintaining a DPF

The DPF is designed to capture and store those harmful exhaust particles that cause so many problems when they escape into the air. The issue is they only have a finite lifespan and need to be emptied or burned off to regenerate and continue to function correctly.

In most cases, a good run down the motorway is the solution for removing the excess emissions soot in the DPF. It ensures that the car doesn’t emit smoke of any colour, especially the tell-tale black smoke associated with diesel engines.

Euro 5 regulations introduced in 2009 made them compulsory. If you have one on your vehicle and you haven’t had a good run down the motorway, you might be best to have a garage check the DPF before your MOT comes around.

Get your new MOT

So, under the new test, if your vehicle has any dangerous or significant faults it will be an automatic failure. These new measures with the DPF could condemn diesel cars to a retest. On the petrol car front, vehicles with minor problems, could still pass – even though they may need extra work doing to keep it running in top condition.

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Uber Plans A Shake-Up Of Driver Ratings Plus A Higher Level Of Service With A Nicer Car...by Gerald Coba

Uber has revealed it is planning to shake up driver ratings so customers will be able to opt for a higher service level as well as a nicer car.

Currently users of the ride instant hailing (illegally plying for hire) app rate their journey from one to five stars based on their experience. 

But Dara Khosrowshahi, who took the helm last August, said it wanted drivers who were "particularly good" to be rated "at a different level".

He said the firm was "very, very early" on the path to doing this.

"We want to allow the user to opt-in to a higher level of service because right now the only higher level of service that we define is a nicer car... and I think the car and service are two different things," he said.

'Break from the past'

This news comes in the wake of a 50% rise in sexual assaults (including rape) on Uber passengers in London by drivers. 

Last year 13,000 Uber drivers presented fake DBS criminal record background check certificates. 

In response to questions about safety, Mr Khosrowshahi said the firm was "doubling down" on background checks and vehicle licences so it could continue to grow. 

Apparently only 2600 of the 13,000 have reapplied with new DBS checks, the others have all been swept under the carpet by TfLTPH.

It was a rare public appearance by Mr Khosrowshahi, who has kept a low profile since taking the helm of the firm last August. 

Speaking in a packed room at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Khosrowshahi said the firm "had to make a break from the past and go forward as a company that does the right thing", although he made no mention of his drivers murders, terrorist attacks, sexual assaults of fraudulent data mining of customers accounts.

He is attempting to rescue the firm's reputation following investigations by multiple regulators and a lawsuit over allegedly stolen technology.

Former chief executive Travis Kalanick was ousted from the top role in June but remains a board member.

The firm also continues to experience steep losses. 

Mr Khosrowshahi said the fact that an Uber driver could be with you within minutes of ordering and its low cost meant its popularity would continue.

In London the app has been shown to be illegal and TfL have refused to relicense the company over safety issues.

Khosrowshahi predicted that, even with the advent of self-driving cars, Uber still intend to recruit double the amount of drivers it currently has within the next 10 years. In London this would see their fleet rise to 80,000. Currently drivers registered and licensed in London by TfL, are working all over the UK....although Khosrowshahi failed to mention this in Davos.

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Gett Undercutting Their Own Black Cab Drivers With Their Porsche PHV Minicab Service...by Michael Ryan

Gett Porsche phv, are now undercutting their own Black Cab drivers, by offering customers a Porsche, at a lower fare than a Black Cab... nothing to worry about???

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TfL's £400m Shortfall : Sadiq Khan Shows Consultations Are Waist Of Time.

Transport for London is said to be facing a £400m hole in its budget, as disgruntled passengers increasingly desert Buses and Tubes for an illegal, cheap minicab service, using drivers with virtually no criminal record checks, back by the government. Is TfL a victim of its own corruption?

We've seen Uber driver terrorist attacks, sexual assaults including rapes up 50% last year, road traffic accidents at an alarming level, passenger account details hacked, bogus journeys charged to unsuspecting account holders...but it is supported by the Tories, TfL and the Mayor's office...and of course, it's cheap (sometimes)!

But what price do you put on your personal safety, and that of you family and friends?

TfL tube fares income alone is projected to fall £239m below expectations this financial year, with commercial income - from advertising, retail and property - £160m down, according to confidential documents leaked to the media.

London's overstaffed, congestion causing bus service has been hit hardest and now the Mayor says he will oversee a more compact bus service as increasingly more passengers chose to use an unsafe, illegal instant hail smart phone app, rather than wait for buses stuck in the Khanage of road works and reduced road space caused by cycle lanes. 

The Tube is hit with 20m fewer journeys being made between September and December, bucking the trend of increased travel in the run-up to Christmas. So far this year, Tube passenger numbers are almost four per cent, or 38 million journeys, below target.

Concerns have been mounting that rush-hour Bus service delays and cancellations on the Tube and overground train network have caused tempers to fray, prompting TfL to ask British Transport Police to reinstate "local policing teams".

"There has been a rise in aggression between passengers, pushing and shoving, verbal disputes and threatening behaviour at the busy commuter times when services are at peak capacity," a report to today's (Tuesday's) TfL board said.

The situation seems to be out of control as passengers seem even more willing to risk the dangers of sexual predators and untrained minicab drivers 13,000 without the proper criminal background checks, because of the cheapness due to predator pricing.

Interesting to hear from Mayor Khan on BBC London news last night, when talking about the poor performance of the Bus service, he said 'when Oxford street is pedestrianised'....but to be fair, they was always going to do it, no matter what the public consultation wanted.

Goes to show that these TfL consultations ain't worth the ePaper they are written on!

They are about as important as online petitions.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT : Other news.

It appears London has already breached its yearly European pollution limit. But this isn't because pollution is unbelievably bad, it's because the level is set so low.

Experts say that even if they removed all the traffic from central London, we would still breach the European limits well before December, with just the ambient fumes from home central heating, industrial discharge, air conditioning, and pollution blown across the channel. 

The more they try to deal with a problem, the murkier it all gets. 

Remember when Boris removed the "older, dirty Taxis", replacing them with new models which gave out higher levels of NO2 and Nox. 

Defra report in 2013 showed ALL emissions strategies in London failed and Mayor Boris' Age limit on Taxis was improper, and based on lies.

Back in 2012, we saw an investigation by a legal team from the RMT Union, who reported back that although the Mayor's age limit itself could be deemed as improper and likely to be illegal. 

The fact that the age limit was offered to the Mayor on behalf of the trade by an unelected drivers group, some of whom have never driven a Taxi as a living, any challenge would be unlikely to be successful.

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