As The Gig Economy Brings Our Trade To Its Knees, Should The PM Be Tried For Treason???

Ever wondered why London is dying on its feet?

Uber eats, Deliveroo etc are killing the restaurants, Netflix is killing cinemas and theatre. 

People are just too lazy to go out.

Then we have the zombies who want everything cut price, saying:

"Why should I have to walk around looking for a Taxi to flag down, when I can use an app!"

These are the lost soles (the walking dead) who are having their phones taken off them by riders on mopeds (taking candy off of babies comes to mind). 

You see them night after night, phone gazing outside restaurants (with 5 or 6 Taxis ranked up orange light glowing) waiting up to 20 minutes for an Uber driver who can't find the street let alone the location. Seeing them throw their hands in the air after the second Uber. Drivers has cancelled at £6 a pop. Or sigh in disbelief when they're told owing to availability, prices have surged by x2.5

They don't see the procession of orange lights driving passed them, along the street, as their focus is firmly fixed to their small phone screen, watching icons move around like ants. We are told that this isn't plying for trade ( plying for hire) as this isn't in real time but actually a screen saver......this is another lie told at the Uber 'is it a meter' case.

Jeff Bezos announced his net worth $150b, marking HM the richest man in history. High streets are being devastated by his internet shopping company Amazon, with packages being delivered by migrant workers bought here from outside the EU to work at less than the minimum wage, by politicians who tell us we have to help these poor unprotected 25 year old children! 

In 1649, Charles 1st was led out through a window to a raised platform in front of Banqueting House on Whitehall and executed on the authority of Oliver Cromwell. 

He had been found guilty of treason for raising an army of Dutch soldiers to fight against Englishmen. 

This is no more than what successive governments have done by flooding the UK market with migrant workers from outside the EU, to work below the minimum rate and take jobs away from the indigenous working classes. 

Should Theresa May and her cabinet be put on trial for treason???

Welcome to the gig economy

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Shame He Wasn't Working For Uber...He Could Have Got A Not Guilty From An 'On Side' Magistrate???

Milton Keynes Council and Thames Valley Police have shown London, Reading and York, how to put together a case against a Privat Hire driver, illegally plying for hire outside his licensed area, after TfL and Reading council failed miserably to bring Uber to book.

Still it must be said that Uber appear to bring  with them their own sympathetic judiciary and also appear to be able to get away with perjury on an industrial level.

When was the last time were saw in the media that an Uber driver had been successfully prosecuted by TfL or the Met???

Even the palace terrorist attacker, who drive at a police car and towards the Gates of Buckingham Palace, then attacked police officers with a Samurai sword has had his case thrown out of court as the jury unbelievably couldn't agree that he'd committed a crime.....you couldn't make this stuf up!!!

The Exhibition Road Uber driver, who ploughed into pedestrians outside the National History Museum had been the subject of a media gagging order....just how deep does government interference and cover ups go??? 

Meanwhile, outside London:

Private hire driver Mobeen Shabbir, has been prosecuted after being caught picking up a passenger illegally - plying for hire - known as ‘blagging’ - in Milton Keynes.

Milton Keynes Magistrates’ heard the case last Friday (13 July 2018) after a joint enforcement operation carried out by MK Council and Thames Valley Police in January 2018.

Mobeen Shabbir of Luton attended court and pleaded guilty to plying for hire and driving without valid motor insurance in January 2018.

He was fined £40 for plying for hire and £120 for invalid insurance. He was also given 8 DVLA penalty points and has to pay costs of £300, with a victim surcharge of £30.

At the time of the offence(s) his vehicle was operated by Royal Cabs. Mr Shabbir is currently licensed by Aylesbury Vale District Council who will take appropriate action concerning his licence.

The court heard that on 28 January 2018 Council Taxi Licensing Officers and Thames Valley Police were in a marked police vehicle conducting roadside checks on licensed vehicles. At approximately 12:20am police stopped Mr Shabbir’s vehicle on Grafton Street, Bleak Hall and it was found that the vehicle was defective and that the passenger had not pre-booked the vehicle.

Councillor Catriona Morris, Chair of the council’s Taxi Licensing Committee, said:“This case further illustrates the problem of illegal plying for hire or ‘blagging’ that is going on in Milton Keynes - mainly by drivers licensed by other councils.

"This case was not a test purchase exercise but a routine police stop and compliance check which has uncovered a serious unlawful practice where the passenger was not covered by the vehicle’s insurance policy and who’s safety was therefore at risk.

"This case clearly supports the Council’s ongoing test purchase programme and zero tolerance approach to drivers who illegally ply for hire in Milton Keynes."

She added: "This result will hopefully send a strong message to all drivers who want to take un-booked journeys that they will be caught and prosecuted. I would like to commend Council Officers and Thames Valley Police for their excellent work in stopping this vehicle and putting this offender before the court.

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Police Telling Uber Passengers "Don't Travel Alone, Don't Tell Driver Where You Live After Yet Another UberRape

Unbelievably SAN ANTONIO police are giving out safety tips to young ladies to stop their Uber drivers raping them, after an Uber driver was arrested, following an accusation of sexually assaulting by a female passenger inside her apartment over the weekend.

Did they not consider revoking Uber's licence or at leas telling young ladies to get proper licensed Taxis?

On Saturday, July 14, the woman called police to report that she had been sexually assaulted by driver Jacobo Manuel Gutierrez, 32. 

According to the affidavit, the woman had been drinking at Slackers bar off Nacogdoches Road when she decided to call an Uber to take her home. 

During the ride, the woman said the driver stopped in a vacant parking lot and began touching her without consent.

Sounds familiar to the 48 Uber passengers who were raped by Uber drivers in London last year according to the Met Police statistics. 

The driver then drove the woman home and followed her into the apartment. Once inside, the woman said Gutierrez sexually assaulted her in her bedroom while she was unable to protect herself.

Gutierrez told police that he helped the woman into her apartment because she was drunk. He claims to have left his cell phone in the apartment and returned to find that she had called police.

During a police interview, Gutierrez eventually told officer that he had touched the woman inside the apartment and engaged in sexual activities.

Gutierrez was arrested and faces charges for sexual assault. 

Uber said the driver has been removed from the app and released the following statement:

“What’s been reported is horrible and has no place anywhere. We’ve provided information to the San Antonio Police Department and will continue to support their investigation and proceedings in any way possible."

"Be aware of your surroundings, always be aware of what's going on. This is probably the best advice I can give you," said SAPD Officer Carlos Ortiz.

Ortiz also says it's important for passengers, especially women, to be extra cautious when taking rides.

Along with keeping your eyes and ears open, don't drink too much and make sure the vehicle that pulls up matches the one you ordered.　

"When your vehicle comes up, taking a picture of the license plate of that vehicle, just making sure you have some evidence of the vehicle that you were in. That helps police a lot of times because running a plate - whether it's a Texas plate or not a state plate - gives us information on whole that vehicle is registered to," he said.

When it comes to your route getting home, Ortiz says you don't have to make the trip alone.

"One of the things that another person can do is use the pool or the ride share where you actually have to pick up another patron. This way there's two people in the vehicle," Ortiz said.

You can also use a different destination so the driver won't know where you live.

"Finding a well-lit area, a gas station, maybe that's 24-7 where there's going to be people around. Calling a friend or getting out and calling police. A lot of times we can try to help you out in situations that are tough when you're experiencing some sort of weird environment inside a taxi or maybe even a ride share," Ortiz said.

Not once did SADP police offer the advice of getting a legitimate licensed Taxi home. 

So the SAPD are saying 

"Don’t travel alone in an Uber, give a fake destination, don't get dropped off at your house, choose a public place, then get a friend to meet you there."

Then hope your account isn't charged falsely for a clean up job.

How is this company still allowed to operate? 

Meanwhile, here in London:  

How many serious sexual assaults are TfL responsible for since they allowed Uber to keep working by not revoking their licence last August when they decided Uber were not fit to operate?

Lives have been shattered which have devastated families across the capital. The TfL commission Mike Brown  and his directors at LTPH are responsible for these ruined lives.... they have blood on their hands for not protecting the public. 

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TfL Fail To Attend KoL Seminar At City Hall....by Grant Davis

IT’S WIN LOSE OR DRAW FOR THE TRADE BUT NOT FOR THE LTDA. THEY’RE FIGHTING THEIR OWN FIGHT, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US!...by Sean Paul Day

Everyone should be outraged at the  statement released by The LTDA that  they gave evidence to the Met in relation to claims that ex-Uber General Manager Jo Bertram “misled” the High Court. 

The action taken by The LTDA isn’t merely passivity, but an orchestrated attempt to appear active in their pursuance to bring Uber (or whoever) to book. The reality being, it is yet another postural, but meaningless exhibition that’ll have no bearing on how the company operates, and no consequences for the actual act of perjury which allowed them to retain their licence. 

Let us be under no illusion, the interview with the Met conducted in front of the LTDA’s legal team- which I take to mean Demidecki- is not dissimilar to other demonstrable- yet disingenuous -attempts to satiate the LTDA’s TAXI readership. A tactic used to coerce readers into thinking that the association is at the coal face of the action, whilst at the same time costing The LTDA nothing. 

The reality is this, the legal route offers only two effective options, the first is to serve litigation papers against Uber for obtaining their licence by deceptive means. Most underestimate the enormity of this. In respect of the company’s relationship to the driver, Uber acts as either the principle or the agent (to be determined at the employment tribunal appeal) and there  are 40000+ of them. A licence obtained by fraudulent means would render it null and void meaning  journeys undertaken by its drivers are illegal. As far as Insurance payouts go, you could say, they were compromised somewhat? It beggars belief, that the LTDA have not yet started proceedings. 

The second option, is to file a lawsuit against TfL for breaking a long standing trade agreement by creating a‘corporate structure’ that allowed Uber’s operation to infract heavily on the working practices and earning potential of licensed taxi drivers. embedded in the system allowing its drivers to work on the ‘on demand’ market even though the driver does not meet 'Required Standard' criterion and the vehicle does 'Conditions of Fitness' opposed to bookings that have been accepted by Uber 

Certainly, under the previous administration, TfL decidedly went against the true meaning of the law as laid out in the 1998 PH Regulations to assist Uber’s smooth incorporation into the market. TfL would have known the contravention existed and that Uber’s modus operandi was in transgression of it. The consequences here are huge, as it would mean TfL was party to the perjury in the HC (Remember, this was a case brought by TfL seeking a HC ruling on what constituted a meter only) The crux here is, TfL claim to have been hoodwinked by Uber. Yeh, right! 

Everyone should recognise that this is win, lose, or draw for the trade, and what the trade needs - and deserves - is drastically improved representation from The LTDA. The above options are the only effective avenues the trade should be concerned with. Furthermore, there should be zero  tolerance for the tired old distractions that have served as a disincentive to their readership in the past. Will the trade get the representation it deserves? Well, members who have been pushing for it tirelessly for two years have just had their branch suspended, pending an investigation into intimidation tactics being used in the run up to the Branch Elections. Another distraction away from what the LTDA should be doing,  Stalling for time is preferable as effective action could work out quite costly. But surely it’s the members money, and The LTDA should be doing right by them. 

Our fight is with the LTDA until they themselves finally decide to take up the fight. The old coppers club moaning to the Met about Jo Bertram ain’t gonna cut it with me, that’s for sure!

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What's TFL's Connection With Baron Arbuthnot, Nothing To See Here...Mind The Gap!

Thales awarded London Underground Sub-Surface Lines resignalling contract

UK: Transport for London announced on August 3 that it had awarded sole bidder Thales a £760m contract to renew the signalling and train control systems on London Underground's Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. 

Collectively known as the Sub-Surface Lines, the four large-profile lines form a complex network of interlinked routes with numerous junctions which comprises 40% of the London Underground network and carries 1·3 million passengers/day. 

Work is expected to begin later this year. The first increase in capacity would be on the Circle Line in 2021, with the ‘main benefits’ of the project to be delivered by 2022, when the peak train frequency would increase to 32 trains/h in central London. The final improvements would come in 2023, with an increase in peak and off-peak frequencies on the Metropolitan Line. 

The deal replaces a £345m contract which TfL had awarded to Bombardier in June 2011. This was terminated in December 2013, with TfL saying the ‘complex nature of the railway’ meant Bombardier's programme ‘was simply not progressing and there was no guarantee it would have worked’. The contract with Bombardier had itself replaced a previous contract awarded by Metronet to Invensys under the London Underground public-private partnership. 

The latest contract represents a significant increase in cost, but TfL said it would be 18% less per km than ‘the successful modernisation of the Northern Line which was around half the cost of the Jubilee and Victoria line modernisations delivered under the flawed public-private partnership arrangements, ended by the Mayor five years ago.’ 

'Once completed, 60% of the London Underground will have been modernised using Thales signalling technology’, said Thales Chairman & CEO Patrice Caine. 

The overall budget for Sub-Surface Lines modernisation has been confirmed as £5·41bn, a reduction of £131m from an estimate announced on March 24. This total includes the cost of 191 S-Stock trainsets ordered from Bombardier, and related platform lengthening, track and depot works. The work is to be delivered within the existing TfL Business Plan, and the programme is expected to have a benefit-cost ratio of around 4·7 to 1. 

The project ‘will transform the journeys of millions of our customers, significantly increasing service reliability and frequency’, according to London Underground Managing Director Nick Brown. ‘We have a very clear delivery plan and timetable for the work and, as we have done with the modernisation of the Northern Line, we will keep London moving and growing as we do it.’ 

Once the Sub-Surface Lines have been modernised, work would begin to introduce new trains and control systems for the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines.

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None So Blind As They Who Will Not See....The Debate.

An interesting conversation took place yesterday on Twitter. 

One drivers was was giving it large to the gloom and doomers, saying another cracking night in a record breaking week. 

His argument was that he didn’t recognise what the gloom and doomers were on about, finishing with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Anthony Minas   Lenny Etheridge   Sean Paul Day.

The best reply came back from Anthony Minas, who said:

“There’s a difference between doom and gloom...and informative opinion and fact.

Lots of cabbies on here mistake both as the same. 

Good way to look at it: 

Does anyone think Uber would have been in question in the first place if everyone was just positive? 

There needs to be a balance!

“Lots who have been labelled as D&G give up their time & money to try to expose illegality! 

I’m all for positivity of course but if that was the only course of action, we’d be gone already!

Most who call out d&g wouldn’t sacrifice 10min for the trade let alone thousands of pounds!”

Lenny Etheridge also joined the debate with:

“Yep, I see loads of bods hacking away at informative tweets warning of how we're being f***ed over, as D&G.

I too have had a few good weeks.

But I know it won't last if we allow the status quo to continue.

They can't see the storm because their heads are in their lollybags.

“These dismissive drivers, whose elation at earning a fair day's wage drives them to post everything is great, obviously see no danger from Uber and others waiting in the wings, or unregulated apps, or TfL and the Government colluding to do away with the KoL and Taxis in general. (Operation Horizon ‘a one tier system’)

“I promise you, the biggest screamers -if our trade dies a death of a thousand cuts- will be those who couldn't tell the difference between Noah making a racket next door, and a spot of rain.

“Turn left, you get a roader.

Turn right you get a puncture.

That's the nature of the job!

“These blissfully dismissive drivers will be the first in line to demand "How did the Orgs let it happen?"

“But these (mostly) unpaid Org and Union reps will quite rightly reply "How did we? No! How did YOU allow it to happen?”

How did twenty thousand drivers allow it to happen?"

“Carry on happily selling all your tomorrows for the gift of today.

Dismiss those with foresight, as D&Gers.

Let them worry for you.

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today,

Tomorrow will be dying."

None so blind ...

Sean Paul Day then joined the debate:

“Absolutely! 

What policy has been put in place to ensure the viability of the cab trade? Fluctuations in work flows don’t count

Take a look at the link, and if it concerns you, then rest easy because Leon Daniels has secured a position of senior advisor”

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/05/uks-fiveai-gets-35m-to-build-a-taxi-service-powered-by-its-own-self-driving-car-platform/amp/

The conversation was bought to conclusion by David, @blackcabLawyer...

“Hi Sean, good point. Hopefully we can keep the legal pressure up and commence a Judicial Review.

“Hopefully the taxi trade as a group will be in a position to decide the most appropriate way to proceed legally, in the next couple of weeks .”

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