It Gets Worse....Much Worse!

Yesterday we heard news from the latest TOPs meeting between TfL and the Taxi trade.

First, we were told that TfL had indeed submitted the E-Taxis in bus lane signs and that they were not commissioned by Manchester as published in Taxi paper. 

Second, we informed that the LTDA and Unite the union had voted against all meetings with TfL being minuted. 

It should be pointed out that the LCDC, UCG and RMT voted for minutes being taken and therefore should hold a majority. 

Now we have the news that after the Mayor’s big announcement on TV media and in the press, TfL have cut the number of PCOs from 330 to 250. 

Will Steve McNamara and Mike Hedges please make statements as to why they voted against having meetings with TfL fully minuted?

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LTDA’s E-Taxi Signage Article In Taxi Paper Confirmed As Fake News By TfL

With the amount of Fake News being banded about by a certain org trying to discredit other Taxi news sources, the London Cab Drivers Club, for the sake of clarity, asked TfL compliance if the signage featured in a post on Taxi Leaks (which was referred to as Fake news in the LTDA Taxi paper) was actually proposed to the DfT by TfL. 

At the recent TOPS meeting, TfL confirmed that it was indeed they who submitted the e-Taxi bus lane templates to the DfT for approval. 

They added that although the signage was approved, there are no plans (as yet) to introduce the signage on current bus lanes across London. 

But the question now needs to be asked, as the LTDA’s Richard Massett had access to the original templates, why did they crop the TfL signage out of the images shown in Taxi.

Why were they trying to cover up that TfL had submitted the signage and why did they infer that the signage was intended for Manchester. A statement that has now been shown to be FAKE.  

But it’s all cleared up now, the Fake News was not the post on Taxi Leaks, it was in fact the article that appeared in Taxi Paper. This has been confirmed by TfL. 

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Hero Taxi Driver Saves Regular Passenger From Blazing a House Fire.

Cristian Dumitrescu (left) with John Hawkins 

A hero Taxi driver spotted smoke coming from the home of one of his regular customers and ran into the building to rescue him.

Cristian Dumitrescu was driving along New North Road when he saw the fire emerging from one of the almshouses near Exeter College.

Aware that an elderly man - his regular customer John Hawkins - was likely to be inside he raced into the building and helped him to safety.

Cristian Dumitrescu (right) with John Hawkins who he helped rescue from a burning building

Both men went to hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

Cristian said: "I was with a customer in my Taxi going to the station when I saw a house burning.

"I begged the customer to wait in the cab and I ran to the house and heard someone who was screaming for help.

"I opened the door and I got in the house...I heard a man's voice screaming for help on the first floor.

"I couldn't see him because there was too much smoke. I got to him and put him in my back and I got out from the house."

Jo Guscott, of Apple Taxis who Cristian drives for, said: "Cristian was doing a job and driving past when he saw smoke coming from the building and just had to stop to assist.

"He had to run upstairs to where the man was in his flat and he helped him to safety.

Firefighters on the scene of the fire in New North Road

"He probably saved his life.

"Cristian also came to the rescue of a man who fell of his mobility scooter in Stoke Canon.

"He really is our hero."

New North Road was closed for over an hour between Hele Road and Howell Road while fire crews tackled the blaze.

One crew from Danes Castle, two crews from Topsham and one crew from Crediton attended the scene.

Watch manager Sean Faulkner, from Danes Castle Fire Station said that the men escaped the building 'just in time'.

"We're unsure how the fire started at this moment," said Mr Faulkner.

"There was a fire in the first floor living room. One male was got out just in time as we arrived.

"Flames were issuing from the flat involved.

"We extinguished the fire from the property quickly and affectively and then used positive pressure ventilation to remove all the gases and make it safe for everyone to return.

"There's fairly severe damage - a lot of heat and flame damage and 100 per cent smoke damage.

"There's a big clean up operation but it could have been a lot worse.

"Fortunately smoke detectors were in the property and they alerted the occupier.

"It shows show important they are."

New North Road was fully reopen again by 4.30pm.

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Hero Taxi Driver Saves Regular Passenger From Blazing a House Fire.

Cristian Dumitrescu (left) with John Hawkins 

A hero Taxi driver spotted smoke coming from the home of one of his regular customers and ran into the building to rescue him.

Cristian Dumitrescu was driving along New North Road when he saw the fire emerging from one of the almshouses near Exeter College.

Aware that an elderly man - his regular customer John Hawkins - was likely to be inside he raced into the building and helped him to safety.

Cristian Dumitrescu (right) with John Hawkins who he helped rescue from a burning building

Both men went to hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

Cristian said: "I was with a customer in my Taxi going to the station when I saw a house burning.

"I begged the customer to wait in the cab and I ran to the house and heard someone who was screaming for help.

"I opened the door and I got in the house...I heard a man's voice screaming for help on the first floor.

"I couldn't see him because there was too much smoke. I got to him and put him in my back and I got out from the house."

Jo Guscott, of Apple Taxis who Cristian drives for, said: "Cristian was doing a job and driving past when he saw smoke coming from the building and just had to stop to assist.

"He had to run upstairs to where the man was in his flat and he helped him to safety.

Firefighters on the scene of the fire in New North Road

"He probably saved his life.

"Cristian also came to the rescue of a man who fell of his mobility scooter in Stoke Canon.

"He really is our hero."

New North Road was closed for over an hour between Hele Road and Howell Road while fire crews tackled the blaze.

One crew from Danes Castle, two crews from Topsham and one crew from Crediton attended the scene.

Watch manager Sean Faulkner, from Danes Castle Fire Station said that the men escaped the building 'just in time'.

"We're unsure how the fire started at this moment," said Mr Faulkner.

"There was a fire in the first floor living room. One male was got out just in time as we arrived.

"Flames were issuing from the flat involved.

"We extinguished the fire from the property quickly and affectively and then used positive pressure ventilation to remove all the gases and make it safe for everyone to return.

"There's fairly severe damage - a lot of heat and flame damage and 100 per cent smoke damage.

"There's a big clean up operation but it could have been a lot worse.

"Fortunately smoke detectors were in the property and they alerted the occupier.

"It shows show important they are."

New North Road was fully reopen again by 4.30pm.

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LCDC letter, sent out to Lord Chief Justice and Tfl's Howard Carter.

The Rt Hon Lord Burnett

Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Royal Courts of Justice

Strand

London

WC2A 2LL

 

21st August 2018

 

Senior District Judge Arbuthnot

 

 

Dear Lord Chief Justice,

 

I am writing as Chairman of the London Cab Drivers Club (“LCDC”) which is a mutual society that represents many London licensed Hackney Carriage drivers (“black cabs”) in London.

 

On the 18th August a story was published in The Guardian newspaper which was also published online (https://ift.tt/2Moc3Za) which informed their readership that the Chief Magistrate, District Judge Emma Arbuthnot, was “stepping aside” from hearing further Uber hearings, to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, as a result of her husband, Baron Arbuthnot (Cons: Wanstead & Woodford), being a fee earning “Senior Consultant” (and former Director) of SC Strategy which is known to represent the interests of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which in turn is a major Uber and therefore “ULL” investor.

 

It is clear that between 30th April 2018 when the “ULL” appeal began at Westminster Magistrates Court and the 26th June 2018 when the ruling was delivered, that TFL were not aware of the potential conflict of interest in having the Chief Magistrate determine the issue of “ULL”’s fitness to operate. In this ruling the Chief Magistrate handed “ULL” a 15 month lifeline, without which they would have been unable to run their business in London.

 

Indeed, it is understood that prior to this link having been disclosed by journalists for The Guardian, the Chief Magistrate had already taken a keen interest in “LUL” (and Uber cases), having ruled in favour (again) on another case and having had 5 other cases, which featured “ULL” or Uber issues reserved to herself (including one in Brighton, which after having the conflict pointed out to her, she immediately passed to a fellow Judge).

 

Whilst we are heartened that the Chief Magistrate has clearly formed the view that there is likely to be a perception of impartiality because of her husband’s links to the mysterious SC Strategy Ltd (a company established by Lord Carlile along with Sir John Scarlett in 2012, which invited Baron Arbuthnot to be a Director in January 2017), it is disappointing that a review of her role in the appeal TFL v ULL has not been considered.

 

SC Strategy Ltd is described as offering clients strategic advice on UK policy and regulation and paid out dividends to the Lord Calilie and Sir John Scarlett totalling £800,000 between 2012 and 2015. Indeed so little is known about this company that the only known client is QIA (the Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund). Had there been many companies for which her husband was a director, it would be plausible that the Chief Magistrate (appointed in October 2016 after having been Deputy Chief Magistrate to Howard Riddle for the preceding 4 years) may know very little about his interests...

 

Unfortunately, Baron Arbuthnot has only been the Director of 4 companies, coincidentally 2 of these he shared a Directorship with Lord Calile; SC Strategy Ltd (01/01/16 – 31/12/17) and Astute Strategy Ltd (which he joined in May 2017). AS Ltd is an active (yet dormant) company. Of the remaining 2 he resigned from Vertic in November 2013 and whilst he remains a Director of Gusbourne PLC, this company manufactures English sparking wine, which is unlikely to be the sort of company where a conflict with her Judicial Office would be found.

 

You may feel that it is worthy of note that in an investigation by the Wall Street Journal on members of the House of Lord’s interests, Lord Carlile said SC Strategy 'are not involved in lobbying at all, nor do we provide services in government relations,' adding 'we give strategic advice to entities and individuals on UK regulatory issues, on the structure and working of government, and how best to place themselves in the UK'. Confirming that Clients include the QIA and on this he says, 'we give advice to a sovereign wealth fund, which of course includes its subsidiaries according to need'.

 

Thus, to summarise:

 

Baron Arbuthnot, is a fee earning Consultant in SC Strategy Ltd (for which he was formerly a Director).

SG Strategy Ltd.’s only known client is QIA.

QIA is a major investor (perhaps to the tune of more than $1 billion dollars) in Uber/ULL indeed, so major is the investment that it could well be considered a subsidiary of GIA.

SG Strategy Ltd gives “strategic advice... on UK regulatory issues... and how to best place themselves in the UK” and

his wife, who is the Chief Magistrate, apparently unaware of the link to Uber hears the appeal of TFL v ULL.

The Appeal is successful and the Chief Magistrate grants an 18 month extension which permits ULL to operate in London (and QIA does not suffer financially).

 

I am sure that you will be aware of the case of R v Sussex Justices, Ex parte McCarthy ([1924] 1 KB 256, [1923] All ER Rep 233) which is a leading case on the impartiality and recusal of Judges is famous for its precedence in establishing the principle that the mere appearance of bias is sufficient to overturn a judicial decision. It also brought into common parlance the oft-quoted aphorism "Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done”.

It is difficult to accept that The Guardian newspaper were the first to bring the connection to the Chief Magistrate with regard to her husbands business interests but that being said, if the mere appearance of bias is sufficient to overturn a judicial decision ought that not to be done in the appeal of TFL v ULL?  

I very much appreciate your time in reading this letter and look forward to your considered response.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Grant Davis

Chairman

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Family Of Suicide Taxi Driver, Puts Up Charity Billboard In Welling

A family from Welling has turned their grief into action after their father took his own life, by helping other men suffering from mental illness.

Joey Barton, a black cab driver, was just 57 years old when he committed suicide on June 23 of this year. His funeral took place on July 19.

After his death, his ex-wife Christine, and their two children, Sam and Chloe, wanted to do something to honour his memory.

“We were absolutely devastated. We never thought it would happen,” Christine told News Shopper.

She describes her ex-husband as “very sociable” with “lots of friends,” which left people shocked and confused when they found out he had died.

At his funeral, a friend who worked alongside Joey on the taxi circuit said he “could not comprehend” the idea he had killed himself.

Just a week before he died, the pair had been “laughing, joking and having a bit of banter.”

Since Joey’s death, Christine told News Shopper she and her children “did not want to sweep it under the carpet,” and, said they wanted to address the issue of suicide rates in men.

So, instead of collecting for flowers at his funeral, Joey’s family asked mourners to donate to a gofundme page set up on behalf of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which works to prevent suicide.

After fundraising and liaising with the charity, and with a bit of help from Christine’s experience in marketing, the family has put up a billboard under the railway bridge in Welling, at the junction of Bellegrove Road and Westwood Lane. It will be on display until September 12.

“It was my son’s idea,” Christine said, after Sam had heard about the charity through a friend, Jamie Kitto, who lives in County Durham.

Jamie has been familiar with the work of CALM for some time, and has managed to campaign for a billboard of his own to be put up at the grounds of Horden Community Welfare FC.

Now the family is asking other organisations across the country to get involved and offer their support to CALM in Joey’s memory.

Christine said: “When you take your own life your pain and suffering does not die with you. It is inherited by your loved ones.

“Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem and it is never, ever, the answer. This is why we have to get men talking, to open up about how they are feeling.

“There is help out there and it's okay not to be okay

Source : News Shopper.

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Police Chief Inspector Arrested In Benidorm After Row With Local Taxi Driver

Police in Benidorm were called to the well-known town centre…but it was nothing to do with the traditional problems associated with British Tourists!

This time, it a chief inspector from one of the National Police units based in Valencia who ended up being detained after an alleged altercation with a taxi driver.

According to a report in the Spanish media, two members of the Local Police were slightly injured, apprehending the chief inspector.

It all kicked off in Calle Ibuza in Benidorm, when three people, including the police chief (who was off duty and not in uniform) tried to get into a Taxi that was off duty. 

The driver told the three he was off duty, but it all got out of hand and the local police were called by the driver.

When they arrived at the scene, they arrested one of the men who was described as being “very upset” at what had taken place. His two companions tried to calm the situation down, but the situation became increasingly heated.

When the Chief Inspector was asked to show some ID, he allegedly refused and threatened to report the five members of the Local Police that had arrived.

He was then arrested and taken to the National Police station in Benidorm, where legal proceedings were put into operation.

Source : RTN news.

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