Are TfL Bulldozing Their Way Through The Mayors Action Plan ? .. By Jim Thomas.

Here we go again, tucked away on page 10 paragraph 15, something else that seems to have escaped the representative orgs and unions notice. 

"Mandatory Card and Contactless payments options", (that's the word the mayor uses "OPTIONS") in Taxis from 31st October to make it even easier for customers to pay, while giving drivers the time they need to prepare, and working with card payment providers to get the best deal for the drivers.

But TfL haven't done this. They've bulldozed conditions of fitness through, without the use of common sense, conditions that could compromise drivers personal safety. 

They haven't given us the "OPTION" to make our own provisions to get the best deal possible for both driver and passenger.

As the LTDA's general secretary, Steve McNamara said "it's a done deal" ...... and not one that we (as independent traders) have been party to.

With just over 5 weeks left till the mandate deadline, it is up to our representative orgs to go back to TfL and demand a suspension, until the mayors words can be acted upon, giving drivers the right to make their own provision with providers. We must be allowed to get the best deal possible, not currently achievable under TfL's present conditions, which favour a handful of 'gold standard stakeholder' card payment suppliers.

Why should we be limited to TfL's favoured of providers?

We are independent sole traders. 

TfL's have no right to interfere with financial arrangements we deem to make with third parties. 

With thanks to Lenny Etheridge. 

This from Dads Defending Daughters:

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

CEASE FIRE!

On Tuesday, the Director of Service Operations TfL, Peter Blake handed me the 'Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan 2016', saying "It's all in here. All your demands are being met." I thought, 'Yeah, right.'

But to be honest, they all are ... almost.

Mayor Khan and Transport for London have put an excellent package together

To read the full article please use this link:

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TfL And The Mayor, To Lobby Government For Statutory Definition Of Plying For Hire.

Can't believe the orgs haven't made more from the statement put out by @TfLTPH 32 hours ago. 

Apparently, the Mayor's Action  Plan page 13 far right hand column says;

TfL and the Mayor of London will be lobbying Government for a statutory definition of Plying For Hire

On page 13 of the Mayors Action Plan, under the general heading " Lobbying for additional powers", it states: 

A statutory definition of plying for hire and pre-booked services – as the law stands, plying for hire is difficult to prove and requires significant enforcement resources. 

While we will continue to enforce to the full extent of our ability, along with the Mayor we are firmly of the view that a statutory de nition of plying for hire and pre-booked services will remove ambiguity and clearly define the difference between taxi and private hire services, maintaining the two-tier system

Isn't this what the RMT wanted all along ?

Images from Taxi And Orivate Hire Action Plan 2016.

It certainly looks like the orgs never bothered reading the publication through when it was launched. 

It's no secret they all got copies embargoed before the launch, so should of had plentry of time to read through. 

The only mention of defining plying for hire on social media I've seen so far, was from the LCDC Twitter account.

Should be very interesting to see what Uber AM, (sorry meant City Am) have to say about this, as it could crush Uber's operating platform if (and that's a big if) it goes our way.

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Letter To Taxi Leaks : Stop The Slagging Off And Work Together. Enough's Enough.

Hi Jim

I saw this posted by Lee Shepherd on social media earlier and I truly believe this needs a bigger audience. If you can, could you publish on Taxi a Leaks as I think this one post certainly puts across the way most of us ordinary drivers feel. 

We are sick and tired of our orgs bashing away at each other, it's got to stop if we are to have any chance of surviving. 

Be lucky 

Chris Murphy 

Morning all ! 

As someone who is working hard to raise the image, profile & perception of our great trade, through social media & other channels of advertising, it saddens me to see our very own trade representatives publicly arguing on social media about trade matters. Especially under the banner of their very own org, club, association, group etc. 

STOP !!

You are our trades representatives ! You are supposed to be the leaders of upholding & setting the standards of our trade ! Representing the image of everything to do with our service !

What you put on social media between yourselves is not for the world to see ! These issues should be spoken about behind closed doors and should include every single representative of our trade in discussing what is the best action to take for our trade as a whole, & not what's best for your own independent org etc in points scoring ! 

You all represent the very same ONE TRADE ! 

Start working together & help our points & views make a unified impact  & reflect the professional image that our 360 year history deserves. 

You set the standards of representing each & every Driver within our trade ! 

Raise your standards & think about the image the public are perceiving from you as our representatives. 

Enough is enough !

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Letter To Taxi Leaks : "The Better I Do My Job Today, The Better We All Do Tomorrow"

NEXT TIME YOU PUT ON YOUR BADGE, WEAR IT WITH PRIDE....YOU EARNED IT.

Our trade has written numerous articles and blogs in recent times, as many drivers (myself included) feel compelled to express our anger and frustration at the injustice we see unfolding before our eyes.

But one issue that is not so well documented is the personal strain that many drivers and their families are feeling as a result of the relentless morale bashing we are all experiencing. It's inevitable that tensions in family life rise as worry over job security and the ability to provide for our families takes its toll.
The natural reaction to take out daily frustrations on those closest to us is something we must not give in to.
We must constantly remind ourselves   that our partners are also feeling the same pressure and are worried on our behalf - even if they may roll their eyes occasionally after we mention the dreaded 'U' word for the umpteenth time each evening!

We must remember that for many of us, they were by our side throughout the highs and lows of The  Knowledge, from helping us call over to providing support after a disheartening appearance, they were with us. Every time the stresses of our current situation arise we must not forget this.

It is, of course, perfectly understandable for us all to feel deflated at the moment.
Without just cause the media relentlessly drags our good name through the mud proving the immense power of PR in its ability to sway public opinion into any direction it wishes. The avalanche of unfounded, and often personal attacks, on our character continues week after week as we ask ourselves
"What have we done to deserve this treatment?"

Each and every taxi driver has always played by the rules, following guideline after guideline not simply since they became a cabby, but from the minute they signed on to The  Knowledge. From that first obscure Manor House to Gibson Square run we have built a bond with London and a love of everything we thought it stood for.

TfL and our current government seem to be doing their utmost to destroy that bond as they actively  undermine our contribution to our city and play down our worth to the general public. Let us not kid ourselves that TfL's distain towards our trade is a new phenomenon. Since they inherited us from the Metropolitan Police, they have shown an ongoing and growing resentment to a trade that has done nothing more than give exemplary service to Londoners for over 300 years and is still the world leader in its field today.

Without even the pretence of impartiality from our regulator, is it any wonder that many drivers are feeling so undervalued and possibly even losing faith in London itself.

Yes London is changing and always will - but improving? I'm not so sure.  The London I grew up in seemed to have stronger values. It was a place that was built upon a spirit of fair play without the need to tread on everyone in your way to reach your goal. The 'comply or you are expendable' ethos is typical of London's new working culture and is very evident in the cut-throat nature that is being shown to the cab trade. Our government continually preaches  about how prosperous London is, whilst ignoring the fact that it's workforce is forced into working excessive hours in a city that none of us can afford to live in anymore.

Don't get me wrong, London is still the greatest city in the world, it's just that much of its greatness is being dismantled by government officials that seemingly tread a fine line between corruption and incompetence. Many of our current politicians are happy to give away yet another homegrown industry to uncaring foreign corporations that meticulously calculate how they can take as much from this country without giving anything back.

This is exactly what is happening to the London taxi trade. Under the pretence of innovative technology our government and regulator are effectively sanctioning a corporate takeover where the little man will be voiceless, controlled and kept firmly in his place. But what can the average driver do to fight back? 
It goes without saying that the minimum we should all be doing is to lobby and apply pressure to the MPs in question and support trade demos. The majority of our day to day issues we drivers have no say or control over; fare structures, traffic schemes and choice of vehicle to name just a few. We, therefore, must make clear demands of our trade orgs as they represent our voice in the above issues.

We have a choice to either let the deterioration of our working environment beat us into submission or we can roll up our sleeves and raise our bar even higher to provide a service that the public is thankful for.

The over-saturation of the private hire market means the public have more choice than ever before. However, this has also led to PH standards sinking to new depths. 
Through our quality of service we must ensure that the majority of the public only use a minicab because a black cab was not available and not vice versa.

As 25,000 sole traders we must replace our 'we work for ourselves' belief, with a 'we work for each other' mindset. 'The better I do my job today, the better we all do tomorrow' is the necessary mantra we must adopt to have any chance of surviving and flourishing again.

The overwhelming sense of achievement we all felt when completing The Knowledge is something that unites us all.  It is impossible to convey that 'badge day' feeling to someone who has not experienced it. Any driver who has been interrogated in a 24ft room by Mr Ormes or Mr Finlay knows that anything Leon and Travis throw at us is trivial in comparison. 

So the next time you put on your badge, puff out your chest and wear it with pride like it's the day you were awarded it. We have a long battle on our hands but when our battle is finally won and family life returns to normal, we can thank our loved ones for their unwavering support. After all, they are the ones we were really  fighting for all along.

John (@Igot Ormed)

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Lee Ward : Concerns On The Deregulation Act 2015.

I have been sending emails to local Councillors in area's that have decided to 'do away' with a local knowledge test, namely Wolverhampton, Derby and Birmingham up to now, an example of the email sent is ;

Dear Cllr Bolshaw

I was very concerned to read your comments in the article about Private Hire and Taxis in Wolverhampton found in The Express & Star paper, and wish to make comment for you to take into consideration.

The Taxi and Private Hire industry has been thrown into turmoil since the introduction of the Deregulation Act 2015 and many authorities across the country are doing their utmost to minimise the effects that it has brought to areas all over the UK.

The initial reasons that this was sold to the Commons and House of Lords by the Tories, was under the guise that people in rural areas would have a better chance of receiving a service if the borders were removed, this has not been the case what so ever, in fact the rural areas have suffered because this new Law has allowed drivers to move into larger towns and cities like moths to a flame.

The removal of the knowledge test, will I am positive, make Wolverhampton the next Rossendale Licensing Authority, who are now under so much pressure from all other LA's to amend their mistakes that they have had to recently release a full consultation on both the vehicles and the drivers licenses to enable them to stem the flow of outgoing licenses and to so much as cull the licenses that are already granted. Do you really want this same thing to happen to your very own LA and its credibility ?

Uber are usually at the bottom of this, and it was no surprise to find that Uber are licensed within Wolverhampton, did they make the suggestion to make it easier to gain a taxi license? Their business model is pure saturation of an area with drivers, this forces local Tax paying businesses out of work and traps the drivers to then work on Ubers platform, this is not a good business for the future, or for the local economy. Uber uses the Deregulation Act to bring drivers from other areas and therefore takes the local economy back with them when they finish work, greatly reducing the money spent at local shops and within the community of Woverhampton. This has been proven in many areas already and is something to take note of as a Councillor.

Saturation of this industry is like any other industry, just look at the North Sea fishing and what that did to the trawler men of the East coast, this is no different. You mention that a lot of aplicants will not even work in your area, ask yourself why that would be, the answer is because you have made it too easy for them to gain a license in Wolverhampton and then circumvent the system for the area that they actually wish to work, would this action make them a fit and proper person? I am not sure.

Take a look at the case law of Newcastle v Berwick where the court found in favour of Newcastle accusing Berwick of issuing badges to drivers who worked out of area and therefore Berwick were unable to 'police' appropriately.

http://ift.tt/2cQcxBY

Or page 9 of the Local Governments Taxi and Private Hire - Councillor's Handbook (England and Wales) that states with regards to cross border hiring and sub contractin (the Deregulation Act 2015)

'This poses a risk to communities everywhere, as well as the reputation of local government as a whole. Every council should be mindful of its opportunities to protect communities outside of its immediate responsibility.'

http://ift.tt/2cHtxNf

As you can see, these two facts actually request that LA's do their utmost to protect the industry, perhaps admitting that the Government got this one wrong when they passed the Deregulation Act, and trust that the LA's are careful in their approach and be extra mindful of the reaction to any action that they make.

I ask that you take serious consideration to the implications of how you are issuing badges before the flood gates are opened and Woverhampton end up in the same mess that Rossendale found themselves in.

I am happy to discuss this matter further should the information I have supplied not be enough to warrant a prompt re think of the policy that Woverhampton are or have adopted.

I thank you for your time in reading this email, and look forward to your response.

Many thanks

Lee Ward

ALPHA Chairman

As you can see, we have not only Case Law but also a reference to this Case Law in the Governments Guide to Licensing Authorities, so why are they all basically holding up their hands and saying 'if you cant beat m, join em' ???

Control your own area's, stop thinking on who gets the revenue, and act together as responsible councils !!!

Do some basic math, just 300 drivers from another area, working in a city would be a MINIMUM of 300 x 600 (top line takings for the week) = £180,000 per week, now over the year thats over £9 million pound being taken out of that cities local economy.... would the council allow that to happen in any other industry ? 

no they would not... but instead of earning their crust and working with other area's to beat this deregulation farce, they simply look at how to cash in on it without a thought to the industry and its future, North Sea fishing springs to mind...

a load of Cod's whallop !!

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mayor@london.gov.uk: London Taxi Driver’s Increase risk off Attack

We the undersigned call on the Mayor of London to reverse the decision taken by London Taxi & Private Hire Department / TFL to locate all credit/debit card readers in the back of Taxis. 

We feel this policy is flawed, as this places the Taxi Drivers at a greater risk of physical and sexual attacks than currently present with the possibility of false allegations being made. 

As Taxi Drivers, we have been informed that we must give assistance when required by customers when using the debit/credit card reader in the passenger compartment of the Taxi.

I believe that the location of the card reader should be left to the Taxi Driver to decide and if they want a fixed or mobile card reader unit it should be the Taxi Drivers, themselves to make that decision. 

Currently we have no choice about the location and no choice about a fixed or mobile card reader unit which can be handed over. 

Any Taxi Driver who does not comply with London Taxi & Private Hire / TFL instructions above have been threaten with having their Taxi License firstly suspended and then revoked making the Taxi Driver unemployed. I feel this is unreasonable of any responsible Regulator to act in such a manner without having due regard for Taxi Driver Health and Safety.

London Taxi & Private Hire / TFL state “As long as the driver can demonstrate the following, they will be permitted to continue working:

The driver can provide written evidence from a card payment system provider that the taxi is booked in to have a device (or cradle for a handheld device) fitted in the passenger compartment of the taxi".

Will you join me by signing the petition and let’s keep Taxi Drivers safe.

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It's All Going On In The BackGround

Sarah ChampionShadow Minister (Home Office)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter of the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Rotherham on 8 July 2016, on clause 145 of the Policing and Crime Bill, when the Government expects to publish a timetable for its (a) consultation on tax and private hire vehicle licensing and (b) publication of guidance.

Andrew JonesParliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government expects to publish the timetable for the full public consultation on the local authority Best Practice Guidance for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles in advance of Royal Assent of the Policing and Crime Bill. The government aims to launch the full public consultation upon Royal Assent of the Bill.

The Guidance will be published following completion of the full public consultation and once any amendments have been made.

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