New Satellite Offices Suspended...big deal...

Recently it was announced by the Director of Taxis Private Hire that no new Satellite mini-cab offices would be created pending a review. Good news you may think, well sorry if you happen to think this was a victory because it wasn't, it isn't and it ain't !

TFL under the banner of safer travel at night created the satellite mini-cab office at a time of economic boom and like many then probably thought that the bubble would never burst and London's taxi-cab drivers would simple carry on working the street or servicing the major corporate accounts in the square mile and be content. Well the bubble burst the economy collapsed and here we are requesting ranks at venues that simply never appear. An example of a rank request is or should I say was the Buddha Bar on Victoria Embankment we have waited so long for a promised review the club/bar has gone bust...

Yes the recession moved the touts and illegal rank of licensed mini-cabs and not the people we pay to do the job. The later part of this statement is important for we pay TFL/TPH formerly known has the PCO money to run/operate our trade and part of this bargain involves a duty of care towards our industry and the rules that protect us from unfair competition. We have all earned the right to "ply for hire" and with this right comes constraints on the type of vehicle we can drive or use to do our jobs. It appears that previous administrations at city hall decided to ignore the taxi trade in favour of the job creating mini-cab trade that is fast turning into a modern form of slavery.

These drivers have no rights because they are self employed and not as much work as you would believe so they tout openly in the street with the knowledge that the chances of actually getting caught are near 1%. The new Director then spins out the collective figures of the past 5 plus years of cautions/arrests of these people in the hope that this will make us all believe his department are actually doing something.

Well here is the solution to the satellite mini-cab office problem let us all contribute towards the cost of a court case and ask a judge to decide if these offices are legal. Many of us believe that these offices breach hackney carriage law and due to the lack of resources and money raised from the mini-cab trade the Director of Taxis and Private Hire will never be able to police these offices in a satisfactory manner.

John Kennedy Chair RMT London taxi branch.

PS time for the spinning and the story telling to stop and time for this trade to take a trip to the courts, what have we to fear other than failure...

The Campaign is about to Begin...

The RMT London Taxi branch is starting to begin a campaign aimed at closing down satellite mini-cab offices on a case by case basis.

Led by our Ranks and Highways team and many members who work nights we shall produce evidence and lodge formal complaints with the Taxi Private Hire Directorate of Transport for London (TPH) formerly known as the Public Carriage Office (PCO). We will also complain to the Metropolitan Police and seek their assistance so that the law is enforced in relation to "plying for hire".

All London Taxi trade organisations and unions should remember that the London Taxi-cab driver is granted the privilege of "plying for hire" in return for his/her acceptance of strict licensing controls regarding the standard of driver and type of vehicle we can use to go about our business. It appears to us at the RMT that this has been forgotten by some within our trade and certainly not understood by the Transport for London and its Taxi Private Hire (TPH) Directorate.

RMT London Taxi branch members will be asked to report all incidents of "clip board operations" and "illegal ranking" along with "parking contraventions" outside any venue they witness within the Metropolitan Police District. Please email taxiranks@rmtmail.org.uk with time/date/venue/location and any supporting evidence eg picture/film.

Many Taxi-cab drivers from all trade organisations have taken part in unofficial demonstrations recently and we at the RMT understand their collective frustration with Transport for London management and senior officers within the Metropolitan Police. Our plight will be brought to the attention of the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and all London MP's. We shall also be making direct contact with the new Transport Secretary and the Transport select committee in the House of Commons.

Demonstrations have a role to play within any campaign but the political work behind the scenes is oh so vitally important...

PS a special thank you to Sean Kellet for his sterling work regarding this issue...