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...
Friday, 25 June 2010
Thursday, 3 June 2010
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...
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...
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Safer Travel at Night...
The RMT London Taxi branch recently asked a number of questions of Peter Hendy the Transport commissioner our enquiry was passed to John Mason Director of Taxis and Private Hire. The questions related to "Satellite mini-cab offices" and the "Safer Travel at Night" programme which was implemented by the previous Mayor/Chair of Transport for London.
We will be publishing the questions and answers shortly and debating this serious issue at forthcoming branch meetings. We have requested clarification and further information on one point/question and due to this matter it would not be right to state something that may well mislead or give you the self employed Taxi-cab driver a false impression.
The Safer Travel at Night programme was set up at a time of economic boom and let us all be honest here the boom has certainly gone and the road to economic recovery looks like it will be a long hard one.
The London Taxi-cab driver is self employed and due to this chooses what hours he or she works. In the late 1990's a study took place and it was agreed that the meter should reflect the unsocial hours that people work and the Taxi trade benefited from the introduction of rate 3 which was later changed as it was felt it started to early. Rate 2 was introduced between 8-10pm with rate 3 starting at 10pm and ending at 6am. This was a major achievement by all concerned.
Rate 3 vastly improved the supply of Taxi-cabs at night within the capital but at the same time streets and roads were being closed to traffic and our ability to move about the capital has been hindered by local and regional government. With a massive increase in buses and an explosion of private hire the available road space has been reduced and this has choked the supply of Taxi-cabs in central London. The creation of the satellite mini-cab office has ignored case law, allowed a class of vehicle to illegally "ply for hire" and it appears local councils ignore their own parking regulations and allow many to park/rank illegally on the public highway.
The RMT London Taxi branch is to launch a campaign to highlight the illegality, the danger, the touting and the failure of the Police, local Councils, Transport for London and the division PCO who actually grant these licences at these premises.
The basic premise for our campaign is simple, we (the RMT London Taxi branch) firmly believe that the policies of London and Local Government have created a situation where we the London Taxi-cab driver are unable to "ply for hire" effectively or in an efficent manner due to road/street closures, bad town planning, contra flow bus lanes, lack of rank space and the complete failure and lack of enforcement by the Police and TFL.
The authorities should take note that our members and colleagues see the lengths that TFL and the Met Police go to to protect revenue on the buses with reguar raids at various locations throughout the capital. If TFL need extra revenue so they can enforce the law in an adequate fashion they should seek to raise significant revenues from the private hire trade and not the London Taxi-cab driver.
TFL are a statutory authority and the RMT London Taxi branch expects this authority to carry out its duty with a degree of care towards an industry that it governs. The laws that govern our right to "ply for hire" need to be upheld.
The RMT London Taxi branch will be launching "Sack the Satellites" at the next branch meeting on Wednesday the 9th June 2010 if you wish to save your job, our trade and your way of life join the only trade union that is prepared to stand up for your rights. Get organised join the RMT online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ !
John Kennedy Chairman RMT London taxi branch.
PS Recently it was mentioned by Westminster City Council that they are considering increasing parking times in the West End. The RMT London Taxi branch would like to discuss this interesting idea proposed by Westminster City Council for it could free up road space and improve traffic flow. Rest ranks/bays would certainly be needed for Taxi-cabs on a much greater scale than at present but any idea that improves traffic flow is worth looking at and certainly debating. We at the RMT look forward to discussing this issue/idea with Martin Low head of transportation at the council.
We will be publishing the questions and answers shortly and debating this serious issue at forthcoming branch meetings. We have requested clarification and further information on one point/question and due to this matter it would not be right to state something that may well mislead or give you the self employed Taxi-cab driver a false impression.
The Safer Travel at Night programme was set up at a time of economic boom and let us all be honest here the boom has certainly gone and the road to economic recovery looks like it will be a long hard one.
The London Taxi-cab driver is self employed and due to this chooses what hours he or she works. In the late 1990's a study took place and it was agreed that the meter should reflect the unsocial hours that people work and the Taxi trade benefited from the introduction of rate 3 which was later changed as it was felt it started to early. Rate 2 was introduced between 8-10pm with rate 3 starting at 10pm and ending at 6am. This was a major achievement by all concerned.
Rate 3 vastly improved the supply of Taxi-cabs at night within the capital but at the same time streets and roads were being closed to traffic and our ability to move about the capital has been hindered by local and regional government. With a massive increase in buses and an explosion of private hire the available road space has been reduced and this has choked the supply of Taxi-cabs in central London. The creation of the satellite mini-cab office has ignored case law, allowed a class of vehicle to illegally "ply for hire" and it appears local councils ignore their own parking regulations and allow many to park/rank illegally on the public highway.
The RMT London Taxi branch is to launch a campaign to highlight the illegality, the danger, the touting and the failure of the Police, local Councils, Transport for London and the division PCO who actually grant these licences at these premises.
The basic premise for our campaign is simple, we (the RMT London Taxi branch) firmly believe that the policies of London and Local Government have created a situation where we the London Taxi-cab driver are unable to "ply for hire" effectively or in an efficent manner due to road/street closures, bad town planning, contra flow bus lanes, lack of rank space and the complete failure and lack of enforcement by the Police and TFL.
The authorities should take note that our members and colleagues see the lengths that TFL and the Met Police go to to protect revenue on the buses with reguar raids at various locations throughout the capital. If TFL need extra revenue so they can enforce the law in an adequate fashion they should seek to raise significant revenues from the private hire trade and not the London Taxi-cab driver.
TFL are a statutory authority and the RMT London Taxi branch expects this authority to carry out its duty with a degree of care towards an industry that it governs. The laws that govern our right to "ply for hire" need to be upheld.
The RMT London Taxi branch will be launching "Sack the Satellites" at the next branch meeting on Wednesday the 9th June 2010 if you wish to save your job, our trade and your way of life join the only trade union that is prepared to stand up for your rights. Get organised join the RMT online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ !
John Kennedy Chairman RMT London taxi branch.
PS Recently it was mentioned by Westminster City Council that they are considering increasing parking times in the West End. The RMT London Taxi branch would like to discuss this interesting idea proposed by Westminster City Council for it could free up road space and improve traffic flow. Rest ranks/bays would certainly be needed for Taxi-cabs on a much greater scale than at present but any idea that improves traffic flow is worth looking at and certainly debating. We at the RMT look forward to discussing this issue/idea with Martin Low head of transportation at the council.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Satellite Mini-Cab Offices...
The satellite mini-cab office is a touts charter and this project launched under the banner of "safer travel at night" has done little to improve the safety of the travelling public other than to highlight the complete and utter failure of the licensing authority.
London taxi-cab drivers have been denied ranks outside venues whilst private hire companies are granted satellite mini-cab offices within bars and venues and then allowed to rank and park illegally whilst the clipboard operator openly touts for business on the public highway.
At a recent meeting of the RMT London taxi branch members backed a call to start a campaign to scrap the satellite mini-cab office. If the London taxi trade is to survive and be able to grow in a sustainable fashion the satellite mini-cab offices must go for the vast majority in their present form do not comply with the rules and regulations laid down by the Public Carriage Office.
The time has come to "Scrap the Sats" and end the touts charter which is damaging the taxi trade within the capital...
London taxi-cab drivers have been denied ranks outside venues whilst private hire companies are granted satellite mini-cab offices within bars and venues and then allowed to rank and park illegally whilst the clipboard operator openly touts for business on the public highway.
At a recent meeting of the RMT London taxi branch members backed a call to start a campaign to scrap the satellite mini-cab office. If the London taxi trade is to survive and be able to grow in a sustainable fashion the satellite mini-cab offices must go for the vast majority in their present form do not comply with the rules and regulations laid down by the Public Carriage Office.
The time has come to "Scrap the Sats" and end the touts charter which is damaging the taxi trade within the capital...
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