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The Casey Column
By
Wayne Casey
The contents of this article are not the policy or thoughts of the National Taxi Association
Everybody Appy?
The old proverb of ‘my enemies enemy is my friend’ has been very much in my thoughts as of late, the problem is, we don’t know which enemy is worse.
You see, and please don’t start swearing too much – I don’t necessarily see UBER as the threat some folk appear to see. Yes it’s a global phenomenon, yes it’s a pain in the ar*e, but is it truly worse than those that control the taxi and minicab trades or indeed, the arrogant and seemingly untouchable minicab empires themselves?
I remind you London folks, UBER hasn’t to my knowledge attempted to gain access to your bus lanes.
Indeed, when I hear comments coming from the private hire fraternity about UBER being the very spawn of Satan, I’m inclined, by natural taxi instinct, to believe the chaps from UBER aren’t all bad.
Winston Churchill once stated;
"If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons".
Again, before you start saying Casey has gone stark raving bonkers and is now in league with the devil please read on.
A couple of years ago – and on numerous occasions since, the taxi trade have been called dinosaurs, these calls have invariably been from the minicab trade. We have been accused of operating “taxi cartels”, “protection rackets” and “operating contrary to market forces”.
These quotes haven’t came from UBER they come from minicab operators – the same operators that some are now wanting us to jump into bed with.
The far greater threat to the taxi trade, at least on a national basis, are the changes proposed in the deregulation bill – these changes have been welcomed by some large private hire operators – the same operators who are very much against the ‘free market’ and driver choice when it comes to UBER.
Of course, the reason they are against the likes of UBER is that they are a more real threat to the minicab empires than anything else. Minicab companies need control over their serfs (more commonly referred to as self employed private hire drivers). The serfs rent the minicab radios, rent vehicles and in general work rather long hours for scant reward, but if you get a 100 serfs renting 100 radios for £100 per week – then those serfs give you £10K per week.
What can’t happen, particularly in the minicab empire, is for the serfs to get ideas above their station – I mean, something like UBER, with in effect a ‘pay as you go’ type system might mean a bit of disloyalty and serfs leaving for pastures new.
If you think I’m talking out of my backside then consider a recent media report where it was suggested Citibank was allegedly looking for a buyer of their recent £300 million minicab acquisition. Believe me, the minicab empires are greatly worried by global apps, despite the bluster coming from some.
I could tell you a tale from one northern town where the local taxi association decided to get its own ‘app’. Many members downloaded the ‘app’, including some who were members of ‘mixed fleet’ radio circuits.
Naturally, the radio circuits saw the taxi association ‘app’ as a threat and those drivers who downloaded it were given an ultimatum, the radio or the app. Never let it be said that taxis operate cartels alone.
It makes me quite amused, a relatively small 200 minicab fleet don’t see UBER as a threat because they brought out their own app, I imagine UBER shareholders are quaking in their boots.
I truly despair when a taxi trade leader cites UBER being registered in the Netherlands as a good reason why it should not be allowed; particularly considering one London based, Singapore owned taxi outfit has (or had) a call centre in Aberdeen.
Yes, there are questions that should be asked, and yes the message the media gave the public during the recent London demonstration was quite wrong. The London trade are miffed with TFL for numerous reasons, including unregulated apps. Anyone in the media should read excellent “Taxi Leaks” blog for a good idea of the London cab trades issues – but to purely cite global apps as the sole reason for the trades woes is completely wrong by definition.
Outside of London, the cab trade is certainly more threatened (and exasperated) by idiotic councils issuing licenses to work miles away from the area of issue. The deregulation bill will times this problem tenfold; some councils issue operators licenses to areas they don’t control. The simple fact is that if it happens nobody will know who is driving the vehicle, who to complain to or what the hell is going on. Yet this threat (of far greater proportions) is actually welcomed by the same minicab spivs some are now getting into bed with.
Ironically, the London trade seem quite prepared to put their hands in their pockets to find out whether or not a mobile phone can double up as a taximeter – I genuinely wonder if the £300 million pound minicab company might be prepared to donate a few sheckles themselves – although I seriously doubt that.
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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