Taxi Driver Online

SOUTH WOODFORD: Black cab driver calls for tougher enforcement on illegal minicabs

A BLACK cab driver is calling for tougher enforcement on mini cab drivers in an area that is blighted by unlicensed cab drivers illegally touting on the street.

Peter Rose, who is also the secretary for UNITE Cab Section, London Branch, has been campaigning for a taxi rank outside nightclub, Funky Mojoe in South Woodford, which he says is a known hot spot.

He says that minicabs, who stop people on the street are breaking regulations, which state that all private hire drivers have to be pre-booked and this is putting lives at risk.

Mr Rose said: “The licensing laws are there for a reason, for the safety of the public.

“The danger of people getting into these unlicensed cabs is that the journey's are not being recorded, so if people get into trouble it is harder to track.

“This is putting people at risk and it is particularly dangerous for females.

“We are not against people going out and enjoying themselves, because it provides business for the taxis, but we need to make sure that things are done properly.”

Following a visit last December with a TfL officer, from the London Taxi and Private Hire (LTPH) department, they were stopped more than once while walking from George Lane towards the High Street and subsequently, the area was made a priority.

Regular patrols by the Met's Safer Transport police officers were stepped up, but following another visit last month with the Deputy Director of LTPH from TfL, who license all taxi and private hire drivers, he claims that the situation has not changed.

For the past several months, several anti-touting operations have been conducted and black taxi drivers and local cab companies have previously spoken out about the problem, saying they were losing business and criticised the police of doing little to help.

Redbridge Council has said both mini cabs and black cabs are regulated by the London Carriage office and that enforcement is carried out by the Metropolitan Police.

source: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

How?

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IDFIMH

How many hackney carriages picking up from the street record the passenger details? That will be none then.

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Grandad,

You're making mischief.......they don't have to....whereas all PH bookings must be pre-booked.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

But how does all this lead to people putting their lives at risk?

The CRB check that licensed London PH undertake is the same CRB check that licensed black cab drivers undertake.

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IDFIMH

I aqm not making mischief CC I am pointing out the stupidity of the comment. This chap is saying that the journey is not safe because it is not recorded, how does this make a hackney journey any safer?

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Grandad,

If the journey is not recorded then presumably it was an illegal hire.

Do we follow this with the probably not insured argument?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

That is not the argument being put forward though is it. He is saying that because the journey is not recorded the driver is harder to trace. I would say that the driver is no harder to trace than a hackney driver.

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Grandad,

Quite simple really, the unlicensed touts mix with the licensed touts, and this will end up with someone being the victim of a crime. By acting like this, they convince the public its the acceptable norm, thus allowing them to increase their illegal activity.

If these law breakers were stopped, the whole set up would be safer.

As for 'why are they less safe?'

Your havin a laugh?!

Hundreds of rapes over the last 10 years commited by 'licensed' foreign nationals who have no checkable background, who are recriuted directly from foreign lands! Almost 'Lol', if it was'nt so serious.

If you do the Knowledge, you have to reside in Britain to do it.

That gives the Criminals a chance to show out.

Safer for all.

Save for the fact the driver of a HC will be driving a licensed vehicle?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Am I missing something? (Bracing myself for answers to that!)

The article says "Unlicensed" so they are not PH if that is reported correctly.

If they are not "Licensed" then they are not correctly insured, they are not CRB checked, they have not had their vehicles checked.....

So they are putting the public at risk.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

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Mr Rose said: “The licensing laws are there for a reason, for the safety of the public.

“The danger of people getting into these unlicensed cabs is that the journey's are not being recorded , so if people get into trouble it is harder to track.

“This is putting people at risk and it is particularly dangerous for females.

I wish people think before opening their gob.
license cabs can be a dangerous to lady's as well. There had been a few cases in the last yrs. also as mention above getting into a license cab the journey is not recorded is it.

Again some one from UNITE Cab Section, glad i not with them , after a mess up they made with select committee