Taxi Driver Online

Well we drive Taxi's Mr A, so the 'will I take my money?' question is quite relevant isn’t it?

I'm not sure what else you would be looking for in our line of business, its Taxi driving we're talking about here, not solving the world’s energy crisis or negotiating Oil production from OPEC.

I could look at the flip side to your piece. . . . Thanks to the drivers from the previous generations who were only concerned about 'taking their money', the situation we see nowadays has been allowed to develop because they couldn’t be bothered when Welbeck Motors appeared?

Personally I'm over the moon with some of the new drivers, some with degrees and a good business head, unlike some of the pensioner brigade who can't even string a sentence together or work out what a bar of soap looks like........ dirty old men in dirty old sheds.

Easy to make sweeping statements, innit?

Ouch

CC

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

Now your trying to point out the truth, don't do that Mr Travis!

I think some drivers in London need to do a months graft in a town or city outside of London so they suddenly appreciate just how well of we are.

The centre of London has always been chaos, and it always will.

It's part of life working the capital, no one will ever be forced to work Westminster . . . but they all do.

I've always looked upon Taxi driving as simple.

During the day cabs wait on people and touts are not around.

At night people wait for cabs and touts are out.

To me, thats always spoken volumes.




Thats life in 2008, not that that makes it right, but its still life in 2008.
I've never experienced anything even close, perhaps I'm lucky? I think assaults in London are tiny compared with the Minicab trade and the provincial lads.

I'm not mooting everyone should work nights, but, as you know, during the boom years drivers neglected nights, and thousands of people went over to the little people, just like when the previous generations neglected the suburbs and the old 'I ain't going sarf mate brigade'.

Now these same drivers are moaning, but then these individuals will soon be retired, and good riddance too. Then we may start to claw back some customers who have been scared off, or just given up.





We have going home ranks created by TFL, we have rest ranks created by TFL, to say they do nothing for us isn't quite true. They could do more, but when it comes to local authorities, TFL get little say in how they run their own roads or how they enforce them, as in Camden and Islington.

The Minicabs could'nt park in the Royal Parks, first parking anywhere in St James is prohibited and secondly, as you'll know at night, Leicester Square to Trafalgar Square can take 20 minutes in the gridlocked traffic, its quite unworkable.

Thats because I haven't felt the need to work yet this week. I'll be sure to pick up a copy of Taxi tomorrow evening though, is that the same organisation that gives you the following? :

BADGESAFE SCHEME

The LTDA retains experienced barristers
with specialised knowledge of the London
cab trade. Normally when drivers
accumulate 12 points on their licence they
receive an automatic 6 month ban, but in
the case of LTDA members over 90% of
those represented by our barristers receive
a ban of just 1 month or in most cases no
ban whatsoever.


LEGAL CASE FILE

Each month our specialist legal team deals
with dozens of cases where a driver's
licence and livelihood are under threat.
Recently, a member was out shopping with
his family at a local supermarket. As he
manoeuvred his private car out of a parking
place there was a minor collision with
another vehicle, the driver of which became
very aggressive, causing our member to
defend himself before leaving the scene and
returning home.
A few days later he was woken early in the
morning by four police officers. He was
arrested and charged with assault and
criminal damage! Apparently several
"independent" witnesses had appeared out
of thin air, all of whom alleged that our
member had been the aggressor.
Fortunately, he had the full backing of the
LTDA in-house legal team, who immediately
set to work preparing statements and
gathering evidence on his behalf
Subsequently, at the trial, the LTDA barrister
was able to prove our member's version of
events and he was acquitted on all charges.
Outside the Court he stated "without the
support and backup of the LTDA, I would
have been up the creek. If I would have
needed to have got that sort of legal team
together it would have cost me an arm and
a leg, but as an LTDA member it was
absolutely free".


YOUR FUTURE

The LTDA remains the only trade body
resolutely opposed to the computerisation of
the Knowledge of London testing system.
(No to the quickie Knowledge).


INLAND REVENUE
ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE

Many drivers and accountants refer to the
LTDA for specialist advice on Inland
Revenue investigations. (Free to members).


SICKNESS AND ACCIDENT
PROTECTION

When trouble strikes it's comforting to know
that you've got the strength of the LTDA
Gold Scheme around you. (Scheme
available to members only).


LTDA HOLIDAY CLUB

Many members have saved thousands of
pounds by taking advantage of special
offers and prices (members only).


WIN £5,000 EVERY
MONTH IN THE
LTDA LOTTERY

12 big prizes every year, but you have to be
in it to win it (members only £5 per entry).


ACCESS TO ‘SIMPLY HEALTH’

Great value health care from the LTDA. The
Association pioneered this scheme in the taxi
trade and it still offers the cheapest rates.
(Special rates for LTDA members only).


HEATHROW OFFICE AND
REPRESENTATION

Call in to the LTDA office at Heathrow, first
door on the right in the canteen block.
Jimmy and the boys will give you a warm
welcome. (Open to all).


WELFARE DEPARTMENT

LTDA officers make home visits to members
who are in severe distress or with special
needs and authorise contingency payments
where appropriate.


RANKS AND HIGHWAYS
REPRESENTATION

The LTDA has negotiated taxi access to
most bus lanes and leads the way
negotiating on issues that affect you, the
licensed taxi driver.


GENERAL ADVICE

If you are new to the trade and you don't
know your `roader' from your `legal', give us
a call. We're always here to help. (Tel: 020
7286 1046 - non members are welcome to
call).


24 HOUR TOUT LINE

Seen a tout in action? Take the details and
phone them in, we will do the rest. (Tel: 020
7266 4769).


HEALTH AND SPORTS
PROMOTION

We regularly run promotions with leading
health and sports companies resulting in big
savings to members.


LEISURE DISCOUNTS

Huge savings on weekend breaks at fine
hotels and holiday centres. You will not
believe these prices! (Members only).


VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS

Continually representing members' interests
in disputes with vehicle manufacturers and
suppliers.


AUTHORITIES AND MEDIA

The LTDA is the largest and most respected
driver organisation in the trade. We lead the
way when negotiating with the Government,
GLA, PCO, TfL, Police, Mayor's Office,
Heathrow, Rail Authorities, Local Councils
and when dealing with all sections of the
media.


MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

Many cab drivers are discovering to their
cost that their licences are at risk due to the
PCO's interpretation of the new DVLA Group
2 Medical Standards. The LTDA has
successfully challenged many decisions by
the PCO to revoke members' licences on
medical grounds.


FANTASTIC VALUE

LTDA subscriptions have not increased for 8
years! It costs just 4 quid a week to join the
trade's biggest organisation and 3 quid of
that is tax deductible! (Payable monthly).



Sounds like a bit more than Holidays to me, but don't let a small thing called the truth spoil your hate of the LTDA.

GBC,
touchy ,touchy,have I hit a raw nerve?
Now lets see what LTDA offer.
Badgesafe...Do the LTDA retain barristers on the staff,or do they point you in the direction of one?any cab driver with that many point`s deserves a ban.
legal case file...my insurance company deals with that.
my future....there are 4 times as many minicabs as cab drivers,why should I worry how long it takes to do the knowledge?Better us than them.
Inland revenue problems...My accountant deals with that,should it happen.
Sickness and protection...got a good one with my health insurance company.
LTDA holiday club.got villa`s,dont need cheap holidays.
LTDA lottery.you gotta be in it to win it.
Access to simply health....council leisure centre £75 a year.
Heathrow office and representation!!!!!! what is this.
Welfare department...no different to Dial a cabs welfare dept.
Ranks and highways representation.LTDA,all on thier own?
General advise....by your own admission on previous posts only open to memebers.what is there to call about?
24 hour tout line...what do they do then ????????????????
BLAH,BLAH ,BLAH,

No, but it looks like I have.

Don't worry, no one is forcing you to join, which means what we do within the LTDA is nothing to do with you or any other non member.

However I'm sure you can still sit on the sidelines and snipe about inaction, when in fact your own chosen trade body spends more time at Woodfield Road seeking advice than they do talking about they're enhanced subsistance payments.

update:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7751230.stm



I just called the LTDA to speak to John Thomas and he is currently at a meeting at the PCO but was told that the LTDA are aware of what is going on and are looking into the legalities of the situation..........

This type of scheme has been operating in Croydon and Kingston for a couple of years now, the car is booked at a booth, then a number and car description is issued on a slip of paper and given to the punter.

The problem with the Croydon one is the touts mearly joined in on the back of the legitimate ones in order to nick work, and unlike the going home rank, it's covered by a private 'security' firm who will be open to backhanders by rouge operatives.

However the main point is, sadly, its a legal operation.

Do any of the mini cabs have meters fitted?????????
If not they should have

They can't, its in the Private Hire London act (I think).

CC

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

Minicabs don't have meters . . . they just make up the fares as they go in most cases.

This could be the time to make them fit them, to the same rates as a black cab, if they want them to rank up they must have a meter

Why should London's finest be put at a disadvantage

From memory the London Trade were against it.

CC

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

Prohibition of taximeters

(1) No vehicle to which a London PHV licence relates shall be equipped with a taximeter.

(2) If such a vehicle is equipped with a taximeter, the owner of that vehicle is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(3) In this section “taximeter” means a device for calculating the fare to be charged in respect of any journey by reference to the distance travelled or time elapsed since the start of the journey (or a combination of both).

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