Taxi Driver Online

Suprise suprise

Seems like touting to me, apparently this happens in Manchester too

CC

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

It's called a pick up point.

But surely from an authorities' point of view it's got to be better folks getting into a pre-booked licensed PH rather than a un-booked unlicensed tout's car.

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IDFIMH

This may sound a strange question but what would the pco do if all of London's cabbys suddenly decided to go PH, but use there cabs instead of saloons,

You're right, but this is the thin end of a very sh*tty stick.

CC

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

The traffic order also allows mini cabs the bus stand in front of the Cafe' de Paris as a feeder rank.
Well now the Shiit has hit the fan, you will realise the one thing the LTDA haven't done is looked after your future. They have just sat back and coined in your £16 a month, and you just pay up.
The reason John Thomas was at a meeting with the PCO and aware of the situation was because I told him about it on Tuesday. It was the first he had heard.
But it should not have come from me. To sub let the bus stands, this had to be put before the board of TFL, the very board that Bob is on, Why did he not contact his own chairman.
This latest fiasco will cost the LTDA many members if they do not sort it out promptly and this is not what we want to see. We want to see as many Cab Drivers as possible to join the associations.

Their safe little number is finally on the line, so we should expect to see them running round like blue arsed flies for the next few weeks. Probably followed by an announcement that its "All for the good of the trade" and then back to the holidays.

The Denial from Westminster council sights unlicensed mini cabs as the problem. This is totally untrue the problem is with licensed PHV's touting. They are not looking at their own CCTV footage, unless it is to give a Licensed TX2 a ticket.

The problem with the headline is the word 'rank'.
To me it means a place where taxis park up for hire.
Scaremongering I think.
I would love a meter, alot of PHV's outside london have them, billericay/basildon to name two.

I'm not sure if GBC will agree, but alot of the late night problems has come from the fact that alot of taxis don't want to work past 2am, therefore london had a problem with people getting home after a late night out and the touts then appeared.

The office I work at has a system where we park up down the road in a feeder system, as the base work comes in we move up the feeder. This is due to the fact that the council put double yellow lines outside our office and enforce it 24hrs a day.

If the LTDA called on it's members to go on strike for 2 weeks as a protest againt touting would the members adhere to it?, probably not, but the drivers are self employed so who can blame them.

It's like all crime, unless there is strict enforcement and punishment the problem will continue.

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stressed controller!!!

Errm....that's the same thing innit?

CC

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

City Hall Desk

Black cab concerns that a bus stop in central London has been transformed into a rank for private hire vehicles has been responded to by Westminster council by stating to the London Daily News that private hire cars "are simply using a bus stop (which is not used at night) as a collection point for pre-ordered cabs."

Westminster Council have issued a formal statement:

"Martin Low, director of transportation, said: “This is about safer travel at night. The scheme allows people to book their minicab in Leicester Square knowing they will be escorted by trained, uniformed staff to a safe, licensed minicab, which will be able to stop in Whitcomb Street between 9pm and 4am when the bus stop and stand are not operating.“The minicabs are using this location as a collection point for pre-ordered trips. They will not be allowed to ply for hire as taxis."

“Sadly we do have problems with unlicensed minicabs".

Members of the black cab community are annoyed that this move by Westminster council may contravene the London Private Hire Act which allows people to book cabs and stop private hire touting for business.

"More and more clip board stewards working for private hire companies it would be appear in collusion with Westminster and TfL are allowing touting and ranking to happen", John Kennedy a black cab driver and London Daily News columnist."The new scheme, set up by Heart of London Business Alliance with West1 MiniCabs in partnership with Westminster council and the Metropolitan police, allows revellers to book minicabs through the London Information Centre in Leicester Square from where they are escorted by uniformed, trained staff to their licensed and safe minicab home."

TfL have issued a rebuttal on the issue stating:


"There is no such thing as a private hire vehicle rank so the rumours that there is a licensed minicab rank operating on Whitcomb Street are categorically untrue. The Public Carriage Office (PCO) has licensed a new private hire operating centre in the TKTS booth in Leicester Square.

"All trips must be pre-booked, and any private hire or minicab journey not booked through an operator is illegal, uninsured and unlicensed. Any private hire driver trying to pick up passengers at Whitcomb Street without a prior booking will be breaking the law and could face prosecution."
We also want to point out that there are several PCO appointed taxi ranks in the area around Leicester Square and West End including in:

Whitcomb Street (outside the Thistle Piccadilly Hotel)
Coventry Street
Cranbourn Street
Glasshouse Street/Sherwood Street
Haymarket (outside Tiger Tiger)
Haymarket (outside Charles II Street)
Lower Regent Street (outside Lillywhites)

Talk about going over the top.

It's a licensed Minicab operation.
End of.
I don't like it anymore than you, but if it's operating within the current laws, thats simply competition

Are you saying, and please give me a straight answer, that every Minicab Office in London (including the dozens that have been in and around Leicester Square for years) have their own illegal 'rank'?

Where would you like the drivers to wait, the next borough from their office?

How is this any different to cars parked outside a licensed office anywhere in London waiting for their next job? It does'nt mean they are touting.

An even better question, Why has all the clubs and councils felt the need to support such operations?

The only people calling it a 'rank' are those folks who have nothing to do with the PCO or Westminster Council.





Got it in one.

And it's those very drivers who are moaning about how quiet it is, and will you see them out after it gets dark? Will you hell.




Sensible Taxi drivers accept that a legitimate office with legitimate cars have to have them parked by, or near the office, otherwise your wasting your time running an operation.

If we take the objections about Whitcomb Street and apply it to the 3000 Minicab offices in London, it would mean no cars would be able to operate from any office anywhere.

I'm interested in any suggestions as to quite where exactly the pre-booked cars should be waiting, especially in central London where there is no where to park?

A touts a tout whether they're driving a Licensed Minicab, an Unlicensed private car or a Licensed Taxi such as those we see parked outside Charing Cross Station on a nightly basis.

By the way Mr A, are you 'John the Cabbie Kennedy' by any small chance?

I don’t think so he can spell.

1. There are plenty of drivers who work past 2/oc. Just cause you go home at 3o/c don’t think everyone else does.
2. The uniformed men in the BBC film will be doing the touting, openly in Leicester Square, nothing new there.
3.Sensible Taxi drivers do not accept that a legitimate office with legitimate cars have to have them parked outside clubs all over the west end and tout for work, only you.
4 .The ball is rolling now despite your constant attempts to legitimise Touting. Even John Thomas has been mobilised.
5. The BBC reporter kept calling the cars Taxi's
6. In the interview the BBC Announcers said that over 100 sexual assaults have been reported in unlicensed taxis. As no one has been caught and no registration numbers were taken by the victims (info, Chief Inspector Blood west end central) there is absolutely no proof these vehicle’s were unlicensed.

Funny how the mini cab firm who has leased this rank has a CEO thats on the board of TFL with Bob Oddie.

If I were you, and thank God I’m not, I’d let go of the shovel now. Get out more and find some friends.

Ah, back to your usual anger. Didn’t last long did it MrA?

Try to calm down and answer my questions instead of attacking everyone who happens to disagree with you, of which I'm sure there are plenty out there who don't happen to form the 6 London drivers who scribe on here.





But not enough to fulfil the travelling needs of the public, and that’s why touts and Minicabs are flourishing.



WTF?



I never mentioned touting, I asked you where legitimate Minicab firms were meant to park their drivers and cars whilst waiting for work.

I think I've hit the nail on the head about what your problem is, is that you cannot accept the Minicab trade are licensed and in competition with us? Here's a bit of news for you MrA, they are and they're growing, get used to it.

Now back to my question about licensed offices and licensed cars and where should they park if that office happens to be in Central London like the licensed office in Leicester Square?

Try to keep it factual instead of attacking me or the LTDA.



How can having licensed offices legitimise touting? We're back to you and your inability to realise its 2008 and we have competition, of course its thanks to drivers of your age this whole situation has occurred with the 'it's getting dark, lets go' crowd. Thank god you'll all be gone over the next decade.

The ball is rolling?

I look forward to the change in law you must have organised?

One old lad, numerous log ins . . . a formidable force?




WTF ? (2)



God? You'll meet him a lot sooner than me MrA, your blood pressure will see to that .

I was going to use the shovel to clear up the rubbish strewn street you live in.

Friends? That word will be an alien word to you MrA, stick to being a keyboard warrior, you're good at that.