Taxi Driver Online

My understanding was that Dave Millward, editor of Taxi Talk, was a T&G man.

Although he doesn't mention them by name, reading between the lines it looks like he's become increasinly disillusioned by the T&G.

In particular, in his latest editorial, he seems to make several sideswipes at the union, and seems to have been converted to the NTA cause?

Or am I missing something?

I expect the Captain will be able to put our minds at rest, but if he is disillusioned by the T&G, then I doubt he is the first, or will be the last.

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IDFIMH

Jeez, last month some of you reasoned by taking photographs for PHM he was selling out!

As far as I know the editor is still a T&G member. However, he has been very consistent to support the trade and does not suffer fools, whatever group they come from.

I think the editorial was having a sideswipe at the NTTG more than anything else, thats the way I read it anyway.

I think the fact that the magazine is receiving more than a passing mention in this site is proof that the editor is steering the magazine in the right direction, you are obviously reading it.

You will all be aware that in the past the magazine has published articles from SCATA, the NTTG and every month has articles from T&G members and journalists. However, non seem as controversial or as down to earth as the ones by the NTA, this obviously benefits the magazine. As you either become enraged by the articles written by the NTAs admin man or agree with them. Either way, you read them.

When considering the other bodies out there to support.

The T&G

It is fair to say that people are becoming disillusioned with the T&G, the costs of membership are approximately five times as much as the NTA, whereas the benefits to the taxi profession at a local level are just the same as forming an association and affiliating to the NTA.

The main policy difference is the single tier system, the T&G have saw this ripped to pieces with the government passing the London PH act and a consistant government line of sticking with the two tier system. We should remember that the T&G were the ones claiming victory over the OFT, yet for all the MPs they claim to have in their pockets, we have been left with a two tier system.

SCATA

They seem to wait until the horse has bolted before they decide to say anything or have a view, this goes with making their minds up about the OFT (four months late) and indeed the DDA legislation pertaining to taxis (5 years). They could do a lot worse than disbanding and forming a powerful block within the NTA.

NTTG

A body that was not formed until the OFT loomed. Went around the country collecting money from all and sundry, then attempted to steal the policies of the NTA and T&G as their own ideas. Mainly based in Liverpool and Manchester, where plate values are in excess of £40k, it does not seem to have occurred to these people that they are the root of the problem, and have little to play in any solution. A lot of the people involved in the running of the NTTG have major problems with the people running the NTA.

The questions still remain about where all the money collected to combat the OFT has gone.

When considering all of this, the NTA has a consistent line of locals knowing best for their local circumstances. The next 18 months will be interesting for the NTA and the rest of us, the advent of a new NTA chairman or a change in the operating procedure to make the admin guy more of a general secretary should make it more high profile. This would be a positive move for the whole trade, not just taxitalk and the NTA.

Regards,

Captain Cab

Wot you mean letting PH in?

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IDFIMH

hehe sussex, i told you to come to conference

you could have asked!

regards

Captain cab

Not really, el Capitano, from my point of view the magazine is still going in the same direction as it was before, and clearly I disagree with its support of quotas, which hasn't, and won't, change one iota in all probability.

Thus I don't read it because I agree with much of what's in it, but because frankly there's not really a lot of publications available containing the trade's views.

Indeed, apart from CTN it's the only publication with much in the way of opinion, since PHM is largely provincial trade stories, which we comment on here about anyway. In PHM the only opinion normally is Mr Roland's, and I usually agree with what he says in broad terms except for the quota issue, where Mr Roland makes a very good job of saying a lot in support of restricted numbers without saying very much of substance at all, as we've commented before.

i dont remeber the magazine being in support of quotas, however i may be wrong on that.

obviously, if you feel different you should perhaps do a letter to the editor and see if its published, my guess would be that it would be, i think the editor to a certain degree likes annoying people.

i see changes in the magazine during the past year or so, the differing points of view etc, from being mainly Liverpool and London orientated it is now national, with national readership and contributions.

with reference to phm, the guy sits on the fence until he see which way the wind blows, then decides, now that is no opinion at all, its a craving for popularity. the paper is being found out now, because most of the stuff in it is just recycled rubbish anyway.

regards

captain cab

I think he sits on the fence until it becomes clear which side the advertisers want him to go.

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IDFIMH

Is captain cab dave millward

No, he is Captain Cab.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

T&G I SAID IT ONCE and will say it again they have screwed up the road haulage industry and they will do the same with the taxi industry they are only intrested in your money

I bumped into Dave yesterday at the airport, I have not seen him now for a few years but in our brief chat my feelings are that his main thoughts are for the good of the trade in whatever form that takes in the future. My only worry was that he was on his way to Brighton. Heaven help him.
Further to Cap's remarks he would welcome any correspondence from anybody on the site.
Ged

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taxi driver @manchester airport

cant believe Mr T never saw the A team

hehe

captain cab

I've met him a few times once in Watford then at the Houses of Parliament. He seemed a very genuine chap who has the tade at heart.

Hi TDOL,

I know you are busy so I won't detain you long.
I don't generally respond to a taxi driver forum, however, some of the
anecdotes on your site are quite amusing notwithstanding the grammatical errors by some. Furthermore, for the information of those who think that I'm Captain Cab then allow me to reassure you Captain Cab is not I, as I'm not one who blows my own trumpet.

Any future comments from me on TDOL will be under my name and title (no nome de plumes) so you can respond accordingly - shout me down, call me names if you wish I can handle it!! either through this forum or indeed TAXI"talk" and CAB"chat" Magazine (Cab chat London only) that's if you're brave enough of course?

Thank you Captain Cab, Ged May and others who have defended me and what I believe in through this site. By the way it was nice to see you again Ged, hope to see you in the New Year. I did get down to Brighton via Birmingham, Coventry Heathrow and Sussex that day and again thank's for your concern.

Also, please may I take this opportunity to thank all those who support the trade including the moderator of Taxi Driver On Line because without people like us who are passionate and believe in our profession (and yes it is a profession) the faceless mouthpieces and hypocrites out there would not be driving cabs today! So put your BIG gobs where your livelihoods are and start supporting your trade now by joining a reputable trade body,( and I don't mean the bucket collectors of no significance either) because next year you may not have any thing to shout about?

Thank you for your time, keep up the good work TDOL .
A merry Christmas and prosperous New Year to all, I'm not bias!!

David Millward
TAXI"talk" editor