Taxi Driver Online

London's black taxi drivers protest at Victoria over regulation of minicab rivals

Hundreds of black cabs brought central London to a standstill today in the latest protest over unlicensed minicabs, which drivers claim are turning the West End into the "Wild West".

Around a thousand cabbies blockaded the streets around the TfL headquarters in Victoria as they called for the transport authority to impose tougher restrictions on minicab drivers.

Some protesters left their vehicles and blocked the road, holding placards which read 'Enforce the law' and 'TfL killing our trade' as police redirected traffic.

Cabbies, who claim they are losing earnings because of the lack of regulation around private hire vehicles, could also be heard beeping their horns as the protest continued in Victoria Street.

Steve Sharp, a taxi driver of 33 years who lives in Wallington, said the number of protests would increase if TfL did not make significant changes to the current licensing system.

He said: "Some of these new drivers have been training for four years - it is quicker to become an RAF pilot than it is to become a cab driver. And yet TfL are not enforcing the law. Things are going to get a lot worse if nothing changes."

Another driver, who only gave his name as Bob, said the government should be working to limit the power of budget taxi app companies such as Uber.

He said: "It is down to Londoners - they do not seem to want us. They are choosing Uber. If people are happy to have this sort of system in London then good luck to them."

Len Martin, chairman of Unite Cabbies group, said the protest was necessary to raise the profile of the issue.

He said: "TfL are not taking this seriously. They will not meet with us. We are here to raise the profile of this, to make sure it does not go away."

He continued: "When you go into the West End on any given night it is like the Wild West. The enforcement officers do not know what the law is for minicabs. We are saying that the public are being put at risk because TfL are not trying to sort it out."

TfL claims it is working to clamp down on the illegal minicab trade as it criticised black cab drivers for protesting today.

Garrett Emmerson, chief operating officer for surface transport at TfL said: “There is absolutely no justification for this protest because we are already doing the very things they are calling for. Just like the previous protest on Oxford Street, it will achieve nothing other than to disrupt life and business in London.”

source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transpor ... 76576.html

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

TfL protects Taxi & Private Hire trade - combating illegal activity


TfL announces early results of Operation Neon, launched to clamp down on illegal minicab activity


Transport for London (TfL) has announced that over the first five evenings of 'Operation Neon', a high visibility, multi-agency operation to clamp down and disrupt illegal activity by minicab and taxis, a total of 331 private hire drivers have been reported for failing to comply with regulations.

Eight drivers have been reported for plying for hire offences, plus 30 drivers for parking on taxi ranks, and 73 tickets have been issued for parking offences. Around 600 vehicles have also been moved on from outside clubs and late night venues. Priority locations such as Swallow Street, Dover Street and Berkeley Street in Mayfair have also been kept clear of such vehicles. This action will continue throughout May and June.

Operation Neon involves TfL enforcement and compliance officials, Metropolitan Police Service officers and Westminster City Council parking attendants, and has substantially increased the levels of visible enforcement in central London, combating touting and other illegal activity. It is keeping ranks clear to support legitimate taxi and private hire drivers and has received positive feedback from the trade associations.

Operation Neon is just one element of TfL's robust enforcement action with police colleagues, which continues to attack touting and bogus cabs.

As a result, the proportion of women approached by touts at the end of a night out in London has reduced by 77% since 2003. Since April 2013, the TfL funded Cab Enforcement Unit has reported 148 drivers for unlawfully plying for hire, resulting in a 97% conviction rate of those that have gone to court.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL's Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, said: `We are determined to protect the livelihoods of all legitimate taxi and private hire drivers through robust enforcement action. Following engagement with the main trade associations (The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, the London Cab Drivers Club and UNITE), we will continue to be relentless in enforcing the law through action such as Operation Neon to protect the legitimate trade, improve public safety, promote high levels of compliance and tackle illegality'

TfL has also today urged the United Cabbies group (UCG) to call off its protest organised by a small group of taxi drivers outside of the main recognised taxi associations. It is due to take place at 14:00 this afternoon (Tuesday 26 May) and would unnecessarily disrupt Londoners and visitors to the Capital.

According to the UCG, their primary aim is to highlight the 'Future Proof' report that was published in February by the Greater London Authority (GLA).

However, TfL provided a full response to 'Future Proof' in February making clear that all of the main recommendations either have been, or are in the process of, being implemented. Of the 19 recommendations, 13 were planned or already underway before the report was published. The remainder are now being delivered against specific implementation dates, with the exception of one that is a matter for Government.

Garrett Emmerson added: `There is absolutely no justification for this protest because we are already doing the very things they are calling for. Just like the previous protest on Oxford Street, it will achieve nothing other than to disrupt life and business in London.'

Note to Editors:

•TfL is responsible for licensing 100,000 taxi and private hire drivers, 85,000 taxi and private hire vehicles and 3,000 private hire operators and is the largest licensing authority in England and Wales and is responsible for licensing over a third of all services.

•TfL's regulation of the taxi trade is widely recognised as the best in the world. The rigorous Knowledge of London examination coupled with the Conditions of Fitness, which require every taxi to be fully accessible, mean an exceptionally high standard is required.

•In testimony to the GLA Transport Committee, Matthew Daus (President, International Association of Transportation Regulators) said: 'Well, [TfL's licensing] has been the gold standard for many, many years, and it is even now. As someone who ran the New York City taxi commission for nine years and was there for 14 years, we would often find ourselves comparing ourselves to London and I think most regulators around the country in the United States (US) as well as the world - and we represent everybody at the IATR from the Middle East to Australia - everybody finds themselves comparing themselves to the iconic black cab system.'

Transport for London is doing a number of things to support the taxi trade including: •Investing £600,000 in a Taxi Rank Action Plan to increase the number of ranks across the Capital by 20% by 2020 (an extra 100 ranks)

•Publishing a Suburban Ranks Action Plan to ensure the continued provision of taxi services in the suburbs.

•Creating taxi and private hire Reference Groups to consider future development of trades. TfL will also establish a regular forum to discuss taxi issues with suburban drivers, alongside established trade representatives

•Launching a new counter service - accessible via Chancel Street, SE1 - as a direct result of requests from the taxi and private hire trades. The service is principally to help customers who are having difficulties with the application process

•Later in June TfL will also be launching a brand new online application process. This will allow customers to easily and conveniently process their entire application online, including the scanning and uploading of supporting documents

•At the request of the trades TfL is also seeking clarity, from the High Court, on whether the device in Uber vehicles constitutes a taximeter

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

Good on them their arguments are inaccurate but their actions will provoke a debate on the totally corrupt Private Hire industry, high time Unite RMT and the GMB got their act together ............the PH industry is currently a DESPICABLE CRIMINAL industry IN LONDON designed purely to steal from citizens WHO believe the lies of the Proprietors regarding EARNING AND HOURS

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Angry MP tells black cab drivers he's switching to Uber after protest jams London roads


An MP tells cabbies he's going to use their competitor in future after their protest leaves him stuck in traffic for more than two hours

Black Country MP Ian Austin has told London cabbies that he will book cars from their arch-competitor Uber in future - after they blockaded the capital’s road so he was stuck in traffic for two and a half hours.

The MP was finishing his car journey from his Dudley constituency to the House of Commons when he was caught up in a protest by black cab drivers who are angry about Uber’s increasing domination of the taxi industry.

Mr Austin (Lab Dudley North) told followers on Twitter that it took him two and a half hours to travel from Victoria Station to Parliament - a journey of less than a mile which usually takes less than ten minutes.

And the angry MP said that he’d use Uber’s services in London in future - instead of taking a black cab.

Ian Austin
✔ ‎@IanAustinMP
Taken 2.5 hours to get from Victoria to Westminster thanks to black cabs demo. How do I sign up for @Uber so I never have to use one again?

He said: “Taken 2.5 hours to get from Victoria to Westminster thanks to black cabs demo. How do I sign up for Uber so I never have to use one again?”

Asked on Twitter he didn’t just walk, the MP pointed out that he couldn’t abandon his car on a London road.

The protest was organised by London taxi drivers who have formed a campaigning organisation called the United Cabbies Group. They fear they will be put out of business by Uber, which allows customers to book a Private Hire Vehicle, also known as a minicab, using a mobile phone app.

Drivers in the UK need private hire licences to sign up with Uber but they are no longer employed by a minicab firm which needs to cover costs and make a profiit. The app also makes it easier to book a minicab.

Cabbies descended on the Victoria headquarters of Transport for London and also drove around the Palace of Westminster beeping their horns as they demanded action to save their trade.

London black cab drivers have to go through stringent training known as “the knowledge” to get their licence, and argue that minicabs are far less regulated than they are.

Some Twitter users were not impressed by Mr Austin's outburst.

One person identifying themselves as a cab driver said: "Sir you have no place representing the Labour party if you disrespect workers fighting for their livelihoods".

@IanAustinMP sir you have no place representing the Labour party if you disrespect workers fighting for their livelihoods
— jon (@jonthelondoncab) May 26, 2015

Another person said: "That comment shows exactly why Labour lost the election and the working class".

@IanAustinMP @Uber that comment shows exactly why @UKLabour lost the election and the working class

source: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... ab-9334948

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

Ian Austin MP - you are a tw@t of the first order - you plastic working class shithouse

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

AGREED

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

A Brownite -

Expenses Controversy

In May 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported that Ian Austin had tried to split a claim for stamp duty on buying his second home in London, into two payments and tried to claim the cost back over two financial years. This allowed him to claim the majority of the money (£21,559, just £75 short of the maximum) under his second home allowance in the 2005/06 financial year. He then claimed for the remaining £1,344 stamp duty cost in 2006/2007, together with his legal fees. In all, he went on to claim £22,076 (£34 short of the maximum)in the next financial year.[12]

It also reported that Mr Austin "flipped" his second home designation weeks before buying a £270,000 London flat, and that he had claimed £467 for a stereo system for his constituency home, shortly before he changed his second home designation to London. He then spent a further £2,800 furnishing the new London flat.[13]

Mr Austin denied any wrongdoing, and defended his actions in an interview with local newspaper, Dudley News[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Austin_(politician)

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

Have you seen the response the red tory got on twitter?

Wow!

Its even made some of the papers. I reckon he'll keep his fingers off the keypad next time he's stuck in a lawful protest . . . you know the ones, the ones Labour support for working folks . . .

I'm glad the newspapers never posted my replies to him on twitter.

Copy and paste the twitter rant

YES PLEASE DO I AM AT A LABOUR PARTY MEETING TONIGHT AND FEEL THE OPPORTUNITY TO NAIL THIS KKUNT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE!

SO COME ON GBC LETS HAVE IT

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

https://twitter.com/IanAustinMP

Scroll down and find what you're looking for

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Thanks toots it could prove useful not tonight though

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE