Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver’s wife in Whitehall demo




Protesting: Artemis Mercer, whose husband drives a black cab

A TAXI driver’s wife is taking her campaign to improve the lot of black cabbies to Whitehall this weekend.

Artemis Mercer set up the pressure group Save Our Black Taxis after her family suffered a drop in income because of the increased competition among London’s cab drivers.

She is calling on Transport for London to bolster its restrictions regulating the black cab and private hire market in the capital.

In July, the group staged a demonstration at TfL’s headquarters in Victoria. Mrs Mercer, of Bevan Close, Cockfosters, runs her own catering business and says her family has noticed the impact of additional drivers operating in the capital.

Now campaigners will stage a demonstration opposite Downing Street from 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, aimed at TfL and the government.

They will be protesting against the bodies’ “woeful failure...to fairly regulate the taxi and private hire market”.

A Save Our Black Taxis group on Facebook has clocked up almost 13,000 supporters since it was launched and 3,800 people follow the campaigners’ @SaveTaxi Twitter account.

Drivers of traditional black cabs have been plunged into a battle for business with new companies including Uber as well as unlicensed firms.

Protesters also say that TfL is not doing enough to enforce regulations around public safety in the capital’s taxis.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer of surface transport, said legislation had been applied “fairly and equally”.

“We have not treated, and do not treat, Uber any differently to any other London operator and we are satisfied that Uber currently complies with private hire licensing requirements,” he added.

source: http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/article.c ... all%20demo

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

Perhaps Mr GBC could clarify matters.

Other than the lazy section of the cab trade, how many London cabbies are suffering?

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IDFIMH

They've had an affect, 80'000 un-policed PH cars always will, especially as the quality control standards are zero, not even the ability to speak English would stop a potential PH driver being licensed by TFL.

The press always turn it into an 'uber' story, the fact is this and other dem's etc, are about TFL being crap at their job, even the LPHCA agree, but as long as you have Bus drivers like daniels and his former boss Hendy heading up TFL, it'll continue unabated with every living mong known to man being licensed by TFL as PH drivers.

As for takings, I'm not looking for my nearest food bank ..... just yet.

Join the club mate my earnings have halved over 10 years because of increased competition why should London be protected when the rest of us aren't ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Nobody's got a problem with competition, we've had minicabs getting lost in London for over 50 years, but they've all had to comply with the London PH act since 2000.

Except Uber don't, and that's why I, 26000 cabbies and most licensed ph operators have a major problem with them, Tfl are letting them do as they wish because they're good mates with the Tory party, Goldman Sachs and other well known tax avoiding backers and partners.

And that's why we all believe Tfl are [edited by admin].

Forget law books, technical long winded lawyer talk, and interpretations of existing acts .... let's keep it simple ...

How can you have a licensed Private Hire firm that you can't book because they only respond to an instant electronic hail?

Really?

Moves are afoot to change the 98 act, and I don't think uber will like it.

How can you ban a firm that only uses Apps?

I well remember Griffin telling the Transport Select Committee that firms need to embrace the digital revolution, well clearly Uber took on his advice.

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IDFIMH

Except Griffins company's app generates a booking within its UK staffed operating centre, employing local people and paying tax in the UK.

They also have a phone number and don't use a meter to calculate the cost.

I suspect all of their cars are properly insured too.

The TFL need all the money they can get their hands on at the moment, they're moving to brand new offices in the not so distant future.

But there is no law that says a booking office must be manned.


Neither do Uber. The only people in the world who think a phone is now a meter are London cabbies.


Didn't TfL go through all Uber's database and give them an almost all clear.

And I can tell you this for nothing, some of the 20 odd thousand London cabs will be running uninsured.

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IDFIMH

Excellent.

You'll have no problem when they dominate the Brighton PH scene in a few years if they carry on unchecked, then you too can celebrate running around at £1.20 a mile and paying them 20% (30%?) for the privilege.

You can even use their 'its not a meter' to calculate the £1.20 a mile.

...... and to fund their multitude of six figure salaried staff, of which there seems to be many hundreds.

Well deserved I may add, as they do such a cracking job of keeping London gridlocked from 7am to Midnight most days.

Uber is not the biggest concern drivers have down here, our biggest problem is Lewes and Adur cars working B&H.

If Uber license in B&H they will need B&H licensed drivers.

So if you ask me what would I prefer, a Uber licensed B&H driver getting B&H work or a Lewes or Adur driver getting B&H work, well it will be the former every time.

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IDFIMH