Taxi Driver Online

Nope that didn't work either.

But some bright spark has made you previous post much clearer.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

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just a demonstration of the trouble you are causing, identify yourself or belt up, your excuses are lame

spoken like a true anonymous.

Away again, calling someone else to distract from issues raised earlier.
Nice to see some tactics never ever change.

B. Lucky

Quotes from Dusty Bin
Quotes from Mick
Replies from Dusty

Dear oh dear!

It may be democracy, but it's also hypocrisy of the highest order!

The truth is that the T&G don't have any specific policies, they just change to suit what the local trade want.

Not really true, the T&G have National Policies mainly based around a specific act of parliment updating laws relevent to the trade.

Well that’s the problem Mick, all we ever seem to hear about is a call for a National Cab Act, but never any specifics or detail. As regards any specific national policies, they generally seem to be contradicted by local policies, thus detracting from any credibility the union may have, and that was the point of my post.

If the train operating companies close off a station the T&G call it 'extortion' and 'greed'. If the T&G do it, it's OK because the local membeship voted for it.

The T&G have never condoned ANY permit for work in any shape or form, a local branch of the T&G balloted its membership and followed the majority.

That’s precisely the point – whether or not the local membership voted for it is irrelevant – it’s still double standards. The latest CTN comment says: “Outside London the ‘bastions of resistance’ to the lining of pockets of the train operating companies remain determined. Liverpool, Watford, Southend – the T&G strongholds continue to fly the flag for ‘Free and Open Access'. No mention of Brighton then???

How about : In Brighton the ‘bastions of resistance to ‘Free and Open Access’ remain determined not to allow other drivers access to the rail station and consider lining their own pockets more important that national T&G policies and principles. The T&G strongholds continue to fly the flag for ‘Closed and Restricted Access'.

Of course, nationally the T&G don’t want free and open access to taxi plates (if not for taxi badges) so at least the Brighton branch are consistently self-serving.

If they get a plate for free, they object to others doing likewise, and then want to sell it to those who can't get one.

I can't remember this ever being a Union Policy mind Dusty, maybe your confusing it with the allegations you made against me.

Not at all Mick – it was Mr Royden in the Wirral, whose case was splattered all over CTN on several occasions. So if someone gets a free plate, is it union policy for it to be given away when they are finished with it or what?

By the way, I think the OFT got that one wrong – they seem to think Mr Royden paid for his license, but he got a freebie, didn’t he?


They want purpose built in some areas, but saloons in others - just what suits the local membership.

The T&G want all vehicles to have European Full Body M1 certification

So you’re saying that the T&G want that in saloon car areas like Brighton and Loughborough? I very much doubt that. Tell me a saloon car branch that wants M1 certification. And if so, why don’t they adhere to that voluntarily – if any council objected it would be a damn good story for CTN!

By the way, shouldn’t you have said European Full Body M1 certification as long as it’s an LTI? Or is that another local policy?

They want a one tier system according to every edition of CTN, yet in some areas two tiers are fine and dandy.

The CTN initially was a London only publication as the T&G Cab Section originates, as do many others, in the capital. For this reason they publish the viewpoint of their own membership (London) which as you well know object strongly to the licensing of minicabs. In areas where licenced P/H have operated alongside H/C the stance is for the 2 codes to remain.

So why isn’t this made clear then, wouldn’t be that difficult surely? Anyway, I didn’t know that the T&G objected to the licensing of minicabs. Here’s an idea for the LTDA’s next poster campaign – a picture of a beaming Tony Woodley next to statistics about murders and rapes committed by minicab drivers, with the caption: “What’s he got to smile about?”

The want managed growth in some areas, yet in others they threaten legal action when councils propose issuing the minimum number of new plates required by law.

Sorry Dusty, I don't understand the question, maybe with more detail I could try to answer.

Could you explain this ‘managed growth’ concept that seems to be T&G policy? In particular, how does it differ from the minimum ‘growth’ that LAs are required to implement to comply with current legislation and case law – as far as I can tell it doesn’t, it’s just the T&G spinning things so that it looks as if they are being constructive, but all they are doing is agreeing to the LA applying the law, which is perhaps not being destructive, but is hardly being constructive. Anyway, Mr Evans from Manchester does state that policy there is different from elsewhere, so that proves the point I was making.

The truth is that the union doesn't seem to have any specific policies at all, except for what local branches want.

So its better to let down the local membership, sometimes I despair, local representation is why people join, National Policies rarely benefit drivers immediately but safeguard their futures.

I’m not really bothered what national and local policies are, but what I’m saying is that if some branches are saying/doing one thing and others/the union nationally are saying/doing other things then the whole thing stinks of hypocrisy and leaves the union with little credibility. You can’t slag Taxibank one minute then operate a closed shop at a rail station the next minute and then ‘despair’ when others call the union to account. No wonder you despair!!

The T&G is basically a big union with national clout, but with nothing in terms of policy behind it at all as regards the cab trade, in short all spin but no substance.

Sorry Dusty but you couldn't be more wrong, the T&G has more substance to its arguments concerning legislation than any other National group concerned with this trade, its the way you and others spin their quotes and members contributions on here that make it appear they do very little.

The problem is that there when any specific policy such as ‘Free and Open Access’ is scrutinised it seems to just apply to serve the narrow interests of local branches, or is jettisoned to that end, as in Brighton.

Other policies seem to be little more than empty rhetoric, such as the National Cab Act, with a complete absence of detail. Another example – Mr Kavanagh’s front page CTN article says that the T&G’s response to OFT includes “an alternative vision which embraces planning, responsiveness and sustainability”.

So where is it? All there is a bit more about managed growth, something about a fares formula and a call for all authorities to restrict – this is presumably so that all can do a Royden.


And the inconsistencies in policy just demonstrate the self-serving double standards that seem to charachterise it.

Self serving.......double standards..............inconsistencies............... are we still discussing the T&G or have you moved onto the NPHA

Happy new year Mick!

Dusty

I can see a rainbow, see a rainbow, see a rainbow too.

Alex

_________________
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I rang up the station peopel yesterday and asked for a pass. Thbeir is a waiting list now.
If a driver sells his plate then he cant seel his permit to someone else. He said that none had changed for the last year. So i asked what was the point of a waiting list.
He said it drives him mad and there are plans just to open it up to all b&h cabs and have a barriar for the money.
If that happens i cant wait to see the faces of my fellow drivers.

Perhaps you might see a CTN front-page 'T&G fight against Free and Open Access'.

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IDFIMH

I have a Brighton plate with no permit for the main station and it doesnt bother me one little bit. There are so many taxis there at times that I would not be able to get out of the queue to cover my regular radio customers. And when it is over crowded with taxi I cant even get into the staion to drop cistomers off in the sectioned off area.

If I happen to be approached when there are no taxis ranked up I ask the customer to walk ten yards to the station entrance and pick them up there.

Can I firstly point out that any shortcomings the T&G CAb Section have are not my responsibility nor do I have any more influence on changing policy than any other of the thousands of T&G members accross the country. I was able to obtain information for Cgull as I know their Chairman personally.

Ok then, I will try to answer alllegations made against the union I personally support, my answers,however,are my own personal opinion in some cases and in others the majority view of my own local branch.


No area should be closed off, it really is as simple as that. The T&G have a Policy which reflects this sentiment HOWEVER if locally members decide to temprarily support such restrictions it would be foolish for the union to turn their backs on their members requests. I must point out that the Regional Office and the Branch representatives understand the merits of the National Policy and are undertaking to convince their membersip.


My persoanal opinion is that ALL plates should eventually become non-transferable, however plateholders that are also owner drivers have in the majority paid a premium to obtain their licence and in most cases gone into debt to do so. Compensation, in whatever form, should be offered to this group and may not have to be monetry.

On the point of managed growth, its really quite simple. The T&G want to have negotiations with the trade and other authorities such as Police and Traffic Wardens as well as the Licensing Authority before determining exactly the balance between local provision and local demand and so ensuring that all possible implications are considered.

And so back to the T&G policy of Free and Open Access, compared now, not with the rights and wrongs but with the commercial interest of a "management" company. I don't undersand how such a comparison could be made, maybe again you are looking to deflect, Taxibank looked to manage work from the stations and return a healthy profit to its shareholders, the Brighton Branch of the T&G Cab Section voted and ALONG WITH THE MAJORITY OF PERMIT HOLDERS, decided upon the action they chose. I believe they were wrong, I believe they should have followed the Unions Policy, but I don't know all of the reasoning which lead to that decision and I believe they would have only taken such action if they believed there was no other viable alternative. I will also add that if a vote was called within my branch and the members called for representation which contradicted Union Policy I would, without hesitation carry out their exact requests, as fundimentally that is what a union is all about.

The "Hire and Reward trade" is very difficult to represent Nationally, consider that legislation if vastly different accross the UK, consider that in some areas legislation allows things that are restricted in others. Every area is different and the T&G recognises that what exactly happens to benefit divers in some areas would have a detrimental effect in others. This is why the branches are, to a certain extent, able to write their own local policies and it is a credit to the T&G that they recognise this and have structured the Cab Section to accomodate it.

Comparisons with other areas or bother trades are condemed when it comes from a union, but when it comes in the posts of certain members they are, apparently, un-questionable.

B. Lucky

I must admit I would not be very happy if I either bought a plate, or got given one, and then someone said that I couldn't work it in the council area that licensed it to me.

Alex

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Of course it is all down to the point of being private land

But of course that is not being said, whats happening merely is some want access to a particular rank, ie they dont want to go to the nearest

its an attempt at creaming off.

Airports need permits as well of course.

Another prime example of certain members insistance to mis-quote, it can only be in an atttempt to confuse.

B. Lucky

attempt is two teas mick
we will have one each?