Taxi Driver Online

TAXI the paper of the ltda leads this week with story of the filfys up to their tricks again.Plain clothes women police officers stand on the street in the early hours, pretending to appear in need of transport if a a black cab stops and asks them if they need a cab with their light on,another officer appears from out of the shadows and they charge the driver with touting. technically of course they are correct.But what a liberty given the extent of touting in London these days which they ignore in order to pursue the legitamate trade.TOCU is rapidly obtaining a disgusting reputation they are badly in need of investigation, we will ensure it happens, and are quite prepared to do it with any organisation which share our concerns, as obviously the LTDA do.I wonder why GBC failed to post this story perhaps even he is ashamed of this shower.Read the article good journalism i get every edition dont always agree but good mag.
ORGANISE EDUCATE AGITATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

You mean they catch the 'are you going west love'? crowd.

Good.

If a female wants a Taxi, they stick their hand out like anyone else would, I never saw anyone cower away from my for hire light last night, in fact it caused a scuffle or two as it was so busy.

I agree to a certain extent the TOCU could be better employed directing more resources towards the thousands of 'taxee boss' ? individuals.

Perhaps this form of enforcement was aimed at all vehicles and not directly at London black cabs. It might be the case that it was only London black cabs that touted for custom by stopping and asking this woman if she wanted a cab. I think it would be highly improbable that no other vehicle would have been roped in if they committed the same offence. I suggest someone phones the PCO and asks them if this particular operation was restricted to just black cabs or was it aimed at every vehicle?

If it did apply to all vehicles but only London black cabs were caught touting, then it would make for very interesting reading?

Regards

JD

PCO have no involvment in police operations.
Surely the main target must be the touts in ordinary vehicles driven by unidentifiable drivers, obviously the most dangerous threat to the public.
GBC why didnt you post it, normally your very quick with every edition, or is your censoring mode taking over once again?
JD article states this is common practice by TOCU deliberately aimed at HACKS, I can see no justification whatsoever for this given the touting levels at the moment.I see no reason a hack on his way home shouldnt be able to advertise his direction of travel. The question must be WHY target this the safest form of travel in the early hours along with licensed PHV and ignore the criminal element.Unfortunately TOCU are a reactionary outfit living upto the Londoners common held view IE FILF
EDUCATE AGITATE ORGANISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

GBC will you post this edition please Terry.

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

What a waste of police resources. We hear this so many times that it is a bit cliche but they could be focusing their attention on the drug dealers, murders, rapists and even the hostile drunks. No! Instead the want to cause grief to licensed taxi drivers trying to make a living.

SECONDED

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

The touting laws apply to everyone and that includes hackney carriage drivers no matter where they are? These guys who were caught touting should have known they were breaking the law considering they are supposed to be professional drivers?

Instead of the magazine making excuses for them it should have pointed out that the law is not just for licensed private hire drivers and unlicensed people in general, the law is for everyone. Hackney carriage drivers are not a special case and and if you think you are then you better think again? The London hackney carriage trade is quick to point out the touting activities of others but when they get caught doing the same thing they cry foul?

If they want to tout, they should get the law changed, as it stands NO Taxi or Private hire driver is allowed to tout.

I know nothing whatsoever about TOCU apart from what I have briefly read today but it would appear, that a part of their remit is to police "Taxi" and "private hire" Touting.

There is no excuse for these drivers, they got caught approaching a member of the public and thats the top and bottom of it.

Regards

JD

Why doesn't someone from the LTDA make an official complaint?

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IDFIMH

According to the LTDA article, it was the LTDA and others that led to the touting laws coming in.

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IDFIMH

http://www.taxinewspaper.co.uk/issues/1 ... _01-12.pdf


Theres a simple solution to drivers wanting a job going in the direction they want, make evry rank a 'going home rank' after midnight, as is done at Cranbourne Street.

London is split up into quarters with a colour board on the Taxi rank pole, and a corresponding colour card in the window of the waiting Taxi's as is done at Cranbourne.

Normal rank rules apply, with the exception a driver only has to go to the area he displays in the window.

For those that think the MP are hammering the Taxi trade, fear not, the tocu are still arresting hundred's of 'illegal's' compared with a tiny number of the Liverpool St (Goin' east luv?) Station crew.

Mr D is of course quite correct in that anyone can be convicted of touting not just minicab's.
Touting by Taxi's is not for the want of work, but generaly done to find the more lucrative fares in the direction that the driver wishes to go, hence the huge success of the directional ranks at Cranbourne, Queen Victoria St and now Liverpool Street.

Alan Fisher (Dial-a-cab) also comments on the situation.

http://www.dac-callsign.com/06/Oct06/page3.html

GBC thanks for the postings appreciated,Cranbourne St fine and the others, but i would like to see hacks allowed to put sign in windscreen and pick up anywhere en route to home, its a safety issue, i have 3 young daughters[yes i need your sympathy] and think we must explore every possibility of providing safe transport at all times.
I see the guy in CALL SIGN is way behind the times on Brighton issues, they have ceased operation and think are extremely unlikely to resume
There is no doubt the Council are pleased to see the back of them our membership in Brighton is very quickly both Hacks and PHV lets hope that progress continues.
ORGANISE .

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

Sorry but I given the current circumstances in Ipswich I can only applaud the Police for taking this stance; as always a cabbie will hold the key to solving this somewhere along the line - that random pick up - off the cuff comment - something will suddenly twig! There have been links made to other Tom murders in Norwich - and Suffolk - so thats the A12, A414, A14, M11, A11, A47 ..... see where this is going yet? I rarely support the Police but on this issue I really do; come on we all carry Toms about ensuring they get to the door - we don't ask any questions etc. they pay the fare and always tip!