Taxi Newspaper - Competition

HIGHLIGHTS THIS ISSUE

TAXI The official publication of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association | www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

P2

TORY BACKS CAB TRADE “Boot Uber out,” says MP

P5

£206 HALF MILE SHOCKER Rickshaw row on film

P7

DEFINE PLY FOR HIRE “Lobby your MP”

P8

CABBIE’S 12,000 EURO FIND Driver’s honesty praised

No.348 |28 JULY 2015

LTDA LEGAL EAGLES STRIKE TWICE SEE P3 More readers than the rest put together. Ask any driver!

LTDA

2

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS

Boot Uber out, says Tory MP

EY

ON

TR

0% SION MIS M CBO

IN

LLONDON’S ONDON’S BEST BEST CURRENCY DE DEALER ALER

AY OR ID

M

<<<

<<<

IN E SS

RNATI TE

BAN K N

A

US

Thanks for nothing Uber

NAL O

HO L

price artificially inflated through surge pricing as Uber drivers did during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis and in London by 300% during last week's Tube strike. Thank you Uber, thank you for nothing.

"I want to know my children are being driven by a professional with four years' training because my children's safety is important to me."

Brand waded into the argument several days earlier when he discussed the issue during one of his regular Trews internet broadcasts, where he met cab driver of 21 years Courtney Connell.

Brand said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cabbies are sole traders who study the knowledge and pour their money back into the local economy - not like Uber, a multibillion dollar corporation, part-owned

by Goldman Sachs, part-owned by Google, that skims off all its profit and puts it into foreign bank accounts.

"Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more money being siphoned out of our country.

"If you get a black cab that money stays in our country, stays in our economy. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one clear advantage.â&#x20AC;?

SFERS

Tr avel Money & Inter national Bank Tr ansfer s

Sp e c i a l Ra Ratt es

TA X I

PRODU CE

RE

th b an co ran at un ch te rs

0% Commission

HE

OU FIND B FY

UR TAXI ID YO

T BETTER GE R

Availability Instant A vaila bility of Over Ov er 120 Cur rrencies encies

&

S

ILL !

E W HEM W T AT BE W ELSE

TA X I

Best Exchange Rates LONDON est Ex c hange Ra tes IN L ONDON

TER RATE ET

I

Trr ansf ansfer Bank to Bank Money T er s o v er ÂŁ10,000 no n c w ÂŁ12 .50 over char below ÂŁ12.50 har ge and belo

6

6 L 6

6

6 L 6

6 L 2

6 L 2

â&#x201A;Ź

$â&#x201A;Ź

$

ÂŁ

ÂĽ

ÂĽÂŁ

London must back the taxi trade and kick Uber into touch because the city is not big enough for both services, a Tory MP has said in Parliament.

Charles Walker said while cab drivers had to pass the Knowledge and undergo background and financial checks, Uber brazenly flouts the rules and has flooded the capital with potentially dangerous minicab drivers.

He warned City Hall officials were having to deal with as many as 1,200 new minicab registrations every month, while Uber casualy ignored most regulations.

Comedian and actor Russell Brand has also recently come out in support of the taxi trade, accusing Uber of ducking the taxi issue in the UK. Speaking in a late-night Commons adjournment debate, Mr Walker said that Londoners are being left at the mercy of cowboy minicab operators and unregulated app technology firms by poor regulation.

He said: "This is not the London I want to live in but unless we take regulatory enforcement seriously, I fear it is the one we are going to get."

Mr Walker said without the enforcement of regulations on all kinds of taxi, fares would rocket, cars would be unsafe, disability access would be hit and people would be less safe.

He said the enforcement officials had neither the resources nor the sanctions available to properly uphold the rules - telling MPs there should be the ability to get rule breakers off the roads for good.

The Broxbourne MP said: "I want to be clear: I want to derive reassurance from a licensed and regulated black cab taxi trade. Of course, it's not a perfect trade but it's a very good one,.

"I want to know when my children are out in London, they will always have the option of easily finding a black cab to take them home or back to the place they are staying.

"And I want to know they will pay the price on the meter, not a meter

ES AT

Trade

F OR T H E B EST R A AT T ES VISIT OUR WEBSITE

TR eht aoi l ,mC oar pso r a E xchange Global Ltd te & Commercial Foreign Money Dealers W O R L D â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

F O R E I G N

E X C H A N G E

Call us on n 020 7240 1214

Branches: Wall Liverpool St Embankment London W all Strand Hammersmith Cannon St Canary Wharf [opening end of April] V ictoria St Victoria Richmond High St Kensington [opening in June] Victoria Victoria V ictoria Place - V ictoria Underground Station [opening in May]

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

3

Top Trade Story

LEGAL EAGLES STRIKE TWICE STEVE MCNAMARA LTDA General Secretary

Threats to our trade are many at the moment but the LTDA is fighting on all fronts t’s well known that the LTDA legal department has the best record, not just in the cab trade, but nationally, for getting top results when defending members facing criminal or motoring prosecutions.

The attention to detail in preparing all our cases and our careful matching of experienced barristers to defendant’s needs; combined with a quick response to allegations and gathering our own evidence are the keys to our success.

This ability to respond quickly to a developing situation with in-house lawyers is unique to the LTDA; and in recent weeks, has prevented the closure of the rank at Charing Cross and stopped Uber and TfL running a minicab rank at the Lovebox festival at Victoria Park.

We started to get calls on the Tuesday afternoon from drivers working the rank at Charing Cross

I

who were being warned by Network Rail staff that the rank would be closed from the following day, and then every future Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a farmers’ market! On the Wednesday morning, the station forecourt was closed and the threatened market, very much in operation, causing massive inconvenience to our customers, who had to work their way through various free trade vegetables and organic juice stalls to find a taxi in the street outside.

A meeting was hastily arranged, and Richard Massett accompanied by one of our lawyers met the Network Rail staff at Charing Cross and advised them that unless the rank was reopened the following day the LTDA would apply for an immediate High Court injunction to close the market and restore the rank.

We also advised that we would look

Farmers’ market axed

to recover our costs from those responsible for preventing our members from plying their trade.

Within minutes of the meeting ending we were informed the market would be closed and would not be returning.

The following weekend, we were made aware that Uber planned to run a satellite minicab booking office from the Lovebox music festival in Victoria Park, without applying for a licence, in a similar manner to their operation at the House festival in Richmond a few weeks earlier. On this occasion TfL insisted that Uber did not need a licence because bookings were taken on the app and we were sure that this appeasement of all things Uber would be repeated in Hackney.

Our lawyers notified TfL that we would have private investigators and LTDA observers at the first day of Lovebox and that if it was discovered Uber was operating a satellite

Uber pickup point scrapped

CASH SAME DAY INSTANT CASH LOANS LICENSED TAXI DRIVERS

020 7487 5755 IMMEDIATE VERBAL QUOTATION UPON REQUEST Consumer Credit License No 571041 TAXI LOANS LTD - 119 Leman Street, London, E1 8EY

booking centre we would apply, at an emergency High Court ex parte hearing, for an injunction against Uber and TfL to immediately desist.

Again, we made it clear we would be seeking to recover any costs incurred from TfL. On the day, and all over the weekend, the minicab pick up point advertised by both TfL and Lovebox was not in operation. The Uber app directed passengers towards the pick up point but there were no Uber marshals and no presence of any sort, in complete contrast to the travesty that was allowed to occur in Richmond. Our investigators discovered, by talking to various Lovebox staff and TfL taxi marshals at the site, that all the long standing arrangements for Uber and minicabs in general had been mysteriously and speedily changed less than a day before the start of the festival! n

4

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS Latest LTDA membership offers from LTDA Plus Membership benefits LTDA Plus give you access to a range of benefits and discounts, designed to support members both personally and professionally.

Highlights this month include:

Limited time offer - 25% discount on travel insurance Are you jetting off this year? Don’t forget to book your travel insurance through LTDA Plus for a fantastic discount. For a limited time only, LTDA members can receive a 25% discount on all Columbus Direct travel insurance policies.

Until 31st July 2015, LTDA members are able to save 25% on all Columbus Direct travel insurance policies if booked through LTDA Plus. You can use this limited time offer for your upcoming summer holidays or even for a trip later in the year, just as long as you purchase your travel insurance before 31st July 2015, you will be eligible for the 25% discount!* Visit LTDA Plus to take

advantage of this ‘extra special’ promotion or alternatively call 0800 980 1030 (quote LTDA)

Market leading foreign exchange LTDA members are eligible to claim a FREE FAIRFX Prepaid Currency Card, normally worth £9.95. Load your card with Euros or US Dollars at highly competitive exchange rates and use it abroad like any other payment card. Avoid rip-off rates from banks, high street bureaux de changes and airports, and discover the smart way to spend abroad.

PLUS get £5 extra free when you order your first card.* n Simple and convenient - Load your card online using your bank card, through bank transfer or via SMS/text service n Accepted all over the world – use it anywhere you see the MasterCard Brand Mark n Chip & PIN protected for your security n Exceptional exchange rates Apply online via LTDA Plus.

Hotel Exclusives

Members’ only hotel & travel deals Hotel Exclusives is a member’s only hotel & travel discount site.

Their offers are provided by some of the world’s leading hotel groups which makes the perfect excuse for a weekend break!

The offers are not available to the general public and members can receive handpicked hotel deals that range from 25% up to a massive 75% off throughout the year.

Through LTDA Plus, LTDA members receive an extra 5% saving off all hotels*.

Book online via LTDA Plus *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice.

Travellers Advantage - Crystal, Virgin Holidays and Kuoni are only available to book by telephone. LTDA Plus is managed on behalf of LTDA by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Visit LTDA Plus via www.ltda.co.uk/member -discounts/ltda-plus

THE LTDA IS SPENDING

, , £1 000 000 FIGHTING TO SAVE YOUR JOB We must convince the courts that U*** is breaking all the rules, and its drivers are illegally plying for hire.

E GIV OT HT L N FIG WIL HIS WE UP T

020 7286 1046 WWW.LTDA.CO.UK

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

5

NEWS

Outrage at £206 half mile ride Lawless London A rickshaw driver has been caught on camera demanding £206 from a young family he had taken just half a mile from Oxford Circus to

“You are extorting people”

Marble Arch!

Passing police officers attempted to step in to a row between the brazen crook and his victims but appeared not to know the law and seemed virtually powerless to help.

During the past few weeks, the LTDA has been campaigning around the area attempting to warn post-Ramadan visitors to London about the dangers of getting into rip-off rickshaws.

Our campaign has been wellreceived and supported by tourists and shopkeepers,

“Don’t be ripped off”

including the manager of the Green Valley supermarket in Marble Arch who has been placing our leaflet in the shopping bags of customers Unfortunately, dozens of tourists are still being caught out by these unscrupulous crooks.

In the latest video, filmed by cabbie Richard Long, the rider simply argues that the fare is backed up by his price list and refuses to back down, even when the bobbies accuse him of “extorting money” from people.

The young son of the woman

Dont use pedicabs

who handed over £100 for the ride repeatedly demands the cash back but the man refuses to return it.

Mr Long, 49, who filmed the exchange, said: "To be fleecing tourists like that - it's just disgusting."

Our leaflet campaign was prompted by the high number of calls from our members who advised us that many of their tourist passengers had been fleeced by rickshaw riders for very short journeys – some of them being charged hundreds of pounds.

Visiting Arabs are the favourite target, and the scam normally involves the rickshaw rider quoting a fare for a ride, and then demanding double or treble the figure at the end of the journey because the quote was per person.

One pedicab driver openly admitted to TAXI that he rips off tourists for as much as he can, charging them £10 per person, per minute, which means a journey from Selfridges to Harrods would cost £600.

Watch the video at www.ltda.co.uk

Taxi Driver £206 per half a mile is no laughing matter

To plan your ad campaign in Taxi magazine contact:

Loans

Fed up of being behind? why not get in front with a Low

Cost Loan* from the

Jonny Knight t: 01727 739 193 e: jonathan@centuryonepublishing.uk w: www.centuryonepublishing.uk To join today please call 020 7266 or visit www.ltdcu.co.uk

0101

*London Taxi Drivers Credit Union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, registration number 213233

6

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

The Massett File

THERE MAY BE TROUBLE AHEAD RICHARD MASSETT LTDA Chairman, Chairman London Cab Ranks Committee

Sadly, a battle for access to Oxford Street looms but there are some positives to be found for its business and shopping activities. As we all know, this will include a return to two-way working on Tottenham Court Road and a restriction on general traffic, including taxis, using it throughout the working day.

Fight for Oxford Street

Changes are afoot in Oxford Street

LTDA Policy Statement It is more essential than ever for drivers to be fully appraised of the various trade organisations’ policies. In order to clarify the LTDA’s position on the important issues facing the industry, the Association reaffirms: 1.

Its determination (despite opposition from certain trade organisations) to exclude taxi drivers from any form of restriction on working hours or the compulsory fitting of tachographs in cabs.

2.

Its total opposition to the proposed computerised Knowledge testing system (Quickie Knowledge), which is intended to speed up and churn out new licences.

3.

Its support for a regular review of taxi usage in London in order to provide effective management of the cab fleet which will prevent the streets of London being flooded with empty cabs.

4.

Its support for the introduction of ‘rest ranks’ to enable drivers to legally leave their cabs unattended whilst visiting adjacent toilet facilities.

5.

Its support for a complete ban on pedicabs.

6.

Its insistence on meaningful consultation with Transport for London.

7.

Its support for an effective minicab enforcement team, trained to eradicate illegal touting by minicab drivers.

8.

Its campaign for taxi access to all bus lanes.

9.

Its insistence that taxis continue to be exempt from congestion charges.

10. Its policy to recruit, support and represent licensed taxi drivers only.

If you require clarification on these or other important issues, please: POLICY

Call the LTDA on 020 7286 1046

he West End Partnership has launched what it calls its vision for the West End. It is an all-encompassing plan designed to bring improvements to the area worth an initial £500m. The objective is to ensure that the West End is as good as anywhere around the globe in terms of facilities, infrastructure, transport and public realm. The partnership consists of Westminster City Council, Camden and Transport for London, as well as the Crown Estate Commission, which is a major landowner, along with representatives from the business community and residents’ groups.

T

Taxi ban The area comprises just a few square miles, bounded by Marylebone Road in the north, Park Lane in the west, the Strand to the south and Tottenham Court Road to the east. It generated over £50 billion for the national economy in 2014, which was more than the City of London.

Over half a million people walk along Oxford Street every day and nearly three quarters of a million passengers are said to pass through the six West End stations on a typical weekday.

The first major project to come to the fore was the Tottenham Court Road scheme, which will involve major redevelopment and a boost

It looks like we face another battle in Oxford Street. The West End vision states that as part of its objective to make the western end of Oxford Street “the world’s best outdoor shopping experience” it will look to reduce “all forms of traffic with greater use of surrounding streets for loading, servicing and taxi pick-ups.” I’m told that there will be options put forward that will include removing taxis from the street.

Already, two of the Labour party candidates for the Mayoral election, Dame Tessa Jowell and Sidiq Khan, have come out and said that they would like to see Oxford Street closed to all traffic.

Dame Tessa has also said that she would like Central London to be car-free in 20 years’ time with only electric vehicles allowed.

The LTDA will be meeting all the major candidates for the Mayor’s office well before next years’ election to discuss and attempt to influence their taxi policies.

One positive to report is that Westminster City Council under its Head of Transport, Martin Low, has set up a taxi working group that includes TfL, the LTDA and the other members of the Ranks Committee. The working group has been set up to feed into the West End project process and its brief is to ensure that taxis can continue to operate efficiently in the West End. It is initially looking at ranks, taxi routes and improvements to junctions etc, amongst other things, with a view to relieving the effects of congestion on the trade.

Undoubtedly, we have further major challenges coming at us down the line but at least Westminster is willing to work with us to try to help secure the viability of the trade. n

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015| TAXI

7

NEWS

“Define plying for hire”

News in brief Go ahead and sue

Trade Taxi drivers are being urged to contact their local MP to ask them to back a campaign to get a definition of plying for hire enshrined in law to help combat the rise of minicab apps.

The LTDA, and dozens of representatives from other trade organisations, backed a lobby of Parliament organised by the RMT on July 14.

The rally was designed to highlight the plight of taxi drivers and bring attention to an Early Day Motion calling for emergency legislation to define plying for hire.

The EDM has already won the backing of 28 MPs but needs many more signatures if it is to be debated in the House.

TfL has refused to enforce the right to ply for hire for taxis and clampdown on apps such as Uber, which uses technology that effectively allows drivers to ply for hire, despite acknowledging, in the Law Commission report, that ”any move to confuse the distinction between the two services would be catastrophic to

“We have to take this extremely seriously” the London market.

“If anything, there is a need to reinforce the distinction between the two different services (taxis/PHV).”

It also stated that “allowing existing PHVs to ply for hire would remove the universal standard. It would render the investment taxi drivers have made in purchasing vehicles and learning the KOL worthless. Furthermore, the lower standards would result in the market becoming flooded.”

During the lobby, Labour MP and EDM sponsor, John McDonnell,

urged drivers to “eyeball” their MPs He said: “We have to take this extremely seriously now. If we allow this government to carry on the way it has been doing, the cab trade will die over the next 10 years and that is because they are intent on deregulation.”

Contact your MP directly or use the formatted letter at the email address below by simply typing in your postcode and adding your name and address. www.rmt.org.uk/letter/early-daymotion-762-plying-for-hire/

Taxi companies can sue Uber over advertising statements claiming it offers the safest rides on the road, a judge in California has ruled.

A number of companies claim the app firm’s ads and online postings about the thoroughness of its background checks imply, and sometimes explicitly declare, that taxis were less safe.

The $50 billion company could also have to rethink its business model after the California Labour Commission agreed with driver Barbara Ann Berwick, that she should considered an Uber employee and not a contract worker.

It said Uber drivers are "involved in every aspect of the operation." The company says the class-action part of the suit should be dropped and is appealing the ruling.

8

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS “Amazing” cabbie returns 12,000 euros People A taxi driver who discovered more than 12,000 euros in the back of his cab and returned the cash to the distraught owner has been praised for his “incredible honesty.”

Warren Wolfe picked up the passenger in Sloane Square and took him a short distance to Fulham Road on Friday, July 10.

Three new passengers got in the cab in King’s Road and told Warren there was a bag in the back of the cab.

Warren was stunned when he opened the beach bag to discover

Warren: “incredible honesty”

piles of euros, amounting to more than £8,000.

After searching inside, he discovered a receipt with the owner’s mobile number and called him with the good news, before driving the cash back to him.

Warren said: “I couldn’t believe it when the three girls handed the bag to me and there was all that money inside.

When I called he was crying and everything. I think he thought he had lost it forever. He said he’d realised almost immediately and chased after what he thought was me, but it wasn’t, it was another cab.”

Warren was given a reward for his trouble but told TAXI, said: “He gave me some money, which was very kind of him, I wasn’t expecting anything; it was what I expect anyone would do.”

The owner of the cash, who asked not to be identified, said: “I can’t thank Warren enough. I was devastated when I realised I had forgotten my bag and I thought I would never get it back.

It’s only down to his incredible honesty that I got it back – he is amazing.”

Fantastic Savings with Warner LITTLECOTE HOUSE HOTEL, BERKSHIRE

Tired of driving other people around?

Come for a break where it’s all about you!

At Warner, you can do whatever you like - try a daytime activity like archery, Zumba or a quiz? Curl up in a corner with a book or explore the local area, before settling down to live entertainment every evening. And with breakfasts and dinner included, you’ll find our holidays hard to resist!

Every break includes: Stylish accommodation Buffet breakfasts & 3-course evening meals Live entertainment every evening Range of daytime activities Just for grown ups

LTDA Year Round Offer Savings of up to £350* per break Extra £10 off per person per break Low deposits No booking fees or credit card charges QUOTE PHCTAXI

LTDA Late Deals

LTDA Last Minute Deals

Looking for a last minute getaway?

If you want to go away within the next 7 days, Warner can offer you 30% off all of our best prices – including upgrades!

PLUS, when you travel to Bembridge or Norton Grange, we’ll make sure you get a half price ferry crossing.

QUOTE TAXIOFFER

9am-9pm To book call our friendly team free on: 0800 1 388 399 (open 7 days a week)

Terms & Conditions: *Discounts apply to rooms only, dining will not be discounted. Prices are based on 2 people sharing, on breaks in 2015. Savings are per break. This offer ends on the 31 December 2015. All offers are subject to promotional availability, can be withdrawn at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer. Breaks are subject to availability. All holidays booked within 10 weeks of the chosen holiday date must be paid in full at time of booking. Full terms and conditions apply. Everyone in your booking must be 21 years of age or over. Bourne Holidays Limited (trading as Warner Leisure Hotels) is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01854900 whose registered office is 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. 71689

WIN TAXI! The board game A brand new board game which gives people the chance to experience the highs and lows of being a London taxi driver has hit the streets - and we have two to give away.

The London version of the game, which involves earning the most fares, was launched at the Olympia toy fair and follows the original Scottish version, which it outsold Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly.

The players become taxi drivers and have to answer general knowledge questions on London to earn tips during a shift.

There are also Sound Off cards, where a player must talk for 30 seconds on a particular topic.

Give or Take cards earn players rewards or penalties, such as for returning forgotten items or having a mechanical breakdown and can lose money by accepting fake bank notes.

Derek Carroll, a Scottish cab driver who invented the game, said: “It’s based on the working life of a taxi driver: the better your knowledge, the better your tips, the more money you earn. It’s a fun game that I think London taxi drivers and their families will enjoy.”

“The better your knowledge, the better your tips”

Competition To win a free copy of the London Taxi! board game simply answer this question taken from the game, and be entered into our prize draw.

For a £4 Tip: n

Guess who I’ve had in my Cab? Born in Islington in 1960, he was the 1980s lead singer of the new romantic band Spandau Ballet?

Please send your entries to:TAXI House, 11 Woodfield Road,London, W9 2BA or email editor@ltda.co.uk by Tuesday, August 11, 2015.

Taxi will be available through Amazon for around £25

TfL tops Apple Pay chart Technology London transport has fast emerged as the most popular use of Apple Pay just days after its launch in the UK. More than twice as many people used the touch and go app service to pay for a TfL journey (850) than for food at Pret a Manger (400) in the first three days, according to the study of 26,000 tweets and 15,789 people.

Waitrose, Tesco and Boots were among the top five brands with the most Apple Pay users, while Nando’s, Co-op, Subway, McDonalds and Starbucks had the least.

Among the banks using Apple Pay,

NatWest was the consumers’ favourite, with 583 tweeting about their use of the service, double that of its nearest competitor, RBS, which had 226 unique tweets.

Nationwide saw 158, Santander 123, and Ulster Bank of Northern Ireland 51.

Around one in 10 people were struggling with the technology, with 10% of 26,000 tweets stating that they couldn’t get the service to work.

Retailers were caught in the firing line too with negative mentions almost outweighing positive ones.

Some customers complained they had been charged twice, while others complained that their local stores don’t have contactless readers yet.

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

9

10

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS Uber driver throat slash threat Trade London university lecturer has described the chilling moment an Uber driver threatened to slash her neck because she cancelled her ride.

Anna Kealey was horrified by the driver's outburst after discovering the "menacing" recording on her phone.

The 28-year-old had used the taxi app to order a cab to her home in

Hackney, but cancelled before the car arrived.

The incensed minicab driver called her up and ranted for nearly a minute, calling her an "idiot" and "stupid."

But the darkest moment came when he warned her: "Don't do it again, otherwise I will cut your neck."

She told the Standard: "I felt sick to my stomach when I heard it, I almost fell over.

"It starts off quite vile, but by the

Uber driver sounded “menacing and unstable"

end it gets so violent, I just couldn't believe the language he was using.

"There are parts where I didn't even understand what he was saying, which is probably a good thing, but the cut your throat threat was very clear.

"I felt disgusted. It's so menacing at the end."

Ms Kealey, who works at the University of the Arts London, only found the message on her phone after catching up with her voicemails today.

It was left after she used the taxi app about 10 days ago, when she was going to meet friends for brunch.

"He sounded unstable," she added.

"The idea that he's out on London's stressful roads with that sort of anger makes it all the more nerveracking.

"My first thought was, 'who has he picked up and has anything happened?'"

Uber said it immediately suspended the driver and would work with Ms Kealey and police.

He added that there is no charge if a trip is cancelled within five minutes, after which there is a £5 fee which goes to the driver.

Urgent Notice DRIVER LICENCE RENEWAL NOTICE If your licence expires in less than four months it is vital that you contact TPH on:

0343 222 4444 and request a renewal pack. Failure to do so could result in you being out of work Once the pack is received you must submit your application (especially the CRB disclosure application) A.S.A.P. Please refer to tph notices 18/13 and 19/13 on their website for ‘official’ advice http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ info-for/taxis-andprivate-hire/

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015| TAXI

Ready to take Card Payments Why choose Cabvision?

Trust Cabvision to understand your business.

Three generations of Taxi experience means that we are not just any old supplier, the Trade is personal to us.

Homegrown and local, with a wealth of business experience.

We know Drivers, we know Passengers and we know London.

Whilst other Card Payment companies view the passenger as the customer, we view the Driver as our customer, first and foremost. We have no work if you have no work!

We try harder; halving the surcharge of the big corporate suppliers to just 5%.

Using the Cabvision payment solution means your passengers won’t feel ripped off and will continue to choose the Licensed Black Taxi above all the competition.

Cabvision is an established local business with traditional values.

London Taxis are our core business, not a vanity project for a global portfolio.

• • • • • • •

Free training for as long as required 100% of the fare and tip in your account 4 business days after transaction Free installation of the fully compliant card reader Integrated with your meter for faster, simpler payments 24/7 UK helpdesk support Great range of incentives including a free meter for new taxi owners* Screen not required

Cabvision; A British Company Hemming St, London E1 020 7655 6970 www.cabvision.com/drivers *Conditions Apply

11

12

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS ULEZ consultation underway

News in brief

Environment

What a Lotto Dough!

Drivers have just a few weeks to have a say on the proposed vehicle licensing changes ahead of the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in 2020.

Under the plans, all newly licensed taxis must be Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) from January 1, 2018.

The proposals are supported by a £65m fund which is designed to encourage the take up of new vehicles and which will eventually make the capital's taxi fleet the

cleanest and greenest in the world.

The threatened 10 year age limit has been ditched and cash from the new fund will instead be used to help drivers upgrade to the next generation of zero emission capable taxis and to decommission the oldest vehicles from the fleet.

Purely electric or hybrid cabs, capable of running in zero emission (at tailpipe) mode, for all or part of the time (maximum 50g/km CO2 and minimum range of 30 miles) are expected to be on sale by 2017.

The proposals included in the consultation include... n

n

ULEZ will half nitrogen oxide

An £8,000 grant available to all drivers to buy a new Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxi A voluntary decommissioning scheme for cabs 10 years and older. The owner will get an extra £5,000 (10 year old cab), £4,000 (11 year old cab), £3,000 (12 year old cab), £2,000 (13 year old cab), £1,000 (14 year old cab) in addition to the value of the cab.

This would not be linked to the purchase of a new taxi and is totally separate to, and

RICHMOND ROAD

independent of, the £8,000 grant.

So, from 2017, drivers of taxis over 10 years old would be able to claim up to an additional £5,000, on top of the £8,000 grant, which is intended to “reflect the current challenges facing the trade while tackling ,” according to TfL. The overall ULEZ package is projected to nearly halve emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) from vehicle exhausts in central London. This means more than 80% of central London is expected to meet the NO2 annual legal limits in 2020.

The £65m of funding for purchasing ZEC vehicles will come from both TfL and Government.

What better way to start planning your summer holiday than with an extra £5,000 in your pocket.

Every month the LTDA hands over a cheque for that amount to one lucky member whose name is pulled out of the hat.

William Everingham, of Upminster, is the latest winner and all you have to do to be in with a shot of joining him is pick up the telephone and ask to join – it costs just £5 each month.

William, who collected his cheque from Steve McNamara at Taxi House, said: “It was a fantastic surprise.”

To take part call 0207 286 1046 and ask for Jenny

The consultation runs until Tuesday, August 11, will be available online at https://consultations. tfl.gov.uk/environment/ ulez-2/ consultation/ intro/ view

195 Richmond Road, Hackney, London, E8 3NJ

020 7923 7003 CAB CENTRE info@richmondroadcabcentre.com INCORPORATING

FOREST TAXIS AND CANTWELL TAXIS

TXIIS / TX4S & VITOS AVAILABLE SHORT AND LONG TERM INCLUDING PART-TIME WITH FULL AA / RAC COVER. FULL & HALF FLAT AVAILABLE

ALL WORK UNDERTAKEN n Maintenance mechanical and Bodywork n Annual Overhauls and 6 monthly MOT’s n Servicing TX1 – TX2 – TX4, Euro 4 / Euro 5 n Full back up service

TX2 / TX4 Diagnostics n Key Programming n Air Conditioning Service and Repairs n Vehicle CCTV Supplied and Fitted n

All Insurance Work undertaken n Fault or Non Fault accident

WE BUY AND SELL TAXIS (warranty available subject to conditions)

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

13

14

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

London Taxis it’s in our Blood Run by a Taxi driver for the Taxi trade. :H R΍HU H[FHOOHQW FXVWRPHUV VHUYLFH UHOLDEOH DGYLFH DQG LQVXUDQFH FRYHU DW D SULFH WKDW VXLWV \RX )ROORZLQJ DQ DFFLGHQW ZH KDYH $VFRWWV ERG\VKRS RQVLWH ZKLFK HQVXUHV ZH DUH KHUH ZKHQ \RX UHDOO\ QHHG XV NHHSLQJ GRZQWLPH WR DQ DEVROXWH PLQLPXP

7R VHH KRZ PXFK \RX FRXOG VDYH FDOO

0208 127 8419 4XRWD[ ΖQVXUDQFH 6HUYLFHV LV D WUDGLQJ QDPH RI /RQGRQ 7D[L ΖQVXUDQFH DXWKRULVHG DQG UHJXODWHG E\ WKH )&$

ZZZ TXRWD[ QHW

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

15

GET SPOTTED! Ace for Anthony and superb for Steve ur diary spotters love getting out and about with a fistful of Marks and Spencer vouchers, to sprinkle little good cheer around the ranks.

Armed with £300 worth of vouchers they hit the streets and

O

spotters caught up Steve North.

He was over the moon to be handed £150 when he was spotted with his LTDA diary in the windscreen.

Steve said: “Fantastic. I’ll look forward to getting stuck into those. Thanks.”

it wasn’t long before they stumbled across Anthony Anastasia, who was delighted to be handed £150 worth of vouchers for having his diary in the windscreen.

Anthony said: “Great, these will come in very handy.”

A short while later our

DIARY

Each year we give away almost £8,000 worth of vouchers, so the odds of coming up trumps are pretty good. Just make sure you have your LTDA membership diary and tax disc holder, if you still have one, on display and let us do the rest.

WATC H

£ 150

M&S v

ouche

rs

Steve “Fantastic”

Anthony “Great”

A13 Taxis Black Taxi Specialists

NEW MOT PACKAGE

£485 + VAT

• 4 track rod ends • Discs and pads • 2 top ball joints • 2 bottom ball joints • Standard service • Gearbox oil change • Wheel alignment • 8 wishbone rubbers • All lightbulbs (exterior)

A1 3

We are are now a

agent

• Two wiper blades • Pedal brake rubber • Full vehicle check • Brake and road test • Diagnostic reset • Spring bushes • Trailing arm bushes • Valet and MOT • Pass and present

Taxis to rent, TXIs - TX4s

• Non fault accident specialist • Replacement TX4 vehicle • Personal injury compensation • TX2 timing chains • TX4 timing belts • Running repairs on all models • Servicing • Full diagnostic facilities

£42

s ouTld Rem A +V

£55 one Austres ty T + VA

@A13TAXISLTD

15 River Road • Barking • IG11 0HE • 020 8594 9080 • a13taxis@gmail.com

16

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

Ê

[FIRST TWO MONTHS FREE FOR NEW MEMBERS] APPLICATION FORM

CALLING ALL CABBIES

JOIN FOR £16.80 PER MONTH WITH £12.80 ALLOWABLE AGAINST TAX! Name Address Postcode Tel

Mobile

Email Date of Birth Badge No. Green (G) or Yellow (Y) When obtained - Month Have you been a member of the LTDA before? (Please tick) YES NO

Year

Please tick if you DO NOT wish to receive information from the LTDA and other related organisations in the future I understand that my application for membership of the Association must be approved by the Council of Management and that a Share Certificate will be issued to me if my application is confirmed.

Signed

Date

Please complete parts 1 to 5 below to instruct your branch to make direct payments from your account.

Then return the form to the LTDA, FREEPOST, (PAM 2005), London W9 2BR For Office use only

LTDA Basic Direct Debit Instructions

Originator’s Identification No. 9 1 4 4 2 8

INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR BANK/BUILDING SOCIETY TO PAY DIRECT DEBITS: To the manager of Address

1. Please write the name and full postal address of your branch in the spaces above.

2. Name of account holder

Originator’s Reference

5. Your instructions to the Bank/ Building Society, and signature: • I instruct you to pay direct debits from my account at the request of the LTDA LTD. • The amounts are variable and may be debited on various dates.

• I understand that the LTDA LTD may change amounts and dates only after giving me prior notice.

• I understand that if any Direct Debit is paid which breaks the terms of this instruction, the Bank/ Building Society will make a refund.

3. Account number

Signature(s)

4. Bank sort code

Date

Bank/Building Societies may not accept instructions to pay Direct Debit from some types of account

Phone 0207 286 1046 now!

[

LT DA

]

CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO JOIN?

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

17

LETTERS STAR LETTER Thanks for everything would like to say a big thank you to Rob at the LTDA, who I contacted regarding my missing application form for a replacement badge and identifiers.

Despite evidence to the contrary, TfL told me they had not received my application form and fobbed me off repeatedly.

When my girlfriend rang them to point out they had deducted the £15 fee from her bank account, which proved they had received the form, they point blank refused to discuss the matter with her, prattling on about my account!

She pointed out that I don't have an account with TfL, I have a licence! But they were obstructive to the point of hanging up!

I then tried three times to get through on the phone, and was

I

What a star! y brother had a stroke and is paralysed down one side and is wheelchair bound. My niece and I took him to Hyde Park on Saturday, July 4, and when it was time to go, waited for a cab. After a while, one came along and agreed to take us to Notting Hill Gate. As we were going along, we were laughing with the driver because my brother was a taxi driver and always said that wheelchairs were a

M

Has it come to this? ’ve been mugged off by my so called colleagues more times in the last month than the previous 15 years in total.

I try to use the rank at Imperial wharf, but cabs are picking up opposite the door of Gambado's while my door is open, while I try to show that I'm on the rank and working - 10 paces away!

Drivers deliberately overtake on the outside along the Bayswater Road, to name but one spot, beat you to the next set of lights, and then pull in to the left.

Also, I would like to point out also that the Duke of York Square rank is exactly that, and is not a rest rank.

But an incident on Friday, July 10,

I

This toilet is blocked

Sent to Coventry

thought I should warn drivers that they are no longer welcome to use the toilet facilities at the Marriott, George Street.

I

I

T. Smith Badge 57022 cut off each time.

One phone call to the LTDA later and Rob was on the case.

I received a phone call from TfL the same day, miraculously my form had turned up (although "white mail" was to blame, which was a new one on me) and that my badge would be despatched the next day!

Thank god I'm a member of the LTDA. I am very grateful for all the work you put in to protect our trade and once again, a special thanks to Rob. Bernard Watterson Badge119667

pain and felt sure everyone ignored us when they saw him.

Our driver said he had been driving for 35 years and never had a problem with wheelchairs and, as he had a Dial a Ride sticker, I suppose he was used to them. He dropped us off and pushed my brother into the restaurant for me and when my niece came in she said he would not take any money from an old taxi driver. What a star! I didn’t manage to get a number, but whoever this gentleman is, I want to thank him for his kindness.

Eileen Hannington

was the best ever. The day after the tube strike was, as usual, very quiet.

I was on the rank at Nell Gwynn House at 8.45am, when “my mate” stopped literally opposite me.

Seriously, the driver’s door was next to my door. Someone came out of the coffee shop with their hand up, and the driver stopped in the middle of the road and picked him up. I gave a toot and tried to make eye contact but Mr 50 years plus was having none of it. He then used the forecourt for a U-turn and he drove off.

Is this really what it's come to? I sincerely hope not!

Vinny Badge 63780

Don’t make me beg flew into Heathrow and specifically wanted to take a taxi to support black cabs over Uber. I ended up having to go down the line begging for someone to take a credit card (the only way I can pay through work). No one gave a toss and finally the last guy in the row agreed to take me.

This is why your business is suffering at the hands of Uber. I've had many a good experience with a London driver and try to support you guys. I've been coming to London 20 years and I fear this will be the last time I run down the line at Heathrow to beg for a ride.

I

wanted to warn Vito drivers that the latest rear wheel upgrade is only being carried out at Penso in Coventry - no Mercedes dealers are doing it. I think this is a disgrace I only found this out after asking a Mercedes dealer to do it. I was given Penso's number and after speaking to the manager he confirmed this to be true. They have not had the decency of informing us at all, probably hoping no one takes it to them, saving them a fortune.

Barry Anderson South Ockenden

Ban them!

Bill Dobie

t strikes me that, since only Hackney carriages are legally permitted to pick up and set down on Red Routes, all of these minicab apps should be forcibly prohibited from accepting bookings where the pick up or drop off locations are along such routes.

The smallest viola in the world

Ron Vassallo Badge 65067

nitially, I sympathised with Zami Jalil (TAXI 347) over the two musical instruments worth £10,000 he left in a minicab.

But, had he booked this minicab in the legal manner he would be able to go back to the operator, and the police, to have his LEGALLY recorded booking details checked and the name and other details of the driver would be available enabling action taken.

It would appear that Mr Jalil must have either been touted, meaning this driver was apparently more than willing to break the law in this way, so it should come as no surprise he was prepared to steal valuable instruments.

No doubt Mr Jamil was looking to save himself a couple of quid on the cost of a cab ride: that worked out well.

I

I

Get lobbying ur MP Jackie Doyle Price has a slim majority of 536 in a three way marginal.

There are a lot of London taxi drivers in Thurrock and I believe we should lobby her about the issues facing our trade and try to win her support. In particular with regard to defining plying for hire in law, which we believe would help us in the fight against Uber and the technology that allows its drivers to do just that.

If we do this collectively we will carry greater gravitas.

Please feel free to contact me by email Andrew.hamshare.taxi @gmail.com if you would like to help.

I’m happy to reach a consensus and put our views to her jointly.

O

Andrew Hamshare Eddie Lambert

Overwhelming support n behalf of my and my three children and I we would just like to say thank-you to everyone for all the kindness and support you have shown our family after the death of my husband Kevin Gilby in a fatal collision in

O

Chislehurst on June 5. Nothing can make the tragic loss any more bearable, but your support has made things a bit easier. Thank you again for all your help Amanda, Jade, George and Harry x

Do you have a gripe you want to raise or know someone in the trade that deserves praise?

Contact us at editor@ltda.co.uk or Taxi House, 11 Woodfield Rd, London W9 2BA

18

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

19

Taxi Talk

THE FAITHFUL LONDON TAXI! ALF TOWNSEND

Cabbies may have won back some work during the Tube strike but ultimately nobody wins t’s an irrefutable fact that when London is forced to a standstill by strike action from one of the major transport companies, the only viable and safest option is the ever-dependable London taxi.

The recent Tube strike is a classic example of why passengers should use licensed taxis and not the wide boys who are only in it to make a quick buck. The money-grabbing mob at Uber decided to screw their desperate punters, tripling fares on the day. In the short term, Uber was probably well pleased with its unfair tactics, but in the long run it has driven large numbers of its regular punters away, back into the arms of our trade. I have heard from innumerable amount of cabbies about passengers cancelling the Uber app and swearing that they will never use it again!

For sure, there was plenty of work, on the streets and at all the railway termini on the day of the strike, for a change. But it was mayhem, London consisted of one big traffic jam and the amounts shown on the metre for some fares were embarrassing. Many of the more mature day drivers I know decided to call it a day at lunchtime because it was too stressful and not good for the old ticker!

I hark back with much sadness to when our famous trade was last called upon to transport many thousands of people stranded in town. This was a decade ago when suicide bombers created absolute carnage, murdering 52 people on the transport network. My working day started as normal, until I started getting flashes on the radio saying the Tube network had shut down because of “dangerous electric pulses.” It all sounded rather odd and it was only when descriptions of the terrible events unfolding began to emerge that it became clear what was really happening.

Within a couple of hours, London had almost shut down.

There were no Tube trains running and every bus had been called back to its depot. Apart from a handful of cars rushing home, the

I

only traffic on the roads was London taxis. Now, I’m not suggesting that the cabbies still working were heroes, but they were putting themselves on offer and in some measure of danger, because nobody knew if and where the next bomb was going to explode.

It was the same at Heathrow Airport: the authorities believed – wrongly as it happens - that they would be the next target, so they cancelled all the outgoing flights and all the public transport. But the long-haul flights were still landing, leaving passengers stranded on the massive taxi ranks. Taxi marshals attempted to marry-up some of the fares going more or less in the same direction. I was reliably informed at the time that the airport cabbies worked well into the night to clear the queues!

The saddest thing for ordinary working people on this terrible day was the fact that they couldn’t make any contact with their loved ones because the mobile network had crashed, due to the many thousands of people using it at the same time. I knew my lovely late wife would be suffering because she had a husband working in town and a son working at Heathrow – so I went home post haste!

I don’t want to rabbit on about how many years of night work I did, because it was my choice. The Tube drivers did sign contracts that didn’t include night work, so they have a point. But come on, for Christ’s sake get round the table at ACAS and sort it out because London cannot afford to lose another estimated £300m in one day!

The Great Escape This little story has nothing to do with the famous film, The Great Escape, but is about an old geezer – me - who travelled down to leafy West Sussex recently with his son, to visit his daughter for a few days.

We enjoyed a good meal later that evening, plus a drink or four, and made our separate ways to our bedrooms. I recall shutting my bedroom door quite hard because I

didn’t want my daughter’s dog to start licking my face in the middle of the night. With the benefit of hindsight, it was not a good idea!

Around two o’clock in the morning I got the call from nature – in fact it was more of a yell! So, I made a quick dash over to the door, but it just wouldn’t open.

Suddenly with all my bashing on the door, the place became a madhouse. The dog started barking and my daughter was trying to unscrew the outside lock and asking if I was alright. Then my son awoke from his slumber and I heard him shout, “get away from the door dad.” This I proceeded to do a bit lively because my Nick is a big lump and if he was going to shoulder charge it, I could have ended getting flattened. Suddenly,

there was an almighty crash and the door caved in. I made a mad dash for the loo before facing the critical remarks – which came later!

Good Luck to you Mick I’ve just heard from my old mate Mick Rose that he has been invited to become the feature writer in Cab Driver newspaper, taking over from the late-lamented Lenny Plumb.

Now Mick is a very experienced writer, having penned two books, The London Cabbie’s Notebook and, London Cabbie’s Year- as well as a regular piece in The Badge under the banner of “The Nut Behind the Wheel.” I wish you well mate, and I’m sure you’ll get on well, as I did, with the boss-man, Dave Allen. n

The Taxi Centre

MERCEDES VITO REPAIR SPECIALISTS All your running repairs and servicing, Diagnostics, Rear steer, Sliding door problems, and Electric steps etc

London's leading Vito rental company TX1's TX2's and TX4's also available

LTI/LTC Diagnostic & Repairs, Servicing Brand new cabs supplied with all non fault crash repairs

Full back up 24/7 & spare cabs available

101-102 Cable St, London, E1 1QH (Entrance on Cable St and Cannon St Rd junction)

T: 0207 481 9600 E: j.jtaxis@hotmail.com

20

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEW KPM, OLD VALUES SERVICE

SALES

LONDON TAXI COMPANY

MERCEDES-BENZ

LTC & VITO

APPROVED SERVICE DEALER

FULL SERVICING & REPAIRS

ALL WARRANTY UNDERTAKEN

AT LOW COST PRICES

SELECTION OF HIGH QUALITY PRE-OWNED TAXIS ON SITE

ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST

REAR WHEEL STEER SPECIALIST

ENGINE & GEARBOX REPAIRS

4 WHEEL ELECTRONIC

NO REPAIRS TOO SMALL

ALIGNMENTS ELECTRIC STEP SERVICING

PART EXCHANGE WELCOME, FANTASTIC PRICES PAID

FINANCE LOW RATE FINANCE AVAILABLE, BEST RATES IN THE TRADE!

ONE-STOP-SHOP

& REPAIRS

FULL AIR CONDITIONING SERVICING & REPAIRS

ENGINE & GEARBOX REPAIRS ALL REPAIRS GURANTEED

FULL MOT & PLATING SERVICE AVAILABLE

AVAILABLE RETAIL OR TRADE

FINANCE YOUR NEW VEHICLE THROUGH US BESPOKE PACKAGES TAILORED TO SUIT YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS DRIVER-TO-DRIVER FINANCE AVAILABLE

FULLY EQUPPED WORKSHOP WITH GUARANTEED EXPERT SERVICE MOT TESTING CENTRE SHOWROOM NOW OPEN

UY WE B BS, A ALL C DIATE IMME PAID H S A C

ON AIR-C ICE SERV FFER IAL O SPEC E £55 PRIC AT INC V

CALL TODAY! 020 7377 2182 WWW.KPMAUTOMOTIVE.CO.UK

KPM Automotive Ltd, Hemming House, Hemming Street, London E1 5BL

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

21

NEWS New TX4 price to rise by more than £3,000

Taxi driver injured by reckless Uber driver

Trade

Trade

The London Taxi Company has revealed the price of the new TX4 will rise by more than £3,000 when it goes on sale this year.

The Elegance Automatic Euro 6 is the cleanest version of the cab to date and will cost £42,795 and will be available from September 1.

LTC says it spent £10 million on the latest version of the cab which took two years to develop.

A few left at £39,195

A number of Euro 5 TX4s are available at the lower price of £39,195.

The company says the price reflects the increased build costs involved in producing a vehicle that delivers superior environmental performance.

The new model offers a NOx emissions reduction of two thirds compared to the current model through the introduction of a new 2.8 litre diesel VM engine.

Commercial Director, Richard Gordon said: “We have invested heavily to ensure the Euro 6 TX4 delivers much lower NOx emissions than its predecessor making it the cleanest cab we’ve ever produced. This comes at a time when we’re also spending significantly to develop our zero emissions capable taxi for 2017.

“In developing the Euro 6 TX4 we have focused not only on meeting the latest regulatory requirements but also on delivering to our customers a taxi that will be smoother, quieter and more efficient than its predecessors.”

Email ukenquiries@londontaxis.co.uk for further information.

A taxi driver was forced to walk up the isle using a walking stick after an accident caused by an Uber driver.

Andrew Leeson was at work when he came across a reckless private hire driver who was parked up in Bunhill Road on April 10.

The LTDA member attempted to overtake the Prius, which was stationary, when it suddenly pulled out without indicating and smashed into his cab.

Mr Leeson was left unable to work for a month and later only managed to attend his own wedding with the aid of a walking stick.

He said: “It was a few days later when I started to get a pain in my back.

I went to the doctor was told I had a couple of ruptured discs caused by the accident.

“I was put on medication which meant I couldn’t work for a month. I was due to get married, which meant I

Image caption please

had to use a walking stick on the day, which is not what I wanted. But still.

I’m trying to take action against the driver but now it appears the information he gave at the scene maybe false.”

The Uber driver only exchanged details after the police were called and it was explained to him that he was obliged to do so.

The incident is being investigated by the LTDA.

IF YOU’VE HAD A NON-FAULT ACCIDENT CALL

TAXIDENTS! n We’ll answer your call 24/7

WE WILL UR R YO RECOVE 24/7 VEHICLE

CALL US DAY OR NIGHT ON

07719 454 606 AND SEE US IN ACTION!!!

n We’ll deliver one of our brand new Elegances to you with a full tank of free fuel 24/7 n We’ll charge the other side so your own insurance history is unaffected n Compensation if you're injured, if not, no phone calls that hassle you

n Our immaculate repair of your Cab is guaranteed n And! We’ll return it to your front door, polished and with a free tank of fuel

NO EXCESS NO FUSS M NO PROBLE

For more information, and to get in contact, visit us at www.taxidents.com

22

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

/22.,1* )25 $ /,9(5< '($/" :(¾9( *27 7+( %(67 $9$,/$%/(

£1,200 a year guaranteed Plus extra payment for each new Livery fitted

2 year contract after which w^ ee ^glnre your paintwork meets PCO standards (subject to age of taxi)

Green badge owner-drivers with black TX4 cabs plesase!

We like Ubiquitous taxis to be screen-free, so if you have one, this isn t the deal for you!

Follow us: @UbiquitousTaxis Facebook.com/UbiquitousTaxis Please call us for Terms & Conditions

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

23

FEATURE “Green” buses leave Boris red-faced

News in brief

Transport

“And I’m also out”

Dozens of London’s brand new “clean and green” Routemaster buses are in fact running on diesel because of battery failures.

The “Boris buses” cost £350,000 each and were supposed to cut CO2 emissions by half, with the engines only kicking in to charge the battery.

Transport for London (TfL) was forced to admit up to 80 of the buses have had to be repaired or have parts replaced made by the

manufacturer.

Christian Wolmar, who is vying to be the Labour mayoral candidate for London, said: “This bus has been a scandal from start to finish.”

It is a fresh embarrassment for Boris Johnson who was once touted as a future leader of the Conservative party, but is finding the transition to Parliament from City Hall rather less smooth than he may have expected.

Home Secretary Theresa May recently banned the Met from

“We’re losing power captain”

Relicensing at NSL?

using three second-hand water cannon the mayor ordered from Germany for £218,205.

Colleagues have reported that it often appears Boris “has not read the brief” at meetings and that his input has been under-whelming.

Buoyant after their victory election, many Tories now feel they are no longer “desperate” enough to need to turn to a risky choice such as Boris.

Sean O’Shea, chief operating officer of bus operator Metroline, confirmed most of its 55 new Routemaster buses have suffered from the battery problems and many are running in diesel mode.

Mike Weston, TfL’s director of buses, said: “If the batteries stop working properly the engine runs for longer to generate the electrical power needed. The battery packs are being upgraded as soon as possible and within the warranty period, at no cost to TfL or the taxpayer.”

Drivers have complained about a lack of power and reported that all 10 of the Boris buses he drove one week had no battery charge and relied on the diesel engine.

TfL finance chief Steve Allen has quit to join HS2 Ltd, which will manage Crossrail 2.

Allen was responsible for more than £11bn worth of annual transport spending.

He follows former Transport Comissioner Sir Peter Hendy, who joined Network Rail, to the exit.

Lost bag appeal A family from Singapore who left a bag in a taxi they took to Victoria station are desperate for its return.

The navy coloured LOTTO branded backpack contained an iPad Air, a wallet holding a number of bank cards, coats and glasses and was left in the cab on Friday, June 19, at around 7.30pm.

The family are desperate to get the bag and its contents returned and are happy to pay a reward for Email: tonyluo7@gmail.com

Save time and loss of work with this LTDA checklist

!

o Vehicle registration certificate, logbook or new keeper’s supplement (complete with bill of sale/receipt) where vehicle is newly purchased prior to inspection o Current vehicle licence (for renewal inspections) o From October 1, 2014, vehicles no longer require a tax disc to be displayed. Vehicles can be taxed online or at a post office. If a vehicle is not recorded as taxed, NSL will accept an online application/ post office receipt.

(Information at www.gov.co.uk/dvla/nomoretaxdisc) o Insurance certificate (not a copy) – properly affixed in the luggage compartment o Valid MOT certificate (issued 13 days or less before inspection) If vehicle is less than one year old an MOT is not required

Vehicle Make / Model

Tyre Size

Merc VitoMercedes Vito Euro 4

195/65 R 16 100/98T or 104/102T

Mercedes Vito Euro 5

195/65 R 16 100/98T or 104/102T

o Exemption certificate (where applicable)

Fairway (declared max speed of 130 km/h)

175 R 16 N

o Modification approval (where applicable)

TX1 (declared speed of 130 km/h)

175 R 16 N

o Tool to release ramps

TX1 (declared speed of 147 km/h)

175 R 16 Q

o Tyres - must conform to manufacturer’s specification (see table)

TXII (declared speed of 147 km/h)

175 R 16 Q

TX4 (declared speed of 147 km/h)

175 R 16 Q

o Taximeter installation and calibration certificate, issued within 30 days of inspection

24

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

25

CAUGHT ON CAMERA If anyone can, cabbies can... ur Caught on Camera mail box has been bursting with all manner of weird and wonderful pictures showing the lunacy on London’s roads in recent weeks.

It is certainly another fine and varied selection, which includes the now obligatory Uber madness, amongst other things.

But after a show of hands the editorial team voted for the motorcyclist riding with a ladder on the back, who maybe part of a stunt team or just an idiot – who knows.

Anyway, it gets the snapper a handy £30. We do our best to use as many of your pics as we can each week in the paper but don’t be deterred if you haven’t seen yours yet – it may appear in the near future.

As you should know by now – the winning snap gets the photographer £30, which is not bad for a few seconds work.

Send your entries to us via the MMS line on 07908 640017 or email them to editor@ltda.co.uk

O

Djorkovic “Taxis are ace!”

Two down....

T H E NG NI W I N IC! P ! £ 30 P

RIZ E

Your mini-bus awaits

Three steps to heaven?

“Rules, what rules?”

Satnavs really take it out of you

26

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

WE'RE NOW CALLED GETT Join the only UK app with a 100% Black Cab guarantee

Driver app available for iPhone & Android Future orders - pick your work in advance Refer a driver & get ÂŁ25 when they sign up No contract - pay as you go Account, card & cash rides No PHV licence now or ever

SIGN UP TODAY gettaxi.me / driverhelp

Gett. Ne New w name, same ser service. vice.

@TheLTDA

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

27

NEWS Expand ULEZ says London assembly Environment London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone should be larger and brought into force earlier, according to a report by the London assembly.

The study calls on the Mayor to further squeeze diesel vehicle drivers in the capital, who are a “major contributor” to air pollution.

On taxi emissions, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Stephen Knight, calls for more explanation how the 2018 edict, forcing all cabs to be zero emission capable, will be implemented.

He urges the Mayor to consult further with the taxi industry on the proposals, and wants more detail about infrastructure plans, including

charging points.

Estimates suggest more than 3,000 deaths in London each year are attributable to air pollution, which is 7% of all annual adult deaths in the capital. It puts air pollution second only to smoking as an environmental cause of death.

According to the 34-page report by the assembly’s environment committee diesel road traffic is responsible for around 40% of London’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and a “broadly similar proportion” of particulate matter PM10.

The ULEZ should also be kept under review and include tighter emission standards for heavily polluting vehicles than currently proposed, while

“consideration should be given to removing all diesel cars from the exempt category.”

Under current plans, cars must be zero-emission to drive in the ULEZ from 2025, but today’s report suggests that goods vehicles should also have to meet this standard from 2025.

The Committee does however support the Mayor’s suggested diesel vehicle scrappage scheme, and calls for the government to support the policy: “With a government scrappage scheme, the Mayor should consider removing all diesel cars from ULEZ exemption – other European cities are considering diesel bans. And, supported by effective charging infrastructure, the Mayor should bring forward from 2025 the date by which he proposes to restrict the exemption to zero-tailpipeemission cars.”

Existing ULEZ plans send out the “wrong signal” by allowing 300 new routemaster buses to travel in the zone without meeting Euro VI standards, and the report Driving Away From Diesel, says they should be retrofitted.

News in brief Campaigners stage trade demo A demonstration highlighting TfL’s failings and the plight of taxi drivers will get underway at Palestra on Friday.

Save Our Black Taxis is led by taxi driver’s wife, Artemis Mercer, and a small team of supporters.

It has won the backing of thousands of drivers, partners, wives, husbands and families.

The campaign aims to highlight the “demoralising effect TfL’s lack of regulation enforcement is having on families and consumer choice.”

A Facebook page attracted 5,000 supporters in just a few weeks and a Twitter account already has more than 1,000 followers.

Artemis said: “TfL is simply not doing enough to enforce rules that ensure public safety.”

Eight women and a number of supporters will stage the “peaceful, static demo” on Friday, July 31, outside Palestra from 2pm.

28

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

29

ROAD WATCH

MASSETT’S CAMERA HOTSPOTS Extreme Hotspot 1: Berkley Street J/W Piccadilly Yellow Box Camera Extreme Hotspot 2: Terminus Place Bus only left turn. TfL to issue PCNs

Mansion House Street

Yellow box

Hammersmith Broadway

Over-ranking

Bagleys Lane/New Kings Road

Yellow box

Harrods

Zig-Zags behind the rank in Brompton Road and no U-turns

Camden

20mph limit

Waterloo Road

Zig-Zags

Selfridges

Over ranking

Eldon Street

Do not set down on Zig-Zags

Clapham High Street

Zig-Zags

Islington

20mph limit

Red Routes

TfL is actively enforcing yellow box restrictions

Tower Bridge

20 mph speed limit – average speed cameras

Limehouse Link

30 mph speed limit

Craven Road

Zig-Zags

Smithfield

Do not park in load in boxes, they are enforced by camera

A13

Average speed cameras in operation

The City

20mph limit

30

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

C&S Taxis (London) LTD

N EW TAXI

RENTAL

BONANZA!

We have just placed the

BIGGEST

ever order in the history of London

for 200 brand new

TX4 Elegances Brand new in the box

TX4 Elegances For details and to add yourself to the waiting list please get in touch Office: 020 7613 4442 Mobile: 07951928502 Email: cs.taxis@yahoo.co.uk

First come first served!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

31

NEWS

New bridge designs revealed London Four Thames bridge designs which will battle it out for £40 million worth of funding have been unveiled.

Londoners are now invited to give their view on the bridge they would most like to see linking Pimlico with Nine Elms.

The winner will be a crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, and must be high enough to allow large vessels to pass beneath but not too steep for users.

Wandsworth council said all the bridge designs ensure loss of open space is kept to a minimum and create a landmark which fits in with the characteristics of both sides of the river.

The proposals have already come under fire from campaigners who say it would result in an extra 18,000 cyclists and pedestrians a day passing through the “wonderful haven” of St George’s Square.

More than 150 people have signed a petition against having

any bridge, saying it would “greatly affect the tranquillity of ... Pimlico’s only public green space in which children can play and run around.”

But Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth council, said: “We now have some very exciting and quite spectacular designs on the table.

“There is still a long way to go but these teams have given us real hope that a solution can be found to the complex challenges involved in creating a new pedestrian and cycle link across this

stretch of the river.”

The winning team and bridge design will be announced later this year before planning permission is sought from Westminster and Wandsworth councils and the Mayor’s office.

Exhibitions on the proposals take place from 9.30am to 7.30pm on July 21 and 22 at The Gallery on the Corner, Battersea Park Road, and from 9.30am to 6pm on July 23 and 24 at Hyde Park Room, 50 Broadway.

The four “exciting and quite spectacular designs”

axi a Services Ltd GB TTaxi s e t a l p s e 0 t 1 a 4 l X p 5 T 4 6 6 2 4 X O£ T T OVERHAULS 0 To 1 2 M.O.T. T STATION T T £ M CAB RENTAL A O FR SERVICING V

GB Taxi Services Ltd Unit 22 Redburn Ind Est Woodall Road

Enfield EN3 4LE

CRASH REPAIRS A

VITOS FROM

£230

24HR ROADSIDE SUPPORT SPARE CABS AVAILABLE NEW DRIVERS WELCOME

Call: 020 8912 2351

32

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

33

Two Fingers

FETE ACCOMPLIS Al FRESCO

Al visits the school fete with his grandson and ends up being the taxi exhibit must admit to being a tad surprised when my grandson strolled out of his classroom with a big grin on his face - and a python wrapped around his neck, closely followed by a sprightly tortoise answering (I later discovered) to the name of Sultana. You would be excused for thinking that the school was enacting an infant version of Jurassic Park, only to learn that in reality, both Sultana and Pericles (the python) were the star attractions of a travelling reptile show, which can be hired for such events as classroom learning and school fetes. And, the school fete was exactly where I was. So, what’s that got to do with cabbing or cabbies? Well, looking around, a huge chunk of the dads AND granddads in attendance, and at least one grandma, were cab drivers, who had come to support their off spring. There was even a famous songstress supporting her own little student by manning a stall, and flogging a range of her own brand of female attire. Other stalls were flogging trinkets and toys, hotdogs and hamburgers, ice lollies and children’s books.

I

Anti Uber lecture In the shadow of a silver birch, one of the local karate team, who’d failed to dodge a swift balletic move in a demonstration bout, was nursing a bloody nose from the wayward foot. Said grandson, who’d swopped his python for a regulation white pajama-style karate kit, boxing gloves and meritorious orange sash, was kicking at the air and throwing punches at a sweaty blonde girl, whilst shouting at her in Japanese.

Over on the far right, behind the wire-fence-enclosed football pitch, a scaled down kiddie ‘Go Kart’ race track was in full swing. Scores of wannabe Lewis Hamiltons queued to show off the driving skills they’d copied from their mums and dads on the daily school run.

Over on the far left stood the mandatory fire engine and cheery crew, gritting their teeth affably while hordes of heavy handed would-be firefighters clambered

over their shiny vehicle asking endless questions about hose pipes, ladders and sliding down poles.

There was even a licensed London taxi on site for the children to explore. It was demonstrably ignored, because (a) it looked like it had simply been parked-up in the school playground whilst the driver was kipping in the boot, and (b) most of the kids had cabs parked outside their own front doors! However, it was my job to man the neglected droshky and give anti-Uber lectures, whilst my son, the cabbie, toured the perimeter of the school in his orange bib armed with a walkie talkie, doing his bit for “elf and safety.”

Eccentric I was scanning the swirling grey heavens for the rain the Met Office had been predicting, but as yet had only teased with a half-hearted drizzle, when Larry and his wife pounced on me. Mrs Larry, with glamour lipstick and a throaty laugh and pushing a mite in a pram, disregarded her hubby’s intro...”I know you” she grated amicably, “you’re Al Fresco. I remember seeing you at the Cab Driver of the Year Show at Battersea Park.

You were wearing enormous bright red glasses and you had a ponytail, and you knocked down all the obstacles on the obstacle course. You didn’t ‘alf make us larf!” Mrs Larry gave a throaty chuckle like the exhaust from a souped-up Knowledge bike.

“I was the editor. I’ve got to admit though, in hindsight, I did look a twat...”

“That’s how eccentric editors looked in those days,” offered Larry.

“I know,” I had to admit, “I’ve seen the pics, but at the time, no one told me I looked like a tosser. They all said I looked great.”

“Yeah,” said Larry, “they also said that about Screaming Lord Such.

Never mind, Al, you did do a good job as editor!”

As I was rabbiting to Mr and Mrs Larry and joking with their cabbie son, whose baby was slumbering in Mrs Larry’s pram, oblivious to the taxi trade banter. An unexpected trickle of young fathers, being led

around the fete by my grandson, Harrison’s classmates, came up to say ‘hello.’ I stared at them blankly as they introduced themselves...“Hi Al. You probably don’t remember me, I’m Stuart, Sid R’s son....Still driving?

No! He retired three years ago....me, drive a cab? No, I’m an accountant.”

“Hi Al, I’m Gary,” came another greeting, “I’ve got regards to you from my dad, Jack....yes, still pushing his sherbet, but he only does three days now. Goes out at 10am and he’s back home at three....cabbing, ha ha...no...I’m a chartered surveyor.”

“Hello, Fox Seven Zero,” said an attractive young woman with a mirror-image daughter, “I answered the phones when you were on Mountview.”

“Hi Alan,” said a young man in a suit, “my dad was Baker two-three.

They used to call him Shaky cos he loved playing dice”...and Sarah, Harold’s daughter....”No,” she said with a wistful smile, “we lost him six years ago - about the same time as your wife, Al.” The longer I stood guard on the shunned sherbet, the more amazed I was by the timewarp I found myself drifting into, prompted by names from the past and memories they evoked. That alone was worth the price of entrance - and then there was the sight of a pizza-sized tortoise ambling across the playground at a rate of knots, followed by a band of fascinated five year olds and their parents, captivated by the nonchalant pint sized dinosaur, which was kind of apt I suppose. n

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SIMRO LONDON

TAXI RENTALS OVERHAULS, SERVICING, BODYWORK AND NON FAULT SPECIALIST British KITEMARK Approved Body Shop

TX’S AND VITOS AVAILABLE

AIR CONDITIONED

QUALITY CABS

CAB REPAIRS

24HR BACKUP

07534 125 454 0207 372 2222

CALL NOW

52 Iverson Road London NW6 2QX

34

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

Comcab radio circuits fitted in all TX4 loan cabs

C&S Taxis London Ltd - have now purchased new Vito Merc's to coincide with six existing TX4s, specially allocated for their crash repair body shop - A Class Of Their Own

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

35

Licensed to Chat

YOU’VE WON A MAKE UNDER MUSHER MEG

Winning can often seem very much like losing, especially in the Meg household. told Mr Meg my exciting news – that I’d won a makeover day after entering a competition at the local shopping centre. It was a random prize draw - in case you’re thinking I was the entrant judged most in dire need of improvement.

Mr Meg’s immediate thoughts were, as usual, about his stomach.

“So what are you going to bake?

Pineapple upside down cake would be good. I love that. Learn how to rustle up one of them.”

“Er, MAKEover not bakeover, fatty boom boom!” I clarified.

At which point he lost interest.

But still I persevered. I asked him, as I was about to be made over, would he like me to look like any particular celebrity?

“Celebrity?” he mused, “I like that actor, whathisname?” He pulled a lot

I

of funny faces and finally came up with, “Ray Winstone.”

I cuffed him around the head and said in a menacing voice, “try again.”

His second suggestion was, “Serena Williams? She’s good.” The makeover team would need to be magicians to make me; white skinned, grey haired (beneath the dye job) and a wobbly wimp look anything like that finely honed champion.

I arrived at the studio bright and early on the big day to meet my fashion stylist, photographer and make-up artist. Oddly, when they saw me they all had a disappointed look on their face. After a lengthy silence the makeup girl pumped her fist and shouted to the others, “Come On! We CAN do this!”

Apparently, first to do was to slather my face in pale make-up, false

eyelashes and gooey lipstick. I looked in the mirror and my first thought was that I looked like a corpse heading out to a graveyard party.

Then they decided to backcomb my already frizz bombed hair to make me look like Helena Bonham Carter mid-lightning strike.

Like a guppy, I kept opening my mouth (which wasn’t easy because my lips were superglued together with lip gloss) to protest - but all three sssshed me and promised that it was all about the finish. I had to wait until I was dressed and ready to have pictures taken before passing judgement. They swore that when they’d finished making me over the camera would love me.

The fashion stylist had found me an outfit very similar to the one Olivia Newton John wore in Grease when

she sang “You’re the One that I Want.” I am at least 10 sizes larger than her.

But, determined to get me into the ensemble the stylist talced me all over with baby powder before hauling me into the pair of black plastic elasticated trousers and matching crop top.

Does anyone remember the Michelin Man? I looked like his fatter twin sister. To finish off the “look,” they put me in a pair of giant leopard skin platforms.

Next came the big reveal.

The team span a full length mirror around so I could get a good look at myself. I looked like the lovechild of Alice Cooper and Meatloaf ... only worse.

“So what do you think?” beamed the stylist.

“That I must have won the booby prize,“ I answered. n

LONDON TAXI REPAIRS • WE GUARANTEE TO BEAT ANY PRICE LIKE FOR LIKE • DIAGNOSTICS TX’S AND VITO’S • APPROVED SERVICE ENGINEERS • QUALIFIED MERCEDES TECHNICIANS • REAR STEER REPAIRS • VITO SERVICING • QUALIFIED LTI TECHNICIANS • FULL LTI DIAGNOSTICS • RUNNING REPAIRS AND SERVICING • GENUINE PARTS

A&N TAXI REPAIRS

0207 033 6638 2a Three Colts Lane Bethnal Green E2 6JL Mon – Fri 7am – 7pm • Sat 8am – 3pm

RUNNING REPAIRS | SERVICING | ELECTRICAL OVERHAULS | AIR CONDITIONING | DIAGNOSTICS

36

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

THE BIG 40 ONE!

The membership of the LTDA is times greater than some other driver organisations!

HERE’S WHY...

CAUTION The LTDA legal service is the only trade scheme which defends members for ALL alleged offences (traffic, hackney or criminal), anytime, anywhere in the UK. Non members are advised to check carefully the exceptions and exclusions contained or imposed by other legal protection schemes circulating in our trade.

BADGESAFE SCHEME The LTDA retains experienced barristers with specialist knowledge of the London cab trade. Normally when drivers accumulate 12 points on their licence they receive an automatic 6 month ban, but in the case of LTDA members over 90% of those represented by our barristers receive a ban of just 1 month or in most cases no ban whatsoever.

EXPERTISE = SUCCESS The LTDA’s in-house lawyers are proud of their unrivalled record of court triumphs; in fact the rate of acquittals for members defended in court by the LTDA is 4 times higher than the national average. This unparalleled level of success is due entirely to the expertise acquired by the LTDA over many years of specialising in cab related legal matters.

YOUR FUTURE The LTDA remains the only trade body resolutely opposed to the computerisation of the Knowledge of London testing system.

(No to the quickie Knowledge campaign).

INLAND REVENUE ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE Many drivers and accountants refer to the LTDA for specialist advice on Inland Revenue investigations.

(Free to members).

SICKNESS AND ACCIDENT PROTECTION When trouble strikes it’s comforting to know that you’ve got the strength of the LTDA around you. (Additional subscription payable).

LTDA HOLIDAY CLUB Many members have saved thousands of pounds by taking advantage of special offers and prices (members only).

WIN £5,000 EVERY MONTH IN THE LTDA LOTTERY 12 big prizes every year, but you have to be in it to win it (members only £5 per entry).

ACCESS TO ‘SIMPLY HEALTH’ Great value health care from the LTDA. The Association pioneered this scheme in the taxi trade and it still offers the cheapest rates. (Special rates for LTDA members only).

HEATHROW OFFICE AND REPRESENTATION Call in to the LTDA office at Heathrow, first door on the right in the canteen block. The LTDA’s representatives will give you a warm welcome. (Open to all).

WELFARE DEPARTMENT LTDA officers make home visits to members who are in severe distress or with special needs and authorise contingency payments where appropriate.

RANKS AND HIGHWAYS REPRESENTATION The LTDA has negotiated taxi access to most bus lanes and leads the way negotiating on issues that affect you, the licensed taxi driver.

GENERAL ADVICE If you are new to the trade and you don’t know your `roader’ from your `legal’, give us a call. We’re always here to help. (Tel: 020 7286 1046 - non members are welcome to call).

24 HOUR TOUT LINE Seen a tout in action? Take the details and phone them in, we will do the rest.

(Tel: 020 7266 4769).

VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS Continually representing members’ interests in disputes with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers.

AUTHORITIES AND MEDIA The LTDA is the largest and most respected driver organisation in the trade. We lead the way when negotiating with the Government, GLA, TfL, Police, Mayor’s Office, Heathrow, Rail Authorities, Local Councils and when dealing with all sections of the media.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Many cab drivers are discovering to their cost that their licences are at risk due to the TfL’s interpretation of the new DVLA Group 2 Medical Standards. The LTDA has successfully challenged many decisions by the TfL to revoke members’ licences on medical grounds.

FANTASTIC VALUE LTDA subscriptions have not increased for 14 years! It costs just 4 quid a week to join the trade’s biggest organisation and 3 quid of that is tax deductible!

(Payable monthly).

HEALTH AND SPORTS PROMOTION We regularly run promotions with leading health and sports companies resulting in big savings to members.

LEISURE DISCOUNTS Huge savings on weekend breaks at fine hotels and holiday centres. You will not believe these prices! (Members only).

To learn more about LTDA benefits and current joining offers

call: 020 7286 1046 or visit www.ltda.co.uk

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

37

38

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

NEWS New Tube strike planned for August Transport Another round of Tube strikes over the introduction of a 24 hour night service will take place next month.

The previous walkout brought the entire underground network to a complete standstill for the first time in 13 years.

In the ensuing chaos, Uber was accused of “daylight robbery” when it used the opportunity to triple its prices.

The next strike is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 5, and will include drivers and other underground staff.

The dispute centres around pay and working hours for staff on the night tube service is due to start on September 12 but tube workers are unhappy about the new shift patterns and related salary increases.

Finn Brennan, for Aslef, accused London Underground management of refusing “to deal seriously with the issues at the heart of this dispute and resolve them.

"They wasted the opportunity to resolve this dispute without a strike. The blame for the disruption caused by the strike rests squarely with London Underground management."

But TfL insisted it had made "a very fair and reasonable offer".

Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s Chief Operating Officer, said: "We have made a very fair and reasonable offer on pay and the introduction of the night Tube and we continue to urge the trade unions to put it to their members.

"We will be at ACAS for further discussions to resolve this issue and trust the trade unions will be too."

More chaos on the way

Stay in the know with the LTDA DVLA reminder The photo card part of the driving licence lasts for 10 years and must renewed after that period. The licence becomes invalid if it is not renewed with a current picture.

15 year reminder The London taxi 15 year age limit refers to the cab’s ‘birthday’ (in the log book) not its plate date.

For example: A cab passed when it is 14 years and 11 months old WILL be granted a further 12 months of life.

Cabs may be booked in for testing in the normal way when the plate has 28 days or less to run.

The cab can then work up to the test date. If the plates are taken off with more than 28 days to run, both the plates and the paper licence must be surrendered to one of the six NSL inspection centres in and around London.

The ‘unplated’ cab must then not be worked, and at least one week should be allowed before attempting to book the next NSL

test, to allow the computerised booking system to recognise that the plates have been registered.

Lost/stolen identifiers If your Identifier is lost or stolen you must notify LTPH immediately (0343 222 4444 / tph.enquiries@tfl.gov.uk) You may then continue working. A letter of confirmation will be sent out to you by Transport for London, prior to a replacement identifier being processed.

Shop a tout Anyone who sees touting or any other form of illegal cab-related activity is urged to contact TfL with the details.

Take down the registration number and make a note of the date, time and location where incident took place.

Type “cab enforcement” into your internet search engine and follow the links to the ‘report illegal activity’ section of the TfL website.

HALVEY ENGINEERING ECO-TAXIS CABS TO RENT

GOOD

RATES

BRAND NEW TXII ENGINES Why pay £1,700 for rockers and chain when you can have a brand new Also out-of-the-crate genuine Ford TX4 engine reconditioned engine for £2,600 fitted.

Recon TXII engines supplied and fitted £1,700

0208-312-2224

All prices subject to VAT

WOOLWICH AREA

1yr warranty for £2,300

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

39

40

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

PUZZLER Crossword competition! o complete our prize crossword and be in with a chance to win £50 send your completed entry to Crossword

T

348, Taxi, Taxi House, 11 Woodfield Road, W9 2BA before August 11. First name out of the hat gets the cash.

ACROSS 7 Convert into code (6) 8 Confederation (6) 9 Perfume (4) 10 Cross channel train (8) 11 Bike rider (7) 13 Radio dial (5) 15 Scoop out (5) 17 Slight paralysis (7) 20 Four line poem (8) 21 Originates (4) 22 Small evergreen tree (6) 23 Sentimental film (6)

DOWN 1 Wound (6) 2 Pass out (4) 3 Let go (7) 4 Fear (5) 5 Gives massages (8) 6 Compassionate (6) 12 A bind or tie (8) 14 Nocturnal bird (4, 3) 16 Of the eyes (6) 18 Emblematic (6) 19 Cellar (5) 21 Travelled by air (4)

Overheard by Brad Ashton “Whoever said you can’t take it with you never saw my wife packing for a holiday.

She must be a descendant of Noah - she takes two of everything. We never have to worry about being burgled. By the time she’s packed there’s nothing left to steal. The neighbours never know whether we’re going on holiday or moving house.

Last year we had a typical holiday.

Two weeks in Spain and a year in debt to pay for it. I now refer to a book that tells me where I can go on holiday. My cheque book. I shan’t be going to Spain again, it was far too hot. I haven’t sweated that much since I got my last tax demand. My wife insisted we rent an apartment with air conditioning in every room. It kept us really cool, till we got the electric bill.

It was the second most expensive thing. The first was my wife. It’s thanks to her I’ve got stretch marks on my wallet. She’ll buy anything that’s marked down, even when we were engaged. She spotted a wedding gown for just £99, so she bought two. Next year, I’m taking her to a nudist camp.

It’s the only place I know where she can’t carry her credit cards.”

“In the current financial situation the only thing you can put by for a rainy day is an umbrella. And that’s something we all need. Last year it rained so much I’m surprised the country didn’t shrink.

Where my brother lives it was flooded, but he didn’t mind. He said his house ended up in a better district. We had what they call a surprise summer, there wasn’t any. But I suppose we can’t complain. At least here in England we don’t have tsunamis. The only big waves we get are illegal immigrants from Calais.

And thankfully we don’t get hurricanes either. I’ve just discovered why all hurricanes have women’s names.

It’s because, when they’re gone so are most of your belongings. Hurricanes can certainly change things. That one in New Orleans resulted in a spate of topless restaurants. The wind blew their roofs off. Every day this week I’ve watched the barometer fall. But today was worst of all. It fell on my foot.”

CROSSWORD NO. 348

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD 346 Across: 1 Akimbo, 4 Shufti, 9 Petunia, 10 Toxic, 11 Cross, 12 Help out, 13 French fries, 18 Dutiful, 20 March, 22 Irate, 23 Nurture, 24 Treaty, 25 Meteor Down: 1 Alpaca, 2 Intro, 3 Benison, 5 Hotel, 6 Foxhole, 7 Incite, 8 Naphthalene, 14 Retrace, 15 Remorse, 16 Addict, 17 Oh dear, 19 Fleet, 21 Rouge

Congratulations Issue 346 winner Colin Young, South Harrow

Just for fun

Have a go at this medium level Sudoku puzzle. Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9.

Follow @TheLTDA on Twitter for news, updates and warnings

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

41

028-042_taxi_issue348_TAXI 345X250 24/07/2015 13:20 Page 42

42

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

BRAND NEW

North London’s

BLACK TAXI

rentals

TX4 ELEGANCES AVAILABLE NOW!

2011 TX4

24HR Backup service Full RAC cover Spare cabs available Newly passed drivers welcome Cabs bought for cash Full garage facilities

UNIT 7, DOMINION BUSINESS PARK, GOODWIN ROAD, EDMONTON, N9 0BG TAXI

A selection of our numerous

Distribution Points

n A1 Taxis, Melody Lane, Highbury N5 n Abacus Accounts, Southbrook Road, Lee SE12 n Astral Café, Regency Place SW1 n Bubbles Car Wash, E2 n C & S Taxis, Dunbridge Street E2 n Cabsurance, Seven Kings n Camberfield Taxi Services n Computer Cab, Mitre Way W12 n Coney Allen, Dunbridge Street E1 n CP Beehive Service Station, Beehive Lane, Gants Hill n Cricklewood Carriers, Cricklewood n Dial A Cab, City Road N1 n Edgware Station Rank n Euston Station Rank n G & L Taxis, Crayford Road N7 n Globe Transmissions, Cudworth Street E1 n The Ham, Brentford n Heathrow Airport Canteen n Hexagon Garage, Lukin Street E1 n Jet Garage, Clipstone Street W1 n Knowledge Centre, Caledonian Road n KPM, Hemming Street E1 n London City Airport Canteen n LP Motors, Dunbridge Street E2 n Martin Cordell, E3 and Stanmore n Paddington Station Rank n Putney Bridge Taxis, The Arches, Putney Bridge Station SW6 n Richmond Road Taxi Centre, E8 n Safewise Supermarket, Harrow n South Bank Service Station, Great Suffolk Street SE1 n TAXI HOUSE W9 n Taxi & Private Hire, Blackfriars Rd SE1 n Temple Place Shelter n Tent Street Taxi Centre E2 n Turbo Accessories, Three Colts Lane E2 n Waterloo Station n Wimbledon Station Rank n WizAnn Knowledge School, Watts Grove E3

@TheLTDA

Elegance @ £225pw

TX4’s from £200pw £200pw

Drivers wanted

0208 807 7931

PUBLISHED BY LTDA Taxi House 11 Woodfield Road, London W9 2BA T: 020 7286 1046 | www.ltda.co.uk @TheLTDA MANAGING EDITOR Steve Still T: 0207 121 0523 | F: 0207 286 2494 E: taxinewspaper@ltda.co.uk THE MASSETT FILE Richard Massett INTERNATIONAL NEWS Wim Faber TWO FINGERS Al Fresco TAXI TALK Alf Townsend OVERHEARD Brad Ashton LICENSED TO CHAT Musher Meg PRODUCED BY Century One Publishing ltd Alban Row,27-31 Verulam Road St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4DG. T: 01727 893 894, F: 01727 893 895 E: enquiries@centuryonepublishing.uk www.centuryonepublishing.uk ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Jonny Knight T: 01727 739 193 E: jonathan@centuryonepublishing.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Miny Sharma PRINTED BY Century One Publishing COVER IMAGE LTDA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical or by photocopying without prior permission of the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the publishers. Please note that the last day for inclusion of Classified lineage advertisements is five working days prior to publication. No liability is accepted by the publisher should advertisements not appear in the requested issue(s). Whilst the publisher will take every care to ensure accuracy, no liability can be accepted for loss or damage resulting from errors.

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

43

CLASSIFIED Cabs for Rent

BERMONDSEY TAXI RENTALS

Brown’s Taxis

TXII’s & TX4’S FOR RENT

(Mitcham Based)

CABS TO RENT ʻV Reg to ʻ12 Reg 24-Hour AA Recovery • Spare cab available

CABITAL TAXIS Best Rental Company by Far Great Choice of Quality Cabs

Call Danny on

SERVICE, REPAIRS & BODYWORK

0203 673 4819

PHONE PAUL ON 020 7358 1272

or (M) 07956 463040

Rental Prices to Suit All

Cab Rental Hotline

07940 021014

Cabs for Rent

BUTLER’S Black Cab Rentals

MEM’s 24hr Breakdown Service • Spare Cabs Always Available

TXI, TXII & TX4’S FULL BACK UP 24-7

Talk to Tom or Charlie: 07940 021014

0796 098 2507

Email: info@cabitaltaxis.com

Based in Mitcham - CR4 4NQ

Established 1970

Section Heading

Garage in Bethnal Green

Cabs for Rent

Cab to Rent TXII 55 plate to rent £190 pw • Immaculate condition Backup cab available (Fulham based)

Ring 078 8937 8639 Cabs for Rent

“C US 4 CABs” Quality Rentals from £165 p/w Full Back up 24/7 Spare cabs

Mitcham based

We buy and sell all Taxis at great prices Taxi mot and overhaul- drop off your taxi and Pick up when plated - cabs available

Established 1993

Non fault accident specialists-no excess to pay Fast fit servicing appointments for TXI, TXII,TX4 & Vitos Mechanical repairs & servicing & bodywork 4 Mercedes Vito tyres fitted for £200 + vat Lucus & Cygnus meter agents - please book & bring your log book Garage services open Mon/Fri- 7.30am to 5.30pm & Sat 9-12.30pm

Tyres from £45 Taxi Recovery from £60 TX4 from £225 per week

Taxis for hire from £180.00 ,all taxis available from our large fleet Maxxis taxi tyres from £52.50 + vat, Remould tyres £43.00 + vat TX2 Battery £85.00 + vat

Great Deals for Great Drivers!

The Dell, Clayton Road, Chessington, KT9 1NN Just off the A3, at the Hook turn off 0208 391 1600 sales@taxigarage.co.uk

Dennis 07775 931 439

G&H TAXIS FLEET RENTAL

Kingston & Wimbledon Taxis

Bodyshop for accident repairs Non fault accident specialists-no excess to pay

WWW.TAXIGARAGE.CO.UK

518 KING ST, OFF BRUCE GROVE, TOTTENHAM N17 8AW

BEAT THE RECESSION Est

20

years

TXI from £185 per week TX4 from £215 per week • OVERHAULS • SERVICING • BODY WORK • PAY IN AT ANY BARCLAYS BANK WE HAVE MOVED! • 24 HOUR RAC BACKUP

DON’T DELAY CALL THE TAXIS TEAM CALL: 07946 110815 / 020 8885 1844 WEBSITE: www.gandhtaxis.com EMAIL: gandhtaxisfleet@aol.com

44

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

CLASSIFIED Section Heading

Section Heading Cabs for Rent

OK TAXIS Bethnal Green Based

from fro m

£1 0 £170

Cabs for Rent

//wk

TXI, TXII’s & TX4’s

First week

£99 for more information call

07432 289 600 Cabs for Rent

PLATINUM PL ATINUM TAXI TA X I RENTALS RENTA LS

A happy cabby is our Premier goal

24 2 24/7 4 RA 4/7 RAC AC BREAKDOWN BREAKDO OWN W C COVER CO OVER V REGULARLY REGULARL LY SERVICED SER RV VICED FLEET FLLEET &5,, "!#+ 50 s 48 3 48 3 & 5,, "!#+ 50 s 48 3 48 3 EAST LONDON GARAGE GARA AGE G

CALL A JOEY

Spare cabs 24/7 Paddington garage 020 8740 7444

07775 902 902 2

Cabs for Rent

TAXI

TXII & TX4 CABS FOR RENT

With Air Conditioning & Competitive Rates 07738 162 518

Food

The Best Kebab Free Sky sports 1st tea on the house for taxi drivers* 2 for 1 cups of coffee* Half price humous and taramasalata* After 7pm free parking All kebabs served with rice

Tel: 0207 336 7036 118 Old Street EC1V 9BD

TO PLACE YOUR LINAGE BY 4PM IN TAXI ISSUE 349 BOOK BY WED 05 AUGUST

CALL JONNY ON 01727 739 193

*Eat in only

Cabs for Rent t t in lee ac jo F nt to ier Co day em to Pr us n’s o nd Lo

I Michelin tyres fitted as standard I Verifone card readers provided free of charge in every vehicle I National AA cover, Homestart and Relay I All vehicles are serviced every 6,000 miles I No insurance excess to pay I Maintained and repaired by the best mechanics and technicians in London

www.randellcabs.co.uk

020 7473 4559

paul@randellcabs.co.uk

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

More readers than the rest put together!

45

CLASSIFIED Section Heading

Section Heading Cabs for Rent

LTDA Meetings

Insurance

LTDA Branch Meetings

Fantastic value Black Cab insurance

SW and SE

NW and NE

First Monday of Jan and third Tuesday of March, May, June, Nov

Last Tuesday of Jan and last Monday of April, June, Sept, Nov

Supporting your iconic trade

0333 003 0062 Keeping your business motoring

Services and Repairs

Advertise here in TAXI magazine For all your TAXI advertising requirements contact

Century One Publishing CALL JONNY ON 01727 739 193

46

TAXI |28 JULY 2015

www.ltda.co.uk |

@TheLTDA

CLASSIFIED Services and Repairs

LINAGE Accountants ARTEMIS & CO ACCOUNTANTS. Specialising in the Taxi and Minicab trade and all other accountancy.

Accounts and Tax Returns £250.inc.

Based in North London. Email: reception@artemisandco.co.uk. Tel: 02088049400. Mob: 07702200971 CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS specialising in the taxi trade. Accounts and tax returns £295inc. Call Andy 02083601446

Air Conditioning MOBILE AUTO AIR CONDITIONING service and repair for taxis, London and beyond, Telephone Nick on 07785900006 7 days

Cabs for rent A TAXI FOR RENT, TXII’s & TX4’s also buy, backup and spare cab, Essex and East London area 07908639567 ALL MERCEDES VITO’S, Euro4 & Euro5 for rent, prices start from £220pw, call 07508977592 A TXI FROM £170PW, based in Kingsbury North-West London, RAC backup, 02082008488 07956422658 CHEAP TAXIS – TXIs/TXIIs/TX4s from £150pw, Full Back-up, Bethnal Green, Call Eric 07766542798

MERCEDES VITOS FROM £200, TXII’s from £170, TXI’s from £150, all cabs can be fitted with any radio circuit of their choice, all cabs well maintained, full backup service, 24 hour recovery service to get you back on the road. Call JR Taxi Rentals 07816856797

Cabs for sale TX4 ELEGANCE, 63, metallic charcoal grey, 30,000 miles, excellent condition, plated until September, £32,500, 07719454606

QUALITY CABS TO RENT, Kingston area, full back up and spare cab, large fleet 02085411777

TX4 ELEGANCE, 60 plate, mint condition, 172,000 miles (mostly motorway mileage), one owner, FSH, plated until December, £18,995 ONO call 07463756610

ROMFORD BASED TXIS, TXIIs & TX4’s. Own Workshop, AA breakdown cover 01708347288 or 07932740902

TXII SILVER, Metallic Grey 2004, sunroof, aircon, low mileage, one owner, immaculate, £9,950 OVNO 02082026064

TAXIS FOR RENT, Enfield/North London area, small reliable fleet, full backup, call Ian on 07956582416

TXI JULY 2001(Y REG), 250,000miles, turbo fitted, 18 months full livery contract, plated July 2016. All together can be used in London until July 2017.

Part Exchange for 15/16 yo TXI plus £7,000 ONO 07961164899

TAYLAN TAXIS, cabs for rent based in E2, call Ozie 07462885206 TXI & TXII’S FROM £160PW. VITO’s £225pw. RAC Cover. No Adverts. Garage Backup. Essex 01708373786 TXIS AND TXIIS FOR RENT, from £170pw to £210pw. Based Isleworth, family garage, full backup and RAC recovery, 07724789606 TXI’S FROM £180PW, TXII’s from £185pw, TX4’s for rent, 24hr backup system, Clean cabs, 1st half week rent free – 02076132436, 07947644541 or 07702221672 TXII’S & TX4’S FOR RENT, full back up, Family garage, Old Kent Road based 02073581272

E16 RENTALS, TX4s Ascotts maintained, also Merc’s available. Pay by cash, bank, online, 07957465423/ www.e16-taxirentals.co.uk

TXII’S TO VITO’S, full back up, spare cabs available - Welling (Kent) Call Martin 07956521420

EAST LONDON BASED TX4’S, full flat from £185pw, full back up – 07595920029

TX4 ‘S FOR HIRE, all air con, No ads, full RAC cover – 07980288333

TXIS & TXIIS WANTED, Any condition, Cash paid, Plated/ unplated, also non runners, Open 10am–5pm - 01932569893 TROY TAXIS – All 15 year old TXI’s wanted, no one beats me on price, cash paid…instant decision call Troy (green badge driver) 07958652921 WE BUY VITO’S & TX’S. We also sell/rent TX’s and Vito’s ready for work 07985124194

Drivers Wanted NIGHTMAN WANTED, TX4, AA back up. Changeover Hainault area 07960291378

Holidays Algarve

2 X LOVELY VILLAS IN VALE DO LOBO, Algarve – sleep up to 6/7 Cabs wanted each – ideally located for 3 golf courses, tennis academy, beaches, ALL TXI OR FAIRWAY taxis purchased bars and restaurants. Discounts available outside school holiday for cash, quick viewing. Please phone periods. 50% off green fees all year Graham 07435562759 round (villa 1), 50% discount off oldlondontaxis@yahoo.co.uk court fees at the tennis academy (both villas). For more information A CAB WANTED URGENTLY, fair go to www.ownersdirect.co.uk condition, any year; we pay the most, refs p16292, p16799 or contact 01322669081 or 07836250222 Gill Dunsford on mobile 07775 683777 ALL TXI’S & FAIRWAYS WANTED, instant decision - cash paid. Tel: 07973335739 or 01253407500

Miscellaneous

ALL CABS BOUGHT FOR CASH, top prices paid. Cab hire also FOR SALE. 2 BED, 2 bath apartment on available,EastLondonAndEssexTaxiRe Mar Menor, Spain. 10 minutes walk ntals.co.uk 07877093866 beach, bars, shops. 10 minutes drive local airport. Well kept gardens and 2 CABS BOUGHT FOR CASH, top price communal pools £80,000 paid, quick decision, we pay your 0034968171784 or 01908867607 finance 07956293748 OLD KNOWLEDGE BIKES WANTED, TXIS & TXIIS BOUGHT FOR CASH, Dead or Alive, Cash on Collection top prices paid, quick decisions, call Please Call 07749488367.

George 07956 925516 Thankyou

More readers than the rest put together!

28 JULY 2015 | TAXI

Passionate advocates of this iconic trade

Exclusive Black Cab Rates

Fantastic value cover designed to keep your business motoring Stay on the move with free breakdown assistance inc. homestart Protect your business with a replacement black cab following a fault claim

Keeping your business motoring

planinsurance.co.uk

0333 003 0062

47

Drrive Drive ve the ve th he Ico Icon on fr from rom ro just jus st £145 £14 45 per pe er week week we e

:LWK RXU \HDU 3HUVRQDO &RQWUDFW 3XUFKDVH SODQ

pay just £145 per week* to drive the iconic Black Cab. $ QHZ 7; FRPHV ZLWK SHDFH RI PLQG RI D \HDU ZDUUDQW\

'RQ¶W PLVV RXW /LPLWHG VWRFN &DOO XV QRZ

A taxi from the people who only make taxis.

The London Taxi Company 39-41 Brewery Road â&#x20AC;¢ London N7 9QH 03330 144441 www.london-taxis.co.uk London@london-taxis.co.uk 7KH/RQGRQ7D[L&RPSDQ\8.

/RQGRQ7D[L&R8.

/RQGRQ7D[L&RPSDQ\8.

7HUPV DQG FRQGLWLRQV DSSO\ %XVLQHVV XVHUV RQO\ )LQDQFH RIIHU DYDLODEOH RQ 3HUVRQDO &RQWUDFW 3XUFKDVH ¿JXUHV EDVHG RQ 7; (OHJDQFH DXWRPDWLF WUDQVPLVVLRQ

DW Â&#x2026; 275 ZLWK D Â&#x2026; GHSRVLW IROORZHG E\ PRQWKO\ SD\PHQWV RI Â&#x2026; HTXLYDOHQW ZHHNO\ SD\PHQWV RI Â&#x2026; SOXV DQ RSWLRQDO ¿QDO SD\PHQW RI Â&#x2026;

EDVHG XSRQ DQ DQQXDO FRQWUDFWHG PLOHDJH RI RYHU WHUP 'HSRVLWV FDQ EH PDGH IURP Â&#x2026; DQG SDLG RQ FROOHFWLRQ WKH DERYH LV DQ H[DPSOH GHSRVLW EDVHG

RQ WKH ¿QDQFH LOOXVWUDWLRQ 7KUHH \HDU SODQV DUH DOVR DYDLODEOH ([FHVV PLOHDJH FKDUJH RI SHQFH 9$7 SHU PLOH DSSOLHV ,I WKH YHKLFOH LV LQ JRRG FRQGLWLRQ DQG KDV

QRW H[FHHGHG WKH DOORZHG PLOHDJH \RX ZLOO KDYH QRWKLQJ WR SD\ )LQDQFH LV VXEMHFW WR VWDWXV DQG LV RQO\ DYDLODEOH WR 8. UHVLGHQWV DJHG DQG RYHU )LQDQFH LV SURYLGHG E\

%ODFN +RUVH 7D[L )LQDQFH D WUDGLQJ VW\OH RI %ODFN +RUVH /WG 6W :LOOLDP +RXVH 7UHVLOOLDQ 7HUUDFH &DUGLII &) %+ 2WKHU PRGHOV DUH DYDLODEOH