The Badge - October 2023

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN B IF THE TRADE HAS NO TAXIS?

Recently there has been much talk regarding the COF and the LTDA have published a survey saying their members support it. This week, I attended a meeting with all the trade groups and TfL at a Senior Reps meeting and this was once again discussed.

As I have said the LCDC votes on the COF and at the last AGM the members supported keeping it. But, that was pre covid and the landscape has now changed dramatically. We now alarmingly have just 17k drivers, 16k of these are green badges and just 15k taxi vehicles licensed. So my concern centres around the trade’s futurewe have just one vehicle and with interest it's over £100k. When the £7,500 grant runs out, it will be more like £115k, in my view, totally unrealistic. Add to the mix nigh on 1,000 taxis coming off the road every year with the new 12 year age limit, where do older / part time / suburban drivers go to rent an affordable taxi?

I have members call me up every week asking where they can rent an older taxi which they can afford, but I find myself telling them now... I don’t

know!

After driving a cab for 35 years, I realise drivers mainly care about one thing and that's their money every week, which I can understand. But can someone from the other Associations and Unions tell me what is their Plan B for our survival, or will the trade and TfL both be happy with just a fleet of say, 10k ZEC taxis and PH doing everything else?

We need to be realistic regarding the state of the trade and agree on how we go from here... I’m all ears and open to suggestions.

Also you can read how the unrelenting pressure the Club has applied to both TfL and Wolverhampton County Council has resulted in Compliance officers from Wolverhampton council agreeing to come to London for joint compliance initiatives. And if you want to join a Club that is fighting for you all... it’s just £15 a month.

We at the LCDC don’t often bang our own drum when it comes to helping our members with their legal troubles. A lot of the cases which come our way with members are quite sensitive and we respect their wishes to keep things in house and out of the paper which I can fully appreciate.

However, not only do Payton’s Solicitors offer our members a 24 Hour Duty Solicitor 365 days a year, but since getting involved with the Club, our solicitor Keima Payton has the distinction of having a 100% success rate in all her cases which she has handled on behalf of the Club’s members.

Keima Payton has a fearsome reputation in court and should ever the need arise you will find no one better able to fight your corner and save your Badge than Keima.

- Grant Davis, LCDC Chairman

LCDC FORCE FOI U-TURN FROM WOLVERHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL

As readers of The Badge will know, we have been very concerned regarding the number of PH vehicles seen working in London that have been licensed by Wolverhampton City Council.

In our opinion, this situation needs to be addressed by both Wolverhampton City Council and our own regulator, TfL.

You can read on pages 3 - 4 - 5 how the Club has been relentless in seeking

Mr Bickerdale

information regarding the role played by Wolverhampton City Council licensing department, as well as the PH Operators, who appear to have "sister offices" in Wolverhampton and in London.

On page 4 you can see these so-called "offices" held by various PH Operators in Wolverhampton and if anyone can tell me how you can get 43 separate PH operators sharing an office above a takeaway pizza joint,

City of Wolverhampton Council

St. Peter’s Square

Wolverhampton

WV1 1SH

I’m a Dutchman. We have tried to obtain relevant information from Wolverhampton regarding the PH operators they license and also their enforcement activity in addressing the concerns we have made to them.

And as you can see on page 5 they refused, meaning we had to appeal their decision, which we won and you can read their response.

This situation could easily

escalate if TfL and the taxi trade sit back and just talk about how busy we are - let’s for once be proactive and not reactive eh?

More worrying is that at a recent TfL / PH meeting, a very large PH Operator who has become concerned at the ongoing regulations put upon the PH Industry threatened to license their cars outside of London and then bring them into our capital city.

As you may have read on page 2, at a recent Taxi / TfL

meeting, TfL have said to us that they will be holding joint compliance checks in London with Wolverhampton City Council officials, which is a step forward.

But we at the LCDC would like to ask - as the "ghost offices" in Wolverhampton appear empty, where are the bookings being taken?

Our fear is that it is here in London. If that were to be the case, it would be illegal. Answers are most definitely needed.

Grant Davis, Chairman, London Cab Drivers’ Club Unit A202, Tower Bridge Business Complex 100 Clements Road

Dear Mr Bickerdale

It is noted that under Wolverhampton Council’s complaints procedure, there is a requirement to provide an acknowledgement within 4 days - can you please provide me with the same?

Additionally, it is my understanding that taxi and private hire licence fees are used to pay for licensing and enforcement. Enforcement is an integral component of public safety and therefore there is a duty placed on Wolverhampton Council to ensure that licenced vehicles and drivers are compliant with Wolverhampton’s licensing regime wherever they are in the country. Put simply, if you are aware that private hire operators are being licenced with Wolverhampton Council and operating across the country, then I argue that you are duty-bound to increase licence fees to pay for the extra enforcement action that is required outside of the Wolverhampton area.

As such, under an FOI request can you please tell me: (1) how many enforcement officers have Wolverhampton Council deployed in greater London within the past 6 months? And; (2) how many days did this enforcement activity cover?

What is clear to me is that you are not fulfilling the role that your job requires, and you are directly and knowingly placing the public at risk by not increasing licensing fees to fund the extra enforcement that is clearly required outside of the Wolverhampton area.

You should be mindful that Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2018] UKSC 4 is the test for whether a duty of care exists. It is no longer the case that a public authority has the blanket immunity from prosecution should a preventable rape or sexual assault happen by a Wolverhampton licensed driver operating predominately outside of Wolverhampton. The fact that your authority is not putting any enforcement checks or activity in place in areas outside of Wolverhampton when you are clear of what is happening across the country (and in London) is arguably a negligent action and falls below the public safety standards expected of you and your authority.

I look forward to your timely reply.

Kindest regards

C/O

London Cab Drivers’ Club

L.C.D.C: LEADERS NOT FOLLOWERS

WOLVERHAMPTON REFUSED LCDC

FOI REQUEST BUT LOST APPEALAND NOW WE CAN REVEAL THE 201 OPERATORS AT JUST 3 ADDRESSES

WHY ISN’T TFL TRYING TO KEEP

Adur DC brought the case against an operator (Car Cabs), who were licensed in the nearby area of Brighton for operating vehicles in Adur. For simplicity, it was found the operator was licensed in his area and operating from there, and Adur’s case failed.

Although, in the judgment, the question posed;

"Whether it was correct to say that the word 'operate' in Section 46(1)(e) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, only includes that part of the whole transaction taking place in the operator's premises."

be safe for Londoners? If the drivers also are licensed in Wolverhampton then how do TfL & more importantly their passengers know that they have met the TfL "Fit & Proper" requirements?

This situation is outrageous and we now have the farce where Wolverhampton PH vehicles can operate in the Capital and Tph compliant officers are powerless to stop them - even if the car had bald tyres or customers complained to the officers, they are completely powerless to act.

As you can see there is a suspicion that Wolverhampton PH Operators who have "Sister" companies are making provisions for their Wolverhampton operations in London and if so, the LCDC consider this a breach of Section 2 1998 London Private Hire Act.

The prominent case in determining the lawfulness of cross border hiring arises from the 1995 judgement of Adur District Council v Fry.

The question is, perhaps, too widely worded because it is possible to envisage activity taking place outside an operator's premises that might come within the definition provided by s 80(1). There was, however, no such activity in the circumstances of this case. I would, therefore, answer the question "Yes, in the circumstances of this case" and, accordingly, dismiss the appeal’.

In the circumstances

In the last edition of the Badge, the Club raised the issue of Wolverhampton PHVs operating in the capital and cross border hiring.

Extract below;

‘The prominent case in determining the lawfulness of cross border hiring arises from the 1995 judgement of Adur District Council v Fry.

Adur DC brought the case against an operator (Car Cabs), who were licensed in the nearby area of Brighton for operating vehicles in Adur. For simplicity, it was found the operator was licensed in his area and operating from there, Adur’s case failed.

Although, in the judgment, the question posed;

"Whether it was correct to say that the word 'operate' in Section 46(1)(e) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, only includes that part of the whole transaction taking place in the operator's premises."

The question is, perhaps, too widely worded because it is possible to envisage activity taking place outside an operator's premises that might come within the definition provided by s 80(1). There was, however, no such activity in the circumstances of this case. I would, therefore, answer

the question "Yes, in the circumstances of this case" and, accordingly, dismiss the appeal’.

In the circumstances of this case, yes there were circumstances, the operator answered a phone call from a customer, accepted the Private Hire booking, recorded and dispatched from his premises!

Move forward nearly 30 years and what do we see. We have established operators from all over England licensed in areas they truly operate obtaining a Wolverhampton operator licence under sister companies. We know there are addresses in Wolverhampton where numerous operators are licensed. We at the Club consider these no more than PO boxes, albeit an operator might provide a member of staff for pre arranged compliant visits. It is what we call ghost offices. Where do these operators really conduct business’

In relation to those numerous operators that are licensed at certain addresses in Wolverhampton. The Club has conducted a Freedom of Information request, which incidentally Wolverhampton City Council attempted to refuse.

We can reveal;

43 Operators are licensed at 2A Raynor Road Wolverhampton West Midlands WV10 9QY

62 Operators are licensed at 6 Walsall Street Bilston Wolverhampton West Midlands WV14 0AT

And astonishingly, 96 Operators are licensed at Bank Street Heath Town

Wolverhampton West Midlands WV10 9DU!

The Club consider licensing in Wolverhampton as shambolic and questions the case law that determines all cross border hirings as lawful.

FURIOUS EV OWNERS RESORT TO GETTING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO CHARGE THEIR CARS AS FIGHTS BREAK OUT OVER CHARGING POINTS BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OF THEMWITH MARSHALS BROUGHT IN TO POLICE SERVICE STATIONS

Electric vehicle owners furiously arguing with each other over charging points because there aren't enough of them available are having to get up in the dead of night to power up their motors.

Such is the 'charge rage' that marshals are being brought in to police frustrated drivers at motorway service stations.

The boss of Britain's largest motorway service provider, Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan, (pictured), said long waits for plug-in points made drivers 'very angry and stressed'.

Others are so fed up they have decided to ditch the eco-cars and go back to diesel as they are 'easier' to run with the infrastructure for plug-in vehicles not expected to be ready for more than a decade.

Many electric car drivers were adamant that the north of the country is far worse off in terms of infrastructure.

One motorist at a service station told MailOnline: 'Sometimes I get up at four or five am just to charge the car, because I know it would be busy in the day.'

The 72-year-old is so fed up he is now taking his second electric vehicle - an MG - back, adding: 'I am giving it back next week because of the stress. I will go back to my diesel car because it's easier.'

But some residents local to the area surrounding Thurrock services off the M25 say they're ditching their electric vehicle as they're fed up of having to queue to charge their car. Drivers living near the services are seemingly spoilt for choice, as it now boasts three rows of charging points, amounting to around 30 in total.

Locals say it is the only place in the area to have so many, whereas other points in the car parks of nearby supermarkets, pubs and gyms are coveted and occasionally fought over.

Ray Lee, an Uber driver of five years who lives in nearby Grays, Essex says he has witnessed arguments over charging points.

The 72-year-old is so fed up he

is handing his second electric vehicle - an MG - back in next week after growing frustrated by the lack of infrastructure, says he has woken up in the dead of night to charge his car, instead of risking long queues before beginning work.

The father-of-four and grandfather-of-five explained: 'There aren't enough charging points.

'There's one in Grays and two near the Sainsbury's, so when people say there are taking too long they start fighting. I've not seen it get violent but they argue with each other.

'One time I had to go to Basildon (15 miles away) to charge my car at the BP station there.'

Mr Lee says he has sometimes waited between an hour and an hour and a half to charge his car, due to queues of other electric car drivers.

'This is my second electric car. I had the first one for 11 monthsa Kia Niro. I returned it because of the lack of infrastructure.

'Sometimes I had to get up at four or five am just to charge the car, because I knew it would be busy in the day.

'Even this one, the MG, gives me 165 miles for a full chargebut really it's about 140 or 150 miles. If you put on the air con it goes right down.

'I am giving it back next week because of the stress. I will go back to my diesel car because it's easier.'

Mr Lee also claimed the charging points often do not work, and says he once waited from 7.30pm until 4.30am just to charge his car.

He also says he has had to queue for around two hours when charging spots are busy.

Nav, who did not wish to give his surname, said he is equally unhappy with his Volkswagen eGolf because of how frequently he has to charge it.

The 46-year-old has had the car for less than six months and said: 'If you use the heating or the air con, it halves the electricity.

'A few months ago we went to Wales and on the way there we only had to charge the car once.

'But on the way back we had to charge three times because we were coming back at night and had the headlights on.'

Nav added that one time he had been asleep in his car whilst it was charging, when someone angrily snatched the cable from his car and plugged theirs in instead.

He said he believes disputes may become more frequent as the number of people buying electric cars is increasing at a faster rate than new charging points are being set up. 'I haven't seen any fights yet, but soon, maybe,' he added.

Taxi driver Olu Sodipo, 50, drives a £59,000 Mercedes Evan which can fit seven people and drives around 230 miles when fully charged, He too has also seen spats at charging points around Heathrow Airport.

The father-of-three, who lives in South Ockendon in Essex, said: 'In Shepperton [in Surrey], near Heathrow, there are arguments - because it's right next to the airport.

'When you go there you don't know who's queuing and who's

not, so when you try to move into an empty space some people say, "I was here first!". 'Other people sometimes mitigate and it doesn't get violent, but it does happen.

Mihai Cascaval, a Romanian taxi driver living in East London, owns a Tesla Model 3. He believes problems occur more frequently between drivers of electric cars other than Teslas. Some charging pointsincluding the entire back row at Thurrock services, which were only introduced around a month ago - are exclusively for Tesla cars.

Mr Cascaval, 33, says it's also cheaper for Tesla owners to charge their cars.

He said: 'I've heard about people arguing over charging spots and I have seen people queuing for them.

'But the queues for Tesla spots are never bad - maybe 15 to 20 minutes max - but I have never seen disputes around it and I charge my car every day. 'Maybe you get it with other electric vehicle owners, but not with Tesla.

'It's much better to drive a Tesla.

It's 45p per kilowatt - or between 12 and 4am it could be as low as 20p. It's pretty cheap. 'But the other ones [charging points] are about 80p per kilowatt.'

However, Inderjeet Singh - a car parking attendant working at the service station - still believes the infrastructure to support electric cars is not yet present in the UK.

The 39-year-old says he has never seen the Tesla spots packed, but says some of the other charging points often don't work.

'I wouldn't get an electric car,' the father-of-four, who lives in Grays, said.

'I will stick to petrol. It's not just the infrastructure… You pay all that money and you could get a petrol car with a good bang to it for the same price.

'I was watching Panorama a few weeks ago and it said we need another 10 or 15 years to get the infrastructure here. 'Germany is ready and China is ready, but the UK is not even there yet.'

Many electric car drivers said the north of the country is far worse in terms of infrastructure, and one driver claimed there was only one charging point between Wales and Birmingham on the M50 - a stretch of around 77 miles.

Nigel, a 55-year-old father-oftwo who transports cars for a living said he hates transporting electric cars as he gets home later due to having to stop to charge up the vehicles.

He showed the dashboard of the green MINI electric car he was driving, which showed that at 92 per cent charge he had 115 miles in the tank.

'Because I have to charge the car I will be late picking up my next car and late getting home. 'The number of charging spaces are getting better. It's better than three years ago but there are still places where they need more.

'When I came back from Glasgow I waited two hours to put a car on charge for 40 minutes.

'It's worse in the north. Wales was ba-d but it's better now.'

Courtesy of Mail Online

The future is Green

The future is Colts

Don’t be a diesel dinosaur

TXE taxis to rent

We are still renting a limited amount of diesel taxis

TfL STITCH-UP

The consultation for next year’s tariff adjustment is about to go on-line at an expected date of Monday 9 October. However, at the time of writing this piece, nothing has been announced definitively.

The importance of you taking part cannot be overstressed. That’s not your organization or the cab driver sitting opposite you in the café; it’s YOU!

This year’s increase gave you no increase in pay at all, just covered your expenses. While everything you buy or rent – not just cab related –went up by an average 10%, you got absolutely zilch for a cost of living increase.

TfL are intending to try the same trick this year. They will offer 4 options for the adjustment, as follows:

1/ An increase of 5.2% across rates 1,2 &3;

2/ An increase of 3.72%, across rates 1, 2 & 3;

3/ An increase of 8.92%, across rates 1, 2 & 3;

4/ No increase at all.

Let me explain the first 3 options.

Option 1 only covers the increases you have seen in the cost of running a cab. These run a year behind so they actually cover costs up to May23, which you will not be compensated for until April 2024, if at all.

Option 2 only covers a cost of living increase and takes no account of your increased costs of running a cab.

Option 3 covers your increases in running the cab plus a cost of living increase in your pay/profit in line with the national (not London) average. This is the fair option that just maintains your current income in real terms.

What’s worse is that TfL are deliberately misleading the public because the way they word these options makes it unclear to the public that Option 1 and 2 actually means a decrease in takehome pay by masking this with wording such as “increase in national earnings” rather than specifying this as what it isincreased labour cost.

Even the TfL Financial Committee who make the final decision on which option is implemented didn’t understand at the last tariff adjustment why the “average

Walker on the March...

driver support even if those drivers haven’t specifically been asked the question.

WHISPERS, RUMOURS AND LIES

Somewhere the rumour started that the club want to get rid of the CoF (Conditions of Fitness).

Total ballcocks!

What has actually been suggested is that if the turning circle requirement and also that requiring the wheelchair ramp to allow side entry to the vehicle were to be dropped, this would allow a range of vehicles to be used as taxis in London as they are elsewhere in the country. There are some in the trade who claim the savings generated by this would be insignificant. However, there is a suitable electric Ford that has a cost price around £10,250 cheaper than the TXe. That would also reduceinterest costs on a lease – purchase of about another £3,500 and a lower balloon payment of another £3,500. OK, out of this would be the cost of putting a partition in.

national earnings” element should be included and those presenting the consultation results were unable to explain clearly; it required a private meeting to do so. So, how are the public meant to understand this wording?

So, it’s up to YOU. TfL are trying to push option 2 but YOU can stop them by responding to the consultation. If all cab drivers respond and support Option 3, then this option would be overwhelmingly choice.

WHY TfL ARE TRYING TO CUT THE TARIFF INCREASE SHORT?

They have made a mess and they want you and me to pay for it. They just keep on loading cost after cost onto us, while allowing PH to run wild and free.

Forcing us to not only accept card payments but to use a small and select number of suppliers increased our costs.

Reducing the age limit to 12 years added about 20% to the cost of the fleet. The

electric cab put a 40% increase on the price of a new cab.

All these costs were added to the tariff with gay abandon while general inflation only pushed the fares up by about 3% a year. Now, these increases are at or near double-figures, they have gone all squeaky-bum about the possible political outcome so they are loading the cost of this mismanagement onto cab drivers rather than have passengers complaining. Why not reduce the costs instead?

BLACK-ONLY CABS

The Club have been banging on for years about the benefits of an all – black coloured fleet. In the same vein, it has questioned, like most of us, the lack of vehicle choice that contributes towards the high cost of the vehicle we drive..

Outside of the Club there has been little trade support for this. None of the other trade organizations have backed this nor has there been much obvious support from drivers. It makes such obvious sense though to

have fleet of a single colour with a range of vehicles.

The “London Black Cab” enjoys a world-wide, renowned reputation. Why wouldn’t we want to enhance the visibility of our brand by actually returning to being a black cab? Why wouldn’t we want to make ourselves more instantly recognizable than we already are?

Businesses and retailers spend squillions on creating recognizable brands, while we object to doing the same and deliberately dilute our brand.

The main objection from drivers appears to be taking away their freedom to choose the colour of their cab. This would be understandable if this was a private car but it’s not; it’s your office, shop, place of business. Most of us wouldn’t paint our house a bright red but we might put a bright red facia on the front of a shop.

The kicker is that with a black-only fleet we could possibly have a much greater range of vehicles without any loss of identity

Well, it seems that finally we may be getting some

This may not sound much if you’re sitting in an office but a cost reduction equivalent to an average £60 per week over 5 years would seem significant to somebody sitting in the driver seat.

SURVEY

Anyway, these rumours appear to have instigated a survey by the LTDA to their members. The results seem to back up the Club.

The LTDA membership overwhelmingly opted for keeping the partition; so does the Club.

The same went for wanting to have a vehicle that “looks like an iconic London Cab”. Cor blimey guv, that’s exactly why we need all new cabs to be black. About the only place we differ is on the turning circle. Nobody doubts the usefulness of the turinng circle.

However, if losing it means paying about 20% less for a vehicle in addition to increasing the fuel efficiency from the paltry 70 miles on the TXe to 280 miles, maybe the turning circle isn’t that important

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

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The thoughts of General Johnson

mainly people with disabilities, women, or those with caring responsibilities.

It has become abundantly clear that TfL’s punitive taxi policies are driving London’s self-employed taxi drivers to the wall while protecting the commercial interests of every single commercial competitor of the taxi driver.

As previously reported in the Badge: TfL is allowing Uber to continue to operate even though they are not complying with the Supreme Court statement which requires that minicab drivers are paid for all of the time the app is switched on and the driver is available; TfL is allowing this commercial business to keep private hire fares artificially low which sucks trade out of the taxi trade.

As reported by Taxi-Point: ”concerns loom as discussions regarding the future of the Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) have not been publicly disclosed since its extension till the financial year 2023/24. If the grant is not renewed past April 2024, the reverberating impact on the taxi market could be significant. Taxi drivers would be burdened with finding or funding an additional £7,500 to purchase or lease a new electric taxi. This would create a financial hurdle for many drivers who would no longer have access to the grant's assistance.” Put simply, the LEVC taxi which is the only taxi that TfL licence from new, and which TfL accepts costs £100,000 with finance and will cost approximately £111,000 (with finance) from April 2024 if the PiTG grant is not renewed. Therefore, it must be music to the ears of TfL and the commercial interests they appear to protect when the LTDA arrive on the scene. The LTDA’s Members Vehicle Survey supports TfL’s current conditions of fitness policy (“CoF”) which restricts taxi manufacturers from arguably being able to bring a more affordable WAV EV taxi to the market if the tight turning circle requirement was an optional extra, rather than being a mandatory requirement.

Not only does the LTDA fail to grasp that a monopoly in any market distorts the price (and not in the favour of the buyer), but the LTDA’s lack of understanding of the judgment

in Johnson -v- TfL, which identifies that disabled taxi drivers who can only work on a part-time basis are ‘substantially disadvantaged’ by TfL’s current CoF policy.

This leads me on to handheld payment devices which are fixed into the back of taxis. In most cases, the fixed payment terminals operate at a higher commission rate than the

the disabled wheelchair user who is strapped in – how does poor old mum with mobility problems get over to the back seats where the fixed payment terminal is located and tap to pay with her credit card?

I guess the taxi driver has two options (because the driver must comply with their responsibilities under section 164 &165 of the Equality Act 2010, irrespective of TfL’s rules to protect big business).

The first option for the driver is to make a grab for mum and dump her on the back seat near the fixed terminal so that she can pay the fare.

The other option is to gently pass the handheld terminal through the driver’s payment hatch, so that mum can pay the taxi fare with dignity and the minimum amount of fuss. I’d suggest that both of these options provide the ‘mobility assistance’ which the Equality Act requires, although, I fear that poor old mum might not be appreciative of being dumped on the back seat, I also don’t know if she’d think it is reasonable to be manhandled in such a way – we’ll leave that for TfL to provide guidance on the issue.

Arguably, I could write to TfL, or the bus company, to obtain a receipt, but that is not the point, is it?

TfL have mandated that all taxi drivers must supply a printed receipt to a taxi passenger when one is requested, so this raises an important question; why is TfL seeking to cut the operating costs of the commercial bus operators, while levying taxi drivers (and the taxi trade) with the high costs of purchasing receipt printers and printer rolls? Is it not the case that if bus operators do not have to provide printed receipts, then taxi drivers should not need to either?

Conversely, if taxi drivers must provide printed receipts, then bus operators must be forced to do the same by TfL – what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, is it not?

This ‘substantial disadvantage’ extends to taxi drivers who provide care for someone with a disability and who can only work on a part-time basis, and arguably disadvantages women who predominately bear the brunt of childcare (sex discrimination) – this could be the reason we only have 432 female taxi drivers in London. Basically, if you are providing care for your poor old disabled mum, you are what the Equality Act calls an ‘associate’ of a disabled person, and you are afforded protections under the equality law . However, it seems that some of the taxi trade representative groups are saying that if you are caring for poor old mum and cannot afford the excessively high cost of the LEVC taxi because you can only work on a part-time basis, then you have no place in the cab trade. Nice, eh?

TfL must be loving this approach from some of the trade leaders, because it makes it so much easier for them to defend the commercial interests of big business when the trade representatives are into self-harm and the discrimination of a certain cohort of their membership,

handheld devices – what you see by TfL mandating fixed payment terminals in the back of taxis is higher costs for taxi drivers and the further support for the commercial interests of big business. However, it looks like TfL’s refusal to authorise taxi drivers with permission to use a handheld device to accept payment is competing against section 164A(5)(e) of the Equality Act 2010 (repeated at s.165(4)(e)) and therefore, it is questionable whether TfL’s policy is ultra vires (beyond their power).

Section 164A(5)(e) states: Disabled passengers: The duties [of drivers] are…to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required. There is no definition of ‘mobility assistance’ in the Oxford English Dictionary; however, there are definitions of ‘mobility’ and ‘assistance’ individually and their meanings are obvious. Back to poor old mum who is disabled and can only use the ‘swivel seat’ located at the front of the passenger cabin (near the driver’s payment hatch), or

In short, when TfL appear to defend the commercial interests of big business over the interests of the disabled, women or carers who they licence, it shows further evidence that TfL are, it could be argued, abusing their dominant position, or in the alternative, they are just simply hopeless and unconcerned about harming the most vulnerable workers (the Equality Act 2010 does not just grant protections for taxi passengers, it provides equal protections for taxi drivers, which TfL is ignoring).

And finally…

After dropping my cab off for its MOT, I decided to get the bus home. On a tight budget, the bus seemed the best option. After tapping my credit card on the card reader to pay the fare, I stood there waiting for the receipt to pop out (clearly the bus receipt is associated with work and therefore a taxdeductible expense) – no receipt was forthcoming; so, I asked the driver if I could have a receipt for the fare; he replied:

“No, TfL does not provide bus receipts anymore, they have done away with them to save on costs.”

The Bishopsgate Judgment clarified that both buses and taxis are public transport and both buses and taxis are clearly under the control of TfL. It can be argued that because TfL has its fingers in both pies then they can burden the weaker taxi trade with disproportionate cost burdens (i.e., printed receipts) knowing full well those parttime drivers with disabilities, or those with caring responsibilities will just leave the trade because they cannot afford to meet the high running costs to work as a taxi driver. With fewer available taxis, the choice for the passenger is a bus, tube, or a minicab, all of which TfL obtain a far greater revenue from.

TfL argue that taxis have to be less polluting to save the planet (which I am sure we all want to support); but to mandate a requirement that taxi drivers must print paper receipts seems not to be very environmentally friendly when a digital email receipt is what every other industry provides to reduce their carbon footprint – TfL’s environmental policy for taxi drivers seems to be linked to how they can benefit the commercial interests of big business at the expense of taxi drivers.

You can see the weekly decline in taxi driver numbers, this is not a coincidence - this is the destruction of the taxi trade by TfL policies, whilst they maximise their revenue - and in doing so assist the profits of big business.

What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

Greetings Cabbies, Caught a cab to The Tate Modern this week for the BBC Radio London Make a Difference Awards.

He asked me if Danny Baler or Danny Kelly still worked there, which means he hasn’t listened for at least a decade.

In other Transport, I’m sat down on the tube and become very aware that a woman is standing close, infact closer to me than Mrs Nestor ever stands. I can feel her moving from side to side and her energy just doesn’t feel right.

Anyway I eventually look up and there is a woman in her thirties dramatically fanning herself.

When I looked down again I could see her purse literally hanging out of her bag. So I pointed out that the

purse was hanging out and she shouted “I know, I can see it”

With hindsight, I should have left it but I couldn’t.

I tried to explain that the Central line was one of the lines where…… “I don’t know what your problem is, I told you I can see it” she shouted. With that she turned around and gave me her back. I felt like crap. Ever tried to help a situation and wished you’d just minded your own business?

EDDIE NESTOR: handbags, footie fans and Mayoral hopes DON’T CATCH A COLD

Tottenham and Arsenal supporters are unbearable at the minute. They both think they are contenders. Call me a hater but I can’t wait for that reality stick to hit them upside the head. I think they’ll be back down in the New Year, just like the Christmas decorations.

Had Susan Hall on the show recently. She is the Tory Mayoral Candidate and the only person who stands a realistic chance of beating Sadiq. She absolutely hates the idea of Ulez and wants to turn the election into a referendum. Short of policy ideas at the moment, I’m wondering if that will be enough. What do you think?

UBER ORDERED TO PAY NEARLY 850,000 EUROS TO TAXIS FOR UNFAIR COMPETITION

The Paris Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered Uber France to compensate 149 taxi drivers nearly 850,000 euros in total, facing acts of “unfair competition” linked to the activity of its former Uberpop offer.

The UberPop offer, which the American company had developed in France between February 2014 and July 2015, made it possible to connect customers with individuals behind the wheel of their personal vehicle. The latter could thus carry out “an additional paid activity” without having to “comply with the regulations then in force for the private transport of people for a fee”, recalled the court of appeal in a press release.

“The Court held that the UberPop offer, through the Uber mobile application (…), characterized acts of unfair competition with regard to taxi drivers who themselves respected the regulations for the same activity,” is indicated in the press release. The “commercial disruption caused by the illicit UberPop service resulted in a breach of equality between competitors (…) allowing the Uber group (…) to build its economic development model from an illicit competitive advantage by

freeing from regulation,” detailed the court of appeal.

In its ruling, which AFP was able to consult, the court thus condemns Uber France to pay each of the 149 plaintiffs 1,500 euros in damages for their moral damage, compared to 500 euros at first instance in November 2021. While they had obtained nothing at first instance for their economic damage, the 149 taxis will also be compensated in this respect on a case-by-case basis for amounts ranging

from around 1,400 euros to more than 16,000 euros.

“This is the first time that the damage caused by taxis has been fully compensated in a case”, with justice usually being content to compensate only moral damage, the plaintiffs’ lawyer Jonathan told AFP. Bellaiche, putting the total amount of compensation at “almost 850,000 euros”.

“Against a giant like Uber, we must not give up,” insists the lawyer, who believes that

the platform has put in place numerous legal strategies “so that people give up”, dragging out a procedure started in 2017. The 149 taxis “didn’t believe it anymore,” said Mr. Bellaiche, but they “are today happy and grateful to justice.”

“This case concerns the UberPop service, which was suspended in France in 2015. Today, the application allows several tens of thousands of professional VTC drivers”, who take the

same exam as taxi drivers, “to carry out their activity,” responded an Uber spokesperson.

In a press release, the company insisted that the compensation ordered by the Court of Appeal was “significantly lower” than what the taxis initially claimed.

But above all, she emphasizes that this affair relates to another era in its relationship with taxis: “today, Uber also operates its services with taxis,” she states in her press release, claiming 2,500 professionals “brought together at within the Uber Taxi option”, to “supplement their income” by spending “less time looking for passengers”.

In September 2021, another civil conviction forced Uber to compensate more than 900 taxi drivers to the tune of 200 euros each. The UberPop offer was active until the day after the placement in police custody of two Uber France executives. They were convicted in January 2022, as well as Uber France, for deceptive commercial practice and complicity in the illegal exercise of the taxi activity.

Courtesy of euro.dayfr.com

AS AN L.C.D.C MEMBER YOU WILL RECEIVE:

n 24 HOUR DUTY SOLICITOR EXCLUSIVE TO THE CAB TRADE

Your 24 Hr duty solicitor hotline membership card. Peace of mind 24 hrs of the day.

n LEGAL COVER

Our fantastic team of City Of London based solicitors and barristers, experts in Hackney Carriage and road traffic law.

n COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

As a member of the LCDC, we will deal with any complaint that has been made against you by members of the public.

Also we will attend the LTPH with you on any personal appeals that would affect your licence.

n HEATHROW AIRPORT REPRESENTATION

With our reps at the airport working

hard on the trade’s behalf for a fairer, and more safer future at Heathrow.

n RANKS AND HIGHWAYS

The LCDC attend the Joint Ranks committee, working hard for more ranks and more access for the taxi trade in London.

n CAB TRADE ADVICE

All members can call the office for any information or up to the date news on any trade related subject.

n TRADE’S FUTURE

The Club worked tirelessly in bringing in the green & yellow identifiers to the taxi trade. And are always working hard to protect our future.

n CAB TRADE REPRESENTATION

We are working hard to work with members of the GLA and also politicians to fight our corner against TFL and was a major influence in the recent “ future proof” document.

n VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS

The Club works alongside LTC and Mercedes to deliver a vehicle that meets

our standard as a London taxi driver. Recently we have held meetings to work against the ULEZ strategy and the introduction of taxi age limits.

n CLUB PROTECTA

To help drivers who have acquired twelve points keep their licence.

Calling all golf loving cabbies...

Sudbury Golf Club, in North West London is a classic Harry Colt designed course with rolling, tree‐lined fairways and slick, smooth pulpit greens ‐ and just twenty minutes’ drive from central London

OFFER FOR CAB DRIVERS

The offer is for a member’s guest rateMon-Friday on production of valid taxi driver photo ID. You can book online or through the Pro shop. If you book online you will be charged the higher price and the difference will be refunded on production of your ID in the Pro shop when playing.

TfL have again posted warnings to drivers on their Twitter(X) account:

“All taxi drivers must accept card & contactless payments via an approved TfL card payment device that is fixed in the passenger compartment & provide printed receipts upon request. Handheld devices are not approved and do not meet licensing requirements.”

Many drivers have posted on social media that they can use whatever device they like and also say "there is nothing in legislation stopping them." This is incorrect, the legislation is there and clear.

In 2015/16, as a member of the group Save Black Taxis, we campaigned against the introduction of the mandate, and even went to court to stop the machines being installed in the rear compartment on the grounds of driver safety… but we were shot down on many occasions by drivers calling us “Luddites”… these drivers said a mandate would be the way forward, and would put more bums on seats…yet most of the drivers who gave us stick, are the very same ones now saying that they can use what ever they like.

The mandate states: Under the conditions of fitness of a Taxi vehicle, all Taxis must have an approved payment system fitted in the rear compartment, and the ability to produce a printed receipt should the passenger require one.

But that’s not where it ends…there’s more:

An amendment to the

GREATER LONDON

AUTHORITY ACT 1999 titled The London Cab Order was made by Leon Daniel 31 March 2016:

(1) The following is added after article 31 of the Principal Order.

31A Debit and Credit Card Acceptance

(1)Every cab-driver's licence shall be granted subject to a condition that, if so requested by a passenger, the licensee shall accept payment by credit or debit card using a payment device approved by Transport

for London. Signed by authority of Transport for London Leon Daniels, Managing Director, Surface Transport 31 MAR 2016.

Going back to TfL's Twitter(X) post they proclaim: Handheld devices are not approved and do not meet licensing requirements.

This statement prompts the question WHY?

These amendments were (at the time) supported by the majority of the trade's drivers as well as the trade's representative orgs and unions.

But now after realising the true cost of authorised systems, with charges that can’t be passed on to the passenger, many drivers are using unauthorised hand held systems….no good complaining now as you were warned what was about to happen back in 2016.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:

One of the biggest problems concerning rear mounted

systems has been completely disregarded by TfL, and that’s driver safety.

Imagine it’s night and you have a couple of unsavoury characters, dropping off in a dark side street.

"Your machine's not working mate, I don’t know what’s going wrong….can you come round and show me if I’m doing it wrong?"

We’ve also recently seen certain systems going down and being off line for days. Under TfL rules if your machine is not working, you can’t work until it’s fixed.

Just what is TfL’s big problem with handheld back up machined?

They’ve never explained!

We’ve put this to them on numerous occasions and as usual, had no reply whatsoever.

TfL should have allowed back up machines from day one. They have never explained fully the reason why we can’t use them!

Along with my colleagues in the Save Black Taxis group,

we tried pointing out the pitfalls, especially when it comes to the safety of female drivers….but no one at TPH seemed interested.

The trade has sleepwalked into a position of decline that it now finds itself. Street access cut, certain bus lane restrictions, lower speed limits, virtually no enforcement of Taxi only chargers and Taxi ranks, kerbside Taxi ranks removed to make way for unused cycle lanes…yet apart from the odd Tweet or Facebook post, virtually no protest from the trade.

Nothing new though, the protests of 2917/18 were on the whole poorly attended, with the age old excuses coming from drivers who carried on working…it’s too busy, it’s too early, it’s too late, it’s in the wrong place...

We now find ourselves in a position with virtually no new blood filling our ranks, as numbers fall dramatically. Could it be that TfL have over the years, purposely held back knowledge students…instead promoting

the expansion of Private Hire?

The trade have seen their ranks shrink from 25,538 licensed Taxi drivers in 2014, cut by nearly a third to 17,868 today. That's 16,005 all London drivers and 1,895 suburban drivers. While private hire have soared by 100% to 106,474 drivers.

TfL’s bias against the Taxi trade is quite apparent, as there is no legislation restricting Private Hire drivers from using any credit/debit card system in their car…authorised or not?

With London businesses bought to its knees, shops closing down en masse, fewer visitors coming to town I was amazed to see that the number of Transport for London staff paid a six-figure salary has risen by 28 per cent in the last year alone. It was revealed in the Evening Standard, that 766 employees earned more than £100,000 in 2022/23, compared with 597 in 2021/22.

Is TfL, totally failing London?

ENSO CREATES TYRES SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT ARE MORE SUSTAINABLE AND REDUCE HARMFUL TYRE POLLUTION, LEADING TO CLEANER AIR FOR EVERYONE

The Earthshot Prize - 2023 Finalist

Tyres keep the world moving, but they come with an environmental cost. Their constant friction on roads releases harmful particulate matter, which results in invisible air pollution that’s especially dangerous in cities. Enter ENSO, a more sustainable tyre company gaining international traction.

With 1.5 billion vehicles on the road across the globe, the impact of tyres on air pollution is staggering. Globally, tyres emit six million tonnes of pollution

each year and more airborne particulate matter than all tailpipes combined. In London for example, 2.6 million vehicles emit an astonishing 9,000 tonnes of tyre dust each year. These micro-pollutants, when inhaled, increase the risk of health conditions like heart disease, asthma and other ailments.

The world needs electric vehicles. They help combat climate change and eliminate harmful tailpipe pollution. But all vehicles, including electric ones, run on tyres that wear down and generate air pollution.

ENSO’S SOLUTION

ENSO – which means “circle” in Japanese – was founded by entrepreneur Gunnlaugur Erlendsson to solve this very problem. ENSO is on a mission to deliver better tyres for electric vehicles, combining innovation with a disruptive business model to make its low-emission tyres accessible to all.

In contrast to conventional tyres, ENSO’s tyres are precisely calibrated to enhance durability and reduce particulate pollution by 35%. And while most

tyres are also inefficient, which can limit the range of electric vehicles, ENSO’s tyres are specifically designed to increase range by 10%.

THEIR IMPACT

ENSO is the only tyre company in the world that is a Certified BCorporation, a strong recognition of its commitment to environmental, social, and governance standards. Advancing tyre innovation is at the heart of ENSO’s mission. Its ultra- efficient tyres extend vehicle range,

reducing carbon emissions, energy use and costs, while their durable compounds tackle a major source of air and microplastic pollution.

ENSO’s tyres are already rolling in London on iconic black cabs and electric delivery fleets, and they have plans to expand to North America next year. Eager to amplify their impact, ENSO aims to manufacture over one million low-emission tyres annually by 2026.

ENSO proves it is possible to reinvent the wheel to make our air cleaner for all.

“We urgently need to talk about tyres and how they pollute our air. Tyre pollution is a pressing problem for all vehicles, including electric vehicles, so while we can’t make a tyre last forever, we can make them last a lot longer and pollute a lot less. ENSO’s technology, values, and scalable business model help to Clean our Air, paving the way for a better future for us all. By doubling tyre durability, we can halve tyre pollution— it’s as simple as that. Thank you to The Earthshot Prize for highlighting the impact of tyre pollution and recognising our efforts to help us all live and breathe a bit easier.”

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, Founder and CEO of ENSO

London taxi drivers take veterans to the Netherlands

On 14 September, four London cab drivers who volunteer for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans travelled to the Netherlands for the annual Operation Market Garden Commemorations

Every year the anniversary of Operation Market Garden, which took place between the 17 and 27 September 1944, is commemorated with a series of events in the Arnhem area. The Taxi Charity took veterans Don Turrell, Mervyn Kersh, Les Hammond, Tom Schaffer and John Pinkerton to the Netherlands for a long weekend to remember those who didn’t return.

On Friday 15 September cab drivers

Dean Euesden, Colin Mills, Paul Cook and Peter Carey took a group of veterans to a memorial service in the Bear Pit located near the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem. On Saturday they attended a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to the Netherlands Joanna Roper CMG at the Hartenstein Museum, attended Ginkel Heath to watch the spectacle of hundreds of paratroopers dropping on to the landing zone that was used in 1944 and visited a very realistic re-enactment of a field hospital.

On Sunday 17 September, the group attended the memorial service at the Arnhem Oosterbeek cemetery, more commonly known as the Airborne Cemetery, where those killed in the Battle of Arnhem are buried. At this moving service local school children place a flower on each headstone and then after the service queued to shake hands with the veterans and thank them for their freedom. The trip was rounded off with a meal on Sunday night in the Schoonoord restaurant which during the

Battle of Arnhem was equipped as an emergency field hospital by the 1st Airborne division.

Dean Euesden, London cab driver and volunteer for the Taxi Charity said, “We had an excellent weekend in the

Netherlands. The hospitality we received was top class, the weather was amazing, the events were very moving and the warmth our veterans receive is just unbelievable. There were many highlights over the weekend but I think seeing Tom and John’s faces when they

were asked if they wanted to fly over Ginkel Heath in a Dakota and seeing the children who had just laid flowers in the cemetery flock to thank the veterans for their freedom are memories I’ll never forget. I’m very lucky to be part of this charity and meet such a wide range of amazing people.”

Frans Ammerlaan, Taxi Charity Ambassador and Treasurer of the Market Garden Foundation said, “For many years the Market Garden Foundation has been organising the Dutch side of Taxi Charity trips to the Netherlands and a warm bond of friendship has been built with locals, host families and authorities. The veterans are always shown enormous love by the Dutch people who also now understand and greatly appreciate the role the cab drivers play in bringing the veterans over.”

To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers to veterans or to donate visit www.taxicharity.org

Veterans And Cab Drivers Take To The Race Track

On 29 September ten London cab drivers who volunteer for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans took fifteen veterans to Goodwood to participate in a Mission Motorsport event.

The event at Goodwood was hosted by Mission Motorsport and gave veterans the opportunity to sit in the passenger seat and race around the track at speeds of up to 150 mph in a range of sports cars including, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, and Aston Martin.

Mission Motorsport launched in March 2012 to help those affected by military operations by engagement through sport and the Taxi Charity was delighted when they were invited to bring veterans to their

race track event at Goodwood in West Sussex.

Among the veterans attending the event with the Taxi Charity were six Chelsea Pensioners who were picked up from the Royal Hospital Chelsea and driven to Goodwood in three iconic London taxis.

One of the Chelsea Pensioners Korean veteran Mike Smith said, “What a couple

of weeks I have had. On 12 September the Taxi Charity took me to an event at Biggin Hill and I got to fly in a Spitfire and then today I have been whizzed around the race track at high speeds and had great fun on the skid pan. What a wonderful treat and I am extremely grateful to the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans for making it all happen. An unforgettable two weeks.”

Frances Wyhowska, Ambassador, Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said, “Mission Motorsport gave our veterans and drivers a marvellous day at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Everyone was given the opportunity to experience laps in sleek supercars at speeds of up to 150mph and the Chelsea Pensioners couldn’t be drawn away….until that is they discovered the skid pan!

“Our volunteer drivers even got the chance to do three laps of the track in their cabs, albeit at a slightly more sedate pace. The kindness of everyone at Mission Motorsport was outstanding and the smiles on the faces of our veterans and drivers said it all.”

HAL Taxi Trade Liaison Meeting

6th September 2023 Compass Centre and with Teams 14:00 – 15:30

Summary of Discussion

The minutes from the last meeting were reviewed.

Terminal Drop Off Charge

Tom Prowse of HAL

Provided a Terminal Drop Off Charge update. New mitigations are being put in place to try and resolve all issue with black cab drivers inadvertently getting PCN’s. Taxi trade Reps provided examples of PCN’s and problems to HAL.

Tom said Terminal Drop Off Charge: Issue at T3 with exemptions for TDOC have been identified and should now resolve the issue with PCN’s at T3, trade to provide feedback to HAL on this issue.

Taxi Reps disagreed and said issues with PCNs and complaints procedure still ongoing.

Sean Taylor (APCOA) said he believes Atkins are looking into an issue with the cameras and that APCOA Head Office are working on a new solution to capturing VRNs from TDOC. This will not help with T3 camera issue, but will improve the process for interterminal trips.

EV Charging:

Brian ‘Noodles’ Nayar (LCDC) raised issues of communication breakdown in reporting process of charger faults. HAL said they would discuss with Engineering but said that as far as they were aware, there isn’t an SLA with Swarco. Heathrow’s Engineering side said they are following the correct reporting process.

Engineering said they would raise this with Swarco as it is an issue on Swarco’s end. However, it was reported to HAL that SWARCO’s Engineer said that the problem belongs to

Airport matters

by Mark White

Heathrow who will not pay for the new parts that need replacing.

Replacement/New Tags:

30 tags issued in August. This is still an ongoing issue.

Taxi Wardens:

Suzanne Sullivan of the Wardens said she is trying to recruit some more weekend drivers, as no wardens on weekend. Unions have agreed to extend into weekend. 4 new wardens for weekends. Body cams have been asked for. HAL are going to investigate the feasibility of this.

TFP Prayer Room:

Ongoing, survey works have been completed, still being scoped. Confirmed multifaith prayer room.

The Sofitel Hotel:

The Hotel has increased the drop off charge for drivers dropping off at the Hotel to £9, unless validated by their Concierge. Taxi drivers cannot charge the Hotel drop off fee but do not have to drop at the Hotel. A safe and secure drop off is available at Terminal 5

Departures where passengers can access the Hotel via the walkway on Level 1. If the Terminal Drop

Off Fee is applicable (not between Heathrow Terminals) passengers can take it up with the management of the Sofitel.

Taxi desk in Arrivals

area:

Update from Caroline Brace – “In order to put a contract in place for occupancy of a desk in the terminals, there needs to be a ‘single body’ or organisation who can legally sign for this. The action now sits with the taxi trade to identify a body/organisation to do this.”

AOB:

Meeting and site visit to be organised to discuss logistics and opinions for EV Charging. There were Follow up meetings in June/July 2023. Brian Nayar is leading and has updated the taxi trade - this is still on going.

Rubbish:

Please use bins in the TFP and do not feed the wildlife as this can cause a hazard for aircraft. Drivers could lose their Tags if reported.

Canteen

Fire door issues were reported.

Property/Commercial to discuss. Issues raised again of one of the fire doors

being locked. HAL asked for pictures of when this is found to be taking place.

Toilets

Male facilities at TFP: Water issue still ongoing; to be raised with Facilities Inspector. Site visit to be arranged with engineering.

Speed signs:

Speed signs around airport but people not adhering. Often those coming out of HAL Staff car parks. HAL explained all information goes to Police; Police to be asked to do spot checks.

Touting - Police Update:

15 intel reports came in August. There were more patrols by the MET traffic teams at various terminals.

Entry Fee:

Trade Reps asked for Current breakdown of cost (like Colin Fox and Dan Q) used to send out. This will be brought up at the ORC (Other Regulated Costs)meeting the trade are having in November.

Ranks

Taxi trade Reps were asked to remind their members that taxis are only to park in the ranks only and not in bus stops or on a live

roadway. There have been several instances of taxi’s parking in the colleague bus stops at T3, causing buses to unload and load passengers in a live roadway and also reports of abuse from taxi drivers when asked to move on. This practice needs to stop any driver found in this or any other area could be suspended from the TFP.

There were 100,000 movements through the Taxi Feeder Park in September, which is a new record.

Canteen Opening Hours

Trial:

There will be a trial of the canteen being open from 0530, starting from the 15th of June.

HAL Taxi and PH strategy:

A slide presentation of this agenda item was made by Heathrow Officers, Simi and Tim to provide taxi trade attendees an overview of the progress of the Heathrow Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Strategy. This included:

- Summary of consultation responses

- Draft proposals

- Feedback on draft proposals

HAL said the Heathrow Taxi and PHV Strategy aims to:

• Improve passenger and operator experience

• Support decarbonisation of Surface Access

• Minimise impacts of private hire on local communities

• Manage private hire mode share

Concerns / challenges:

• Inefficient process of assigning jobs to taxis on the ranks

• Inefficiency of TFP dispatching system

• Illegal touting

• Congestion

• Poor signage for passengers

• HAL promoting unfair competition

• TFP facilities need improving (including barriers)

• Taxi ranks need more enforcement & lane space

• APCOA queue management needs improvement

What can be done to improve issues:

• Faster dispatching process from TFP

• Remove Terminal Drop Off Charge

• Improve passenger signage & better located taxi ranks

• Use taxis more in times of disruption – it happens elsewhere in London

• Dedicated taxi desk in terminal arrivals (aid navigation & remove touts)

• Increase enforcement of illegal touting.

• There should be much higher standards for the PH industry

• Better real time information / live updates

TfL replied to the Consultation and HAL reported that they had said:

• Useful to see occupancy rates to show if there is the potential to increase occupancy, but aware of luggage, safety & group travel

• Advised of a recent consultation on a proposal for all taxis and PHVs to display signage with information on how passengers can make a complaint to TfL. Currently reviewing the responses to the consultation and considering whether to proceed with the proposal. TfL can’t handle all complaints, LAs may need to.

• TfL reviewing DfT standards & making improvements including help

tackle crime and improving passenger safety

Local Councils (LB Hillingdon, RBWM, LB Hounslow, Buckinghamshire CC, Spelthorne BC) were also said to have responded:

Their Key issues / concerns were:

better information to taxi drivers/operators about disruption and unexpected early arrivals

Consider how to provide better information to passengers at times of disruption

Operational

Improve taxi dispatch system with virtual queue

his father Charles. ‘Chas’ was a well known cab driver back in the Dial a Cab days and even stood for election to the Board. The LCDC would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Perry and his family at this time.

The Police from Aviation Policing, the Safer Neighbourhood Team and Cab Enforcement failed to respond to invites or turn

and in response to their replies, I had further discussions with Tim Wells and Simran Kullar regarding Taxis and PH at the Airport. The conversation at the Liaison meeting had been stopped when it became clear that HAL had, yet again, failed to distinguish between Taxis and Private Hire properly and identify where the problems lie.

Before the lockdowns, Taxi journeys had diminished and waiting times at the Taxi Feeder Park had increased significantly. Meanwhile, PH journeys had increased exponentially due to TfL’s failure to regulate Private Hire properly. Cheap rides to Airports had led to an explosion of PHV’s going to and from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City Airports.

HAL, having promised to split the data when identifying the growth of ‘Taxi’ journeys then lumped us all together and came up with an overarching strategy that not only blamed us but saw the solution as being a Taxi & PH car park near Terminal 4. The Taxi Trade Reps, collectively, said this was unacceptable.

Tim Wells and Simran Kullar have now told me that that is not happening and that HAL acknowledge that PH are the main problem at Heathrow and that they are seeking to implement a new PH Strategy. However, I have had to point out that:

• Empty vehicles, need to increase backfilling

• Rat running in local roads. What can be done to improve issues:

• Set of standards to be agreed and set. These should be communicated with drivers / code of conduct put in place.

Draft proposals

Infrastructure

Review welfare facilities at TFP, including multi faith prayer room. Enhance electric charging

Information

Review online information of taxi options Review online guidance for accessing taxi ranks Review wayfinding for taxi ranks

Live API for TFP queue length

Consider how to provide

Review maintenance of TFP facilities Review management of taxi ranks

Review TFP catering including healthier options

Review short trip designation (Local Journeys/Fair Fares).

Engagement / Other

Improve collaboration with both Taxi trade and TfL

Next meeting to take place: 8th November 2023.

Compliance Meeting

There was also a Compliance meeting at Unite House on the Bath Road this month. TfL’s Compliance Officers Dean and Carlo attended. We were told that Perry Kissin, who usually attends, was unable due to the passing of

up. However, Kap Jhuti, from HAL’s Landside did attend and, in doing so, acknowledged that Heathrow has a significant touting problem. An agreement for Information and data to be shared by TFL and Heathrow was promised and, hopefully, better collaboration between the two will see more action taken by the authorities at the Airport.

Heathrow Sustainable Transport Policy - Taxi and PH Strategy

During the Consultation on Heathrow’s Sustainable Transport, I put in a detailed response regarding their ‘Taxi and PH Strategy’. The LCDC received a response which was to my mind quite poor and I told Heathrow that.

Following these meetings,

a) it’s not helpful when the slide show is illustrated by pictures of taxis that are no longer in production or on the road and the logos of a Mini Cab company are used to represent the Taxi Trade Orgs, and

b) Heathrow’s official website has a link that takes customers who want to book a taxi to ‘We Know London’s page. I pointed out to them that this was actually illegal under the London Cab Acts.

Tim and Simi have promised to get back to me. In the meantime, I have sent them some more information by email. However, Heathrow Airport recognise that the problems are exacerbated by the lack of action by TFL and Government and that they are not being helped by the lack of enforcement by the authorities (both nationally and locally) who just kick the can down the road.

Fury: Ngannou bigger test than Usyk

Tyson Fury has claimed that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will pose a tougher test than Oleksandr Usyk.

The Briton, who holds the WBC heavyweight world title, had been criticised in boxing circles for taking on the exhibition match rather than fighting the IBF, WBO, IBO and WBC champion. However, a fight between Fury and Usyk is also now on the cards, for either December or January.

Speaking about the Ngannou fight Fury said: “Now I’m fighting Francis Ngannou, who’s stepping up to the plate. And I think he’s going to be a bit of a bigger, tougher challenge than these other guys. These other guys are just boxers; this guy’s more than that.”

Undefeated Fury will be an overwhelming favourite against the 6ft 4in tall, 20st fighter, whose narrative arc is extraordinary. From a small village in Cameroon, Ngannou worked in a sand quarry from the age of 10, later travelled on foot across the Sahara and then boarded a raft across the Strait of Gibraltar. The 36year-old ended up being homeless on the streets of Paris, before walking into a gym, which changed his life. The fight will be under normal boxing rules, 10 rounds and three judges will settle the fight if necessary.

When is the fight and at what time?

Fury and Ngannou will go toe to toe on Saturday, October 28.

The main event start time is yet to be announced, but it is expected to begin around 10/11pm (BST).

Who is on the undercard line-up?

Promoters have named an all-heavyweight undercard for fight night. The full line-up is as follows:

• Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou

• Fabio Wardley v David Adeley

• Joseph Parker v Simon Kean

• Arslanbek Makhmudov v Agron Smakici

• Moses Itauma v TBC

Where is it?

Fury will take on the former UFC heavyweight champion in a 10-round fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exact venue is yet to be confirmed.

How can I watch it in the UK?

The fight will be screened live on TNT Sports in the UK. It looks likely to be on PPV

and based on the recent Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford fight, that will cost UK viewers £19.95. The radio coverage will be on Talksport.

What are the boxers saying?

Fury says he wants the world to laugh at him if he loses a boxing match to former UFC champion Ngannou.

“If I lose to an MMA guy I’ll never be able to show my face in public again,” said the 35-year-old Briton. “It’s going to ridicule me – people will chuck it at me forever.

“If I get knocked out, then I want you all to laugh at me. That’s what I want, because I deserve it.”

Ngannou is being trained by Mike Tyson, a man Fury was named after. “Too bad for him, Mike Tyson loves me more than him,” said Ngannou.

“I have had these dreams since I was a kid to become a boxer,” he added. “It’s not just that I’m going to box, but I am going to box the guy on the mountain.

“Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen. But what I do know for sure is I am going to be out there

hunting for this guy’s head, to take it off.

“What will happen at the moment that guy hits the floor and doesn’t stand up?

“Will I be the best boxer in the world? If you take out the No 1, you are the No 1? I think so.”

Ngannou’s disclosed fees as the UFC champion were $600,000 (£463,000), but Fury said the CameroonianFrench fighter would pocket $10 million for this clash. What are the best of the odds?

• Tyson Fury 1/10

• Francis Ngannou 6/1

• Draw 12/1

One of this year’s highlights, for me anyway, was getting back to the cinema after all the lockdowns. I genuinely love going to the pictures and getting two hours or so away from the world.

Phone off and silence if you please.

One film in particular that was a joy to get back for was ‘Summer of Soul’ the documentary of the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, which if you’ve not seen it on the big screen, I implore you to get to, wherever you can find it.

Among the amazing array of talent on view during the film, it was great to see David Ruffin doing his thing and looking good up there. Seeing him, reminded me of the group that he had left not that long before the festival, namely of course, the marvellous Temptations.

‘The Temps’ formed from a couple of vocal groups who were battling it out regularly in and around the area of Detroit, Michigan in the mid to late 1950s. Founder members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams were raised in church together in Birmingham Alabama and were singing Doo Wop in a line up called The Cavaliers by their teenage years. Looking to break into the music business, they had left home and landed in Detroit, and were soon to become The Primes. A female version calling themselves The Primettes, would go on to do quite well. Step forward, The Supremes. Also landing in the Detroit area around that time, was the Texan youngster Otis Williams who sang in a group called The Siberians, alongside Elbridge ‘Al’ Bryant, who were then joined by Melvin Franklin as they underwent another name change this time to The El Domingoes. At best, they achieved local fame with small time record releases, but nothing more.

Then a certain Berry Gordy came calling and offered Otis a deal , subject to an audition, with his fledgling Motown Records. After more musical chairs, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, ‘Al’ Bryant, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams joined forces and became The Elgins when they performed in front of Gordy in March 1961. It was then that it came to everyone’s notice, The Elgins name was already in use, so they became The Temptations, releasing records on the Miracle label at first, before moving onto Gordy Records. With Eddie on lead vocals , they charted in 1962 with ‘(You’re My) Dream Come True’ but further success continued to evade them.

Tensions began to rise within the group, partly due to the lack

Summer of Soul is a joy

of success and Bryant left the group, after an altercation with Paul Williams.

As luck would have it, they had a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings, in David Ruffin, younger brother of Motown singer Jimmy. He was ready for the call, being already known to the group having sung with them previously. So, finally they now had the ‘classic five’ line up, complete with dance steps by Cholly Atkins, with assistance from Paul Williams. By April 1964 they also had a pop top 20 hit with ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do.’

Smokey Robinson admired the gruff vocal of Ruffin and delivered to the band ‘My Girl’ in the Autumn of the same year and that was a number one pop hit by March 1965. A string of great songs then followed, with the likes of ‘Its Growing’ ‘Get Ready’ ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ ‘ Beauty is Only Skin Deep ‘ I Know I’m Losing You ‘ ‘You’re my Everything’ and ‘I Wish it Would Rain.’

As many of you reading this now will know, there is some great footage of the band in their prime on YouTube, and it’s great reminding yourself from time to time, just how good they were. I also loved seeing, during the research for this, the ‘four headed microphone’ set up, designed I believe by Ruffin. You need to check that out if you’ve not seen it.

Off stage ego dramas were now becoming a regular thing, with the success having gone

to Ruffin’s head. He now travelled separately from the rest of the group and it is said he wanted a name change to David Ruffin and the Temptations. His heavy use of drugs were seen as a contributing factor to all this and when he started to miss band appointments, meetings, rehearsals and even gigs, the other group members joined forces and fired him from the line-up.

Ex Contours member Dennis Edwards got the replacement call. After a faltering start, with Ruffin doing his best to get back in the line-up , Edwards eventually settled in nicely and soon a collaboration with The Supremes resulted in ‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me’ becoming a huge hit.

Producer and writer Norman Whitfield gradually developed a new ‘heavier’ sound for the group around 1968/69 perhaps reflecting the era, with ‘Cloud Nine’ hitting big and picking up on the ‘psych-soul’ sound of the Sly and The Family Stone / Curtis Mayfield prevailing vibe. ‘Psychedelic Shack’ ‘Can’t Get Next to You’ and ‘Ball of Confusion’ are all fondly remembered from this period . The Temps also sung the original version of ‘War’ on their Psychedelic Shack’ album, which later of course, became a huge hit for Edwin Starr. There then followed a darker period. Paul Williams descended into alcoholism through the combination of ill

health – he suffered from sickle cell anaemia – and the bands constant work schedule, and he was gradually replaced by Richard Street. Eddie Kendrick was struggling with the new direction the group had taken and he had also raised financial concerns with the Motown management . This basically led to his leaving the line-up after Otis Williams and Melvyn Franklin took the side of Motown. He left on a high however, when his final single with the group, the string-laden ‘Just My Imagination’ became a massive hit.

Perhaps as a result, he moved on to a solo deal with the Tamla label. So, a much changed line up carried on, with Damon Harris taking the Kendricks spot and 1972 saw the mighty 12 minute ‘Papa Was a Rollin Stone’ drop onto turntables.

Sadly, Williams died aged 34 in 1973, from gunshot wounds, with his death deemed as suicide and, in truth, the glory years were over for the band in general. They left Motown for Atlantic and the resulting story, despite one or two bright spots, is one of failed reunions, sackings, new faces and ever more infighting.

As mentioned, they occasionally flickered brightly again, as with the Old Kent Road favourite of the 1980s, ‘Treat Her Like a Lady’ and Daryl Hall and John Oates inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, with the various past and

current members turning up and somehow getting on.

For the originals, the game was up however. David Ruffin died from a cocaine overdose in 1991 aged just 50. Eddie Kendricks died in 1992 from lung cancer aged just 52 and Melvyn Franklin died, also aged 52 in 1995.

Later, The Temptations received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2013, with the children of Ruffin, Williams, Franklin and Kendricks joining Otis Williams and Dennis Edwards in picking up the six Grammy’s.

In 2018, Dennis passed on aged 74. On a brighter note, that year also saw the Broadway premiere of the jukebox musical ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ which highlighted the career of The Temptations in word and song.

The last man standing through it all is Otis Williams, now the owner of the Temptation name. He announced recently, that The Temptations will record once the pandemic is over.

‘I wouldn’t change anything. God put us here for a reason, and we’re still here years later. The only thing I’m saddened by is that the four brothers who started this with me are no longer here. The Temptations music is so lasting that even when we are no longer here, it’ll still be loved.’

Hard to argue with that.

The Mumper of SE5

The history of London’s taxi rank phones

Welcome to this new feature by the Cockney Cabbies.

Cockney Cabbies is two London Taxi drivers who make videos about the city that we all work in and that many of us were born and bred, we make videos about London’s history, interesting facts, places to visit, places to eat and much more.

I would like to tell you a little bit of the history of London’s Taxi rank phones and one that was the inspiration for the first video that we ever made, way back before the pandemic cut out filming endeavours to zero (we have since picked the pace back up again).

Taxi Rank phones are telephones that were placed at the point of a Taxi Rank and the number distributed to residents and businesses in the area local to that particular rank, customers could call the rank and ask the point

driver to pick them up from and address locally. The history of cab rank

phones goes back to the year 1905 when the first 2 telephones were installed, this was obviously during the times of horse drawn cabs.

By 1939, 170 of London’s cab ranks had telephones and these telephones were used by customers to call a Taxi from the rank to where they wanted to be picked up, this was before the time of radio circuits, mobile phones, or apps!

The General Post Office (GPO) stated that because these phones were heavy duty outdoor type telephones, they were costing £18 per year to maintain, and they were no longer prepared to maintain them for free.

So, by 1953 there were only 150 rank phones left, and by 1957 that reduced to 120 and by 1967 there were only 50 rank phones left and over subsequent years many more of these Taxi rank phones were decommissioned until there

were only a few left working on the most popular ranks, and eventually there were no more working Taxi rank phones, or was there?

We made a video about the only Taxi Rank Telephone that still exists and is intact, the Portland Place Rank Phone, the telephone has not worked for many years but has never been removed but many drivers have reported the phone ringing late at night. But when they answer the phone what they hear scares the life out of them!

You can view the video by visiting our YouTube channel @cockneycabbies, please like, subscribe and hit the bell icon so that you are notified of any future videos that we make.

Please also follow us on our other Social Media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok all are @cockneycabbies.

or: 9 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AR