Head of Projects and Developments, Alan Matthews will depart from the PCO on 1st May 2009. Dave Stock, who is currently Head of Service Delivery, will then take responsibility for the delivery of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and inspection services. Ed Thompson, Taxi & Private Hire Director at the PCO announcing the news said: “The core services are delivered, under contract, by SGS United Kingdom Ltd. Since the contract came into effect in April 2004 this contract has been managed within the PCO by Alan Matthews as Head of Projects and Developments. However, as a result of planned organisational change within the PCO, Alan’s current post as Head of Projects and Developments will cease with effect from 30 April 2009. The PCO Contract Management Team, under the day-to-day responsibility of Ray Biggs, will now report into Dave Stock. This change will not affect the standard of service delivered to taxi and private hire licensees.”

Alan Matthews was closely involved with the transfer of taxi testing at Penton Street to the SGS centres.

Drivers are urged not to issue receipts that display advertisements that may cause offence to passengers as the PCO continues to receive complaints from passengers who have been issued with receipts that cause offence, particularly from female passengers who have been given receipts that advertise lap dancing clubs and other similar establishments.

The PCO is urging promoters to apply the same standards used for approving advertising on taxis and the reverse of printed taxi receipts, which at present do not extend to hand written receipts.

The PCO recognises that receipts are an effective method of advertising and has itself promoted causes through this medium. However, when issuing receipts drivers are reminded that the advertisement of some products or services may cause offence to passengers.

Dear Editor

After a number of years as Secretary of the LCDC and latterly as its legal representative, many will know me for the help and advice I have given with all manner of problems and difficulties including parking tickets, public complaints, police summonses and appeals against possible revocation or suspension of licence at the PCO.
I have felt that the time was ripe to move to new pastures. The trade needs a new voice and I believe that with the formation of the RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union) London taxi branch that progress can be made in the many areas of concern that face us. A new broom sweeps clean and this is a wonderful opportunity to ditch vested interests and the cult of personality and put driver first.
The current trade organisations have tried to face up to the various issues but have not projected a united front until recently with the Trafalgar Square demo. Ranks for private hire vehicles are only one of the issues and the trade needs to consider where it goes with the tariff and other working conditions and practises. The RMT has shown itself to be a strong voice in the representation of its members even if this has led to disruptive action. Our demo was itself a disruptive action and so far to date it appears that no further progress has been made.
For my own part I have joined the new organisation and I urge unaffiliated drivers and those seeking change to participate as well to create a Union where the taxi trade membership can create its own agenda with the resources of a Union with nearly 80’000 members throughout the UK to ensure the long term future of the cab trade in London.
Rest assured that the RMT will bring strong representation, legal cover and many other benefits to the working cab driver. The current recession is hitting the whole of the labour market. Therefore it is important that the whole issue of touting by private hire, penalty charge notices issued with malice by local councils are all addressed to protect our income and our livelihoods. The time has come for the trade to put its footdown. I believe that the RMT with sufficient support from drivers can be the new voice of the trade. For a membership application look out for the RMT man on the station ranks or call the membership help line on 0800 376 3706 and ask them to send you an application form. Tell them you’re a London Cabbie.

Stan Marut (Former Secretary and Legal Representative of the LCDC)

I read recently that TfL have applied to the High Court for a declaratory judgement regarding pedicabs.  This is because they are of the opinion that an earlier judgment that stated that pedicabs are stagecoaches was wrongly decided.  TfL are hoping that the decision will fall in their favour and that pedicabs will be declared as hackney carriages.  On this issue I have to agree with TfL; pedicabs are in fact hackney carriages.  Having been to and sat through the hearing when the judgement was made, I have always been confident that the judgement was wrong. It is quite plain that the pedicab does come within the scope and definition of a hackney carriage. The first case to come before the High Court was Simon Lane v Cambridge City Council. This is the man who wanted to operate them in Cambridge but ran into a problem with the council.  The council stated that his riders would have to undertake a ‘knowledge’ as the pedicabs were hackney carriages.  Simon Lane did not agree and the case went to the High Court and finished in the Court of Appeal.

The case came before The Vice Chancellor Sir Richard Scott, the second highest judge in the land.  His judgement was that the pedicab came within the scope and definition of a hackney carriage.  So TfL are correct to ask for a declaratory judgement on the grounds that the decision in the case involving the LTDA were wrong.  However, if the court does decide in favour of TfL what does that mean for the cab trade?   It opens up a can of worms as TfL want to licence the pedicab as a hackney carriage. 

We have to go to back to Cambridge, which stated that if pedicabs were to act as hackney carriages the riders would have to do the knowledge.  Will TfL then insist upon the same – for if they do not then why should cab drivers have to?   Further all licensed hackney carriages in London must conform to the Metropolitan Conditions of Fitness.  If TfL decides to allow them to operate as hackney carriages they will have to review the Conditions of Fitness.  The problem faced by TfL is how would they be able to have two different forms of hackney carriages operating under different rules?  If this were to be the case, then it would be most unfair on those drivers who have the purpose built cab.  Why should we have to pay £35K to ply for hire when pedicabs only cost about £4K?  Would the present licensed taxi trade be able to use an ordinary saloon car, which would cost a lot less to purchase?   Obviously this would cause a problem, as they would clash with the PHV vehicles.  We would then have the prospect of the Private Hire Trade then starting to demand the right to ply for hire if pedicabs are allowed to do so.

I have to agree with the LTDA who have campaigned against this form of transport for some time.  The only way that TfL can deal with this problem is to ban them from the streets of London, and save themselves a big headache.

PHV AND WHITCOMB ST

I have been informed that since the demo on the 5th February that the cars are no longer allowed to stand in Whitcomb St.  They now have to wait in the car park at the end of the street.  It seems to me that TfL have been looking at the case of Cogley v Sherwood 1958, at Heathrow Airport.   In this case it was decided that there was no plying for hire, as the cars were not on view to the public.   The most important issue with this case was that the public did not have access to where the cars were parked.  However, the car park in Whitcomb Street is different, as the public do have access, therefore the cars are plying for hire.  So where do the cars go from here?  I am convinced that TfL by allowing this situation is a preconceived plan to spread this around London.  As you know it has been going on in Kingston for the last four years.  A TfL official in the last Mayor’s administration told me that TfL were looking at allowing PHVs to ply for hire after 8pm. So it seems to me that he was right.  I have to ask what are the trade organisations going to do about it?

It’s all very well to have a demo but the situation will not change until a legal challenge is made.  The trade will only stop this nonsense when the trade take the initiative and invest some money in a court action, which I’m sure, will be successful.

By Alan Fleming

The TfL Board has approved a 3.4 per cent increase in London taxi fares to apply from Saturday 4 April 2009.

The change in taxi fares follows the taxi cost index, which has been used to guide taxi fare changes in recent years. This index reflects vehicle-operating costs in London. TfL estimate that operating costs have gone up by 3.7 per cent this year and the average earnings index has increased by 3.3 per cent.

There will be no change in the flag fall of £2:20, and the distance and time per meter unit will change to give the increase in average fares in all three tariffs.

The TfL Board approved the new taxi fares on Tuesday 10 February, following consultation by the Public Carriage Office with the taxi trade and other interested agencies. The TfL Board say they recognise the importance of keeping fare increases to a minimum in the present economic climate while maintaining the link between taxi fares and national average earnings and other costs.

The TfL Board also approved a 40p metered extra, which will be added to the fare if fuel prices reach 147.1p per litre between 4 April 2009 and 1 January 2010. This compares with the end-January price in London of 100.7p. The additional charge, if introduced will be added to the meter by the driver at the start of each trip.

The amount of the extra button is being reduced this year to 40p in order to lower the threshold and reduce the extra costs drivers will have to bear before these can be passed to passengers.

There are no changes to the fares for fixed fare sharing schemes.

Revised Licence Fees

Transport for London has set the following new fees with effect from 1 April 2009

Taxi application/inspection fee will increase from £107 to £111

Taxi annual licence fee stays at £53

The total cost to licence a taxi will be £164

There are no changes to taxi driver operator licence fees.