Once again, The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers (WCHCD) were delighted to be able to take part in the annual Pancake Races run in the Guildhall Yard, by kind permission of the Chief Commoner. Organised by the Worshipful Company of Poulters in association with The Cook & The Butler, the event is traditionally held on Shrove Tuesday, which is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, is customarily a time of fasting. Shrove Tuesday became Pancake Day because milk butter and eggs were often the foods given up for Lent.

Back in 2004, the Poulters began the City’s inter-livery pancake race. Then those taking part were Livery companies in some way associated with the making of pancakes. Now other Livery companies have joined the event, which sees the Livery Company Masters and their team’s race along the Guildhall Yard with a pancake in a pan. Each runner has to flip the pancake at least once without dropping it on the floor! Themed hats are worn making it even trickier to run. Unfortunately this year the Master of WCHCD, Andrew Overton was injured during a pre-race practice session and so Geoff Richards, a Past Master and taxi driver, agreed to run on Andrew’s behalf. Taxi drivers who are Freemen and Liverymen of the WCHCD racing included Carlos Oliveira, running in the “Mad Hatters” race; both he and Geoff were second in their respective semi finals. Ric Alford was running in the Liveryman’s race and Brenda Bartlett was in the Ladies Race. Each team has four competitors who compete for the Trophy – frying pans are awarded to the winner of each class final. The Gunmakers Company start each heat with the Clockmakers being responsible for the timing. The Fruiterers provide lemons for the pancakes whilst the Glovers provide the white gloves that are worn by each runner. Sadly WCHCD did not win in their heats this year, but are soon to start training for next years race.

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)

Based in London SE8, Ascott Cab Co has been providing London ’s cab trade with routine servicing and unscheduled repairs for many years as well as supplying great deals on pre-owned cabs and Digitax meters. The company is run by the Ascott family; many mature drivers will remember the days when Micky Ascott ran the garage in Druid Street. Micky is sadly missed but must still look down from above on the great display of his beloved Millwall Football Club memorabilia at the garage.  The family support for the football team continues and it is there that the Digitax meter change takes place once again this year. Now the Ascott garage has been appointed as an LTI Vehicles Service Dealer.

Trained staff and a fully equipped workshop and bodyshop ensure downtime is kept to a minimum and repair work is carried out to the highest possible standards.  On site, there is also insurance brokers, Quotax. “Taxi drivers in London can be confident that we work hard to offer them excellent service and support,” said a spokesman for Ascott Cab Co.  “We realise that time off the road means loss of earnings, so our priority has always been to get drivers back. Should any driver experience a problem, we look forward to welcoming and providing them with the added peace of mind that their taxi will soon be looking and feeling like new.”

Peter Rigden, General Manager of M&O London, said: “In continuing the support of the rapidly growing TX4 population in London, I am delighted to welcome Ascott Cab Co to the family of LTI Mann & Overton Service Dealers. Ascotts have an extremely high reputation for customer service in the London trade and we are keen to further develop and strengthen our business relationship with them.”

This brings the total number of official LTI service dealers in London up to six.

To find out more about the Ascott Cab Co. call 020 8692 1122 or visit www.ascottcab.com

ASCOTTS are moving on the 30th March 2009 to

125-127 Evelyn Street, London   SE8 5RJ

Just two minutes from the Grove Street site.

The Bodyshop will remain at Victoria Wharf, Grove Street , London SE8 3NW

Martin Low, Westminster City Council Transport supremo is either very stupid or, as I suspect, a very intelligent and devious man who thinks we in taxi trade are very stupid. First he tells us that the Whitcomb Street minicab rank is not a rank but a pick-up and drop off point and gets the PCO to agree with him, mind you its not to difficult to get them to go against the cab trade. Now he plans to give pedicabs bays and some sort of legitimacy by signing them up to a code of conduct, again with the blessing of the PCO and tells us that it is for our benefit as it will keep the streets of Westminster clear for us. Well thank you Mr Low, we are very obliged to you, but with respect may I point out how very wrong you are and that we are not as stupid as you and the PCO believe we are.

PARK AND HIDE

After Martin Low was mauled on the radio over the Whitcomb Street minicab rank and had to admit that West1 cars were actually ranking up and hanging it up in the surrounding streets. So he came up with a cunning plan, ‘Park and Hide’. Low has hidden the cars in the Whitcomb Street multi-storey car park in the good old tradition of ‘Out of Sight Out Of Mind’. But, what Low forgets is even though the cars are ranked in a Westminster City car park it is open to the public, the minicabs are still illegal. The Law plainly states that if vehicles are available for hire on public or private property that is accessible to the public then that is illegal. The Leicester Square car park in Whitcomb Street is owned by Westminster City Council and open to the public and Mr Low is allowing West1 to rank their cars there free of charge at the Westminster ratepayer’s expense. So not only are the cars available for hire via the Ticket Booth but also very handy for those who park their cars and want a £20 minicab ride to Mama Mia.

As reported in this papers last issue, West One Cars who are a part of the City Sprint group set up a new company and website called West1, now why would they go to all that expense in this financial climate for a one off operation in Leicester Square? Could this be just the start of a string of minicab ranks planed throughout Westminster? I have a suspicion Martin Low and the PCO know all about it, if I am wrong and, and I hope I am, then, perhaps Mr Low and his co-conspirators at the PCO will prove it to the trade.  

LOW-DOWN PEDICABS

Martin Low now plans to reward the pedicab pests with nice bays to rest up in between touting excursions in return for them signing up to a voluntary code of conduct, once again in conjunction with the PCO. As yet we are not told where these pedicab bays will be sited but I can give them a great place; the fast lane of the M4. Does Martin Low really believe that the pedicab riders will sit quietly on their ranks waiting for work and give up openly touting on the streets of Westminster? This is just legalising pedicabs on the cheap and through the back door and once the operators and riders of these death traps think they have bogus legality they will become even more arrogant and prolific. None of us want confrontation but Martin Low seems intent on pushing the cab trade into a fight to save our lawful work. Low states that pedicabs have no vehicle registration numbers to use if or when the council want to take enforcement action by issuing Penalty Charge Notices when pedicab riders contravene parking and moving traffic controls. Well Mr Low neither did the Hot Dog and Burger peddlers who infested Westminster have vehicle registration numbers on their Burger stalls but you eradicated them by crushing the stalls and destroying the food, easy wasn’t it! 

WHERE THERE’S A WILL

When Livingstone was Mayor Almighty he gave himself more powers than God and behaved like one, but that’s another story, so I can’t believe that there’s not some sort of instrument in the Mayors executive powers to ban pedicabs, but there seems to be no will to do so. We have to ask why pedicab riders are openly aloud to tout in every sense of the word that is illegal. Pedicabs openly ply for trade on the street without a trading licence, surely that’s illegal. Pedicab riders form unlawful assembles outside theatres, surely that’s illegal, they must break every Health and Safety law so why is there no will to act? The LTDA proved that pedicabs are unsafe to be used by the public as the Road Transport Research Laboratory refused to allow their vehicle testers to get in the death traps let alone test them.

Why do the PCO think the only way tackle the pedicab problem is have them classified as Hackney Carriages, that is an insult to the taxi trade to have them classed the same as licensed London taxis. The PCO never classified minicabs as Hackney Carriages when they licensed them. If the Public Carriage Office/Transport for London/The Mayor really wants to license pedicabs then they should do it now without delay.

The pedicabs should be tested for public safety and plated with a license for a maximum of 2 passengers who should be compelled to ware head protectors. Pedicabs should be charged a similar test fee to Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles, which will give SGS a few bob to make up for the defunct midyear test. The pedicab riders should have an enhanced CRB check and an assurance should be given that they are legally entitled to work in the UK as they often transport minors and lone women in their death traps. Their license fee should be similar to a PHV driver. The riders should be compelled to wear crash helmets and high visibility jackets with their license number displayed on an armband. It really is this simple. So, why is there no will to act? There must be a reason. A hidden agenda perhaps?

GOGO BOJO

Boris Johnson is a mayor who is true to his word; he pledged to get tough on touts, he gave us One Tout and Your Out. (Although the PCO got it wrong where to direct the Mayors policy and have been forced to make an apology to taxi drivers, you should have received your letter by now) He pledged to get rid of the unnecessary Mid-Year Inspection, which is now history. He pledged to beef up TOCU to fight on street touting, he has delivered on that. Boris cut out the excessive spending and time wasters of the Livingstone regime at City Hall, he also cleared out and gave back some respectability to The London Development Agency. Now he needs to turn his attention to the Public Carriage Office that seems to be operating in the same old Livingstone way of empire building. I have never known such a small agency with so many people with so many titles; every other person is a manager of something pointless. The Mayor urgently needs to investigate the way the PCO are dishing out Private Hire driver licenses without obtaining an enhanced CRB check. It is outrageous that a person can enter this country and be issued with a PH license without a full check on his character because he has not resided here for 3 years. TfL urge women to only use minicabs from a PCO licensed operator but these lone women are given false security and placed in danger as the licensed driver of that licensed minicab could be a convicted rapist in his homeland.  A perfect example of the danger posed by the PCO’s lack of security was highlighted by Ken Burns of the LCDC who reported in the Badge newspaper about a minicab tout who was arrested at Heathrow. The tout was a PCO licensed Private Hire driver who was also an illegal alien from Afghanistan who had no right to be in the UK let alone licensed to driver a minicab that had been given clearance to work airside and park next to aircraft. What if this guy had been a Taliban fanatic just waiting for a chance to wreak havoc, would the PCO have been held responsible?  Boris should insist that any person wishing to obtain a Private Hire license must be domicile in the UK for at least 5 years so a full CRB record can be produced, the public have a right be protected and the PCO have duty of care to the public.

A REMINDER

Mary Dowdye is Head of Standards & Regulations at the PCO; you may not know her as she keeps a low profile and doesn’t mix with the taxi trade that often. Mary recently issued a PCO notice warning us of a number of recent thefts from licensed taxis near to Marylebone Station at Harewood Avenue, Hayes Place, and Baker Street. Mary gives us some good advice such as:  Be vigilant and remove property and cash bags from the vehicle, items hidden under seats and badges in glove boxes have been taken, as well as property such as mobile phones left openly on display, and a reminder to remove the sat-nav: think to remove the cradle too. It shows a thief there may be a sat-nav inside the car

Notice the word car! Well that proves we are all the same to Mary Dowdye and most of the other managers at the PCO.  She should know better as she has a close relative who is a licensed taxi driver. Mind you she did look stunning in her ball gown at the Private Hire Dinner and Dance I hope she wears it at the Taxi Driver of the Year Dinner and Dance, nah that would mean mixing with taxi drivers wouldn’t it.

Be Lucky John-Paul Pace

Although we have received a great response to our appeal for drivers, we still welcome more drivers to join us on our forthcoming Taxi ‘Safari Outing to Woburn Safari Park on TUESDAY 19TH MAY 2009. Please come and help us to give 300 ’special needs’ and disadvantaged children a wonderful day out. In case you have any doubts, we welcome all drivers with liveried taxis, coloured taxis and those that have adverts on. This applies to all our outings. As well as giving a great deal of pleasure to so many children, we promise you will have a brilliant and fun-packed day out yourself.

WITHOUT YOU THERE ARE NO OUTINGS SO PLEASE CONTACT OUR DRIVERS’ LIAISON: Susan Angel on 07958 280 881 OR ENTER YOUR DETAILS ON THE VOLUNTEER PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE AT www.ltfuc.org.uk

We look forward to you joining us for a fun day out

Boris Johnson wants a revolution in the use of electric cars. When he recently tested an electric sports car called the Tesla he said it produced “no more noxious vapours than a dandelion in an alpine meadow.” The Mayor wants to encourage the greater use of electric vehicles in London. He plans to get as much of the Greater London Authority fleet of vehicles running on electricity as possible and has agreed funding to provide more charging points across the capital. Having already committed to funding around 100 further electric vehicle charging points by 2012, it is clear the Mayor believes the electric car is a car for the future. In the meantime only one electric taxi is currently on the road – pardon the pun – the electric E7 from Cab Direct. This was launched at the Motor Show last summer. The E7 does not comply with the Conditions of Fitness in London and although a project is underway at LTI Vehicles to build an electric taxi the main problem to be overcome is the range of the battery. The batteries would need a much longer range than they have at the moment.

New powers come into force on April 1 with a ‘go live’ date of  May 28 which will see VOSA officers begin to issue fixed penalties for offences committed by drivers at the time of roadside enforcement checks. The power to vary the number of penalty points endorsed on driving licences according to type, location, severity of offence and location of offence will mean that VOSA will consider further action, such as a warning letter, further investigation or referral to a Traffic Commissioner who may consider taking action against the driver’s vocational entitlement, such as an LGV licence. VOSA will maintain a driver offence record of fixed penalties issued, where a driver will incur points based on the graduated fixed penalty band.

A new system of driving licence endorsement will mean power to issue endorse able fixed penalties to non-GB driving licence holders through checks of their ‘driving record’. Police and VOSA will also have the power to require financial deposit payment by drivers without a satisfactory UK address (intended to enforce against foreign drivers who otherwise have been able to avoid fixed penalty/ prosecution in the UK) as well as powers to immobilise vehicles subject to a prohibition (again, primarily directed at foreign drivers). This may include drivers from the European Union employed by UK companies who have not yet registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to obtain a counterpart driving licence. The PCO recently issued a PCO Notice dealing with this.

The Notice states that to be licensed as a taxi or PHV driver, an applicant must hold a full driving licence issued in the UK, the European Community (EC) or one of the other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). From 1st April 2009 the Licensing Authority requires all taxi (and PHV drivers) who hold a EC/EEA driving licence to have a GB counterpart document. By having a GB counterpart drivers can take part in the fixed penalty system for road traffic offences instead of attending court. In order to obtain a UK counterpart, the applicant must be resident in the UK. Any driver who is unable to satisfy this requirement may be licensed on condition that a UK counterpart is obtained within 3 months of the licence being issued.

If you pick up a fare who asks to be dropped of at the local Irish pub, at least your LTI taxi is British. But for many people they drive their German/Spanish/French cars and enjoy an Irish pub where they will drink a Belgian beer or Australian wine, then travelling home, grab an Indian curry, a Chinese takeaway or a Turkish kebab on, then sit on Swedish furniture and watch an American show on a Japanese TV.

But what is the most “British” thing of all?  Suspicion of all things foreign!

Only in Britain can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.

Only in Britain do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front

Only in Britain do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a DIET cola

Only in Britain do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens to the counters

Only in Britain do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage

Only in Britain do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won’t miss a call from someone we didn’t want to talk to in the first place

Only in Britain are there disabled parking places in front of a skating rink

Every year Brits die doing some unusual things – 3 Brits die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue! 142 Brits were injured in 1999 by not removing all pins from new shirts. 58 Brits are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers. 31 Brits have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the fairy lights were plugged in. 19 Brits have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were chocolate. British Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after Xmas cracker-pulling accidents. 18 Brits had serious burns in 2000 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in their mouth. A massive 543 Brits were admitted to A&E in the last two years after trying to open bottles of beer with their teeth. 5 Brits were injured last year in accidents involving out-of-control Scalextric cars.

And finally…in 2000 eight Brits were admitted to hospital with fractured skulls incurred whilst throwing up into the toilet.

Makes you proud to be British.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

Following the publication of the Preliminary Results by Manganese Bronze Holdings, parent company of LTI Vehicles, Group chief executive John Russell said 2008 had been a challenging year for the company’s UK taxi manufacturing operation. However the company is rising to the challenge and is also making good progress with their joint venture with Geely in China. For many of those involved in the cab trade, reading the Manganese Bronze reports will not be a high priority and they will gather information from mainstream press. Rumours soon began to circulate in London and there were some who felt that the position of LTI was precarious and that if the company were to stop trading this would be the end of the cab trade as it is today. However the directors at Manganese Bronze and LTI Vehicles remain confident that this is not the case. Their banks have agreed to continue their overdraft and stock financing facilities for the next twelve-month accounting period. John said: “The taxi trade in London is aware of the problems we faced last year due to the recall on the TX4 following under bonnet fires. This cost the company £3.8 million and severely impacted the group’s 2008 financial figures. We are advancing well in negotiations with various third parties and believe significant opportunity exists for recovery of some of these costs. Although 2008 was what could be best described as a challenging year for our UK taxi manufacturing operation, we have made significant progress in our international marketing plans and the joint venture with Geely.”

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HITS TAXI TRADE

London’s taxi trade has of course been hit by the current economic downturn that began last year when Lehmans hit the headlines in September. This immediately began a crisis in the City and many in the banking world have lost their jobs. This has had a knock on effect throughout the economy and not least in the cab trade where the corporate clients are a mainstay of business for the radio circuits. Under these circumstances, taxi owners who may have been thinking of changing their taxi for a newer model have decided to wait a little longer and there were also doubts as to whether it would be possible to get finance for a new taxi. But John said: “In these difficult times we remain optimistic. Like all public companies, we undertake an annual going concern review and I am happy to say that we have concluded that we are able to adopt the going concern basis in preparing our 2008 report and accounts.

MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT COVENTRY

Although sales of new vehicles are down this year, in part some decline in numbers was expected, as the sales had been so strong following the launch of the TX4. One of the effects of drivers keeping their vehicles for longer is that parts sales are increasing. The facility at Holyhead Road in Coventry continues to make the TX4 for the UK market and will do so for the foreseeable future. But there are issues to deal with; LTI relies on suppliers of components. John continued by saying: “LTI, like most small automotive companies, is single source for almost every component used to manufacture the vehicle. Any loss of a key supplier can have major funding consequences if production is suspended even for a short time period. We do have contingency plans in place, including procurement from China, but some components are of greater impact than others.”

PROGRESS IN CHINA

China is good news for Manganese Bronze. Having spent many months in negotiations with Geely, followed by setting up the new manufacturing plant near Shanghai, the diesel powered TX4 has passed European homologation. Testing is now underway and vehicles are being prepared for dealerships ready for the Chinese market launch of the vehicle at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. In China the TX4 emulates the TX4 made in Coventry. It has the same VM Motori engine currently used in TX4s here in the UK, although later in the year there will be a petrol derivative. Eventually it is hoped the engines will be sourced locally in China. There is an ongoing schedule of improvements to taxis, some of which have resulted from listening programmes held with the taxi trade at Coventry, and some of these changes are already in the new tooling set up in Shanghai. For different markets other adjustments are made. For example, the Shanghai taxi has different seats to the UK built TX4; for some countries the induction loop is not installed, as it is not a requirement and for hotter countries such as Bahrain, the cooling systems are upgraded to handle the high temperatures.

TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH DECISIONS

Having talked to John Russell, our editors feel that there is plenty of positive news from LTI Vehicles. Although the number of staff has been reduced to accommodate lower sales, the opportunity to streamline the business and make it more cost effective is turning a negative into a positive. Whilst decisions to make staff redundant or to ask staff to take reduced salary packages are never easy, these decisions are made with the best interests of the business at their heart. Manganese Bronze believe that their vehicle will continue to be made in Coventry for the UK market but that some of the parts and components will come from China bringing benefits to the company of lower costs. In the second half of 2008 the SMMT reported sales of 108 Mercedes converted taxi and sales of traditional purpose built TX4’s of 839 vehicles. “We believe that the availability of a choice of vehicle in London is of long term benefit to the development of the market,” commented John.

For the trade, in order to remain the best taxi service renowned throughout the world, reliable taxis that meet the tough Conditions of Fitness laid down by TfL and the PCO help ensure that drivers who study the Knowledge of London can continue to ply their trade on the streets of London and elsewhere across the UK. With the beginnings of the new manufacturing in Shanghai and the continuing efforts to attract international sales across Europe too, the future holds hope.

Taxi Globe Editor Sandie Goodwin and TaxiCab News Editor Bob Fisher

Across Europe, new tyre standards are to be introduced to make them quieter, safer and more fuel efficient. The European Parliament voted for the new regulations, which will come into force in 2012. Environmentalists say regulations could have huge benefits but argue they should be brought in sooner. Michelin says the time is needed to carry out research, as tyre design is a “highly complex” process. Motorists are also set to be given greater choice by the introduction of a new labelling system giving them more information on each tyre’s road-grip, fuel-efficiency and noise level.

Tyre labels with performance and eco-information could mark a change in the way people buy their car tyres. It will give motorists a much greater level of information than they’ve enjoyed before and allow them to make more informed decisions. Labelling will arm customers with more knowledge and lead to greater competition between tyre brands, which can only be good news for the consumer. Accordingly retailers will be forced to change their approach and widen the range of tyres they make available for sale.