Power when united! particularly the night drivers who have finally 1. Purchase a new wheelchair accessible taxi
Hard times certainly provoke desperate decided that they are fed up with seeing their (Fine by us)
measures? Yes weʼve gone on enough about work being taken from them every night while
the credit crunch and the economic downturn the ʻauthoritiesʼ appear to do nothing to prevent
2. To ensure that a second driver is allocated to
(so much so, itʼs boring us now), which is indeed whole scale law breaking. Not only did taxis line
that plate (!!)
affecting us all in this trade whether in the up at Nobu, but also at other establishments
provinces or London, the capital of the World. where licensed taxis have been forced out by
Throughout this country and beyond, the London the ʻusualʼ lines of parked minicabs with the
3. Both drivers are to work 37 hours per
Cabbie is – in perhaps most cases - categorised drivers openly touting.”
week (!!!)
as la crème de la crème. Oh yes, recognised
as the best in the world and woe betide anyone Indeed, it just goes to show what can be
4. Cannot rent the cab out full time to anyone (!!!!)
that crosses him or the coveted Green Badge! achieved when the trade sticks together rather
In the not too distant past the London Cabbie than moaning and backstabbing each other. 5. Plate cannot be transferred (see tier 2 for
wouldnʼt dream of venturing south of the river for Take Brighton for example: as published exclamation marks)
fear of getting a nose bleed (if you donʼt believe in this magazine last year, Mike Hughes
us ask Alfie Townsend!), youʼd be hard pressed comprehensively explained in his column how
So where do we start with this little lot? Firstly
to find a ʻlight cabʼ beyond Lavender Hill; in Brighton taxi drivers got together and blocked the
Tier 2; a council cannot stop the transfer of a
actual fact, they gave the work to the minicabs town because a driver was arrested by an over-
taxi licence, Weymouth Council went to court
because of this in the likes of Brixton, Balham, zealous police officer for over-ranking on the
Tooting and Peckham (steady now Delboy!) not station. The result was phenomenal to the benefit
to stop the practice and was soundly beaten.
to mention refusing to pick up the Irish from the of the trade. So ladies and gentlemen, instead of
That was in 1947 and nothing in the intervening
bars in Kilburn and Cricklewood in the north. moaning - especially you lot in Liverpool harping
years has changed to enable a council to
on about a particular Sefton private hire company
overturn the ruling. Secondly, the taxi trade is
My, how times have changed, it would seem nicking your work right from under your noses
exempt from The Organization of Working Time
that the ʻcherry pickingʼ by some London taxi while Liverpool licensing do nothing about it – read Act, which is a piece of European legislation,
drivers has now paled into the history books ʻPower when unitedʼ and ʻCockney Rebelʼ you and it would appear that Redding (thatʼs better),
since the licensing of minicabs (now London just might reconsider your positions. have overturned the opt out, maybe they have
private hire) under the Private Hire Vehicles
declared independence from mainland Britain -
(London) Act 1998, which is evidently keeping And finally…
the way Britain is at the moment maybe we
the ʻGreen Badgesʼ on their toes; they now
Here at taxi talk towers we are starting a
should all join ʻem. While we realise that Local
have competition from an industry that the
new column and your input is essential.
licensing authority (PCO TfL) wholly recognise
Authorities can impose any licensing conditions
Over the years we have received numerous
and indeed listen to. After all, the monetary
that they see fit, whether this extends to acting
value in terms of revenue in licensing fees from
correspondence highlighting council behaviour,
like de facto employers is something else.
both the London Taxi Trade and PH industry
some good, mostly bad, some insane. So
Second driver?!, cannot rent out the cab?!
must run into millions of pounds. Therefore, itʼs
welcome to:
hardly surprising that the PCO have a strong
So ladies and gentlemen Reading is the first
ear for the minicab - sorry London Private Hire
Krazy Kouncil Korner. (aka tales from recipient of our Krazy Kouncil Korner award,
Industry. Some even suggest that the PCO
and we hope that when you receive it you wonʼt
are biased towards the London PH industry,
the loopy LAs)…aright lid!
favouring them over the London Licensed Taxi
And to start us off Ladies and Gentlemen we
go all ʻOscarʼ on us and burst into tears… or
Trade… mmmm? In Mike Hughesʼs column this
give you READING Borough Council!
should that be tiers?
month (page 42), and Cockney Rebel (Bernie
May) (page 50), both Green Badge London
A Reading cab driver recently contacted us and
Till next month David Millward &
taxi drivers and trade journalists, their articles told us about Readingʼs licensing policy. At this
Derek Cummins AKA the Doom Twins
concentrate on the London taxi drivers retrieving point we would like to make clear that in our
work (which is rightfully theirs anyway) from the
view any place that cannot pronounce its name
touts outside the Nobu club in Berkeley Street.
properly has got to be treated with suspicion
Cockney Rebel states: “Long periods have
(surely it should be REDDING?).
passed since we could be bothered to pick up at
restaurants, pubs and clubs, but now the work is
Quote of
harder to find on the streets, some have turned
Apparently, Reading has a licensing policy,
their attention to this work previously ignored.
which they call a three-tier system (or should
Drivers are noticing, and about time too if you
that be three-tear system - laugh or cry itʼs your
ask me, that good work is actually coming out
call), and we would like to share it with you.
the month
of these venues shunned by the taxi trade and
By Maureen Potter
stolen by the minicab fraternity.” While, through Tier 1. This system was put in place from the
some London trade papers, claims were being beginning till 2003. And there are no conditions
made that London trade organisations co-
in regards to the plate. Drivers may do as they
ordinated the action taken by the cab drivers in
please and can sell, rent or transfer the taxi
Politicians are like
getting back the work, this was not so, it was
licence (plate) to anyone at any time.
the drivers themselves who are getting the work
nappies. They should
back as the ʻwordʼ spread with the help of the
internet site, London Taxi Drivers Forum and
Tier 2 was introduced in 2003, and forbids be changed often
messages placed on the Dial-a-Cab circuits. As
drivers to transfer, sell or rent their cab until five
Mike Hughes writes in the second paragraph
years has lapsed (!)
and for the same
of his article: “This action, although it appeared
to be spontaneous, has been the catalyst Tier 3 was introduced in 2007 and a successful
reason.
which has finally united parts of the taxi trade, applicant must:
TIME FOR CHOICE
Whatever vehicle you choose, everyone stands
to benefit from the right to have a choice.
CURRENT HACKNEY
LICENSE CONDITIONS
CHOICE OF VEHICLES
NO CHOICE
Time for Choice Campaign, Unit 171, 1a Imperial Court, Exchange Street East, Liverpool L2 3AB
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