Like many members on our circuit, I have a keen interest in most sports with the exception in my case being cricket - which does nothing for me other than as a remedy for insomnia! I play the occasional game of golf when time permits and I have supported Arsenal since the 1960's, when I had a season ticket for a number of years. As a long time supporter, I am keen to watch them play - particularly when they are on TV - but again only when time permits. If the time isn't available then I record the match on video. Which brings me to the point of this article...

Service Levels
September was an absolutely atrocious month so far as our service was concerned, resulting in warnings from many of our clients threatening to close their accounts. It was unlike any time I have experienced in the past.
   Before going any further, I am well aware of the likely repercussions from publicly making statements of this kind, but unless we are being honest and make you all aware of the situation, the matter will only get worse. The only method I can use to inform you of any problem is by publishing it in Call Sign - not that we are in any danger of our competitors making any capitol out of my statement because the self interested attitude of their drivers is no different from some of ours.
   Admittedly the fuel crisis added in some part to the poor coverage, but there is no excuse for a shortage of cabs simply because of a football match as was the case on the evening of Wednesday Sept 20th when Arsenal played Shaktar Donetsk. On one occasion that evening, we had just 20 cabs available with over 170 trips in the system still unmatched. This, gentlemen, is totally unacceptable but no longer uncommon as it is beginning to happen quite frequently whenever there is a big event on TV.
   If watching something live on TV takes priority over meeting our commitment to supply our clients with a reliable taxi service, then don't be surprised when these clients decide to take their business over to private hire. And if any of you think it will never happen because there is no private hire company big enough, then you are wrong, because the clients will use three or four minicab companies and give them the 'roaders' at probably a substantially lower cost and we

will just get the locals. It has happened before and it will happen again.
   Practically every week I get drivers, particularly night drivers, phoning me and complaining that they have seen private hire vehicles parked outside our client's premises. On investigating, the response is either a denial or - and I quote - the following: "It is for a trial period only, neither of the other two circuits are being used because their service is no better. Instead we are using a reputable private hire company. Our staff need to get home and if there are no licensed cabs available, what are the staff supposed to do... walk?"
   Those drivers who choose not to work when the demand is there can't have it both ways. If you won't do it then somebody else will. It is no good complaining about the minicabs taking our work when it is being given to them on a plate. So I would ask all of you that if there is something on TV that you wish to watch, then please video it and watch it later.
   As you would have read previously from the Chairman, with the purchase of new MDC's we are now for the first time in years able to increase our fleet. With the Christmas period soon upon us plus the increase in business from new and existing clients, any expansion in our fleet will be an advantage, but exactly how many that expansion involves will depend on you. The more work each and every one of you covers, the less extra mobiles will be necessary.
   Traditionally, more mobiles generates more business, so come January we will probably be looking to capture more new accounts and the problem of coverage will start all over again. So in reality, the solution is in your hands. Perhaps many of you should seriously consider increasing your ratio of credit work. It has never been our policy to flood our circuit with mobiles, even when we had spare equipment and that policy still applies. On DaC we regard our subscribers as clients as much as our corporate clients and in doing so endeavour to guarantee a ratio of quantity of work per mobile.

Cheating Their Fellow Drivers...
While on the question of coverage, there are certain trips that regularly come out in the morning, some of which are extremely lucrative. So lucrative in fact, that a small group of drivers attempted to pull a few strokes and tie it up between themselves. Unfortunately for them, the idea of a quick buck must have clouded their brains as to the ability of our technology. They were obviously totally unaware of the data that we accumulate the moment you switch on your MDT. Only an absolute fool would be stupid enough to think that they could get away with cheating the system and even worse, cheating their fellow subscribers. Which is how they must have felt when Tom Whitbread presented the evidence (in the form of printed data sheets) to the complaints committee. Needless to say, not one of the accused was surprised when they got expelled. I sincerely hope that any of you reading this, particularly the newer members who may feel tempted for whatever reason to buck the system, please don't, it's not worth it. Apart from the indignity of appearing in front of three fellow drivers and being exposed as cheats and suffering the ultimate penalty of being expelled from the best radio taxi circuit in London, there is also little chance of joining any other radio circuit as all three circuits have an agreement not to accept each others drivers if they have been expelled.
   For many years we have been known as the Gentlemen's circuit, (to our female members and the politically correct, I use the term as an adjective) and we intend to keep it that way. It is sad and a blemish on our good reputation when I hear genuine honest members telling me they don't attempt to cover certain account work because the best jobs are being claimed by a few unscrupulous drivers. Well this is no longer the case because these greedy people have now been expelled and any still remaining will be in no doubt as to their fate should they get caught cheating. So I say to any of you that were reluctant to cover this work, please do so now, it is a terrific account. In addition, the calling system for this account has also been changed, making every trip fair to everybody. Please help cover it...

Allen Togwell