We are now into the final few days of the year 2000, a year which has been a great success for Dial-a-Cab. This success is due to the hard work of all DaC's participants whether drivers, employees, Board members or suppliers. So perhaps a look back is in order...
   It was only a few years ago that we emerged from recession, a time when the bank was checking on us daily. A time when Mike Tovey of Chantrey Vellacott, was coming into the office with more furrows in his brow than ripples on a pond! To see him now on his visits to the office, he has returned to his youthful carefree self! As our auditing accountant, this must mean that we are doing well as a company...
   The Board is not frightened to take calculated risks with the help of our professional advisers, allowing us to become the most respected leading taxi company in London again. This could not have been achieved without everyone pulling together, but we cannot and must not sit back resting on our laurels; there is still more work to be done. We must find more ways in which drivers can cover those journeys which seem to sit in the system for ages. There must be ways that telephonists can answer more calls with less pressure, thereby lowering any error rate. The Board must continue to look at implementing the most up-to-date labour-saving equipment; this would allow us to push even more work through the system. If we can achieve that, then the drivers earning potential must also rise.
   Mr Steve Shaller, one of our subscribers, asked me to support him in introducing guide lines on how our drivers should present themselves dress-wise to the clients. Any reader of Call Sign will know my views on this subject, I would support any idea that would elevate us to a higher professional standing.

Advising Geordieland
The gentleman who came down from Newcastle earlier on this year to enlist my help in starting a local Geordie radio taxi circuit contacted me the other day. He was now running it on the lines of DaC, with one exception; they inform their drivers they must wear a corporate shirt or jumper when working, but must not wear trainers or tracksuit bottoms. This image has gained them accounts. He told me that one of their drivers had picked up a passenger at the station who later went out of his way to phone the company to compliment the driver. He said he wished their  

London taxi circuit had drivers as smartly dressed! But don't get depressed; the passenger is an  account client of one of our rivals! But it shows that smartness counts and is noticed.
   Aubrey Siteman's retirement has left me the as the longest current serving Board member. Most of that time has been spent doing the most unpopular job on the Board - ie Complaints Officer. It is a job that most would shy away from, especially when Board elections were yearly. But over the years, I hope that I have been seen to treat everyone in an equal way. Most subscribers will tell you that if I get truthful replies, I will do all in my power to help, but when a subscriber lies and then puts the Society and myself into an embarrassing position, I will be a formidable opponent in my endeavour to maintain our good name.

The Good and the Bad
When I took over the running at Drivers Operations, I didn't realise the varied problems that I would encounter. The normal running of a subscriber's working day problems could be overcome with help from my 14 years experience as a Board member, in addition to the previous 6 years as a dispatcher. This enabled me to view situations from all sides as well as a driver. The part that needed further learning was assisting with driver's personal problems; from offering help after subscribers had been involved in accidents to being wrongly charged with parking fines, to sending cards or flowers to drivers who had been hospitalised.
   The worst experience that I have ever encountered was when a driver I had known for many years came into the office and asked to see me privately. The information that he was about to impart was something that I never thought that I would ever have to deal with. He came to the office from hospital and stood in front of me with tears in his eyes. He asked: "Tom, how do I tell my wife that the doctor has told me I have 3 months to live?" He had asked to see the doctor alone as he thought the news might be bad, but he now had to tell his wife and children. My wife will 

tell you she has never seen me  cry, but if she had seen me that morning it would have been a  different story. When he left an hour and a half later, I felt completely drained as though a horse had kicked me.
   On a brighter side, one of our drivers has had a baby. No, it wasn't a sex-change driver, it was one of our lady drivers. So if you see a taxi going along with a baby bouncer in the luggage compartment, it will be Michelle driving it.
   Also during the year, I arranged for one of our female drivers to be a castaway with two other taxi drivers for a television programme. Although she was very worried before the event, I think she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

New Terminals
We are now well on the way to fitting all subscribers with the new terminals. There have been drivers reporting that the signals appear slow during busy periods. Yes, this is correct but could be alleviated if drivers stopped doing unnecessary requests for information. These are 'queue positions' and 'advise arrivals' before they have tried to make contact.
   Although we have had a great success over the past year, we still have our militants; the ones who would like us to run the Society like a trade union. Well we all know how the trade unions are going; ask the miners, the only one to profit out of that union was Mr Scargill. Where is he now? Living in a big house paid for by the union while the miners queue up at the job centre? These militants thrive on fear, spreading rumours and producing inaccurate facts from years gone by.
   If we were to believe these few, why are new drivers beating on our doors to come on to DaC? Most of these are from other circuits because they know how much better we are and that the earning potential is far greater on Dial-a-Cab. We do not give free offers, drivers are only too willing to come on and pay subscriptions because they know they will recuperate their money with the amount of work we have and also having the best clients in London.
Finally, please remember that Westminster Disabled Persons clients are still allowed to use their Hail and Ride photo cards from the street.
   May I thank you for your support over the past year and also for previous years. I hope you all had the best Christmas ever and go into a prosperous New Year.

Tom Whitbread