By the time this issue of Call Sign arrives through your letterbox, you will have noticed the changes that have been made to the way fixed price journeys are despatched. These changes have been made so that should the fare increase granted by the Mayor cause serious problems with our clients, we will be in a positive position to respond.
   Up until now, clients have been speaking with us more on the lines of our account charges and what reductions we can offer them, rather than the expected increase. That doesn't mean to say they will not be talking with us in the future. On the clients I've been talking with, my feelings are that they will wait to see what impact the increase will have on their expenditure. While I can fully understand the approach the Mayor is making to encourage Licensed Taxi drivers to work when demand is at its highest, my commercial sense tells me it is not going to be without its issues.
Our aim is to negotiate with clients on trips that finish outside the London Postal areas. I know 

that our Sales Department will continue to get the best possible prices for the journeys and I'm sure that even though we'll be competing fiercely with Private Hire, knowing that the driver who takes the trip is the driver who wants to do it, our service to clients will improve.
   It could be said that trips may take longer to get covered because we are giving drivers more of a choice, but on this point I can say that our controllers have been made aware of the possibilities and it will be up to them to be proactive rather than reactive with these types of trips. SE75, which covers all the work for the HoC has not been included in the equation at this moment of time.
   The changes that have been 

made allow the driver to see on  the trip offer, the pick up, destination and fixed price amount no matter what time of day it is. Previously, drivers have been forced to accept trips that have been priced lower than the meter and found themselves in places well away from where they possibly wanted to be. All in all, this has created a lot of unrest. Now you will be able to reject the trip even if you are booked into EC5.
   For those of you who have chosen not to do fixed price work, I would urge you to have the fixed price attribute included, it will allow you to see the trip offer and decide if it suits you to do it.
   I believe we all have our own concerns on what effect the fare increase may have on radio taxi work. I hope that by giving you the option of viewing these trips before you accept them will allow the Society to not only compete in the market place, but to also assist you in supplying the right type of service to our clients.

Keith Cain