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Living in Peterborough, DaC driver Eddie Lambert (V27) has seen the
emergence of TaxiBank at first hand. Call Sign asked him to explain the
situation to our readers... Those of you who read the trade press may have noticed a name that keeps cropping up - TaxiBank. I apologise to those drivers who think that I only write about doom and gloom for the trade, as this article will certainly do that... Despite the name, TaxiBank are a predominantly Private Hire company with delusions of a national nature. They claim 700 operators and 25,000 vehicles but it's my impression that this is a bit of a three-card trick. What they actually appear to have are some national contracts, primarily with some vehicle breakdown companies. When the vehicle user wants to go one way and their stricken vehicle another, they provide a local company to take the driver and passengers to their destination whilst the breakdown company sort out the vehicle. Many of the claimed 700 operators have possibly never actually done any work for TaxiBank and large numbers just a few jobs. The person behind TaxiBank appears to be John Preece, who is based in Plymouth. He started in coaches with Plympton Coach Lines, which he built up to 17 coaches from 2 within a couple of years. He then became the Managing Director of Western National Bus Company which was sold to First Bus. He then turned his attention to taxis with Key Cabs and 70 cabs in 1989. He turned to Private Hire as taxi drivers tired of his discipline and left the circuit. In the early 1990's he opened what is now called TF value cars who are situated in Gillingham and Torbay. By all accounts, these are well run businesses with late model vehicles. Despite being mainly |
IS THIS THE TAXI TRADES
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Private hire vehicles, many carry the words TaxiFast on their sides. The web
site address is http://www.taxifast.co.uk TaxiBank itself is listed as having been formed in 2001 using 165 Queen Victoria Street EC4 as the office address. Secretary is Michael Lockyer from Plympton Plymouth, with other posts including Weddings Direct Ltd and Clayton Taxis (Darlington) Ltd. Directors are listed as Alexander Felce from Newcastle with 9 Directorships listed including Dean's Taxis Gateshead, Dial-A-Courier (UK) Ltd, Dial-A-Coach (UK) Ltd, Dial-a-Chauffeur (UK) Ltd, Dial-a-Bus (UK) Ltd, and Dial-a-Cab (UK) Ltd. It is this last one that might have led to a few of my contacts believing that TaxiBank were behind the bid for this circuit. That's not to say they should be totally ruled out, as they do seem to have access to corporate money. Charles Parker of Biddenden (Kent), director of Streamline Maidstone and Streamline Paddock Wood, Kevin Willsher from Northampton, David Pryor of Didcot, Oxfordshire, Quentin Fulljames Curtis of Taxi Hire Co Ltd and Network Taxis Ltd at Alton Hants are other directors. Last but not least, there is Peter Waterhouse of Hextable, Kent. Those of you who devour the trade papers may recall that he was recently mentioned in Taxi Globe as using the local paper where he |
runs Speedicars of Colgate Rd SE4, to call for a speeding up of Private Hire
licensing in London. Rumours running riot along the East Coast Mainline Railways from London to Aberdeen is that they have done a £5 million deal to take over the ranks on EVERY GNER station on this route. I cannot vouch for that, but they tried to take over Peterborough on Monday 16th July. The local drivers refused to leave the rank and as I write this (July 22), are still working it - albeit under threat. TaxiBank have also installed a booking desk inside the station and on Monday had brought 15 Private Hire Vehicles into the station car park expecting the taxis to pull off. After failing to do any jobs, they disappeared after two hours. By 6.30pm Wednesday the booking desk had done 2 jobs, which many suspect were just TaxiBank stooges. Just one other fact to go into the pot for Call Sign readers to think over. Prior to TaxiBank coming into existence, they were called TaxiFast and were registered at 252 Regent Street London Wl. The company supplying the Yellow Boxes for Minicab Bookings that the LTDA's TAXI newspaper were highlighting recently are registered at 252 Regent Street Wl. Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean they are not out to get you. Eddie Lambert (V27) |
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