Dial-a-Cab Offer
You should have all received a letter from me on behalf of the Board of Management, regarding the proposed stake that Sovereign Capital Ltd wish to take in Dial-a-Cab. There was also an enclosure from Sovereign outlining their company together with some of their future ideas.
   As I wrote in my covering letter, Sovereign intend embarking on a series of meetings with members in an attempt to gauge your feelings and views on the future for Dial-a-Cab. They are obviously aware that to progress further with their plans will carry substantial financial and legal costs, consequently they wish to judge whether or not it is going to be worthwhile for them to proceed. That seems to me to be a sensible and logical step to take.

Fleet Recall
Recently, the whole Dial-a-Cab fleet was recalled so that new software could be added to the in-cab terminals; it was a complex task that, all things considered, went extremely smoothly. Well, you will no doubt be delighted to know that we now have another software enhancement that will be added in the not too distant future!
   However, on this occasion we will probably give you the opportunity to have it installed at your convenience whenever you are within striking distance of Roman Way. I can hear almost hear you asking why it wasn’t done at the same time as the previous upgrade? I will endeavour to explain…
   On that last occasion when the fleet was recalled, one of the enhancements added concerned passwords being inserted that could be changed on a daily basis at Brunswick House. The problem was that some drivers took note of the old password and proceeded to use it for their own amusement, so we had to have one that could be easily changed. I think you will be amazed to know that the reason

we needed that facility was due to some members using the terminal while in their cab, to surf the Internet via their mobile phone!
   It probably sounds quite amusing, but to say that I was worried would have been a gross understatement. Overlooking the sheer folly of doing something so stupid, possibly even on the move, I was extremely concerned that one of our member’s terminals could pick up a virus via the Internet and transmit it back to our host computer and crash all our systems. Although commonsense told me that this would be unlikely due to all the security devices we have in place for those systems, I was not prepared to take the chance of putting the Society’s welfare at risk.
   In the meantime, the BoM had decided to enhance the software concerning credit card authorisation - although this could not be implemented until the entire fleet had been converted to the new MP5 terminal. At the time of writing (June 22), we are down to the last one hundred drivers still waiting, so by the time you read this, the fitting programme should be virtually completed.
   So the BoM had a dilemma; should we wait until the end of July before we put the new ‘fix’ on the system and take a chance that we do not pick up a bug, or should we do the recall when we did, leave the credit card authorisation off the system and do that at a later date? Well, now you know the answer to that question, we decided not to take any chances…
   The new enhancement for credit cards will be available soon after the end of July when the whole fleet is converted. When

you take a credit card off the street and swipe it, the card will automatically be accepted or rejected by the bank; if it is accepted, then you will be asked via the terminal to reserve a certain amount of money for the journey. When the journey has been completed and you clear the job in the normal way, we are then guaranteed payment by the bank, consequently, you will not have to bring your credit card slips to the office any more. However, you will be expected to keep them for six months just in case a query should arise. If a query does arise and you cannot produce the receipt, then we will expect a full refund of the payment that we had previously made to you.

GPS
Another part of the recall involved ‘livening up’ our GPS facility so that we can now track
cabs and know where they are at any time. Consequently, a number of members have been
put on complaint for false positions and you will see elsewhere in the magazine that the
Complaints Committee – who are DaC drivers just as you are - view this abuse extremely seriously.
   Two members appealed to the BoM against their sentences. One had received an expulsion while the other was given a four-week suspension. What intrigued me more than anything else was that they truly believed they were not doing anything wrong because DaC clients didn’t suffer. Their fellow members suffering seemed irrelevant. As you can also read elsewhere in this issue, the sentences were upheld.
   So ladies and gentlemen, the GPS is now up and running and also being monitored. If you are doing things that you shouldn’t, please beware.
   Finally, as we are now in the holiday season, to those of you about to go away for a deserved rest, enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time…

Brian Rice
Chairman