| The
2002 Dial-a-Cab AGM at "The Brewery" |
February 10th 2002 saw the Dial-a-Cab AGM (2001) returning to the sumptuous
surroundings of The Brewery in Chiswell Street. Just over 100 drivers attended
the meeting, with the rest having voted by post. Naturally, those attending in
person thought that all drivers should have made the effort to attend the AGM,
whereas many of those who spoke to Call Sign over the following week that
didn't bother, felt that so long as they had a vote - albeit by post - then
they were happy. Both sides, to further their argument, used the word
'democracy' freely!
The meeting opened at 11am with the customary one-minute silence
for those who have passed on within the past 12 months. Mention was also made
of the death of Princess Margaret...
There followed a 'true and correct' vote on the previous year's
minutes and an almost unanimous acceptance of the Chairman's Report - with
three abstentions and one matter arising when Russell Poluck (T55) asked
that AOB be extended from 30 minutes. Brian Rice said yes...
In questions, Daryl Cox (T33) asked about Board member's
payments, bad debts and legal fees followed by Gordon Poluck (R34) who
suggested an emergency proposition that would cut the Board's working hours
down to a maximum of 25 hours "due to the economic situation." The
Chairman rejected the proposition...
Adrian Landau (T14) congratulated the Board and Society for
the good results achieved considering the economic downturn. He asked why we
had taken a bank loan when we had so much capital available. The Society's
Auditor Mike Tovey replied that it wasn't particularly good practise to use all
your own money. In a financial vein, Peter Bond (L67) who won a car at last
year's AGM, asked for a comparison between the Chairman's earnings compared to
outside the trade. Mr Tovey said that he would have earned more outside. Peter
went onto say that he wouldn't do Brian Rice's job for double his current
hourly rate and considered that the BoM were doing an excellent job. Peter then
asked nicely if he could have a chauffeur to go with his car! Brian suggested a
possible upgrade to a top-of-the-range Jag before hinting to Call Sign that he
was only joking!
Bill Gillette (K31) asked why we are described as
Shareholders in the report rather than Subscribers while Gerry Allen (N12)
added a technical point to Bill Gillette's question.
Both were alluding to any future
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Ready for battle...!
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time when the Society might contemplate a
position as a PLC.
Mike Tovey then addressed the meeting and told of "yet another
successful year for Dial-a-Cab." He added that had it not been for
the new equipment, our surplus would have matched last years.
The vote to reappoint the Auditors was carried unanimously.
11.45am ...'ANY OTHER BUSINESS'
First up was Jim Edwards (P59) who asked why subscribers nearing
the end of their career and who had been with DaC for 30 years or over,
couldn't keep their share in the Society in case its value increased?
Russell Poluck (T55) asked whether the current
supplier to the Westminster Special Needs account was subsidising that
account and why we lost it? Allen Togwell responded with an insight
into our tender and that of the oppositions. Russell also asked about the
size of our fleet.
Ronald Colman (J09) questioned the Board over how we recover bad
debts and then went on to ask about the Society's disciplinary appeal
procedure.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when Sid Nathan
(K88) gave the drivers their customary yearly insult! He then went on
to ask the question that virtually every London taxi driver has seen
advertised at the railway termini; are the Dial-a-Cab Board about to
propose that we convert to a PLC status? Brian Rice answered the question.
Those not at the meeting will have to find someone who was to get BR's
response! Sid also asked how much the staff got out of the driver's
Christmas collection. It was Pat Keefe's (G01) turn next and he
questioned the BoM on Credit Card acceptance and also the new pin number
technology - were our terminals adaptable to it? "Not a
problem," said the Chairman.
Bob Ambrose (V13) asked a question that has puzzled
many drivers. Bob does - and is very happy doing - Westminster trips, but
he wondered why the trips on the other Boroughs' cards - the ALG - were so
much more complicated than ours. "Simple,"
replied Brian Rice,
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"we administer the
Westminster account. Had we been responsible for administering the
Borough cards, they would have been simple too!" The Chairman
mentioned the expression "making a matzo pudding out of it,"
whereas Russell Poluck (T55) then asked why not a bread pudding!
Keeping it in the family, someone who has no doubt seen many
pieces of matzo pudding during his tenure as a toastmaster, Gordon Poluck
(R34) asked about data signals. BR told him that even after all this
time, Metrocabs - of which Gordon is an owner - were on occasion still more
problematic than other cabs when it came to receiving signals.
Paul Tulley (Y40), who is a new driver-trainer at
Brunswick House, harked back to the earlier question from Bob Ambrose and
said that the ALG Taxicard procedure looked much more difficult than it
really was. He asked that those unsure about it, pop into BH, pick up a
procedure sheet and read it 2 or 3 times. "You'll then wonder why you
ever thought it was difficult!"
The voting results were then announced and all three were
carried with over 97% of subscribers voting in favour.
Peter Bond (L67) then asked about an Allen Togwell report in Call
Sign in which he claimed that drivers were much more inclined to help each
other out in times gone by. Peter said that he always stopped to help any
driver in trouble. He went on to ask what the Board thought about Zingo and
also asked why drivers couldn't be given account clients' phone numbers so
that we could do our own AAR via mobile phones. BR spoke about our new
ring-out system.
Gerry Allen (N12) asked about broken service so far as DaC shares
were concerned. Could two broken periods be added together? "No,"
replied the Chairman...
Aubrey Bryor (E17) then asked about licensed PH to which
the Chairman gave a detailed response of the situation, intermixing it with
his own personal view.
The meeting ended at 12.50 and the discussions started outside! Here's to
next year...
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