Dial-a-Cab's Golden Anniversary
I wrote some months ago that we intended having a function on 7 June in order to celebrate our Golden Anniversary. We have deliberated on the issue for some time and you may or may not be pleased to know that we have decided to go ahead with this exciting function.
   It was an item that did take some thinking about due to the current economic climate. The question was, should we or should we not celebrate our fifty years as the foremost radio taxi organisation of this country and after much deliberation, we decided to go ahead. It will no doubt be the same old story - damned if we do and damned if we don't!
   Elsewhere in this issue of Call Sign, you will be able to read how we intend to celebrate the magnificent achievement of our fiftieth anniversary...

Mailshot Mark
In this issue's Mailshot section, you will see a letter from Mark White (B86) bemoaning the demise of the London Taxi Network due to the sudden withdrawal of ComCab and Data Cab from the alliance. I must say that I agree wholeheartedly with his observations, it is a great pity that organisations within our industry seem unable to work together for long before some petty jealousy or past baggage interrupts the proceedings.
   During the next three or four years, there will be more changes in our industry - both internal and external - that will affect us more so than at any time during the last fifty years or probably indeed, the next fifty years. We are in the midst of that change now, yet where is the taxi trade? More fragmented than I have ever known it because every organisation is fighting their own corner, seemingly more concerned that other organisations have more members than they do. Concerns also seem forthcoming on a regular basis that the leader of one organisation may be more popular than another. This is absolute and utter folly.
   We have the 'light touch' licensing of Private Hire, the exterior signage on minicabs, booking booths for Private Hire to pick up off the street (no, it hasn't gone away), suggestions from PH of the removal of radios 

from Licensed Taxis and now the possible 'franchising out' of medicals for Taxi and Private  Hire drivers. And where is the united voice of the Taxi Trade?  
Nowhere to be seen while we constantly fight amongst ourselves! Consequently, the authorities have no alternative but to talk to individual organisations or call them together for a meeting where the leader of one organisation endeavours to outshine the leader of another.  Does it sound as though I am a little peeved with their antics? You bet I am...
   I have endeavoured over the past seven years to promote Dial-a-Cab with a professional, polished, corporate image and we have had much success. In all our dealings with clients or any organisation within our industry, we have done everything with a straight bat, consequently I believe our name both from within and outside of our industry is excellent and something that we should all be proud of. However, what will it all have been for if our industry is 'steamrollered' because we cannot agree amongst ourselves? Now is surely the time that some swallow their pride and sit down with one another in order to take our industry forward. But I have to say that I doubt it will happen because over the years, like many of you, I have read scores of pieces saying something similar to this and has it ever changed anything? If we are not careful, we will end up the same as the Gondolas in Venice - a tourist attraction only.
   I know that I'm here in order to do the best I can for Dial-a-Cab and I will continue to give of my best in the future. That will include talking to the powers-that-be, in addition to other organisations within this industry. I am delighted and proud to say that Dial-a-Cab has never fallen out with any organisation within our business and hopefully, that will always remain the case. How about the court case with RTL, I hear you say? Well, even whilst that was going on, DaC and RTL remained on amicable terms. Radio Taxis (London) took a business decision to sue us and I respected that, but there was no need for Geoffrey Riesel and 

myself to fall out over the issue and we remain on good terms to this day. Perhaps the remainder of our industry should follow that example?
   I'm afraid that I have been a little more political than usual with my views on the above, so,
as usual, I am going to blame you Mark...!

Comfort/Delgro
I recently attended a publicity launch by CabCharge where they were endeavouring to get taxi companies nationwide interested in taking their charge card. A very good launch it was too. However, there is nothing they can do that we can't, except that with the money that CabCharge has ploughed into the operation, they have the facility to clear the card anywhere thanks to the use of the GSM network. They are not restricted to the coverage of a radio network.
Part of the organisation is Delgro (Singapore) who have recently amalgamated with Comfort (Singapore) to become the largest transport organisation in the world - yes, the largest in the world! One of their subsidiaries is ComCab...
   I recently read a press release from the new Comfort/Delgro group and the thing that grabbed my attention before anything else was their anticipation that within five to seven years, over half of their turnover will come from abroad - abroad from Singapore that is. Makes you think, doesn't it...?

And Work...
I have written in the past about damage to our in-cab equipment.  Well, it is still happening and we are now having to charge drivers for any damage caused, it has certainly been a very costly experience for them. Your vehicles are equipped with very expensive kit, please respect it.  We do not want to get ourselves in a position where we have to charge members for an equipment bond as our competitors do, so that any damage caused can be deducted from that bond.
   Finally, in the present economic climate our clients are very cost conscious, so please watch your run-in's and endeavour to make contact as quickly as possible so to avoid any unnecessary cost to the client. It will help us all to maintain accounts and hopefully win new ones...

Brian Rice
Chairman, Dial-a-Cab