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Hello Ladies and Gents...
With the Christmas period gone and 2003 now here, can I firstly thank you all
for your excellent support to all marshalled events during the year and
especially over the festive season. In this article, I would also like to bring
you up to speed on planned projects for this year...
Dial-a-Cab provided a marshalled service at 51 events during
December and early January and it was without doubt the best coverage we have
ever had. It has led to numerous account-opening enquiries, with the guaranteed
promise of increased usage throughout the coming months from new and existing
clients who were impressed with the levels of service that you supplied during
a very tricky time.
As you know, we were at the Chainstore and Battersea Park most
nights over this period, both of whom were very impressed. Enough, indeed, for
'Christmas Events' to send a letter of commendation expressing thanks to you,
the members, for your assistance. The editor has included it in this issue of
Call Sign. Christmas Events, a Division of Sodexho Ltd, are the largest events
company of this kind in Europe and already we have dates arranged throughout
February that will again require your support to make it a success. No
unlicensed vehicles were allowed to enter Battersea Park whilst we were in
attendance, which was a major factor of agreeing to service this particular
venue. Talks are ongoing with the view to DaC providing a similar service at
the many other different sites and events that this company run all year long
and also to transfer their staff account over to DaC.
Virgin West Coast Trains Update
I'm sure you will all have been pleased to read in the Chairman's
Report that DaC have been awarded an extended contract for the engineering work
that will begin again in three stages starting on the Easter weekend and
carrying on into December. At a meeting held at Brunswick House with senior
Management from Virgin, at which Brian, Keith and
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myself attended, we were given the news that most of you were eagerly
awaiting; four continuous days over Easter, nine unbroken days in August and 18
weekends from August through to December. We were awarded this most prestigious
and lucrative account because our service levels were unrivalled and we all
worked as a team to provide a truly professional operation. It surely paid off!
Every effort will again be made to allocate all work as fairly as
possible and to use as many different members as we possibly can. The new
operation will extend to different stations and as soon as the full details are
known, we will of course notify you as to how we intend to allocate the work.
Again, please be reassured that it will be as fair as we can make it. It will
also be busier than last year!
News of Excel Centre / Physical Ranks / Terminal Training
Keith Cain and I are currently in negotiation with Excel management to provide
a Licensed DaC rank at many of the large exhibitions which are scheduled at
Excel throughout the coming year. This, I hope, will provide many cash and
credit card bookings.
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Can I please remind you that EC5 and E14C are physical ranks
and the marshals in attendance will work with help from the Call Centre's
GPS system to make these ranks as fair as possible for all drivers - please
book-in correctly.
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If you have any problems relating to the operating functions
of the terminal or procedural queries, I will be only too pleased to help
you if you ring me on 0207 251 0581 ext 225.
John Heather and the TaxiCard User
On a more personal note, a close relative of mine sadly passed away just
before Christmas. She was a regular Westminster TaxiCard user and being
partially blind, relied heavily on our services over the last few years as
her only means of travel. One of our long-standing members, John Heather
(C50), covered some of her trips and became a friend that she could talk to
during her journey times. He not only paid his respects by attending the
funeral, but was also on hand to offer friends of the family transport to
the crematorium. In a day and age when the Taxi Trade seems to have a lot of
negative press, this was a very heart warming gesture. Without trying to
embarrass you, John, her family would like to thank you for your kind
support.
I look forward to speaking to you all again at the AGM.
Allan Evans
DaC Marshalling / Driver Training
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