| Mayor
Ken Livingstone is now determined to ban smoking from all public places
following publication of a London-wide survey. "All public
places" would include pubs, bars and restaurants. It also
includes all forms of public transport except London Taxis, where the
choice will remain with the driver. The Mayor has said that the PCO,
through Transport for London, will no longer compel Taxi drivers to accept
smoking passengers and should the trip be refused, no disciplinary action
will be taken against the driver concerned. Those drivers who are happy to
allow smokers, will have the freedom to do so. In the survey results to the question of ‘have you ever smoked’, 48% said never, 25% used to but had now given up, 8% said they smoked on an occasional basis and the remaining 19% were the habitual puffers. To the question ‘do you support a workplace ban on smoking’, 65% said yes, 27% said no while the remaining 8% weren’t bothered either way! And in response to the question ‘should there be a ban on smoking in Taxis’, a whopping 71% agreed. Scotland has now followed Dublin and Liverpool and is banning smoking in public places from 2006, something that is already common in New York and most parts of California. Sydney (Australia) has gone one step further and is discussing the banning of smoking outdoors as well, which leaves just the smoker’s homes available for a quick puff! As to the new Taxi regulation on drivers no longer having to accept smokers, the Mayor told Call Sign: "I do not believe it is |
TO SMOKE OR NOT TO SMOKE?
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| right that Taxi
drivers should be forced to run a health risk by breathing in someone else’s
cigarette smoke." So Call Sign asked the first five Dial-a-Cab drivers we saw for their views on smoking… Ivor Belkin (C97): "Although a non-smoker, I’m happy for people to smoke in my cab if they keep the window open. Anyway, I prefer not to start an argument! I’ve also noticed that passengers show respect by asking beforehand if they can smoke." 
Kurt Goldschmidt (B80): "I’m a non-smoker, but relaxed about passengers smoking in my taxi. During my national service, we were issued with ciggies whether we smoked or not and I always gave my ration to friends. Strangely enough, I have banned smoking at home, but allow it in the cab! I can close the glass division and isolate myself easily. At 66 years old, I don’t think I need worry too much!"Bert Goldschmidt (C83) and twin brother to B80: "I’m not a smoker but not too bothered if passengers light up in my cab. With a rear window open, any smoke or smell soon clears. We breathe in such a lot of muck in the air that I really don’t think it matters a great deal." |
 
Jim Edwards (E76): Jim lit a cigarette as he told us: "Passengers get into cabs and are able to smoke if they wish, which they cannot do on public transport. If the air gets a bit thick, I open my windows and sunroof. My Dad got cabs to and from work each day so that he could puff away, he couldn’t do that on the bus." John Lovegrove (F02): "I’m not a smoker but I’m not concerned whether passengers smoke or not. They really don’t bother me." © Call Sign Magazine 2004 |
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