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Goodbye AGM
Well, whatever happened to January and
February, it’s now already March! The AGM
has come and gone and accompanying it has
been the usual hullabaloo about postal
voting "killing democracy." I suppose it
depends on your view of life.
My views on the subject must be very well known by now. I don’t
like the idea of just 105 subscribers –
around 5% of the membership – being the only
drivers who care enough about their Society
to bother taking just half a day each year
off to attend. However, giving them the
option is far more democratic than saying
that you must attend. But what irritates me
far more than those who don’t want to
attend, are those who use others
non-attendance as an excuse. You must know
the type:
"I don’t bother going any more. It’s a waste of time because postal
voting has stopped everyone going…"
Well, if all those who said that actually went, then the attendance
might well shoot up. Or it might prove once
and for all that 95% of drivers are happy
with the way things are and see no need to
take a Sunday morning away from the pub /
football pitch / television set. On the
other hand, it might just be what it sounds
like - a handy excuse not to attend.
Whatever, you can read an in-depth report on
this year’s AGM inside this issue…
Cars in Bus
Lanes…?
What a stupid idea by the seemingly ever
more clueless Conservative Party to allow
cars with three or more passengers into bus
lanes. Like all political parties, the
suggestion obviously isn’t designed to
particularly help any situation, but to grab
more votes at election time. After all, look
how many car drivers would like to use bus
lanes…?
Shadow Transport Secretary Damian Green put the idea forward –
which will be included in the Tories next
election manifesto - claiming that bus lanes
take up valuable road space and that
allowing almost full cars to use them would
speed up the traffic.
Excuse while I take a breath for air, but wasn’t the original idea
to
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help buses and taxis escape
from the never-ending traffic queues?
Are those hold-ups not going to return if this
ridiculous idea ever gets the go ahead?
When asked how bus lane cameras would spot how many passengers each
car had, Mr Green said that details hadn’t
been worked out yet. Perhaps they could have
one of the new ultra-powered traffic wardens
patrolling the bus lane arresting anyone
caught telling porkies?
If the idea ever took off, how long would it be before some cars
with just a driver started pulling up at bus
stops and picking up passengers for a charge,
guaranteeing a quick trip because they’d be
able to use the bus lanes?
How long before these petit bureaucrats realise that the only
people who understand how traffic works are
those who use the roads for a living. As this
magazine has long said, TfL need professionals
on their committee – REAL taxi and bus drivers
who know what is sensible and what is just
plain daft. And speaking of daft, will Mr
Green still be around for the next election?
I was interested to see what Tory Mayoral candidate Steve Norris
might think about Conservative Central Office
dictating what London should do, so Call Sign
asked him. After all, doesn’t it rather negate
the idea of having a Mayor? You can read his
response elsewhere in this issue…
Ed’s New Cab
Rumours are flying around as to whether the TfL review of the
review regarding the Conditions of Fitness of
so-called alternative taxis, will come down on
the side of the ‘other’ vehicles. That was the
rumour last time as well. You may even hear
the official result during the few days
between me writing this and Call Sign being
printed and distributed. Almost certainly
we’ll hear the result this month. Rumours
(seemingly emanating from one trade
organisation) will surely remain just rumours
until the day before |
the result is released when the
cat will deliberately be let out of the bag in
the time-honoured way, for the winners and
losers to be informed.
Me? I have a lot of time for some of the MD’s of alternative taxi
companies. Mike Holland
and Geoff Chater are real gentlemen. While some cars wouldn’t last
a year in London conditions, others from the
reputable end of the alternative market –
specifically from the two gentleman above -
would no doubt do reasonably well and provide
competition for LTI and Metrocab (if the
Tamworth company can pull itself back to being
a successful trading company).
But I am also a traditionalist and I like the original London Taxi.
The TX1 that I have just handed in part
exchange for a new TXII was as good at the end
of its fourth year as it was when I bought it.
The original engine and gearbox worked as well
at the end as they did on purchase. The
Fairway I had before that did some 250,000
miles before I sold it after 6 years. Its
original engine and gearbox were still intact
and working well. Even my FX4R with its
infamous Rover engine was a real improvement
on the previous model. I don’t believe that
flooding London with lots of different taxis –
especially if PH can also purchase them – will
serve this trade well.
I hope my TXII keeps that record up and I see no reason why it
shouldn’t. LTI are the experts, they and their
predecessors have been making cabs for 50 or
so years and I have never been unhappy with
any new cab I have bought.
Contrary to what some drivers will believe, LTI have not given me a
free cab for saying the above - although I’d
have readily accepted it if they had! Rumours
are what keeps this trade going, but few ever
have much basis to them. Remember how "no one
will buy the TX1 because it looks like Noddy’s
car!" Look around – how many mention Noddy
now?
So when you see me in my TXII, feel free to ask what I think of it.
If I don’t like it then I’ll tell you and it
won’t be a rumour. If I do like it, I’ll tell
you that as well. Either way, wish me luck!
Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com |
