DIAL-A-CAB DRIVER OPERATIONS

Training and Marshalling
Workload and traffic levels have certainly picked up since the end of the summer holiday period and school break.
   You will read that since my last report in Call Sign, an exciting deal - exclusive to all Dial-a- Cab members - has been set up in conjunction with Mann & Overton that will offer a loyalty discount of £500 on all new TXIIs and selected passed and plated used taxis purchased through that dealership. This offer began on 1 September (54 reg) and will run until the 31 December 2004. The £500 can be used in any way you choose, for extras or a straight discount on the purchase price that you have already negotiated with M&O Head of Sales, Ian Butcher. If you have taken delivery of a new taxi since 1 September, but have not taken advantage of the offer or if you require any additional details, please ring me at Dial-a-Cab.

Virgin (WCT)
The 9-day blockade was again very successful and apart from some fairly minor issues, you can again be highly commended. Well done! As you will have read in your newspapers, engineering work on the southern section is almost completed and Virgin will now concentrate on the sections above Northampton northbound.

PCO and Meters / Printers in Taxis
All of you will now know that from 1 January 2005, every Licensed Taxi must be able to produce a receipt through the meter on all trips. This must provide the meter fare, a separate ‘extras’ figure and a combined  total fare. All meter

Christmas Marshalling
With Christmas fast approaching, bookings to take advantage of our Marshalling services will soon be coming in. If you have a passenger enquiring about a Marshalling service during your working day, please pass their details onto me and I will be only too pleased to contact them in the correct way and through the proper channels.
Your assistance is important; we are all part of the same team!

In-House Training
We now have a new in-house trainer at Brunswick Place who will be in the office every day during normal office hours. His name is Darren Morley and now that Darren is fully up-to- date

with our operating procedures, he will be available to help you all with any queries or problems that may cause you concern.
   Again, can I remind you that if  you require any assistance with credit cards or general operational procedure, please contact me on 0207 251 0582 ext 225.

Kings Cross Bus Lane
Can I finally remind you all to be very careful if you set down at Kings Cross Station. There are cameras that will automatically issue a parking fine if you drive on or through that part of the bus lane in Euston Road by the front of the station. It looks like Bishopsgate and Upper Street revisited!

Heathrow Airport
The new ‘Taxi Expert’ scheme at the feeder park is now operative and after visiting Heathrow along with Keith Cain, we were both impressed with what HALT are trying to achieve on behalf of the taxi trade. This system will certainly be much more foolproof and open to less abuse than the old tag system. As most regular users know, touting at all terminals is increasing and the Heathrow Marshals are doing a first-class job in their efforts to control what is becoming an epidemic from outside of the Licensed trade. We at Dial-a-Cab are now looking to introduce a ‘meet and greet’ at the taxi desks so that we can also play our part along with all the other radio circuits and combat the problem. There are many trips presently going outside of the Licensed trade from Heathrow and we must all work together to improve this ongoing problem and make sure that Licensed Taxi work is offered and carried out in Licensed Taxis.
Allan Evans AllanE@Dialacab.co.uk