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Concierge and the Election…
A member recently showed me a leaflet concerning DaC
that is currently ‘doing the rounds’. I read it and would have smiled had it
not been so serious. The four prospective Board members that are named on the
leaflet are insinuating that our new Concierge system is having a detrimental
effect on our work – that is absolute rubbish. The account who are operating
the new system have increased their taxi work to us from 10% of the account to
just over 57% - that is a fact. We are now getting over 200 trips a day from
the client, all being directed into our vehicles and this from an account that
has been with ComCab for over twenty years! We managed to get a 'toe hold'
inside a few years ago and are now doing 57% of the taxi work and rising. In
addition, we receive an extra Management Fee and all thanks to Concierge!
What equally failed to impress me about a leaflet in which the
signatories purport that they would be good for you and I if they were to run
our business – a leaflet which incidentally has also been seen hanging on the
notice boards of eating establishments for non-DaC drivers to read - is that
one of them has spelt his name incorrectly and they have also put the incorrect
date for the next AGM – hardly professional. Perhaps I would have had more time
for their argument had even one of them come to me to ask about Concierge, but
none have.
As you know, it is not my style to criticise any prospective Board
Member, but when they issue a leaflet that is so factually incorrect and which
contains glaring anomalies, then I am left with no alternative but to put the
record straight and inform members of the truth. Incidentally, the correct date
for our AGM is February 6th and not 8th as this leaflet tells you.
Signage on Private Hire Exteriors – A Judicial Review?
Now that Christmas and the New Year festivities are over, it’s time to get back
to reality. We will undoubtedly return to some grey and miserable days when
things will seem painfully slow. But once the first few weeks of January pass
and assuming that the weather isn’t too good, things should then pick up and we
may
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well be extremely busy.
Anyway, February promises to be interesting even if it only
involves issues that are of a concern to our
industry. As you are all aware, signage on the
exterior of Private Hire vehicles has been
made illegal much to the
consternation of some quarters within the
Private Hire sector. I am also pleased to
inform you that prosecutions have now resulted
due to some sections of the Private Hire
industry not conforming to the new
legislation.
However, I have been reliably informed that one Private Hire
company within the sector (well, Blueback,
actually) is actively seeking a Judicial
Review regarding the exterior signage on
Private Hire cars. They believe the current
legislation should be reversed so that Private
Hire cars can in fact carry exterior
advertising.
The review will take place in February, however I am informed that
the authorities are hopeful that a Judicial
review will be declined. Whilst on the
subject of legislation, I would like to inform
you that the authorities have decided to
license pedicabs in London. Full details will
be available very shortly.
Conditions of Fitness and Emissions
Whilst on the subject of the PCO, I am again
reliably informed that there will be an
announcement within the next six weeks
concerning the Conditions of Fitness and which
vehicles can be licensed in London as Taxis.
If you remember, earlier this year the PCO stated that the status
quo would prevail and the conditions would not
be relaxed. Consequently, the manufacturer of
an alternative vehicle threatened a Judicial
Review and the PCO then stated that they would
look at the whole topic again. Everyone - well
almost everyone - thought that meant that they
would be backing down and allowing alternative
vehicles into the London market. However, it
would appear that a lot of research has gone
into this second
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investigation with purpose-built
taxis in London being fitted with special equipment that registered every time
a taxi did a u-turn. In addition, the equipment also collated different types
of information that may or may not affect the efficiency of the vehicle whilst
it is doing its job.
Within the same time parameter as the
announcement of the Conditions of Fitness, an announcement will also be made
regarding the decision concerning Taxi emissions. I am led to believe that the
trade will be informed twenty-four hours before the announcement is made by the
Mayor, Ken Livingstone. As the Mayor normally holds his press conference on a
Tuesday, a reasonable assumption would be that the trade will be informed
sometime the previous day to the press conference, so the announcement should
be made sometime before the middle of February.
Smoking in Taxis
Talking about the Mayors press
conference, it would appear that he has made a slight faux pas concerning the
issue of smoking in Taxis. If you remember, the PCO has distributed some
literature and stickers that can be fixed to strategic areas of the Taxi
requesting customers to refrain from smoking. But of course as we all know, it
is only a request and customers could in fact insist on smoking as currently it
is not illegal to smoke in a Taxi and the PCO have the power to enforce any
legislation regarding refusals.
However, it would appear that the Mayor at one of his press
conferences announced that if the stickers were present, the driver could in
fact insist that the customer did not smoke. Now as you can imagine, this has
left the PCO with something of a little dilemma… do they in fact adhere to the
Mayor’s statement or do they enforce the law should a member of the public
complain? Understandably, the Public Carriage Office has decided to treat every
case on its merits.
And Finally…
I would like to wish everyone
connected to Dial-a-Cab - drivers, staff and Board members - the happiest and
healthiest of New Years. If you are working through the holidays, drive safely.
Brian Rice
Chairman, Dial-a-Cab |
