Congratulations To ComCab!
Call Sign would like to offer its congratulations to DelGro/ComCab for its recent success at London’s Hilton Hotel in winning the Taxi/Private Hire Company of the year. Out of an entry of several hundred (mainly PH), ComCab took the trophy for their provision of local taxi groups in suburban areas that perhaps didn’t have access to this form of licensed transport before.
   Dial-a-Cab were shortlisted for their innovative use of technology, giving clients (and drivers) the benefit of technology that they could only dream about previously. Both companies can feel proud of their success, not just in a rather meaningless junket, but in the real world.
Our only reservation about ComCab’s win – and this isn’t meant in any spiteful way – is that they sponsored some of the prizes. That gives the appearance of trying to sway the judges and whilst not for one moment would we suggest that had any sort of bearing on the result, perceptions in this type of event are important. After all, if the filmmakers who were trying to win them also sponsored the Oscars, the film-going public would no longer anticipate their importance.
   Nevertheless, our congratulations still go to Jaspal Singh and his team and in fact, the first person to congratulate Mr Singh was DaC Chairman Brian Rice.
   My congratulations also go to ComCab on winning one of our prestigious accounts sited not a million miles from Holborn Viaduct. I have no doubts whatsoever that they took the account "cleanly," but my concern is more towards how we lost it? My information – hopefully correct – tells me that the client was more than happy with our service, costs and the reports that we provide. So what is left? Well, elsewhere in this issue you can read how some of our drivers reported this Society to the Financial Services Authority because they didn’t like Concierge. That put DaC under investigation and for several months we had that stigma around our necks with many drivers phoning me up asking if it was true that "the fraud squad were in" or that "Brian Rice had been arrested!" Even the trade press phoned Call Sign to ask whether it was true about Brian being locked up!
   I believe that may have reached ears of someone at that ‘legal’

company and could well have played a major part in us losing the account.
   The FSA cleared us completely of any wrongdoing, but someone – or two - out there may well have cost us a substantial amount so far as finance is concerned and even worse, could have damaged the good name that has taken us over 50 years to build up.

Return of the Metrocab!
We should all be delighted at seeing the return of the Metrocab – albeit with just one taxi built so far. Drivers who bought the Triple-T claimed it had been the best taxi they had ever driven. However – and we do not say this lightly – just saying they are back in production should not be enough to get drivers jumping for joy. The survival record of the Metrocab through all of its stages is nothing less than appalling and those who have suffered most have been the drivers, both in lost warrantee work and the plummeting of their cab’s prices.
   Metro-Cammell-Weymann (MCW) were first, having acquired the rights to the old Beardmore Mark VIII design. They developed it into a prototype, which is now owned by DaC driver Keith White (A16) - President of the London Vintage Taxi Association. The "new" taxi was scheduled to enter service in June 1970 and MCW promised to throw all their weight behind the cab "… to send shockwaves that would reach Carbodies in Coventry!"
However, during a visit to Carbodies to view FX4 production, Carbodies then-Chairman Bill Lucas told MCW that the FX4 would always be sold for £100 less than whatever price MCW might put on the Metrocab. This represented around 5% of the purchase price and together with Carbodies ability to build sufficient cabs to supply the whole of the market if need be, MCW decided not to produce that first version. A series II version did arrive soon after, but never found success.
   In 1985, a new Metrocab burst onto the London scene, its plastic bodywork being built under contract by Reliant. Many drivers felt this cab resembled a hearse

and again sales failed to climb to the expected highs.
   In 1987, Metrocab introduced the biggest engine the trade had seen – a 2.5 litre, four cylinder Ford Transit direct injection diesel engine coupled to a Ford four-speed automatic gearbox. And for the first time in a taxi, it was also fully wheelchair accessible.
   In 1989, licence holder Reliant bought the Metrocab from MCW, but were soon to hit financial problems through slow sales. The cab was then sold to Hooper, who began a steady programme of improvements including the fitting of disc brakes in a London Taxi for the first time as standard. They went on to develop 6 and 7-seaters, but these were not as popular as had been predicted. In 1997, the series II version arrived to be followed in 2000 by the turbocharged Toyota engine in the TTT.
   Hooper were obviously having problems and in 2000, Kamcorp (UK) arrived to pick up the pieces, but in doing so announced that they had only purchased the assets of the old company. This meant that they were not responsible for warrantee work. Again it was the drivers who suffered…
   Then two years ago, Kamcorp called in the administrators. According to administrators BDO Stoy Hayword when Call Sign spoke to them, more than one company were interested in reviving the Metrocab. The trade – as usual – brought out 1001 rumours as to who the eventual buyer might be. LTI topped the list with Jamie Borwick coming a close second, but few expected Kamcorp to return!
   Now their first new TTT has come off the production line and gone to Birmingham. For the good of the trade, let’s hope that as the words of the song go, they can make it this time, because as sure as eggs are eggs, this will be their last chance and with rumours claiming this to be a publicity stunt to help the PCO/TfL retain the CoF, Call Sign’s hope is that isn’t the case and that the Birmingham Taxi Warehouse’ Metrocab is the first of many…

See You in July
As has become the norm, there will be no June issue of Call Sign. At this moment, I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do with my time off - other that I will most certainly enjoy it! So I’ll hopefully see you on 1 July when I’ll be starting my ninth year in the hot seat!

Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com