Call Sign December 2006 - Page 24 - BRIAN RICE: TEN YEARS AS CHAIRMAN!

In 1996, 24 November was a Sunday and the date of that year’s Dial-a-Cab Annual General Meeting at the Metropole Hotel, Edgware Road. The Chairman at the beginning of the meeting was Aubrey Siteman, but at 2.40pm precisely, Aubrey took his leave and introduced his successor as this Society’s new Chairman - a youngster of two years BoM experience, Brian Rice! Brian took the microphone from Aubrey and immediately paid a tribute to his predecessor by leading a standing ovation. Aubrey was seen to become rather emotional, but held himself together long enough for Brian to present him with a clock on behalf of the membership. Brian was then left to speak, and showing amazing confidence for someone in that position, pledged: "I will do my very best to take our radio society further into the future," before lightening the mood by adding, "…all I ask of the membership is that you are gentle with me to start with!" Several humorous remarks from some of the drivers in attendance – including "how was it for you dear," - brought laughs from the platform and the floor! Certainly, his first ten years have not been without "excitement!" In February 1998, Brian announced that DaC drivers would be having new terminals fitted to their cabs that Brian described at the time as "revolutionary" and added in his Chairman’s column of the time that there would be nothing on the market to touch them. After all these years, amazingly they are still the best and even at a time when DaC are looking to the next generation! Later that year and soon after speaking on behalf of Dial-a-Cab in the chambers of Mr Justice Popplewell following litigation brought by a Board member against the Chairman and remainder of the Board, as well as the Finance manager and Call Sign Editor Alan Fisher, Brian suffered a heart attack at his home on 3 June. Within 6 weeks, he was back at his desk having sailed through the stress test that the PCO demand for taxi licence holders. That year also saw Brian announce that new logos had been designed in-house by Allen Togwell after subscribers voted at the 1997 AGM to disallow exterior livery ads on DaC taxis with the DaC logo being the only option. Also in 1998 saw the beginning of a technical revolution at Brunswick House, when DaC’s boffins designed a system whereby clients could order cabs via the Internet, could access our system and even send a message to their passenger travelling in one of our cabs via the driver’s terminal. It was the first system of its kind in the world. That year ended with the announcement of record figures and Brian announcing that a small group of drivers had gone to the PCO to tell them that he had suffered a heart attack and asking them to take away his licence! The PCO disagreed claiming that his stress test results showed him to be fully recovered. 1999 began with the Chairman writing that the Board member who had taken out litigation against the BoM, Finance Manager and Alan Fisher had dropped that litigation and had left DaC after making a contribution towards the costs. He followed that up by announcing that for the third consecutive year, there would be no increase in subscriptions. Two months later, the DaC Chairman announced that Deutsche Bank were coming over to us and reiterated how important it was that drivers keep to the 40-job minimum rule and followed that up in the next issue by saying that the future of this industry could involve going over to a complete ground transportation system. In a Q and A session with Call Sign, Brian said that we would not be running a minicab service, but could earn management fees whilst gaining much more work for our members. He added that corporate companies were now saying that tenders for their work should include details of GTS. "I could tell them that we are not interested," Brian told Call Sign, "but I believe that the bulk of our members would want us to tender and to get them as much work as we can." In March 2000, following the 1999AGM, Brian reported that it had been the first-ever DaC AGM that had included postal voting with voting up by an average two and a half times the usual numbers. The meeting also demonstrated our new terminals to many astonished drivers who had not seen technology like this in a cab before. Several weeks later, the PCO passed the terminal and we reached the 21^st century! Also, that month in 2000 saw Brian announce a review of the way subs were paid with those sporting the DaC logo paying less than those who chose not to have it. By 2006, 99.9% of drivers sport the DaC logo. In March 2001, Brian announced that DaC had now enhanced our internal system so as to enable account clients to extract Management Reports – something no other circuit managed for years to come and then only in a much smaller way. Darker days loomed in 2001 when the Chairman told Call Sign readers that the USA looked as though it was heading into recession and that some of our corporate clients had hinted that they wanted to cut costs. Even so, up until that time we’d had "a very good year" but the BoM had decided that we would be depreciating an extra Ł1million the following year and that would be coming off our bottom line. As a result, there was going to be the first subscription increase since 1996. In September of that year, Brian wrote for the first time of the litigation Radio Taxis had gone into against us regarding the use of website domain names. Brian was in the witness box at the Law Courts in the Strand for five hours and both radio organisations left the building not knowing who would be the winner. Several months later, DaC were announced as victorious in a situation that Brian described as a complete waste of money and that RT could have solved just by speaking to DaC rather than jumping into litigation. By the end of 2001 and following the introduction of the increased night charges, DaC’s Chairman made the first mention of seeing a noticeable slowdown following a tariff increase so close on the heels of the September 11 acts of terrorism. He wrote that he’d had to visit many of our large accounts to explain why the night tariff had increased by so much when everyone could sense business quietening down following what was to become known as 9/11. That slowdown was to continue for some time… By March 2002, Brian reported that street work was noticeably down and the only advantage that created was to improve our service. Even then, clients were still complaining about costs and cutting down on their usage. One month later, Brian	BRIAN RICE: TEN YEARS AS CHAIRMAN! 2004 and Brian meets up with Prince Charles
	22 November 1996 and Brian has his last day as a board member before the AGM that would make him Chairman announced that DaC shareholders would be receiving a letter following an offer that had been made to the Society regarding a company buying a controlling share in DaC. The letter was to see whether subscribers wanted to gain more information on the takeover or to come out with a straight "no." As an indirect result of the possible purchase, the financial papers were giving much publicity to DaC at a time when work had been noticeably slowing down. The next issue of Call Sign gave Brian’s figures that 73% of subscribers had voted to get more info, but that 300 had not even replied. Brian called the non-voters a worrying situation but said that with 73% asking for additional information, the BoM felt they had little choice but to investigate the possible takeover further. In July 2002, DaC added GPS to its range of facilities and announced that it could track any cab and know where it was at the push of a button. This would help stop those who booked into incorrect zones at the expense of the vast majority that played fair – especially as work was still not easy to come by. In that September, Brian told Call Sign how upset he had been after discovering that founder Chairman Bonnie Martyn had passed away at the age of 93. Brian and Bonnie had become friends. The front cover of that issue said it all with a full-page portrait of Bonnie. The following month heard how the downturn in the economy had affected DaC’s end-of-year figures. We were 18% down on the previous year "…which is almost as bad as the 22% downturn we suffered 10 years ago (the recession)," wrote Brian. The big difference this time, he told Call Sign, was that unlike 10 years earlier, we were still making money this time. He also said that the slowdown showed no signs of easing. In the December issue, Brian told of his sadness at the death of former Board member and dispatcher, Johnny Saunders. John was one of the first people the Chairman met when joining DaC in 1974 and the fact that they were both QPR supporters formed an instant bond between them. By July 2003, the downturn in the financial business sector was beginning to bite into UK industries, although DaC were still holding their own. Sovereign Capital, who at one point were looking into the possibility of making a bid for DaC drivers shares, wrote that they would be looking again at their offer "later in the year." But nothing could stop us all having a great time at DaC’s 50^th anniversary bash, an event still spoken of as being the best taxi social event ever. A few weeks later and Brian was having meetings with those looking at the possibility of putting outside advertising onto Private Hire vehicles. Among those he spoke to on this round were the Mayor’s Woman’s Advisor at County Hall, Anni Marjoram and the Director of Taxi and PH at the PCO, Ed Thompson. Brian’s hope at the time was that we could keep delaying any chance of minicabs displaying outside liveries because, as he wrote at the time, it would inevitably lead to an epidemic of touting with signs of all kinds appearing on cars and drivers then pretending to be part of legitimate PH companies. Three years on and they still don’t have it, so we must have done something right! September 2003 and the DaC Chairman proposed that the Taxi Board should open its doors to all trade organisations and for the first time, create complete trade unity – a sentiment agreed by the SPLT Gen Sec of the time, John Paul Pace. Sadly, the T&G and LTDA refused the offer and another opportunity to unify the trade went begging. Into 2004 and Sovereign said that for the deal to progress further, DaC should pay a share of the costs so far accrued. Brian had said earlier that DaC would not be involved with any costs and so far as DaC were then concerned, the matter was non-negotiable. The offer was then withdrawn. The following month, Brian announced that things seemed to be picking up and whilst we had made a surplus the previous year "under very trying conditions," we were now 13% up on that previous year. Brian also gave a moving tribute following the death of former Board member, Cecil Selwyn. Never shy of being controversial, the March 2004 Chairman’s report asked why the number licensed taxi drivers passing the Knowledge had decreased whilst the number of examiners at the PCO had increased? He also asked why there were so many cab drivers now sitting as examiners as against the retired policemen that used to be at the PCO? "Could it be," asked Brian, "that when these examiners go out in their cabs, there could be more business for them with fewer drivers passing out?" That point has been raised several times since by other trade organisations, but Brian was the first to ask the question. In May of that year, Brian was honoured by the Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers when he was one of 100 freeman to be clothed with their livery. "It wasn’t just an honour for me," Brian said at the time, "it was an honour for Dial-a-Cab." In August, Brian went to Clarence House as a representative of the licensed taxi trade with the DaC Board and was presented to Prince Charles and Camilla. Coincidentally in that month Brian also became DaC’s longest serving Chairman, taking that title from Peter Fennymore. October saw the announcement that turnover was up by Ł4.5million and that DaC had paid its subscribers Ł3.5million more	than the previous year. It was also the month that Brian revealed details of the job distribution system we were building. It was called Concierge… Into 2005 and Concierge makes its first appearance in Mailshot and an election poster signed by four of those standing in the 2004 AGM was criticised by Brian for being so totally inaccurate. Brian apologised for bringing up the subject just as we were going into the election, but said he was left with no choice, as the leaflet "was factually inaccurate and contained glaring anomalies!" Rumours were floating around the trade that DaC had invested huge amounts into Concierge – although it was later revealed that the true cost had been around Ł25,000 and that it had regained the cost within weeks and that it had since bought much money and many extra trips into the Society! The election came and went and in March 2005 Brian wrote asking why so many members had attended the AGM and answered his own question: "Could it be because of the rumours suggesting we would be annihilated over Concierge?" He then added that if that was the case, they must have gone home disappointed and that it had been a very enjoyable meeting! The atrocities in London of 7 July 2005 were mentioned in Brian’s September report when he wrote expressing the shock and sadness we all felt as those awful events unfolded. But he also passed on the appreciation from many of our account clients for the assistance DaC drivers gave on that day. All transport stopped – except taxis. We carried on, not knowing what risks were involved, and managed to get people to their homes and clients were quick to send their grateful thanks. In October of that year, Brian announced that the FSA investigation into DaC, which had been launched after a small group of drivers wrote to them, had been concluded with the Society being given a clean bill of health. It was 2006 and Brian wrote of the forthcoming 2005 AGM and the record number of rule changes and propositions. He wrote that most were coming from the same person who had reported us to the FSA and that as Chairman he wasn’t too worried – but showing that he can be as sarccy as the next man (!!!) – Brian explained to Call Sign that the member had also explained in a letter to the Chairman how Brian should run the meeting! "This is the 11th meeting I’ve conducted. How many has this member chaired," Brian asked? The Board also decided that having so many rules and propositions – many seemingly unnecessary – would undoubtedly slow up the normal democratic process and decided to give drivers a further option to vote on. That was that future rule changes or propositions should need 25 signatories of fully paid-up members before they could be put to the membership. As Brian told the meeting: "If they are good enough, then finding those 25 members would not be a problem. It would, however, get rid of pointless ones with no or very little support. The membership carried it and it entered the rulebook. The February cover showed how the DaC Chairman should be feared when Brian was pictured on the front cover putting a wrestling hold onto Spiderman with old Spidey apparently begging for mercy! "No one messes with DaC," Brian told Call Sign with a smile! The "happening" took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel at the LTFUC Mad Hatters tea party for children – an event Brian rarely misses. In April, Brian announced that Brunswick House was "popping at the seams" and needed larger premises. He said that we had found a suitable building close to BH and were looking at it. Marten House later became our property. He also had further meetings with Anni Marjoram and the Mayor’s chief advisor, Mark Watts over the still-possibility of PH having signage and told Call Sign that both were extremely supportive of our battle to stop PH displaying any form of livery. In July, in addition to being shown on the cover with four attractive ladies called The Suffrajets, Brian told drivers that we had retained both the Rothschild and Morgan Stanley accounts after both had gone out to tender. We were also about to begin servicing the Citigroup account art Docklands. By September of this year, Brian admitted that he had changed his mind about Pedicabs and whereas he originally could see little harm in them, after seeing what was happening in Brighton with the Tuk Tuks, which are the motorised versions, he now believed that they were indeed a danger to our industry. Speaking to Call Sign afterwards, Brian said that he could never understand why some people were afraid to ever admit that they had changed their minds. "If someone convinces me that I am wrong, then I see no problem in changing my mind. "Mind you," he said with a smile, "it doesn’t happen too often!" And finally, Brian announced once again that we had achieved excellent end-of-year results and he also wrote that we had now started to use our new building even though there were still some "ongoing negotiations" with the contractors. These were later sorted out. And so begins year 11…! Brian’s most notable achievements during those first 10 years? He told Call Sign: "I’m proud of so many things concerning Dial-a-Cab. Every single year of my ten as Chairman has shown a surplus – several into six and even seven figures, our fleet is now probably the most recognisable in London with 99+% sporting the DaC logo and probably more than anything else, I’m proud of the quality of staff, Board and drivers that are involved with our company. They are undoubtedly the best group than anyone could have even though there are exceptions to every rule. You could say that I’m just proud of Dial-a-Cab!" Brian is proud that over 99% of Dial-a-Cab drivers now sport the DaC logo
24 November 2006 and the DaC Board organise a secret reception for Brian to celebrate his first 10 years as Chariman

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