Call Sign March 2006 - Page 27 - SIGNAGE: A BUSY MONTH FOR BRIAN RICE!

In his Chairman’s report last month, Brian Rice told Call Sign readers that he was scheduled to have a meeting with the Chairman of the London Transport Select Committee, Roger Evans, at City Hall. Unfortunately, Mr Hunt was indisposed and instead Brian met with Brian Coleman, the Deputy Chairman of the GLA and current deputy Mayor of Barnet, together with two of Mayor Livingstone’s advisors. Accompanying Brian was Henry Burkett of London Taxi Network. The reason behind the meeting was to discuss the threat of private hire being allowed to display signage on their vehicles. Brian told Call Sign that the one-hour meeting went very well and that they put across their fears of what private hire would do if given the freedom to place signage on their vehicles. We explained how it would allow touting to an extent that we have never seen before," said Brian. "The inference we received was that if regulations passing PH signage went ahead, it would be for commercial reasons rather than safety." Mr Rice went on to add that the Mayor’s consultation document gave several alternatives regarding signage, but neglected the one that the taxi trade were looking for – to retain the status quo and keep the front and rear PH licenses that have become instantly recognisable. "They have taken away that option," said Brian, "which gives the impression of a fait accompli. However, that is not something that we accept. I also believe that PH licensing would be the forerunner of allowing them to use bus lanes. If they do not have signage and enter a bus lane, other cars would follow, but with signage – the obvious inference is that ordinary cars would not follow." Brian continued: "Perhaps I’m just being cynical, but I do hope I’m wrong on that. We shall certainly fight any attempt to introduce signage on PH vehicles for any reason because as I’ve said many times, it will without a shadow of doubt lead to an explosion of touting which makes the current batch seem like a total irrelevance. It will lead to	SIGNAGE: A BUSY MONTH FOR BRIAN RICE! But he gets an Early Day Motion agreed… Brian with Lee Scott on an earlier visit
	Brian Coleman - Deputy Chair of the GLA anarchy on the streets of London with huge numbers of unlicensed minicabs praying on the most vulnerable. We have warned the Mayor’s office and explained our fears, now we await to hear whether they have taken heed of our warning." Several days later saw Brian’s travels take him to Derby Gate behind the Houses of Parliament to meet Gwyneth Dunwoody. She is the longest serving female MP having served Crewe since 1974 and the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich since 1983. She is also the Chair of the HoC Transport Committee. This committee was appointed by the House of Commons on July 13th 2005 and is charged by the House with scrutiny of the Department for Transport. Its formal remit is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public bodies. The committee has the power to choose its own subjects of inquiry and seeks evidence from a wide range of groups and individuals. That, needless to say, is where Brian Rice came in. He gave his views on how he believed the question of signage on private hire would lead to an	explosion of touting. "It was an excellent meeting," Brian told Call Sign. "She understood our fears and will certainly look into them." Last but by no means least and possibly the most productive in a tangible sense was his meeting with Ilford North MP at the HoC, Lee Scott. Mr Scott has, in the past, been a visitor to Brunswick House prior to winning the Ilford North seat from another pro-taxi former-MP, Linda Perham. Brian told Call Sign that Lee – who he has now met several times - had been very positive. "He was extremely supportive," Brian told Call Sign, "and understood our position very quickly. With him being on the Transport Committee, I felt that he would be an extremely useful ally." Brian added that Lee asked him to send a briefing paper on the subject and he intended raising the subject as soon as was practicable. In the meantime, Mr Scott was going to try to muster the support of some London MPs in addition to putting out a press release and hopefully, putting forward an Early Day Motion. This is a colloquial term for a notice of motion given by a Member for which no date has been fixed for debate. EDMs exist to allow Members to put on record their opinion on a subject and canvass support for it from fellow Members. In effect, the primary function of an EDM is to form a kind of petition that MPs can sign. "I was very encouraged by his reaction," said Brian, "no one can convince us that any signage PH have over and above what they are currently allowed, will be more of an advantage that disadvantage to the public."

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