Car winner
I would like to take this opportunity to say how surprised and thrilled I was to win one of the three Peugeot 307 cars in the 2006 Christmas incentive draw. It was exhilarating to be a winner and the excitement stays with you! Where else would one have had this opportunity to win such a beautiful car? Dial-a-Cab has excelled and I am most appreciative of my good fortune in receiving such a fantastic prize.
   With renewed thanks to all involved…
Leon  Singer (D92)
Congratulations to all three winners …Ed

Coloured DaC logos…
I have just ordered a TX4 Silver taxi for 17 May at a cost of £34K. While I was there, it occurred to me that drivers on DaC are also ordering Gold spec cabs at a cost of up to £37K – a whiff of oxygen job! They come with coloured metallic paint and coded bumpers, wing mirrors etc together with other ‘bits and bobs’ to make them look like the driver has taken a lot of pride in his brand new taxi. Then what happens! Up you go to our fitting bay only to have a DaC black logo stuck on the still-glittering red, blue, silver, green or whatever finish the driver has paid extra for.
   Why can’t we have transparent logos as we had for many years before these ones? Radio Taxis and DataCab still have transparent ones so that you can see paintwork through them. Let me say that Allen Togwell did a good job designing them in-house a few years ago, but surely even he would not argue that transparent ones would do the job better on coloured cabs, as they are made up of four shades - red, blue, yellow and white. Existing ones would still be used on black cabs, but drivers wanting clear ones would then have a choice. If only the BoM were as clever as me and had thought of this without my prompting! So AT, how about picking up the gauntlet?
Pat Keefe (G01)
   Allen Togwell replies: Hello Pat, congratulations on the purchase of your new taxi and I hope it gives you many years of comfortable motoring. In answer to your question as to why we don’t produce transparent logos, firstly our previous logo - as is still the case with ComCab, Radio Taxis and DataCab - was one colour and produced on a clear Perspex which, when affixed to the cab, gave the impression it was a transfer. The original colour before I joined the Board was a poor attempt at gold and was later offered in a variety of shades to suit driver requirements.
   When I re-designed the logo, I wanted to break with tradition and produce something totally different from our competitors and so decided to use 4 colours. I’m sure you appreciate that if I put a variable coloured design onto clear plastic and then placed that plastic onto a surface which matched one of the colours of the design, then the corresponding colour would not be visible. For example, the yellow Dial-a-Cab in our logo on a gold cab would not be seen. So I used black as a background colour and I think the colour balance works well, especially on a light coloured vehicle such as silver. And that, of course, is the objective. You mention Radio Taxis - and this is not a criticism - but I’ve seen a number of their vehicles where the logo looks washed out and the reason, on closer observation, is because the colour of their logo on certain 

Marshalling with the enemy?

Dear Brian,
   Re your reply to my letter in the March Call Sign about the Lewis Day Marshals at DB and your advice about my ball, I don’t want to pick it up and go home. I want to play the game with other licensed taxi drivers who play it properly and who did the knowledge. As for my "guessing" that the trips covered by PH went further than ours, can you confirm then, that they cover trips to E1, N1 and SE1? Maybe I should have called it an "educated guess?"   John Addis (K97)
   Brian Rice replies: I am pleased you want to 'take them on,' John. I thought you might when you knew the facts. Regarding only working with people that have done the KoL, I agree with you, however, that is Utopia and not a situation that exists in the real world.  I do feel that your stance has mellowed slightly John, which is good and I can confirm that the PH do an assortment of trips including locals!

Internet question…
According to the Internet, Syed Nabeed Hashmi runs a company in Pakistan called Thermosole Industries. The article claims that his company is manufacturing components for "black taxis in London." He claims that his company designed the component, got its approval from engineers abroad and now holds the patent. Any idea what he’s talking about, Alan?
Sam Harris (ex-V52J)
   I asked Richard Daniels at LTI and the answer is that Mr Hashmi’s company produces the washer bottle used to clean the window. Since the advent of the Internet, it has become a small (and according to Mr Hashmi) clean world! …Ed

Badge numbers
Whilst reading the article 'Driver incentive winners collect cars', in the March issue of Call Sign, I noticed that in the picture of the DaC Boardroom computer, the badge number of one of the winning drivers had been scribbled out. I have no objection to this, but I would like to know why my badge number should be printed on each terminal issued receipt. By having the drivers badge number on the receipt, the driver leaves him/herself open to malicious retrospective complaints being made. This has happened to DaC drivers before. I would advise DaC drivers to scribble out their badge numbers on printed receipts, as has been done in the picture, before giving them to customers.
Yaqub Rafiq (O28)
   Thanks for the letter Rafiq. The decision to remove the badge number was mine and so far as I know, no one else – drivers or BoM – has even noticed. Whilst I have not heard of any complaints brought in the way you suggest and it is now compulsory to issue a receipt if asked for one, you can still give a hand-written one if the badge number element causes you problems. The only reason I deleted the number was so that no one could put it into their terminal and sign on in his name …Ed

Coventry visit
May I thank you for organising the visit to the LTI Factory and meeting some of managers and of

Coventry visit 2
Please allow me to say thank you to Call Sign for getting me through the door at Coventry to discuss my fears and hopes for the TX4 and at no travel cost to me. It’s hard to believe that I have, in three short months at Dial-a-Cab, had a face-to-face meeting with the Chairman and other senior members of the Board in addition to getting a trip to LTI travelling First Class with Virgin! I get the impression that at DaC that it’s not going to be a revolving door of management, which will allow us to create true stability and grow.
Gary Cox (O46)
   On behalf of all the drivers who went on this, Call Sign’s fifth visit to the LTI factory in Coventry, I must in addition to thanking LTI for their usual hospitality, also thank Virgin who sponsor our trip and who, on this occasion, made it extra special by sending us ‘First Class’ on their super Pendolino train. The train is magnificently smooth and comfortable and ‘First Class’ adds even more magic to it …Ed

Concierge turnover?
The March issue of Call Sign ("Another Record Surplus for DaC") contained a quote from the Chairman, which said the turnover from Concierge would increase to between £15 - £20Million in this financial year. Can the Chairman please tell us how much of this work will be carried in DaC member’s taxis?Brian Cohen (C81)
   Brian Rice replies: A very strange question Brian, which leads me to believe that it will prompt another from your clique in the not too distant future.  As you are aware, we at DaC are brimming with technology and the latest addition to our Arsenal (knew that would upset you) is the very latest in 'Crystal balls'.  Consequently, I can predict that if we do not add any additional clients to Concierge the amount going to our members this year will be £11,426,394 20p!

Cheaper exhaust systems?
I read in Call Sign that there was a cheaper exhaust system to be announced costing "only £1000!" Do you have any news on this unit? My overhaul is in July and I hate parting with my hard earned dosh. I’m looking for the best, yet cheapest system unit available. Can you help me please?
Roy Manix (K98)
   Sorry Roy, whilst I did hear that there was something about to come out, I certainly haven’t heard of it being passed – although the PCO are saying that they hope there will be an alternative to the absolutely ridiculous Nissan engine "converted" conversion for the Metrocab …Ed

Can you print my name?
I have been reading your magazine on line for several years and enjoy it very much as we taxi drivers have nothing like it over here. I have posted letters to you on several occasions but have never seen them printed. I would like to see my name is your production so that I can show my friends how good my English is. My late mother was American. My thanks to you…
Gary Nishkawada
Osaka, Japan
   While I’m delighted to know how many overseas readers Call Sign has, I actually need a reason to publish letters. Just saying hello isn’t really one of them! But as I‘m in a good mood! …Ed

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