Christmas again!
It’s a sure sign of getting
older when Christmas comes around so
quickly, and boy has this year just
flown by! However, upon reflection, I
can understand how it appears to have
gone so quickly - from my perspective
anyway - and that was probably due to
the massive project I had to deal with
in order to move your business from one
location to another, which of course was
over and above the normal running of
your business.
Even today, I am not convinced that members appreciate the enormity
of the task that was undertaken – we
could have lost our whole business in
one operation. I can confess now that I
did have many sleepless nights in the
months leading up to the move, because I
was extremely aware of the consequences
that we could have experienced had I
failed to prepare correctly for the
impending move. However, our IT
department were absolutely magnificent
with the attitude and commitment they
directed toward the project.
Of course, other departments deserve their appreciation as well,
but I am sure they would agree with me
that in a company such as ours, if the
IT doesn’t work, then nothing does! The
old motto comes to mind: “If you fail to
prepare, then prepare to fail!” However,
I did prepare and the rest is history.
I believe that in the future, 2007 will go down in this Society’s
history as a momentous occasion, not
just for the move, but also as the time
when Dial-a-Cab were at the pinnacle of
the radio taxi industry. I’m not so sure
about our future under the present
structure, however, I am also extremely
proud of the fact that I will be known
as the Chairman that presided over
Dial-a-Cab when we were the best!
Talking of buildings, I have exchanged contracts on our old
premises, Brunswick House, and the
purchasers have paid a 10% deposit so I
am hopeful the process will be finalised
by the agreed date of 12 December. I
waited until after we had moved and
settled in before deciding to sell and I
was delighted that we were offered £300k
more than I anticipated. Then, like many
of these sales, the purchaser ‘cooled’
before contracts were exchanged so
another buyer had to be found. In
addition and as you are all aware, the
market also slowed down. But in our
favour, there is undoubtedly a shortage
of freehold commercial property, as |
I discovered from my own
experience when looking at properties
whilst endeavouring to purchase
Dial-a-Cab House. So I was optimistic a
buyer could be found – and indeed a
buyer was found, one who was also
willing to pay £250k more than the
original purchaser! So, yes, I was
absolutely delighted. I agreed terms and
exchanged contracts and a 10% deposit
was paid - all in less than a week – and
I’m optimistic that the sale will go
through this time…
Christmas driver incentive…
I hope the sale of Brunswick
House does go through in December, as I
believe I will need the money in January
to pay for the Christmas incentive – and
I will be delighted to pay it!
The feedback I have had from members
regarding this year’s Christmas
incentive has been extremely positive,
you all seem to like it and most of you
are really doing your bit in covering
more work. That is not only good for
your Society, it is also good for you.
I listened to what you’ve had to say in the past regarding last
year’s three Peugeots and the TX4 Gold
prize from the previous year and decided
to devise a simpler scheme where
everyone, should they so desire, be able
to benefit.
However, I have to confess that I altered the 100 trips threshold
several times as I kept recalculating
how much the scheme was going to cost!
Obviously, when you give away three
cars, you know exactly how much the
incentive is going to cost before the
scheme gets underway, but with this
latest scheme I can only estimate the
final cost to the Society – a cost that
I already know will be substantial. But
if means we cover the work easier and
quicker - and with less complaints -
then it would have been worth it. By the
time you read this, there will be
approximately three weeks to Christmas,
so just keep the great coverage going.
Parking fines and the
taxi trade… |
I know there must be very few of you who
have not had unpleasant
experiences regarding parking tickets.
It is an absolute disgrace the way in
which licensed taxi drivers are being
persecuted - yes persecuted - by the
authorities
when it comes to them going about their
normal business of transporting members
of the public around London. Councils
and boroughs are using CCTV cameras as a
means of raising extra revenue from the
taxi industry because, as always, we are
seen as an easy touch. I know how
obscene the whole scenario is becoming
just by the number of tickets we are
receiving from drivers.
What you must bear in mind is that we only pay for bona fide radio
trips, so it is obvious our drivers are
doing their day-to-day work when they
receive these notices, otherwise we
would not pay them. Goodness only knows
how much it’s costing taxi drivers
whilst they are doing cash work – I
don’t suppose I will ever know that
figure. I have spoken to everyone I can
think of regarding this issue councils,
TfL, PCO, the press, CBI and politicians
to name just a few!
The situation is getting worse because the authorities just don’t
seem to care. Is there no one that can
do something about this persecution? If
vehicles are illegally parked, then they
deserve everything they get, but not in
the case of a taxi driver on an account
ride whose only crime is to be waiting
for a member of the public so they might
transport them to their destination.
I still believe the Mayor can do something about it – I know I
would! However, all we get from Mr
Livingstone is that he doesn’t have any
jurisdiction or control over all the
various councils – right Ken! Just last
week, Dial-a-Cab spent £3000 on parking
tickets - which equates to £150k per
annum! I know for a fact that the other
radio circuits are receiving tickets at
the same rate as we are. Consequently, a
minimum sum approaching £500k and rising
is being raised in extra taxes from our
industry. Enough is surely enough –
someone has to stop this madness – the
question is who?
Christmas greetings…
Finally, I would like to wish
all members / journeymen and their
families a very Merry Christmas and a
healthy, Happy New Year!
Brian Rice
Chairman
Dial-a-Cab |
