Black night for signals?
Alan, as an evening man, I’m sure you know that last night’s signals (26 April) were the worst ever. How many drivers does it affect and why does it happen? Will it happen again? How many accounts are lost on a night like this? There must have been 300 jobs on the board at one time, surely if we had a marshal on the Fins giving drivers jobs by pen and paper via the phone and call centre, this would still have been better than the meltdown we suffered last night. Do drivers have a right to a subs refund or rebate - no I’m not joking!
   Secondly, after a 6-hour wait for a trip offer, I got a true A/D – except that when I accepted the job, it had a given destination. Well that’s not a true A/D is it? That’s to fool the greedy driver into thinking he might get a roader, but really he can do what someone has deemed an undesirable job. True A/D it certainly isn’t. Also if Dial-a-Cab were not so busy flogging theatre tickets or recruiting drivers to daytime TV cookery shows via their terminals, it might free up the airways a bit. After a very frustrating nights work, the biggest insult to me is only 2 trip offers but 3 different cabs for rent on my screen. Can these ads be put on hold till another day, or at least to when we have stopped swearing at our state-of-the-art top-of-the-range, ‘dogs nuts’ terminals that don’t work!
Nick Steventon (J65)
   Brian Rice replies: I can understand your frustration, Nick, but I can assure you that I was equally and probably more frustrated than you! As you know, we recently moved and it was imperative that our system was upgraded before the move. That led to problems when our system was put under pressure, particularly on a Thursday evening - the busiest night of the week.  It is very easy to criticise, but what we need is a little tolerance and understanding as we endeavour to improve our infrastructure, that will be to the long-term benefit of members and clients.  Have we sorted our problems out?  Well, at the time of writing we do not know, we can only be sure once the system comes under pressure again, however, I am hopeful the situation has been resolved! Will it happen again in the future? Probably yes, because with the best will in the world all organisations have problems with their computerisation programmes, we are no different and possibly even more prone to difficulties as our systems are so much more complex than most. I appreciate your suggestion regarding the Finsbury, but that is not an option, purely because of the volumes of work that go through the system nowadays. 
   Finally Nick, as I wrote earlier, we need tolerance and understanding from members as we do not 'crash' our systems on purpose

Classifieds in Call Sign?
With all that’s happening in the trade at the moment with new emission regulations and the two overhauls a year rule, what are your views on the idea of a page or column in Call Sign for subscribers to advertise cabs for sale / wanted or drivers looking for a cab to work, or owners looking for a driver or partner?
Gary Saffer (P59)
   Gary, I used to run a classified column. The problem was that too many drivers complained their ads were being answered up to a month after the ad went out because Call Sign comes out monthly. It will always happen because some drivers take a month to read the mag whilst others flick through it. So you can be looking for a cab to buy, see one in Call Sign and phone the seller who gets irritated because his cab was sold three weeks earlier! I'd have no problems doing it again if that's what drivers want, it’s just that the system of a notice board in the old building seemed to work well. However, until the new Driver’s Reception is completed and the notice board goes up, I will be happy to take any ads (see elsewhere in this issue) …Ed 

Thanks for the article
Thank you for the lovely very touching article you included in the May Call Sign on the arrival of my newest grandson, Liam, who is doing great.
Stephanie Bell
Redbridge, Essex
   Stephanie’s husband was the very popular DaC driver, Lennie Bell (L01), who died in March 2005 …Ed

Gone…but not forgotten!
How sad that Call Sign's best two columnists Chas Kissin and Russ Hall have decided not to continue writing in the magazine, here's hoping they reconsider. Let's hope Richard stays ...good stuff.
John Addis (K97)
   Hello John, as I wrote in the last issue, it was my decision to ring in a few changes. Both Chas and Russell have been writing for Call Sign for many years and I felt that on some occasions you have to make changes in order to keep a magazine fresh. I don’t know whether I have succeeded, but I constantly have to keep trying. I’m sure both Chas and Russ appreciate your support – and yes, Richard Potter is still a comparative newcomer compared to those two and still here.
   Several drivers have also asked why I stopped the series of legal articles by solicitor Hope Liebersohn. The reason was that Hope had almost reached the end of the series and the May issue, with the following month off, is a traditionally good time to drop a shutter down! To all three, once again a big thank you …Ed

Black is black?
Re the debate started by Stanley Roth (Y53) in the last Mailshot on whether we are black cabs or not, I wholeheartedly agree with the quoted JPM passenger. Black cabs mean London cabs. A licensed taxi driver can mean anyone from any part of the world, but black cabs, well that means us - the best in the world - London black cab drivers! I have had many people in my cab who say they have just returned from another country and that they never realised just how much they appreciated the black cabs of London! They don’t mention London licensed taxis… 
   Personally, I don’t even think we should have a choice of colour - we should only have black. I think that people who choose a different colour when buying a new cab only do it so they stand out as in: "Look at me, I’m different, I drive a 2-tone or ‘white pearl’ or ‘rose red’. No sooner than these new colours - and optional extras for that matter - were allowed, that’s when I believe the PCO started saying: "If you can afford £750 extra for a paint job, you can afford to represent your cab for that ‘hangy’ bit of trim.
   As for full or half liveries, well I don’t think they should be allowed either. And before anyone starts ranting, just look around you - New York has yellow, Mexico City’s are green and white, some German cities have beige, while Madrid has white and red. Even our beloved Basildon has white and orange - and all have no - or very little - external adverts.
   Every single London cabbie knew when getting their badge that they were becoming a member of the world’s most famous club. The title ‘black cab’ is one of the most respected (outside TfL and every local London council, that is) group of drivers throughout the world. The phrase black cabs is one of only things we have left that is unique to us, excepting bus lanes and street hailing, and if these two go what do we have left? I’ll tell you - a rank full of coloured cabs with no identity
Michael Beevor (N76)
   York Council recently entered the debate by deciding to only licence taxis that are black and which only display the council crest on the outside. Anyone else like to give a view on the subject? …Ed

E14 rankers…
Thank you for clarifying the E14C ranking regulations (May Call Sign). As it happened, in
my incident I was 100% correct because I did not book-in until I was on the rear of the rank on the left hand side of the road. It was the cab in front of me that waited until he reached the first 4-cab portion before booking-in that caused the problem. I will know in future what the rules are and with your information all drivers should also be aware. There is nothing worse than disputes with other drivers who mistake the rules. Thank you again…
Tom Reynolds (O85)
   Pleasure Tom! If only all queries were that simple to solve! …Ed

Subs up
Just read Brian Rice’s Call Sign article and the ‘good news’ that our subs are going up despite the fact the Society has millions in the bank, we break records month after month and we have a shiny new building. It seems that the drivers’ reward for all this success is an increase in subs, surely the very opposite of what should have happened! An increase insultingly spun as if we were lucky and we should

consider it good news.
   Frankly the Board can’t have it both ways, freshly re-elected on the back of rightly trumpeting
their successful stewardship, with records being broken all over the show, best ever financial position etc, but who then say ignore all that now and far from decreasing your subs, we’re actually going
to increase them. What is the point of having 4 or 5 million in the bank or 9 or 10 for that matter if we can never reap the benefits?
   My question is this: Just how successful, profitable and record breaking does this ‘mutual society’ have to be before drivers can receive some financial bonus for their efforts?
David Brett (P93)
   Brian Rice replies: One of the reasons we are so successful, David, is that we think to the future. To increase subscriptions by the rate of inflation is not unreasonable, after all, your staff expect an increase in their salary every year - just as you do. Because this Society has been so well-managed, we are in the position of purchasing our new building without incurring any debt so that we might attract more work for our members in the future. Although we are still in a healthy financial position, our reserves have been used to acquire the freehold of the new building and I believe the vast majority of my members will understand the necessity to increase subs, otherwise, unless we can guarantee a
surplus every year then if at any time we needed to spend large amounts of money, the BoM would have to come to the membership cap-in-hand. That is not good management but weak management!

LPG conversions?
I have been with Dial-a-Cab for 18 years but this is the first time I’ve written or emailed to Call Sign. Would it be possible to find out about any cab companies that carry out taxi conversions to LPG or CNG, as I cannot find any details on the PCO or TfL websites? If any DaC driver can recommend anybody, my email address is garryfarr@hotmail.com.
Garry Farr (R87)
   Nice to hear from you, Garry. There is no one in the trade who knows more about LPG/CNG conversions than Stanley Roth (Y53) and I asked him the questions on your behalf. He said that the only company that may offer LPG conversions is the London Central Cab Company at Herne Hill Road (phone 020 7501 9998).  So far as CNG conversions are concerned, it never worked due to the weight of the tank and also the refuelling infrastructure.  However, Garry, if you can wait until the end of the year, there may be some good news regarding cabs on test …Ed

SatNavs
I’m sorry you have had a bad experience with a driver who was using a SatNav, Alan. I purchased one last year. I spend a lot of time in Spain, which is why I really bought it. Unfortunately, after only one week my SatNav failed to work. For this I blame myself. I thought I could talk dirty to the lady giving me directions, but obviously she was not amused!
   Having received a replacement - and now on my best behaviour - it helps me locate speed cameras (What…? Ed). Sorry, that should have read safety cameras - the manufacturer’s preferred description That’s better! Ed). It is certainly a help, but not something in which I would put absolute faith. I firmly believe it is no substitute for the Knowledge. Yes! It will get you to your destination, but in a manner that would certainly displease most members of the public. When tested, it has given me routes that inform me to turn at junctions where I am not allowed to do so and has also advised me to take routes through busy shopping centres when there are better options!  On several occasions my passengers have seen my SatNav mounted on my dash and given me their postal codes. I assume that this is the result of travelling in minicabs on a regular basis. In the meanwhile, I look forward to getting a fare outside London where I would find it more beneficial.
Steve Shaller (R75)
Thank you Steve. Much of what you say concurs with what I said. It gets you there but not in a way that passengers would want – even when the route is straight. Where you fall into the trap is in your last section re postcodes. By seeing your satnav, passengers will eventually believe that there is no difference between minicabs and us. That’s why I said that I keep mine hidden until needed on that out-of-towner.

Appeal, appeal, appeal…
Just to let you know the PCN I received from TfL for stopping on a red route at 3.40am on the Edgware Road has been cancelled. I got the PCN in November and appealed twice to TfL with no joy. One week before I was due to appear at the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service, TfL bottled out. I suggest any driver with a PCN should take TfL the whole way.  
Barry spear (Y16)
   I spoke to Barry when he received the PCN and told him what I’d tell anyone in similar circumstances; if stopping is in connection with the job, then you must appeal! TfL may be stubborn, but their legal department aren’t stupid. They know when the driver has right on his side and that the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service often come down on the side of the driver. Of course there are times when you are in the wrong and then you just have to hold your hands up and shell out …Ed

H of C…
I am at a loss to understand how an account we serviced, at fixed prices, satisfactorily for a long while migrated to Radio Taxis whose drivers are now servicing this same account on meter readings plus a 5% gratuity? I am, of course talking about the House of Commons account. Reading Paul Jenner’s letter (May Call Sign), he writes that Radio Taxis are going to undercut our prices by a reported 50 pence a mile.
   I do not know where Paul got his information from, but I got mine from numerous Radio Taxi drivers and a close friend who happens to be an employee of the aforementioned circuit.
   I am aware strange things happen in our trade, but this has got to qualify as being one of the strangest. Possibly a Board member may be able to enlighten me with regard to this puzzle?
Steve Shaller (R75)
   Brian Rice replies: I now believe it was all down to service. The account was due for renewal in April this year and we went in with £3.30 per mile, but if you remember Steve, the House had a torrid time before Christmas with our service because we are so busy.  They were complaining to us on a daily basis, as indeed many of our large accounts were about our level of service.  Again, if you remember, I wrote at the time that we might have some casualties as our service was perceived by some customers to be poor. I believe the decision was made before Christmas that the account would not renew with us in April - I do not write things for the sake of it. I will also predict that unless our service improves during the morning rush hour, the HoC will not be the last account we lose.  Many drivers just sit there and reject, reject and reject. I know all the reasons, I’ve heard them all a million times before, but at the end of the day some of our members are not supplying the service our clients require - no doubt some of those same members would be the first to jump up and tell drivers in Call Sign how its OUR company. Their coverage doesn't always seem to back up that theory.

A question of numbers?
It is a standard complaint of organisations that they are overburdened by unnecessary regulations. If only the red tape could be cut to shreds then they would be free to flourish, offer every item the public could desire, provide unlimited employment and make a handsome profit. With a bit of reflection, would we really say that when it comes to driving there would be an improvement if there were fewer regulations?Would we accept that cars
should be free to be driven without brakes or lights or insurance? Or decent tyres or safety glass? Or that drivers should not be constrained by traffic lights that turn red? All this ‘red tape’ imposed on everyone and accepted by the majority, is for the benefit of motorists as a whole.
   I would like to suggest yet another regulation! That is that each private and commercial building should be obliged to display the street number in large and clear signage. This would be a simple piece of legislation that local authorities could introduce and which would make life so much easier for all drivers and members of the public. It would be a cheap and
uncontroversial proposal. Finding your friend in the correct Starbucks on Oxford Street when there are seven of them, none of which has the number displayed, would no longer be a problem. And the benefits to taxi drivers when looking for a passenger's house or office are obvious.
   But this new legislation is not about to happen. Instead, I would like to suggest that Dial-a- Cab and Call Sign initiate a publicity campaign pointing out the benefits of better signage. To start, all current clients could be sent a note suggesting that they look at their own premises and ask themselves

if a first time visitor would easily be able to identify it from a vehicle in the road? Call Sign, with the help of drivers, could publish pictures of fine examples of clear numbering with a monthly nomination for the best example. Perhaps the Evening Standard could join forces, which would be extra publicity for Dial-a-Cab.
As good examples, I think of the bold numbering on the houses in Wilton Crescent and the office block at 10 Victoria Street, which has digits 3 feet high. On the downside, I find that brass plaques are pretty useless unless you are standing 2 feet away. It is surprising how often house numbers are painted over by a lazy decorator or hidden behind an expensive bay tree.
   Also, the new fashion of an address etched into glass on the front door is not very helpful and can easily be overlooked.
Laurence Kelvin (W88)
   Thanks for the letter Laurence. I think our number by the main entrance can be easily seen from East Road, but I asked the BoM’s Special Projects Manager, Mike Son, if he could look into local council regulations on the subject. The BoM are in agreement that to approach our clients and tell them how to number their premises could bounce back in our faces …Ed
   Mike Son replies: Although it appears various boroughs have their own legislation, in this case I have spoken to the Corporation of London and was referred to their website: (HERE).
   If you feel a complaint is warranted, they say they will action that complaint, however, not many in the past have been forthcoming. The City of London is the statutory authority for the naming and numbering of streets and buildings in the Square Mile. The appropriate naming and numbering of streets and buildings is important for identifying property in general, record keeping (eg responses to emergencies by ambulance, police and fire services). Furthermore, all addresses are recorded in the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer) in an official and consistent format. So the bottom line is that buildings should be clearly numbered, but I would wish anyone luck in trying to action a property that isn’t!

Cabtivate
Re Malcolm Levan’s (F24) letter in the May issue of Call Sign. Unfortunately, I and a few others didn’t have his wisdom or foresight and ended up getting our fingers burnt. I settled early reducing the debt to £2,400, which was a bitter pill to swallow.
   In defence of my actions, I’d never heard of Cabtivate until I read an article about them in Call Sign informing us that they had been given the nod by the PCO and considering that Cabvision were a going concern working on a similar basis plus the fact they had established a clientele up north, they seemed a bona fide company.
   I’m not looking for sympathy here, but found Mr Levan’s letter insensitive. What was he hoping to get from this, a congratulatory pat on the back?
Steve Regan (K25)
   I can understand your frustration Steve, but taking it out on Malcolm Levan isn’t the answer. Malcolm was just thanking Brian Rice for his advice. Even though it was just a press release and the PCO passed the system, I still feel bad about it and have, in fact, been working with a DaC driver who is currently seeing a solicitor. Obviously I can’t comment on that at this moment.
   In defence of Call Sign, I publish a small minority of the press releases that come in and only published the one on Cabtivate because it claimed that the equipment was going to be rented on a monthly basis from the leasing company, the inference being that the worst that could happen was that the driver could lose one month if the company went under. Sadly, the press release and what actually happened didn’t match up. You can read the original press release on page 13 of Call Sign’s online website at (HERE) …Ed

Exhausts and extensions
I have just heard of a new exhaust system, details are few but it costs around £800. Do you know any more about this? Also re the new building, can you let us all know the new extension numbers there please, as they are now all 4 digits?
Roy Manix (K98)
   At the time of writing, there are apparently several systems out there on test. The problem is that the PCO require six months on-the-road testing before they will pass any system and in all honesty, they are probably right to do so providing they then make the right decision at the end of that period. £800? Nothing is impossible but have you ever known anything in this trade to go down in price when an updated version arrived? You gotit in one, Roy!
   As for extensions, you can reach Brian Rice via ext 7211, Allan Evans on 7222, Keith Cain on 7204, Mike Son on 7207, Howard Pears on 7206, Allen Togwell on 7203 and Tom Whitbread is at Roman Way on 0207 700 4443. Details for contacting Driver Services (ground floor of the new building) are elsewhere in this issue …Ed

Is DAB the best radio for a taxi?
Lots of drivers are buying the new TX4, but I wonder how many have them fitted with DAB digital radios and whether any of them can tell Call Sign readers whether the difference is as good as they say? It could be of great assistance to DaC drivers.
Kevin Went (N19)
   Call Sign asked drivers last year and got a very mixed reaction with several complaining about signals fading. If you have a DAB radio, perhaps you can advise Call Sign readers on whether the extra outlay is worth while? …Ed

New name boards
The new DaC name boards that hang on the windows are great. Very useful too at the airport when waiting at arrivals because you can hang them onto your badge necklace, as I’m currently doing while sending you this text!
Martin Barker (G06)
   I really feel wanted now! …Ed

New building ‘grand tour’
On Monday 5 May I handed in my new taxi licence to Driver Services at our new building in East Road - very easy to do as parking is provided for three cabs in Chart Street. Whilst there, I thought it would be nice to be nosey and have look around. Well I didn’t have to wait long as Brian Rice caught my eye and I seized my chance. "Hey Brian, any chance of the Grand Tour" say’s I? Well, as busy as he normally is, he says sure Pat and commences to show me around the ground floor. Very impressive, I think, as he shows me this room and that room etc. I can feel how proud he is of this new building and his enthusiasm is catching onto me. On the next two floors he shows me staff training rooms, calltaker training rooms and driver training rooms, then we go on to the main frame computer room - air conditioned to keep it cool. So many lights flashing and cables everywhere, I could not understand any of it but Brian knows a man who can! Then onto the hub of things - the call centre / dispatch open plan floor. Now this really is high tech stuff, looks like mission control Houston! Then on to the top floor and a meeting room, Boardroom, Chairman’s office and his secretary’s office. There are still finishing touches to be done on all floors, but was I impressed? You bet the hell I was! I truly believe that Brian Rice and the BoM have acquired the best building with the interior finish and furnishings that any taxi company anywhere in England - or worldwide for that matter - could aspire to have.
   On the way out, Brian showed me the backup generator explaining that if we ever have a power cut, the generator should kick in and keep us up-and-running. I must say that at this point I was proud to be a 35-year member of a Friendly Society called Dial-a-Cab as I could see our profits being put back into our new building, rather than some anonymous share holders who will never fill the same loyalty to our Society as I do.
   Every so often drivers send in letters to Call Sign just to have a pop at the BoM and I'm glad some of you do! It keeps them on their toes, but before you put pen to paper, do what I have done and have the Grand Tour, you might think twice…
Pat Keefe (G01)
   You’re right Pat, it is special – and you didn’t even get to see the fifth floor! …Ed

Marathon sponsorship
Thank you for Call Sign’s kind sponsorship of my Marathon run. We are looking forward to seeing my ugly face in the next issue… scary thought!
Russell Tiller (P19)
   PS: Alan, I have signed you up for the 2008 London Marathon. Good Luck…
   Thanks Russell, but re next year's marathon, I've already signed up to run up and down Everest balancing a 100lb rucksack on each foot. Otherwise I would! You can read about Russell’s run elsewhere in this issue …Ed

July 2007 Call Sign Home Page

Powered by NetXPosure