Call Sign November 2007 - Page 5 - SERGEY ARRIVES AT DAC - FROM MOSCOW!

The August Call Sign told of the imminent arrival from Moscow of Sergey Pietnev, the Commercial Director of City Taxi in Moscow, a company that employs around 400 staff. After the usual jokes about Roman Abramovich buying out Chelsea Football Club and asking Sergey whether he was thinking of a similar situation with Dial-a-Cab, Call Sign asked him about City Taxi and their operation in the Russian capital. It bears a marked similarity to ours - albeit on a smaller scale. "Passengers telephone us as they do you or they stand on street corners and put their hands up to hail a taxi. Our biggest problem is with what you would refer to as touting. We see many vehicles with four wheels and where the driver is short of some money, pretending they are a taxi and stopping for anybody who looks like they require one. I believe our situation is probably even worse than London. We even see	SERGEY ARRIVES AT DAC - FROM MOSCOW!
	ambulances picking up passengers!" Sergey is here through the auspices of the EU-funded Manager’s Training Program. The MTP is organised by an EU bureau known as TACIS – Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States – and is responsible for policies involving the former Soviet states of Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. It has been running successfully since early 2000, with almost 3,000 candidates across Europe. Under the scheme, Dial-a-Cab offered a 10-week internship to Sergey, who has a Masters Degree in Transport Management and who rather fortunately for DaC, speaks English! During his tenure at DaC House, he will be based with DaC Trainer, Daren Morley and ended by telling Call Sign that he was enjoying his time at DaC very much and was impressed at how well it ran.	Sergey with DaC Trainer Daren Morley "You have a lovely building and the people are also very nice. The whole operation is very impressive." Dial-a-Cab Chairman Brian Rice told Call Sign: "Such a prestigious EU organisation coming to DaC to ask for our input into the Manager’s Training Program is a huge compliment to this Society and the reputation it has made for itself outside, as well in London." Our Russian is not too good but we’ll have a go! Sergey, Добро пожаловать в DaС!

AMERICAN ARTISTS VIEW OF LONDON TAXIS

Deutsche Bank sponsored art show gives out good advice…!
The hugely respected US artists Internet site of ARTINFO has given its view on London’s transport system for its members who travelled to London for the recent Deutsche Bank sponsored Frieze Magazine Art Fair in Regents Park, which provides an environment to introduce and showcase new and established artists to visitors from around the world every October.
   Don’t use buses unless you have to. Tubes are ok but expensive unless you can get an Oyster card. And taxis? This is what their reporter Robert Ayers says about us…
   "Taxis are the only form of transport in London that I can recommend with my hand on my heart. They’re comfortable. You can get five people in them with only a slight squeeze. The drivers are mostly friendly, talkative and absolute miracle workers when it comes to knowing the quickest route from one place to another (they actually have to pass a fiendish exam on London geography to get their license). OK, so there aren’t enough of them, particularly in bad weather. They are also very expensive! But face it; you’re going to London for the better part of a week. There are almost exactly two dollars to the pound now. You’re going to come back with debts almost as bad as your student loans! A few cab rides aren’t going to make that much difference…"
   We always did have a soft spot for American artists!

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