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Trade
politics again!
I’ve read Barry Hooper’s column in TAXI
newspaper (8 Aug) where he attacks me
personally as part of his general attack
on the London Taxi Board (LTB). He
insinuates that the LTB and myself in
particular, actively campaigned against
the introduction of Tariff 3, something
that is totally untrue. Consequently, I
have decided to reproduce some extracts
from my Chairman’s Reports going back to
April 2001 to see what I actually wrote
at the time…
April 2001
“I must say that I'm a little
disappointed that nothing at all has
been done to entice more drivers out at
night by increasing the night charge.
The Mayor was asked by the trade to
increase the running rate at night, so
that when the meter was engaged it would
automatically start at the enhanced rate
that we currently receive when the
journey is in excess of six miles. That
tariff would then remain unchanged for
the entire length of the journey. The
trade were subsequently informed that
this option was not available at the
moment because not all meters were
equipped with a calendar facility.”
March 2003
“I wrote in the last issue about the
proposed Tariff increase and I can now
report the finalised details that are
proposed to be introduced in April. The
initial hiring charge will be increased
to £2 from the current £1.40 and this
will include any additional passengers
and luggage - which will become
non-chargeable items in the future.The
night tariff (Tariff 3) will now be
introduced at 22.00hrs instead of
20.00hrs, and Tariff 2 will be
applicable between 20.00hrs and
22.00hrs. The daytime rate on a Saturday
and Sunday (Tariff 2) in operation
between 0600hrs and 2200hrs will remain
unchanged and not increased.”
May 2003
“In my last Chairman’s report, you
may recall I was just a little
disappointed about the fragmentation of
the Taxi trade in these very precarious
times and how leaders from one or other
organisations would attack their
colleagues from the other organisations
due purely to petty jealousies or
indeed, for political ends. Consequently
you can imagine my surprise when I saw
the April 23 issue of TAXI. There on the
centre spread was a picture of me
together with five other colleagues from
the Taxi trade. Why am I afforded this
dubious honour? It appears that we six
are the culprits for having the night
tariff revised so that it now starts at
2200hrs instead of 2000hrs. So I’d like
to relay the facts to the LTDA en bloc
as the article was unsigned.
I must confess that at the beginning of 2001, I was one of the main
instigators for introducing a night
tariff because in my opinion there was a
shortage of taxis at night with the
market so buoyant and |
I also believed that taxi drivers
working at night should earn more money
than those working during the day. I
also believed that an increase in the
night fares would entice more drivers
out. But as we all know, the economic
climate changed dramatically. First it
was foot and mouth which took its toll
on the tourist industry, I then noticed
a distinct downturn in our job figures
commencing in May 2001 and to cap it
all, we had the atrocity in New York on
September 11th. Consequently, I changed
my mind and felt that the increase in
the night tariff that I had helped to
negotiate, should be postponed until the
following April and then the whole fare
structure could be reviewed. I was very
concerned that the Taxi industry would
be seen to be greedy and grasping in a
very delicate economic and political
climate. Unfortunately, I then committed
a cardinal sin according to the LTDA - I
dared to voice my opinion!
It would appear that the LTDA only believe in democracy and freedom
of speech providing that you agree with
their views; otherwise you get attacked
for voicing your opinion. Or is it only
the LTDA that is responsible for the
Taxi trade, after all the majority of my
members do not belong to the LTDA?
The article then states that Ken’s (Livingstone) statement was
reached after ‘listening to the views of
the Taxi trade’ and that ‘the LTDA and
the T&G Cab section were the only trade
bodies that supported the night tariff
increase.’ So if I understand that
correctly, then Ken Livingstone listens
to me but disregards the LTDA and the
T&G - and they are supposed to negotiate
on our behalf! Makes you think doesn’t
it…?”
So there you have it. That is what really happened and not just
what Barry Hooper can recollect about
the situation. He also says in his
article that Geoffrey Riesel is the
Chairman of the LTB, again that is not
correct - it is actually me.
I was in the same room as the Mayor when we negotiated Tariff 3,
then after the foot and mouth epidemic
and 9/11 atrocity, the Tariff 3 rate was
put back to 22.00hrs because it was
having a detrimental effect on the
industry. I was proven to be correct
once again, that really must have hurt!
Barry also accuses myself and others that we are not doing what our
members have elected us to do – oh
really! Do you believe that members of
the LTDA actually elected you to attack
other organisations within the taxi
industry? I do not believe for one
second that the average member of any
organisation gets any
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pleasure from seeing one trade
organisation attacking another. What the
members want is unity within the trade,
something you obviously do not subscribe
to. Or are you so out of touch that you
don’t realise it – or as seems more
likely, it just doesn’t fit your agenda?
So come on Barry, don’t keep harping back to the past; you were
elected by your members in order to try
and take this industry forward and not
just to make derogatory remarks about
other individuals and trade bodies. That
really does not get us anywhere and you
do yourself a disservice.
That was two weeks previous and I have just read the latest edition
of Taxi (22 Aug), where there is yet
another concerted attack on the radio
circuits and myself. This time John
Thomas and Stevie Mac have joined Barry
Hooper! Why this has come to fruition
now, I don’t know! My intention was not
to respond any further, but the problem
is that if you don’t, people will assume
that what TAXI has written is correct.
Barry still believes that Geoffrey
Riesel is the Chairman of the London
Taxi Board (LTB) when in reality I am (I
just knew you lived in the past Barry)
and to top it all, he believes that our
Job Distribution Engine, Concierge, is a
minicab company! I really can’t believe
how wrong and out of touch someone can
actually be and it throws everything he
writes into doubt.
But John Thomas, the LTDA Chairman, really takes the biscuit when
he states the LTDA should start a taxi
only radio circuit. I thought they did
that once with ComCab – whatever
happened there? Anyway, I am reliably
informed that the LTDA still retain a
20% stake in ComCab, which returns
annually a six-figure sum to the coffers
of the LTDA. This whole scenario brings
pots, kettles and black to mind! An
executive of the LTDA also sits on the
Board of ComCab, for which he draws an
honorarium. No problem with that - but
do me a favour…please!
Stevie Mac also makes derogatory observations regarding the radio
circuits asking why taxi drivers should
be on the radio? Excuse me Steve, but
wasn’t the whole point of having a radio
in taxis a facility to give members of
the public the opportunity to use a taxi
instead of a car when ordering by phone?
If radios disappear from taxis, then the
public would have no option other than
using a car when ordering by phone.
Whatever happened to the LTDA policy
that every taxi should have a radio?
I will be launching Dial-a-Cab’s new building shortly and
invitations will be going to the LTDA, I
really believe you should try to attend
and see how sophisticated some parts of
our industry really are and also take
the opportunity for a face to face talk
in order to discuss our different points
of view – and not just air them in the
trade press in an attempt to score
political points! Finally, come on Bob;
keep your boys in order, the war of
words between trade organisations is not
doing our industry any favours!
Brian Rice
Chairman, Dial-a-Cab |
