Power Pill plot?
The absence of supply of the Power Pill, in my mind, has a simple reason. It was an additive that actually worked. There have been other such ‘inventions’ in the past regarding other sources of fuel, better fuel consumption, etc. These have all just disappeared. If I knew who to place the bet with and had a method of finding out if I was correct, I would lay a hefty bet that the oil companies have bought out the inventor and his product and quietly buried the whole concept.
Mel Edwardes (Mrs H05)
   Thanks for the letter Mel, I have written my thoughts elsewhere in this issue as it’s rather long for the letters page …Ed

A letter to Richard Potter

Dear Richard,
Having read your monthly article (December Call Sign) with regards to the feasibility of banning spare tyres, you will be pleased to know that I too am very conscious with regard to saving the planet.
   Agreed, spare tyres are heavy and to remove this surplus weight from the cab could indeed save a couple of gallons of fuel a year. My contribution to help saving the planet was to have a petrol/gas conversion on my Metrocab. A number of years ago I too experimented in an attempt to remove surplus weight from my cab. I did this by inflating my spare tyre with helium. As you are no doubt are aware this gas is lighter then air, consequently this resulted in having to chain my spare tyre to the cab so as not to loose it when opening the boot lid. Initially, this appeared to be quite successful as the tyre could be lifted by using one finger. Unfortunately several months later my spare tyre developed a slow puncture. I was oblivious to this leakage until my fare requested his destination in a voice reminisant of one of the Chipmunks. Not one to give up easily, I have now overcome the problem by inflating my spare tyre with 200 pounds per square inch. Between the two of us we can save the world.
   Best wishes, your Eco Warrior friend…
Steve Shaller (Red 75) MOFS
   Richard Potter replies: Steve that would make an excellent Children's story! Floating taxi beats London's traffic congestion! Or maybe you have just invented a new entrant for the Wacky races to go head to head with Arkansas chuggerbug!

TfL planting trees?
I recently I wrote to the Sunday Times motoring magazine (In Gear). My answer appeared in the December 9th edition in the Car Clinic section. It received an interesting reply.
   23 litres of fuel a day equates 14.5 tons of carbon a year - only 131 trees a year needed! How big is your garden? Carbon offsetting companies only charge around £108 a year. Let’s hope someone from TfL doesn't decide to surcharge us all? Scary thought is it not?
Jon Robinson (E88)
   Are you suggesting we all carry several trees around in our cab boot as sign of goodwill! …Ed

The other side of the fence…
I often think that in our trade so-called job satisfaction is minimal and a good or bad day is determined by how much money we take or the amount of traffic we may encounter. Today Thursday 13 December, I was reminded that we are sometimes given the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. I don't mean getting our fares to the airport on time, I mean the less fortunate who maybe don't have a choice in transport and depend on us.
   I accepted a Taxicard job this morning; a Mr Jansen from St Georges Drive SW1 to Victoria station, wait and return. An elderly man came out with the aid of a walking stick, we got talking and it transpired he had suffered two strokes and the reason for the trip was so that he could pick up a sandwich from M&S to take to the hospital, as he had an appointment later that day and it was difficult to get food there. I asked him how he was spending Christmas, he replied he had been  an orphan, had no family and would spend it alone. He also said how grateful he was to all the Dial-a-Cab drivers who pick him up as he did this same journey every week and was full of praise for all the help other drivers have given him in the past… all except one that is, the driver who had picked him up the week before me. Apparently this driver was in a very bad mood and told him he was not going to wait for him, even after this very pleasant man explained he does the same trip every week. So rather than cause a fuss, he paid the driver £2 and was left stranded at Victoria station. He had no mobile phone, it was raining of course, he couldn't walk and there was a large queue at the taxi rank. Eventually he got a lift home with what I believe was probably a minicab tout, as he was charged £12.
   I asked if he had complained about the DaC driver, but he said no and that perhaps the driver was just having a bad day!
   I would like to say to this driver if he reads this; we all have bad days and I have done many things I am not proud of. But I would hope I could never stoop as low as you did that day and if you rightly do feel ashamed, you might also reflect that you could have made a difference - perhaps not a life saving one - but a difference all the same to someone’s life and you blew it! Shame on you…  
Ian Connelly (T21)
   Thanks for the letter Ian. I have asked Carol Carpenter – who is in charge of the Westminster account – to write an article in this issue …Ed

Smart car comments
I thought I would inform you of a conversation I had with 2 guys today driving a Smart car from Westminster Council Parking (the one with the camera).
   I was telling them about the parking ticket I received whilst sitting in my cab in Curzon Street. They told me that they have been instructed to photograph any vehicle - cab or car - if they park on any single yellow line for even a minute and we should be careful around the loos in Kingsway / Strand, especially driving in front of Clements Danes church.
   They suggested all the cab trade organisations should lobby Westminster Council. Sounds a good idea to me, but why has it not been done yet? They seemed to be not too happy about the job they are doing or why we do not get dispensation as we are working. Perhaps you can contact Westminster Council Parking in your capacity as editor for an interview and also lobby them on our behalf?
Joseph Hornstein (K78)
   DaC are currently having talks with Westminster on the subject of taxi parking and as tempting as it sounds to question them, I don’t think I have enough clout to interfere. However, I have written a comment elsewhere in this issue, which asks if we are subsidising the Westminster TaxiCard account …Ed

PCNs and "strong arm action…"
Regarding parking tickets, I hope I’m not tempting fate here as I was expecting 2 PCNs from the Westminster area via their Smart car that now don’t seem to have materialised. Their little black car pulled up behind me twice and I’m now hoping that the 2 twonks occupying it forgot to put film in!
   I know there’s a petition in DaC House, but I don’t think the councils or TfL will listen and neither do I think DaC can continue paying out fines at the rate they are. I think a strong-arm response is needed and I for one am willing to take a stand. The only way I can see is when on account rides, tell the drivers they must park in a legal manner and if this means finding a meter 2, 3 or even 4 streets away, then so be it. And when the passenger struggles to find us or in the case of a TaxiCard, can’t walk that far and starts to complain, send them to Westminster to moan.
   I think it would work very well beginning with Westminster trips, especially if at a St Mary’s Hospital pick up and the drivers have to pay and display in Eastbourne Terrace. It would be very hard on the passengers, but it would get the message across to Westminster. Think about it; they are issuing us with PCNs to pick up passengers that they are subsidising – or is it us now subsidising the trips via parking fines?
   And a final thought, over the past two days, 3 out of 5 credit rides have asked me to stop on route; one for Tesco, 1 for a cash point and 1 for Starbucks. I said

Thank you Paul
Hopefully I have the right company. One of my colleagues hailed a cab earlier today from Tothill Street to Victoria Station but left a document wallet in the back. Your driver, Paul Butler (B34) kindly returned the wallet. I would be grateful if you could pass on my thanks and is there any way of sending a bottle of wine or something to say thank you?
Nial Dixon
London SW1
   Thanks for that Nial. I’m sure Paul would agree that it’s the thought that counts …Ed

Bringing boroughs to task?
I’ve heard a whisper that central government are looking to bring to task some London boroughs over the way they are issuing parking tickets (PCNs) as revenue collectors rather than to help keep illegal parking in check. Have you heard anything about this?
Richard Benjamin (R48)
   I asked Ilford North MP, Lee Scott, if he had heard anything about it and he told me that following a report earlier this year, central government said they were going to do something, but that he hadn’t yet heard of anything actually having been done …Ed 

Eurostar sign
Do you know or could you find out if there are any plans to move the Taxis Required sign that was sited at the entrance to the old Eurostar terminal at Waterloo? This was always helpful to both drivers and passengers and would cut down on the need for messages to be sent via the terminal re any queue. A space at the junction of Pancras Rd or Midland Rd would be ideal so you can see it when passing  
Mike Curwood (F51) 
   Keith Cain replies: At the meetings we have attended with St Pancras International Station and Eurostar, this subject has been spoken about each and every time. While I believe our suggestions have been taken on board, something that seems to us to be all so simple and productive has to go through much red tape. I’m sure it will be implemented, but when I just don't know

Legal loophole?
A while back in Call Sign there was a copy of letter from a driver originally published in Motorcycle News. The driver was into motorbikes and the letter was about getting a speeding ticket through the post and getting off the ticket and 3 points on a technicality. You had to copy this letter with your own details and FPN number. Do you remember this and have you heard of anyone getting a result by sending this letter to the Met? I have been trying to find the link in Call Sign but cannot remember which year it was in. Any help would be great.
Sean Morgan (Y85)
   Sorry Sean, that loophole was closed pretty soon after we published the letter (2006). I remember 3 drivers thanking me and saying that it had worked, but then a fourth said it no longer worked and I haven’t heard of it working since …Ed

ALG TaxiCard
Dear Alan, may I start by wishing you a very happy and healthy new year. Back in late November, a message was transmitted via our terminals stating that from this December we would no longer be participating in the All London TaxiCard scheme, which we shared with ComCab. The message also stated there would be a full explanation in the following month's Call Sign.
   To the best of my knowledge, this message was not printed in the December or January issues. Is it possible to explain why we lost this valuable and handy contract, which will be sorely missed especially over the next few lean months?
Roland Brewer (M38)
   Thanks for the good wishes, Roland. The reason DaC no longer service the ALG TaxiCard was published on page 35 of the January issue. It was purely down to the terms of the new tender being unacceptable to DaC and making coverage of that account extremely difficult to accomplish – no matter how quiet it is out …Ed

Paint job – and a half!
As you are aware, I brought my TX4 new in August 2007 from KPM. A week after I got it I noticed that a large area of the cab didn’t have enough paint on it. When you stood the cab in bright sunlight, you could see through the paint to the beige primmer underneath. Also I didn’t think the finish was very good on other parts of the taxi. The Cab was returned to KPM who showed it the LTI engineer and they agreed to repaint one panel of the cab. He said the rest of the cab was fine. I disagreed, but never pushed the subject. After the panel was resprayed, I returned the cab yet again, this time when sunlight caught the boot I could see through the paint again. KPM booked the cab in again and while waiting for a loan cab I contacted LTI directly about the overhaul finish and they sent their engineer to see it again. This time he said he could see the paint wasn't good enough and that he would recommend a complete respray and would be in touch.
   I was contacted by Chris at KPM and told that the factory had confirmed the work and said the cab was to be returned to M&O who would send it back to Coventry. A Dial-a-Cab loan taxi was ordered through M&O' while the taxi was gone. First date was mid-November, then mid-December and then 7th January 2008. Each time it was cancelled with the reason given that there was no loan cab available.
   The trouble now is that my taxi is almost 6 months old and the mid-year test in due, there is warranty work that I hoped would be done while it was away and so the cab will have to go back to KPM for that. The SGS test will be booked and if the cab isn't back, the appointment will be cancelled. What happens then I just don't know?
   With hindsight, I should have instructed KPM that the taxi was not of merchantable quality and asked for it to be replaced straight away. At least it might have been repaired quicker.
   From what's been said to me, I'm not the only one to have this problem but after paying £36,700, I'm fed up being messed around.
Jon Robinson (E88)
   I’m not surprised that you’re fed up Jon. I think you have been a saint putting up with the problem for as long as you have! However, in all fairness to M&O they have to reserve their 4 DaC taxis for their own overhaul customers and KPM should have provided the DaC cab if available (they have three). Anyway, I’ve written to LTI on your behalf to see whether things can be speeded up …Ed

CCTV, SGS, M&O, LTDA…!
The Martin Hizer (M47) story (Dec Call Sign) really underpinned my thoughts of the past few months with regard to the evil CCTV being used to persecute and prosecute working cab drivers. Having held a cab licence for 36 years, for some of that time I was a government driver and never incurred any offence including parking during that time… until now. I was always thought and trained to respect and not cause inconvenience to other road users. I am currently fighting a PCN for having to set-down a job in Noel St during last summer during the Wardour Street road closure. I will rather go to prison than pay this thieving Westminster Council. Martin is quite right, this is the biggest threat that our trade has ever seen and the more we pay up, the more tickets they will issue. Do they have some hidden agenda like peeing us off so much that you may decide to go away

Speed cameras
According to government statistics, there has been a marked reduction in injuries and deaths from road accidents with a 10.5% reduction in deaths from a 3,578 average between 1994-1998 to 3,201 in 2005; whilst seriously injured have fallen by 34.3% from 44,078 to 28,954 in the same period (Road Casualties Great Britain: 2005 Annual Report (DfT). There are
several factors which contribute to this; cars now have better brakes and steering, roads and lighting have improved, emergency services are more efficient and doctors can now save more people who would have died some years ago.
   But what has not helped has been the introduction of speed cameras, or as the spin people prefer, "safety cameras." At first the Department for Transport claimed that 100 lives per year were saved by speed cameras, but in December 2005 admitted the figure should only be 25 per year, and in September 2006 they discovered that the proportion of injury crashes
involving any speeding vehicle was only 5% - not the 'one third' that they had previously claimed ( www.safespeed.org.uk). The government¹s own statistics have shown that road deaths ceased to decline following the widespread deployment of cameras (The Spectator, 12 December 2007).
As taxi drivers know, if you drive at 37 mph on a straight dual carriageway in dry conditions when there is no other traffic, it does not mean you are speeding, even though the limit may be 30mph as on Talgarth Road, but to drive at 18 mph when it is foggy or icy is too fast but no speed camera will catch this form of dangerous driving. According to an editorial in The
Observer (17 January 2005): " ... far from acting as a deterrent, speed cameras take responsibility for safe speed away from drivers and their concentration from the road. Cameras are as likely to cause an accident as to prevent one."
After the July bombings in 2005, some people decided that the underground was dangerous and went out and bought bikes to get to work, even though cycling is far more dangerous than any likely terrorist threat. The simplistic and faulty logic used by those new cyclists is similar to the government persisting on installing more speed cameras to reduce accidents, rather than tackling careless and dangerous driving.
Laurence Kelvin (W88)
   It seems rather over simplistic to just say that I agree with your speeding sentiments… but I agree with your speeding sentiments! However, the last time I dared to criticise cyclists in Call Sign, I was physically threatened by a driver whose son was a keen cyclist! …Ed

Security at Roman Way?
Just before Xmas I was nearby to Roman Way so I thought I would collect my prezzie. On arrival, I noticed one member of staff washing his car, two others with their heads under the bonnet of a 4x4 and another fiddling about with model cars. I haven’t got a problem with staff doing private work when there is no work to do, but I do have a problem when I go to sign for my jacket and someone has already signed for it. With the well-documented security in place, I want to know how this happened? Surely when collecting the present you should show your badge and then be ticked off against your name, call sign and badge number? I was given a jacket, but I feel a breach of security has been broken with someone else being allowed to sign for my coat in the first place…  
Barry Spear (Y16)
   I was going to ask Tom Whitbread for an answer, but it seems fairly obvious that someone has signed their name on the wrong line after probably suffering a case of pre-Xmas jollity. By the way Barry, did you notice if they had finished working on my car yet! …Ed

Thanks from an admitted drunk!
I'm sure your Customer Services team get the occasional email of complaint following drunken trips by account passengers, so I thought it worthwhile sending you a different email - one of thanks following a drunken trip by an AMV passenger …me!
   Worse for wear last Thursday after a work night, I left my phone in one of your cabs. I knew it was gone the next day and suspected a dropped-in-cab scenario, but despite ringing it a few times on the Friday, couldn't connect. Then I got a call from a driver saying he had it, but what's more, takes the time to drop it by my house! For not only taking the time to scrawl through the phone to find my number, but for also returning the handset pretty immediately, this was beyond the call of duty and much appreciated. The drivers name was Steve Cruikshank (G10). He did your company a great reputational credit. Can you pass on my thanks again to Steve…
Colin Fleming
Finance Director
AMV BBDO Ltd
   I believe Brian Rice phoned Steve to pass on your message. Thanks for taking the time to send it, Colin, as you rightly point out some people are quick to criticise but very slow to praise …Ed

Help from colleagues at a sad time?
Dear Colleagues
   Many of you will know that we put forward a proposal for the forthcoming AGM. The essence of this being that all we members of ODRTS would each donate five pounds to the family of any paid-up member in the event of his/her demise. The purpose would be to help soften the blow at a very emotional and distressing period with some financial assistance from colleagues at Dial-a-Cab.
   Unfortunately, for reasons we could not have foreseen, it has been deemed that it would breach mutual society, ergo ODRTS rules. We have therefore reluctantly had to withdraw the proposal. However, after lengthy discussions with our Chairman, who along with other members of the Board has fully supported us, there may well be another way forward. We believe that the Chairman, along with the BoM, are best equipped to further this proposal, who, once all the legalities have been ironed out, may well put it to the membership in a mail shot.
   We would like to thank the very many members who backed our proposal and the support and encouragement given to us by all whom we have encountered.
Paul Soteriou (P89) and
Panteli Savvas (B85)
   Brian Rice replies: Sorry Paul and Panteli, while the BoM are sympathetic to the idea of helping the family of a colleague at a time like that, we cannot do anything about it because it is illegal and sending out a mailshot rather than you bringing it up at the AGM would make absolutely no difference to that.

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