Despite the best efforts of London’s evening (chargeable) newspaper, it does still seem probable that new Mayor Boris Johnson’s Consultation paper will prove to be a success in that our half-yearly check could well be dispatched back to whence it came.
   Call Sign has yet to find one driver who even privately considers that a trade that has long been established as one of the safest forms of road transport with the strictest yearly check of all, needs to become a nanny industry and take cabs up twice per annum. Many DaC drivers considered the opposite to be true in telling this magazine that they were happy to have a strict yearly overhaul, but with a half yearly added on, felt they would have to try to cut corners due to the prohibitive cost. We doubt that the PCO or SGS would agree with that, but it is the drivers with their Knowledge who are the finest in the world. The other two organisations are exactly that – just two organisations that are involved with the trade.
   Founded in 1878 in Rouen (France), SGS was registered in Geneva in 1919 as Société Générale de Surveillance and is recognised as one of the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification companies. It has around 50,000 employees worldwide, operating a network of over 1,000 offices and laboratories.
   The Metropolitan Public Carriages Office moved from its home at 7 Lancaster Place, Waterloo Bridge when it took over the regulating of the taxi trade in 1850. The work involved was undertaken by the new Public Carriage Office from an annex to New Scotland Yard in Whitehall. Neither organisation can be criticised in the work that they do, but it’s the drivers who give this trade its reputation as the finest in the world - and not SGS or the PCO.

And Boris?
Among items Mayor Boris has asked Transport for London to look at in the Consultation paper is to scrap the half yearly check in allowing us to operate safely while only undergoing only one mechanical examination each year, although increasing the number of on-street taxi inspections by TfL's vehicle compliance team. According to many DaC drivers,

LOOKING BACK WITH BORIS…

the course of the Mayor’s answer, he admitted to Call Sign:
   "TfL have deliberately installed more traffic light schemes, which they themselves admit are reducing road space and slowing down traffic. We have to focus on getting London moving."
   We’ll look forward to a welcome readjustment of some of the ridiculously timed traffic signals soon.
   Divyesh Ruparelia (V59) asked about the huge number of buses and Boris’s response was:
"Oxford Street is a good example of this. 40% of all London bus routes go down there and the place has turned into a giant bus park. It’s certainly quicker to walk. What we have to do is get the balance right. We have to meet Londoners’ expectation of a frequent, reliable bus service, but we also have to recognise that we need to keep the traffic moving. It’s a tough job, but we need a fresh approach."
   Stewart Lewis (D20) asked about minicabs in bus lanes and Boris said:
   "I totally agree and I would not allow private hire cars to use bus lanes."
   There were many other questions, but the above involve our everyday work. Call Sign has published the Mayor’s responses in full just so you know exactly what he said when looking for our votes. However, it is equally important that if we want the Mayor on our side, then it is seen to be a two-way affair. In that case, we won’t need to tell anyone other than you, dear reader, that Mayor Johnson in response to
Alan Green (E52) on whether as a cyclist he had ever deliberately driven through a red traffic light, was that he had! Don’t tell anyone though! But if you do, tell them not to tell anyone…!

Alan Fisher