Call Sign August 2009 - Page 7 - HEATHROW: DRIVERS PICKET RTG HQ

Around sixty angry drivers picketed Mountview House, headquarters of the Radio Taxis Group, on Friday 10 July. The group included shareholder/drivers who subscribe to the North London based company and was organised by the RMT section of the cab trade. The drivers were protesting about a proposed deal involving BAA with Addison Lee and One Transport - the private hire arm of Radio Taxis - which would have allowed both companies to offer minicabs to passengers arriving and departing from Heathrow Airport. Executive Chairman of Radio Taxis Group, Geoffrey Riesel, was made aware of the demonstration in expectation that he would meet the protesters on the day. However, he failed to address them and had two strategically placed security ‘bouncers’ placed outside the building to protect it against any possible trouble. But the demonstration passed peaceably. Mr Riesel’s VW Phaeton car was in the car park, but the RTG Executive Chairman was nowhere to be seen. The demonstration began at 3pm with an on-foot picket and was expected to follow later with cabs blocking Lennox Road. But just after 4pm, a telephone call was received advising that BAA had agreed to put the minicab booking booths proposal on hold, subject to talks with taxi trade representatives. The demonstration then ended. An RMT spokesman claimed they would not fall for stalling tactics following the BAA announcement and added that BAA’s original plans would have undermined the licensed taxi trade at Heathrow by allowing minicabs to operate what was effectively a ranking system at	HEATHROW: DRIVERS PICKET RTG HQ As BAA back down from minicab booths plan!
	RTG Exec Chairman Geoffrey Riesel failed to address the demonstrators at Mountview House the airport. The spokesman also claimed that drivers were still considering further action against the Radio Taxis Group. Meanwhile back at Heathrow, BAA had been determined to press on with their plans, which would have begun in September. Senior Regional Organiser of Unite – the former T&G - Peter Kavanagh is said to have warned BAA that direct industrial action would follow on the following Monday (July 13th) and it would have affected the entire Heathrow operation unless BAA dropped their competition proposals. Following a meeting with BAA, which saw the LTDA and other trade organisations, with the exception of the RMT, involved in negotiations, Mr Kavanagh said: "This was a hare-brained scheme that should never have seen light of day. There is no way that passengers would benefit from a taxi	bidding war, which would have clogged up the airport’s roads and just brought confusion to passengers who want an efficient, easy to access service they can trust. "We are glad that BAA has seen sense and withdrawn their competition plans. We hope BAA has learned from this that it is better to work with us on any future ideas for how the taxi service at Heathrow can maintain its quality service to passengers." Call Sign then went back to Dial-a-Cab House to ask Chairman Brian Rice for his view on the situation. He told this magazine: "I would not dream of passing comment on how our competitors run their business. However, I have been in this trade long enough to appreciate the strength of feeling that a move such as this would provoke. The ball is now in our court and our industry must address the situation whereby members of the public that live just outside the Metropolitan Police District (MPD) are expected to pay exorbitant fares in a licensed taxi from Heathrow. Unless this situation is resolved, then the situation we have just experienced will surface again. It is up to every trade organisation and driver to come up with an agreeable solution."

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