Call Sign October 2009 - Page 5 - The case of the missing taxi… and driver!

The case of the missing taxi… and driver!
Paul Warwick (E95) was an unhappy bunny when Call Sign spoke to him recently. "My cab disappeared," he groaned, "…together with the driver!" Dial-a-Cab subscribers may remember a terminal message that went out one evening last month asking drivers to keep a lookout for a missing Fairway… but not to approach the driver. Paul explained to Call Sign just what the message was about. "I had rented out a Fairway taxi to someone who offered several weeks rental in advance. I completed the usual checks as to driver probity etc and then handed over the cab keys. Then I watched as the cab and driver drove off into the sunset!" Paul was quite at ease with the deal. It was no different to many that go on daily in the licensed taxi business. However, when the rental money became due again, there was no sign of the driver and no answer from his mobile phone. "Even worse," said Paul, "the line was dead! I checked out the address on his Bill and also drew a blank. That’s when I decided that perhaps the best chance of ever seeing my Fairway again was to put out an appeal for a sighting via our DaC radio terminals. I have to say that the subscribers responded magnificently with reports of my cab being seen all over London - and at all times of the day and night." Paul continued his tale of woe. "I began driving around town myself with a spare set of the Fairway’s	keys in my pocket, so that I could snatch it back if there was a report of it being seen. But the driver always seemed to be one step ahead of me." Paul then phoned the PCO to advise them of the situation. "They were not especially helpful," Paul said resignedly. "They told me they could only note the drivers Change of Address when he came to renew his Bill. That was of absolutely no help to me whatsoever," Getting ever more desperate for the return of his taxi, not to mention the mounting arrears of taxi rental money, Paul described how he eventually found the cab. "I was in the Heathrow Airport cab feeder park and decided to take a walk around to see if it was there, as the ‘gentleman’ concerned was apparently a known airport face. Low and behold, there it was! I rushed up to the cab, swung open the driver’s door, grabbed the keys from the ignition switch and told the driver exactly what I thought of him. I cannot say anymore at this time as the matter is now in the hands of my solicitor," Paul added. "What I can say is that I am very grateful to everybody, both the drivers out there who reported sightings of my cab, and to the Dial-a-Cab Call Centre staff who relayed information to me that led to the recovery of my taxi. A huge thank-you to all. It makes you realise the benefit of being on radio," Paul added in conclusion. But that begs the question: How do you protect yourself if you rent out your cab while you are away on an extended holiday for instance? Call Sign spoke to a major fleet operator in the East End. He told us that there was no fail-safe answer, but drivers he doesn’t recognise arriving on his door late in the day when it is difficult to check with the previous hirer, are treated with suspicion. He said that years in the business also give him a ‘feel’ about the legitimacy or otherwise of the individual standing before him and added that a long list of companies showing short hiring records on the back of his Bill also made him suspicious. You should always make sure you have the copy of the driver’s Bill while he has your taxi and take a photocopy of his DVLA driver’s licence. Other than that, a business that operates on trust is always going to throw up the occasional bad driver. Paul’s story, at least, had a happy ending… ©Call Sign Magazine MM9
NEW SERVICE INTERVAL FOR TX4
LTI Vehicles has announced the extension of TX4 service intervals to 12,000 miles. The new intervals apply to all TX4 vehicles registered in the UK from 1st September 2009 onwards. The introduction of 12,000 mile service intervals is made possible by the durability and reliability the TX4 has demonstrated under the tough operating conditions of the typical British taxi. For many drivers, the extended service intervals will result in one less service a year. Rob Laidler, Sales Director at LTI Vehicles, told Call Sign: "These increased service intervals mean drivers can save both money and time on the maintenance of their new TX4. This change also confirms our determination to ensure the purpose-built TX4 is the most cost effective taxi on the road when it comes to whole life costs." To find out more about LTI Vehicles, visit www.lti.co.uk.

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