Call Sign September 2009 - Page 4 - REFLECTIONS OF THE CHAIRMAN

Holiday Time
   It’s that time of year again when the work is even quieter than usual and August is definitely the quietest month of the year. Yet every year we seem surprised that it is so quiet, while all seem to agree that it was quieter than last August. However, this year you would be correct in that assumption - it is actually a little less busy than last August, at least the radio is anyway.
   However, I am optimistic that the downturn has now bottomed out, because before we went into the holiday season our figures were becoming consistent week on week. They were not very good compared to what we had been doing in the past, but they were at least becoming consistent - consistently bad if you like - but I believe that consistency shows that things have reached their lowest ebb. At least I hope so…
   Not only is work quiet, things in general are very quiet. So much so that the Editor of Call Sign has been scratching around Dial-a-Cab House searching for anything to fill the magazine, anything of interest that is!

Tenders
   However quiet it is out there, internally we are in the process of completing tenders. Our largest account is out to tender at the moment, while our next three largest accounts go to tender over the next five months.
   The terms of the present one are quite simple in as much as the tender starts by stating they spend £5million a year on Ground Transportation - £3m on taxis and £2m on cars - and they require a company that can handle and be responsible for distributing all that work to their chosen vendors. Consequently, to those in our trade who say we should not work with cars, what would they do regarding the tender document – not participate? We would be distributing cars if we were fortunate enough to win the tender.
   As you can imagine, it is quite a worrying time when large accounts go to tender because there is always the possibility of losing them to a competitor. I am totally convinced there is not a company out there in our business that can offer the client our range of services and reporting, but all of a sudden while everything the client demanded in the past seems to still be relevant, the emphasis

has definitely moved to cost.
   One client has asked for 347 fixed prices, which I have refused to give. What is the point of having a meter when everything has a fixed price? Offering a few to the client’s most frequented destinations is acceptable, but not from every postcode to postcode.
   I am endeavouring to explain to the client that we operate on three tariffs and if a taxi company can offer one FP, then that is not in the client’s interest. If they are offered the tariff three FP, then perhaps that could be too expensive at three o clock in the afternoon and if the client was offered the cheapest tariff one option to make the price look attractive, then that would impinge on service during the tariff three time frame.
   However, my biggest concern is how desperate some of our competitors might be - or are? Will they offer all FPs - and cheap ones at that - in an attempt to win business? We all know that they would not give a very good service, but in the meantime we would still have lost the account!

London Taxi Board
I have read quite a lot lately in the trade press about organisations and individuals, including myself, that have recently resigned from the LTB and it would appear that it has now ceased to exist, which I believe is a great pity.
All members that have been with Dial-a-Cab for any period of time will know that I am a great advocate of a united trade, one body that represents most, if not all, of our industry. I have read of many people over the years that have referred to the vested interests in the trade - meaning proprietors, manufacturers and radio circuits. What I can’t understand is why these driver organisations do not realise that they too are a vested interest. Everyone - and I mean everyone - in our trade is. This has been borne out in recent times by different driver organisations

endeavouring to outshine their
competitors, just in case they lose members to that other organisation. Is that not a vested interest?
   I would like to make it absolutely clear at this point that I am not endeavouring to ‘knock’ driver organisations, far from it, I believe every taxi driver should belong to a trade body for unity and to protect the individual’s interests.
   However, I have been to meetings attended by unions and associations when the trade and its future is being discussed and what always amazes me is that there is only one party that appears never to be considered and certainly never discussed… and that is the passenger or the public and what is in their interest! We sometimes seem to forget we are in the service industry.
   I believe that certain organisations on the LTB brought that to the table and I know for certain that all authorities recognised that fact and always treated the LTB with the utmost respect, as we were seen as the moderate side of the trade. Believe it or not, I am quite proud of that because it’s the easiest thing in the world to threaten to ‘punch someone’s lights out’ unless they agree with you - not literally of course, but you know what I mean.
   I believe over the years the LTB has contributed to some notable successes, including the introduction of the night tariff, campaigned for access to bus lanes and keeping minicabs out of them. We also campaigned for exemption to the Congestion Charge and were instrumental in stopping the all-over signage on minicabs. We also found MPs to be helpful, some of them even putting early day motions in support of our trade!
   As I have always stated, I believe there should be one body to represent the whole trade to the authorities. I don’t know if it will ever happen, I can but only hope. However, what I am certain of is that if it ever did come together, it would only be a matter of time before it destroyed itself with all the internal politics that goes on in our trade. And do you want to know why? It’s because that is what we do best!

Brian Rice
Chairman
Dial-a-Cab