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There was a time
when a chipped or cracked windscreen or any other glass on the
cab for that matter, would have to be replaced. Nowadays,
improvements in glass technology means that some damaged areas
can be satisfactorily repaired, meeting legal requirements and
keeping the cab safely on the road with the minimum of fuss and
down-time. You will have seen fleet messages going out regularly on Dial-a-Cab terminals advising that we now have a mobile glass repairer visiting our Roman Way depot. So a Call Sign reporter went along to see what goes on when a chipped windscreen is repaired. Our man arrived at Roman Way and his cab was immediately inspected by Mark Davis, MD of Autostone Chip Repair for existing bodywork damage, and then windscreen repair viability. If the damage is within an area directly in line with the driver’s vision ie line of sight, the windscreen must be replaced for legal reasons, there is no option! Our man was lucky and a safe repair was deemed possible, so work began in earnest to fix the little chip, the size of a pea, in a corner of the screen. Firstly the bonnet and wings were protected by a felt cover, the glass was then thoroughly cleaned both inside and out before a piece of tissue paper was stuck to the glass, just below where the repair was to be made to catch any stray splinters |
Chipped Windscreen? Just go to Roman Way... |
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 Autostone MD Mark Davis repairs another chipped windscreen of glass during the repair. Then a triangular suction pad with a mirror attached was placed on the inside of the windscreen and another, mirrorless triangular suction pad placed on the outside, and then directly aligned with the first. The internal mirror, Mark explained, was to allow him to accurately gauge the repaired area. Within a few minutes, the repair was effected and left to ‘cure’ while Call Sign asked a few questions. Mark has been in the glass repair industry for decades, so there is nothing he doesn’t know about his craft. His company, Autostone Chip Repair, is recognised by many insurance companies and prides itself upon being qualified to NVQ BSAU 242UA, the required standard for both the British Motor Federation and VOSA. Autostone Chip Repair is also the first company to offer a 24/7 mobile service, but obviously location is dependent upon the |
weather. They will however,
meet drivers at a mutually agreed venues. Mark suggested the
Westfield Centre if you are in the west or Brent Cross in the
north as examples of their mobility and desire to meet driver’s
needs. Advances in adhesives means that repairs that used to take 2 hours can now take as little as 30 minutes and the company can repair or replace any vehicle body glass, including heated rear screens where necessary. If they cannot fix the glass on the spot, they can ‘board-up’ with emergency Perspex until the correct glass can be fitted. As an aside, he said that the MB Vito taxi is susceptible to ‘stress cracks’ in the central area of the lower front edge of the screen, below the wiper blades due to movement of a flexi-plate sited inside the body panel. Our reporters’ cab was now repaired, the glassware given a final inspection and declared ready to go back to work, which he did... Autostone Chip Repair can be contacted on 0800 612 7950 or for further info, their website is at www.autostonechip-repairltd.com. They are at Roman Way every Tuesday and Friday from 8am to 5pm. |
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Former Dial-a-Cab driver, Bob Woodford, writes a regular column for Call Sign from his home in Languedoc, France… CALL SIGN EN LA BELLE FRANCE |
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Regular commuting between the south of France and south London
for the past year or so has not only helped me to build up
Black Cab Heritage Tours as a viable enterprise (and more of
that next month when I explain how DaC subscribers can earn
commissions with us), but I have recently passed the City of
London Guiding Qualification – well worth the hours of study
put in over the past 9 months. I am not the only Taxi driver to have come through the course that all the Blue Badge Guides are queuing up for and I certainly won’t be the last. I am all for singing the praises of cabbies who further their education, thus adding another string to their bow - and usually do - but this month I want to promote a non-cab driver, but a fellow student on my course none the less. If you are considering taking up a Guiding Course and there are plenty out there ie Cabguide, City of London, City of Westminster, Clerkenwell and Islington for example, then go on a few Walks |
 to see how some people who are enthusiastic about our great City, paint such a wonderful picture of our history and heritage. Zoe Bramley is one such individual. A fellow student on my course, she has really hit the ground running since we passed our exam just a few weeks ago. Talk about girls doing it for themselves, Zoe built her own website, printed her leaflets and business cards and set about promoting her Walks and I was fortunate enough to enjoy her very first one. Zoe has skilfully produced a Walk through 2,000 years of history, incorporating the Romans, Great Fire and the Blitz among many other events, while portraying the life and times of |
William Shakespeare in a wonderfully upbeat presentation. Got a couple of hours free one Saturday morning while waiting for the work to pick up? Take a stroll on a London Walk, pick up a little more knowledge, a few more anecdotes to pass on to your punters and of course, you might even get the buzz and want to take up a course yourself! There are plenty of Walks to choose from and help for choosing is at hand by popping into the City of London Information Point and the friendly staff there will let you know what’s taking place that day. Alternatively, you could do a lot worse than going on Zoe’s Shakespeare Trail - you will not be disappointed! Check out Zoe’s very user friendly website www.shakespearetrail.com and book a tour today! In the meantime, think about starting a course yourself this September... A bientot… Bob
Woodford (Ex-P49) |
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