Call Sign October 2010 - Page 11 - CALL CENTRE CHAT - GLASGOW TAXIS AND THE PH ‘GANGSTERS’

CALL CENTRE CHAT
Train strike day... We started the beginning of our new financial year with 24 hours of industrial action on the underground network. It was just like old times in the call centre seeing the number of extra staff working on the evening the strike began and also seeing the vast number of staff who came in very early to meet the high demands of the following morning. It remained busy for most part of the Tuesday, which saw our staff having to give up their breaks and work through parts of their lunches! I am pleased to say that everyone went that extra mile to give our clients a really good service. Driver coverage was also excellent, which did impact on the type of calls coming into the call centre. When coverage is poor, this generates more query calls from clients asking where their vehicle is. It also sees us making more outbound calls to say trips have not been matched to	vehicles, which in itself upsets the clients who are very quick to express their feelings to our staff. In those types of situations, staff become low and more errors can be made. It also becomes very difficult trying to get staff to work longer hours when they feel down, but this last strike day was totally the opposite and I would like to thank all those drivers who worked so hard to give clients that service and for making a difficult 24 hours for our staff so much more pleasurable. Everyone did a terrific job and I’m delighted to be able to say well done. Since then, the work does look	like it is slightly up on this time last year and hopefully it will continue to improve. Call centre tour... It was also pleasing to receive a request via Call Sign from DaC driver, Michael Leo (Z09), who wanted to come and see for himself how the call centre operated. I spent some three hours with Michael, answering his questions and then showing him how we handle bookings, ring backs and how the controllers work. Michael’s attention was focused for the whole of his visit and he said the visit well worth his time. Any member or journeyman who is interested in seeing how we operate is welcome to visit the call centre. Please call the office to arrange a day and time... Keith Cain Call Centre Manager Driver Operations Manager

GLASGOW TAXIS AND THE PH ‘GANGSTERS’

Police drop objections to Network Cars

In the March 2008 issue of Call Sign, we reported on a visit to Dial-a-Cab by Scottish radio circuit Glasgow Taxis. Led by their Chairman, Bill McIntosh and Secretary Robert Dunabie, the five-man party from north of the border came down to East Road to get a personal tour of the Society from Chairman Brian Rice and also to get some advice after deciding to upgrade their Raywood system. Since then, their account workload has been decimated due to a battle against a private hire company with alleged links to organised crime.
   A merger of several small radio companies in 1997 formed the Scottish circuit and until recently, they operated with around 1000 drivers. Readers may remember previous issue of Call Sign where we reported how PH company Network Cars had won two large accounts from Glasgow Taxis – one from the NHS and another that involved ferrying children to and from school. In addition, the PH company also gained some BBC work – all three accounts showing that money was far more important than safety.
   However, it was Strathclyde Police Chief Constable Steve House who, referring to Network Cars, said in the July Call Sign:
   "We endeavour to ensure that inappropriate individuals or groups are not allowed to operate where we have reliable information to show they are

2008 and Glasgow Taxis visit DaC. Since then three major accounts have been taken by the Scottish PH Company

not fit to hold a licence."
   Those same police have now withdrawn their licensing objections to Network Cars after one controversial member of Network, who was allegedly known to police, left the organisation.
Police had previously convinced Glasgow City Council licensing authority that convicted criminal James Baxter was profiting from Network. He was said to be earning around Ł800 a week as a handyman for Network up until April and another Ł5000 a week soon after.
   Police now say they are happy that Network has severed all links with James Baxter and a previous regime of the company that saw it raided in 2004 by police investigating money laundering by the McGovern crime family.
A Strathclyde police spokesperson told the press: "I can confirm that Strathclyde Police has withdrawn its objection to the licence applications lodged with Glasgow City Council by Network Private Hire. This is due to the fact that the circumstances that led to our objections have now been addressed."
Network previously claimed that police had a vendetta against them, but now say they are happy to draw a line under the matter and look forward "to working with the police and the council to provide a safe, efficient and honest service to the public."
   So far as Call Sign is concerned, the above may have been Scotland but Glasgow Taxis are a co-op just like DaC and their situation show just how little some large organisation such as the NHS, care about safety. It’s all about saving money. Hopefully Glasgow Taxis can regroup, but it does look as though there is no one out there that can help them...

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