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The February
Call Sign published a letter from DaC driver Gerry
Dunn MBE (S84). The letter was addressed to Paddington’s
Station Manager Nick Hartnell and in it, Gerry wrote: "As a London taxi driver, I am grateful to you for providing parking spaces for licensed taxis to pick up pre-booked passengers. However, yesterday when I had to pick up a pre-booking, I was unable to use the facility due to the parking of several minicabs. Even though you have provided a large sign forbidding minicabs to wait there, the drivers of the two Addison Lee cars ignored the warning. I feel that a letter to this company advising them of your instructions would go a long way to alleviate this problem." Network Rail responded via Nick Hartnell in which he explained: "I can advise you that this area is also utilised by Addison Lee who have a contract with the Heathrow Express train company for staff transport to and from their depot in Northwest London. I do realise that space is very limited in this area, however by the end of this year the Taxi Roadway is being relocated to the old Red Star area. This will provide better facilities for the Licensed Taxi drivers." Gerry has been on Dial-a-Cab for many years and is also heavily involved |
WHEN IS A TAXI NOT A TAXI? Paddington Station still doesn’t know! |
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with the London Taxidrivers’ Fund for
Underprivileged Children in addition to being a DaC Marshal,
so he knows which end is up! At the time, he told Call
Sign that while he accepted minicabs were here, one
thing that irritated him greatly was when they pretended they
were taxis. As a consequence, the letter from Mr Hartnell
annoyed him because it gave the impression that so far as
Network Rail is concerned, Addison Lee no longer needed
to pretend because there was no difference! After all, the sign
above the bay for radio taxi pick-ups says pre-booked taxis
only, yet Network Rail were happy for Addison Lee to wait
there! DaC driver John Dixon (B67) has now taken a photo of the new signs alongside the pre-booked taxi pick-up bay. Contrary to what Mr Hartnell told Gerry Dunn, these seem to enforce the |
original sign. Under a
Network Rail heading, they read: NO WAITING AT ANYTIME. THIS AREA IS ENFORCED VIA CCTV AND IS RESERVED FOR PRE-BOOKED TAXIS (BLACK CABS). MINICABS MUST NOT WAIT HERE Yet Addy Lee is still there – and they will be staying there! Call Sign again spoke to the Paddington station manager, this time it was Tony Martin. He explained that the sign was to stop all minicabs stopping there – other than Addison Lee who he described as a contractual firm they use to transport staff. So sadly, they still do not recognise the difference between Addy and minicabs. However, if any other minicabs stop there, they will be picked up on CCTV and reported. But is it not still irritating… |
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DaC with WCHCD at Guildhall Pancake Day! |
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 The 7th annual Inter-Livery Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race took place in the Guildhall Yard on 8 March. Organised by The Worshipful Company of Poulters, this is a fun event but one taken very seriously by the competitors! The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers were delighted to be invited to take part again this year |
and there was a full complement from DaC – who obviously knew everything about pancakes,
including about any extra gravitational pull of the impending supermoon some 10 days later! WCHCD Master, Dial-a-Cab’s Jim Rainbird (T25) was joined by John Dixon (B67) running in the Liverymen Race, Tracey Davidson in the Ladies Race and Ian Parsons in the Novelty Race. WCHCD Beadle, Sean Ferry (T90) was on hand to make sure no cheating took place among our representatives – as if they would! |
The sun shone brightly
as the large crowd gathered in the Guildhall Yard, not only to enjoy the racing where the competitors run down their marked lanes, complete with frying pan and pancake (not forgetting to toss it twice during the race), but the freshly cooked pancake nosh available before the racing! Most City liveries took part and although the WCHCD didn’t make the winner’s rostrum, according to John Dixon they had a great time and all in the cause of the Lord Mayor’s chosen charities… |
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