Page 21
Call Sign August 2011
COMPLIANCE OFFICER'S REPORT
complaints hearing, if they haven't already.
Hello ladies & gents,
On many trips that are cleared for amounts
We are now in the height of the holiday sea-
exceeding eighty pounds, there are often dif-
son and although the weather has been far
ferences between the stopped meter fares and
from conducive for mid-summer, it has
the actual cleared sums. These trips are auto-
helped generate some extra work. There
matically rejected by the Dial-a-Cab system
seem to be more tourists in the capital this
and need to be checked and revalidated for
year with the weak pound certainly helping,
payment and invoicing. There are a number of
although the visitors to London seem not to
reasons why the disparities occur, it may be a
be too impressed with our British weather!
signal problem, it could be a trip that is
Fortunately our reputation as licensed taxi
amended for various reasons, but either way it
drivers takes a lot of equalling, the pride and
can delay payment to the driver. Can I please
professionalism unmatched! Long may it
ask you to notify the Call Centre immediately
continue.
after clearing these trip types so that they can
During August we would expect it to be less
make a note on the trip logger, it will help me
busy, so it is with this in mind that I need to
enormously and certainly stop any delay in
remind you all of a few booking-in procedures
payment and customer billing.
that must be followed by us all at all times (see
below). I can only reiterate that when you see
* E14 - (Night time rank) You must be in
Many of you will be looking forward to a
the regular terminal messages warning you
the E14 postal zone before booking in.
well-earned summer break and the chance
that certain zones are at all times monitored, it
to recharge your batteries. Enjoy yourselves
is not an idle threat. So please play the game
* Outlying Zones (WW99, S99 etc.) These
and keep up the good work when you
or face any possible consequences.
are physical zones at all times.
return to driving your taxis. If you have any
I have mentioned all of these zones on
* City Airport You must be on the back
queries on any of the issues I have men-
numerous occasions and I'm sure that it
of the actual rank before booking in to
tioned. please contact me on 0207 553 7222
becomes increasingly boring for the vast
CC00.
or email Allane@Dialacab.co.uk.
majority of you, but unfortunately there are still
a few that fail to heed the warnings and have
* EC5 You must be in one of the four EC
Allan Evans
recently received a complaint form in the post
zones before booking in.
DaC Compliance Officer
and will in all probability be asked to attend a
London's most stupid tout jailed!!!
threat posed by unbooked minicabs. The severity of
London. We will always push for the harshest pun-
A minicab tout who was arrested twice in subse-
quent weekends for trying to tout police officers has
the sentence given to Mr Gaffer-Doud should serve
ishment possible for those who engage in this crimi-
been jailed for a total of 18 weeks, leading many to
as a warning to anyone who thinks about touting in
nal activity."
ask whether Nahim Gaffer-Doud is the most stupid
tout ever! The sentence follows arrests made by the
MPS Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Transport
for London funded Safer Transport Command (STC).
Gaffer-Doud of Rectory Lane SW17 appeared at
West London Magistrates Court on 15 June and
pleaded guilty to two counts of touting for hire, using
a motor vehicle without third party insurance and dri-
ving whilst disqualified. Plain clothed police officers
were carrying out roadside and compliance checks on
minicabs in Regent Street W1 in the early hours of
Friday 27 May when Gaffer-Doud approached the offi-
cers in his vehicle and asked them if they wanted a
cab! He was arrested for touting for hire and further
checks revealed that he was disqualified from driving
Alpha Optical
and uninsured. He was charged and bailed to appear
at West London Magistrates Court at a later date.
But just over a week later, in the early hours of
Saturday 4 June, Gaffer-Doud again approached plain
Eyewear and Glasses
clothed police officers, this time in Clapham High Street
SW4 and asked them if they wanted a cab! He was
arrested and appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates
Court later that day where he pleaded guilty to touting
for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insur-
22 PALACE ROAD, LONDON, N11 2PS
ance and driving whilst disqualified. Both cases were
transferred to West London Magistrates Court and on 15
June, he was sentenced to a total of 18 weeks in prison.
Suppliers of all makes of Designer and Budget frames
Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, MPS Safer
Transport Command, said:
Single vision, Bifocal and Verifocal lenses
"The Cab Enforcement Unit is dedicated to improv-
ing the safety and security of cabs and dealing with
Very special deal for Dial-a-Cab drivers and staff
unbooked minicabs, which put the public at risk. This
case should serve as a reminder that our officers are
out on the streets of the capital targeting unbooked
0208 889 8023
minicabs and bringing offenders to justice."
Call Peter on
Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety
Enforcement and Policing at TfL, told Call Sign:
Email: Sales@alphaoptical.co.uk
"This is a fantastic result for the Safer Transport
Command who work tirelessly to minimise the
