Dear Alan
   On reading Allan Evans answer to the letter Ray Sorene (A53) wrote, also the Chairman's reply to a question concerning GPS at the 2010 meeting, it is apparent that if and when new terminals are fitted they will be of the zonal system. I would like to present the more positive side of GPS than the one that has been portrayed. I was on RTG when they changed from zonal to GPS, the transition was slow and disruptive and at that time more than a few drivers left the RT circuit and moved to DaC. After most of the teething problems were ironed out, in my view it proved to be a far more efficient and fairer system than the old zonal one. I accept that I risk being told that if it was so good, why did I join DaC? My answer is that I joined DaC not for the system, more for the circuit because in my view it is run more professionally and democratically and letters such as this would never be printed in the RT magazine. Allan Evans says zonal is by far fairer, but how can that be? It seems the majority of complaints against drivers are for zone violations and that's just the ones that are caught. With GPS, you eliminate zone abuse and driver confusion. You sign on and the work finds you. No more trying to second-guess which zone is better for work. It is also safer, as you do not have to divert your eyes so many times from the road, to change zones. The only unfair thing I found with GPS were drivers who hung up close to known regular jobs. I do not think DaC would tolerate this practise and would tag such jobs. With GPS, you can still have the queuing system as in EC and E14 as the zonal system works better in those areas. It’s in all the other zones that GPS comes into its own. For example, say 3 drivers are booked in SE18 and a job is available in Welling Kent (SE50). All 3 drivers being no more than 10 minutes away from the pick up are denied from booking into SE50.as this is a physical zone, So another driver who is, say in Gravesend some 35 plus minutes away, gets the job. Is that fair to the 3 drivers and the customer who may have required a cab ASAP? With GPS it’s the nearest cab that gets the offer.
   In this present climate, the zonal system is a game of second-guessing. As an example, I am in WISW, a job appears on screen in SW5, I quickly book in to SW5 and get the job. The driver who is in SW5 but booked into SW3 is only 2 minutes from pick up, whereas I am 12 minutes away. This wouldn't happen on GPS.
   As I said, there is a place for zonal in the City and E14, but in my view the rest of the zones would be better served using GPS. It can't be cost and time effective to have a cab run for 10 minutes from one end of SW1 to the other because the driver happens to be number one in the zone. The Chairman said GPS does not take into consideration traffic or congestion, but I would argue that no system does, it’s the driver who decides to accept or reject. If I am number one in EC3 on Upper Thames St and the offer is Eastcheap, or I am nearest on GPS, because of the time it would take to pick up, the decision would be the same.
   Allan Evans says GPS can bypass the nearest cab for one with a stronger signal, but in my experience this happened a few times as long as you didn't have the guy on your tail all day, it was never a problem. The GPS is just an update on the old radio system, nearest cab gets first offer. Either way, whatever the system, I will get used to it.
   As far as investing in new equipment, it’s been said that now may not be the right time and that it is better to have cash in the bank. But I would argue that now is the right time. Thanks to good management, we have some £6million in the bank, but that is of little advantage to us as members if it just stays in the bank. All through this recession, PH have been investing in new cars, ComCab, has renewed, even RTG who are said to be in debt, are upgrading. I read we are still in the research and development stage. But in these times with cash- in-hand, good deals can be  struck. There must be many companies worldwide with state-of-the-art equipment that could be adapted to DaC in a short time scale. As I am sure that when things get better - as they will - and companies become more profitable, price will come second to quality and efficiency. It’s the company that can get a cab at the client’s door in the shortest time

that will prosper and PH and others will not find it
so easy to compete on price alone. One question I would ask is this: Will we be the only major circuit to use the zonal system??
Ian Connelly (T21)
Allan Evans responds: Hi Ian, as we have recently spoken or emailed each other several times I fear I may be repeating myself, but as you say, the magazine is quite rightly an open forum so I will list my thoughts on some of the points you’ve raised in your letter.
   Many individuals have their views on whether the system should be Zonal or GPS based and I am no different. However, as a Board we must listen to the whole membership and not necessarily take into account a single view before making judgement. My personal view is that zonal is much fairer, but it is not my view - it is a BoM decision to choose the best and fairest system available to the membership. You are right to mention that many drivers who were on RTG were far from happy with GPS and are now here with us (not many have gone back)! You are probably also correct that some would ask you the same question that you asked yourself  'if it was so good, why did I join DaC'?
   As I have already mentioned, so long as the system is constantly monitored - and it is - any misdemeanours or rule violations can easily be proven and I am confident that the system will always remain fair and equal for all. No system is perfect but if you correctly book in to a zone, a trip will be offered to you at some stage. Drivers on GPS may work all day and not see an offer on their screens at all, as I am sure you are only too aware. That is even more important in this current climate.
   You gave an example that when WISW, a job appears on screen in SW5, you quickly book in to SW5 and get the job. The driver who is in SW5 but booked into SW3 is only 2 minutes from pick up, whereas you are 12 minutes away. Yes, this wouldn't happen on GPS but who is to say a taxi 400 yards away from the pick up would arrive quicker than a driver half a mile away?
In a perfect world, offering work to the nearest driver would be ideal. However, London is far from perfect with its bizarre one-way systems, road works and traffic. So surely offering a driver the choice and flexibility of a sizeable area they can reach within the permitted 15 minutes is better than limiting them to work based on their GPS position? As you know, in London you must be within 15 minutes of the furthest part of the zone you intend booking in to.
   You also say that it can't be cost-effective to run from one end of SW1 to the other because the driver happens to be number one in that zone? But if you are booked in correctly then there should be no problem, especially as some of the larger zones are sub divided to minimise this type of problem. And as all of our members are experienced taxi drivers, we would trust them explicitly to accept the trips based on traffic conditions and arrival times. I’ve heard stories of drivers in Oxford Street who were offered a ‘local’ trip in Bow (E3) via GPS, because they were the so-called nearest available taxi. So nothing is foolproof. You also mentioned that unless you have a guy on your tail, signal strength is irrelevant. But surely if you are on a large taxi rank, there may be many taxis behind you. Is it right for the taxi at the rear of the rank to gain preference over the point cab due to a stronger signal?
   As the Chairman mentioned at the AGM, we are now well down the road with our Research and Development and negotiations and it is reasonable to assume that by mid to late summer, we will be in a position to start fitting new terminals onto the fleet. Modern technology moves very quickly and they will be by far the best in the trade, as our current terminals were when first introduced some 11 years ago, terminals that in the Board’s opinion still more than stand up against newer systems out there. 

Addison Lee and bus lanes

Hi Alan
In the last issue of Call Sign, you wondered whether John Griffin intends giving his drivers instructions regarding a London bus lane. Private Eye wrote about the M4 situation and also alleged that John Griffin had contributed thousands of pounds worth of transport to the Tories during the General Election. I enclose a copy of his reply in the issue dated 25 November…

Sir,
Thank you for our recent mention (Eye 1274). The closure of the M4 bus lane was not something we were working towards and in fact it has stopped us in our tracks, as we are seeking to show that by not allowing us into the bus lanes to compete with the black taxis the authorities are in breach of discrimination law and anti-competition law.
   It does seem extraordinary that the M4 bus lane is being closed down just before Xmas and reopened for the Olympics. I am unaware of any clamour to close the bus lane and it seems that the whole matter could have been dealt more sensibly and more cheaply after the Olympics. The only conclusion we can come to is that Transport for London were aware that we would win

Hi Alan,
Continuing from the Goldman Sachs letter in last months Call Sign regarding Mike Galvin being seen at St Bride Street, have you heard or is there any truth that GS actually contacted Addison Lee with a view to switching to them as their main ground transport supplier?
   Apparently, for reasons unknown, Addison Lee failed to win the tenure and are running frantic trying to ascertain which private hire company has, or if it has been retained by ComCab and shared by us.
   There does seem to be a drop-off however in pre-booked jobs on the system going to and leaving GS. A little birdie tells me that employees have been requested to hail and ride licensed taxis from the street and claim the fare back through way of a receipt in order to cut back on run-ins, gratuities, VAT and other radio circuit charges.
   Out of interest, when employees use the GS chargecard for both ComCab and us, apart from eliminating any run-in does this also include gratuities, VAT and other radio circuit charges?
   I would appreciate your thoughts and answers on this subject.
Roland Brewer (M38)
   Brian Rice responds: I notice your last line asks for the Editors 'thoughts and answers on this subject. Obviously, Roland, he does not have any so he has passed your letter on to me!
   GS went to tender last year and DaC tendered for that business. I visited them three times and on two occasions gave a presentation, both of which went extremely well. They asked me if we were on any 'platforms' and I stated only Concierge, which is a DaC platform. They then asked me if we would service an 'independent platform’ - that is a platform owned by a software house that does not have any taxis or cars, they just use other peoples’.
   Those of you that read my articles will know I have been warning of this scenario for several years and I refused. I believed we were going to be used as a backup for when a large Private Hire company could not fulfil all their bookings, although I do not have any proof of that. I’m told the other two radio circuits in London were of the same opinion as me. A scenario has been sent from GS here in London to New York, which I understand has been rejected. Consequently, the whole scenario is being looked at again for a decision around the middle of March.
   We have also pointed out to GS and LTPH that what AL are endeavouring to do with a rolling rank is illegal. The only way it would work is for AL to have an 'implant' then Peterborough Court would become a satellite office, which would then have to appear on the AL Operators Licence. I am sure the hierarchy at GS would love that! 
   So Roland, at the time of writing nothing has been agreed and you now know as much as anyone in the taxi trade! I just hope that ComCab retains the account. 

Hello Alan
I was listening to Radio 5Live this morning and they were talking about changes to CRB checks and what categories of people that will still need them. Are you aware of any changes that will apply to us?
Kevin Went (N19)
I asked John Mason, Director of Taxis and Private Hire at LTPH and he told me the Government were reviewing the CRB process and shelved the previous Government’s plans to change it, but he was not aware of any changes having been announced and would have expected to hear about them had they been imminent.

Dear Alan
I read your article in the February online Call Sign with interest, especially the section regarding your online readership. I can see why you have so many readers outside of the UK, because Call Sign is indeed an interesting read even for those not on Dial-a-Cab. So I wonder if you would consider dedicating a page to readers such as myself who do not reside in the UK yet drive a taxi in other countries? I’m sure it would be of interest to UK residents…
Michael Candor
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
   I’m pleased you enjoy the magazine, Michael, but it is designed for Dial-a-Cab readers and they are my priority, so I’m afraid the answer is no. But I will always publish interesting letters and if you have something that may interest DaC drivers specifically, then I’d be interested …Ed