Call Sign September 2011
Page 6
Jery's
World
The missus made me choose between `er and me old Fairway. Anyone `ere know where I can get it serviced???
RMT: RICKSHAWS
WILL "JAM LONDON
Bob Cro
w:
"Leadin
ga
campaig
SOLID!"
n on
the stre
ets!"
As capital heads towards the Olympics...
The taxi branch of the RMT has warned that central London will be "jammed solid" with
unlicensed and uninsured rickshaws as it heads towards the London Olympics with the
authorities refusing to lift a finger to clamp down on the unregulated trade.
The union claims to have a clear position of opposition to rickshaws in London and in
July the RMT parliamentary group convenor, John McDonnell, successfully objected to
the TfL London Local Authorities Bill at Second Reading - specifically on the grounds that
it would lead to the continued proliferation of unlicensed and unsafe rickshaws clogging
up central London.
This was an important and significant victory in the battle by RMT's Taxi Branch to end
the London rickshaw trade all together. Now the union is demanding urgent action to
clear the rickshaws off the busy streets of the capital before there is a fatality.
· Roadside repair
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
· Roadside assistance
"There is a very real danger that the whole of central London could be
· Running repair recovery
clogged up with unlicensed and unregulated rickshaws in the run-up to the
· Accident recovery
Olympics if the authorities don't get an urgent grip on the situation. Alongside
the threat to the livelihoods of our licensed taxi branch members, there is also
· Pay as you go to membership
the threat of serious injury to unwary members of the public who have no idea
· Credit card taken at roadside
that they are climbing into uninsured and unregistered vehicles on London's
busy streets. We've heard reports of rip-off fares of up to £50 for a journey of a
0845 094 5307
few hundred metres!
"Our taxi branch is demanding action now before this chaotic situation spirals
We make wheels turn
out of control and we will be leading a campaign on the streets and in
Parliament to raise public awareness of the rickshaw threat and to force the
so you can earn.
authorities to end this trade before we have a tragedy on our hands."
