Call Sign Dec 2012

Call Sign December 2012

Page 3

from the editor’s desk

who bought new cabs and then couldn’t drive

So who are the mugs?

them.

There is no doubt that Hailo’s expansion has

But if we do what the LCDC suggests and have

been astonishing. It was launched in 2011 in

open entry into the London cab trade with the

London and now operates in Toronto, Boston

25foot turning circle done away with - the

and as of a few weeks ago, in the city of Chicago.

Peugeot E7 is about to test the Conditions of

Hailo CEO and founder, Jay Bregman, said at

Fitness - I think I can safely say that within ten

the latest launch:

years there will be no such thing as a black taxi

“Hailo joins the long list of Chicago innova-

and we’ll all be driving cars and become one

tions including automatic Stop/Go signs, the

trade.

Pullman Sleeping Car and the famous Checker

I used to think that if you wanted to join a club,

Taxi Cab.”

then you needed to be able to meet the require-

He could have added the wind, but those nice

ments of that club; now some are saying that we

Americans might have got the wrong end of Mr

should let anyone into our club and we should be

Bregman’s stick! But he did also give the familiar

the ones to drop those requirements - that being

spiel about how easy it is to call a Hailo cab using

the turning circle. However, for the present, there

just your smartphone.

will be 500 new TX4s up for sale early in the new

What he didn’t say, no doubt for obvious rea-

year and I have a feeling that the prices will be

sons, was that Chicago users will pay an extra

very competitive. Beyond that, who knows and

$1.50 to Hailo when it’s quiet and $2.75 during

the Olympic Route Network lanes, I made a joke

that is very sad...

peak times, so that unlike the world’s best taxi dri-

about it but in reality felt rather embarrassed

vers here in London who are being made to sell

because it goes against the professionalism of our

DaC hero!

themselves cheap, Chicago passengers pay for the

trade that I for one am proud of.

John Ward (R88) has been on DaC for eight

service as against over here where the poor driver

I make no bones about being a member of the

years and so far as Call Sign can ascertain, has

coughs up so that the passenger pays less.

LTDA and my belief that they are way out in front

never appeared in any of our pages before. But he

Yes, so as the headline above says, who are the

of any other unit representing cab drivers. But

certainly is now, having put himself at great risk in

mugs?

they are among the biggest culprits. So come on

order to prevent any further loss of life in addition

Steve, there is no point in being the boss if you

to the innocent man who was killed while driving

Dated trade?

can’t do what you want, and surely out-of-date

home to his pregnant wife and three young chil-

The licensed taxi trade is currently under more

posters can’t be that difficult to pull down! And if

dren. His car was hit by a young man showing off

pressure than since the time that Oliver

you do it (not personally of course), the others

to his girlfriend when travelling along the A13 at

Cromwell got into a strop when his Hackney

organisations will follow - as they do in everything

an horrendous 155mph following an argument

(nee Hacknye) refused to take him to Peckham

else...

between the two. The accident caused carnage.

for his urgent meeting with Dolly Trotter!

John’s story is told inside this issue; we also

Not only could we be short of taxis heading

Manganese administration

detail a letter to the DaC driver from the court

into what could well be a busy Christmas, but pri-

Many years ago, I organised a course for Dial-a-

where the judge praised his actions that may well

vate hire have organised themselves into a (fairly)

Cab taxi drivers who wanted to service and repair

have saved more lives.

well-oiled machine and as much as we have a pop

their own cabs. After several meetings, I finally got

On occasions, the WCHCD present an award

at Addison Lee, you can’t help but have a sneak-

Barking Technical College - as it was then called

for bravery. Whilst John would never dream of

ing admiration at how a company has walked in

- to agree to a course, providing I managed to get

putting himself forward, in our humble opinion

and cashed in on what we stupidly gave away -

10 drivers. I advertised it and within two days,

the trade charity and Livery Company behind the

the colour black. How many times has this maga-

forty DaC drivers asked to go on it and four class-

wonderful Disneyland Paris annual weekends for

zine been castigated by drivers for using the

es were eventually organised with a City and

sick children, need look no further than John

expression “black cabs” rather than licensed taxis?

Guilds accreditation available at the end of the

Ward.

But hey, it’s nice to see that the LCDC are now

course for successful drivers.

coming on board via their Chairman Grant Davis

Strangely, the first person to pass was a woman,

Writing for Call Sign

and columnist Mickey Walker, who are now

Mary Leaming (ex-C44), who was not only the

Call Sign’s Richard Potter (T51) has decided

both talking about cabs being black. Sadly it’s

first woman to go on the course, but was also the

that he needs a rest from writing, so we are ask-

now a bit late, I think.

first person to gain that City and Guilds accredita-

ing if anyone out there fancies taking over his

All we really have left is our good name because

tion. I personally gave up the course as I soon

monthly space?

passengers often tell drivers that we are falling

realised that I didn’t like getting oily hands! But

All you need is the ability to put your thoughts

behind the times in our choice of clothing and

the course continued for years afterwards.

into words. You will have the freedom to say what

vehicle. But whether that has any basis or not, we

Eventually, ComCab drivers complained that they

you want (within reason), but what I’d like is

have one thing that Addy Lee and co can never

wanted to also go on the course and I had to

someone who regardless of whether they belong

take from us without doing the Knowledge - our

open it up to the trade. But enough of the histo-

to a trade organisation, is happy to give their own

professionalism. Whether that shows itself in an

ry lesson...

views on any subjects - preferably connected to

old Metrocab or a brand new Vito with a driver

Back to the present; mechanics still working for

taxi driving.

who looks like he has just come from the family

Manganese Bronze under the administration of

It isn’t quite as easy as some might think

chimney sweeping business, what the passenger

PWC are surely of a higher standard than we ama-

because I will always be nagging for your next col-

knows is that whoever is driving, that licensed taxi

teurs that attended Barking Tech, so why did it

umn, so just because you have one thing you

will get them to their destination in the quickest

take so long to finally sort out the TX4 steering

want to say, you will need far, FAR more than that.

if possible, but always in the best available way.

box fault? At the time of writing this, Toyota had

It would be nice if you could make it different

But that professionalism is laughed at thou-

just announced a recall for 2.8million of their cars

to the trade’s regular columnists, but you don’t

sands of times each day because of the laziness of

- also because of a steering fault. MB say all their

have to worry about spelling because I’ll make

our trade organisations. Look around as you exit

400+ taxis will be fitted with the new part by mid-

sure that it comes out ok. So long as your article

Euston or Waterloo Stations. Everything you see,

December. Who’d like to bet that Toyota get their

makes good reading and entertains Call Sign’s

passengers can see as well. What am I talking

2.8million fixed and back on the road before that?

readership, then it will be published. Only one

about? Well how about large posters put up by

Whilst the TX4 will soon be on sale again, what

definite thing - you must be able to send the arti-

trade organisations advertising demonstrations

we don’t know is who it will be that owns the

cle via email.

against causes that have long since passed?

company! But contrary to those plunging the

If interested, write to me at callsignmag

While it’s true that we become blasé towards

knife in because there is no London Taxi

@aol.com.

anything we see on a regular basis, when a pas-

Company advertising to worry about, I still think

senger asked me why we were still calling for

that it is the best taxi we have ever had, even

Alan Fisher

demonstrations against not being allowed into

though our real sympathies lay with the drivers

callsignmag@aol.com

Call Sign December 2012

Page 4

reflections of the chairman

Chapman to have this scenario foisted upon

AGM time...

them just because John Griffin complained to

The deadline has now passed for nominations

Boris Johnson. I wonder what the reaction

to the BoM and rule changes and proposi-

would have been had one of our trade organ-

tions should have been received at this office

isations complained to the Mayor? Then again

by the closing date of 12 November. However,

the taxi industry does not contribute to Tory

the Company Secretary has not received any

Party funds, as does John Griffin.

rule changes or propositions and I’m rather

The investigation implies that LTPH are not

sad to see that there was just one member

doing their job correctly, otherwise there

prepared to put himself up as a candidate

would not be an investigation. So the next

wishing to stand for election to the Board.

time you complain about LTPH, just remem-

The current five elected Board Members are

ber the minicabs think there is a bias towards

all seeking re-election and it would appear

us from the authority - which there quite

that I am unopposed for the position of

clearly isn’t!

Chairman.

Probably the real point is that Mr Griffin is

I am sure you are all aware of the date but

used to getting his own way and when he was

just in case, the next AGM is on 3rd February

refused the use of bus lanes, he thought he

2012 and will be held at the HAC Barracks in

due to go in December; this being due to the

would ‘call in’ his contribution to the Tory

City Road, commencing at 11am. You will

fifteen year rule being applied. There will

Party by complaining to the Mayor. As stated

receive all the necessary paperwork after

then be an average of thirty to fifty cabs com-

earlier, Deloitte are carrying out the investiga-

Christmas and I would like to remind you that

ing off the road every month due to the

tion into LTPH; ironically, they used to be an

if you do not vote by post, then you should

Mayor’s new age limit restrictions.

account client of RTG until they lost it to -

attend the AGM in person. If you do not do

Then to cap it all, LTC contacted Geely

you’ve guessed it - Addison Lee!

either one or the other, you will then incur a

(China), who own 20% of the company, for a

£50 fine.

£15million loan. This was refused by Geely, so

LTC did not have any alternative other than to

Building work...

call in Administrators to run the business until

As a matter of interest, there is a lot of build-

Torrid year for the

a suitable buyer, or otherwise, can be found.

ing development being carried out in the area

I’m led to believe there are several parties

of Dial-a-Cab House and we have now been

trade

interested, but at the time of writing nothing

informed that there will be even more. The

The past year has certainly been one to

has yet been announced.

two buildings between Dial-a-Cab House and

remember - but for all the wrong reasons. It

Old Street are to be demolished; in their place

goes without saying that this whole year has

there will be a 10 storey office block together

LTPH investigation

been very tough workwise and when the

with a 39 storey residential building with

Just when you thought the situation this year

Olympics hit us in July/August and the

retail and restaurants. In total, the 39 storeys

could not get any worse, I was informed there

Paralympics in September, work levels just

will house 302 residential units.

was going to be an inquiry into London Taxi

went through the floor.

Building is due to commence in 2014, with

and Private Hire (LTPH) by Deloitte on

The spectacle itself was excellent and

the office block completed in 2015 and the

behalf of the London Mayor.

appeared to be organised extremely well - so

residential site in 2016. Looks like we moved

This investigation has come about because

well in fact that people working and intending

premises at the right time!

John Griffin, the owner of Addison Lee, has

to visit London heeded the authority’s pleas

complained to the Mayor that he believes taxis

Finally, I would like to wish you and your

and gave London a wide berth! The work was

get preferential treatment to minicabs and he

families a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy

so abysmal that the figures for Dial-a-Cab

New Year. Let’s look forward to 2013 because it

wants LTPH to be split in two, one part for

were the worst I have ever encountered and I

minicabs and the other for taxis. He believes

certainly can’t be worse than 2012 - can it?

have been told that the other two radio taxi

that if this should come about, then the mini-

circuits experienced exactly the same sce-

Brian Rice

cab side could lobby on his behalf to gain

nario.

access to bus lanes etc.

Chairman

We then had the news regarding 400+ TX4s

It must be soul destroying for the Director

Dial-a-Cab

and faulty steering boxes, with all of them hav-

of LTPH, John Mason and his assistant Helen

ing to be recalled. However, it took over a

month to find a solution to the problem and

during that entire period, the vehicles were

off the road. It affected over three hundred

The Flower Mill

vehicles in London, with the remainder dis-

tributed throughout the country.

Creating Beautiful Flowers For Weddings

As I have said, the affected vehicles were not

allowed onto the roads, so the owners could

not work or had to hire alternative vehicles in

Tel: 07854 738895

an attempt to have some kind of income.

However, there was also a shortage of cabs

Web: www.theflowermillessex.co.uk

available for rent. Now that the solution has

been found, the London Taxi Company are

slowly working their way through the affected

Email: theflowermill@yahoo.co.uk

vehicles and hopefully rectifying the fault.

As a consequence, London’s fleet was

Covering Essex & The Surrounding Counties

reduced by over three hundred vehicles due

to the steering fault, while at the same time

another two hundred and ninety vehicles

“It is at the edge of a petal that love waits”- William Carlos Williams

were taken off the road in November and

another three hundred and fifty three taxis are

Call Sign December 2012

Page 5

TfL lose in touting appeal

In a shock decision,

request of Abacus with the majority of its work

Appellant’s firm. They stand at a designated

Transport for London has

being carried out legitimately thanks to individ-

location.

lost an appeal by Diamond

uals the trade refers to as Clipboard Johnnies.

“They operate in tandem (now in tripli-

Chauffeurs against the authority stripping the

In his judgement District Judge Michael

cate) one to accept bookings, another to

minicab firm of its licence at Cornhill nightspot,

Fanning spent some considerable time dis-

convey customers to a particular car -

Abacus.

cussing whether the recess was in or outside

thereby protecting the paying public from

A previous home movie shot by the LTDA

the entrance, even comparing it to being on or

un-licenced and unregulated operators

showed touting taking place outside of the

off a boat when on the gangplank!

whom I am told are a regular danger in the

venue, but Diamond’s claim was that their

However, Judge Fanning went on to say: “As

immediate vicinity of the Premises. Given

“work” did not take place on the pavement but

to the “touting” issues. Technically, I can see

the mischief at which the regulation of taxi

that they had an “official” booking desk situat-

that the offence is made out if the operator

firms is directed, the breach observed on 17

ed in a recess and while the minicab firm

makes an approach to a customer rather than

February 2012 was a minor one, and not

agreed they were not inside the building, they

the other way round. The Appellant (Diamond)

one that was inimical to public safety.”

argued that it counted as part of the premises.

concedes that to be so on the evidence.

It would appear to Call Sign that according

The court accepted that some touting had

However, the Appellant has operators on the

to District Judge Fanning, Diamond Chauffeurs

taken place, but that this was a small problem

Premises at the request of its management.

are actually protecting us all from the scourge

and that the car company were there at the

They are clearly identifiable as operators for the

of touting! That’s ok then...!

E7 looks for London licence

Scottish taxi manufacturers Allied Vehicles, who pro-

duce the Peugeot E7 taxi, have sent one of their cabs

London in the hope that the Conditions of Fitness - ie

the 25foot turning circle - can be relaxed following the

well documented problems at Manganese Bronze and

its retail outlets. But according to the Glasgow-based

company, the CoF is not a safety issue but a nicety.

Paul Nelson is MD at Allied and from a practical

point of view says that a relaxation of London’s CoF

would create 100 jobs and help the company build an

extra 500 E7s each year. He said that Allied, who also

manufacture an electric version of the cab, have made

an offer to Mayor Johnson and TfL to loan vehicles

and build new revamped cabs if they relax the condi-

tions of fitness. The company have already supplied

around twenty loan taxis to Scottish drivers whose

TX4s were recalled.

TfL have confirmed that Allied Vehicles have for-

mally applied to licence one of its vehicles as a

London taxi. At the time of going to press, TfL were pro

Will the E7 get a London licence

pass an E7 and will then make what they called “a rigo

all the licensing requirements of a London taxi.” However, that statement suggests that they will fail

the cab because of its lack of the prescribed turning circle.

Allied Vehicles was founded in 1993 by Gerry Facenna and his brother Michael.

The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled

LTBAWD provide transport after remembrance service

In 1907, the first aid Nursing Yeomanry was formed and became involved during WW1 in

driving ambulances and assisting in field hospitals under dangerous conditions. At the end

of the war, the Nursing Yeomanry had received one Legion d’Honour, 27 Croix de Guerre

and 17 Military Medals.

When the Second World War began, they were to become the Motor Driving

Companies which were part of the woman’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Many of

them went into top secret work in coding and supplying administration and support at

special training schools and also joining the Special Operations Executive where they

served in various parts of the world.

A large number were sent into occupied France, were captured and died in concentra-

tion camps. Three of them, Noor Inayat Khan, Violette Szabo and Odette Hallows all

received the George Cross - the first two posthumously. A film was later made based on

Violette Szabo’s life with Virginia McKenna playing Szabo. The film, Carve Her Name

With Pride, won awards around the world.

On the wall of St Pauls Church in Knightsbridge is a memorial which lists the names of fifty four of these

brave women. On the 27th October 2012, members of the Yeomanry, which is now known as The Princess Royal’s Volunteers Corps,

attended their annual remembrance service at the church.

The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled had been asked to supply transport for some of the veterans to convey them

to a lunch at The United Services Club in Seymour St. Thanks to David Webb, one of drivers who assisted the LTBAWD in taking these ladies to

lunch on their special day.

Derek Leone, Hon PRO LTBAWD Taxicharity.Org

Call Sign December 2012

Page 6

Jery’s World

Ok, ok, ok Rudolph! If you agree to end your strike, then I'll ask Allen Togwell if he can fit you up with a polo shirt and trousers

whilst you pull the DaC Christmas sledge...!

Alpha Pill supports Fair Fuel UK

If you have a smartphone, you can go

If there is one question we

to the Alpha Pill ad inside this issue

get asked more than any

other, it’s whatever hap-

and you will see a QR code where you

can scan directly to the website by

pened to the amazing

putting the phone next to the code.

Alpha Power Pills. These

pills were among the most

amazing things this maga-

zine had ever tested, with

numerous readers having

used them and telling

Call Sign how happy

they were with them.

We began testing in

2005 and by 2007 it

seemed that half the

fleet were using them. The

pills worked then just as they work now. The biggest prob-

lem was getting hold of them!

However, Call Sign has found Steve Vale and he has now supplied a number of

• Roadside repair

Dial-a-Cab drivers in addition to Chairman Brian Rice. Steve also told Call Sign that he

• Roadside assistance

also supports Fair Fuel UK in their battle to get HMG to cancel the proposed duty

• Running repair recovery

increase in the January budget.

• Accident recovery

They go further, wanting to fight to cut fuel duty and help stimulate economic growth

• Pay as you go to membership

and to help bring UK petrol and diesel to European Parity in terms of fuel pricing and

taxation. You can find out more at www.fairfueluk.com.

• Credit card taken at roadside

As for the Alpha Power Pills, they help clear carbon build up in the engine, resulting in

better mpg. But far more importantly, they help cut emissions and users of the pill can

see the results in their wing mirror as the smoke from the exhaust begins to clear.

0845 094 5307

If you would like to order the amazing Alpha Pill, just go to OnlyCabs.co.uk

We make wheels turn

and click on the ‘Order Page’. Or you can phone your order to Stephen Vale at

Only Cabs on 020 3239 6101.

so you can earn.

Call Sign December 2012

Page 7

Like many before him, Dial-a-Cab driver

Tony Guerrier (L28) has had his odd run-

Three years too late…

in with the authorities regarding PCNs,

most recently regarding the no right turn

from Moorgate into London Wall and the

a PHV,” Tony explained to Call Sign with the

Old Broad Street camera saga. After valu-

merest hint of a smile! His letters went to

able advice from DaC’s parking guru

and fro over an extended period of time

Barrie Segal, the matter was finally

between Tony and Westminster Parking

resolved. It did, however, need Tony to

Services, neither side being prepared to back

visit the Parking Adjudicator to achieve a

down, all the while the PCN charges were

satisfactory solution in his favour.

steadily escalating.

Tony explained to Call Sign:

“The

Tony received threats of Bailiffs com-

London Wall right-turn allegation was also

ing to his home, in addition to other dire-

cancelled due - according to the letter they

sounding consequences. Tony eventually

sent me - technical reasons. So that was

lodged an appeal to the Traffic

two results in short succession!”

Enforcement Centre; part of Her

Now on a roll, Tony continued with his

Majesty’s Court Service, but he was

latest David v Goliath tale

- an almost

unsuccessful there as well.

unbelievable tale of incompetence from

Finally, after doggedly sticking to his prin-

Westminster Parking Services.

Tony with some of the paperwork sent

ciples of natural justice, which along the way

“The real tour-de-force came from our

thanks to Westminster's incompetence!

involved researching Acts of Parliament

so-called friends at the City of

regarding road and parking laws, Tony was

Westminster Parking Services, because if

“I later received a PCN saying that video

informed that the original PCN dated 16th

I didn’t actually have the correspondence

evidence at the Cumberland showed I

January 2009 had actually been cancelled on

to prove the monumental mess, I doubt

had ‘stopped without any sign of activity

the 8th April 2009 - just 11 weeks later - but

that I’d have believed it myself because you

for two minutes in a restricted street dur-

nobody had bothered to tell him until three

couldn’t make it up - even with a wild

ing prescribed hours’.

years later, in September 2012!

imagination!”

“I appealed almost immediately, explain-

“All that time I was writing letters and the

With that, Tony went back to the begin-

ing the situation, but as we have come to

authorities were, from time to time replying

ning in January 2009...

expect from Westminster, my representation

to me supposedly sticking to their guns, yet

“I had picked up at Marylebone Station

was dismissed. But the real insult was the

the blooming PCN had been scrubbed years

and the passenger requested that I make

reference to my clearly visible TX taxi as a

earlier!”

my way to the Cumberland Hotel to collect

minicab! You could clearly see the TfL

Half laughing and half in anger, Tony

another passenger before going onto a sec-

licence plate on the back of the cab for good-

ended his story with a personal view of City

ond destination. At the hotel, my passen-

ness sake!”

of Westminster Parking Services: “An incom-

ger phoned his friend to come out to meet

Tony stuttered, exasperated at the stupidi-

petent bunch of nincompoops! You really

us, but it transpired that he was actually at

ty of Westminster’s mistaken identity.

couldn’t make it up!”

the Marriott on Park Lane. So off we went

“In one of my letters, I even took the time

Alan Green

there.

to explain the difference between a taxi and

Call Sign Online

Martin Cordell & Co.

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Over forty years of experience with the Licensed London Taxi Trade.

Processing of self-assessment returns.

Advice on trading as a Limited Company with its tax advantages and potential pitfalls.

Preparation of accounts.

Initial consultation dealing with loss of earnings claims (due to accidents on the road etc.)

Letters to banks, building societies

and other lenders.

Specialist in-house facilities to deal with Inland Revenue enquiry cases.

(This is expensive and time consuming. Ask your accountant how much he will charge should this

unpredictable event occur).

A three hundred and sixty five days a year service.

A ‘nightshift’

service.

Offices in North and East London.

First consultation free of charge.

Martin Cordell & Co . . . Do!

All for one yearly fee

The London Taxi Trades Premier Accountants

(24 hour answering service for prompt service)

020 8980 7161

(24 hour answering service for prompt service)

1-5 Alfred Street, Bow, London E3 2BE also at

Front Office, First Floor, 9 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AS

www.martin-cordell.co.uk

Call Sign December 2012

Page 8

Because of the date of the announcement

Call Sign asks Mayor Boris Johnson and Business Secretary Vince

on 22 October, it was Call Sign that had

Cable to..

the unenviable job of being the first in the

trade press to confirm in our November

issue that Manganese Bronze, parent

company of London Taxis International

and the London Taxi Company, had to

Please make up

call administrators in to assist in deciding

whether the company had a future and if

so, with whom would that future be?

Reports surfaced on all major television

your mind!

networks as well as in every UK newspa-

per, in addition to many of the world’s

most prestigious papers from the Wall

Street Journal to The Times of India. But

the real question was whether anyone

really cared, because whereas Manganese

local Coventry MP, Geoffrey Robinson,

had gone into print saying that around 80

companies had expressed an interest in

taking over MBH and that he hoped that

there would be some serious negotiations

in December, the administrators,

PricewaterhouseCooper, with advice /

assistance from Wragge & Co, Gateley

and Wragge’s Birmingham restructuring

Boris and Vince: Do they really want to help?

partner Julian Pallett, London corporate

partner Richard Haywood and

ed for drivers by the administrators. He

abled passengers, that the Mayor, if he

Birmingham-based director Jasvir Jootla,

failed to mention that no financial help

couldn’t persuade the Chancellor to aban-

were saying nothing and answering no

was ever received from the Mayor of

don it, could pay the VAT on each new taxi

questions from a concerned trade.

London anyway!

purchased. That would knock almost

Perhaps we just were not important

This is the same Mayor who was still tak-

£7,000 off the price yet cost the Mayor’s

enough?

ing 15 year old taxis off the road at a time

office very little compared to some of their

There was little doubt that

when new ones were being held up indef-

other outgoings.

Manganese Bronze Holdings were hav-

initely through the steering box problem.

As Business Secretary, Vince Cable could

ing serious problems, having made

The reason is that they are not green, yet

also help by “convincing” Chancellor of

losses for the previous four years

with £millions in his coffers - enough to

the Exchequer George Osborne that the

whilst this year being hit by accounting

build pointless cable car river crossings

London taxi business needs assistance. So

errors and a recall of over 400 TX4s fol-

and to look for third airport sites in the

to the Mayor and Vince Cable, we ask them

lowing a steering box fault.

Thames estuary - he couldn’t afford to

to make up their minds. Do they want to

Through the administrators, the compa-

help London’s taxi drivers, who apparent-

help us or not? We suspect we already

ny - which is 20% owned by China’s Geely

ly are said to be part of his transport sys-

know the answer...

International - announced 156 redun-

tem, by subsidising the cost of new taxis.

dancies including many long-term

Call Sign has put forward the sugges-

Ron Yarborough

employees at their manufacturing facility

tion on several occasions that as the

Call Sign Online

in Holyfield Road. Some even tried locking

London Taxi is specially adapted for dis-

themselves in, following the announce-

ment that Manganese had failed in an

You may not need us now, but cut us out for when you do!

attempt to obtain a loan from its Chinese

partner in order to to keep it going.

Around two weeks after the administra-

tors went in, Coalition Business Secretary

LOCKHOUSE SECURITY

Vince Cable went onto local BBC

Midlands TV to say that he hoped some-

All types of locks, opened, repaired and replaced

one would step in to buy Manganese,

whilst at the same time hoping that Geely

10% discount on keys and locks for DaC drivers

would behave honorably - although he

Transponders / chipped keys

didn’t say what he meant by that com-

On site key cutting services including taxis

ment. However, in the Editor’s November

Locks replaced / fitted to insurance specifications (BS3621

Editorial, Alan Fisher said that he hoped

Geely’s failure to extend a loan to MBH

Burglary repairs / boarding up

wasn’t a back-door way of being able to

Additional security / security upgrades

buy the company on the cheap. Regardless

Safes opened, repaired and serviced

of that, to those taxi drivers who couldn’t

Grilles and security gates

drive their new TX4s because of the steer-

ing box recall, Mr Cable said that he was

Specialists in UPVC doors and windows / patio doors

unable to do anything whilst the adminis-

Free estimates / no call out charge

trators were involved. He failed to say

24hr service

what he could do when they leave.

At the same time as Vince Cable said

nowt, London Mayor Boris Johnson also

You can find us at:

said everything while actually saying noth-

8-10 The Arcade, Farnham Road, Harold Hill

ing. He said that he was disappointed and

Tel: 01708 371115

concerned that no help had been provid-

Call Sign December 2012

Page 9

A story for Christmas

Colourful Christmas?

An old grey Metrocab stood alone on the temporary rank at Victoria

was driving along Oxford Street and stops for a

Station. Its proprietor was an elderly man with the worry lines of 40

woman loaded up with shopping and two kids.

years of dealing with the public and driving in London etched upon

So he gets out and helps her in with the shop-

his face. The normal queue for a taxi was absent and the station

ping and pushchair. He’s a dad himself, so he

seemed to have taken a pause in spilling out its passengers.

carries a bag of sweets in his cab and he gives one

It was 2 days before Xmas and it looked like it might be a

each to her kids.”

white one, although the recent snowfall had been trans-

“He’s definitely your son, is he Alf?”

formed into a dirty sludge by the movement of traffic and

Alf ignores the remark and continues… “So he

pedestrians.

takes them to Fulham, helps her out with the

A TX1 pulled up behind the grey cab and, recognising the

shopping and stuff and just as he’s about to

number plate, the driver got out and walked up to the

turn around, she calls out that she

front of it.

remembers she’s left her key indoors.

“About time you donated this to the taxi

So he gets out the cab again and

museum, ‘ennit Alf,” said the

sees a first-floor window

other driver who was young and

open. After knocking

smiling and who probably

on a few doors, he

looked a bit like Alf had 40

borrows a ladder

years back. “Was it 15 years

from a neighbour,

or 50!”

gets in through the

“See me out, this one

window and lets

will,” responded Alf seriously, but not taking

her in. She’s so grateful and offers him

offence.

an extra fiver but he won’t take it.

“Could be any day now for you then, Alf,

Then she says she’s going to take his

they reckon too much laughing is bad for

number and write to LTPH to tell them

you.”

how wonderful he’s been. He tells her

“Nothing to laugh about,” replied the older

not to bother and as she doesn’t write

man who, if laughing were the only thing you

anything down, how’s she going to

could die of, would definitely achieve immortality.

remember anyway?

“D’you know, the last fare I got from here was

“But somehow she does remember and

Belgrave Road. Belgrave Road! And if it’s not there,

writes a letter telling them how he picked

it’s Peckham or East Dulwich.”

her up in Oxford Street and all about her

The other cabbie was still smiling. He found it amus-

being locked out and that he’s the best taxi

ing to listen to Alf going on. In fact Alf had turned mis-

driver she’s ever met. And now he’s in

ery into an art form and if he ever cheered up, he would

plenty of trouble with LTPH...”

lose his uniqueness. It seemed he actually enjoyed being

Just then a man appeared at the window of his

miserable…

cab carrying several bags and a Xmas

“You do know it’s Xmas, don’t you, Alf?”

tree.

“So what,” said Alf, his tired eyes looking up

“East Dulwich,” he said, interrupting

from beneath the checked cheese-cutter cap.

Alf ’s story.

“I think I’ll get you some ‘happy pills’ - put a bit of festive spir-

“See what I mean,” said Alf grimacing, “bloody Dulwich and two

it in you,” said the younger man.

hundred pine needles on the floor!” With that he started up the cab.

“Don’t need nothing like that, ‘sides Xmas is over-rated,”

“Hold on,” says the youngster, “how can your son get into trou-

replied Alf with the enthusiasm you’d normally expect from a turkey.

ble because the lady writes a letter telling them how wonderful

“You should watch that film Scrooge over Xmas,” said Mr TX1,

he was?”

“that’ll make you think.”

“Yellow badge, ain’t he,” said Alf, driving his Metrocab off in a puff

“It does,” said Alf, “it makes me think why they don’t put on

of smoke…

something else - it’s on every year!”

The two drivers were like a comedy act, with the younger one pro-

voking and teasing and the other entrenched behind walls of misery.

“Okay, but you have to admit that Xmas brings out the best in

Keith Reading

people. They relax, they’re looking forward to a few days off and

Professional Toastmaster

even the tips are better. Come on, it’s the season of goodwill, Alf!”

Master of Ceremonies

Looking as miserable as ever, Alf answered back: “Yeah, well you

can overdo all that stuff you know. Kindness and generosity can

Tele: 01279 465 938

bring a lot of trouble.”

Mobile: 07774 860 374

The young man looked at Alf astounded.

Email: kgr.2@virgin.net

“Okay, here we go, you’re going to tell me some gloomy story

about how that is.”

10% discount for DaC drivers and staff

“You don’t have to listen,” said Alf.

The other driver looked towards the empty Hudsons Place rank

Fellow of the Guild of

where the queue should have been and sighed.

Professional Toastmasters

“Ok, go on, Alf, let’s hear it…”

So Alf related his tale. “My son’s a taxi driver and 2 weeks ago he

Call Sign December 2012

Page 10

During the past few years, I have organised sev-

eral concerts on behalf of the London

Taxidrivers’ Fund for Underprivileged

London Taxidrivers’

Children. You may also remember that

together with the late David Todhunter, we

founded an orchestra many years ago that was

Symphony Orchestra

renamed as the London Charity Orchestra.

Now, with music in mind, I am establishing

another orchestra: The London Taxidrivers’

Symphony Orchestra.

This new and exciting orchestra can only

bring excellent public relation for our industry

and give enjoyment to those who perform and

listen to music. I am also pleased to say the

LTDSO is affiliated to Making Music, The

National Federation of Music Societies.

If you or anyone you know would like to

know more please email m.son@ltdso.co.uk

or login to www.ltdso.co.uk to complete an

online application form.

The Orchestra

The London Taxi Drivers Symphony Orchestra

will be comprised of a mixture of professional

musicians, proficient players, students from

Summary of the aims of the orchestra

ences to appreciate great music in a wel-

various music academies working alongside

• To create a ‘Buddy System’ for those with

coming atmosphere.

enthusiastic amateurs who hold that deep felt

lesser skills to be mentored and ulti-

• To perform concerts in an effort to raise

desire to become an integral part of an orches-

mately share in the enjoyment of

much needed revenue for charities and

tra, but have harboured reservations regarding

becoming part of a team of talented

other worthy causes.

their levels of musicianship.

members of a new and exciting orches-

Who can apply for membership?

Why play music?

tra.

London taxi drivers and anyone associated

We believe that making music is not only fun,

• To provide an opportunity for musicians

with the taxi scene. We also accept associate

but can also benefit those people within our

to perform in front of a live audience.

members who just want to have fun and enjoy

society who are less fortunate. Making music

• To encourage more live music.

making music.

brings people together and whilst we may not

• To provide opportunities for composers

Mike Son

change the world, we can improve it through

to have their compositions premiered.

DaC Special Projects

music.

• To engage with and encourage new audi-

The LTFUC

Call Sign December 2012

Page 11

In 1957, ODRTS (now Dial-a-Cab) Founder-

Chairman Bonnie Martyn created a huge sen-

It’s a let-off for Bonnie’s

sation when following the successful launch of

this Society at Pentonville Road four years ear-

lier, he was asked to go to the beautiful

Bermuda BABIES!

Caribbean / Atlantic island of Bermuda to set

up a radio-taxi company similar to the one he

Brian Rice present-

had successfully launched here in

1953.

ing Bonnie with a

Money, Bonnie was told, was no object!

celebration plaque

So Bonnie resigned from ODRTS - some-

on his 90th birth-

thing for which many never forgave him - and

day in 1999

travelled to Bermuda via New York and the

Queen Mary on 28 December 1957. Sent at

the same time on a freight ship were 12 Austin

A55s, each fitted with Pye ‘reporter’ radios and

would now be to unify

which were going to be the beginnings of

the Island’s dispatching

Bermuda Taxi Radio Cabs.

companies.

After the successful launch of BTRC and

“The Commission

making sure that it was on a sound footing,

has determined that

Bonnie returned to London and ODRTS as a

punitive measures

Board member. However, his sudden depar-

against taxi owners

ture to Bermuda had caused some friction -

and operators not

some even said jealousy as Bonnie had been

Bonnie’s Babies - as he referred to them -

GPS compliant, would be ill-served at this

very well paid for the job - and it was a short-

should comply with the Global Positioning

particular stage of the modernisation

lived return to Pentonville Road. But time

Satellite (GPS) legislation that had been passed

process.”

healed the wounds and Bonnie became an

in 2004. They also claimed that Radio Cabs

During several meetings with Dial-a-Cab

honoured guest at many DaC functions over

were allegedly defying the law.

Chairman Brian Rice and at well past the age of

the years as well as a welcome visitor to our

Now Bermuda Taxi Radio Cabs lack of

90, Bonnie often showed himself fully behind

Brunswick House base. He died at the age of

GPS will not be punished, although new ini-

modern technology, but we think deep down he

93 in August 2002 - still in love with DaC.

tiatives are being prepared to benefit those

would have been pleased to see that his “babies”

But his Bermuda Taxi Radio Cabs still oper-

operators who have the correct equipment

are still pretty much as he left them!

ate and still use voice dispatch. Then in 2009,

and are fully compliant with the GPS regu-

Call Sign was told that the company had

lations.

Baghwat Singh

received a stern warning from the Bermuda

In a statement released by the Bermuda

Transport Control Department demanding that

Ministry of Transport, they said their focus

Call Sign Online

LOOKING AT (TAXI) LIFE

Boundary changes... and

With Tom Quigley (Y33)

asides on all manner of subjects.

With Danny normally throwing in two or

Scotland

three conversation strands, it would not be

Am I missing the point, or is a lot of money

too long into the show before another

being wasted by the Government on the

unlikely and tenuous link led everyone down

proposed boundary changes to reduce the

a totally different path and with this being

number of MPs in the House of Commons

radio, as a listener you’d use your own

from 650 to 600? With a lot of money

minds-eye and imagination to picture the

already having been spent on proposed

scene of the tale being told.

boundary changes, the first reviews have

One of my favourites was when Danny

been criticised and rewritten and still it

asked listeners for any tales about forgetting

appears that no one is happy with all three

a famous name or getting their name

major political parties taking different

wrong. That led to a caller who while tour-

stances, with further proposals to be sched-

ing Ireland with the BBC Philharmonic

uled for a vote sometime in 2013 and

Orchestra and its special guest, legendary

changes not scheduled to take effect until

violinist Yehudi Menuhin, went to a local

2015 - after the next general election. That

pub where a traditional Irish band were play-

will mean a further five years of whichever

ing. After a few drinks, some of the crew

the economy to have fifty more or less MPs

Government we get before the vote and

joined in and with the great violinist playing

or actually having all those that were voted

with it, any changes it brings actually having

on the fiddle, a good time was had by all.

in doing jobs they are supposed to be doing

an effect.

At the end of the session, the Irish band

and getting the country on its feet?

Then, whilst all that is going on, there will

leader thanked them and when asking for

be a referendum on independence for

Danny Baker off the air

Yehudi’s name, misheard it and in front of

Scotland scheduled for 2014. Surely, whichev-

With all the trouble at the BBC, the biggest

the whole pub said thanks to their special

er way that vote goes will have an effect on

shake up to me is the loss of The Danny

guest, Yehudi McMennaman!

the number of MPs that will be sitting in the

Baker Show from its regular afternoon slot

It was stories and tales such as that one

House. And if Scotland does vote for inde-

on BBC London 94.9.

that for over 12 years have led Danny and

pendence, then they will have the right to

Danny, along with his regular crew of

his team to win many awards and plaudits.

make their own boundary changes anyway.

Amy Lamé and Baylen Leonard, regular

No amount of money-saving and figure

It seems to be a lot of money being spent

guests such as Peter Kay among others and

crunching can replace pure talent. No doubt

- or wasted - at a time when the

with help from listeners including, no doubt

Danny will be working elsewhere, but for us

Government is looking at ways to save

many Dial-a-Cab drivers, delivered a quick

to have had him on our local radio station

money. Does it really make any difference to

fire humorous show full of stories, tales and

has been a real pleasure...

Call Sign December 2012

Page 12

Rarely is a Judge able to praise a

witness in court, but that is

exactly what Her Honour Judge

DaCMan Hero!

Patricia Lees did when DaC driver

John Ward (R88) appeared at

give way, despite using all my strength to try

Snaresbrook Crown Court to give

to free it. I also tried the rear door, while all

evidence of the carnage he wit-

the time the seconds were ticking away and I

was concerned the car would catch fire. That

nessed while driving along the

too didn’t open. I found a large piece of con-

A13 in September 2010. John

crete to smash the window, but the rock just

related the events of that fateful

bounced off the glass. I used my mobile to

call 999, requesting all the emergency ser-

night to Call Sign, details of

vices. They arrived very quickly.

which some might find disturb-

To my amazement, the BMW driver

ing.

took no part in this rescue operation, but

just continued to walk away with his

“I was travelling home after work along the

female passenger. Then I saw another cab

A13 eastbound towards the M25 at around

weaving its way through this mayhem,

01.15 in the morning on Thursday

there being debris and car parts strewn

September 2010, a date I won’t forget for a

across the road. I waved him down, ask-

long time. I was in the middle lane of the

ing his assistance by parking his cab next

three-lane carriageway keeping to a steady 40

to mine in order to block off the two near-

mph, aware of the speed cameras along that

side lanes, which he did. While still on the

section of road when a dark coloured BMW

debris all over the road. It resembled a scene

phone to the emergency services, I

640 coupe with the distinctive registration

from a disaster movie.

motioned to him to try to release the man

P1MP R undertook my cab at very high

I looked around but couldn’t see anything

from the battered car even though I

speed, probably twice that of my cab, so

else that may have been involved, so I pulled

assumed the man must have died because

about 80 mph. When you’ve been driving as

the cab across the lanes at ninety degrees to

he had not moved since the impact. But I

long as I have - 43 years - you get a sense of

the hard shoulder and put my hazard lights

felt it was worth a try if at all possible.

judgement about such things.

on. I saw the driver at the passenger door of

We were stopped just over and around the

The cab shook with the speed and close-

the BMW helping the young girl out of the

brow of the hill, making our own position

ness of the BMW coming up the inside lane

car. He showed no sign of injury, but the

very dangerous indeed as there was traffic

to pass me and then just as erratically, turned

young lady looked distressed, crying and

still speeding past us at 70 mph limit as the

left into a BP fuel station just after the A406

limping as they passed me walking away

‘fast’ lane was still open. One car then skid-

junction. It took me a few seconds to recov-

from the scene.

ded as it hit some flotsam on the road and

er my composure after such a close call, but

I walked toward the BMW as they

collided with the central reservation barrier,

I carried on my way towards home. As I

passed me along the hard shoulder. As

coming to a stop in the middle of the one

passed the car now in the fuel station, I could

lane that remained open! As they got out to

see two people in it - a woman passenger and

the driver walked by me he asked what

happened but I didn’t answer as I had

inspect their vehicle damage, I shouted

a male driver. They appeared to be laughing

across to them to put the hazard lights on as

while I thought such driving was no laughing

more important things to do by securing

the road for my own and others safety to

a warning to others and to get out of the

matter.

roadway a bit smartish, which thankfully they

As I carried on towards home and by now

prevent further accidents, as I was the

did. Then a truck came along and I suggest-

approaching Rainham Marshes still sitting in

first person to be on the scene.

ed he parked sideways across the entire three

I looked around in the dark, wondering

the middle lane of the three lane carriageway

lanes of the carriageway to block the road

where there is a speed limit of 70 mph, the

what he had hit as I could see no other vehi-

completely to prevent further accidents or

cle or obstacle in the vicinity, but then I spot-

BMW that I had seen earlier suddenly came

loss of life, which the trucker speedily did.

out of nowhere from behind me and over-

ted another car; stationary at a 45 degree

By this time, other people not directly

took me on my right hand side at a very high

angle to the road, facing up the banking

involved in the incident began to assist at the

some distance ahead. I ran over to see if I

speed indeed, a speed I can only describe as

scene, so as the police had all my details I

quite unbelievable. I looked up the road and

could help, but the impact must have been

decided to leave. I had done my best to help

so severe that it had been damaged beyond

saw it was clear for about two miles ahead

reduce any further loss of life or even vehi-

and in the blink of an eye, the BMW had dis-

recognition.

cle/property damage and felt I had done the

I saw a man slumped in the drivers’ seat.

appeared out of sight. I have never seen any

right thing for the dead man’s family. When I

His lower torso was in the driving position,

road car being driven at that sort of speed -

got home, I made notes about the incident

but his upper body was twisted at ninety

a speed I likened to a Formula 1 racing car. I

while they were still fresh in my mind in case

degrees to the left, facing towards the pas-

estimated his speed at around 150 mph! As

I was called as a witness in due course, which

senger seat of the car while his head was

he overtook me, the road ahead was clear

turned out to be the case.

completely turned backwards towards the

but I was still quite shaken by the velocity

Appallingly, I found out during the trial

rear of the car, which had been projected sev-

and closeness to my cab as he sped off into

that the man I tried to save, Sukhpreet

eral hundred yards up the road following the

the distance. I was just glad that he was out

Singh Chimber, was a thirty year old

collision. His head was bleeding profusely

of my way. I opened all the cab windows and

father of three children, with his wife

and there was blood all over the window. He

took some deep breaths to regain my com-

expecting their fourth child.”

wasn’t moving at all.”

posure and travelled steadily on towards the

The 4.5 litre BMW 6 Series that passed John

At this point we briefly stopped as the mem-

M25 junction where the road sweeps left on

at speeds of up to 155 mph was in the hands

ory was visibly bringing back awful memories

a long bend and over the brow of a hill.

of a driver who was showing off to his girl-

for John.

As I approached the bottom of the hill, I

friend passenger following an earlier argu-

“I pulled frantically at the driver’s door in

saw the same BMW very badly damaged,

ment. He had a previous motoring conviction

an attempt to get the man out of the car,

obviously having been in collision with

and had been jailed in 2008 for wounding

which I thought could explode at any

something. It had come to rest between the

with intent.

moment as fuel was spilling everywhere, but

slow and middle lanes of the carriageway

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, 25-year old

it would not budge. The door had been

ahead of me. There was steam and a strong

crushed into the bodywork and would not

continued on page 13

smell of petrol coming from the engine and

Call Sign December 2012

Page 13

Obituary

Paula Mattis

Many drivers will remember former Dial-a-Cab receptionist, Paula Matti

Sadly Paula died in November and we asked one of her daughters,

Rebecca, if she would like to write a few words about her mum.

“My mother joined DaC in the Shirland Road days and became an evening supervisor

in what I guess is now known as a call centre, but in those far-off days it was just a base-

ment.

Back then mum smoked along with everyone else - a docket in one hand and a ciggie

in the other! On Saturdays, she often held the fort as the back channel operator where

drivers would go to get details or query job details until Lou Gitlin came in and took

over. Drivers may well remember her loudly asking them to ‘stand by’ if too many came

on at the same time! ‘Stand by’ almost became her nickname!

She eventually became evening receptionist after the move to Brunswick Place until

she retired some years ago. She may have still been a redhead when she started there,

but was soon a blonde - with a perm in the eighties of course!

Mum was a friend to everyone, a great listener and staunch keeper of secrets. She often threatened to write about

the goings on at work (changing the names to protect the innocent of course), but then thought that the tales would not

have been believable!

As lovely as she was, she was no pushover either, as you’d soon find out if anyone behaved badly towards her. She also

always stood up for her friends and for those she thought had been given a rough ride or were considered to be underdogs.

Mum was born in London and lived there all her life. She leaves behind a husband, two daughters, five grandchil-

dren, and many, many friends...”

PCN request from Barrie Segal

Dial-a-Cab’s PCN expert, Barrie Segal has an incredible record of getting Penalty Charge Notices cancelled.

However, he is asking for some assistance from DaC drivers and asked if Call Sign could put a message out:

“Can I ask that all drivers please write the date of receipt on all Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), Notices to

Owner, Notices of Rejection Charge Certificates, Orders for Recovery and any other correspondence they

receive relating to a PCN and then take photocopies before they send it to Jacqui Franklin in Drivers Services.

This will help enormously, particularly where councils claim they never received an appeal or where they

say they sent out a notice of rejection which they claim was ignored.”

Barrie Segal

DaCMan Hero continued...

Shehzad Munir was found guilty by jury of

The Crown Court at Snaresbrook

dangerous driving and jailed for seven

years. He was also banned from driving for

Regina v Shehzad Munir

eight years.

It is not often that a judge is in a position to be able to publicly acknowledge the

Judge Patricia Lees told Munir: “The sen-

actions of a witness in a case. It is therefore a pleasure to be able to do so in this

tence can never reflect the loss of life

case in respect of John Ward, a man whose selfless bravery, presence of mind and

caused by your arrogant, idiotic and irre-

swift action undoubtedly saved many lives.

sponsible behaviour and I have no doubt

Mr Ward is a London black taxi driver who was driving home in September 2010

the victim died because you were showing

after an evening’s work in London. After the defendant drove past him in the

off to your girlfriend following a previous

manner Mr Ward described as akin to a Formula One driver at a speed in the

falling out. Your driving has been described

region of 150mph, Mr Ward followed in his path only to be confronted by the hor-

as that of a Formula One driver. The dis-

rific scene this fatal collision must have been.

tance travelled at excessive speed was six

Despite his own inevitable shock, he parked his cab across the A13 with its haz-

miles.”

ard lights on and ran to try to help Mr Chimber, desperately trying to free him until

The judge went on to commend John

he realised there was nothing he could do to save him, at the same time calling 999.

Ward for what she described as his “self-

He then turned his attention to averting further disasters on the road and took

less bravery, presence of mind and swift

control of the situation before the arrival of the emergency services; he persuad-

actions, which undoubtedly saved many

ed the driver of an articulated lorry to block the whole road and alert oncoming

lives.” She awarded him £500 from the

traffic to prevent further loss of life or harm.

Sherriff’s Fund as a token of apprecia-

He is to be commended for his actions and I award him £500 from the Sherriff’s

tion of the public.

Fund as a small token of the appreciation of the public.

The High Sheriff of London will also be

John Daly

presenting John with an award at an official

Clerk of the Court

ceremony...

The court thanked John for undoubtedly saving lives

Call Sign December 2012

Page 14

Steering problem fixed!

On Thursday 15 November, the first signs of a

smile for some time were seen at the Coventry

home of Manganese Bronze Holdings when

it was announced that they had found a solu-

tion to the steering problems that had caused

over 400 new TX4s to be taken off the road

and which, because they had to stop selling

cabs, tipped the company into administration

under Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Administrator Matthew Hammond said

they hoped to have completed all the work by

mid-December with a "rapid replacement" of

the affected parts in the recalled vehicles

beginning within 48 hours. The replacement

part is UK-sourced.

A total of 156 jobs were lost at the group's

head office

/ manufacturing facility in

Coventry and their dealerships in London,

Leeds, Coventry, Manchester, Edinburgh and

Glasgow. The administrators say they will con-

tinue to work with the Mayor, Transport for

London and the LTDA and suggested that 500

new TX4 taxis will be going onto the market

with the new part, early in the new year.

Manganese Bronze to begin work again?

DaC Credit Union

LAST CHANCE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

ave your

them or if you would like a loan, very often just a

know it makes sense - and this will be your last

kids told you

quick phone call will do it - no dressing up and

chance before Christmas.

that

they

begging the bank manager or looking for loans

now need an

with shark companies where

1000+ per cent

You can contact the Dial-a-Cab Credit

iPad or lap-

interest in normal!

Union on 020 7729 8171 or 020 7749 0585

top in their

The DACCU is for drivers and staff of Dial-a-

or go to the office at Unit 14, Peterley

room for

Cab, but anyone in your family can also become a

Business Centre, 472 Hackney Road, E2...

homework!

member in their own right with all the loan bene-

Yes? Well

fits that it offers.

this could

John Riley (K38)

Harp Credit Union

Vice-President Dial-a-Cab and

expensive

As with DACCU, the above also applies to the

Harp Credit Unions

Christmas for you!

Harp Credit Union. It has the same terms and

There are many reputable shops offering

conditions, except it is for non-Dial-a-Cab mem-

cheap laptops and iPads etc - but only if you

bers or their families. If you remember from my

pay outright. It’s when you want to pay off that

previous articles, this CU was having problems

it suddenly become expensive. We’ve seen £800

and the Financial Services Authority asked

SAVINGS!

packages with 48 monthly payments of £24.28

DACCU to take it on because of our experience in

that end up costing £1165 - an extra £365.

making our credit union so successful. And so far

That’s just one example!

so good; it has gone from a minus figure to a

★ KITCHENS

Now look at the Dial-a-Cab Credit Union.

£25,000 surplus, so we must be doing something

& APPLIANCES

That £800 loan over 12 months at £72 would

right! So come on down to Hackney Road and

cost you just £53 extra in interest. Even over 36

join either DACCU or the Harp Credit Unions. You

★ BEDROOMS

months, you would pay nowhere near PC

★ WORKTOPS

World’s rate.

★ DOOR & DRAW REPLACMENTS

If DACCU loaned you £1000 over 36 months,

Call Sign

that would cost you just £34 a month and a

★ PLANTATION SHUTTERS

December 2012

total of £195 in interest, probably around one

Editor: Alan Fisher

★ ALL TYPES OF BLINDS

third of the total interest the big electrical stores

Address: 39 - 47 East Rd, London N1 6AH

would charge you for not paying the whole

★ AWNINGS

Tel: 0207

251 0581 Fax: 0207 553 7293

amount up front.

Email: callsignmag@aol.com

The Dial-a-Cab Credit Union now has

You are welcome to visit

Website:-www.dac-callsign.co.uk

around 1000 members and enough funds to

our showroom at:

Printers: Premier Print Group

cover most loans. It costs you nothing to join

25 - 31 Violet Rd, London E3

Unit 8 Tripes Farm,

and if you do not want to borrow money, con-

Design: Aldan Publications

Chelsfield Lane,

trary to rumour, you pay no fine and you can

Tel: 07958 300 428

Orpington, Kent BR6 7RS

just continue saving - and saving is the only

Email: dfdannyfresco@gmail.com

compulsory thing about DACCU. You have to

Views and opinion expressed in Call Sign must

Instant Kitchen and

save a set amount regularly. How much you save

not be assumed to represent those of the Editor or

is entirely up to you, but the more you save, the

Bedroom & Blinds UK

Board.No part of Call Sign may be reproduced

more you can borrow! And of course your sav-

either manually or electronically without the express

Call Ian (R50) on 01689 897111…

ings can be taken back whenever you want

permission of the Editor.

Call Sign December 2012

Page 15

App day here...

With 1st December being the launch date for

CONTACT CENTRE CHAT

the new Dial-a-Cab Credit Card app, I would

like to point out to all drivers that this facility

will only be as good as the service you pro-

With Keith Cain

vide. The Board was inundated with drivers

clients. The information we give them regard-

telling us that we were losing out with our

ing how long their cab will be becomes

technology and being left behind by those

wrong.

new companies using application technology

I know I’m repeating myself, but remember

to book taxis.

that when a client makes a booking our tele-

Well, we have developed our app - in house

phonist can see the number of cabs booked

I hasten to add - and how successful it will be

into the pick-up zone. If they see at least one

only time will tell. But again, a reminder that

cab booked in, they will offer a 10 to 15 minute

all credit card work will be dispatched as A/D

arrival time. I am talking now about the inner

in the same way as it is by our competitors. It

zones. If the cab rejects the trip, it will then go

was felt that for us to compete, we needed to

to the backup zones and if those cabs are

mask the destination. But coverage will be

booked in incorrectly, not only is the original

monitored very closely and our Controllers

time offered by the CSR totally incorrect, but

have been instructed not to unmask trips to

the controller will have no idea how to deal

get them covered. They have, however, been

with the trip to get it covered. The controllers

advised to send fleet messages to say the trips

will give every driver one chance and talk to

are worth a look and wherever possible, they

have been asking all credit card callers if they

them and explain the fact that he or she is

will try and help anyone who will be running

have listened to the terms and conditions. If

booked in incorrectly. That conversation is

much further than the trip is going.

a caller says they have not heard them, the

logged on the driver’s file so that if the driver is

Don’t forget also that the 12.5 percent han-

CSR will explain to them what the terms are.

spoken to by another controller, they can see

dling charge has been reduced to a straight

I believe we are all set to go for the 1st

what has been said by the first controller. If you

10 percent and the previous telephone book-

December and as I said at the beginning, this

are spoken to a third time, you can be guaran-

ing fee of £2 has also been dropped. The

work will only be as good as the service you,

teed that it will be by the Compliance Offer.

£4.20 run in applies, but as always it's your

the drivers, are prepared to give...

Believe it or not, drivers are fooling each

decision if you want to arrive with this

other as well. You see a number of cabs

amount showing on the meter. To rival our

booked into a zone and think it’s not worth

competitors, it will be the driver’s decision as

And booking in...

to when the meter is engaged, but please

I am still being questioned daily by all con-

going in there as you will have to wait ages

for a trip. So you go off and book in a zone

remember that

£4.20 is the maximum

trollers about the problem of drivers booking

amount that can be displayed on the meter.

into zones incorrectly. I’d love to have a £1

that you are nowhere near. Then the spiral

continues to the extent that no driver is

All scrubs will be charged to the credit

for every time I have written about this in the

card, which will hopefully encourage rather

magazine. Well, here goes again...

where they say they are. That’s the extreme

case scenario, but it could happen. So please

than discourage drivers to do this work. Our

Will those drivers who book in incorrectly

full terms and conditions are there for online

into a zone please refrain from doing so. If

book in correctly and help us give the service

our clients are paying top dollar for.

bookers to view before making a booking.

you book in believing that by the time you

They are also on our telephone system for

actually get into that zone, you will be far

callers to listen to and when downloading

enough up the queue to get a job, well unfor-

Keith Cain

the app, users have to tick to say they accept

tunately your actions are causing so many

Contact Centre Manager

the terms. Our contact centre staff have all

problems for the controllers to get the work

been trained and for a very long time now

covered and more so, to the service we offer

Drivers Operation Manager

When landlords ruled the earth

Millions of years ago, we had dinosaurs ruling the Earth. In today’s modern world, it seems we have

landlords who rule the Earth, exercising their brutal power and superiority over the rest of Earth's

inhabitants.

In prehistoric times, there were two distinct types of dinosaur: The friendly, approachable,

herbivorous, vegetation-eating dinosaur and the fearsome flesh-eating carnivorous dinosaur.

Today's landlords fall into similar categories: The friendly, approachable landlord and the fearsome

unapproachable type who will suck all the blood out of you; ie take all your money and leave you

with a leaking roof!

As London taxi drivers, we sometimes get to hear about these stories. A French passen-

ger who got into my cab in Queensgate was on her way to give the agency that let her

the flat, a piece of her mind. She had not had any hot water for three weeks, despite pay-

ing over £1,000 per week for her one-bedroom apartment!

Part of the problem, she said, was that the owner lived in the Middle East and although the

agency had sent someone round on a few occasions to inspect the boiler and tank, it was still

unsolved! Her friends, who lived round the corner in Stanhope Gardens, also had similar problems;

again, their landlord wasn’t resident in the UK.

They’d had a broken freezer and washing machine for eight months, whilst again paying in the region of £1,000 per week! These high rents

are what people are willing to pay in these top-drawer areas of London such as South Kensington, where £10,000 per week is not uncommon for

an apartment complex.

It’s a very lucrative market for landlords - if they are wealthy enough to invest in it. Unfortunately there are few rules and regulations on landlords and there is

a strong case for more regulation to be forced through Parliament to protect people renting in the private sector. More regulation, however, seems unlikely when

you consider that many MPs are property barons themselves. That's apart from the growing number with extra jobs outside Westminster. It's usually those held in

high esteem that spout on about the long-term strategy required in politics, but are on personal, short-term, get-rich-quick agendas. It beggars belief how some

get time to be an MP!

With the austerity measures in full flow now and people having to pay these extortionate rents, there is less disposable income for other areas;

as we now see with car makers in trouble and indeed, our own black cab makers, Manganese Bronze, suffering in administration.

It's no surprise then, that flat hunters today in London are filled with trepidation as they enter this Jurassic Park of the good, the bad and the ugly

David Heath (Ex-W27)

Call Sign December 2012

Page 16

If you were around in the 1980s, you may well

remember a brilliant drama series written by

Alan Bleasdale. The Boys from the Black Stuff

looked at the way in which a bad economic cli-

mate could affect ordinary British workers and

followed the tarmac layers as they looked for

Gis a Tip!

work while bringing the phrase of ‘Gis a job’

into the English language.

Perhaps in the 1980s, London taxi drivers -

Bernie and cherished

who of course already had jobs - may have had

number plate

the ‘front’ to ask for a gratuity, whereas nowa-

days a legal is just swallowed. But sometimes

there are more subtle ways of asking. Bernie

case it had not been an

Cochran’s (V92) number plate way perhaps!

idle threat!”

“Yes, collecting personalised number plates

Bernie went on to

is indeed a hobby of mine and I am also happy

explain the procedure to

to be recognised on the road,” Bernie told Call

obtain cherished - or per-

Sign while standing by his T1P OK Dial-a-Cab

sonalised - number plates

taxi “I also have another three cherished num-

either through the DVLA

ber plates on other vehicles within our family,

or agents who regularly

but the one that has given me the most grief is

advertise in motoring

the one affixed to my wife’s car - B1ERN.

magazines. The DVLA will

“I have been stopped by the police on sever-

confirm the sale by issu-

al occasions who claimed that the number and

ing a certificate, which

letters are too close together, making it look

can be presented at your

like BERN and therefore illegal. On one occa-

chosen store for the num-

sion I was stopped while returning from holi-

reason before and gave me 24 hours to get it

ber plate to be made up. The plate must also

day in south-west England and I had obviously

changed, claiming that if he saw me again he

show the company name and other details of

upset the Devon & Cornwall constabulary

would definitely find something!

who made the plate up in order to satisfy legal

because the policeman admitted that they

“While we were having this exchange of

requirements.

would look until they found something after

words, his colleague was checking the car tyres

“That,” Bernie told Call Sign “is why you see

pulling me over!

etc and clearly looking for a reason to nick me,”

all such information clearly displayed at the

“They proceeded to measure the distance

Bernie added.

bottom of the number plate.”

between all the figures on the number plate

“His attitude ruffled my feathers, and as we

and apparently his on-board ANPR confirmed

frequently holiday in Devon I decided to

Alan Green

that I had already been stopped for the same

ensure all the digits were strictly legit, just in

Call Sign Online

The Last Christmas Present...

hroughout the year I read in Call Sign of Dial-a-Cab drivers giving up their precious time and punishing their

dies just to help other less fortunate people.

Whether it is a cycle ride across different countries, gruelling marathons, punishing press-ups, strenuous swimming or cru-

ying climbing, these drivers just want to give back something to society, just because they are able to do so. They are not

super-fit athletes; some have suffered bad illnesses and just want to repay their thanks for being given a second chance.

o as you sit at the Christmas dining table looking at the wonderful feast of turkey, roast potatoes, brussels sprouts, stuff-

ranberry sauce and that lovely thick gravy, there are some out there who will be cutting down on their intake as they will

t body to undertake a challenging task.

hard it is for charities at this time, when the public is trying to tighten their purse strings as earning money

gets harder. I have run a charity which realises terminally ill children’s dreams; I have done this for over twenty years assisted by some

very good hardworking friends.

You will have read last month - and I believe again in this issue - about one of our drivers, Divyesh Ruparelia (V59). He is once again trying to raise

money for four charities including Dial-a-Dream and one for our troops who have had their bodies torn apart in what sometimes seems to be a point-

less war. He is going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2013 and funding all his travel expenses from his own pocket.

He has asked me to explain once again how you can donate to Dial-a-Dream. You can go to www.CAFonline.org and press the Donate

Now button. When it asks for a charity name or number, enter 1011637 or Dial-a-Dream, then follow the instructions.

In the twenty years we have been running our charity, no committee member has been given a penny of what you donate. All monies go to the chil-

dren. By helping Dial-a-Dream, you may possibly be giving the last Christmas present that a terminally ill child will ever receive in their short life.

Thank you for reading this article and we hope you and your family will have a wonderful Christmas and a very healthy New Year.

Tom Whitbread

Dial-a-Dream

London Bridge Station works

Some closures of London Bridge Station will take place on the following dates as part of the ongoing London Bridge Quarter and station

works. They are:

Saturday 1 Dec / Sunday 2 Dec and Sat 15 Dec / Sun 16 Dec 2012

During these times, a marshalled temporary taxi rank will be in operation in Tooley Street. The head of the rank will be in the bay in Tooley

Street, outside of the station and to the west of the London Dungeon. This bay will be for 3 taxis and the taxi rank opposite More London

will be extended to 6 spaces. The More London taxi rank and the loading bays between More London and the station will be used as a feeder

rank.

Traffic marshals will be present at the temporary rank and drivers should follow the directions of those marshals.

Call Sign December 2012

Page 17

By the time you read this, Christmas will be

A few things to help keep children quiet over the Christmas

almost upon us, so no doubt you will be run-

holidays!

ning around sorting out last minute plans and

getting those presents wrapped! Last month I

told you about my recommended stocking

fillers for 2012, so this month I thought I’d give

Interesting

you the rundown on a few interesting websites

that your kids might like. So if they are stuck

with nothing to do - as kids today so often

websites for kids

seem to be regardless of the vast amount of

entertainment available to them - then per-

toy. So how do you navigate through the veri-

haps you can fill a post-Christmas afternoon

table miasma of second-rate rubbish to find the

with these websites.

best apps? All you need do is send your kids to

A word of warning to all parents regarding

the following reputable websites where they

the Internet: please be aware that although the

can read unbiased reviews on pretty much

Internet is a wonderful resource of informa-

every game or app that’s out there. Get them in

tion, illicit and/or illegal content is only a few

the habit of checking reviews, ratings and

clicks away. Children are naturally curious.

gameplay footage before buying, and they’ll

Growing up in the digital age, they are often

save you a small fortune over time! For iOS

more savvy than we parents. Consequently it

devices (iPad/iPad Mini/iPhone etc), check out:

doesn’t take much for them to stumble upon

www.toucharcade.com & mawww.slideto-

unpleasant websites. Please use protection on

play.com. For Android devices (Google Nexus

all your home computers like OpenDNS

7, Samsung Galaxy S3 etc.), check out:

(www.opendns.org), K9 Web Protection

www.droidgamers.com & www.gamespot.com/

(www.k9webprotection.com ). But above all,

android. For both iOS and Android devices

be sure to monitor your children’s Internet

you can also check out the excellent

activity.

website. An absolute must for any Potter fan.

www.pocketgamer.co.uk.

Anyway, onto the websites!

3. Pixtontowww.pixton.com/uk): This website

6. Common Sense Mediawww.common-

1. Club Penguininwww.clubpenguin.com) :

is an excellent resource for the budding comic

sensemedia.org): Admittedly this isn’t strictly a

This website is hugely popular with kids ages 6-

book writer. Members can create free digital

kid’s website. However, as a parent, this web-

14. Essentially, it’s a massively multiplayer

comics using the user-friendly tools available,

site is very useful in helping you decide what

online game (MMO) based in a virtual winter-

allowing them to put their creative skills to a

content is suitable for your children to view.

world. Players get their own igloo and penguin

fun use. Members can also share their comics

How many times have your kids asked to view

character which they can name and customise.

with other members, publish their comics and

a film which has an age rating that is older than

It’s free to play; however, in order to make fur-

watch how-to videos to help them.

they are, but their friends have seen it? Or per-

ther customisation and access all areas within

4. HowStuffWorksrkwww.howstuffworks.com) :

haps you’ve let them watch a PG which you felt

the virtual world, members will need to pay a

If you have inquisitive children who want to

afterward was unsuitable for them. This web-

monthly subscription fee (currently from £2.50

know how stuff works and you find yourself

site helps navigate you through the minefield

per month). This is a great way for kids to

lost for an answer, then fear not!

of movies, TV shows, websites, Apps and video

socialise with their friends and make new ones.

HowStuffWorks is an excellent resource (run

games by providing you with all the facts.

It’s a very controlled, safe environment which

by the Discovery Channel), which provides

Other parents provide ratings and reviews,

is ideal for small children.

thousands of explanations and concise videos

indicating what age(s) they feel are appropriate

2. Pottermoreorwww.pottermore.com): Unless

explaining how things work. This is a really

for the content as well as what to expect from

you’ve been living under a rock for the last

interesting website for all ages, so you’re

the film/game/app/website. You need never be

decade, then you’ll have at least heard about

bound to find something of interest here your-

in doubt again when looking for suitable con-

the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. If your

self. If you have an iPad, there is also a free iPad

tent for your children. If you have an iPad,

children are Potter fans who have read all the

app to accompany the website - just search the

there is also a free iPad app to accompany the

books, seen all the films and played all the

App store for HowStuffWorks.

website

- just search the App store for

games but still cannot get enough Potter-

Common Sense Media.

5. Gaming on the iPad/iPad Mini/iPhone

mania, then look no further than the

/Android. If you are giving your children an

Well, that’s all for now. I wish you and your

Pottermore website. Run by J.K Rowling her-

iDevice this Christmas, whether that be an

families a Merry Christmas. See you next year!

self, Pottermore allows you to explore the

Apple or Android device, then no doubt they

Harry Potter story further on this interactive

Jon Winterburn

will want to buy games and apps for their new

Notice of DaC AGM

By now, all members should

have received an individual

notice of the Dial-a-Cab

Hungry?

2012 Annual General

Meeting advising that it will be held at:

Nellie’s waiting!

The HAC, Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ on

20% off the bill when you show your badge

Sunday 3rd February 2013 at 11:00hrs.

Great pastas, chicken, steaks, fish and roasts!

The meeting this year will consider an agenda including the

Election of Officers and any proposed Rule Changes and

Nellie's Restaurant

Propositions, all of which should have been received at Dial-a-

12-13 Greville Street, EC1N 8SB

Cab House on or before 09:00hrs on Monday 12th November

2012 and in accordance with Society Rules.

Show your badge and it’s 20% o !

Howard Pears

Open 9.30 am to 12 pm

Company Secretary

Free parking from 6.30 pm

Call Sign December 2012

Page 18

London’s taxi trade is world famous. The tradi-

Following an article in a trade paper suggesting that new TX4s

tional London Taxi is hailed as an iconic vehicle;

were taken away on the back of transporter trucks during the

yes, there have been problems with these vehi-

cles and there have been occasions when the

recent Disneyland Paris trip after the steering recall, DaC driver and

manufacturer, London Taxi Company, has not

WCHCD Magical Taxi Tour Committee Chairman, Phil Davis (F10)

dealt with the trade in the way their customers

responds...

would have liked. There has been a certain

amount of what might be described by some as

arrogance over the years and this has perhaps

stemmed from those in the offices at Coventry

PUTTING THE

not having a complete understanding of the way

the trade works in London, but nonetheless, it is

sad news that MBH is in administration. This in

itself has caused some problems for drivers, with

RECORD STRAIGHT

some garages refusing to carry out warranty

work, the possibility of some spares not being

fashion, the rumours began.

available and the general unrest caused when

It is worth pointing out that the recall proce-

the administrators made 156 staff redundant

dure is rigorous with VOSA; just recently many

both in London at Brewery Road and at the head

Toyota vehicles, including some of the Prius

office in Coventry. Initial signs are that there is a

models favoured by the PH trade in London

good deal of interest in the company and we can

have become the subject of a recall for a steering

hope that it will continue, the iconic vehicle is

problem.

still in demand by passengers.

Whether you feel little sympathy for the com-

But it is not just the vehicle which is iconic; it

pany, or whether you are one of the cab trade

is the driver too. Studying the KoL is a serious

who has contacted the company to offer them

commitment and once the driver is given his

moral support at this difficult time, it should be

badge, there is a great sense of pride in what he

remembered that the taxi trade charities are all

has studied for. At this point, the new butterboy

grateful for the support that the company has

or girl will be looking at the charities and organ-

offered over the years. The Magical Taxi Tour has

isations the trade in London has to offer. Some

taken place for 19 consecutive years now and for

will join an association such as the LTDA or the

many of these the fuel has been sponsored by

LCDC and it is hoped that these organisations

LTI or The London Taxi Company as it is now.

can lobby the licensing authority and others in

Staff from the dealership have helped at the Big

government to ensure that the iconic taxi trade

Breakfast giving the children spending money,

long way to join the trip; some of the sponsors

some of the sales staff have driven cabs on the

continues to service the public in the best way

also joined the group for an evening meal. It was

trip and their support has been much appreciat-

possible at a reasonable cost. Then the butter-

prior to this meal when Matthew Cheyne from

ed. It would be a shame if an article such as the

boy might decide to join one of the trade’s char-

The London Taxi Company first got the tele-

one which has appeared recently and which is

ities or offer to help with the worthwhile outings

phone call to advise him that the steering prob-

inaccurate in so many ways, was responsible for

and events that the trade is also famous for.

lem may be affecting some of the cabs on the

colouring the judgement of future sponsors or if

However it takes little to upset the balance of

trip. He had a list of those cabs affected and the

the hospitals whose patients take part lose con-

fund raising and good feeling for these charities,

committee then gave him the names of the dri-

fidence in the event. After all, it brings smiles to

sometimes by someone who is ignorant of the

vers of those vehicles. The quick, efficient way

the faces of children whose on-going treatments

way things are done. For example, the recent

this was dealt with by The London Taxi

would make many an adult cry.

furore caused by a charitable donation to one of

Company meant the committee were confident

the charities from Addison Lee chairman John

that those cabs affected would be replaced the

Phil Davis (F10)

Griffin; in the end the committee for the chari-

following morning at Canary Wharf. Various

The Magical Taxi tour Committee

ty decided that the donation had to be returned

options in an emergency meeting at the hotel

but the rumours and comments within the trade

with both the committee and Matthew Cheyne

caused some upset at the time.

had been discussed and no-one wanted to have

So now on to the subject matter of one of

to tell any of the families that they were not able

the latest articles in the trade press, concern-

to go on the trip.

ing both the iconic vehicle and also another

On the Friday morning, the cabs affected were

charity, this time the Magical Taxi Tour. It is

swapped at Canary Wharf. One report in a trade

now common knowledge that one of the

paper said that these cabs were put on trans-

main problems which tipped MBH into

porters at the Disneyland resort on the Saturday

administration was a recall for a steering

morning, but this is not the case. In fact the swap

problem on some TX4 taxis. Unfortunately,

was done discreetly early on Friday morning

this problem surfaced just at the time of the

without any of the families knowing why their

preparations for the Disney trip were almost

vehicle was being changed. For the most part, it

complete.

was only those drivers of the affected cabs who

For the record, both I and the committee for

knew that there was a problem, most of the

this annual outing would like to thank The

other drivers on the trip were unaware of the

London Taxi Company for their help in ensuring

changes taking place. The replacement 10 vehi-

the trip suffered as little impact as possible. On

cles arrived courtesy of The London Taxi

the day before the trip left Canary Wharf, as in

Company, driven by some of the staff from the

previous years, those cab drivers taking part in

Brewery Road dealership who then took away

the trip took their vehicles to Station Road,

the cabs which were affected by the recall. The

Tufnell Park, to the premises of RTG to have the

replacement cabs joined the back of the convoy

pre-trip checks and also have sponsorship logos

and the Magical Taxi Tour got underway. At this

attached. Again as usual, this operation was car-

point in time, the recall had not been

ried out in a slick, professional manner. Once all

announced by VOSA and The London Taxi

the checks were completed and they were ready

Company. However, by the time the convoy had

for the trip, some of the committee and drivers

reached Dover, the recall had been announced

went to stay in hotels near Canary Wharf. Some

and the following Monday national news bul-

of the children and their carers stay in a hotel

letins had announced that MBH was applying to

the night before the trip as they have travelled a

appoint administrators and in true cab trade

Call Sign December 2012

Page 19

DaC driver Sean Farrell (B39) looks at trade history from a different angle

The Brethren of the Whip

Dining out on a job...

t was 1850 and William Kirk had taken two

awarded £5 for his information. Another

women home and been paid a shilling for

driver who gave information that led to the

the 8d journey upfront. When he set down

arrest of Mr Manning in Jersey also

however, he demanded being paid again and

received £5.

though they tried to convince him he had

Charles Dickens witnessed the public

already been paid, they gave him another

execution of the Mannings outside

shilling and took his badge number (980). At

Horsemonger Lane Gaol and decried

Lambeth police court, he was charged with

the whole sordid spectacle in a letter to

drunkenness, extortion (in claiming an extra

The Times.

shilling) and insolent behaviour. He was very

None of this washed a year later with the

contrite in front of the magistrates and apolo-

magistrate in Lambeth, but fortunately for

gised for his behaviour. He explained that he

Kirk the complainant asked for only a small

had a wife and three children and it was so

penalty to be imposed because of Kirk’s

unlike him to get drunk, but it was his previous

Maria Manning

family and his contrition. He was fined £1 or

passenger’s fault.

be imprisoned for 20 days in default. He

He explained (as dictated by the court reporter): “I’m werry

paid the £1.

sorry, yer worship. I’m the man wot drove Mrs Manning…

Exactly one year later, Kirk was in court again. This time he was

and when I tells gentlemen on it they gives me wine to

charged with overcharging, by 4d and for using insulting lan-

drink, and on this here day two gents give me a little too

guage: “You are a pretty fellow and no gentleman.”

much wine, so that was the cause on it, yer worship.”

He was fined £2 for the overcharge and £2 or one month’s

He didn’t have to say any more, everyone knew who he was.

imprisonment for the insulting language. This time however, the

The previous year, Patrick O’Connor - a clerk at the London

cab driver did not use Maria Manning as an excuse...

Docks - went missing. Police interviewed his colleagues and

Sean Farrell (B39)

friends including a Mr and Mrs Manning. In fact O’Connor and

Maria Manning were more than just friends; they were lovers,

a tryst that Mr Manning was not only aware of but condoned by

An Exclusive for Dial-a-Cab drivers!

him as well. When the police returned to the Manning house-

hold in Minver Place, New Weston Street, Bermondsey a few

days later, they found the place deserted. The house had been

cleared, there was no furniture, no personal effects, but they did

find Patrick O’Connor’s naked body under a flagstone in the

Buy one,

kitchen.

The police believed that O’Connor had been killed in one

of the bedrooms, possibly at a time when he was in bed

with Mrs Manning. He had been drugged, bludgeoned and

get one free offer!

shot through the head. It also transpired later that after the

murder, Mrs Manning had gone to O’Connor’s house and

robbed it of all the valuables and money she could carry. A

Buy an oil and filter service during

nationwide search was put out for the Mannings. There

December, January and February and get

were rumours that they had escaped to France with the

intent of fleeing to the United States. Rewards were posted

the same service FREE on your next visit!

but still no one came forward, at least not for two weeks,

when William Kirk suddenly realised he had information.

He later told the police he was called off the Joiner Street

Cable Taxis/Cabfix

rank by Mrs Manning, who spoke with an accent as if she was

from Essex or Sussex (she was Swiss) and also that she had a

Arch 100, Golding Street

whale over her face (a veil). But from what he could make out,

(off Cable St), E1 1QH

she was very attractive (which was agreed by everyone who saw

Tel: 0207 488 9397

her). He had gone to Minver Place and put several boxes in the

cab; one was too heavy and was left behind. They went to

London Bridge Station where some of the boxes were deposited

Our other services include:

for forward travel to France. He then took her to Euston

Overhauls at sensible prices

TX11 Timing Chains/Belts

Tracking

TX11 Heater Control Valves

(Square) Station where she took a train to Edinburgh (then pos-

Tyres Supplied and Fitted

sible on the west coast line). Within an hour of Scotland Yard

contacting the police in Edinburgh, Mrs Maria Manning was

We are soon to be an MOT testing station for taxis and class 4 vehicles...

arrested and was later on her way back to London. Kirk was

Call Sign December 2012

Page 20

Shock... Horror!!!

Oxford Scholar!

DRIVER’S

Simon Rogers (N39) grinned broadly. “Yes, Oxfo

city,” he repeated after Call Sign mistakenly thoug

WIFE

he had said Oxford Street.

“I had stopped at the traffic lights on Praed Stre

by Paddington Station,” Simon said, “when tw

CALLS

middle eastern looking gentlemen came up an

handed me a piece of paper with the address of

business park just outside Oxford city centre. The

were well dressed and spoke perfect English and

MINICAB!

understood it was a long way. So off we went

straight up the A40.

“I think there was a problem with the trains and

they needed to get to their meeting fairly quickly

with the minimum of fuss and I just happened to

be in the right place at the right time,” he contin-

ued.

“It took about an hour and a half to get out

there, the traffic flowed quite well for midday so

I didn’t expect too many delays and the passen-

gers were happy enough. Thankfully, they had

precise details of the address, which I was easily

able to Google on my mobile phone. If it had

been in the city centre it might not have been so

much fun though,” he said with a smile, “that’s

Despite Dial-a-Cab driver

pretty much fully pedestrianised and I would almost certainly have got lost!

“This was by far the best job I’ve had in my 6 years of taxi driving and when I called my wife

Phil Benjamin’s (K20) best

to tell her, she thought I was kidding.”

efforts to stop his wife (Sue)

With that, he walked away still smiling broadly. We’re not too sure what Simon would have

from sending this confession

made of Call Sign’s 2006 story when former driver Mark Thurbin was driving along Pall Mall

and stopped for a passenger who asked to be taken to Marrakesh in Morocco - and he took

to Call Sign, her feelings of

him. He was the first DaC driver to almost need an accident report between his cab ... and a

guilt proved too much as she

camel!

penned her feelings...

On not being able to get a licensed

taxi, I committed ultimate sin and

hired a minicab. What followed

Lloyds Bank

might not be surprising:

support for

I HATE MINICAB

DRIVERS!

Hire cab to West End

WCHCD

Arrives with SatNav as friend

Yet drives round each wrong bend

Will I get there in the end?

In a show of support for the taxi trade

Hour late for reservation

and especially the Worshipful Company

TomTom lost concentration

of Hackney Carriage Drivers, the

Asks to my consternation

Lloyds Banking Group Community

Where exact destination!

Fund has awarded the taxi charity

£5000 for their next annual Disneyland

Call me naïve, thought his role

Paris trip, which according to Dial-a-

To get me to my drinking hole

Cab’s Phil Davis (F10), who is also the

Without my blood on super boil

Chairman of the Disney organising

But more suited to the dole!

committee, will pay for a further four

Should have taken him apart

families to go on next year’s trip - the twentieth one since the trips

But really didn’t have the heart

began.

Besides foreigner not too smart

It was left to a public vote to determine which of a number of charities should receive

My English being abstract art

the award and the WCHCD was one of the 132 organisations that were awarded fund-

ing from the many thousands that applied..

So there is no confusion

According to Phil, it costs £1250 to take a sick child and his or her family to Paris,

I end with this conclusion

which will allow another four families to enjoy the weekend at Disney.

I’m under no illusion

“They couldn’t do it on their own,” said Phil, “because they would not be able

Black cabs not worth exclusion!

to get the medical support that the WCHCD provide during the weekend. This

From Mrs K20

way the family can relax knowing that their child is in safe hands.”

Call Sign December 2012

Page 21

COMPLIANCE OFFICER’S REPORT

one and it is now even more important to

that the meter amounts are no more than

show our true professionalism and provide a

they should be.

service that is second to none.

I would also like to remind you that in nor-

mal daytime working on the Island, if you

book in to E14C you must be inside the secu-

DaC App

rity barriers and on any of the ranks with your

As you know, on 1st December the Dial-a-Cab

hire light turned on. It appears that Security

Credit Card App was available to download

at Canary Wharf Management (CWM) are

and as I mentioned in last month’s edition of

now monitoring all taxis on the estate and

Call Sign, without your full support it will

will, if they feel necessary, restrict entry to

not be a success. The Board are confident

taxis that don’t follow this criteria.

that with the reduced fees and mobile acces-

sibility, in addition to the normal website and

telephone booking lines, it will help to gen-

Thoughts at

erate additional income. The trips will appear

on your terminals exactly the same way as

Hello Ladies & Gents,

Christmas

they do at the moment, the mobile App being

Christmas, as I’m sure you’ll agree, is a time

With the festive period now upon us, I hope

purely the booking tool for customers to

to be with family and friends. However, over

that you all have a busy and profitable run up

order both ASAP or pre-booked Credit Card

the past few months I have had the unenvi-

to Christmas and the New Year. 2012 has cer-

journeys; there is no specific need for you to

able task of speaking to a number of our

tainly been a tough year and one primarily of

have either an IPhone or Android to receive

members or their close families, informing

consolidation. The European financial mar-

these types of trips, the full details of which

me that they have been very poorly with

kets and general worldwide trading condi-

will appear on the terminal.

some more serious than others and some

tions are far from stable and over the past

If you haven’t already displayed the par-

that are sadly not with us anymore.

month, regrettably, our trade has not gone

tition sticker in your taxi, they are avail-

It is without doubt the hardest part of this

unaffected with the administrators called in

able at this office or from Roman Way.

job and the part I most dislike. I am sure that

at Manganese Bronze.

like me, your thoughts go out to each and

At the time of writing, the company is still

every one of them - especially at this time of

in administration but fortunately the steering

Rolling ranks

the year.

box problems that have affected a number of

I have been asked to politely mention that

Can I finally wish all of you and your

you is in the process of being resolved,

now the two Rolling Ranks are fully opera-

families a very happy festive period and

although not having been able to work in

tional and getting busier, it is important to

lots of luck for 2013...

what is normally the busiest of periods is far

check your trip details so that you do not go

from ideal and unacceptable for such a

to the wrong rank. Clients are closely moni-

Allan Evans

length of time. We frequently read in the

toring run-ins and waiting time and it is also

media that the recovery is going to be a slow

important that they are not kept waiting and

Allane@Dialacab.co.uk

LTFUC: Remembering for life

The London Taxidrivers’ Fund for Underprivileged Children recent-

ly received the following email and felt it was worth sharing with

all the wonderful drivers who come on our outings to show just

how beneficial these days are to the children...

“It's the first time I have ever looked at your site. I was unfortunate enough to have been

brought up in a children's home (St. Joseph’s, Enfield) in north London from 1959 - 1976, but

very fortunate to have been on several London taxi outings to Southend-on-Sea. How very

very lucky my friends and I always felt and the memories of those outings have stayed with us

forever!

The taxi outing was so very special; we used to regard it as the best ever outings we ever

went on. I remember the hall we gathered in within Stepney and the Square with all the taxis

lined up, meeting our Aunt and Uncle for the day, the large paper carrier bags we were given

filled with fruit and sweets etc and the decorated cabs, balloons and the convoy of taxis on

the road to Southend. I remember being asked to give flowers to the Mayor and Mayoress

one year - nerve wracking! There were people dressed up as characters from the Planet of the

Apes another year!

We enjoyed a wonderful day at the seaside, an evening back at the hall and our return jour-

ney home when we used to throw our sweets to children lining the pavements as we drove

through east London. We felt so lucky and wanted to share our joy.

The magic was over, but the memories remain and it’s wonderful to think that as an organi-

sation you continue to do this for so many children. I would love to know if it would be possi-

ble to see any photos of past trips.

I am still in touch with many people who grew up with me and experienced your outings

and we are all so grateful for the difference you made in our lives.

Jo xxx”

The Hon President, Hon Chair and Committee thank Jo most sincerely for taking

the time and trouble to send this email to us.

Raymond Levy

(LTFUC Press Officer)

You can see more of the Fund’s outstanding work at www.ltfuc.org.uk

Call Sign December 2012

Page 22

If you were in Chicago (Illinois)

and walking along West

Should he be forgiven?

Belmont, you’d eventually reach

the offices of that city’s equiva-

lent to Call Sign, The Chicago

Dispatcher. For the past ten

years, the paper has been edited

by George Lutfallah and has

rightly gained a name among

Chicago’s cab drivers as provid-

harming Chicago cab drivers when I was a

a teenager still disturbs me. I want to fix

teenager. Since that time there have been more

things. I want to treat every cab driver with the

ing excellent representation on

assaults on cabbies in Chicago and I need to

respect he deserves. I want to be more patient

their behalves.

speak up about what I did.

with cab drivers in traffic, because I know I

Like this magazine, George is always on the

I am an adult now and I know that target-

am not under as much stress as you are. I

lookout for something different to put in

ing cab drivers is wrong. I used to throw eggs

want to be the nicest guy you see during your

front of his readers and in his October letters

or snowballs at cabs. Sometimes I'd throw them

shift.

page he published a letter from a passenger

inside the cab. When you do that, the cabbie

If there is any way I can make things better,

and asked his readers the same question as

has to stop working. I know now that many

please let me know.

Call Sign is asking you: Should this passenger

cab drivers are barely breaking even and I

Michael Baehr

be forgiven, because what he has done is cer-

may have caused serious financial harm.

San Francisco, California

tainly not confined just to Chicago...

I also know that cab drivers are vulnerable

Call Sign has published articles over the

and cannot always get help from the police.

years where Dial-a-Cab drivers have had

Letters to the Editor:

What I did was threatening to people who were

their taxis pelted with eggs or had paint

not able to get justice. I never suffered any

stripper poured over them while parked. If

October 2012

consequences, even though it affected many

the perpetrator came forward several years

“I want to treat every cab driver with the

peoples' lives. For this I am deeply sorry.

later and apologised, would you be happy

respect he deserves...”

It has been more than 10 years since I used

to accept their apology? Reader’s views are

I'm writing this letter to make amends for

to target cab drivers like that. My behaviour as

always welcome...

TKO takeover as Areti wins title!

ALL three TRAD TKO Gym fighters recorded victories on yet another outstand-

ing 8-fight card at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on 18th November, cour-

tesy of Left Jab Promotion’s ‘Matinee Idols’ show. An action packed afternoon

at the home of British boxing saw female fighter Areti Mastrodouka capture

the International Masters Super Featherweight Title, with Eren Arif prevailing

in a 4 round bout and debutant Tommy ‘Da Gun’ Martin forcing a third

round stoppage over his opponent. The three are trained by Dial-a-Cab dri-

ver Alec Wilkey (W83) and based at the Canning Town gym that was

founded by World class boxing coach Johnny Eames in 2006.

Unbeaten Greek southpaw Mastrodouka was in fine form once again as

she took on Welsh fighter Lana Cooper in the first title fight for both boxers

over 8 x 2 minute rounds. It was Cooper who started the faster of the two,

but as Mastrodouka settled into her rhythm she began landing her straight

left hands to back her opponent up. In the second round it was

Mastrodouka - known as The Master - who took control of the exchanges

and she caught Cooper with a flurry of hooks to the body as she forced her

onto the ropes. As the bout progressed, Mastrodouka was dominating each

session by using her jab as the range finder and landing the straight left

hand and then switching the attack from head to body. It was no surprise when Mastrodouka was

crowned International Masters Champion with the judge scoring every round in her favour and score of 80-72. She is surely en route to

a world title shot with her record now at 4-0.

Rotherhithe Light-Welterweight Eren Arif put on another solid display in his second bout after a winning debut back in September. Arif was

matched against Aleksas Vaseris in a lively 4 round bout which saw both boxers having success. After a cagey first round, the second saw

Arif on the front foot, coming forward and throwing hooks to the body and head. But it was the third round where Arif showed his superior

skills with punch variation and some good combinations, even knocking Vaseris’ gumshield out! The final round produced some great action as

both boxers went toe to toe, but it was Arif who edged it in the eyes of the judge, winning by a score of 39-37 and going to 2-0.

Tommy ‘Da Gun’ Martin made a sensational debut with a 3rd round TKO win in front of his army of supporters. The 18 year-old

Lightweight from St Neots - who only recently joined Johnny Eames and Alec Wilkey at the TKO Gym - took on Lithuanian Artur Saniuk

over a scheduled 4 rounds in which he dictated the action. Martin looked to establish his jab in an even first round, but it was the second

session where he increased the tempo and forced Saniuk to take backward steps, throwing hooks to the body and head and almost stop-

ping his man. But Saniuk’s fate was sealed in the third when Martin piled on the pressure and then whipped in a left hook to the body

followed by a right hand which knocked Saniuk to the canvas. Saniuk got to his feet but referee Jeff Hinds waved the fight off, signalling

Martins first win.

David Wilkey

Call Sign Online

Call Sign December 2012

Page 23

Becoming a know-all...

Nash’s Numbers

Ask any passenger from anywhere around the

world, which group of taxi drivers know their

MORE THAN JUST A

occupation and everything involved in it, the

best and 90% of them will give you the same

answer. The recent poll from Hotels.com gave

BUNCH OF NUMBERS!

the same answer that it has for the past five of

its yearly surveys. London’s finest know more

about their job, where they are going and

everything about taxi driving than any other

group of drivers!

And it’s probably a safe bet to add that

drivers on Dial-a-Cab know more than

most thanks to Alan Nash (A95) and his

monthly page 2 column, Nash’s Numbers,

which has given information to our dri-

vers since 1997 on everything from train

timetables to the position of cash ATMs to

the addresses of London’s many night

spots / bars and complete ‘What’s On’

guides to entertainment facilities.

But there are also a substantial number of

know-alls on Dial-a-Cab, thanks to Alan

Nash’s My Fav website. In these days of iPads

and iPhones, you could be missing out by not

gaining access to his brilliant My Fav page.

You do, of course, need to be on the Internet,

ing of the police, there is a list of all London’s

Why Register?

but other than that, nothing can stop you

lap dancing clubs and much more… and all in

Registering is not only free but you have the

being a know all!

excellent PDF quality that you can print off if

chance of winning a £100 monthly prize.

So what’s on it? Well there is far more than

you have the facility.

That offer has been going for the last 18

we have space to tell you about, but just for

If you want to be a know all, just go to

months but as yet no one has won. It’s very

starters how about over 70 iconic links to

www.nashsnumbers.co.uk , click on the My

simple; once logged in, simply click the

useful taxi related web pages as well as hun-

Fav logo and follow the instructions. Just

‘Recommend’ button and follow the instruc-

dreds of other links to sites that you probably

bear in mind that the code to unlock taxi info

tions. The proviso is that your recommended

search for on a regular basis anyway such as

is just that - taxi!

friend, colleague or relation etc registers and

High Street stores and banks etc. Then there

There aren’t too many genuine free bar-

uses MyFav.

are links to live TV and radio sites, daily news-

gains in life where you genuinely get a lot

You can also personalise your page to

papers and Google. Of course some will say

while not required to give anything back. But

have up to 40 of your own bookmarks, up

that they can get all the sites by just search-

Alan Nash’s My Fav is certainly one. If you

to 6 gadgets, various categories including

ing, however there is nowhere else you can

also register, you will have even more access

over 550 world weather forecasts (106 UK

get them all at one place - even updates on

and become a genuine Call Sign know-all!

towns & cities) and world time zones for

every capital city in the world. And of

all NASA’s space projects

And it’s all free!

course, everything else that a know-all

Then there are updated fare tables; mileages,

Just go to www.myfav.co.uk and either

requires to be, well to be a know-all! And

which flights go from where at both Heathrow

one that costs you absolutely nothing...

and Gatwick; a complete list of London pubs,

words ‘taxi’ to unlock a grid of over 65 icons

restaurants and hotels; a list of all the police

that link you to an assortment of useful info

Michael Toomey

stations that still stay open 24 hours and speak-

and taxi related websites

Call Sign Online

PRA condemn two-tier fuel pricing

How often have Dial-a-Cab drivers going along the M4 towards Heathrow looked down at their fuel gauges

and seen their diesel looking a bit low, but refuse to use a motorway service station perceiving the high diesel

cost as being hugely unfair?

That difference in fuel costs has now been picked up by Petrol Retailers’ Association Chairman, Brian

Madderson. According to Mr Madderson, motorway service areas owned or supplied by major oil companies

are continuing to extort their customers by pricing fuel much higher than at their standard company-owned sites.

Recent data produced by Experian Catalist showed that Shell’s petrol purchased at a motorway service

area was 14p per litre more expensive than Shell brand petrol purchased at one of their standard sites, while

diesel was as much as 12p more. The gap between prices for the Esso brand fuel was very similar.

Mr Madderson told Call Sign: “Two tier pricing was just one of the many areas for concern raised by

independent fuel retailers to the Office of Fair Trading recently when they indicated that the UK fuels mar-

ket was not working properly. It is essential that the OFT respond to the many complaints by confirming that

they will undertake a new Market Study under the Enterprise Act 2002 when they present their findings in

January 2013.

“It was good to note that our independent retailers have helped to lead fuel prices down recently with sev-

eral reporting that they had dropped prices below local supermarket competition and this was confirmed by the closeness of UK

average fuel prices for independently owned sites being just 2p per litre adrift from the average of supermarkets at the beginning of that week. This

has prompted another round of price cutting by the supermarkets. However, the UK wholesale market for road fuels remains volatile, so the trend in

falling prices is not guaranteed to continue. Therefore the Government’s plans for hiking fuel duty by 3.02p per litre on 1 January 2013 with the

prospect of a further 2p on 1 April are potentially crippling to household budgets.

“With 20% VAT added, total fuel tax could rise by as much as 7p per litre in the first few months of 2013. To have any chance of re-igniting the

economy, the Chancellor must freeze duty when he presents the Autumn Statement next month.”

In the meantime, taxi drivers and many other motorists will still be avoiding motorway service station fuel stops unless there is no choice...

Call Sign December 2012

Page 24

Former fireman Richard Potter and life behind the

POT

TERS WHEEL

Well, as you flick through the last Call Sign of

Dial-a-Cab for years, he asked me if the taxi

the year, I hope you agree that 2012 wasn’t as

trade was in crisis because the powers at

bad as predicted. Yes, the year was as flat as a

Westminster were hearing alarm bells.

pancake, but I found it a little easier than in

Combined with the collapse of Manganese

previous years. Maybe I have simply got used to

Bronze and the disastrous Olympics, I think

it being slow, but we survived and the outlook

politicians are beginning to realise that we are

is showing signs of recovery, which will in turn

not the moaners that Peter Hendy says we are,

encourage confidence. When the markets run

but that we have genuine problems. One issue

on speculation, confidence is the main driver

we discussed was the perception of the trade

and perhaps if the Chancellor was to reduce

with younger people. Older people and

VAT, that would help matters. Make it a figure

tourists still hold us in high regard, but the

that is not so easy to work out, that way the

younger generation look at us as dinosaurs. I

public will have a less good idea of what they

don’t like to play the blame game, but I think

are paying! Remember, once things start pick-

we often get a negative press and rarely get

ing up, that’s one day closer to us going back

much help from TfL, who have a bias towards

into recession - so make the most of it!

company that is eyeing up a smaller company

buses. And although LTPH gets a bad rap from

to squeeze its cashflow so it goes bust with the

us, I do believe their hands are tied from high-

sole intention of buying that same company

er up. Let’s hope that politicians finally sit up

Hmmmm

from the administrator.

and listen to our problems and help us move

I got my first taste of driving around London as

Does that ring a bell with Geely and the

forward to secure the taxi trade for the future.

a delivery driver for a firm in New Covent

Garden market. Being just twenty and driving

London Taxi Company after it refused to

an old Bedford TK 600 without power steering

inject more money into Manganese

Goodbye...

wasn’t easy and I had a few near misses. There

Bronze???

Ok, that’s it from me after nearly 7 years of writ-

were a large network of old fashioned corner

ing in Call Sign. It’s time to find something else

shops that we used to deliver to around

Why???

to do with my time and I hope another DaC

Fulham and Hammersmith, just like Open all

Have you ever wondered why people get PH

driver will contribute to the trade’s best mag by

Hours.

vehicles instead of taxis? Or buy a can of

a long chalk. Many thanks to Alan Fisher for

But as time went on, many of these were

Redbull for £1.25 when you buy Tesco’s own

encouraging me to have a go and for being a

forced out of business by large supermarkets;

brand for 35p? How about Anadin instead of

great boss. He has never given me an editorial

so how funny it is to see many of those same

Asda own paracetamol? Well nothing acts faster

lean and only changed the articles to correct

supermarkets starting up their own local

than Anadin does it, so it’s worth the money?

my grammar and spelling! I have enjoyed my

shops! By using their muscle, they beat the

But in reality, all paracetamol acts at the same

time writing for Call Sign and I hope you have

competition with the long-term intention of

speed, therefore if nothing acts faster than

enjoyed reading my articles.

replacing them altogether. As traders ourselves,

Anadin, you could add that nothing acts slow-

So wherever you are in the world and with

one of the most important issues is cashflow.

er either! It’s all about perception and remem-

whomever you spend it, I hope you and your

Without it we would simply go bust, because

ber when you buy a can of Redbull, you are

families have a happy peaceful Christmas and a

we would have no money to pay our debts,

paying Sebastian Vettel’s wages!

prosperous New Year.

even though we perhaps owed money. It’s not

Having recently picked up a former Minister

unknown in the business world for a bigger

for Transport who has had an account with

Richard Potter (T51)

In the new era of MOTs for taxis, LTPH announce...

Locations for new inspection centres

London Taxi and Private Hire (LTPH) has confirmed the locations for six new vehicle inspection centres to be

managed by NSL from February 2013. NSL won the contract to provide the vehicle licensing and inspec-

tions service for London’s taxis and private hire vehicles.

Following discussions with the taxi and private hire trades and NSL, the six new vehicle inspection cen-

tres will be at the following locations:

North Site - Watermill Business Park, Enfield

South Site - Redlands Industrial Estate, Coulsdon

East Site - Acorn Industrial Park, Crayford

West Site - Air Links Industrial Estate, Hounslow

Central East - 1 North Crescent, Canning Town

Central West - Aquarius Business Park, Staples Corner

NSL will be licensing taxis under the new regime which requires taxi

vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles have passed an MOT no more than 14 days prior to inspection and

to carry out a further MOT six months from the date the licence is issued.

Helen Chapman, Deputy Director for Taxi and Private Hire, said:

“After positive discussions with members from both the taxi and private hire trades, we are

pleased to confirm the locations for the new inspection centres. We believe that drivers will find

the inspection centres are in convenient locations and will meet their expectations.”

Dale Wood, Business Processing Director for NSL, added:

“We’re excited to be working with TfL in providing taxi and private hire vehicle drivers with

greater and more state-of-the-art control and accessibility in booking their inspections, renewing

and applying for licenses, as well as offering a great choice of inspection locations.”

NSL has been awarded the contract for a period of up to 10 years for the delivery of the vehicle licensing

and inspections service, which involves undertaking an annual inspection on all taxi and private hire vehicles

Call Sign December 2012

Page 25

After the boss of Addison Lee was accused of criticising a deaf

footballer for grunting like a female tennis player, DaC driver Eddie

Lambert tells Call Sign...

“JOHN GRIFFIN

SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED!”

notoriety for grunting during her matches.

thousands of people to read.

Griffin’s comments, together with the thuggish

Rumours are also around that some at Addy

Eddie Lambert

actions of the Gray’s supporters, drew anger

Lee are becoming fed up with John Griffin’s con-

from Action on Hearing Loss charity Head of

stant embarrassing remarks and the financial

John Griffin, the multi-millionaire Chairman of

PR, Rebecca Griffin, who said how disappointed

costs that they have incurred such as after the

private hire company Addison Lee, has hit the

she was that people showed such little respect to

Bus Lane fiasco, and would like to see him sailing

headlines several times over the years for being

a talented footballer trying to overcome commu-

off into the sunset to leave his two sons in

somewhat insensitive to others points of view -

nication barriers during matches.

charge. They could be right!

look no further than his spat with cyclists and his

In his email, Mr Griffin said that the police at

I also noticed in comments after the article

instruction to his drivers to break the law by dri-

the ground should have demanded that the pro-

appeared in the Mail Online that the paper

ving in bus and taxi lanes. But his email poking

foundly-deaf player discontinue the way he com-

was taken to task about its description of

fun at non-league Potters Bar FC deaf footballer,

municated “...as they could be misinterpreted by

Griffin as “boss of a taxi company.” I believe

Daniel Ailey, seems to have even surpassed his

members of the crowd.”

that the Hackney trade should do this every

remarks blaming cyclists for their own accidents.

Mr Griffin later issued an apology claiming that

time the media use the word ‘taxi’ when they

It was on October 23 and Daniel had been

he hadn’t meant to be insulting towards Ailey

should be using Private Hire or minicab. I

playing against Grays Athletic, whose fans began

and that he regretted any offence caused. But

recently emailed the Metro over the same

mocking him for the way he communicates with

Potters Bar manager Adam said that he was

issue in their Corrections and Omissions

his team-mates. It ended with police being called

extremely concerned by the comments made by

page over the description of Addison Lee as a

when some fans began making grunting sounds

the Addison Lee boss and considered that his

taxi company.

aimed at mocking Daniel.

many deaf or hard of hearing passengers might

It may seem a small issue to many, but I'm sure

In the meantime, John Griffin thought it amus-

think twice about who they get their cabs from

we have all seen articles headlined as taxi driver

ing to send an email to his local newspaper, The

after the outburst.

convicted of something or other, only to read fur-

Welwyn & Hatfield Times comparing the noises

Potters Bar Chairman, Peter Waller, said: “Mr

ther into the article that the person responsible

made by Daniel Ailey to those of noisy tennis

Griffin is entitled to have his say, but imagine if

was a PH driver. They even use the phase Private

stars such as Maria Sharapova, who has earned

we all laughed at disabled athletes at the

Hire Taxi! I'm sure one day the trade will say

Paralympics. It doesn’t matter what noises Daniel

enough is enough and blockade a newspaper

LTFUC Treasurer and DaC driver David

makes on the pitch, the only important thing is

office in protest at one of these erroneous

Lessman (D19) gives the LTFUC’s annual...

that he is a good footballer.”

descriptions.

TREASURER’S REPORT 2011/2012

Several years ago, my local paper

- the

Dial-a-Cab driver, Eddie Lambert

(V37)

Peterborough Evening Telegraph - carried a

wrote to Call Sign about Griffin’s email and

The past twelve months have

rape story with taxi headlines when it was actual-

continued to be a difficult

brought in another problematic PH occurrence.

ly private hire. One of the local drivers, a young

time, not only for the general

He told us:

Asian man who I know (95% of Peterborough's

economy, but for the taxi

“I just hope that he is ashamed about making

taxi trade are Asian), phoned the paper and

trade in particular.

these comments. What's worse in my view is that

threatened to organise a boycott by the local

However, the London

they were not a spur of the moment comment

Asian newsagents against the Telegraph. The next

Taxidrivers’ Fund for

made without any thought. He sat down at a

issue carried an apology and when the paper cov-

Underprivileged Children, with grateful thanks

computer and composed these thoughtless and

ered similar stories in subsequent issues, they

to the generosity of its many benefactors, has

hurtful comments obviously expecting that his

been able to replenish a depleted reserve,

email was then transferred to a newspaper for

always got the description right...!”

maintain a high profile and the trustees look

forward next year to celebrating 85 years of

assisting the many disadvantaged children of

Greater London.

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union

Not only was generated income considerably

more than the previous year, but total expendi-

Ever needed money quickly but were anxious about

ture was reduced so the Fund remains finan-

variable bank interest rates?

cially strong. The value of grants made was

Well wonder no more! If you are a subscriber, journeyman or

minimal this year, but did include once again

Christmas vouchers for the dependants of taxi

member of staff at Dial-a-Cab, then you qualify to join the

drivers no longer able to provide for their fami-

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union. Any member of your family residing

ly. The expenses incurred by the annual party at

at your address also qualifies for membership!

the JW Marriott Grosvenor House were greater

than the previous year, as toys for the 600 chil-

Then if you are over 18, have been a member of the Credit Union for

dren had to be purchased. Through sponsor-

over 3 months and have established regular savings, you can borrow

ship, the slightly increased cost of the outing to

up to 3 times your total savings…

Southend was covered.

Total income for the year was just under

The cost?

£45,000 and the total expenditure for the year

Just 1% per month on the outstanding balance (or APR of 12.7%).

a little over £27,000, of which only £720 was

Loans can be paid back early AND there can be an annual dividend on your shares.

spent on general management and administra-

tion. Yet again the trustees have shown that a

The question is: Can you afford NOT to be in it…?

charity can be run on only 1.6% of generated

Call us on 020 7729 8171 or 020 7749 0585

income, with every penny of the remaining

98.4% being spent on giving hundreds of dis-

Members of the Financial Ombudsman Service

advantaged children a better quality of life.

Member’s funds protected up to limit set by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme

DaC Credit Union Ltd, Peterley Business Centre, 472 Hackney Rd E2 9EQ

David S. Lessman (D19)

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

LTFUC Hon. Treasurer

Registration number 213263

Call Sign December 2012

Page 26

Sometime ago I was driving in the West

Mike Son looks back at some of the taxi trips that were a bit out of

End and was hailed by a fellow who asked

the ordinary...

to be taken to the Tower Hotel in St

Katherine’s Way. Easy enough! I dropped

him at the hotel, drove through the exit

Stripped to the basics!

and turned right crossing the red bridge to

get to Thomas More Street.

evening rush hour!

As I crossed the bridge, I noticed a nice

Before I could say you’ll catch a cold,

looking young lady who was waving to

she proceeded to undo her leather rain-

me. Naturally I assumed she wanted a cab

coat and with the raincoat off her shoul-

so I stopped and asked her where she

der, stood there stark naked!

wanted to go. She said she didn’t really

After about a minute, she re-buttoned

want to go anywhere, but just wanted to

her coat and thanked me! All I could think

say hello! She also said she was very upset

of saying was “no, thank you!” Then she

because she had lost her job.

walked off with the bloke who had been

I said that I was sorry to hear it and

standing by the wall and who had obvi-

was sure she would get other employ-

ously realised what she was about to do,

ment quickly, but she began to look

hence his laughter!

even more upset when telling me that

Feeling rather shocked and not believ-

she was a stripper and had been

ing what had just happened, I drove

employed to go to a corporate compa-

around the corner and stopped the cab. As

ny nearby to “entertain the boys” for

that she didn’t want a taxi, she was just

I sat quietly in the taxi, a passenger came

an event of some kind.

feeling fed up at having wasted her time

over and asked to go to London Wall. He

She went on to add that when she

coming all the way to the City.

asked me if I was okay, as I looked a bit

arrived at the premises, the organiser told

I hadn’t noticed at first that there was

strange. When I explained what had hap-

her that due to unforeseen circumstances,

a fella leaning up against the wall a few

pened, he fell about laughing and asked if

she was no longer required. I suddenly

yards away laughing. I couldn’t quite

I would mind going back to see if the girl

began to wonder if she was a bit crazy and

work out what he was laughing at.

was still there! He was very disappointed

really wanted to drive off. But just as I was

The woman continued chatting and

when she had gone.

about to move, she put her hand on the

said that she was also very upset because

What a life we cabdrivers have to

window and asked if I’d wait just a few

she had been paid her fee in advance, but

endure. ..

more minutes. She carried on talking and

felt that she hadn’t earned it. She went

said she lived in Bromley. I thought that it

on to say that she had also now wasted

Mike Son

could be a nice job and asked where in

my time and suddenly asked if she could

Bromley she wanted to go. Her reply was

strip for me? This at around 6.30 in the

DaC Special Projects

SELF DEFENCE CLASSES FOR DAC DRIVERS...

Do you fancy

And they’re free if you are on Dial-a-Cab!

writing for

You will have seen an article on self-defence expert Ricky

Manetta (N16) in last month’s Call Sign, where he spoke o

starting a course for Dial-a-Cab drivers teaching Krav Mag

Call Sign?

the self defence system used by the Israeli special forces.

Now Dial-a-Cab has announced that it is sponsoring

Ricky’s self-defence classes for our drivers. Each course

With Richard Potter (T51) having decided

will last for 8 weeks and take up to 30 DaC drivers. It

to take a rest from writing, Call Sign has a

will cost drivers nothing, but Ricky did say that it is

vacancy for a regular columnist.

important for interested drivers to go on the complete

Whether that is a driver or their immediate

8-week course and not just pop in when they fancy.

relative is unimportant, you just need to have

The complete course will cost you nothing!

the ability of putting your thoughts into words.

If more than 30 drivers put their names down, they will

You will have the freedom to say what you

be on a first-come, first-served basis and those failing to

want within reason, but what the mag doesn’t

get on will go to the top of the list for the second course.

want is someone who uses the column in place

They will take place at the John Orwell Sports

of writing a letter.

Centre, Tench Street, Wapping each Wednesday

Your column should be about the taxi trade

from 2 - 3.30pm. Parking is available.

from your point of view and you need to be

The classes are very mixed, taking drivers in their 20s

prepared to have a variety of topics at your fin-

right into their 60s. They come tall, small, fat and thin

gertips, because writing a regular column is far

because it’s the techniques that work and not the size of

more difficult than just writing a letter. You

those performing them. Classes consist of warm-up and stretching exercises, then a

should also try to make it different from the

quick run over previous lessons. That’s followed by learning a new technique and some drills, so

usual columns seen in the trade press.

everything you learn becomes an instinct and not a thought. In a real life situation, by the time

You need to be reliable, because the Editor

you’ve had the thought, the instinct has already dealt with it.

doesn’t like chasing his columnists - believe

Two DaC drivers on a previous course told Call Sign that they really enjoyed and benefitted from

me, I know! Many have applied in the past,

them. Mickey Tarr (R02) was 6’ 2” and 16 stone, so we asked why he would need to do the classes.

but few actually follow it up.

He explained that as you get older, you are not as confident as you used to be in defending yourself and

You do not have to worry about spelling etc

that cab driving was so unpredictable. He added that Ricky was absolutely brilliant and gave him that

because that will all be corrected. So long as

confidence back by giving him the knowledge to deal with any situation, not just the physical ones.

your article makes good reading, then it will be

Steve Politz (N57) told us that the classes were brilliant. “I can’t say enough about them, I was just

published with as few errors as humanly possi-

addicted!” He added that for him the main thing was the confidence he gained through the self-defence

ble. But what you must have is the ability to

and aggression avoidance techniques. This taught him how to react in situations and not to panic.

send the article via email.

If you are interested, email Shelagh Adkins on shelagha@dialacab.co.uk or call on 0207

If interested, write to the Editor at call-

553 7200. If you want to speak to Ricky about the course, call him on 07950 267 574. He

signmag@aol.com.

won’t be taking the names but is happy to tell you anything you need to know about

Dennis Latchett

the Dial-a-Cab courses.

Call Sign Online

Call Sign December 2012

Page 27

With the trade in a state of uncertainty, Call Sign looks at the...

Views on life as seen through the

eyes of David Kupler (Y74) at...

Now and then...

Kupkake’s

The FX3

with its

open lug-

gage com-

partment

Korner

The ‘now’ isn’t too promising with Manganese Bronze in administration and any taxi over 15 years

being old pulled off the road in what many describe as a heartless act from TfL considering the cur-

rent circumstances. Rented cabs are few and far between with some garages even putting up prices.

The only other option at the moment is to spend £42,000 on a Mercedes Vito and do what many

of those owners do - disconnect the converted van’s 25foot turning circle, because it then becomes

easier to do a 3-point turn! Otherwise it’s wait to see who buys MB or hang on for Nissan’s NV 200.

Always on a

So what about the ‘then’ because many newspapers and radio stations are wondering how

long the ‘now’ will last before private hire eventually takes over?

Sunday!

It was way back in 1679 when concern for passenger safety led Charles II new British Government

to bring in the Conditions of Fitness. It was at the same time that they passed the English Habeas

Corpus Act in response to a public outcry about people being incarcerated unlawfully for long peri-

Pulled into Padders,

ods of time before trial. Some believed the taxi trade had connections with the act re incarceration

Around 100 bodies waiting,

in a vehicle!

Set down at Euston,

The first London taxi that didn’t need a horse to pull it was the 1897 Bersey - better known as the

30 people at that station...

Hummingbird due to the sound that came from it while in motion. It was electrically powered but

with a limited range, which eventually led to the introduction of petrol taxis in 1903.

Then at MacLiver,

Although manufacturers such as Renault tried to jump on the bandwagon, most London taxis have

been British-built by manufacturers including the Beardmore Mk 1 in 1919 and Mk II 5 years later.

though the rank was empty,

One year after the Nuffield Oxford in 1947, the FX3 arrived with 3 doors - the luggage compart-

tourist cases all lined up,

ment being open and any bags being held on by straps. While old fashioned compared to the TX4,

Soon there was work a-plenty...

it came equipped with a built-in hydraulic jacking system that could raise the front or rear of the taxi

for tyre changing etc. In 1954, it was powered up to a 2.2 litre petrol engine and a diesel version was

The Raft was also moving,

also added because diesel was so cheap, being half the price of petrol. During the 10 year life of the

although the Vic was slow,

FX3, over 7000 were produced.

Kings Cross had work,

The FX3 was followed by the FX4 in 1958. The design was changed and began to look like the

vehicle tourists perceive as a London Taxi. This vehicle, with its fourth door, remained as the cab to

And also the Euro!

buy and although it had the occasional modification, it stayed unchanged for decades even though

So much business,

the hydraulic jacking system was dropped. It became easily identifiable by its indicators, which

Far too much to mention,

became known as “bunny ears.”

Austin was joined by a coach building company called Carbodies of Coventry and in 1984 the

Not enough to retire,

duo became London Taxis International and it wasn’t long before the next incarnation came along

And go to draw my pension...

- this was the FX4R - the R standing for Rover. The cab was quiet and smooth and capable of reach-

ing over 80mph - so long as you weren’t going uphill because then it was the realised that it had an

But give me Sundays,

alarming lack of climbing power.

All the time,

The trade became desperate for something else as second hand values plummeted. Prayers were

You can work Mondays...

answered when the FX4 was re-hashed into The Fairway and fitted with the engine that many still

'Cos Sunday's all mine!

claim to have been the best one the trade has ever had - the Nissan.

Three years later in 1987, Birmingham bus builders Metro Cammell Weymann moved into the

Kopyrlght Kupkake 2012

taxi business as a hoped-for competitor to the Fairway. Known as the Metrocab, it featured a fiber-

glass body, large glass area, power steering, disc brakes and wheelchair access. It used the Ford

Transit van diesel engine. In 1995, a series II model came out with a series III a few years later.

However, Metrocab’s survival record was poor and the Metrocab company kept folding and then

TAXI AIR

reappearing as a new outfit. Sadly, on Friday 3 March 2006, the curtain come down finally on any

chance that the Metrocab had of returning to mainstream manufacturing when the Runcorn Bailiff

CONDITIONING

company of Crellins walked into what had been Metrocab’s premises at Darwell Park in Tamworth

• All makes and models serviced

and took back anything of value on behalf of the landlord. The last Series III TTT model was a 55

and repaired

reg and owned by a Dial-a-Cab driver.

Keith White (A16) told Call Sign at the time that he felt very disappointed to hear the news

• Mobile service - we come to you!

because in his view, the TTT was undoubtedly the best taxi ever produced for the London market.

Of course, we should never forget the 1994 Asquith, of which around eight were sold and used

mainly as wedding cars due to passengers not realising that these were real licensed taxis!

Call Mick Wheeler

Meanwhile back at LTI, 1997 saw the Fairway give way to the TX1 - the shape of which caused dri-

vers to rename it as Noddy’s car as that is what it resembled. But Big Ears seemed to like it!

on 020 8715 0079

The TXII followed in 2002, but seemed to be beset with problems until the TX4 arrived in 2007.

Until the recent steering recall, the vehicle had been popular, although in 2009 the arrival of the

Covering London and the Home Counties

Mercedes Vito made a dent in LTI’s accounts that could well have been the reason for the collapse.

Call Sign December 2012

Page 28

January 2 is approaching fast and while the

biggest problem most of us will face as the New

Divyesh ready for Kilimanjaro!

Year arrives is how to shed those extra pounds

we will put on through over-indulgence at hol-

iday time, Dial-a-Cab driver Divyesh

Ruparelia (V59) will have rather more prob-

lems to worry about.

He won’t even have time to concern himself

over whether it’s busy, quiet or indifferent out

there as he gets ready for the 8-day climb via the

Lemosho route to the top of Africa’s highest

peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. While Divyesh

admitted to Call Sign that the climb was part of

his own celebrations at reaching the age of fifty,

he is also doing it in aid of various charities,

including two in the taxi trade!

There are no expenses because Divyesh has

paid for it all, so any monies donated will go to

the charities. They are Great Ormond Street

Hospital, Help for Heroes, the WCHCD’s

Magical Taxi Tour and Dial-a-Dream - the

charity run by Tom Whitbread and Bob Heath.

Divyesh told Call Sign: “I don't have the

Divyesh was clothed as a Liveryman and is now about to climb Kilimanjaro!

choice of dividing the money amongst the char-

ities, so those donating will have to decide

afford the monthly charge they would have to

Call Sign and sending us a photo of him on the

which charity their money goes to. Number 1 is

pay to JustGiving. Anyone wishing to donate to

peak. Will he take a birthday cake with him and

GOSH, 2 is Help For Heroes and 3 is the

the other three can do so via the JustGiving

tuck in while planting a Dial-a-Cab flag there?

Magical Taxi Tour. Those wanting to donate to

website at: Justgiving.com/teams/divyesh-

Perhaps not, but what he hopefully will do is to

Dial-a-Dream should do so direct to the chari-

midlifecrisistrekupthekilimanjaro

raise some much-needed funds for the four

ty by paying into Barclays 20-52-74 40322202.

Divyesh, who was clothed as a Liveryman in the

charities

That is because as a small charity, they cannot

WCHCD recently, will be keeping in touch with

Good luck Divyesh...

London taxis win again!

cent. The survey also found that Australians spend the most on taxis, while

Italians were on the other end of the spectrum.

Over half or 56 per cent of those surveyed also admitted to falling asleep in a

taxi, while 19 per cent said they have touched up their hair and makeup in a

taxi.

Winners for the fifth year in a row

London taxis have been voted

the world's best for the fifth

consecutive year in an annual

global taxi survey by

EARLY TREATMENT MEANS SPEEDY RECOVERY

Hotels.com.

Treatment for pain & discomfort doesn’t have to be expensive

The survey took in 1671 people

from 28 countries and cities and con-

The Centre offers fully qualified therapists in Physiotherapy,

cluded that London’s iconic black

Osteopathy, Sports Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Remedial

cabs were considered the best for

Massage, Indian Head Massage, Hydrotherm, Massage Therapy,

friendliness, knowledge of the area,

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

cleanliness, safety and quality of dri-

ving. On the downside, however, our

Call us on 020 8507 8169

taxi fares were also voted the most

or mobile 07973 639 473 for an early appointment

expensive. Ironically, it came within

Email: andy@bptconline.co.uk or fax: 020 8507 9650

days of Manganese Bronze going into

Out of hours enquiries welcome

administration.

London claimed 11 per cent of the

Barking Physical Therapy Centre

votes to win first place. New York

90 Longbridge Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 8SF

came in second place on 6.4 per

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am till 8pm and Saturday 9am till 2pm

cent, followed by Tokyo with 5.6 per

www.bptconline.co.uk

Call Sign December 2012

Page 29

Some months ago there was a

Call Sign Survey

furore in the media about a bus

driver who refused to allow a

A lone female tells you she has no money on her but

female onto his bus because she

has money at home...

was 20p short of the full fare.

She had to get off and was

WOULD YOU TAKE HER???

raped as she walked home. So

we put this brief synopsis to

ers who do not look like they have 2p to

B o b b y

their name. Some time ago I took a lady

Edmondson

Dial-a-Cab drivers...

from SE1 up to NW3. We stopped at two

(G85):

“Yes, I

It’s late in the evening, it’s dark

cash points along the way, unsuccessfully

would take

and suddenly you see a hand go

as it turned out, so we exchanged details

them,

out. The respectable looking lady

sweat at all. In

at her destination and she sent me a per-

tells you her destination but

fact, I recently

sonal cheque a few days later.”

adds that she has no money in

took a lady

John Davis (V41): “Yes, I would take pas-

from Kings

her purse but has more than

sengers

Road to Archway at 03.00 in the morning.

enough at the destination to pay

their destina-

The meter read £22 but she only had £15.

the fare. You aren’t 100% certain

tion upon the

No big deal. But where I do get the hump

deposit

of that, but she is a woman on

is when people let me get them to the

something of

her own. Would you take the

other end and then say they haven’t got

value such as a

chance of not being paid or

any money, or they’ll get some money

cellphone,

indoors etc. I expect folk to be honest and

leave her because you are a busi-

wristwatch or

upfront with me. If they are level with me,

ness and not a charity?

the like.”

it’s a different ball game. Like many of us

Michael Wigmore (C16): “It is probably

who have children, I would like to think

John Morgan (H50): “You need to use

a bit different

that a fellow driver would act profession-

your common

working days,

ally and responsibly, bringing my children

sense and act

but generally

home safely. So I adopt a similar

your

speaking

approach.”

instincts.

would take

there’s

Jackie Kott

them

and

group stand-

(Y88): “I usu-

truth to tell I

ing around

ally work late

have done it

wearing foot-

into the night

many times

ball scarves

and generally

with no problem. Also, if the fare goes say

for example,

will take peo-

£12 for example and the passenger only

the answer is a big no, but I usually ask

ple where they

has £10, I‘ve accepted that with good

where they are going and if the area is ok

want to go, but

grace as well. And I make sure they are

and they are going to a house or specific

of course it would depend on the desti-

safely indoors before I pull away. After dri-

residence, then yes, fine. After cab driving

nation area and if the potential passenger

ving a cab for a few years, I use my sixth

for 27 years, you build up a sixth sense

was standing upright. When possible I

sense to sum people up. You help people

and go with your gut feelings. There have

usually work the radio, but if a situation

where you can and promote a profession-

been several occasions where the passen-

arose then I would make a judgement on

al image. Of course, at the end of the day

ger has had maybe £8 out of the £10 fare.

the merits of the case. Anyway, when my

we all come to work to make a living.”

I then suggest they put the odd couple of

children were younger I liked to think

Neil Baker (D55): “I judge people as they

quid balance towards a charity of their

they could get home safely in a taxi and

are and make

choice and say that I trust them to do the

then woke me up to pay the driver…”

right thing.”

decision

from there.

I’ve

been

turned over by

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the wife of a DaC driver per-

Or telephone your order to:

haps, then take a look at the

Stephen Vale at Only Cabs 020 3239 6101

piece on page 23...

Call Sign December 2012

Page 30

In my capacity as a City of London and a City

DaC columnist, taxi driver and London Guide, Bob Woodford, on

of Westminster Guide, I occasionally get asked

how to lose money while enjoying yourself!

to cover Walks - either for the afore-men-

tioned respective Guiding Associations, or via

a private client who might contact me inde-

pendently.

The (not so)

My client brief on the Walk I led on

Saturday 17th November was simple enough:

Could I provide a Guided Walk in Mayfair

using the River Tyburn as its main theme?

This, of course, would be no problem - firstly

Happy Wanderer!

on account that the Lions of Millwall were due

to play on Sunday that weekend and second-

were... all 94 of them! Not eight but ninety

ly, the history - both past and present - of the

bloody four!

ancient Tyburn was one of my chosen sub-

If you were one of the cabbies frustrated

jects!

because Brook Street was down to one lane as

The client was an E-zine called LeCool with

I tried to assemble nearly 100 members of the

an online subscription boasting 50,000 read-

public opposite the blue plaques to Handel

ers - if only I had been told that during the few

and Hendrix - or found that Charles Street

email exchanges I’d had before the target day

was temporarily closed while I was explaining

arrived. The Guide fee was to be met by the

Walk sponsor Fuji Water, who had already

to all these people the running footmen could

stumped up for the Walk leaflets that were to

only land the job if they were over 6 foot,

be placed along the route in coffee bars and

handsome and looked resplendent in white

art galleries.

shirt and stockings - then I can only apologise!

I was told there would be a budget of

At least I would not have hampered your

£100 for my 90 minute cameo and politely

progress while I had my crowd in Shepherd

asked if that would be alright. Now, bear-

Market - and they really loved the story about

ing in mind that I would normally get paid

'two grand' now being affectionately known as

£8 per punter if I was leading an

'an Archer'!

Association Walk, I asked how many pun-

I had a hoot moving 94 people around

ters would be expected - to which the

Mayfair - but as I was walking back through

reply was along the lines of that they

Bourdon Street to retrieve my cab I could not

hoped to get more than the 8 who showed

help thinking that if only I had charged my

up for the Walk they laid on in Borough

usual £8 per head, I would have trousered

Bob on a walk

Market. That’s all I needed to hear, so ok

£752!

says I - let’s do it!

Lane (and therefore along the reverse route of

Ninety four of them... that's more than they

On the morning in question, I parked my

my subterranean river), turned the corner at

get over at Leyton Orient...!

cab up on the 3-cab rank in Brook Street,

the top of Davies Street to the meeting point

sauntered up Avery Row and South Molten

outside Gray's Antiques

- and there they

Bob Woodford (Ex-P49)

Every issue of Call Sign takes a look back at ODRTS history through the

pages of the magazines of the time with a flashback

ries of Florrie

Culverwell…

DIAL-A-CAB FLASHBACK

“I remem-

This issue harks back to the beginning

ber Flo so well,”

of ODRTS with a 2001 news item in

said Bonnie. “In those

Call Sign that our first-ever full time

very early days we all used

telephonist at Pentonville Road had

to turn our hand to anything that

passed away...

needed doing at our Pentonville

Road office and Flo would always be

From Call Sign, October 2001...

the first to volunteer for any job,

PENTONVILLE ROAD’S

regardless of how difficult. There

was very little that Flo couldn’t turn

FLORRIE CULVERWELL DIES

her hand to.”

At the same time that Call Sign was pub-

Bonnie continued: “I remember her

lishing an article by Sam Harris (D95J) on

as such a lovely, friendly lady.

his early ODRTS memories in last month’s

Florrie at Pentonville Road

Everybody liked her and I remember

issue - including an early 1955 picture of

that our early secretaries Doug

Florrie Culverwell - everyone at Dial-a-

Chairman Martin Gellman (C47J) with

Naismith and John Robinson relied

Cab was saddened to hear that Flo had

great fondness.

heavily upon her knowledge.”

passed away at the age of 80 in London’s

“In fact,” said Michael, “she often

Bonnie ended by telling us what a

St Pancras Hospital. She had been suffer-

spoke of the fact that the BBC were

wonderful servant Florrie Culverwell

ing with Motor Neurone disease for some

the first major ODRTS account and

had been to ODRTS. She continued to

time.

that in addition to her answering the

work for the Society after the move to

Florrie’s son Michael (G82) has been on

phones, helping out with the occasion-

Shirland Road and right through the

DaC for the past 15 years and told Call

al dispatching and making the tea, it

1960s.

Sign that it wasn’t that long ago that his

was my mother’s job to look after the

The name of Florrie Culverwell is

mother had been recounting the old days

BBC.”

enshrined within the history of

and spoken of people such as former dis-

Call Sign also spoke to ODRTS Founder-

ODRTS and Dial-a-Cab and she will

patcher Johnny Thwaites and ex-

Chairman Bonnie Martyn on his memo-

always be remembered…

Call Sign December 2012

Page 31

“Yes, it’s been a good cab to me, and

indeed my wider family too,” John

Lovegrove (F02) told

Call Sign when we met recently and

Life after London?

referring to his

‘N’ registered Fairway

Driver taxi.

“I’ve had it from new, completing

around 220,000 miles to date. So apart

from the consumables like regular servic-

ing, replacement brakes and tyres, I have

not needed any major work done to it. I’ve

had a new coolant radiator and water

pump and an alternator, but that’s about

all if memory serves me right. Certainly

all the big bits - engine, gearbox and other

major components - are original!”

Then thinking about his statement,

caused by the Mayor’s Clean Air policy,

John added:

“When I said my ‘wider family’ I was

recalling the time when there were three

of us working this cab! My dad used to pot-

ter about on it at weekends, even into his

86th year; my son passed out on it and I

of course worked it when the other two

would let me!

John and the Fairway he has owned from new

“Cabbing is definitely in our family

blood. My grandfather used to drive a

ease up a bit, pursuing my hobbies of golf-

where they love anything English, espe-

Hansom cab all those years ago, so I can

ing and fishing, depending on the weath-

cially the iconic London taxi. So while its

proudly boast that four generations of the

er, which is why I’m selling this cab

work is finished here in the Capital, there

Lovegrove family have been, and continue

because I reckon it still has a good deal of

is still a life after London...!”

to be, involved in the London Hackney

life left in it yet. It can’t be London, so pos-

Alan Green

Carriage trade. So yes, this cab has served

sibly to somewhere in the provinces or

us well, but the time has come for me to

perhaps even abroad. Maybe the USA,

Call Sign Online

So who will

be the first???

Call Sign recently received a letter

from former Dial-a-Cab driver Roy the

boy Manix (ex-K98) who asked about

THE SALIERI RESTAURANT

an Evening Standard article regarding

the minicab App, Kabbee. Roy said

376 Strand, WC2

that he hadn’t previously heard of it.

The article claimed that Kabbee had

We Invite Dial-a-Cab drivers and their guests to our

raised £2million to expand its instant

restaurant where you can partake of the finest food and wine

price comparison site and minicab

booking service, that they claim links

And as a thank-you for helping our clients come

fifty minicab firms to an estimated

and go over the years, we are happy to be able to

150,000 customers.

Kabbee CEO, Justin Peters, said that

offer you a genuine 25% discount on your bill

the extra funding would help achieve

their aim of reaching one million App

We are certain that you will be delighted

downloads in the next 12 months.

What Roy wouldn’t know, because

it wasn’t mentioned in the ES, was

that Kabbee also said that they are

close to adding licensed black taxis to

their system. So as the headline says:

Who will be first? After all, there do

seem to be some drivers in the trade

Please bring along your badge or Bill as ID

who will do anything legal to

increase their earnings. Is this one

Salieri Restaurant

step too far? Let Call Sign know...

376 Strand, WC2

Baghwat Singh

Reservations: 020 7836 1318

Call Sign Online

Call Sign December 2012

Page 32

Mailshot

Either write to Call Sign at

Dial-a-Cab House

or email us at

callsignmag@aol.com

it was quite a while ago but I met some-

Manganese

Built on a

one I thought I recognised when M&O

administration

Foundation?

were based in Wandsworth Bridge

Dear Alan

Hi Alan

Road.

Regarding Manganese Bronze going

Re the story in the November Call Sign

I was in the waiting room waiting for

into administration, I think that was a

about me on the Knowledge with a

a bit of warranty work to be completed

very sad day. Whilst I know and appre-

member of sixties pop group, The

and began talking to another driver sit-

ciate that there are more important life

Foundations; it isn’t surprising that

ting opposite. As we were chatting, I

changing matters, for me it spelt

Ken Hardy (G36) - who was with the

began thinking I knew him from some-

despair.

group - doesn’t remember me because

where, until during the conversation

Tony Arnold (F03)

there must have been two members of

he let it slip that he used to play foot-

Very sad Tony, even more so for

The Foundations who became cab dri-

ball for Fulham. I suddenly realised

those who had to wait so long

vers! How do I know it wasn’t Ken that

that it was Fred Callaghan who used

before an answer to the steering

I did the KoL with? Because the guy I

to play for the Cottagers in the mid-six-

problem was eventually found ...Ed

was with at Cook's Garage over forty

ties. I told him with a smile that I had

years ago was black and he played the

his autograph from some years previ-

trumpet! Ken’s photo seems to show

ously!

that we weren’t the two that did our

“You can have it again if you want,”

House of Commons

KoL together!

he said bursting into smiles! What a

Hi Al

Whilst on the subject of those who

small world.

A driver told me we have the House of

had fame in another life before becom-

Keep up the good work Call Sign...

Commons back. Is that true? I usually

ing taxi drivers, am I imagining it or do

Brian Marcantonio (R73)

work the House but won’t while we're

you have a claim to fame in that you are

Thanks for that Brian. The last I

making miniscabs look good. It's bad

related to a famous shirt maker?

heard, Fred was back at Fulham and

enough sitting next to them on E14 or

Terry Farmer (ex-T55)

involved in the hospitality side of

EC5 and I have heard all the arguments

Retired member Terry Farmer wrote

match days. Anyone else got any

about helping them, but it’s not for me

in the October issue that we must

names from the past who now push

and most of the guys I know.

have on Dial-a-Cab former celebri-

cabs? ...Ed

John Addis (K97)

ties from their previous lives before

Brian Rice replies: Not sure what

going on the Knowledge and men-

you mean about making minicabs

Wrong page for

look good, John. The HoC informed

tioned being on the KoL with a for-

mer member of sixties band The

us we had lost their account to a

Nuala!

Foundations (Build me up butter-

minicab company, however, at the

Alan

cup, Baby now that I’ve found you

moment it appears the minicab

Thanks for the latest edition of Call

etc). Ironically perhaps, The

company cannot service the House

Sign Online magazine, again a most

to the standard they require.

Foundations were one of the first

interesting and readable issue. One

UK multiracial bands and included

Currently the House are still order-

question though; why was the article

members from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

ing cabs directly from us due to the

about Nuala related to Page 17 when it

and the West Indies, so it looks as

bad service they receive from the

should have been, in my opinion, on

though one of those is the man

minicab company. What will hap-

Page 3? I assume you're not a shy cab-

pen in the future I don’t know, but

Terry is looking for which suggests

bie standing next to a most well-

either Pat Burke or Mike Elliott, who

making a minicab company look

endowed employee like Nuala!

both played tenor sax and trumpet.

good? I would have thought it was

It was also a nice article written by

If anyone knows either, Terry would

the reverse, as we make them look

Sandie Goodwin on the recent

like to hear from them.

bad if they can’t supply a service

WCHCD Paris Disneyland trip for dis-

and we can! It is quite demoralising

As for my “claim to fame,” sadly

abled children.

for me that is a rather tenuous link

for everyone here when members

Lloyd Powell

that applies far more to my wife

very often seem to employ a nega-

Palm Beach, Florida

Linda and definitely to my sister-in-

tive attitude towards any situation

And here’s me thinking how shy our

law Daphne, who in real life was the

before they know the facts, always

American cousins were! Ed...

looking for a ‘downside’ before they

wife of Ben Sherman! Daphne has

written a book about her life with

know what the situation consists of.

Jimmy Savile

Ben that if published, will tell a story

At the moment it is very simple. The

Dear Alan

House are not happy with the ser-

that goes far beyond the story of

Regarding your article in the November

button down shirt collars! ...Ed

vice they are receiving from the

Call Sign, which mentioned the times

minicab company, so they are still

when Jimmy Savile turned up at

ordering taxis directly from us.

Taxi driver celebs...

Beaumont Square to assist the London

However, I have no idea how long

Dear Alan

Taxidrivers’

Fund

for

that situation will remain

- let’s

Re the recent article in Call Sign

Underprivileged Children’s annual

hope it is for a long time. Always

regarding celebrities becoming taxi dri-

outing to Southend, I should point out

look on the bright side...

vers after their ‘fame’ years had ended,

- as you indeed inferred in the article -

Call Sign December 2012

Page 33

Mailshot

Continued from page 32

that our outings always have the chil-

Day in aid of the Carers Trust. If any-

The future?

dren accompanied by carers. Therefore

one wants the details that Trish is

Dear Members

there was never any possibility of Savile

sending, please email me at the

I write this letter with concern about

being alone with any of them; but what

usual address ...Ed

the future of our company, Dial-a-Cab.

a sad indictment of a man that so many

I feel that we are not at a crossroads,

once looked up to.

but have turned into a cul-de-sac and

Bill Tyzack (C06)

Strictly scruffy!

are about to hit the brick wall at the

True words, Bill. I used to occasion-

Hi Alan

end. Our membership, and therefore

ally think that the Fund’s outings

Whilst watching Strictly Come

our fleet, is shrinking fast and our

could have had more children and

Dancing every night, I noticed that not

account work even faster! I find myself

fewer carers, but now we know that

one contestant arrives by licensed taxi.

doing less and less account work. Our

the LTFUC were right to always err

It seems that the days are gone when

current Board needs shaking up with

on the side of caution ...Ed

taxis ruled the roost and we now seem

some new members and some new

to be nothing but subbing contractors

ideas. I believe that since

2008 our

to the private hire league! It’s all about

membership has shrunk by around 700

Caring

image - or perceived image -and Allen

to around 1500. With subs at £1872 a

Hi Alan

Togwell is right in that too many dri-

year and multiplied by 700, that’s a rev-

I hope you and all the lovely London

vers dress up like real scruffs. How

enue loss of around £1.3million a year!

cabbies at Dial-a-Cab are well and that

right he has always been. Surely Dial-a-

So subs will increase soon after our

business is booming.

Cab could introduce a dress code?

AGM. Will this mean more drivers leav-

Wow, I can’t thank you enough for

Although I disagreed with the dictator-

ing? I read in the October Call Sign

the two fabulous articles you have in

ial attitude regarding adverts, there

that another major account has been

the November Call Sign; to say I appre-

must be some common ground to pre-

lost to a minicab company; part of this

ciate it is a huge understatement. My

sent our trade with a viable image. This

account may return, but the question is

goodness, you really have raised aware-

could be brought up at the AGM meet-

for how long? How many account cus-

ness for carers and for that I want to

ings with drivers. I’m saying this with

tomers are using others and not us?

say the biggest thank you. Gosh, we

outside knowledge, having rescinded

Just look around next time you are

couldn’t buy publicity on this scale! I

my licence due to ill health, but surely

working and as you pass down the

do hope that if any of the drivers,

it must be worth pursuing?

road, say to yourself that we used to

office-based staff and/or their families

I try to keep up with the trends in the

pick up there! How many of you have

have caring responsibilities, then the

cab trade and I hope I’m not being too

been asked if you are on Hailo or been

articles are of some help to them. I will

controversial with this.

told by some media type that DaC are

send Call Sign details of where sup-

Roy ‘the boy’ Manix (Ex-K98)

too expensive and that it isn’t the

port, advice, information and practical

Hi Roy, nice to hear from you and I

meter but the extras added on the bill.

help is available in London should any-

hope your health is improving. As

Many would say the biggest threat to

one need the information.

for a dress code, I’m not sure how

our company comes from minicabs

I’ve read Call Sign from cover to

many letters I have published over

while others might say it’s from the

cover and I’m just gobsmacked and

the years about it, but here we are

new app companies, but I think the

inspired at the amount of support,

still as we have always been! ...Ed

biggest threat is from ourselves and

commitment and enthusiasm that you

our lack of change - not only in the way

provide to so many people and causes.

we charge for our service, but in the

I think it typifies the ethos of Dial-a-Cab

way we offer and present our service

and its big-hearted cabbies that are

Paula Mattis

and ourselves. Change is needed now.

always such a pleasure to be involved

We say farewell to a great colleague,

To carry on and wait for this recession

with. DaC have been outstanding in

Paula Mattis

(nee Charles), who

to end is not the answer because our

supporting Carers Trust and it has

recently passed away. She began work-

work will not suddenly come rushing

been an absolute joy to welcome your

ing for Dial-a-Cab as a telephonist

back. You may ask why I think we need

team to the Butlins annual golf day. No

when they were at Shirland Road, then

some change on the Board. It’s

amount of thanks can convey my

went on to become a back channel

because I think the Board are afraid of

appreciation for this support, which is

operator. I first met her at the-then

any change because they fear for their

reflected in the lives you have helped

new Brunswick House in 1985. Some

positions and jobs. This is evident

to change.

years later she left the control room

because we have two Board members

Please pass on my sincere thanks to

and took on a new role as the evening

who speak about a dress code, yet nei-

everyone at Dial-a-Cab….we all think

receptionist before retiring a few years

ther will introduce one because they

you ROCK!

later. Paula was a lovely person to work

fear it may cost them votes at the next

Trish

Brown, Carers Trust

with and she will be dearly missed by

election. Remember when the Board

Fundraising Manager

all those who knew her.

successfully got members to accept

West Regent Street, Glasgow

Curlette Villiers

postal voting and the right not to have

Thanks to Call Sign’s golf team of

DaC Senior Night Shift Controller

outdoor advertising. They also intro-

Keith Cain, Terry Felvus, Simon

Thanks Curls and you’re right, Paula

duced changes to Code 3 and how

Wallis and Ray Scott who represent-

was a lovely lady and there is a piece

many trips can be rejected. All con-

ed DaC so well at the Butlins Golf

about her inside this issue...Ed

Call Sign December 2012

Page 34

Mailshot

Continued from page 33

tentious issues, so why haven’t they

remember when polo shirts with

trips will also be offered from back

introduced a simple dress code? They

the DaC logo came out and were

up zones. It allows drivers to (cor-

never asked us to vote when we

available for everyone. Some wore

rectly) book into zones and STC into

changed from 12 payments a year to 26

them, some didn’t whilst some

those zones, something they cannot

payments a year for our subs.

made clear to Call Sign that they

do at the moment. They can also bid

So why do I think we need change? I

would never wear a uniform. You

for trips from secondary zones, any

think DaC is an old fashioned luxury

can’t force taxi drivers to do any-

cash trips and FP trips can be reject-

and at times expensive. Our service is

thing and perhaps had you success-

ed at no penalty.

not as good as we think. With 700

fully stood for election to the BoM,

So far the only calls I have had are

members less how can it be? When it’s

you’d have found that out for your-

positive ones, but it will be closely

busy, trips still rattle around EC2 wait-

self. In any case, it would be point-

monitored and if it doesn’t work

ing to be matched with a cab. Some

less proposing anything that was

fairly then it can soon be changed

members have suggested GPS, I have

obviously going to lose! But Jon, you

back or modified. I believe that as a

suggested in Call Sign more use of

are obviously genuinely interested

Board you have to listen to drivers

ranks in zones, trips would go straight

in DaC, so you should take up Keith

requests and in this case we all

to the nearest cab. It was dismissed.

Cain’s ongoing offer of a tour of DaC

agreed that this change was not

Mike Son wrote about fixed prices

House to see what changes have

unreasonable and if correctly moni-

some time back and how this might

been implemented over the past few

tored, was worthy of a trial period.

help drivers home. Does that mean

years ...Ed

he’s fed up going home empty? I know

Hailo, Hailo, Hailo!

I am. I suggested trips to outer London

post codes ie E50S be offered without

EC5 changes

Hi Alan

run ins, gratuities, booking fees and

With regard to the changes proposed

For those who think we ex-pats should

handling fees

(thus saving VAT).

on EC5 to split it up into the individual

not receive the Winter Fuel Allowance I

Dismissed! DaC needs money from the

zones, perhaps it’s me but I can’t see

can assure them that it does get cold

booking fees, so the driver could pay

what advantage this will give. Perhaps

here at night in Spain. I am not sitting in

an extra £1 or £2 taken from the meter

someone can explain please? As a regu-

the sun drinking wine and reading

fare at the end of the journey and that

lar user of EC5, the inherent principle

British newspapers but catching up on

meant you got paid the metered fare.

as I have always understood it was that

Call Sign online by my log fire. I’ve

Dismissed! I’m not saying we should

first job goes to the first cab. Now we

caught up on the back issues of the mag-

have a fire sale, just some small

have a possible scenario where a cab

azine and am extremely pleased to know

changes. I don’t want a wholesale

may book into say EC1 at 2130 and

that DaC is about to launch its own

change of our Board, just someone

wait for 15 minutes for a job, while

iPhone and Android App and sincerely

who can bring fresh ideas and some

another cab can book into say EC2 at

wish it every success. There was a time

more work for the metered fare would

2130 and get off straightaway. This also

that we were able to boast that we were

be nice. Otherwise, how are we ever

could mean that if jobs are not covered

the market leaders in technology, being

going to attract new members?

in a particular zone, the client may wait

the first circuit to introduce a full data

Another idea; how about when you

longer than necessary because we

despatch system into London. It appears

set Code 3 on your terminal; if there is

don't have a first come-first served sys-

to me that we are now playing catch up

a job in the zone you’re in going to

tem.

- not only with taxi Apps, but also with

your home zone booked within the

EC5 has been tinkered with over the

PH Apps. These Apps are obviously suc-

next 45minutes, that you are offered

years a number of times, but has always

cessful, otherwise we wouldn’t be fol-

the trip? I think it might be better than

reverted to what we have now, with any

lowing suit and being forced to com-

sitting around waiting until you get

overload then being diverted into sep-

pete.

booked off! With the lack of work this

arate zones (not likely these days how-

I have read a few of your articles

probably won’t work, but with account

ever). Also, I’m not sure it’s a good

where you are particularly critical of the

holders paying just the metered fare,

idea to tinker with it as we approach

way Hailo operates - you feel it is not

who knows.

what should be our busiest period.

good value for the driver. You consider

Reading an issue of Call Sign, I see

Alan Sullivan (F20)

that the 10% per job charge is too high

we are about to launch a credit card

Allan Evans responds: Hi Alan, apart

and that drivers would not be prepared

app, some change at last but more is

from explaining the procedures

to run to a pick up point and wait 5 min-

needed. In the meantime, I hope we

again, I am not sure what else to say.

utes before engaging the meter. I do not

get some new candidates standing for

It was changed after quite a number

wish to use Call Sign to advocate that

election.

of drivers requested that the BoM

drivers use or try the App, but I believe

Jon Robinson (E88)

consider splitting the City zones at

Hailo has attracted many drivers and its

You are entitled to your view Jon,

night. It is for a trial period in the

ranks are swelling on a daily basis.

but suggesting metered fares with

hope that drivers will not have to

Consider these incentives: It costs noth-

nothing going to DaC sounds like a

run from one side of the City to the

ing to join; no equipment to buy; you

sure way to kill this Society! And

other as they do at the moment

can trial the system and if you are not

let’s face it, the only reason apps are

(roadwork’s and traffic diversions

happy you can uninstall the App at any

getting work is because some dri-

etc), which should speed up arrival

time without cost; no money retained

vers are working cheaply. Because

times. All trips in the primary zones

for a roller bond.

of the election, I haven’t asked for a

will be offered NREJ As Directed in

Yes, 10% per job is charged but - this

response from the BoM, but I

the normal way and unmatched

charge applies only when the driver

Call Sign December 2012

Page 35

Mailshot

Continued from page 34

accepts a job. If the driver decides not to use the system - then

every ride that is dispatched on DaC has a maximum

there is no charge. If the driver is sick, in overhaul, off the road

£4.20 run-in. Of course that isn’t compulsory, so let’s call

following an accident, on holiday or has a weekend off - he

it an average of £3.60 when the driver arrives. You wait

pays absolutely nothing. He pays as he goes, on a job to job

five minutes and the DaC driver has £6 on the meter

basis. The driver does not pay a monthly subscription. On any

whereas the Hailo driver has £2.40. So in my book, that

radio circuit a member pays for the equipment irrespective of

makes 10% less of the fare on top of a discount of £3.60

use.

on most of the trips you take from the App - and let’s not

Having spent many years in the City doing virtually nothing

forget that most trips are run-of-the-mill and you would

but account work I (and many like myself) am quite accus-

have a job getting a tenner out of it. If you work on the

tomed to waiting long periods for a job offer with the meter off.

assumption that it’s better than nothing, then that’s fine,

We are also accustomed to arriving outside an account cus-

but I refuse to work that cheaply. Perhaps if I was as

tomer’s address and due to the circuit’s “lead time” on the job,

young as you Steve and we needed money to pay for the

unable to start the meter because it is not booked for another

cab HP and mortgage etc, then yes, perhaps it would be

10 minutes. In fact, over the years the amount of time that I

different. But the only people laughing are the three

have spent waiting for a job offer must equate into many days.

Americans behind it because they have got taxi drivers

This was my choice. Is it possible that DaC are charging more

working at discount rates while they will shortly make a

than 10% for work if not a similar figure?

killing.

Subscriptions are now £144 per month. If a driver did in

As I said on page 3 of this issue, Hailo have now opened

excess of £1440 per month of cash and account work then and

in Chicago, but the passengers over there pay a premium

only then would they offset a 10% charge. How many drivers

for the service. Over here, the driver is paying the pas-

achieve these sorts of figures? I am not saying this target cannot

senger to use his or her cab! But as you correctly say, it

be achieved by leather arses, but what would you say DaC

costs nothing to join so it could be useful when quiet. But

charges in percentage terms, on a subscription x monies taken

can you wonder why their coverage is poor during busy

ratio?

times - especially at weekends. And just for the record, I

Finally, why would the public want to use an App that charges

love the roller bond because the majority of it comes from

10% extra on a credit card ride over an App that charges no

gratuities, so you don’t really miss it and then you sud-

extra and is subsidised by the driver who often gets a tip to off-

denly find you have £1000. Always nice to hear from you

set this subsidy?

Steve and your dulcet tones are missed at AGMs ...Ed

Personally, I am delighted that this technology is putting

money into taxi drivers’ pockets and hopefully, will not be too

detrimental to our Society. We must accept change. As technol-

ogy advances, our potential to increase our service to the pub-

lic goes with it and we have to keep pace and compete with

those who seek to get a share of the market. We should not let

the technology overtake us but use it to our own advantage and

be market leaders again. It is better that any additional work the

Apps generate goes into a licensed taxi rather than into a LPH

vehicle. An App can be part of an exciting future for DaC and its

drivers in an ever-changing world. If drivers do not like the

Hailo system for being less lucrative, they will not stay with it

for too long if the circumstances you describe are a disincentive

to join it.

Steve Shaller (F34J)

Thanks for your always interesting input Steve. And read-

ing Call Sign instead of sitting by your Spanish pool drink-

ing Cuba Libre - I feel flattered! However, I have to say

that I’ve heard it all before - that’s about Hailo and not the

drink! There are quite a number of DaC drivers on Hailo

and I have never criticised anyone who feels they need to

be earning more in these tough economic times - it’s

probably even worse in Spain. But your comparisons

don’t work in the same way as mine. You do what many

do and assume that all DaC jobs are pre-booked and that

the driver is 50metres away at the time. But you know as

well as I that isn’t the case and that most jobs aren’t pre-

booked anyway. But forget that Steve; your case seems to

be that it’s the 10% charge against DaC’s subscription and

that the two are comparable. Or that because the Hailo

driver pays the credit card charges, then that shows up

the fact that on DaC the customer will pay - something I

have no doubt they will be happy to do if they believe the

service is reliable. That part is out of my hands, but the

abolition of the £2 booking fee will undoubtedly help.

So why do I think your figures are misleading? Well