Call Sign January 2014

Page 2

NASH’S NUMBERS

From Alan Nash (A95)

I would like to wish you all a prosperous New Year. The ‘slave driver’ you all know better as Alan Fisher, wanted

the January copy by mid-November due to printers Xmas closure. That’s just a few days after preparing the

December issue, so this is a bit of a rushed mish-mash. I cannot even do the new Eurostar timetable that starts

15/12/13 because at the time of writing, it was still not available. But see below how you can still get it...

London City Airport

All of you would have dropped off at City Airport, but most have yet to rank up there with the new arrangements. A new feeder

park was put into operation in early October, so if you do venture to ‘put on’ in the new year, you need to go past the car park, the

rows of hire cars and right to the end where you find the dreaded new ‘Feeder Park’ and follow the route as shown in the diagram

below. Don’t do a U-turn at the mini-roundabout thinking you were in luck!

Hotels

Just a quick update on hotels that may have you scratching your head with confusion...

MY hotel Chelsea, 35 Ixworth Place, SW3 3QX

MY hotel Bloomsbury, 11-13 Bayley Street, WC1B 3HD

ME hotel, 336 Strand WC2R 1HA (junction of Aldwych and Strand west side)

H10 hotel, 284-302 Waterloo Road, SE1 8RQ (Westminster Road end)

H hotel The Hemple, 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, W2 3EA

W hotel, 10 Wardour St W1D 6QF (just north of Leicester Square)

Ace hotel, 100 Shoreditch High Street (was the Crowne Plaza)

Edition hotel, 10 Berners Street W1T 3NP (formerly Berners Hotel and thanks to Ray Sorene A53 for this tip)

Road changes

No left turn from Marylebone Road into Marylebone High Street. Cabs are still turning left and I guess by now PCNs are being

issued.

Yes, you can turn left from Wells Street into Oxford Street. The old no left turn sign has been removed. Must be a first for TfL -

their first positive action as opposed to all other traffic “improvements” being misnomers!

Heathrow

From 27/10/13: BA flights...

BA to Bangkok

moved from terminal 3 to

Terminal 5

BA to Bucharest

moved from terminal 1 to

Terminal 5

Eurostar

By the time you read this, the new Eurostar arrivals timetable should be online. You will find a new slicker, quicker, easier on

the eyes MyFav page at www.myfav.co.uk where you can just click the ‘taxi’ link and you will find all the taxi related tiles. Click

on the yellow Eurostar Arrivals tile/icon for a printable .pdf list of arrivals...

Call Sign January 2014

Page 3

from the editor’s desk

Welcome to my least favourite issue of the

them as anything other than the awful ‘have a

nice day’ or the more English expression of ‘see

year! The reason - and I feel certain some of

you later.’

my contributors from the Chairman down-

But this business we find ourselves in does

wards will moan about it - is because the

need luck. How often - especially during the quiet

printers Christmas closure chops a week off

times - have you been in a slowly moving queue

my usual schedule! It means I’m now wish-

of empty cabs, when someone rushes out of a

doorway and hails you. To almost rub salt into the

ing you all a very Happy New Year in mid-

wound of those in front and behind your taxi, in a

December, but which you will hopefully

voice that sounds as though they have just run

read on or around December 28th. It’ll be

from Birmingham the passenger exclaims how

interesting if it works! But, anyway, press

lucky they are to have caught a cab so quickly!

on we must...

Perhaps it was the ‘be lucky’ effect.

But it doesn’t work for everyone. Inside this

issue you can read a story written by ex-DaC dri-

London taxi watch

ver David Hook (S80). He locked his cab up in

As we enter 2014 and Dial-a-Cab begins its 51st year,

half yearly is welcome, but I can’t help wondering

July for two weeks of sheer rest - the first of them

it finally seems as though the downturn that began

how many extra motorists will just take a chance

around 2007 and put the UK into recession in

cruising the Med with a second week in sunny

and not bother taxing their vehicle. After all, will

January 2009, is coming to an end. Of course, the

Turkey. Then it would be back to work feeling

the police check every single car they pass because

upturn we felt in November and early December was

totally refreshed. Only it didn’t work out like that,

none will be showing a disc? The answer, of

partly powered by the Christmas holidays - but from

because on his second day back behind the

course, is no and before long there will have to be

memory, Xmas came on the same day last year, the

wheel, Dave suffered a TIA

- a Transient

an amended alternative because this just won’t

year before and the year before that. But work was-

Ischaemic Stroke. In

‘you never know what’s

work without costing HMG a fortune.

n’t that busy in those years!

around the corner,’ Dave has bravely told his story

Then if you have a set and it turns out that the

Will it now continue? Well hopefully - although

to Call Sign...

other vehicle didn’t have any road tax, would they

of course we’ll have those few weeks in January

actually have any insurance? You wouldn’t know

where the world appears to have died - but I

And finally...

until the claim went through.

think we are on the verge of our busiest winter

I have been editing Call Sign for quite some time

It doesn’t make any sense to me. But what would

for years.

now - in fact I am well into my seventeenth year

I know compared to a clever chap like Mr Osborne?

But perhaps even more importantly, we appear

in this particular hot seat. I hope you feel that the

to have become friends with the police again! At

magazine always tries to be interesting, never just

Extra 5 years for 15-year old taxis

a press conference held outside City Hall - no, I

filling its pages with press releases and adverts.

Call Sign’s exclusive story last month about taxis

don’t know why it was held outside - representa-

You may not find every item interesting, but

coming to the end of their 15 year lives seems to

tives from the police and Crimestoppers asked

hopefully most of you will enjoy the majority of

have created a substantial amount of interest.

taxi drivers to keep their eyes and ears open and

each issue - much of that will be due to my regu-

What it means is that if your taxi is about to reach

to report any goings-on that we suspect may be a

lar contributors from Alan Nash and the long-

its 15th birthday and about to become an ex-taxi,

bit dodgy. No one had the nerve to ask how long

running Nash’s Numbers to my photographer

then you can now have an LPG engine fitted that

it would take for a member of the constabulary to

and daytime runner abouter (!!!) Alan Green.

will give your cab an extra five years.

come out to check on any calls made by our good

There are a number in the middle who month

Details have been repeated inside this issue and

selves!

after month provide copy that they hope you will

although the engine has been passed for use by

I had always assumed that any cab driver worth

find interesting. Call Sign’s poet David Kupler is

LTPH, the more drivers applying could mean a

his salt would report suspicious events such as a

another who has been with me almost from day

longer wait than you would like. Call Sign was told

possible burglary or robbery by calling

one. My online man, Vince Chin also deals with

that so long as the application was made before the

Crimestoppers anyway, but apparently not, as the

the mag’s website, which attracts around 10,000

taxi’s fifteenth ‘plate’ ended, then the application

press conference/initiative was to ask drivers to

should be ok. But you should be aware that cabs

readers each issue and is the most interesting in

support the charity (Crimestoppers Trust is a

cannot be brought out of retirement in order to

the trade with back issues that go right back to

partnership between police, media and the com-

claim the extension. And they do need to be in a

the sixties!

munity that was set up to fight crime).

sound condition - not rusting away!

But there has never been a time when I just use

No one else will say it, so I will. We all accept

It was former Dial-a-Cab driver, Stanley Roth

Call Sign for my own purposes. I’ve had the occa-

that the police have a job to do and that no one

(ex-Y53) and a company called Gastech that

sional photo of Linda and myself at some trade

should be offered favours in return for assisting

developed the conversion. Both TX1 and TX2

function or other. However, I did use it earlier in

them. However, I can give you dozens of instances

taxis can have engines that are rebuilt to a Euro

2013 when my son Reed died in January - not just

where drivers of DaC taxis have told me of petty

5+ standard and which will take the cabs up to a

because he was my son, but because he had also

pulls ranging from “tyre checks” to seeing if “the

new quiet world, in addition to reaching that

worked as a DaC Sunday dispatcher for 23 years.

drivers badge was facing the correct way.”

required European standard. Also the notorious

So I hope you will excuse me just for this

Helping the police make London a safer place

TX2 timing chain is replaced with a real Ford tim-

month, because as I approach the first anniver-

is in all our interests and we should not expect

ing chain that won’t snap like the original ones

sary of Reed’s passing, I have used part of a page

anything in return for doing our part. But neither

often did.

to show my grandson and Reed’s eldest child,

should unnecessary hassling of London taxi dri-

The final passing came at the Millbrook

Samuel, as he tries to put the past behind him as

vers be a part of the deal.

Emissions Testing Centre. The engine is capa-

much as he can, and shows the world which

Crimestoppers is at 0800 555 111...

ble of operating on

100% LPG but can be

mighty football team he supports - and it isn’t

switched to petrol if needed or if looking for an

dad’s West Ham! And congratulations to my

No more tax discs

LPG garage.

granddaughter Imogen on winning a bronze

So after

93 years of being affixed to British

Drivers with newer cabs, but who fancy driving

medal at the recent London Gymnastic

motorists' cars, lorries and taxis, the tax disc is to

a much quieter taxi, can also have the conversion

Championships. Daddy would have been proud.

be scrapped and replaced with a modern elec-

if they are interested. Details inside this issue and

tronic system, Chancellor George Osborne

from gastaxi@ gmail.com.

Condolences

announced in his recent Autumn Statement. That

My sincere condolences to Chairman’s wife

means that as from October 2014, motorists will

Be lucky!

Brenda Rice on the sad loss in November of her

be able to pay for their vehicle excise duty via a

The expression ‘be lucky’ has been the tradition-

sister Rosemary. Their family is a very close one

monthly direct debit (+ extra 5%) in addition to

al parting line from one cab driver to another for

and it must have been an awful shock...

the 6 month or yearly disc - except that you won’t

as long as I can remember - and I’ve been around

actually see what you are paying for.

this game for almost 42 years now. I don’t sup-

Alan Fisher

The reduction from 10% to 5% for those that pay

pose many that use the two words will mean

callsignmag@aol.com

Call Sign January 2014

Page 4

reflections of the chairman

makes our £30 per week plus VAT, totalling

Back again!

£36, look a little paltry!

It feels that I have just finished writing my last

I estimate that if we went along similar lines,

report for Call Sign and almost immediately I

we would generate an extra income of approxi-

am writing another! I’m reliably informed this is

mately £450k per annum, which would go

due to the closure of the printers during the

straight onto our bottom line. However, the

Christmas holidays, so big Ed has been chasing

above scenario would undoubtedly penalise the

me for an article - no doubt so that he can put

good radio man, although you could answer that

his feet up for a prolonged period over

by saying he should pay more as he is taking

Christmas! (Ed’s note: I can’t believe you said

more from the system!

that, Sir. For your information I shall be work-

Anyway, it’s something for us all to ponder

ing very hard over the hols. Those bottles of red

during the New Year as it seems fairly obvious

don’t open themselves...!)

that all three circuits have lost drivers over the

past six years and something needs to be done

Subscriptions

to encourage them back, otherwise more of our

Yes, I thought that heading might attract your

I must say that I am not at all surprised at that

account work will be surrendered to Private

attention! The taxi trade has been turned upside

situation as LTPH appear totally disorganised

Hire as we all struggle to cover account work

down over the past two years with the introduc-

and toothless. Maybe it’s about time we took

due to the size of the fleet and as a result,

tion of the taxi Apps and there will be even

meters out of taxis and just negotiated the fare

accounts will be closed and depart over to the

more entering the market place, especially as the

with the prospective customer before they take

Private Hire side.

Apps offer a good, extremely cheap service to

the journey, or perhaps have a £10 clock drop

Unfortunately, our trade has gone into some-

members of the public. However, that is at the

during the day and £15 at night? LTPH seem to

thing of a downward spiral, some of it undoubt-

expense of the driver!

have forgotten that meters are in taxis for the

edly caused by price-cutting and we need pull

The Driver supplies the equipment and pays

public’s protection, but it would not surprise me

out of this nosedive. But it can’t be done with-

for the air time, he runs to the pick-up for noth-

if they were not even aware of that situation as

out your participation.

ing, waits up to five minutes for nothing; there

they appear to be oblivious to most other things

Every trip and every customer is precious and

isn’t a mandatory gratuity and he then pays 10%

regarding our trade.

you will need to put yourselves out in the short

of the fare and any gratuity (if added) to the

As I have stated, I believe drivers use the

term in order to maintain our customer base.

App supplier.

Apps as a ‘fill in’ when quiet and secondly,

The competition is bigger and fiercer than ever

Whichever way you look at it, it is a fantastic

they seem to like Pay As You Go (PAYG). I am

and very often much cheaper. It is a pity that

service for the public - but a very poor return

led to believe that one of our competitors in

some of you are aiding and abetting others that

for the driver, so why would a driver subsidise

the Radio Taxi industry will be operating a

would seek the demise of the three radio cir-

the App? I believe there are just two reasons

PAYG system early in the New Year. I’m told

cuits.

most drivers cover App work, however, the sup-

that subscriptions will be £5 per week and

Finally, I would like to wish you and yours a

plier of the App would like you to believe there

then a cut of 10% of all the work they do. It

healthy and prosperous 2014...

is a third in that every trip you do via the App is

will be capped at £55 per week plus VAT,

Brian Rice

taking a trip from a minicab - which of course is

which makes a total of £66 per week.

Chairman

nonsense.

Although that is the maximum figure, it

Dial-a-Cab

Much of the work is re-cycled street work

that would have been ours anyway, except

we now pay 10% of the fare to the owners

for supplying very little!

THE SALIERI RESTAURANT

Those two main reasons drivers cover the App

work is because they are a ‘fill in’ during quiet

376 Strand, WC2

periods and drivers are prepared to work more

cheaply rather than sit empty. But during busier

periods or heavy traffic conditions or indeed

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

inclement weather, the coverage of the App work

restaurant where you can partake of the finest food and wine

suffers as drivers are not prepared to work for a

cut-price when their services are in demand.

And as a thank-you for helping our clients come

During the run-up to Christmas when work

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

got a little busier, coverage of the App work

diminished; consequently, investors in the App

offer you a genuine 25% discount on your bill

were becoming concerned because they could

see their 10 percent dwindling as coverage

We are certain that you will be delighted

began to deteriorate. So in order to overcome

this scenario, they introduced a minimum of £10

during the day and £15 at night in order to get

the 10% going back into their coffers again, with

total disregard for any legislation.

I still believe it is illegal to charge more than

the metered fare and it will be the driver who

will be prosecuted. However, after saying that I

have absolutely no confidence in LTPH to stand

Please bring along your badge or Bill as ID

their ground and invoke the legislation. Can you

imagine the old PCO allowing the current situa-

Salieri Restaurant

tion? Not a chance. They would have squashed it

376 Strand, WC2

immediately, even if the charge was only sus-

pended whilst a binding decision was reached,

Reservations: 020 7836 1318

but what have the current incumbents at the

LTPH done? Absolutely nothing!

Call Sign January 2014

Page 5

November saw the annual

Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers

WCHCD Liverymen’s dinner at

the Cutlers’ Hall in Warwick Lane

with Deputy Mayor of London,

WCHCD 2013

Lady Victoria Borwick, as guest

speaker. Before the dinner, the

LIVERYMEN’S DINNER

Master, Graham Woodhouse,

clothed seven Freemen of the

Victoria Borwick

Company in the Livery.

with Company

These were Gavin Davis OBE, William Ives,

Master Graham

Carlos Oliveira, Silvi Oliveira, Chas Reilly,

Woodhouse

Dean Thomas and Gary Wilcox. The Master

then welcomed five new Freemen to the

that there are many

Company, namely Vasil Bagashki, John

others within our

Coughlan, Lee Hilligenn, Martin Lyons-

trade who are equal-

Applebee and Marios Stavrou. It was then the

ly deserving. The

turn of 14 students who have recently com-

Company of Hackney

pleted the Company’s Cab Guide Course to

Carriage

Drivers

receive their certificates.

does wonderful work

Following dinner and the Master’s speech,

for charity, in partic-

Graham introduced Victoria Borwick.

ular its organisation

Displaying a wealth of knowledge about the

involved in the cab industry for many years,

of the annual Magical

cab trade as her father and her husband, for-

both as a driver and LTDA General Secretary.

Taxi Tour to Disneyland Paris. I’m confi-

mer LTI Chairman Jamie Borwick, have both

He passed the torch over to Steve McNamara

dent the enthusiasm of the Company’s

been involved in the business, Victoria gave

last year but is still Steve’s Assistant.

members will drive its charity achieve-

an informative speech and in particular recog-

Bob has been actively involved in many

ments to even greater heights.”

nised the good work that the annual WCHCD

issues affecting the taxi industry and was

One further presentation remained; that

Magical Taxi Tour carries out and the joy it

instrumental in the creation of the Taxi Cost

was the Hitch Award for Bravery and that

brings to the children who go on the trip.

Index, the formula used to decide fare

went to Dial-a-Cab’s John Ward (R88). See

Lifetime Achievement Award

increases. He has worked in the interests of

page 12.

This was the first WCHCD Lifetime

his members throughout his time at the LTDA.

After the presentations, Liverymen and

Achievement Award and the inaugural presen-

Bob said: “I was delighted, and extremely

their guests joined the Master in the tradi-

tation went to Bob Oddy. Bob has been

surprised to receive the award. I’m sure

tional Stirrup Cup.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 6

Jery’s World

“A good night ‘Arry? I don’t fink so mate. That geezer sitting by the tree ‘as been my best job so far and ees left

‘is mark all over the back!”

Electric Cabs? About 120 years late!

With both Geely

the weight of a two tonne vehicle - simi-

and Mercedes

lar to today’s TX4 - and it became too

announcing that the

costly for the firm to generate its own

future will be in the

electricity. In addition, drivers of horse-

hands of electric

drawn cabs became concerned for their

taxis within five

livelihoods. The company’s first year saw a

years, it’s interest-

loss of over £6000 and within two years

ing to note that

Bersey had become an ex-cab!

the first of that

The photo is with the kind permis-

genre appeared as

sion of the Science Museum. It shows

long ago as

the first Bersey and was taken in

December 1897.

Hyde Park in December 1897...

They were

invented by

Walter Bersey,

TAXI AIR

with his fleet of

75 soon-to-be name

Bersey cabs being powered by grid-plate batteries

CONDITIONING

that could only be recharged at Bersey's Lambeth garage where a hydraulic lifting system

All makes and models

allowed for quick battery exchange. The taxi had a range of about 35 miles which was

more than the average horse-powered cab could reasonably cover. It also had a top speed

serviced and repaired

of 14mph - which some would say it isn’t much different today with all the extra traffic!

Mobile service - we

But Mr Bersey was to make a statement that will finally come true. He said in 1897:

come to you!

“Whilst petroleum may become the motive power in country districts and

steam will probably be used for very heavy vehicles, there is no doubt that elec-

Call Mick Wheeler on

tricity will be the most advantageous where the traffic can be located within a

radius.”

020 8715 0079

120 years on and Walter’s vision will come true!

The low noise sent out by the Bersey electric engine saw the cabs named as

Covering London

Hummingbirds, but sadly, the Bersey wasn’t to last. The tyres were far too fragile to take

and the Home Counties

Call Sign January 2014

Page 7

David Hook (S80) had been a member of

Forced retirement through a TIA makes DaC driver Dave Hook

Dial-a-Cab since August 1983 and now in his

tell Call Sign...

mid-sixties was enjoying the fruits of those long

years of labour. But in just a brief few minutes

near London Wall during his regular shift, his

You never know what’s

world came crashing down. Dave told Call Sign

his story...

“Who would have thought whilst flying

around the corner!

home on 1st July looking tanned and feel-

ing rested after a week’s cruising followed

I realise that public safety is paramount

by another week in a beautiful Turkish

in such circumstances and now, almost six

hotel, that just two days later - on 3rd July

months on, accept these are the rules and

to be precise - whilst back working in my

that they are made for the right reasons.

cab, I would suffer a TIA

(Transient

But initially, as I had no real after-effects,

Ischaemic Stroke).

that decision was difficult to accept.

I had started work as normal on that day. At

I had joined Dial-a-Cab in August 1983 and

around 10.15pm I pulled into St Alphage

never felt the need to move to another circuit,

Gardens in the City for a short rest whilst wait-

hence completing 30 years continuous service

ing for a job in EC5. Suddenly I felt light head-

classed as a TIA - which is a minor stroke. I

and was looking forward to paying half subs.

ed and within a few minutes all feeling had left

spent three nights in the Royal London

Although I will be 68 in December, I had every

my right side. I realised very quickly that I was

receiving excellent treatment and travelled

intention of continuing, albeit on a part time

having a stroke, but amazingly kept quite calm.

home with a bag of cholesterol reducing

basis. But unfortunately, the decision was

As most of you will know, St Alphage

statins and blood thinning medication.

taken out of my hands.

Gardens is pretty much deserted at night so I

What followed within the next weeks was,

I decided to sell my taxi and it remains to be

found myself struggling with my mobile to call

for me, a shock almost as shattering as the TIA

seen whether I will apply for the reinstatement

999. As thankfully my speech had been unaf-

itself. I was told at the hospital that I wouldn't

of my licence; at this moment in time I feel fit

fected, I was lucky enough to see a security

be able to drive for a month, which I took to

and well, my memory remains A1 and I have

guard appear from one of the building sites. I

include my cab. As I had never spoken to any-

taken up golf. However, not being a cabbie has

called him over and explained my predica-

one who’d had a TIA or never had any reason

left a big gap in my life.

ment; he kindly made the 999 call and subse-

to even think about it, I was totally shocked to

We all complain about our jobs, some

quently contacted my wife, letting her know to

be told when informing TfL - as is a require-

more than others, but we shouldn't take

which hospital I was being taken.

ment - that I would have to hand in my licence

things for granted as we never know what's

Within half an hour, I had been admitted

and badge for a minimum of one year regard-

around the corner. But one thing I can say

to the Royal London Trauma Unit, by

less of the individual severity of the TIA. After

in all honesty is that I was proud to be a

which time thankfully all feeling had

the year, I could if I wished, request reinstate-

London cabbie...”

returned to my right side. As I now know,

ment. That would then only be granted fol-

Dave Hook (S80)

if feeling returns within 24 hours, it is

lowing a successful medical assessment.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 8

The Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum

recently celebrated the 2013 Taxi Driver of

the Year Charity’s dinner and dance, with all

Taxi Driver of the

funds collected being equally shared by the

trade’s charities.

They are the London Taxidrivers Fund

for Underprivileged Children, the East

year dinner 2013

London Cabbies Outing, the London Taxi

Benevolent Association for War Disabled,

the Albany and the Southend Taxi Drivers

4th Prize:

Charity Fund for Children.

Vivienne Westwood Purse - Malcolm

An excellent dinner followed by dancing to a

Cashman 03886

live band ensured that this would be another

5th Prize:

great evening. Dial-a-Cab’s Russell Poluck

Weekend at the Tara Hotel - Paul Warwick

MBE (T55), Honorary Chairman of the TDOY

03238

Charity Fund and his wife Barbara work really

6th Prize:

hard every year to organise this event and make

Overnight Stay at the Connaught Hotel - Tony

sure that everyone enjoys themselves - even

Rayan 03732

though the actual trade show seems to have

7th Prize:

faded from the calendar. But at least the trade

charities still benefitted to the tune of £1000

Knife Set - Andrew Essex 01372

each.

8th Prize:

There were a number of Dial-a-Cab drivers

Dinner Service - Melvyn Millenbach 02159

there, including the always irrepressible duo of

Brian and daughter Carla at the dinner

9th Prize:

the now retired Bill Tyzack (C06) and wife

Totes Gift Voucher - Helen 02629

1st Prize:

Grace. As always, DaC took a table with places

£1000 Holiday Voucher - Suzie Taylor no.

10th Prize:

taken by Brian Rice, Allan Evans, Mike Son,

02401

£50 Ocado Voucher - Micky English 02201

Shelagh Adkins and Garry White and their

respective partners.

2nd-Prize:

Russell Poluck told Call Sign:

Sadly, Brian’s wife Brenda couldn’t attend

Weekend at the Crown Plaza + 2 Theatre

“On behalf of the Taxi Driver of the Year

due to a family bereavement and their daugh-

Tickets - Mel Cooper 03972

Charity, I would like to thank everyone that

ter Carla accompanied the DaC Chairman.

3rd Prize:

supported our raffle and those that attended

The results of the raffle:

Mercedes Benz Watch - Clark Spillane 01671

the dinner and all our sponsors.”

Call Sign’s Stephen Berndes (R14) says...

It’s a cabbies life

Pungent odours!

safety in numbers as in Copenhagen.

verse” with an IQ

In Regents Park Road some five years ago, I

The recent LTDA sting, installing hidden cam-

way beyond us

braked hard nearly shunting an out of control

eras at junctions, proved comprehensively that

thickies, has finally

cyclist. This old gent was bicycle clipped, riding

the majority of cyclists jump red lights, whilst dis-

come up against

a replica ‘Miss Marple’ boneshaker. On closer

proving the mendacious codswallop of the bik-

his Achilles heel. Is

inspection, I recognised the man to be Stanley

ing lobby that only a trickle of naughty cyclists

he kowtowing to

Johnson, Mayor Boris’s father. He looked like

misbehave in that appallingly dangerous manner.

the cyclist lobby who emit methane gas (green-

he’d seen hundreds of mishaps, but personally

Steve McNamara, the ITDA General

house gas) and pungent odour, or by the year

never knowing he’d been involved in any!

Secretary, reaffirmed brilliantly his findings on

2020 a fleet of clean nitrogen or lithium battery

So I presume that’s where Boris’s free spirit-

BBC Radio 5Live.

contained taxis emitting droplets of water?

ed approach to cycling developed, which is an

The gifted Boris Johnson, who has revealed

Stephen Berndes

admirable way to lead one’s life, although not

perhaps a very safe one. Perhaps the reluc-

himself to be one of the “masters of the uni-

Call Sign Online

tance to push for commonsense mandatory

safeguards like helmets and protective kit to be

enshrined in law, seems kind of ignoble while

curtailing feelings of freedom of expression.

British cyclist policy advisor Chris Boardman

spoke out after the recent spate of deaths, say-

ing that we should ban HGV’s at rush hours -

just like Paris does. He belittled the Mayor’s

suggestions to ban wearing headphones as

playing to the gallery. He asked what we

should prioritise - cycling and walking or cars

and heavy goods vehicles. Yet all the time he is

a pedlar of ludicrously expensive ‘boy racer’

recreational vehicles that are inappropriate for

congested London roads.

Chris Boardman, who lives in the Wirral

(Merseyside) asserts that we should model our-

selves on Copenhagen, which compared to

London is a twee and sleepy Danish capital but

a Utopian, idealistic heaven for cyclists the

world over. Apparently when it snows, the city

is mandated to clear the snow from cycle lanes

before car lanes, while traffic lights are coordi-

nated to prioritise for cyclists. His answer for

making the roads safer in London is perversely

to double the number of cyclists, because it is

Call Sign January 2014

Page 9

By the time you read this article, I would have

been back in the role of Sales for just over a

DAC SALES REPORT

month. Initially I thought it was going to be

quite daunting, but it’s surprising how soon

With Keith Cain

one fits back in.

I have undertaken the task to not only

What has become very clear is that cus-

generate new business, but also to hold

tomers are still looking very closely at costs

onto our existing clients.

and our margins are being constantly

With this in mind, I have brought Carol

squeezed. Fortunately, our financial position is

Carpenter on board. She has been an

helping us to sustain the pressure. But one

account manager handling customer care for

thing that is general out there is the service

many years. Carol originally joined us when

given by our competitors, because make no

we first had our unit at the Business Design

mistake, our service is very good and this has

Centre, where she was support for the sale

been proven by the return to us of clients that

representatives we employed at that time and

left for other suppliers because at the time

I have no doubt that her experience will help

they thought that cost was everything. But

retain a great deal of business.

cheap with poor service is no use to them.

During the month, I have needed to lean

I have also been amazed at how clients are

on Natalie Ezekiel’s knowledge of where

being hoodwinked into believing what our

we are with new business and have been

competitors can actually provide for them.

working with her on a number of pre-ten-

Our aftersales, customer care and technical

receiving the disappointing news about JPM

support is second to none and I will be mak-

der documents. She has impressed me

could not have made the task any more diffi-

ing sure in the New Year that not only will

with her work and I am confident we will

cult and at the time of writing we are still

our existing clients be made aware of this,

be selected to participate in business ten-

awaiting news from our other major client on

but that more and more new clients will be

der processes. Completing them will give

the island. I can assure you we have made

introduced to Dial-a-Cab.

us quite a lot of work to do in the New

every effort to hold this one, despite the

Year. Hopefully the results will be success-

tough tactics used by our competitors and as

Keith Cain

ful and win new business.

soon as we hear their decision, the news will

Being asked to take on the sales role after

be passed on.

DaC Head of Sales

FIVE YEAR TAXI EXTENSIONS

Last month’s Call Sign exclusively

The price of the TX1 conver-

revealed details of a new engine

sion is £6,300 plus VAT, while

that has been developed by

the TX2 is £6300 including VAT.

Gastech for fitting to older taxis

Former Dial-a-Cab driver,

approaching their 15th year or

Stanley Roth (ex-Y53) is one of

that were on their fifteenth and

the people behind the engine,

final plate. That would usually

having himself driven a gas

mean the cab was in the final

cab for far longer than any

throes of its life and on the verge

other licensed taxi driver.

of making its way to the eternal

Those interested should

taxi scrapyard. As so many drivers

email Stanley at gastaxi@

have asked us about it, we are

gmail.com and he will furnish

repeating some of the details.

you with all the info you need.

Stanley Roth - more info at gastaxi@gmail.com

If you aren’t sure, then Stanley

The new engine was recently passed at

will be happy to email you

Oxides of Nitrogen than any modern day

Millbrook and LTPH/TfL will accept it for

general information about the Gastech

diesel engine and there are zero particu-

fitting into London taxis. It will also give

lates / smoke.

engine by return...

the taxi an extra five years of life.

The engine runs on Liquefied

Petroleum Gas with a small additional

petrol tank with the ability to switch

THE ALPHA POWER PILL

between the two. However and impor-

tantly, you cannot bring your taxi out of

Now even better!

retirement once it has finished its 15th

Helps cut the cost of diesel - and reduce Emissions!

plate. But provided it hasn’t yet reached

that milestone and you want to convert it

OnlyCabs.co.uk are pleased to supply

and gain the extra 5 years, then the cab

Dial-a-Cab drivers with the amazing Alpha Pill

owner must write to TfL and tell them

they wish to convert the cab to the

Order Today to take advantage of the special price of £16.95

Gastech LPG system and up to Euro 5+

standard.

Go to www.OnlyCabs.co.uk or scan your smartphone

The Gastech TX1 NOX emissions are

on the ad code

0.0254 gr/km. That is claimed to be 91%

lower than diesel Euro 5. Their TX2 has

Or telephone your order to:

0.014041 gr/km - some 95% lower than

Stephen Vale at Only Cabs 020 3239 6101

diesel Euro 5. It is significantly lower in

Call Sign January 2014

Page 10

Last month’s Call Sign told the story of Laury Bartlett (L84) whose Vito failed at NSL after being told

the text on the insurance certificate was too small. Now NSL’s Chief Executive replies...

YES, SIZE DOES MATTER!

Laury Bartlett (L84) told the December Call

his documents at 07:44, when it was discovered that his MOT certificate was

Sign of a rather strange problem he came

blank and had not even been signed once. We then checked his insurance

across at NSL’s Crayford depot when attempt-

details and as you say, the font size was wrong. In an attempt to try and help

ing to get a new plate for his Vito. Two prob-

Mr Bartlett, our team checked with TfL to see if they would accept the cer-

lems materialised that in his twenty years of

tificate, but they said no. Interestingly, we understand that the driver then

mushing, he had never come across before.

went to rectify this and changed his insurance supplier saving himself £500

The day had started well for Laury. He’d fit-

along the way!

ted new tyres, gave the cab a good wash, it had

With regard to offering drivers the chance to return, we do try and

been mechanically checked and it was going

do this as much as we can, depending on the time of day and if we have

well. Besides that, it was only two years old. As

enough free slots. Our records show that in this instance we did and

Laury put it, what could possibly go wrong!

Mr Bartlett returned at 14.22 with all the correct information at which

Hmmm...

point his taxi was passed.”

But it failed on two counts. The size of font

We asked Mr Underwood whether this question of size was a major prob-

NSL Chief Exec

on the insurance certificate was a size ten and

lem and in a broad Yorkshire accent he said that a quick sample check

Mark Underwood

it should have been size twelve so people can

showed that this wasn’t the first time they had seen the incorrect font used,

but that it was by no means a major issue and they could only find a few

view it from the kerbside and the MOT

instances where it had happened, but those appeared to be very random. He

Certificate had one signature on where it should have had two.

wondered whether owners were possibly printing a copy of the certificate at

Laury told Call Sign that he had not a clue that the font size on the Aviva

home and not realising that there was a stipulated size that TfL insisted on.

insurance certificate had been reduced and whether it had just been a fault

He ended by saying: “I’m pleased the matter has been brought to my

in the actual printing or if Aviva were trying to cut back on ink! But he did-

attention by Call Sign because it gives your readers the opportunity to check

n’t think the cab should have received a ‘stop’ for that. He also had a prob-

their certificate before presenting the cab. Let me emphasise that we do not

lem with the MOT Certificate that NSL said had only been signed once

want to fail cabs and don’t deliberately look for silly reasons to do so. But

instead of twice. What upset the Dial-a-Cab driver was that the driver of the

there are some occasions where our hands are tied and the insurance font

taxi in front had actually forgotten to take his MOT with and he was given a

is one of them.”

‘pass’ and told to drop it in when passing.

As for Laury, he suffered a few hours inconvenience, but as Mark

However, Laury also told us of his gratitude to the NSL office manager

Underwood pointed out, he later found a new insurance company in

who he said went “over and above his duty to help him get back on the road

Quotax and has apparently saved even more than Mark Underwood thought

by getting him an appointment for the same day.” But he wondered whether

he had - almost a £1000 in premiums! And he told us that he now has a ‘pro-

another driver who perhaps wasn’t quite as pushy, might have lost several

tected no claims’ - which he never had before.

days work over it.

As Laury said after speaking to us, clouds do sometimes have that silver

So Call Sign spoke to NSL Chief Executive, Mark Underwood, and

lining!

asked him whether NSL were becoming overly fussy and taking us back

Baghwat Singh

to the days when cabs were failed for the most trivial of reasons, such

Call Sign Online

as having an unauthorised sticker (AA or RAC etc) and where the old

PCO would not allow you to remove them on the premises but would

just fail the cab?

Mr Underwood told us: “I’ve had my guys check our records at Crayford

against the vehicle module and drivers surname and your driver did present

Winter Pro Am Series

AGM REMINDER

The Hertfordshire Golf & Country Club is pleased to announce dates

for the 2013/14 Winter Pro Am Golf events

All members should have

received the Notice of Annual

2014

General Meeting 2013 advising

Friday 17th January 2014

Friday 28th February 2014

that the meeting will again be

Friday 28th March 2014

held at The HAC, Armoury

The format of each event will be in teams of three amateurs with a

House, City Road on Sunday 9th

Professional played as a team with the best two Stableford scores to

February 2014 at 11am.

count and an individual Professional competition

The meeting this year will

consider an agenda excluding

Each event will follow the below itinerary:

the election of officers, but including as usual, pro-

09.30 Coffee & bacon roll on arrival

posed Rule Changes and Propositions.

10.30 Shot gun start

Any proposed Rule Changes and Propositions must

15.00 Two course meal

have been received at Dial-a-Cab House on or before

Team prizes and Individual cash prizes for Professionals

09:00hrs on Thursday 5th December 2013 as per the

For team of 3 Amateurs visitors £135

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2013 letter.

Members & Dial-a-Cab drivers £105.00

Please remember that if you do not vote by post

(£25 for professional)

Maximum handicap: (3/4 handicap) of Gentlemen 24, Ladies 30.

then you should attend. If you do not attend or vote

by post, you will be liable for a £50 fine.

You may enter an amateur team only (we will allocate a Professional

for you) or Professionals can bring their own team

Howard Pears

Please call Elaine on 01992 466666 ex 249 for an entry form.

Company Secretary

To confirm entry, full payment will be required with your entry form

Call Sign January 2014

Page 12

The WCHCD makes an occasional award for

bravery, which can be presented at its yearly

Liverymen’s dinner. However, it is only when

DAC DRIVER GETS

there is a genuine claimant that the award is

given - and this year that certainly was the case

when Dial-a-Cab’s John Ward (R88) received

WCHCD BRAVERY AWARD

the Company’s Frederick Hitch Gallantry

Award.

It’s the Hitch for John after Call Sign passes over the story!

Readers of Call Sign will remember John’s

actions from our December 2012 issue where Her

the BMW driver, 25-year old Shehzad Munir

Honour Judge Patricia Lees said at Snaresbrook

and his girlfriend showed as the other car dri-

Crown Court that they almost certainly saved lives.

ver, Sukhpreet Singh Chimber - a 30-year old

John had been on the A13 on his way home

father of three young children with a wife

from work on 9 September 2010 at around 01.15

expecting their fourth child - lay immobile in

and driving steadily in the middle lane. Suddenly a

the wreckage. Munir was later found guilty by

BMW 640 coupe with the distinctive registration

jury of dangerous driving and jailed for seven

P1MP R ‘undertook’ John on the inside lane at high

years. He was also banned from driving for

speed. It then turned into a BP fuel station and

eight years.

John continued his journey. Approaching Rainham

Then earlier this year John was presented with a

Marshes, the BMW came out of nowhere - again

certificate of bravery from the High Sheriff of

very fast - and disappeared from John’s sight. In

London at the United Kingdom Supreme Court

court, the BMW speed was estimated at 155mph!

in Parliament Square. The formal ceremony was

A little further on at the M25 junction, John saw

witnessed by many dignitaries including the Chief

the same BMW very badly damaged, obviously hav-

of Police, several MPs and High Court Judges.

ing been in collision with something. It had come

John’s award was one of just eight presented over

to rest between the slow and middle lanes of the

the previous two years and his was the only one

carriageway, the whole road was strewn with debris

where his bravery had also involved saving lives.

and there was a strong smell of petrol in the air.

John told Call Sign after the prestigious cere-

John pulled his cab across the lanes at ninety

mony that while it was an honour, his only thought

degrees to the hard shoulder, put his hazard lights

was for the family of Mr Chimber who had been left

John Ward: Honoured but his only

on and dialled 999. The BMW driver was at the pas-

without a husband and father because of a young

thought was for the dead driver's family..

senger door helping the young girl passenger out.

man in a sports car showing off to his girlfriend.

John looked around in the dark and spotted anoth-

down another cab and asked the driver if he would

Following the court case, Call Sign passed

er car laying at a 45 degree angle to the road and

park his taxi next to John’s so that between them

over the issue that detailed John’s bravery to

facing up the banking. He saw a man slumped in

they could try to block off the two nearside lanes.

the WCHCD for consideration and he was

the drivers’ seat.

Traffic was still speeding past in the fast lane at 70

indeed honoured with the Frederick Hitch

With fuel spilling out everywhere, John tried

mph. A truck then stopped and John asked the dri-

Gallantry Award. The bravery award is named

to force that car door open and to get the dri-

ver to park sideways across the entire three lanes to

after cab driver Fred Hitch, who on 22/23

ver out. But the door had been crushed into the

block the road completely and help prevent fur-

January 1879 was one of just 150 soldiers who

bodywork and would not give way. John was-

ther accidents or loss of life. The emergency ser-

defended a tiny garrison against an estimated

n’t to know but the driver had probably been

vices arrived and the BMW driver eventually ended

4000 Zulu warriors at what became known as

killed in the accident.

up in court.

the Battle for Rorke’s Drift. Fred was badly

John ran back to the traffic - still fast moving

John told Call Sign at the time how amazed

injured but survived and was later awarded the

although thinning out due to the hour - and waved

he had been at the lack of any apparent care

Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria.

LONDON TAXI WATCH

all hours, all weathers and all places. They can be our eyes and ears and help victims of crime.”

Crimestoppers’ London campaigns manager, Regan Hook, said: Taxi drivers could become every-

day heroes by reporting crime. They may be aware of crime perpetrators, including those involved in

vehicle-related crime or they may have information and intelligence about other serious crimes. They

can help to keep London safe.”

TFL WORK SURVEY

TfL are conducting a survey asking taxi drivers about when and where they work and

Sir Bernard: London cabbies are the

take breaks etc as part of research they are doing into electric vehicles and charging

best in the world!

points. The survey is at: https://response.questback.com/energysavingtrust/x2z0li7nri/

At a meeting held outside London’s City

As part of the ongoing work to reduce harmful emissions in London and improve air quality,

Hall on November 28, an initiative was

Transport for London have commissioned research to investigate the potential for using electric or

launched by Metropolitan Police Commissioner

plug-in hybrid vehicles as taxis (black cabs) in London. At present no electric or plug-in vehicles are

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, which invited

available for use as London taxis, but it is possible that suitable vehicles may be available in the

London taxi drivers to keep their eyes open

future.

and to assist the police by reporting any

It is important that we understand what infrastructure might be needed for such vehicles to be

crimes they see or suspect were about to take

operationally and commercially viable.

place whilst out driving their taxis.

To do this, we are asking taxi drivers to complete a short survey about their working

The London Taxi Watch initiative hopes

patterns, working hours, areas worked and where breaks are taken.

taxi drivers can be persuaded to pass informa-

As licensed London taxi drivers, your views on this matter are essential to the research and so

tion to Crimestoppers anonymously and to

TfL would be grateful if you could complete the survey. It should take around 15 minutes and all

alert the authorities of suspicious

results are anonymous and confidential. The results will be used to help understand drivers’ views

behaviour. Sir Bernard suggested that cab dri-

on electric vehicles and potential locations for rapid charging points for electric taxis. Once you

vers could be in league with police officers

start the survey you can save it part way through and then return to it later.

when it came to ensuring that the streets of

Everyone who completes the survey will also be invited to enter a prize draw to win

London were kept safe.

one of two £50 Amazon vouchers. The closing date for the survey is Monday 13 January

He said: “London’s cabbies are the best in

2014.

the world. With police officers, they are there

If you have any questions about it then please contact TfL on tph.research@tfl.gov.uk

Call Sign January 2014

Page 13

CALL SIGN TESTS THE NV200

The December Call

love to have had the vehicle with five passen-

Sign saw Gary Cox

gers and freight on board, in addition to tak-

(O46) road test the

ing a quiet look under the bonnet to confirm

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

one or two things. But that was not to be - at

update that is now

least not on my own. But I think the engine

available to any 15-year-

could be a Renault.

old TX taxi and which

We will only know if it's any good after that

will give it a further five years - always assum-

first year and driven by an airport-based dri-

ing it is in good condition (see the November

ver or a doubled team. But full praise must

Call Sign at www.dac-callsign.co.uk for more

go to Nissan for at least doing its research

information).

with the folks who are going to possibly pur-

This month it’s the turn of the forthcom-

chase it in the near future. Sliding doors give

ing Nissan NV200 for Gary to get behind the

it an easy, safe access to the five-passenger

The NV200 out on test in London - the

wheel of. It happened at Millbrook’s track

rear interior, while other highlights include a

front was covered for the grand unveiling!

testing site in Milton Keynes...

glass roof in the passenger compartment to

and Mercedes Vito on the same track and on

“All two miles circumference of Millbrook’s

give those on board an amazing view of the

banked high speed circle with no holds barred!

the same day. We also know that the new taxi

city.

will have a Nissan-sourced

1.6-litre petrol

I did have a wry smile when going in the oppo-

It also has rear air-conditioning and

site direction to a Welsh Police / Heddu driver

engine - although they say a diesel version will

even plug-in ports for charging smart-

in his signed up car at perhaps just 15 or so

be available with an electric version on the

phones - and all as standard! It seems to

mph over the national speed limit. Yes, I must

cards within two years. Judging by the sound of

add up to the most advanced and enjoy-

have had confidence in the brakes! But the

the engine, I think I was given a diesel although

able London taxi yet.

road was empty officer...!

they wouldn’t confirm it. It was much noisier

But two words come to mind - proof and

Then there is the one mile straight ‘get up

than a Vito and slightly more so than the TX4.

pudding. And of course, before you know if

and go’ before slipping into 0.9 of a mile

A master class Rudolph Nureyev turning

you are interested, it will have to be ‘make

Belgian blocked circle route, via far more

circle that matches the Margo Fontaine spin

your mind up time’ and ok, I'll say it for you...

roundabouts and bends than the average

on the TX4, is a feather in the NV200’s cap

How much, son?”

Dial-a-Cab driver faces in any normal shift.

and leaves you wondering why Mercedes

We now know that Nissan fancy their

can’t (or won't) give us a 25 foot twirl too.

Gary Cox

chances in the London cab market by the very

In the dry, the Nissan NV200 held up well

Call Sign Online

fact that they let us pit their cab against a TX4

when it came to gradients; mind you I would

Call Sign January 2014

Page 14

This series commemorates 2014’s centennial beginning of WW1 hostilities and the heroics of

those connected in some way to Dial-a-Cab. This month, the uncle of DaC driver Eddie Smith...

DAC WAR HEROES

Uncle John and the postcard

he sent from the Japanese

PoW camp

to tell her what had happened, just

as he promised his friend he would

do. The upside of the story is that

they became friends, before even-

tually marrying for fifty two years

and having six children! As the sto-

rybooks tell, they lived happily ever

after until Uncle John passed away

in 1998.”

“No, he wasn’t a Dial-a-Cab driver,

And what about the postcard,

but he was a war hero in our family

Call Sign enquired?

and I have his fascinating story to

“Oh yes,” Eddie recalled, “the postcard finally arrived at my family

tell,” Eddie Smith (Y56) quietly announced to Call Sign.

home, accompanied by a letter explaining that the aircraft carrying the

“My Uncle John was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese dur-

postcard had itself crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of

ing WW2 and sent to Number 4 POW Camp in Thailand where he

County Galway and was seen to ditch by local fishermen who made

spent three and a half years until the end of the War. He was forced to

their way speedily to the crash site. Some of the debris was saved by

work on that infamous Burma - Thailand Railway, a project that

those fishermen, including my Uncle John’s postcard, and taken back

cost the lives of some 6000 British servicemen as well as many thou-

to their family homes to be dried out and pieced together as best they

sands of Allied troops. Working conditions were atrocious and well

could before being forwarded on to the relevant families in the rest of

documented,” Eddie continued.

the U.K.

“My Dad, Edward and the rest of the family, were unaware he had

My Mum recalls seeing the explanatory letter, which has been lost

been captured, having not heard from him for a long time and had to

over time, but the postcard is saved as a family heirloom. And coinci-

assume he had either been killed or was missing in action.

dentally, my Mum hails from County Galway and the name of

“Eventually, a standard issue POW postcard did arrive to confirm

‘Edward’ is mentioned in the postcard and it refers to my Dad...!”

Uncle John’s fate, but more of that later because there is a story

in that too.

“Anyway, within the camp an American officer befriended Uncle

John and somehow managed to get him assigned to kitchen duties,

an act of kindness that almost certainly saved his life as it turned out.

John’s best friend was also in the camp and between them they made

a pact that if one of them didn’t make it home, the survivor would

check up on the other’s family. Unfortunately, Uncle John’s friend was

caught stealing medical supplies for sick POW’s and the Japanese exe-

cuted him by firing squad for the offence.

When Uncle John returned home, he checked out his friend’s wife

LTFUC

Valentine Night

Ball

ome along and enjoy a wonderful evening in the

City of London’s most iconic venue, on the most

romantic evening of the year - Valentine’s Day at the

Guildhall.

Enjoy food catered by the finest chefs and dance to

Pulse, one of London’s premier bands with all money

raised going to help thousands of London’s disadvantaged

children. See ad on page 5 and the booking form is on

page 31.

For more information Telephone Michael Son on

07710 388588.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 15

Views on life as seen through the

eyes of David Kupler (Y74) at...

SPECIAL GOLF OFFER

At Ingrebourne Links, Rainham, Essex

Kupkake’s

Korner

Head PGA Pro Nick Moncur

Ingrebourne Links is a family

Just like the driving range, it has full

golf complex in Rainham, Essex.

irrigation, keeping it in top condition

and also has excellent drainage making

This exciting new project is set

Happy New Year???

it playable all year round. It boasts

on 350 acres of land and cur-

spectacular views over the Essex coun-

Years ago when things were good,

rently includes a superb 30 bay

tryside and the City of London, with

Christmas trade was understood

driving

range and 9 hole ‘mini

the feel that you are by the coast on a

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genuine links.

when account clients had no fear

And we have a special offer

This course can suit everyone. It’s a

to spend on a party or corporate ball

for taxi drivers...

great place to start your golf and for

to have their cabs outside on call.

There are also 27 full championship

families to enjoy a sporting activity

But now the belts are tightly fast

holes with a major clubhouse in con-

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and good times now a thing of the past.

struction and we have the best practice

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Open to the public, there is some-

New Year’s Eve was for the brave,

and floodlit for lessons and practice all

thing for everyone at Ingrebourne

when passengers spent money saved

year round. There is also a chipping

Links. More info at:

and forgot how to behave

green and a putting green for you to

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when out in London Town.

get the most from your practice.

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Each year we see decline in trade

Ingrebourne Links also boasts a fully

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Clipboard Johnnies stand in plain view.

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Now they want to use bus lanes

Walker. The ‘mini

is this really the END of the Game...?

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Keith Reading

One thing for sure is so clear

PGA of England

Professional Toastmaster

Christmas is followed by New Year,

Master of Ceremonies

East

Par

unless of course it gets banned

Championship.

perhaps already something's planned

Tele: 01279 465 938

There are rolling

by saying it's Politically Correct

Mobile: 07774 860 374

hills, pot bunkers,

they cover themselves from neglect.

Email: kgr.2@virgin.net

heather, gorse and

But still we light up the West End

small USPGA spec

I hope and pray it will never end...

10% discount for DaC drivers and staff

greens, similar to

the famous postage

Fellow of the Guild of

Kopyright Kupkake 2014

Professional Toastmasters

stamp 8th hole at

Royal Troon.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 16

DaC PCNs - and how

to avoid them...

From DaC’s parking expert, John Vigus

Box junctions

I have received several enquiries from drivers

who have received PCNs for stopping in a box

junction. There are several infamous box junc-

tions in London that catch drivers out when

they have a lapse in concentration or if they are

not clear on what constitutes a contravention

of the yellow box regulations.

Entering and stopping in a box junction

Crossroads box

T-junction box

when prohibited is an offence, which carries a

fine and three penalty points on your licence if

you are stopped and cautioned by the police.

There will probably come a time when

Bagleys Lane/New Kings

What should you do?

the police start to enforce box junction reg-

Because of the numbers of cameras used to

ulations via the Magistrates Courts, as they

Road box junction:

capture these and many other contraven-

are currently doing with traffic light cycle

This box has been extended across both

tions, you must approach these box junctions

boxes.

carriageways to prevent the junction from

with caution and leave sufficient space

becoming blocked and causing traffic jams

between yourself and the vehicle in front of

This is the regulation:

along New Kings Road. If you are turning

you so that BEFORE you enter the yellow

Sub paragraph (1) The road markings shown in

right out of Bagleys Lane, you must ensure

box, you can see clearly whether or not there

diagrams 1043 and 1044 shall each convey the

BEFORE entering the box junction that there

is sufficient space beyond the junction to

prohibition that no person shall cause a vehicle

is sufficient space to accommodate your vehi-

accommodate your vehicle. If you are in any

to enter the box junction so that the vehicle has

cle beyond the yellow box.

doubt, then you should not enter the box

to stop within the box junction due to the pres-

and only proceed when you can clear the yel-

ence of stationary vehicles.

Berkeley Street/

low box.

(2) The prohibition in sub-paragraph (1) does

Piccadilly (Ritz Hotel)

Always bear in mind that this contra-

not apply to any person—

(a) who causes a vehicle to enter the box junc-

box junction:

vention will cost you £65. The impatient

tion (other than a box junction at a round-

If you are turning LEFT into Piccadilly, you

motorist behind you pays nothing...

about) for the purpose of turning right; and

must again ensure that your vehicle can clear

(b) stops it within the box junction for so long

the box junction BEFORE you enter the yel-

John Vigus

as it is prevented from completing the right turn

low box. This junction is unusual in as far as

DaC PCN dept

by oncoming vehicles or other vehicles which are

there is a choice of the third lane leaving left

stationary whilst waiting to complete a right

turning motorists stranded in the box and

turn.

thus receiving a PCN for that contravention.

PM visits Geely in Shanghai

Prime Minister David Cameron must have

briefly thought he was back in London when

Call Sign

paying a visit to the Geely factory in Shanghai

during his China tour. Mr Cameron was

January 2014

shown around by Geely Chairman Li Shufu

Editor: Alan Fisher

and also by London Taxi Company

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

Chairman Daniel Li.

Tel: 0207 251 0581 Fax: 0207 553 7293

Geely, China's biggest vehicle manufactur-

Email: callsignmag@aol.com

er which also now owns Manganese

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

Bronze as well as Volvo, has announced an

Printers: Premier Print Group

£80 million investment into research and produ

25 - 31 Violet Rd, London E3

of the new hybrid TX5 model, which is expected to create 500 new jobs at the

Design: Aldan Publications

Coventry facility and quadruple the current number of workers there from 170 to 650. The hybrid

Tel: 07958 300 428

taxi is expected to be the forerunner of an electric taxi - possibly within five years.

Email: deborahfresco@gmail.com

Standing alongside Li Shufu, Mr Cameron said: “Black cabs are synonymous with London.

Views and opinion expressed in Call Sign must

not be assumed to represent those of the Editor or

Getting one in Shanghai today highlights how the links between the UK and China can

Board.No part of Call Sign may be reproduced

bring rewards for both - Chinese investment helping British businesses to succeed and

either manually or electronically without the express

grow.”

permission of the Editor.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 17

With the world still mourning the death of Nelson Mandela, Call Sign’s Editor writes of...

APARTHEID WITHOUT MANDELA

I know that there is something of a dan-

Even toilets were segregated

ger of overkill regarding those writing of

the death in early December of Nelson

way after a while because you just

Mandela, South Africa’s first black

accept things as they are. I have to

President following the end of the

admit I was no different and into my

Republic’s years of racial segregation

second month, just accepted that there

(Apartheid).

was nothing I could do. But I still could-

Having spent a few months in

n’t wait to return to the UK.

Johannesburg in 1976, at a time when

Let us into the World Cup...

Mandela was in the middle of his impris-

One of the most astonishing examples

onment by the ruling National Party, I

of Apartheid came from the Rand Daily

believe I saw the Apartheid system at its

Mail - a newspaper that claimed to be

worst. I don’t want to upset Dial-a-Cab

anti-Apartheid and supported South African sport in a big way. The 1978

drivers who don’t fall under the category we describe as white, but I feel

football World Cup was two years away and the Republic were clamour-

that I need to purge myself of some of the things I saw and heard at the

ing to be allowed to enter a team. The world still remembered back in

time and Nelson Mandela’s death seems to be a perfect time.

1968 when England cricketer, South African born Basil D'Oliveira,

I was there visiting friends who said they were against the system, but

scored 158 runs for England against Australia and seemed certain to be

who like most of those that emigrated there were enjoying the benefits of

picked by the MCC for the forthcoming tour of South Africa. But

it - ie using cheap black labour. My friends treated their maid as well as

D'Oliveira would have been classified as coloured in RSA and rumours

they were allowed to. They paid her the going rate - which was akin to a

were that he would not be allowed into the stadiums, let alone play. Basil

10-year old UK child’s weekly spending money at the time - but at least

had already been offered a large bribe by a South African Tobacco busi-

gave her unlimited - albeit unofficial - access to their freezer so that she

nessman to “accidentally” injure himself and if selected to then make him-

would always have food to take home to her husband.

self unavailable for the tour. But he refused and the MCC, to their eternal

What day is it?

shame, refused to select him for the team. There was uproar around the

But to really witness Apartheid, you had to go into the City centre and

world, but the MCC said they had selected the team “purely on merit.” No

attempt simple things such as going to the post office. It was there that I had

one believed them. But then a player dropped out through injury and the

my first glimpse when trying to take a 16mm film outside the building. I was

MCC knew that there could only be one replacement and had no choice

stopped from doing so by a hefty looking white man in khaki when attempt-

but to select Basil D’Oliveira.

ing to film the sign that said Blankes (whites) only. I didn’t argue but still

The following day, South African Prime Minister John Vorster declared

have a four second silent shot of an innocuous sign - but one that perfectly

that it wasn’t an MCC team but the team of the anti-apartheid movement.

described a country’s philosophy. Even public conveniences were signed

The tour was cancelled and until Mandela’s release, South Africa lost all

and segregated...

international sport. But in

1976 and while I was still there, an

Several days later, I went to the Brook Theatre to see the brilliant

Argentinian football team agreed to play a match at Soweto’s Rand sta-

African tribal musical, Ipi Tombe. We may be used to looking at a theatre

dium, provided it was against a team not consisting purely of white play-

guide in London to see what’s on, but I was using this theatre guide to

ers. The SA government agreed and the RSA FA picked a mixed team.

see what days whites were allowed to go. Of the six days, whites had four,

Some of the vociferously right-winged Apartheid supporters, mainly

Coloureds (mixed race) had one, as did Orientals (Chinese). Blacks

Afrikaans, were up in arms but the decision had been made and accord-

(Bantu) had zero nights - even though they were the stars of the show! I

ing to the Rand Daily Mail, this meant they had to be allowed to enter the

asked the guy I was sitting next to why there was a Japanese family sitting

next World Cup, which coincidentally was to be held in Argentina.

in our row when it wasn’t Oriental night? I couldn’t really believe I was

As a staunch Spurs fan who missed very few games home or away back

asking the question, but it slipped out as I looked around for any men in

then, I felt pleased that the sport I loved so much was helping to break

khaki.

down the walls of Apartheid. But I must have been stupid to have believed

I have often wondered whether that Japanese family knew the

it! Spurs had no black players until Garth Crooks joined from Stoke in

answer to my question, because they surely would have felt humil-

1980 and became an all-time favourite at the ‘Lane - especially when he

iation had they done so. Whilst Chinese had an Oriental classifica-

linked up so well with Steve Archibald. Before Crooks, you’d have to go

tion, Japanese people were classed as ‘honorary whites’. That meant

back to 1910 when a little known player called Walter Tull played. But

they could do almost anything a white (or European) could do... but

the opportunity was at least there - albeit with something more of a bat-

not quite everything. A Japanese person was not allowed to marry a

tle to be noticed back then.

white person. Some honour...

So RSA picked a mixed team, although ability never came into it. They

Speaking of the Brook Theatre; as we left, sitting on the floor outside

selected representatives of all the classes, but it became obvious that the

was an elderly black beggar with long knotted hair. I have no idea how he

only players in the team with real talent were the black ones and they

got there because there was no sign of any supports - something he

were good enough to defeat the Argentinians - captained by the brilliant

would had needed as he had no legs. Most people ignored him, but some

Antonio Rattin - with the black star, hero worshipped by the soccer mad

brave souls put a few cents into his tin cup. A few seconds later I realised

fans in Soweto, Jomo Sono, scoring four of the goals in a 5 - 0 victory. So

why most had just walked past him - a Jeep with four men in khaki pulled

what was wrong with that? Well, the spectators were still segregated - not

up. Two of them got out - one pushing people away while the second

as opposing supporters, but according to their colour. The RSA govern-

dragged the trunk of the beggar across the pavement by his long hair and

ment were not prepared to allow the races to mix and regardless of the

then with the help of the other two, picked him up and just threw him

Rand Daily Mail editorials, those with commonsense could see the game

into the back of the unmarked vehicle.

did nothing to help the Apartheid problem. It wasn’t until the year after

Again I questioned why that had happened? The old man was no

Mandela’s release that South Africa re-entered the international sporting

danger to anyone. These men in khaki were the police and no beg-

arena playing a cricket series against India.

ging was allowed. So why were they so rough? Apparently it was

Soon after the match and to my eternal shame, I joined a coach

only me (and probably the few others that put money into his cup)

tour of Soweto. I thought it would encompass the soccer stadium,

who considered the treatment to have been rough. It was just anoth-

but it was really a tourist coach to see how blacks - and not all of

them poor - lived in tin huts they’d been banished to. They weren’t

er day in Jo’burg...

allowed to buy houses in white areas.

During my first month, I often thought about Apartheid although I

Far worse things must have happened under the Apartheid banner than

never understood it. While blacks had their own buses (and taxis) and

couldn’t go to many white buildings, they flooded out the stores where

I ever saw in those few months, but I hope these small examples show

shopping was mixed. Stores such as Pick ‘n Pay earned far more from

why Nelson Mandela’s release from prison was treated as the return of a

black customers than they did from white, yet these same people could-

God and why his death has been mourned so greatly around the world...

n’t buy stamps in the post office. It was senseless.

Alan Fisher

I was there as a tourist and it’s surprising how you can look the other

Call Sign Online

Call Sign January 2014

Page 18

The problem with Albert was a

simple one - he was skint. Of

course, as a taxi driver cash was

coming in at a decent rate, but

A little

unfortunately it was also exiting

at the speed of bullets. The

cause of this disparity was his

love of gambling on horses.

protection?

He left the betting shop and sat in his cab

with a face resembling a man who had inad-

vertently had the Blackpool illuminations

added to his electricity bill. He owed money

everywhere and his overhaul was due and on

top of that, the kipper season was about to

start. What he needed was a loan but there

was as much chance of that as a speed cam-

era at Piccadilly Circus!

Albert started the cab and a little while later

a well-dressed man who looked look familiar,

waved him down and asked for Wapping.

“Well, well,” said Albert, “it’s Slip Dixon -

long time, no see - where’ve you been?”

“Usual, mate,” said his fare, “the Scrubs

this time.” However, despite his residence at

one of Her Majesty’s hotels, it was obvious

that Slip was doing a lot better than Albert. As

well as a very smart white suit, he was wear-

ing a nice bit of bling. Slip was a burglar and

racing man and whenever they met at the

races, he was invariably flush at the start and

“Come,” was all the little man said. But

the betting shop for the last race.

skint at the end.

Albert was relaxed - the undersized dwarf

Unfortunately, he did but only to see his

“You must have backed a few winners,”

was certainly nothing to worry about and in

selection finish last. He was soon making

said Albert trying to discover a reason for the

stark contrast to the large over-dressed

inroads into the widow’s cash. He paid for his

prosperity?

woman who approached him.

overhaul and one or two bills until the only

“No, not really,” said Slip, “but I met this

“And what can I do for you,” she asked?

note left in the envelope was the one regard-

old biddy from Southend. She’s a do-good-

Albert explained that he’d just come out of

ing repayments. This he cheerfully ignored

er, a widow. The prison gave me her

the Scrubs and that Slip had recommended

until one evening there was a knock at his

address. She helps ex-cons when they

he come to see her for some financial help.

door and Danyo was standing there.

come out and lent me two grand to help

She then spent 10 minutes prattling on that

“Hello, Tiger,” smiled Albert.

me reform.”

kindness was the best rehabilitation for crim-

“Ah, you remember me,” said an unsmil-

“She lent you two grand,” repeated

inals and how privileged she was to be able to

ing Danyo, “I have note for you.” It read:

Albert,

“that’s unbelievable! I could do

help. Looking round, Albert could see she

Dear Sir, you have broken the terms of

with a loan like that myself.”

had a few bob.

the loan. The follow-up to default is a visit

Slip told him to pop down and see her and

“Well,” he said, “if you can let me have the

by my representative, Danyo. I strongly

to tell her he was an ex-con. He said that she

money, I’ll be off - £2000 would be great.”

advise that you pay him the arrears of

wouldn’t ask for any details but that two

The old lady nodded towards the butler

£200 immediately.

grand was her limit and you were supposed

who must have been standing behind a table

It was signed Mrs Hobart. Albert screwed

to pay her back each month.

leg, because he suddenly appeared and gave

up the note and tossed it on the floor.

Albert said he assumed you had to pay

Albert a plastic envelope containing

£50

“You don’t pay,” asked Danyo?

interest, but at that point Slip gave a roar of

notes.

“Don’t have it,” replied Albert, reckoning

laughter.

“However,” said the widow, “I’m not a

the worst the dehydrated dwarf could do to

“Course there’s no interest and as for

charity so it’s a loan and not a gift. There’s

him was to pummel his kneecaps.

my repayments, there’s more chance of a

a note inside giving you instructions

“That bad for you,” were the last words

steamroller winning a grand prix.”

about the monthly repayments. Danyo

Albert heard before darkness descended

Albert knew little about motor racing but

here is very strict in this regard, you see

upon him. The paramedics reported that it

enough to know this was very unlikely and

honour is very important to him and he is

was the worst case they’d seen since a farmer

asked where her security was?

devoted to me.”

walked into a threshing machine. When

“She hasn’t got any,” replied Slip, “well,

Albert thanked her and turned to leave. As

Albert came round, his body was bound by

apart from this little Japanese fellow she

Danyo opened the door, Albert ruffled his

either plaster or bandage and supported by

calls her minder. I tell you, if he was in a

sleek black hair. “Goodbye, little fellow,” he

slings and pulleys. The vision of the pocket

fight with Snow White, I’d back Snow

said with a smile!

psychopath returned and he called out:

White!”

The next moment, Albert was circling the

“Help, I need to borrow £200 urgently.

Slip got out at Wapping Station, pulled out a

air like an ignited Catherine Wheel before

Is anyone listening?”

swollen wallet and gave Albert a card and an

landing flat on his back. At first, he thought

The person in the next bed was also heavi-

extra tenner on top of the fare. “Do yourself

the Japanese midget had done it, but when

ly bandaged, but Slip Dixon managed to call

a favour,” he said as he left, “go and see her.”

he looked up the old lady was looking down

back through swollen lips.

The next day, Albert did exactly that and

at him. “You really must be careful; you

“Hello Albert, I’ve sort of been expect-

found himself outside a Georgian terraced

just tripped on the step.”

ing you...”

house with a heavy knocker. Its dull thud

Despite the fall and slightly puzzled about

produced a tiny oriental figure in a butler’s

how it happened, Albert knew he was himself

Roy Granville

suit. Albert said he had come to see Mrs

again when he wondered if he could make

Hobart.

Call Sign Online

Call Sign January 2013

Page 19

LOOKING AT (TAXI) LIFE

With Tom Quigley (Y33)

Pancras Station going east, the Bus Lane

Red Route Deaths...

runs right up to the traffic lights with bus

The pros and cons of writing a monthly col-

stops immediately on the junction. This caus-

umn in today’s modern world are that some-

es lots of problems for we taxi drivers when

times what you write can become outdated

turning left into Pancras Road to set down at

by the time the magazine is published. At

Eurostar, whereas cyclists may want to go

other times, the chance of reflection before

straight on.

writing can hopefully give a chance of a more

So imagine the stress and danger it puts

detailed piece.

on an HGV vehicle driver. The fact it is a

Now into my third year of writing, the

railway station with shops, services and of

Editor has not once cut a story or report,

course the need for engineering equip-

just gives me guidance if I ask for it.

ment involved in the running of the sta-

So, after a short series of articles on

tion, means that HGVs often have to use it.

cycling and safety measures - and as a

As an aside note, this is what causes the

cyclist myself - I confirmed with him my

driving a London taxi.

traffic to back up all the way along Euston

passion to do another one as a follow-up

So is it a coincidence that the majority

Road.

to the recent tragic cycling deaths in

of these accidents happened on a red

There are many similar and dangerous

London. My concern in most of these

route such as Bromley-by-Bow, Millbank

junctions on London’s red routes where I

tragedies is where there has been much

Southampton Row, Aldgate and

feel that TfL and the Mayor, who are respon-

finger-pointing and knee-jerk reactions to

Camberwell Road. And then was it anoth-

sible for the routes, need to have a rethink

solve an ongoing and serious problem,

er coincidence that they all occurred at a

and come up with far better designed lay-

with all types of road user groups blaming

junction where the Route gives little time

outs. These would involve freeing up longer

each other.

and space for a vehicle to turn left or

lengths of road for HGVs so they can get into

It is blatantly obvious that there are bad

right?

the correct lane without facing the possibility

practices carried out by lorries, buses, cars,

This drew my attention to the amount of

of a money grabbing PCN whilst trying to

vans and yes, taxi drivers, just as much as

distance and priority at crucial points such as

make a safe turn. This will make them safer

there are poor practices by cyclists. However

traffic lights, where bus lanes go virtually up

for all users. We must do something...

and unfortunately, it’s the latter group that

to the crossing, only allowing vehicles - and

Whilst on the subject of cycling, why not

normally come off worst as they, obviously,

especially HGVs - a late turn from an outside

try and get along to the Cycling show at

are the most vulnerable.

lane to crossover a Bus Lane, giving them lit-

erally no chance of seeing a cyclist. They also

Excel on 13th - 16th February, or at least

Having looked at the recent bike deaths,

service the rank. See the ad below. At least

although not having access to full forensic

have the added pressure that if they cross too

early, they risk a PCN for encroaching.

my wife now knows what her Valentine’s

details of each accident, I can only draw my

treat will be this year!

own opinions and conclusions as to the pos-

To highlight this point, I’d like to point out

sible causes, using my experience of cycling

one particular junction where as of yet there

and general motoring, which includes past

have been no serious occurrences involving

Tom Quigley

deliveries in large vehicles and obviously

cyclists that I know of, however, I have wit-

now, the thousands of miles I carry out when

nessed plenty of close calls. Outside St

Call Sign Online

he kept in it. But he wasn’t sure.

Brian Rice’s PA, Jacqui Chart and she managed to

In the meantime, the driver was on his way home

get the driver’s mobile number to see whether he had

THANKS

to Romford after dropping Adrian off, unaware that

the wallet. And he did!

the wallet was in a dark corner of his cab.

The driver was John Goate (T12. He just turned

“I was really upset,” Adrian told Call Sign,

around, drove back to Waltham Cross and returned

“because Jack had given me the wallet. I could have

the wallet to a relieved Adrian.

DAC!

just cancelled the cards so that wasn’t the real con-

“I tried to give him some extra money, but he out-

cern. But the sentiment was irreplaceable and Jack

rightly refused to accept it. You hear so much bad

would probably have been just as upset as me!”

stories about cab drivers so I just wanted to say thank

Adrian did have one advantage over the average

you so much to the driver and to make sure everyone

account customer. His partner for the past 24 years is

knew about it...”

Triathlon Plus Show at ExCel

The London Bike Show!

The London Bike Show will take place from

13 - 16 February at ExCeL London.

Adrian wanted to thank the

driver in print

The London Bike Show is the UK’s largest cycling

Dial-a-Cab account client Adrian Martin was

exhibition and in 2013 attracted over 38,000 visitors. Whether road

thrilled with his present. It was just a wallet to keep

cycling, mountain biking, BMX, cycle cross, a family cycle at the

his credit cards in, but it had been given to him as a

weekend or commuting to work is your thing - you’ll find plenty to

birthday present by his 7-year old son Jack and as

interest you and to have a great day out. There will be celebrities

such, it meant a lot to him. He was heartbroken

when he lost it.

appearing, including Sir Chris Hoy.

He hoped that perhaps he’d left it in the DaC taxi

he had just taken from Berkeley Square to Waltham

More details/book at www.thelondonbikeshow.co.uk or ExCel.

Cross, because he had used the Charge Card that

Call Sign January 2014

Page 20

DaC’s IT Network Administrator, Jon Winterburn looks at...

SAFETY GADGETS

It’s that time again when more accidents

occur than at any other time of the year.

With that in mind, I decided to find out

what the latest safety gadgets are. Having

researched dozens, the following three

were what I consider to be the best...

Garmin HUD (Head-Up Display)

Garmin, the makers of satellite navigation

systems for many years, have come up with an

excellent product for drivers. SatNav devices

are useful, but they do pose a danger. To check

The Garmin HUD projects the SatNav onto the windscreen

the SatNav visually, a driver has to take their

eyes off the road. That second or so can be the

certain level, the alarm thinks it is dying.

possessions. It uses a first-of-its-kind communi-

difference between life and death. So Garmin

Of course you should never remove the bat-

ty-oriented technology generated through its

came up with this nifty device which projects

tery. Instead, have a look at Nest Protect - a

app, which allows you to find your items at dis-

the SatNav screen onto your windscreen and

new type of smoke and CO2 alarm that’s com-

tances greater than 100 feet (the typical con-

into your field of vision. Now you can drive and

ing to the UK soon. The blurb says:

nectivity range of Bluetooth). This means that

check your SatNav without ever taking your

“Before turning on a loud, howling alarm,

if your bag or bike has been stolen, it will be

eyes off the road. It also has Bluetooth connec-

Nest Protect gives you an early warning we call

traceable through other users’ Tile apps, noti-

tivity, so you can connect it to your smart-

‘Heads-Up’. Nest Protect lights up yellow and

fying you to its whereabouts via yours. Tiles are

phone. The Garmin HUD retails for £129.99

speaks with a human voice. It tells you where

now available for pre-order (shipping in Spring

and you can read more about it at:

smoke is or when carbon monoxide levels are

2014). They’re a bit pricey at $19.95 each plus

buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/

rising. This gives you an earlier warning if

shipping from the USA, but no doubt they’ll

mobile/mobileaccessories/hud-head-up-

there’s an emergency, or allows you to silence

come down in price when they become more

display-/prod134348.html

Nest Protect if it’s just a nuisance alarm like an

readily available. More info on the tags at:

overly enthusiastic toaster. People get so frustrat-

www.thetileapp.com

Nest Protect Smoke Alarm

ed with low-battery chirps in the middle of the

We all know how irritating it can be when you

A happy new year from all at the DaC IT

night; they take out the battery and don’t replace

are rudely awoken at 4am by the smoke alarm

department...

it. Nest Protect will notify you long before its bat-

chirping every 60 seconds to tell you the bat-

Jon Winterburn

teries get that low so you can replace them. And

tery has died. What makes this even more

DaC Network Administrator

then get a good night’s sleep.” I like the sound

annoying is that you know you changed the

of that! More info at: nest.com/uk/smoke-co-

battery only last month! Apparently batteries

alarm

lose a percentage of their juice temporarily

when they are cold. Smoke alarms these days

Tile: The world’s largest lost and found

are very sensitive, so even though there is plen-

Tile is a revolutionary new GPS-trackable

ty of juice still in the battery, if it drops below a

plastic tag that will help you keep track of your

Samuel at Spurs!

ust one year on from

the sad death of his

• Roadside repair

dad Reed, the Call

• Roadside assistance

Sign Editor’s grandson,

• Running repair recovery

Samuel Fisher, shows

• Accident recovery

that he has carried on his

• Pay as you go to membership

father’s love of football.

Reed, who was the

• Credit card taken at roadside

Sunday dispatcher at

Dial-a-Cab for 23 years

as well as having been goa

0845 094 5307

keeper for the Ford Motor Company’s soccer team, was a

We make wheels turn

staunch West Ham fan, but Samuel has followed his granddad’s life-long love

of Tottenham Hotspur and had this photo taken just before a recent match...

so you can earn.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 21

In early November, Melvyn Harvey (E87)

decided to have a moan at Andrew

Gilligan, Cycling Commissioner for

DaC’s Melvyn v the

London, who together with TfL and Mayor

Johnson’s office had sent out door stickers

warning passengers about to exit taxis to

watch out for passing cyclists. As Melvyn’s

letter was sent out before the recent suc-

Mayor’s office...

cessful use of extra cyclist police and the

LTDA’s excellent video of cyclists disre-

garding red stop lights, Call Sign thought

Melvyn’s exchange was worth passing on

to its readers as it may well have had an

effect on the Mayor’s office...

From Melvyn Harvey

Dear Mr Johnson/Mr Gilligan,

Thank you for yet another sticker to put in our

windows! I'm sure my passengers will take

heed. But my problem is the lack of enforce-

ment of the majority of cyclists who show total

disregard to the Highway Code. I could take

you to traffic lights, zebra crossings and no

entry streets all over London and show you

what your elite corp of cabbies see every day -

Melvyn Harvey and Andrew Gilligan

cyclists who think they can do whatever they

the Government would have to legislate as it

what they are becoming) and putting painted

like and God help anyone who remonstrates

is not within the power of the Mayor or

bikes on the road at one-way streets in the

with them!

Transport for London. Some cycling groups

opposite direction, is a recipe for disaster.

They take their life in their hands when

jumping red lights, with the major problem

do offer insurance to their members, so a

One example (of many) is at Portsoken Street

now being that even when we are indicating

growing number of cyclists in London are

E1 (one-way from Mansell Street). There is

insured.

to turn left at traffic lights and pull away, the

only just room for one vehicle alongside the

Please let me know if there are any other

cyclists still fly up on the inside to go straight

parked cars, yet you see fit to have cyclists

particular problem places that we should be

ahead. Absolute madness on their part, yet

squeeze through in the opposite direction.

targeting.

we get a mouthful of abuse if we don't brake

Add de rigueur of headphones and it’s no

Andrew Gilligan

in time - perhaps we could we have a sticker

wonder cyclists are not aware of their sur-

Cycling Commissioner for London

for this to put on our cabs please?

roundings!

Whilst recently sitting at Oxford Circus traf-

On the topic of insurance and fines, could

From Melvyn Harvey

fic lights, a cyclist smashed into the boot of

you please tell me the approximate number

Dear Mr Gilligan

my taxi, denting and scratching it. As he

or percentage of cyclists insured and how

Thank you for replying to my email on behalf

drove off through the red light, he told me to

many have been fined £2,500 for dangerous

of the Mayor of London, but in the words of

claim off my insurance (er, I have a £350

cycling or £1,000 for careless cycling? And

tennis player, John McEnroe: You Cannot Be

excess)! Until you make it compulsory to

when after scratching your vehicle - or as in

have cycles registered and insured, things

Serious! Testosterone! The reason motorised

my case denting the boot and being told they

will not change. Looking forward to your

vehicles have number plates is for recogni-

have no identification, insurance, money and

response...

tion and accountability, otherwise it would be

a policeman is not around, what can I do?

Melvyn Harvey (badge no. *****)

like the old wild west - which is exactly what

Mr Gilligan, you and the Mayor should be

it is happening with cyclists. When you get

pushing Government to legislate for the intro-

From Andrew Gilligan

away with breaking the law on a daily basis, it

duction of registration as a priority or the unfor-

Dear Mr Harvey,

then becomes the norm. Women and older

tunate increase in cyclist’s deaths will only esca-

Thank you for your email to the Mayor. He

people are just as bad. Stand at the junction

late.

has asked me to reply.

of Clerkenwell Road and Proctor Street west-

Melvyn Harvey, licenced London taxi

I agree with you that we need to promote

bound and see almost every cyclist go straight

driver

the message that the Highway Code must be

through the buses only lane.

As of publication, there has been no further

adhered to by all road users and we are

London is a thriving, bustling metropolis,

response from Mr Gilligan...

strongly in favour of promoting the ethos of

not a theme park. Just slapping down blue

responsible cycling and mutual respect

between cyclists and other road users.

One of our biggest aims is to broaden the

range of people cycling, with more older peo-

ple and women to reduce the testosterone lev-

els of London cyclists.

asaptrades

The Mayor's Vision for Cycling in London

includes several measures to tackle anti-social

behaviour by cyclists. We are increasing

ELECTRICAL

enforcement, targeting particular hotspots

and we are also giving cyclists better places to

cycle on the roads so they are less likely to

ride on the pavement. In addition, we will

Electrical Installations - Fault Finding & Repairs

expand the Met Police's Cycle Task Force by

more than a quarter from 39 to 50 officers.

www.asaptrades.com

Cyclists can be fined up to £2,500 for danger-

ous cycling and up to £1,000 for careless

cycling.

On your suggestions about introducing a

0203 130 6798

requirement that all cyclists have insurance

and are registered, these are issues on which

Call Sign January 2014

Page 22

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

Brethren of the Whip

2014 marks the

The day in 1814 that cabs were

200th anniversary

first registered

of the introduction

of the ticket system

one or more of the tickets.”

for London’s hack-

What the drivers had noticed and

ney coaches. The

which had got past all the law mak-

idea was simple

ers, judges and politicians who

enough; in order

framed the Act, was that by not giv-

to prevent the fre-

ing a ticket, the driver basically had

quent overcharg-

immunity from prosecution for any

ing by hackney

offence.

coach

drivers,

The Morning Post described the

Parliament decreed that every driver

Act as “one of the most bungling

should carry a ticket - a form of receipt

smile on his face; after all, he’d had a free

pieces of work that ever came out

that would be issued to every passenger.

ride because of the new Act.

of Parliament” whilst The Examiner stat-

Tickets were issued in multiples of one

But Hatchet was not quite finished with the

ed: “In the matter of Hatchett against one

shilling and 1s 6d (5p and 71/2p respectively)

driver of 878.

of the Knights of the Whip, it appears that

and a combination of tickets could be issued

The following day he was at the police court

the descendants of Jehu knew the extent of

to the amount of the fare. The ticket also had

in order to bring charges against the driver

the new Hackney Coach Act better than

the proprietor’s name and address as well as

under the new Act. He also made sure the

the man that framed it, and had, I find,

the name of the driver. This was a quarter of

press were there to report on the proceedings

before it took effect, determined to resist it

a century before the introduction of badges

as he very much had a vested interest in its

altogether.”

and represents the first ever registering of

outcome - it later transpired that it had been

The drivers began insisting before their

drivers. The tickets also bore an imprint of

passengers entered the coach that they

Hatchet that had been responsible for the

the Crown, thus allowing anyone producing

introduction of the ticket system in the first

would only be carried if they agreed not to

forgeries to be prosecuted for treason.

ask for a ticket; many passengers were forced

place! He had gone out on the first day of the

Throughout July

1814, newspapers in

Act to ensnare a driver and thus reap the pub-

to agree to the driver’s terms.

London were extolling to their readers the

The magistrates hit back by charging

licity of his actions. But he was about to be

virtues of the recent Hackney Coach Act and

drivers under previous hackney coach

hoisted very high on his own petard.

how it would work in favour of the fare-pay-

acts for abusive behaviour and assault.

The four magistrates looked at the case,

ing, and much abused, public. A passenger

then at the Act and informed Hatchet that

The ticket system was all but withdrawn

after only a few months, though it would

could demand to be given a ticket or tickets

whilst he was right not to pay as no ticket

rise again in one form or another in the

and would not have to pay until such a ticket

was produced, clause 34 of the Act stated:

future...

was forthcoming. If there was an overcharge

“Any complaint for exaction

[over-

Sean Farrell

or abuse, the passenger had only to take the

charging] or misbehaviour or for any

ticket to the Hackney Coach Office or a police

other offence whatsoever shall [require]

Call Sign Online

court and issue a summons against the driver.

The drivers themselves were well aware

of the Act and were about to drive the

proverbial hackney coach and horse right

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union

through it...

The ticket system became a legal require-

Ever needed money quickly but were anxious about

ment on Wednesday August 31st 1814. On

variable bank interest rates?

that day, Mr Hatcham of the White Horse

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

Inn, Piccadilly, took hackney coach number

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

878 from Conduit Street to Charles Street

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

(given in the newspapers of the time as being

at your address also qualifies for membership!

near to Cavendish Square, but may actually

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

have been the eastern end of the present day

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

George Street).

up to 3 times your total savings…

The un-named 878 coachman charged

Hatchet one shilling - the correct fare - and

The cost?

Hatchet responded by asking for a ticket. The

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

driver politely informed Hatchet that the Act

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

was found to be flawed (which it was) and

the issue of tickets had been cancelled (which

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

was untrue)! Hatchet stood his ground. No

Call us on 020 7729 8171 or 020 7749 0585

ticket, no payment. The polite jarvey then let

fly a torrent of abuse at Hatchet, who stood

Members of the Financial Ombudsman Service

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

his ground and refused to pay unless a ticket

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

was issued. The driver, realising that he was

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

not going to get paid, drove off empty hand-

Registration number 213263

ed. Hatchet no doubt walked away with a

Call Sign January 2014

Page 23

Mike Son - Accidental hero!

Quite by accident, Call Sign recently came

awakened by a man screaming that his wife was

across a local Essex newspaper from 1981.

drowning. He noticed I had a children’s dinghy

While it’s always interesting to see how

and needed my help. I can’t say I leapt into action

things have changed, one item shocked us

as I couldn’t find my spectacles!

because we assumed that had it been true,

However, I was urged on by the man who

we would have heard about it by now!

said that if we both used the dinghy, we could

It was interesting to read survey results on

reach his wife. The plan was that he would push

the shocking increase in average Southend

the dinghy and then jump in and I would con-

house prices - jumping up to almost £25,000.

tinue paddling. However, within just a few min-

And you could afford to go around to look at

utes the other guy was nowhere to be seen.

houses should you have been interested, with

So there I was paddling away, with every-

a gallon of petrol retailing at just over £1.32 or

thing a blur because I hadn’t found the glasses

around 29p a litre!

and didn’t have time to look. But I eventually

But it was an article headed Sea rescue by

reached the woman who was definitely in a

handy cabbie that grabbed our attention. Could

state of panic and screaming that she was

that be the same Michael Son as the Dial-a-Cab

drowning. The dinghy was only suitable for

Board Member? We knew that he lived in

calm down and tie the rope around her

one person, so I got her to tie the rope around

Westcliff, but we had never looked on him as

waist. Michael told her to hold on as he

her waist and headed back to the shore with

some kind of shy hero. So we asked Mike and

then paddled back to shore. They eventual-

the woman in tow. There were hugs and kisses

while he confirmed the article, he typically tried

ly made it back to the shore and a

all round, even from the husband to me!

to play it down. This was the article...

spokesman for the Southend Coastguard

I am aware that the currents at Southend can

told The Echo that the woman could have

be dangerous, but on this occasion the sea was

SEA RESCUE BY HANDY CABBIE

been in serious trouble but for Mr Son.

calm and in fact the tide was low and going out

A cabbie paddled himself to a heroic res-

When they were safely back on the beach,

slowly. The upshot was that if the lady were to

cue on the seafront of Chalkwell this week.

the woman became reunited with her hus-

have stood up when she thought she was

A holiday maker saw a woman in trouble

band.

drowning, she could actually have walked

and waved to people on the beach for help

The Helicopter from Manston and the

back! I’m a bit of an accidental hero really, but

as he thought she was being swept out to

lifeboat were called, but neither were need-

the newspaper obviously believed in the

sea by the ebbing tide.

ed and returned to their bases.

maxim - publish and be damned!”

Mr Michael Son paddled his children’s

So we asked Mike about the rescue and why

However, what Michael didn’t say was that

inflatable dinghy by hand to reach the

it wasn’t common knowledge?

until he reached the woman, he couldn’t

stranded woman. When reaching the

“What actually happened,” said Mike, “was that

know whether the water was deep or not. So

woman, who was in a state of panic,

I was having a snooze on the deckchair, while our

accidental or not, that still makes him a hero

Michael threw her a lifeline and told her to

children were enjoying the great weather. I was

in our book!

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

magazines of the time with a flashback

DIAL-A-CAB FLASHBACK

This issue harks back to the September 2000 issue

As I wasn’t sure of the exact number in

of Call Sign and was in response to the Editor’s

Tedworth Square I had originally dropped the

couple, I decided to phone the number on the

then-request for unusual items found in the cab...

card. However, there was no answer so I left a

From Call Sign September 2000

message on the answerphone and started

A BRIEF CASE OF PASSION

making my way towards Cadogan Square.

BY G.G.West (V40)

On arrival, I rang the bell and explained to the

The Editor asking for driver’s unusual stories of items found in

male voice who answered the intercom that a young lady

the cab reminded me of an incident that happened in my taxi

had left her briefcase in my taxi going to Tedworth Square, but that

some time ago when I had picked up a young couple in

there was a business card giving this address inside. I left out the part

Shaftesbury Avenue and was told to drive them to Tedworth

concerning their extracurricular activities! The male voice said that it

Square, Chelsea. All the way to SW3, the couple were being

sounded like his girlfriend’s case and that he would come down.

A mental picture formed in my mind during those few seconds wait-

extremely passionate with each other.

ing. The young lady was very attractive and I had a picture of this guy

“Ah,” I thought, “the joys of Spring - even in wintertime!”

being 30-ish, tall and handsome. Wrong! The door opened and there

I dropped them off and they scampered quickly up the three

stood a shortish, 60-plus balding man who looked more like her father!

steps - no doubt wanting to catch the end of Coronation Street!

He looked at the case and recognised it immediately, even explain-

Several minutes later, another hand shot up and this time we

ing that there was £2600 in it to pay the wages on a day’s film shoot at

were off to Croydon. We hadn’t gone too far when my passenger

the company which he was associated with. He gratefully accepted the

told me that someone had left their briefcase in the back. I

case and gave me £60 from it as a reward.

assumed that it had to belong to the last couple and as I remem-

He had a worried frown on his face - no doubt concerned that his

ber the female holding it when she got in, it must have been hers.

girlfriend should have been so careless. I wondered how worried he

At Croydon, the passenger passed it to me as they paid me off and

would have been had he realised the circumstances in which the brief-

I thought that I’d have a look for any ID that would confirm it to

case was left. I decided not to add to his worries and bade him good-

be hers. So I pulled around the corner to take a quick peep.

night…

Inside the briefcase I found a mobile phone, various credit

cards and £2600 in cash. There was also a business card with a

G.G.West (V40)

Cadogan Square address.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 24

The Law of Averages decrees

Another true story from Geoff Levene

that during a career on the

roads of London, we Dial-a-Cab

drivers will at some stage fall

Remembering the

foul of the boys in blue. I can

recall three incidents - on two of

which I was adjudged (rightly, I

boys in blue...

suppose) to have crossed a red

It was soon obvious that he had learn-

light. And then there was that

ing difficulties because he couldn't speak

yellow box in Piccadilly...

and was screaming until he discovered

It was a long time ago, so I barely

the light switch and happily started play-

remember driving through the box and

ing with it.

changing lanes to avoid getting stuck. Or

I phoned 999 and the operator told me

the young copper who stopped me for

they'd had a report of a child missing from

entering a yellow box when my exit was

nearby Coniston Gardens. I naturally

not clear. I've almost certainly forgotten

assumed the operator would send a kind-

the summons where it stated that I'd

ly WPC to collect the young chap and

stopped in the box for so long, I had held

reunite him with his loved ones. He told

up the traffic when the lights changed.

me to wait there and the police would

Never think about it. Barely a memory!

come and find me. Half an hour later and

Completely gone! Oh my word yes...

I was still there, so I decided to find

But I must admit that the police have

Coniston Gardens and get the thing sort-

helped me more often than I've had a

ed myself.

‘pull’.

Then there was that time when a

At the bottom of the road, a crazy scene

There was that evening when I picked

greeted me. Two Indian women were

young Irishman climbed into the back

up two guys in the West End. One got out

of the cab as I was being paid off and

rushing from one side of the street to the

fairly soon and the other then asked to go

other in a complete panic. They seemed

refused to leave. I took him to the

to Clissold Crescent. He was small,

police station where he complained

to be the sister and the grandmother.

Scottish and looked like a boxer - albeit

When the older lady saw the boy, she

that both I and the police had assault-

an unsuccessful one judging by the state

ed him. They arrested him for being

began shouting at him - might explain

of his eyes and nose. And he coughed all

why he ran away - but then hugged him

drunk at a police station. As the sta-

the way to N16!

tion Sergeant so nicely put it: “That'll

and collapsed into my arms. So thankful-

When we arrived at a small block of

ly it all ended happily.

teach him to complain!”

flats, he jumped out and announced that

But here's an odd one. It was a winter's

Half an hour later, the police phoned

he was "just gonna see what's going on!”

me to ask if the boy had been collected. I

afternoon as I drove home up Kingsbury

With that he disappeared inside.

Road and became aware of a small Asian

explained what had happened, but he

I waited. And I waited. After 20 minutes

just said thanks and that was it!

boy with no shoes on running along the

I decided to investigate. If there was a

white line in the middle of the road. A

I wonder if they really contacted the

back entrance, I knew I might as well just

police car going the opposite way failed

family.

leave, but there was just the front. He was

to spot him. I pulled over and two

Geoff Levene (W32)

still there. There were only a few flats and

passers-by grabbed the boy, put him in

I reasoned that I might hear that cough.

the cab and I suddenly found myself in

Call Sign Online

Outside one door I heard loud drunken

charge of him!

Scottish voices. That was the one!

It was pre-mobile phone days and I

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

went back to the cab and called the DaC

dispatcher, who then got the police for

me. Two large guys arrived poste haste. My

LOCKHOUSE SECURITY

passenger was, it appeared, known to the

police. They banged loudly on the door. A

woman opened it just a crack, saw the

All types of locks, opened, repaired and replaced

blue serge and yelled out: “Where's yer

warrant?”

10% discount on keys and locks for DaC drivers

“We don't need one,” they called back

Transponders / chipped keys

through the gap, “we want to see the little

On site key cutting services including taxis

Scottish feller.”

Locks replaced / fitted to insurance specifications (BS3621

“There's no little Scottish fellers here,”

Burglary repairs / boarding up

she said - which was surprising, because

despite her being somewhat broad in the

Additional security / security upgrades

beam, he was clearly hiding behind her!

Safes opened, repaired and serviced

Now a third character appeared. Tall

Grilles and security gates

and cadaverous, he pointed his finger at

me and called out: “You're a Yiddisher

Specialists in UPVC doors and windows / patio doors

boy, why are you starting trouble for us?”

Free estimates / no call out charge

And then two policemen, a fat woman, an

24hr service

ex-boxer and this young cab-driver all

stared in wonderment as that strange

You can find us at:

character began chanting Hebrew

8-10 The Arcade, Farnham Road, Harold Hill

prayers! When this surreal situation had

calmed down, a fiver was produced and I

Tel: 01708 371115

went back to work.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 25

Yes, we know it’s no longer called an over-

haul and nowadays it involves a trip to NSL in

addition to two MOT visits, but to those dri-

vers that have been around more than a few

HOW TO DO A

years, getting the cab passed will forever be

referred to as the annual overhaul. And as

Kevan Crowther (T47) has been on Dial-a-

Cab for over 25 years, that probably places

‘DIY’ OVERHAUL

him in that category! But it still needs pass-

ing...

“Yes,” Kevan told Call Sign, “I pretty much

And even save £40 for some drivers...!

did it all myself this time, although I did

waste £40 in the process!” With that, Kevan

explained all to CS readers...

“My one year old Vito was due for the

annual ‘overhaul’ and as the cab generally

seemed to be going well, even after 42,000

miles, I thought I’d be brave and put it

through the system myself. After getting the

necessary paperwork sorted, I checked the

passenger steps were working properly, the

Rear Steer mechanism was functioning cor-

rectly and that the usual items subjected to

heavy wear - such as the front steering, wish-

bone rubber bushes and tyres - were all in

good shape and that the lights were fully

operational. I then got the cab thoroughly

valeted and took it up for what I thought was

the obligatory MOT Test prior to the actual

re-licencing procedure.

That’s when I discovered I’d wasted 40

Amazed his DIY overhaul didn't need an MOT

quid because apparently, if you present your

monthly halfway stage through its TfL licence

be deemed to have become invalid,

even

one-year-old cab for re-licencing before it’s 12

duration after that first year. The TfL website

though it is dated for one year. So my advice

months old and the current licence is due to

and NSL guidelines appear unclear on the

would be for drivers to make a note of the

expire, you do not need an MOT Certificate!

point that the cab must have a valid MOT Test

start date of the TfL Licence and get a valid

As I was presenting my taxi on the same day

Certificate throughout the duration of the TfL

MOT Test Certificate within 14 days either

that its first year licence was due to expire (at

licence, because my thinking based on advice

side of that TfL plate date for continuity.

midnight that day), it counted as being with-

from NSL, is that while the TfL licence runs

“And just one final point, the 15 year rule

in the year. I could have saved 40 greenbacks!

for the full

12 months, the MOT Test

requires cabs to be presented for licencing

Not wanting to mislead Call Sign read-

Certificate is valid for only six months, after

before their fifteenth birthday, so leave sever-

ers, we decided to check and spoke to

‘amendments’ made by TfL some time ago

al days to prepare the cab so that it can be

Alan Goldner, GM of Cricklewood

requiring all cabs to undergo bi-annual MOT

presented before that magic date, and then if

Carriers, who are conveniently placed

Testing. Failure to produce a valid MOT could

it fails for whatever reason, there is a breath-

close to an NSL Inspection site.

jeopardise the TfL licence, we suspect.

ing space to get things sorted in good time...”

“Yes, your driver is correct,” Alan con-

“There is no reminder sent out by any

Cricklewood Carriers can be contacted on

firmed. “If the cab is less than one year old -

authority to advise drivers that the MOT Test

0208 452 5461.

even by a few hours - then an MOT Certificate

is due and so my thinking is that without a

is not a requirement. However, the cab will

valid MOT Certificate, the TfL licence could

still need an MOT Test Certificate at the six-

Lee’s team get their DaC tops!

Dial-a-Cab driver Lee Pearce (J71) has been in Call Sign

many times with stories about his goal-keeping involve-

ment with several different non-league teams including

last year when with Wembley FC, the team recruited

some amazing former league stars in an attempt to get

through a few early rounds of the FA Cup. Among Lee’s

team-mates were Argentinian world cup winner

Claudio Caniggia and Premier league players Graham

LeSaux, Brian McBride, Ray Parlour and a personal

goalkeeping coach in ex-Arsenal favourite David

Seaman - not to mention the team’s technical advisor

in no less than former England and Spurs manager,

Terry Venables!

Lee is now with Evo Stik league team North

Greenford United, who are managed by former Chelse

Southampton star Neil Shipperley, and mentioned to Call Sign that the team were looking for

some sponsorship to buy matching tops and that for a relatively small outlay, we could have Dial-a-Cab put onto the shirts.

We did, they have and Lee is on the far right. Anything else you need to know!

Call Sign January 2014

Page 26

For one issue only, it’s...

WOODFORD’S

WOES

Or Wupkake’s Worner!

My first port of call was in SW3 -

I was beginning to think it

“To M&S in Kings Road -

had been a long day

assuming you are free?”

Now my celebrity punter’s on the phone to

Jackie - in LA!

I waited a while round the back of the store

Security wanted me away - oh what a bore.

Tara was coming for afternoon tea

I considered my punter’s story to tell

Percy had confirmed he’d decorated the

I always enjoy reading

The Dover Sole was ghastly,

tree.

Kupkake's Korner in Call Sign.

she’d said with a yell

I set down my fare at a quarter to four

But each time I do, it makes

Alongside a Rolls Royce

A little while longer,

outside their front door.

me recall an incident that hap-

him and her came back

pened in Queenstown Road

It was Peter Jones next for this grateful hack.

“Can you come back tomorrow - we’re

many years ago when a

I was asked if I could wait again once more

going to Newbury race track?”

So I tucked myself in, round the back door.

I had to inform them I could not go back.

punter became outraged that

My £70 fare was a reasonable one

the 'bingo chart' on the taxi’s

She’d been on the phone to

And I was satisfied now that the

partition screen had topped

her florist en route

job was all done.

Spent about a hundred or so to boot.

his taxi fare up. David Kupler

I tried to recall her films and her books,

They would go to the Hennessy

just happened to be the

Considering her age she still had her looks.

Gold Cup without me,

despatcher at the time on

I already had much nicer plans you see.

Metro Cabs on the Isle of

“Harrods will be our last stop today.”

I tried to recall what she’d

I needed a leak so hip, hip hooray.

been in at the flickers

Dogs when I told him that

I hadn't expected to have to wait again,

But all I could think of was Dynasty and

Angry from Battersea had just

But the doorman asked that I wait for this

Snickers...!

ripped up the driver’s bingo

celebrity hen.

chart, although I doubt

My bickering couple returned to my cab,

Bob Woodford

Kupkake would remember it.

Back to Eaton Place -

Call Sign Online

Bingo charts? Young drivers

I thought that would be fab.

would have no idea what I’m

talking about!

Anyway, the reason for mentioning

Kupkake is because I have had my first

(and last) ever go at a piece of poetry -

although it could never be in the same

league as the man himself...

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Where’s Joan?

The Centre offers fully qualified therapists in Physiotherapy,

He hailed my cab in Eaton Place

I thought I knew him -

Osteopathy, Sports Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Remedial

something about the face.

Massage, Indian Head Massage, Hydrotherm, Massage Therapy,

“Just had a call from the trouble and strife

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Le Caprice in St. James's - let's pick up the

wife!”

Call us on 020 8507 8169

I waited in Arlington Street a while

or mobile 07973 639 473 for an early appointment

Ten minutes later she emerged with a smile.

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

That cost a few bob did that fur coat

Out of hours enquiries welcome

Even with the shades on,

I recognised her boat.

Barking Physical Therapy Centre

90 Longbridge Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 8SF

“Good afternoon cabbie, we

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

have errands to run.”

www.bptconline.co.uk

Right thinks I - lets crack on my son.

Call Sign January 2014

Page 27

Hello Ladies & Gents,

Now that Christmas has passed and we

CONTACT CENTRE CHAT

are in to a New Year, I would firstly like

With Allan Evans

to wish all of you a happy and prosper-

so important to prove we are still the

ous 2014. I have been in my new role for

best!

a month now and I must say that every-

Finally, although I am no longer the

one in the Contact Centre has been

Compliance Officer, I would like you to

more than helpful during my bedding-in

be mindful of run-ins on all credit rides.

period and have all responded well to

Customers keep a sharp eye on the

the change of positions.

meter and exceeding the authorised

The staff have done a sterling job,

amount on arrival has recently caused a

especially during busy periods when

problem and failure to follow proce-

demand for our services were at a pre-

dures correctly has also been a cause for

mium. Answering more calls did mean

concern on certain accounts.

that more trips were being offered out,

Once again I wish you and your fami-

which seemed to cause coverage difficul-

lies all the best for 2014, a year in which

ties in problem areas at certain times of

we hope that the slow economic recov-

the day. I have mentioned many times via

ery will continue at a faster rate.

this magazine or on your terminals that

Be very lucky and drive safely...

between 8am and 10am, the south west

accounts are precious so please try your

areas often suffer bad coverage.

best to service these types of trips. Please

Battersea, Clapham and even Fulham

Allane@Dialacab.co.uk

remember these accounts will use our

seem to crop up time and time again and

Call Centre Manager

services all year round and when there

then we receive complaints from

are now so many options available, it is

DaC Operations Manager

account customers of how bad our cov-

erage is.

It doesn’t help when the same call

signs reject job after job and then

PCSOs now able to fine cyclists

either engage their meters or allow

the trip to time out, when in fact all

for no lights or reflectors...

the trip offers were and are As

Directed.

Clause 135 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and

As a driver myself, I sometimes wonder

Policing Bill will allow police community support officers

what some members are looking for and

(PCSOs) in England and Wales to stop and fine cyclists

why after waiting for trip offers, they are

who do not have lights or reflectors fitted on their bikes.

willing to lose a queue position and start

Reflectors must also be on the bike’s pedals - even

though clipless pedals don’t have reflectors fitted to

all over again. Trips from SW11 and SW6

them.

going to the city or further afield to

The Bill completed its passage through the House of

Canary Wharf or even LCA are nice jour-

Commons on 15th October and is now subject to parlia-

neys, so yet again I would like you to not

mentary scrutiny in the House of Lords. The Bill is

only help the Contact Centre but also

expected to receive Royal Assent by the end of the session, in spring 2014.

yourselves.

The Bill also introduces simpler and more effective powers to tackle anti-social behaviour to

In this highly competitive market, all

provide better protection for victims and communities. The Bill also tackles irresponsible dog own-

ership and the use of illegal firearms by gangs and organised criminal groups, strengthens the

protection afforded to the victims of forced marriage and those at risk of sexual harm.

However, so far as cyclist organisations are concerned, the Bill has been met with shrugged

shoulders as they claim many cyclists remove reflectors from their bicycles even though the use of

such reflectors - including on pedals - are legal requirements.

Police officers can already fine cyclists for not using lights and reflectors, but PCSOs had been

powerless.

THE CALL SIGN INTERNET LIBRARY

Want to look up something in

an old issue of Call Sign?

Don’t want to spend hours looking through old issues?

There is a simple answer - the Call Sign Internet Library!

Log on to www.dac-callsign.co.uk or on to www.dac-callsi

Then either browse through every issue of Call Sign since

1998 by using the Search facility or type in a clue and let

our search engine do the rest…

If you want to read each complete issue with ads et al, you can now do that as

well. Since May 2006, Call Sign has also gone online in a PDF version. Just click

the PDF logo. No search facility for that though!

There are also issues from 1967, 1977 and 1987 as a reminder of the old days!

Happy searching!

THE CALL SIGN INTERNET LIBRARY

Call Sign January 2014

Page 28

Hell in my taxi!

It was back in 2000 and I was Dial-a-Cab’s

Complaints Officer. A young lady called Toni

Harman, together with her boyfriend Alex

Wakefield - who were and still are the owners

TOM’S TALES...

of Alto Films - contacted me asking if I could

find a taxi driver to make a short film that they

entertained with a pageant depicting her life

wanted to enter into the Raindance Film

during those 100 years.

Festival in London’s West End.

After the Queen Mother and Prince Charles

The film, Taxi Hell, was the story of a man

had passed, the crowd fell quiet until the

being picked up from his Highbury home and

Daimler approached, then once again cheers

taken to his government office in Westminster.

and laughter rang out. This may have been why

On route the taxi driver speaks of many subjects

the Protection Police turned quickly around, as

that were in the news and gives his views, some

it was unexpected. The Daimler driver was also

of which today could be classed as not political-

unsure what was going on behind, as there is no

ly correct, but in those days were considered as

rear view mirror in the Royal car, so curiosity

humour. DaC drivers know of my classes taken

getting the better of him, he broke protocol by

at the Bernard Manning School of diplomacy!

turning round to see what was amusing the

Then during the journey, the passenger

crowd.

in the back of the taxi (an actor) trans-

The spectacle he saw was Billy Tallon sit-

forms by changing out of his office suit and

ting in the back with one of the corgis on his

replacing it with women’s attire, including

lap, its paw in his hand waving it to the

a wig and padded bra!

crowd! The following day a photo of the

filmmakers and set up Brighton Film

Toni, who had written the script, gave it to

amusing incident appeared in most of the

Workshops in 2008, aiming to help indepen-

me on the morning and a short film it may have

daily papers.

dent filmmakers get their first film off the

been to them, but to me it looked like War and

After all the celebrations, instead of the cor-

ground. I, on the other hand, have only made a

Peace! After reading the first few paragraphs, I

gis on the return journey the passengers in the

further three short films - but then I’m only a

told Toni that no taxi driver would talk like that

back of the Daimler were the ladies-in-waiting.

London taxi driver...!

so she allowed me to adlib during the journey.

One of them bore a striking resemblance to the

The 22nd Raindance Festival takes place in

This was hard for Alex, who was operating the

Princess Royal and as the car drove up the Mall,

London from September 24th to October 5th

camera from a crushed position inside my

the crowds were calling out to the person they

2014.

Metrocab’s luggage compartment, because

thought was Princess Anne. They were not to

some of my ad-libbing made him laugh so much

know it was a lady in waiting, but it made them

that he couldn’t hold the camera steady. The 10

Tom: By Royal

very happy to think they had seen yet another

minute film took all day to record!

member of the Royal family.

One of the funniest bits was in Smith

Appointment

How do I know these facts? Probably because

Square, when the actor in the back was replac-

The beautiful glossy coats of the grey stallions

I was the driver of the Daimler on that day! I had

ing his female attire with his men’s clothing but

shone in the evening sunlight, the polished

worked as a relief chauffeur alongside her three

had to get out of the taxi to get his trousers on.

leather and brass of the reins and bridles

full-time chauffeurs for 17 years up until Her

At a crucial time, the trousers slipped from his

sparkling. They were pulling HRH Queen

Majesty the Queen’s Mothers death on 31

hand and ended up round his ankles, which

Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s carriage as she

March 2002 at the age of 101.

unsurprisingly sent me into tears of laughter -

left Clarence House, accompanied by Prince

Just two of Tom’s tales...

although he wondered why I found it so amus-

Charles. She was also escorted by the Cavalry

ing. I had to tell him that there were CCTV cam-

from Knightsbridge barracks and followed by

Tom Whitbread

eras on the Conservative Party HQ which were

armed Royal Protection Police. Then came her

DaC Board Member

no doubt relaying his efforts to Scotland Yard!

Rolls Royce with ladies-in-waiting, while bring-

The film was well received at the

ing up the rear was her Daimler in which sat

Raindance Festival, coming second to a

Billy Tallon, her Page of the Backstairs with

film about apartheid that starred Beth

her beloved corgis.

Winslet, the sister of Kate.

As the procession entered The Mall,

I’ve since learned from Toni that the film has

crowds cheered and shouted their approval,

been shown in over 40 countries. Meanwhile

because the Queen Mother had reached her

Toni and Alex have become well recognised as

100th birthday and was on her way to be

Hungry?

Nellie’s waiting!

20% off the bill when you show your badge

Great pastas, chicken, steaks, fish and roasts!

Nellie's Restaurant

12-13 Greville Street, EC1N 8SB

Show your badge and it’s 20% o

Open 9.30 am to 12 pm

Free parking from 6.30 pm

Call Sign January 2014

Page 29

Mailshot

Either write to Call Sign at

Just as Paul has pointed out, many dri-

vers are already unhappy with current

Dial-a-Cab House

prices because of the traffic and waiting

or email us at

time. Without those two elements, the

callsignmag@aol.com

prices are reasonable. But sadly you can’t

wave a wand to get rid of traffic.

After all, if drivers really want to discuss

I don’t know what else I can say Paul,

anything, they could have put forward a

Fixed prices

other than perhaps drivers will under-

proposition that would have involved a

Dear Alan

stand why I am constantly criticising

discussion at the AGM. Even without that,

I know this is not your department, but I’d

Hailo for what they have done to this

AOB can accommodate them. But even

just like to ask your opinion on a fixed

trade. Every time a driver accepts a Hailo

then there needs to be a large turnout

price job I did recently. The trip was from a

trip, they are helping to turn us into

and although I hope there will be one, I

large account in Bank Street going to

minicabs and our loss of this account

just can’t see it. But the Board will read

Basinghall Avenue at approximately 9.20

proves that because not for one second

your letter Bruno and perhaps see things

am with an f/p of £19.30. The passenger

do I think that other taxi company want-

differently from me ...Ed

came out almost eight minutes after I

ed to go down the road of no run-ins etc.

arrived (it was not pre booked). The traffic

I now wonder what the future holds and

was horrific, but it’s like that every day from

what future tenders will look like because

Picking and choosing?

Canary Wharf to the City at that time of day.

in reality, a 200+ page tender could have

Dear Alan

The job went £27.60 on the meter, so with

been reduced to just one page and indeed

Dial-a-Cab’s future has surely to be built on

a gratuity it would have been £30. I con-

with just one line on it and then just one

one thing - coverage. Individuals using Hailo

tacted the office but they said it was out of

question: How much??? ...Ed

and other apps are very cost conscious, but

their hands.

to large companies surely a cab outside their

Do you think this sort of thing seems like

home / office within a few minutes is the

the beginning of the end? I would be inter-

EGM?

most important thing. That's not to say cost

ested to hear what you think of this as many

Dear Sir

is not important, but we should make sure

drivers will probably have the same experi-

Alter reading Mr Paul Hammett`s (V42) let-

we are putting the account customers first. I

ence.

ter in the November Call Sign, I’d like to add

know one account in SE1W who knew that if

Paul Charters (J08)

my own thoughts. Firstly, I too was a £1 per

he ordered a cab to W4 it would be covered,

month subscriber but I do realise these are

but a trip to SE1E would leave him waiting.

Hi Paul, I understand exactly what you

difficult times and if we are to survive, we

He felt drivers were picking and choosing

mean and I’m sure I would have been

must all pull together. I also believe we have

and his interest should have been put first.

equally as miffed. But I’d like to use your

a future on DaC, but if we are to move for-

He closed the account.

letter to answer a few drivers who have

ward then I feel we need to hold an EGM to

The way I work is that if the pick-up is eas-

told me that had we offered the account

have a serious debate to see how we can best

ily reachable, then the job destination is not

you refer to no run-ins or gratuities etc in

continue. Hopefully we will get some new

that important. After all, you get the run-in

our tender, then we may well have kept it

ideas from some of our younger members.

and that's why it should remain. However,

after the end of January. The same dri-

For example, do we have to restructure on a

sometimes this is not the case and you

vers told me that most of them would

smaller level?

should be able to reject for that reason

have covered the work at what would be

As for our trade leadership, I am sure we

alone. Instead of choosing a job destination,

a much cheaper rate in order to keep the

all realise that they are working behind the

maybe we should have a system where the

account. But as you point out, the f/p rate

scenes. But it does seem that we are often

first three trips you cover each day are As

is often lower than needed when faced

presented with a fait accompli when each

Directed? After that, trips are unmasked as

with vht. I’m sure you know the account

time a new policy is decided on without

usual. I don't know if that is possible or even

I’m referring to, as the taxi company that

referring to us; after all it is our future. It

popular, but it would get more trips covered

won the tender has all but told their dri-

seems our trade leaders spend all their ener-

quickly, which must be our aim going for-

vers the name. But DaC has agreed not to

gy attacking each other - and especially DaC.

ward. Coverage is king!

publicise the name until the contract has

This has not been a very good example of

James Whiting (E83)

ended in January. To ensure acceptance

trade unity. At least Mr Rice appears to reach

of lower fares, I also believe the other

out to all in a conciliatory manner, only to be

Brian Rice replies: You are right James,

taxi company has been recruiting East

met with deceit all round.

coverage is King. There isn't any point in

sector yellow badge drivers who perhaps

I will leave it at that for now and hope we

having a cheap cab that doesn't arrive!

would be more content with a smaller

have good attendance figures at our AGM in

Regarding your suggestion, it seems like

return.

February.

a good idea. However, the problem we

Your letter suggests that not everyone

B. Manfredi (F23)

have is that if we introduced it, Members

would agree with a policy of working so

would revert it to the Status Quo at the

cheap because it is very easy for drivers

Thanks for an interesting letter Bruno.

first AGM. I believe that A/D Non

to say they will cover work, but the fact is

Every year I virtually beg drivers to

rejectable 24 hours a day would be a good

that when it’s busy and traffic is heavy,

attend the AGM, after all it’s just a few

solution. I also happen to believe that

would those drivers run from the Tower

hours. But I still can’t remember the last

Members would again reverse the deci-

to the Island for no run-in? No problem

time the total at the meeting actually

sion at the first AGM, so what would be

when it’s quiet and drivers are queuing

reached three figures! That tells me that

the point? Being a Mutual Trading demo-

up at Cabot Square, but the business fore-

drivers just don’t want to go, so to force

cratic Society is our biggest strength - and

cast suggests that it is getting busier - as

an EGM on them for what would be a gen-

also our greatest weakness.

indeed it is.

eral discussion is, in my view, pointless.

We are starting to build a new

Call Sign January 2014

Page 30

Mailshot

continued from page 29

minutes with meter running on time only.

Yes there is no run-in, but if the job is not

despatching engine that will operate with

close, just press ‘No Thanks’. Rejects (or in

the closest cab. When that has been

Hailo terms, ‘No Thanks’) are not penalised.

finalised, we will definitely review the sit-

I pay Hailo 10% for the privilege of run-

uation. In the meantime, James, keep

ning for free and waiting for the job but a) I

doing what you are doing, that is how the

don’t run far and b) as shown above, the

much more less demoralising than finding

radio should be used and I guarantee you

wait is not a problem. On the other hand

you are number 74 in a queue.

will earn better than the 'cherry pick-

DaC subs, whilst a static weekly charge, con-

Alan Nash (A95)

ers'...

vert this to a percentage and my personal

percentages are:- Year 08/09 11.1%,

09/10

Alan’s Nash’s Numbers is, and has been

14.1%, 10/11 13.8%, 11/12 13.8%, 12/13

for many years, one of the most impor-

To Hailo or not to

16.9% (although I was also doing Hailo work

tant pages in Call Sign where it provides

Hailo???

for 4 months in this accounting year).

drivers with information to help their

Hi Al

Hailo is not for the lazy who enjoy sitting

working day. However - and I know Alan

Most articles I’ve read recently are to banish

around with meter on or off. The amount of

realises this - our views on Hailo differ

Hailo - it being the demise of the taxi trade.

work is plentiful, so most of the time your

greatly. Reading the Chairman’s answer

However I think most articles are from dri-

wheels are turning. Remember when BT was

to James Whiting’s letter above seems to

vers and management who have not tried

privatised, the public went wild that there

suggest that DaC is planning to go the

the service. As an OAP and with DaC for 17

was now competition. The cry that we

way Alan suggests in his final paragraph.

years, I’ve been loyal but unlikely to last

should all use our local shops but how many

I can’t comment because I also knew

another 13 years for the discount. I have

of you spend more in your local Londis than

nothing about it until I read it, but it does

been doing DaC and cash for the last 17

Tesco?.

appear to be the way to go after years of

years and Hailo for the past 6 months. Is this

Where am I going with this? It’s not an

holding out against every job being called

unfaithful to DaC? We all do street cash

advert for Hailo. Hailo and DaC are like a

as A/D or to be offered a trip when you

work, which does not cost subs or waiting at

screwdriver and a chisel, both useful tools

are a few miles away but get it because

pre-booked jobs. Are these drivers unfaithful

but with different uses. I believe we lost a

you booked into the zone where the job

by not covering all DaC offered jobs? We are

number of 30 year plus drivers when the £1

was. I’m sure that Brian or our IT depart-

all self-employed businessmen and women,

subs were increased. Do DaC dare ban

ment will explain more very soon.

this is our income and we have to work as

Hailo? I don’t talk to many DaC drivers but

But I can comment on Hailo and I dis-

smartly as possible to ensure it. Bankers find

when I do, they are either on Hailo or think-

agree with virtually all of Alan’s com-

wheezes to increase profitability. DaC intro-

ing about joining. Banning Hailo will result

ments. Most of my reasons are in the

duced Concierge, which provides another

in losing many more drivers. So what should

reply to Paul Charters. But I think a

income stream (arguably) etc. If I were

DaC do? My cab is free of any Hailo signage,

recent press article on Hailo said it all - it

asked, DaC is the best provider of a corpo-

this is best for DaC account work and not

is only London and Dublin Hailos that

rate taxi service. Hailo is the best provider

one Hailo passenger has queried my DaC

are in profit out of the cities that use it.

for a personal taxi service. Hailo has taken a

signage. Possibly banning Hailo signage for

Coincidentally, it is only London and

lot of work from AL, but the downside is that

DaC drivers would be acceptable. Also, don’t

Dublin where the drivers rather than the

business accounts want to jump in on the no

accept cash bookings, especially pre-booked

passengers pay! No run-in? No gratuity?

run-ins and free 5 minute wait. For a big

cash (don’t say we don’t as I have covered

Free waiting? We give up cash work so

account this will give severe coverage prob-

some). Difficult to cover and gives DaC a bad

Hailo can have it? Perhaps our cash cov-

lems as we just will not cover AD jobs. But

reputation. Then there is ‘soon to clear’ - a

erage isn’t brilliant, but Hailo’s is far

for those who say Hailo is killing the taxi

charter for cheating. It does nothing to help

worse. You can say what you like Alan,

trade, I beg to differ. Here are some of my

coverage, gives a false driver view of the cabs

Hailo has turned its drivers into minicabs

comments.

in an area and is a pain if you forget. Ban it.

and you really can’t blame passengers for

80% plus of passengers are waiting on the

We should also move the EC5 changeover to

asking why a DaC taxi with a Hailo stick-

kerb to be picked up. 15% are in the cab

midnight. Sitting on the EC10 St Bride St

er can work cheaper for one but not the

within 3 minutes. 4% a wait of 4-5 minutes

from QP 74 to be offered an EC5 non-

other. And speaking of that coverage, it

and only 4 jobs in over 500 jobs have I had

rejectable job that goes from Ropemaker

appears that Hailo had no alternative but

to put the meter on before they got in. So on

Street to the Angel is ludicrous.

to bring in minimum charges as their

average the free 5 minute wait is nowhere

Then there’s A/D or not A/D. Other than 7

coverage was so poor - and again coinci-

near as bad as it is made out to be.

- 10 in the morning, EC5 and E14 after

dentally no doubt, it will increase their

Corporate accounts would abuse this facility.

21:00 being A/D, we have coverage prob-

10% ‘take’ from drivers - assuming LTPH

If a Hailo job is scrubbed 1 min after it has

lems. Why? Because a job that is local or

ever decide whether it is legal or not. I

been accepted, there is a £5 scrub fee. With

shown as A/D which will be local (very few

too am a pensioner, but I would rather

a DaC account job, I doubt if the meter

flyers) will be rejected due to waiting in a

retire than work for a company that

would be on within 1 minute of a job, hence

long queue of drivers and if nearing the

turns us into minicab drivers. And inci-

no payment. They can scrub for free if you

front will wait for a better job. If the queue is

dentally Alan, AL have had their busiest

are more than 2 minutes late, but you

not too long, it will be passed to an adjacent

period for years, so the suggestion that

wouldn’t take the trip if the traffic’s bad. If

zone and comments about Hailo and run-

Hailo has taken all this work from them

you are going to be late, most of the time the

ning for free (our run-in is just an extra

seems to fall a bit flat. However, ask non-

passenger will wait if you ring them. The

£1.80 and that’s not very far). The only way

radio drivers about street work and many

personal contact by mobile is a great step

to improve coverage is ‘nearest cab’ and all

will say that it is down, since Hailo makes

forward. If you can’t contact passengers by

A/D. May not be liked but perhaps the Dodo

it pointless to go out on the street to hail

phone after 5 minutes, job scrubbed, £5

didn’t change to its local environment

a cab when it will come to you for noth-

scrub fee paid. No waiting for someone else

either. Having a nearby job offered out of the

ing. And yes, the difference of £1.80 is

to ring them or told to sit for another 15

blue that nobody else has rejected is so

not a fortune, but after 5 minutes when

Call Sign January 2014

Page 31

Mailshot

continued from page 30

Hailo is on £2.40, a radio taxi can be on

Marshals continued...

£6.20. And that, Alan, is closer to £4.00

I would like to elaborate on my suggestion

and worth running for… Ed

in the last issue of Call Sign regarding the

permanent positioning of a Marshal at E14’s

Allan Evans responds: Hi Stephen, your

Run-ins...

Island.

points have been noted but I do believe

Hi Alan

The DaC marshal calls for a cab, cab

that having a permanent Marshal on the

After reading the letter from Clarence

arrives, driver’s call sign is confirmed, the

Island would be quite an expensive pro-

Ishmael (R54) in the December Call Sign, I

passenger is informed and the marshal tells

ject and not cost effective. Allocating spe-

have to say that I fully agree with him regard-

the DaC driver to engage his meter. It is then

cific types of taxis would also probably

ing run-ins and gratuities. If Dial-a- Cab did

up to the customer as to how much will be

not be seen as a fair and equal system to

away with run-ins and gratuities, then I think

on the meter when the journey starts.

a large portion of members and with

I would have to leave the circuit. Whilst

Elegance accounts: You will remember in

competitors offering drastically reduced

everybody wants things cheaper year on year

the heat of summer that drivers were com-

charges, I do believe that to add sur-

(and I don't blame them), we charge a pre-

plaining in Call Sign that some customers

charges on to the meter in this current

mium because we offer a premium service.

were asking for a Vito because they all had

environment would be restrictive, espe-

At present, my gratuities pay my subscrip-

rear aircon, so there is a market out there.

cially if we are trying to generate new

tions, if I then had to pay subs from my earn-

Yes, I know about ComCab’s Club.Class, but

business.

ings (without run-ins or grats), it would not

that was before 1/ Aircon, 2/ mobile phones

be worth being on the circuit. If that hap-

and 3/ on-board computers. To save anyone

pened I might as well go over to the ‘dark

asking, I drive an X reg cab.

Hailo and PCNs

side’ and work Hailo and Get Taxi. That is

I believe that all cabs on the Elegance

Whatever your views are about Hailo, it’s

not what I want at all. I love DaC and want

account should be Vitos, TX4s (or TX5s if

also worth remembering one thing. They

us to prosper. It's a fine financial line we

they appear) with all round aircon. It would

will not under any circumstances pay for

tread, that's for sure.

be an executive account carrying an appro-

Penalty Charge Notices while you are cover-

Paul Heatley (V09)

priate surcharge. If it works, drivers will

ing their work...

upgrade their vehicles and certainly kick

Gary Johnson (P28)

I’ve heard nothing about gratuities going

Addy Lee into touch and perhaps even

Paul, but what if a huge account wanted

Concierge. Minicabs can pay for their own

Thanks Gary. Judging by reports about

to come to DaC but refused to consider

marketing... in fact Elegance can replace

loads of work but very poor coverage in

tips? Would that make any difference?

Concierge.

November, they wouldn’t have that many

...Ed

Stephen Field (F68J)

PCNs to worry about ...Ed

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