As we enter the final year of the
Millennium, the cab trade stands at a cross roads. Behind it; 300 plus years of constant
legislation and regulation and a proud history. A reputation that is absolutely
second-to-none in a world-wide trade. The future, as always, is full of endless
possibilities. But the past has a right to be considered when the future is legislated
for. At the beginning of November, I asked Eddie Lambert (V27) - one of this trade’s
most prolific letter writers - if he would consider contributing an article to Call Sign
on where he thought the cab trade might be in ten years time.
He has decided to write three versions: one in which the architects of our
world-wide reputation - the Public Carriage Office - bow to laissez faire pressures and
take the easy options (The Black Future); an optimistic one in which the PCO take bold
radical and courageous decisions (The White Future); and perhaps the scariest of all - the
nightmare of the ‘O’ licence which could make even the Black Future picture seem
bright.
This series of three articles will be spread over the next three issues
starting with… |
THE BLACK FUTURE. ( December 2009)
The beginning of the end started with the loss of over 300 non-wheelchair
accessible cabs and most of their drivers. The world-wide recession, coupled with the
recent changes in legislation regarding the legitimisation of Minicabs and the continued
scandalous lack of efficient enforcement, meant that most of these drivers decided that
they were not prepared to invest £10,000 to £30,000 on another cab and left the trade,
some to actually become minicab drivers.
This was followed up by another body-blow to the trade; the decision to let
any minicab driver who could show three years accounts have a Private Hire Badge without
even taking the new simplified PH Knowledge. This simplified Knowledge also meant that
very few from outside the families of Hackney drivers applied for the traditional Hackney
Knowledge. This accounted for a shortfall of about 500 drivers every year.
What could have been the knockout blow to the trade occurred in December
2007. As the number of cab drivers fell, those on the radio circuits found that they could
make a very good living on the radio only and so avoid any of the perceived risks
associated with street work. Virtually all new badge holders |
major shareholders, started to take on Private
Hire drivers but this only led to most of it’s Hackney drivers immediately leaving
for the other two circuits.
Then disaster; the son of a cabinet Minister was raped after his push bike
had developed a puncture in Hyde Park one evening and he had been unable to flag down a
Taxi as they were all doing radio work. Because the trade had always strenuously defended
its sole right to ply for hire, the government decided that from now on, that is all they
would be able to do and ordered the removal of all two way radios and data despatch
equipment from taxis.
This had two effects. The compensation pay-outs to the two mutual societies
meant that many drivers promptly retired or left the trade and many of the rest, having
worked only radio for years, swallowed their pride and bought limos with their
compensation money and joined the Private Hire trade. The West London shareholders were
highly delighted at the return on the very small investment that they had made in the late
90's and promptly left the London Scene.
Now as we face the future and the year 2010 - seriously depleted in numbers -
there is talk in Parliament of letting the Private Hire drivers ply for hire at peak
hours.
This is the Black Future. Next month, the White
Future…Eddie Lambert |
