Boston, Massachusetts (USA) Police Department are to force all licensed cabs to be on radio. Under new rules soon to be implemented, every licensed taxi operating in Boston must join one of the six recognised radio circuits. Not only will they have to pay up to $80 a week in subs, but they must re-paint their vehicles to conform to one of the six team colours.
   Needless to say there is strong opposition to this new regulation by many of the non-radio cabmen and they have hired a lawyer to fight it. However, Boston Police Captain Al Sweeney insists the new law will increase the quality of service, it will be an additional safety factor for both the driver and passenger and also make it easier to contact the driver in the case of emergencies.
   Other laws recently introduced include forcing owners to keep their vehicles in top condition and drivers to be more presentable. Cabs are to be inspected twice a year and cannot be more than six years old.
Al Sweeney goes on to say; "We're providing the community with a safe driver and a cab with a driver who can speak English and knows the city. Get into a gypsy cab (minicab), none of those are guaranteed."

Forbidden From Using Two Way Radio

During 1986 I was in New York attending an ITLA conference when the-then Mayor introduced new regulations which forbade Yellow cabs (ie medallions which are on par with the licensed cab in London) from using two way radio to procure business. His reasoning was that Yellow cabs should work the streets and radio cabs should be for people who wish to book over the phone or operate account work. These regulations are still in force today and because of it, the emergence of a growing number of quality and very professional radio taxi companies, operating sedans. limo's, bikes and para-transit's.
   I've often heard it said that every cab in London should be on radio. I once lived in Zurich for six months where every licensed cab was on radio and the system there operated whereby cabs could only be hired from a taxi stand. If there were no cabs on the stand, there was a free telephone system which was linked to a central control unit which broadcasted to all the licensed cabs informing them that cabs were needed at a

particular stand.
   A similar system of hiring cabs from stands operated in Munich where I also lived for a period of time but where the authorities had a much tighter control on the taxi industry. For example, taxi meters were checked every quarter to determine earnings, hours worked and miles covered.

On To The Nitty Gritty!

So what is the relevance of the above? Well under normal circumstances, very little, accept that systems that operate in other countries are sometimes studied when looking to introduce new methods here. And with our trade soon to undergo radical changes and possibly new traffic schemes as well, people within the trade should be equally knowledgeable of the systems that operate elsewhere and be prepared in case: 

1. Any suggestion of them operating here should be detrimental and... 
2. Good ideas could be implemented voluntarily.

For the licensed taxi trade in London to be a success and to remain the envy of the world, it is to a large extent in the hands of yourselves. Your cab is a business and you yourself are a businessman, (or woman) although for some strange reason, a lot of cabbies don't see it that way. Many think because they are in the service industry, that they are inferior. An attitude recently endorsed by the editor of a trade paper who believes that no one has a good word for the cab trade and that we are treated like peasants - which is absolute nonsense. Others in the service industry such as doctors, nurses, hoteliers, police, lawyers, dustmen and postmen etc don't think that way. So why should a cab driver?
   Unfortunately, this is an industry made up of almost 22,000 insular individuals with no one person to lead or give a directive. Perhaps there is a need for a simple piece of literature outlining a common objective and guidelines on how it can be achieved plus a few tips on self motivation.

"Going To A Wedding, Driver?"

Recently I was picked up by one of our drivers who was a model example of what the trade needs to be a success. He arrived promptly, he was friendly, courteous, had an immaculately clean cab and was so smartly dressed that I jokingly asked him if he was going to a wedding. What's more, his book showed he did a high percentage of account work. He was a credit to our society and the cab trade. I was so impressed, as I'm sure our clients were. That's quality service leading by example. I told him that if we had 1700 like him, we could demand £15 minimums and leave the private hire for dead - and I meant it. Several years ago, I introduced our executive service which was non rejectable and carried a £5.00 premium. When marketing it, I aimed the service at the MD's of all our clients and during the first month I opened over 600 accounts. Which proves if the quality of service is high, clients will willingly pay for it.
   Mentioning earlier the likely changes in traffic schemes, reminds me of a system which I believe could still assist in easing London's traffic problems and ultimately help the cab trade. The place was Hamburg and they operated a system which involved enormous multi-storey car parks situated at various points on the outskirts of the city. On paying to park your vehicle in the car park, the parking ticket allowed you to travel by bus to the city centre. Cars were not banned from going into town but conveniently situated car parks and free access by bus simply encouraged people to park up instead of using their car and in doing so freed up the city of it's traffic.

And Finally...

Finally on a lighter note: Remembering this German system reminds me of an amusing incident that happened when I first lived in Hamburg. A work colleague loaned me his white VW Beetle. I arrived very early at the car park which was completely empty but I didn't take care to notice exactly where I parked nor note the car registration number. When I returned to collect the car in the evening, practically every floor of the entire car park consisted of white VW Beetles! I ended up sitting in the freezing cold for hours waiting for the park to empty....!

Allen Togwell