Has Tom Whitbread Lost The Plot? I read the Drivers’ Operations report written by Tom in the May edition of Call Sign with a sense of incredulity. His remarks cannot be allowed to pass without further comment. Instead of using his column in a positive manner to promote Dial-a-Cab or the taxi trade, he uses it to denigrate our members and furthermore suggests we use the Society's resources to set up a pseudo limousine service which for all intents and purposes, would be a minicab circuit.
   In his first column he lists a number of complaints, accusing our drivers of being loud mouthed, uncouth and unprofessional. Even if these scenarios were typical, which they are not, I would suggest that he looks to his own standard of professionalism before rushing to such sweeping judgements. This kind of generalisation is offensive to the majority and not what one would expect from the ‘Gentleman’s Circuit.’
   Further in his article, he gives his views on the kind of limousine service he would like to see foisted onto the Society. He says: "The Society will need to have a radical rethink and may need to employ non-taxi drivers at a much lower rate for the limousines to capture the work."
   How, I would like to know, is this beneficial to the members of Dial-a-Cab or to the taxi trade? If this is not advocating the setting up of a minicab circuit, I don’t know what is. Somehow, I can’t remember Tom expressing these views when he was seeking election. Perhaps Tom needs to be reminded that ODRTS is a co-operative of licensed taxi drivers, owned by the members and run on their behalf. Some people seem to forget this when they have been sitting behind a desk for a few years.
Paul Webb (P62)

AND AGAIN…

In reply to Tom "Prophet Of Doom" Whitbread's article on limos (May Call Sign), firstly I would like to know if his opinion on limos and who would drive them, has the full backing of the BoM? I would like Brian Rice to comment on this article in the next issue of Call Sign.
   Does Tom realise the implications of employing non-taxi drivers? I think not!! Does the Society have the facility to do a full criminal check on any prospective applicant? Would he/she have the Knowledge to do the job? Would he/she be a person of reputable character? Would he/she undergo a health check? These are stipulations that all licensed drivers have undergone - and passed - by the authorities.
   If you were to get away with this, one of two things would happen: You would immediately be promoted to the Office of Chairman( the position would be for life)!! or you will receive an overwhelming vote of no confidence and you will be forced to resign and retire into obscurity.
   You mention "…£20 an hour and at that rate going bust in a matter of months". How much do we, the drivers, pay you and other Board Members? There is an old saying - pay peanuts and you get monkeys!
   What figure had you in mind to pay these non-taxi drivers? If it were to be that low, then could you make a profit? We would have a situation where we could be competing for work and losing it to someone who you would employ. Obviously, any revenue from this madness would still go to the Society but us poor mortals would not get a slice of the action! I fear that you will receive a fierce backlash - whether it be like me writing to Call Sign or by the verbal route. Tom, think hard and think long before you ever make such a statement which could have serious repercussions - as this will if it ever came into being.
Paul Shaw (B19) via email

In the May issue of Call Sign, Tom Whitbread gives his personal opinions with regard the employment of non-taxi drivers. He is of course quite entitled to give his views as I hope we all are, however, what puzzles me is that he has written this in the middle of his Drivers Operations Report and therefore in his capacity of the head of Drivers Operations and a Board member. You’d have thought that he would have realised that he is dealing with a very sensitive and controversial subject. He uses the word ‘ limousines’; what exactly does he mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines the word as follows:- "A luxury motor car with a compartment for passengers and a separate compartment for the driver". As I am sure that the manufacturers of London taxicabs consider their vehicles to be luxurious (for the price they are, they ought to be) we already have sixteen hundred of them on the circuit. So is it the drivers that Mr.Whitbread wants to change? We all know that today the word limousine is used far more loosely, often to describe almost any saloon car used by an operator in order to impress his customers. If Tom has another definition, perhaps he would care to give us some examples. Therefore I believe that what he is referring to is car hire or mini cabs. If Mr. Whitbread is so convinced the future lays in that business, he should put his money where his mouth is and open his own minicab office. Do not use our money to deprive us of our livelihood and reduce the value of our taxicabs.
   During the past two years, I have voiced my fears privately to some of our subscribers, on what Tom is now saying. Many thought I was being alarmist and nearly all stated that this could not be done without the members consent. Unfortunately, I do not think this the case. There is nothing to stop the Society trading through a subsidiary limited company almost in any business that it wishes. It is that company that could employ these cheaper non-taxi drivers. We already own two dormant limited companies - I ought to know, I formed them! Not for the purpose that they may now be used for, but to prevent anyone else (particularly a minicab operator) from registering a company with the name of Dial-a-Cab Limited. I passed them to the Society at the price they cost me to form and without any charge for my time or effort. I might as well not have bothered, for if Mr. Whitbread’s ideas come to fruition, it is a mini-cab business that these Companies could be used for with us financing the operation and paying the drivers wages! Ah some might say, we would throw the out the BoM if that happened. It is not quite as simple as that. Even if this did come about and the BoM was replaced, the incoming Board could find that they were faced with serious financial commitments by way of car leasing agreements, service contracts, property leases and bank borrowing. No doubt you will be told that I am scare-mongering or just a trouble maker. Well just take a look around some of the trade organisations and see what has happened to them in the past few years.
   Some might say "if we do not do it, someone else will." But there is an alternative which I am prepared to put into print in a further article. But it is not an easy option - nothing that is worth preserving ever is. In the meantime, let me assure my fellow working cab drivers that as long as I have breath to speak, and strength to hold a pen, the suggestions made in Mr. Whitbread’s report will not go unopposed by me. Threats of victimisation will not deter me, I will not be intimidated as others elsewhere have learned at their cost. The only thing I fear is the apathy of many of the drivers who will only wake up when their livelihood has gone and what the world regards as it’s finest taxi service has been destroyed.
Cecil Selwyn (V76)

AND MORE…

Another great Call Sign (May) and judging by what I've heard, you must have a sackload of response, hopefully!!!. As you often say "it's the members forum," and that includes members of the BoM as they are members too.
   We are called to an AGM to vote on BoM members every two years and we make a democratic decision 

Firstly, Limos or minicabs? Everyone is writing and talking about them (May Call Sign). Brian Rice, Tom Whitbread, Mike Son, David Adelman and even Mailshot couldn’t escape those dreaded words - minicab or limo. It seems that most of the management think we need to offer our customers an alternative car service. Surely we need to educate ourselves and learn the facts about the opposition (drivers and management). Perhaps Call Sign could have a few articles because nobody seems to know, or make clear, the difference between a car service, executive car service, limo or chauffeur driven service. If we are to compete or beat them, we must know what we are doing. I think we should restrain from a car service but 

Call Sign Home Page

Page 28

Powered by NetXPosure