HIGHLIGHTS THIS ISSUE P4 LTC’S FACTORY MOVE PLAN Cab firm expects good year P5 MONEYBOX GREED EXPOSED Council workers’ ticket haul joy P7 MINICAB DRIVER JAILED TAXI 8 years for gang war killing P36 LTDA MOT OFFER Halfords discount deal The official publication of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association | www.ltda.co.uk | @TheLTDA No.296 | 25 JUNE 2013 SEE PAGE 2 THE TURKS ARE COMING More readers than the rest put together. Ask any driver! LTDA 2 TAXI |25 JUNE 2013 www.ltda.co.uk | @TheLTDA NEWS The Turks are coming! By Wim Faber those with impaired mobility, people travelling in wheelchairs, the elderly and London’s taxi drivers could be about people with strollers, prams and those to go from a famine to a feast in 2014, with a lot of luggage.” with a wider choice of taxi models The generously proportioned than ever before. Concept V1 has a remarkably fast Nissan recently unveiled its electrically operated wheelchair London version of the NV200 cab, ramp, which can be used on either and an electric version of the same side of the cab. taxi model is due to follow. What a definite head turner it was But at the recent London Motor last week! As it rounded the corner at Expo in Canary Wharf, Turkish car Canary Wharf’s Jubilee concourse, manufacturer Karsan unveiled its cab drivers were suddenly confronted “From a famine to a feast” own new taxi. by a familiar, yet unfamiliar, taxi. The company’s CEO’s Claude and With a ‘Future London Taxi’ overall Jan Nahum - the leading lights wrap, the black Concept V1 proved to popular vote. The London version of BredaMenarinibus. behind the new cab - presented its be quite an elegant taxi shape. the cab retains the glass roof, which The taxi model was designed by its right hand drive, zero emission, Unlike other taxi models on the makes it very light inside. sister company, Hexagon Design, electric Concept V1, which is fully market – except the TX4 - it was Passengers and drivers will benefit which specialises in transport before compliant with London’s Standards designed as a cab from scratch. from pre-fitted GPS, infotainment being developed by Karsan. of Fitness. The Concept V1 rose to and payment systems with plug-in Karsan is likely to go for national The cab has a 25 feet turning circle prominence in 2011 at the Taxi of charging outlets, so passengers can partnerships for sales and (rear steering), a zero emission Tomorrow contest in New York, stay connected during their taxi trip. maintenance but the cab will electric powertrain (range 80-100 where it made the shortlist of three, Karsan is one of the main vehicle probably be manufactured in Turkey. miles), an on-board quick charge unit along with the Nissan NV200 and manufacturers in Turkey and has Production dates and pricing levels (for any AC power supply) and a Ford’s Transit Connect. been producing cars for over 45 are unclear as yet but the all-inclusive large driver’s cabin. Its quirky details, such as the glass years, including large volumes of Concept V1, especially as EV, would, But the Concept V1 also aims, says roof, spacious interior and all round commercial trucks and buses for with the right price and specs, be a Jan Nahum, to provide “a new styling made it the New Yorkers’ third parties like Renault, Peugeot, strong and attractive contender for dimension in transportation freedom for clear favourite to win, and it won the Hyundai, Citroën and the London taxi market. More readers than the rest put together! 25 JUNE 2013 | TAXI 3 Top Trade Story THE ZEPPELIN MAN STEVE MCNAMARA LTDA General Secretary Well done to the taxi drivers who helped to shoot down the cycle box balloon was as surprised as everyone else balloon’. This is a process whereby a when the Evening Standard, The politician, or government, leaks a Letter from Patrick McLoughlin ITimes and various radio and TV story to the media in order to gauge stations, ran the story that TfL had public opinion. Depending on the applied to the Department for outcry, or lack of it, the proposal hank you for your letter Transport (DfT) to decriminalise is then either quietly dropped or Tof 30 May 2013, about Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs ), taken forward. decriminalising the enabling them to be enforced with This theory was confirmed when I enforcement of Advanced CCTV cameras. The LTDA normally received the minister’s reply, and I Stop Lines (ASLs) and receives advanced warnings of these was especially pleased to read that transferring the sorts of political moves, but with this “the DfT has no plans to change the responsibility of one, the first we knew of it, was enforcement regime for either ASLs or enforcement away from the when the media bombarded us with mandatory cycle lanes”. I was even Metropolitan Police to demands for comment. more pleased to read the final Transport for London (TfL) paragraph of his letter referring to the and other local authorities. large number of representations from You may wish to know taxi drivers, which is Government that, notwithstanding the speak for ‘we were swamped’. Make no comments in the Times and THE DfT HAS NO PLANS TO mistake; if you were one of the Evening Standard, TfL has CHANGE THE ENFORCEMENT thousands of drivers who took the not formally approached REGIME FOR EITHER ASLs OR trouble to email, write, or call to the Department for make your views known, you are Transport (DfT) about this MANDATORY CYCLE LANES responsible for shooting down matter. ASLs are PATRICK this balloon at an embarrassingly prescribed in diagram 1001.2 in Schedule 6 to the Traffic Signs “MCLOUGHLIN low altitude. Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD). Whilst I understand Andrew Gilligan has a very well your concerns, I should point out that the DfT has no plans to change the Fearing that we were playing ‘catch paid part time job, but instead of enforcement regime for either ASLs or mandatory cycle lanes. up,’ we quickly emailed and tweeted using his time to guarantee safer Enforcement of ASLs is a matter for the police, as it is an offence our members, urging them to contact cycling, by making the wearing of associated with disobeying the stop line. The Highway Code makes it the DfT and object to TfL’s ” helmets compulsory, and encouraging clear in Rule 178 that drivers must not pass the first stop line if the lights application. I formally wrote to cyclists to comply with red traffic are amber or red and should avoid encroaching on the ASL area at other Patrick McLoughlin, the Minister for lights, and other rules of the road, he times, for example where the junction ahead is blocked. As the current Transport, detailing all the reasons simply panders to the vociferous regime recognises, there are circumstances in which it is possible to why he should refuse any TOBYs (Toffs On Bikes Ya), and their legitimately enter an ASL, for example in slow moving traffic. applications for an increase in CCTV unassailable belief that the Highway My officials have received a large number of representations from taxi enforcement. During the following Code Rules only apply to others. drivers on this issue. I would therefore be grateful if you could explain week our Parliamentary contacts Fortunately, this attitude simply fuels the Department's position on ASLs to your members. indicated that they thought Andrew the growing resentment of many I hope this reply helps to clarify the current position. Gilligan, the Mayor’s cycling czar, Londoners, and their hostility towards The Rt. Han. Patrick McLoughlin who had started the whole media cyclists will increase. See letters on Minister for Transport ASL frenzy, was merely ‘putting up a page 23 and Taxi Talk page 19. n CASH SAME DAY London Taxi Sales Ltd INSTANT CASH LOANS Looking to BUY or SELL a TX1, TX2 or TX4? LICENSED TAXI DRIVERS CASH PAID FOR ALL TX1’s, TX2’s & TX4’s Sell Your Cab & Rent It Back Finance Packages 020 7487 5755 TX4’s & TX2’s Available to Rent Best Prices Paid for All London Taxis IMMEDIATE VERBAL 0208 888 4008 QUOTATION UPON REQUEST www.londontaxisales.co.uk Consumer Credit License No 571041 [email protected] © LTI Limited reproduced with permission. Fairway and TX shape is a registered design. FairwayTM, TXTM, the LTI TAXI LOANS LTD - 5 BAKER STREET W1 device, the LTI, London Taxis International and The London Taxi Company logos are all trademarks of LTI Limited. 4 TAXI |25 JUNE 2013 www.ltda.co.uk | @TheLTDA NEWS LTC weighs up factory move Bilker Watch Trade Deputy chief executive Peter production is expected to start in Johansen has also revealed plans to September. LTC says it has more than 800 orders recruit 32 new employees for the LTC vice president Peter for new taxis and will start “low-level existing Holyhead Road plant. Johansen, said: "We've sold over 200 production” in August. Around 99 of its 176 jobs were new cabs in the UK in the last couple of Company bosses have also said axed after the company went into weeks and we've got a five-week waiting they hope to move to a new state- administration last year. list for a new cab." of-art factory site in Coventry in A large number of the workers "Internationally, it's going to be a connel / Shutterstock.com Image: the future. who lost their jobs last year are record year for us because we've already The Chinese-owned firm wants to expected to fight it out for the taken orders for over 800 vehicles and benefit from the technology new roles.