More trade stories than all the others put together Issue 222 September 2014 INSIDE THE MAN

LEON DANIELS WITH THE REPLIES TO LCDC PAGE 3 APP TO NEWS CHANGE DAVID LAMMY THROWS HIS HAT IN THE RING PAGE 6 THE TRADE NEWS

ROTHSCHILD’S PLAN TO REVOLUTIONISE TAXI INDUSTRY INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE PIDGEON - FULL STORY: PAGES 4 & 5 PAGES 8 & 9 2 Issue 222 - September 2014 Editorial: MAYOR UNVEILS HIS of this App could quite possibly revolutionise the way in which 18 MILE CROSSRAIL Londoners use us. For the first time we FOR THE BIKE have an App that is aimed at the totally new market, through its ability to Just when we thought that the news facilitate cab sharing on a new level. Published by out of TfL could not get any worse We have had several meetings with The London Cab Drivers’ Club Ltd. Unit A 303.2, after the UBER debacle, TfL have the parties concerned in its Tower Bridge Business Complex announced that they are going development and we are very Tower Point, 100 Clements Road ahead with their 18 mile east – west optimistic that this could enhance the Southwark, London SE16 4DG route from Barking to Acton! future of our industry, at a time when Also there are plans for a north – we have never been under more Telephone: 020 7232 0676 south route that will run for more than 3 pressure to survive. On pages 4-5 miles between Elephant & Castle and there is a Q&A with Nathaniel E-mail for membership enquiries: King’s Cross. Subject to detailed public Rothschild and his partners. E-mail: [email protected] consultation which begins this month, Web: lcdcorg.wordpress.com the work would start early next year DAVID LAMMY THROWS Editor: Grant Davis and the routes would open in March 2016, at a cost of a staggering £913m! HIS HAT IN THE RING The Badge is distributed free to the When you come round from fainting Licensed London Cab Trade. after reading this, please turn to page Last month, myself and Club For advertising enquiries please contact the office on 13, where Alan McGrady will provide a secretary Darryl Cox met with MP GLA INVESTIGATION 020 7394 5553 or E-mail: [email protected] more detailed report on TfL plans. David Lammy to discuss the state of All advertising in The Badge is accepted under our the taxi trade in the capital. Finally, the GLA is conducting an terms and conditions. These are available at the LCDC office. At the time he was considering whether investigation into taxi & private hire Before entering into any commitment, financial MAAXI to stand as the labour candidate for services by TfL. or otherwise, always remember to seek London Mayor. This week he finally There is an interview and more professional advice. Over the last few years the licensed came out and declared his hand. information on pages 8-9 of this edition. The views expressed in this publication are not taxi trade has embraced technology After spending some considerable time GLA would like as many taxi drivers to necessarity those fo the Editor or of the Management Committee of the to give Londoners a service second with him we found his views on the taxi express their views on the running of London Cab Driver’s Club. to none. trade and London in general quite our trade. Contributions for publication are welcomed The latest App that will be rolled out to refreshing. Should he be successful we and should be sent to the Editor at the the taxi trade this month is Maaxi. We think he could be quite positive for our above address. at the Club believe that the introduction industry. Grant Davis The London Cab Drivers’ Club Ltd. Issue 222 - September 2014 3 Leon Daniels replies to LCDC chairman

Dear Grant, TfL did when reaching a decision caused delay and further uncertainty about Uber’s operating model and it in relation to this issue and has I refer to your letter dated 23rd did so having taken proper legal prevented TFL from taking further July 2014 addressed to Members advice. steps to clarify the position. of TfL’s Surface Transport Panel I realise there has been TFL has already indicated that it is to which I have been asked to widespread concern about TfL’s perfectly prepared to enforce the reply. I have also read the article decision that smart phones used by decision of the High Court and the you refer to in “The Badge” about Uber drivers to receive information delay in securing clarification is very Uber. about fares, based on the precise regrettable. You state that TfL has abdicated its wording of the private hire legislation We do not agree, as suggested in responsibility to the taxi and private are, on balance, not taximeters. your newspaper, that where a together with TFL on these hire trade and I assume you refer However, to provide a definite and private prosecution is underway, complicated and developing issues. specifically to decisions about Uber. binding interpretation of what is, we there is no prohibition on the High You also make a complaint about It is not the case that TfL has accept a finely balanced legal Court considering the same or the attitude of Garrett Emmerson abdicated its responsibility by not position TfL clearly indicated its similar issues. towards the taxi trade in your letter. making a decision in relation to intention to seek a declaration from TFL takes its regulatory Again your complaint is not Uber, or any other private hire the High Court about this issue. responsibilities very seriously and substantiated. If you provide more booking App. TfL has made a Despite being aware of this, the has done so in the case of Uber. details of precisely what your decision that Uber is operating LTDA went on to start criminal Your suggestion that TFL has taken complaint is, and the evidence for it. lawfully under the terms of the proceedings against individual Uber a decision to abdicate these I will consider it further. private Hire Vehicles (London) Act drivers for breach of the same responsibilities is without foundation. 1998. I appreciate that this is a prohibition that we were clear we Following a careful and thorough decision that will not be welcome by would be seeking a High Court investigation we have taken some in the Trades but TfL’s role as declaration about. I suggest that it is decisions about Uber and where the Yours Sincerely regulator and licensing authority for the decision of the LTDA to law is unclear we have said so, Leon Daniels – the trades is to apply the law commence these prosecutions openly, inviting support from the Managing impartially, with an open mind, and (which will not now be heard until trades to clarify the issues. I suggest Director Surface based on careful consideration of December of this year) and not any that it is in everybody’s interests that Transport the evidence. This is precisely what inaction on the part of TFL, that has going forward the trades work

LCDC RESPONDS

Dear Leon, We can agree on the following: their job. It is your role to make principles. You have heard all this • TfL is charged with the regulation decisions and for others to react. That before, and not only from the LCDC, There was something dismally of the taxi and private hire trade role is destroyed if you make decisions and nothing happens. inevitable about the contents of your • As regulator you have to make amid claims you do not have faith in ‘Not fit for purpose’ is perhaps already letter of 8 August 2014 and the initial balanced decisions in a judicious them. becoming an over-used phrase that view in the office was that as it was manner free of pressures and And to make it worse you have invited lacks urgency but there is an another of little value it should be filed and influences all interested parties to join you in the expression that applies to your corner forgotten. • Inevitably your decisions will not court action for what amounts to a of TfL: ‘Shape Up or Ship Out’. Which However, after a little reflection it was always satisfy everyone. group exploration of how you should do is it to be, Leon? thought that a reply would be an your job. For an organisation that is opportunity to clarify what must clearly These points are made in the third incapable of consultation on a day-to- Yours sincerely, baffle you and especially your staff at paragraph of your letter and if you were day basis, you have suddenly become Grant Davis TfL. What exactly goes through their a half competent regulator there would all embracing and inclusive. No one is minds when they see placards have been no need to proceed further. fooled by wanting everyone to be P.S. In case this letter seems critical proclaiming ‘TfL Not Fit for Purpose’, or Unfortunately you were obliged to involved in your failure to act. That is there is one matter that deserves credit. see senior staff characterised as sitcom continue. why the word ‘abdication’ readily comes For decades there has been an buffoon characters from ‘On the Having presented yourself as a to mind. unhealthy antagonism between the cab Buses’. Did you really not understand fearless decision maker you then As you are well aware, we have and private hire trades, one that has, I our accusation that TfL has abdicated explain that you are so doubtful of the chronicled in our paper the alarming am sure, benefited you while hindering its authority or are you playing that old quality of your legal advice that you shortcomings of your staff. The fact ourselves. political game of saving face by have taken the extraordinary step of they do not know the law they are So congratulations are clearly in order ignoring the issues? slithering along to the High Court to applying or work under; are oblivious to at your single-handed achievement in Let me explain a little of what the trade ask how you should interpret the law the codes to which they supposedly uniting the two trades in working thinks, and use your letter to illustrate you are paid to apply. I thought your job subscribe; the shambles of towards common goals. something of what lies behind the idea was to make difficult decisions and enforcement; their inability to consult, Without TfL as a shared point of acute that you have continually failed to fulfil stick by them. If you don’t trust your hold properly recorded meetings or frustration none of that would have your responsibilities,(i.e. abdicated). lawyers, get hold of some who do know make decisions based on consistent been possible.

[email protected] 4 Issue 222 - September 2014 INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDERS OF MAAXI, THE NEXT GENERATION TAXI APP

Can you present What are your short term yourselves? Who are and long term plans for you, what your Maaxi? backgrounds are, etc? (NR): (Gabi Campos, In the short term, to integrate Nat Rothschild & the black cab industry into Barry Manning): local transport such that a black cab is Our track records speak for a means of transport used hundreds themselves: Gabi is the ex CEO of of times year by every Londoner and Pokerstars and Managing Director of not just for special occasions. In the 888 Holdings, two of the world’s long run, to establish Maaxi as the biggest online gaming companies and default way Londoners travel and to ran telecom companies previously, change the way Londoners view black Nat is a proven entrepreneur behind cabs forever: not just part of London’s multiple start ups and business richest’s lives but part of everybody’s successes, and most importantly lives. Barry is a Green Badge driver last 8+ years and a personal friend of Nat’s Tell us about your who got him interested in the black relationship with the trade cab space. and in particular with taxi drivers Nat Rothschild who are working with you closely. What is Maaxi exactly? Why is it good for passengers 5 and 6 seaters respectively. Here in (GC): (BM): It’s difficult to put into and why is it good for taxi London we have super educated No. We are black cab only. words how exciting and drivers? drivers and the ability to use bus Shared taxies are illegal in the transformative this idea could lanes. In addition, what we are doing UK with minicabs and are unfeasible be for the black cab industry (NR): is 100% legal for black cabs, whereas physically with vehicles other than Maaxi helps the trade in multiple Maaxi is the next generation mini-cabs can’t legally operate shared London black cabs. You are welcome to ways: of taxi app and a journey rides, they have the wrong cars, and talk to drivers and people in the company 1) protecting its normal hailing planner. It is a great transport App, the drivers don’t have the necessary dating back to 2012. I never even business with zero cost e-hail (taxi with the unique capability of making experience to pull this off. imagined using mini-cabs for this. I ran in rides booked via Apps pay the taxis available to Londoners who the past big brand companies and want driver the full meter), would normally use public transport. What are the main Maaxi to be such a brand. I believe 2) expansion to a new market with We are cheaper than a bus under a challenges and Uber’s main weakness is not having shared taxis, mile and a half. Owing to shared ride opportunities your company such wonderful drivers as the London 3) giving back to the drivers who help economics drivers will make 30+-50% faces? How do you plan to black cab drivers and we intend to make build the shared taxi network by more than a traditional metered ride. deal with them? this a long-term advantage of ours. We’d giving a driver a weekly cash It’s completely legal and it has the be foolish to ever part ways with London incentives for the number of capacity to double, triple or quadruple (NR): taxi drivers - it would destroy the shared rides the driver did in a the market for black cabs overnight. On the driver side, the company, as seen in other recent cases. week and the number of drivers attitudes of the taxi drivers that the specific driver invited to How did the idea of Maaxi who have already been burnt once by Can you tell us about your join Maaxi. Within months of come about and how did it Hailo - who double crossed them with communication plans to the operation we expect this to be evolve? the move into private hire - is a big public? Why do you think thousands of pounds a year per challenge, and on the consumer side this has appeal for the driver. (BM): the incredible success and price public? 4) card payments which are free to Gabi saw the opportunity competitiveness of Uber. Morale the punter via the App. over two years ago. We could amongst drivers is low and we need (BM): not have predicted the effect Uber to raise our heads to compete with We will be operating a service Anything else you would have on the mini-cab market, Uber. We know we can win if we put that is a true alternative to would like to say. but we are 50-60% cheaper. this right. It cannot be that the taxi public transport and any person Separately we offer e-hail for free to trade with 140,000 seats (25,000 taxis owning a private vehicle for (NR): Taxi sharing has not drivers and we open up a new and far of 5-6 seats) is half the size of the convenient door to door transport. worked in the past as it was more lucrative market for drivers. minicab market with effectively 65,000 There are 12-15 million public offered to the wrong audience. seats (they cannot count a minicab as transport movements a day and 6-8 The current users of black cabs are a America seems to be the more than one seat as they cannot million private car rides versus 100- small group of Londoners and to them place for technology operate shared rides). We should 150 thousand black cab private Maaxi will provide e-hailing like other innovation around double the size of the London taxi journeys (which will continue to exist Apps, although the drivers will enjoy the transport Apps so why did market in London. as wealthy and busy business people best possible terms with Maaxi - no other you choose London and will not want to share their journeys). App can ever provide better terms. The black cabs? Will you ever work with If we can get just 1% of that market new users of black cabs will meet a minicabs? You can imagine we will double the black cab industry frictionless, simple and convenient way (GC): we need more than posters overnight, and critically drivers can, as to start using black cabs and for drivers Traditional yellow cabs in the with 'Back in black' to we have already said, make more this is completely new business that until US are three or four seaters, believe you, after what than a traditional metered ride, so today minicabs, private vehicle and whereas TX4s and Vitos are Hailo did. more money for the same distance. public transport offered travellers.

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com FAILO GROUP BACKS MAAXI By Danny Caton from a booked car service, and that’s not Who are we? We are 8 passionate London much. We then decided to turn our energy taxi drivers. Martin Holmes, John Carter, to campaigning for what was right for the Jeffrey Mustafa, Steve (Smiler) Hawkins, trade, financed and distributed from our own Lee Maynard, Lee (Sheps) Shepherd, pockets Failo flyers and created and Jason (Jay) Gray, Danny Caton. We’ve all operated Twitter and Facebook accounts. spent years doing the knowledge and have We made a commitment to tell the trade the been in the trade for many years. Our story truth and along the way we made began back in May 2014; the Friday night discoveries of our own: there were people the trade was shaken by a revelation from out there working hard to build for the future Grant Davis from the LCDC that Hailo had of the trade. Those people are Maaxi and applied for a PHV Licence. This could not Nat Rothschild representing Maaxi found us be true, we thought, as Hailo portrayed on Twitter. This is all history now: we are themselves as the saviours and champions fervent supporters of Maaxi, following of the trade. In retrospect it is now clear that months of scrutinising exactly what they do there was nothing in the Hailo business and who they are. Want to read more about model other than making advanced what we found? Nat Rothschild with the FAILO group bookings for black cabs and the distance Go to www.maaxitaxi.com/maaxi8_story 6 Issue 222 - September 2014 LCDC MEET DAVID LAMMY

“It was great to meet with Grant and Darryl and hear first-hand about the problems facing the London back cab trade – from Uber to licensing to rickshaws. London’s cab trade is a historic and integral part of London’s transport system and one that is hugely valued by Londoners. More than that, though, it provides a vital and unique service for our city, one that rests on professionalism, safety and a high quality service.

“Boris was elected to run this city and he needs to get a grip on the issues facing London’s transport system, rather than constantly delegating them to his deputies. London needs a hands-on mayor who understands and cares about the city and is willing to take tough decisions to improve it for all Londoners.” David Lammy: ‘You can’t be London Mayor and an MP ... that’s the pickle Boris is in’ David Lammy and Grant Davis

David Lammy is up and running. He has constituents at a different level as Mayor, it is “If it doesn’t happen I am relaxed about it, dots across these communities, poor male a team in place, claims he has donors not a Plan B, it is not an after-thought, it’s politics is not the only thing going on in my role models is key.” ready, is slimmer and fitter, with a part of the journey that I want to pursue.” life. I have a young family, I have a great wife While he is keen to outline his policies for collection of starched white shirts, and He is already accused by rivals of rushing and friends. So the world does not fall apart London, it is his personal story that is most today begins his campaign to be London into the mayoral contest too early when he if I don’t become Mayor.” compelling. Even housing policy can be Mayor with a thumping report on the should be focusing on the General Election His responsibility towards his family is related to his own upbringing. capital’s housing crisis. marginals. sharpened by his experience. Lammy’s Lammy’s father arrived from the Caribbean The Labour candidate will be chosen Lammy dismisses this: “I don’t think anyone father set up a business as a taxidermist but in 1956 and fought for a bank loan to buy a through an American-style closed primary. really believes my decision to throw my hat it ran aground in the Eighties, he started to house in Tottenham for £6,000. His sister He could be up against Tessa Jowell, Sadiq into the ring for London will swing the next drink, and he finally left the family to find meanwhile was placed by the local authority Khan, Diane Abbott and Margaret Hodge. General Election. work in America. in nearby Broadwater Farm, so missed her Lammy, 42, says he hopes the contest will “I believe it is important to be honest. The “I remember as a child being clear that I crucial ascent on the property ladder and all be free and fair. As if to demonstrate his converse is being dishonest.” wouldn’t want to run my own business, there that went with it. independence from the Labour Party He says if he gets the Labour nomination was a lot of stress and the marriage was David Lammy had his own life-changing machine, he has not told Ed Miliband he is for mayoral candidate, he will resign as tempestuous,” says Lammy, ruefully. moment when he won a choral scholarship declaring his candidacy today. He can read it Tottenham MP immediately. He recalls parting from his father at King’s to a state boarding school in Peterborough. first in the Evening Standard. “My feeling is that you can’t be Mayor with Cross when he was 12 years old and going He went on to Harvard Law School, where “All of the potential people who might put the responsibility for all Londoners and have back to his boarding school: “He said he he met the young Barack Obama, and then their hat in the ring are very good friends,” he the conflict of your own constituency. You would send for us and I remember him to Westminster as a young high flier. says carefully. “I think the good thing for the can’t do both jobs and I think that’s the pickle kissing me goodbye on the platform - and He bought his first house in Tottenham Labour Party is that it’ll have a contest. Boris has got himself into. never seeing him again.” when he was 27 for £200,000. He worries Anyone who lives in London or is in the “The danger is that Boris becomes a lame Lammy’s father telephoned him about 17 that opportunity is becoming lost for this London Parliamentary Labour Party duck Mayor and he will take his eye years later when his son was an MP. The generation of Londoners. recognises that Londoners can’t be told what inevitably off the ball in relation to London. conversation was civil but short. One place from where he has picked up to do.” Many of the power brokers and stakeholders “I had to make an emotional decision ideas is the White House. He fidgets when The “Establishment” candidate is believed will be looking to the next Mayor.” whether to re-open something. I decided asked about his acquaintance with President to be Sadiq Khan, shadow justice minister Although he is loyal towards Ed Miliband as against.” Obama, but was last with him for a prayer and shadow minister for London. Labour Leader (having originally backed Two years later, Lammy learned that his breakfast about eight months ago. “I think that Sadiq is doing a fantastic job David Miliband for the job) he does not father was dying of cancer. He contemplated Lammy’s wife Nicola, an acclaimed artist, campaigning across London. He is also, support all Labour’s policies. For instance, whether to visit him in Texas to see him for has created a work based on Obama’s 2008 though, the shadow minister for justice and I he opposes the mansion tax. the last time. “It was 50/50.” He did not go. election campaign. In their comfortable think he said at the Party Conference that he “I see this potentially as a tax on London. I As a result of his childhood, he is acutely Tottenham family home is a portrait in gold hopes to be the Secretary of State for worry about elderly people who may be aware of the need for fathers as role models, leaf of Obama’s raised fist, drawn after Justice in a Labour Government and I asset rich but not cash rich.” Instead, he particularly among London’s disaffected Nicola snatched a rare photograph of him imagine that is what he has set his sights supports more council tax bands, although young men. making the gesture. on.” he is mysterious about where these would “I can’t imagine leaving my sons,” he says. Lammy has certainly picked up the first Isn’t that an issue for all political party start and refuses to rule out targeting homes “I remember when I became a father and lesson of the Obama campaign. Be first. He candidates to be the next Mayor? Apart from worth a million pounds. His housing was terrified, someone said if you can just has hit the ground running, or rather by Tessa Jowell, who has announced she is document contains two radically Left ideas show love and be there year after year.” police helicopter, after spending time on day leaving Parliament, the others might hedge — higher council taxes for more expensive Lammy believes that radicalisation of some and night shifts with the Met. He promises their bets according to next year’s General houses and rent caps. young London men can be partly traced to his campaign will be vivacious as well as Election results? Lammy is both openly ambitious and parental presence: “Young men seduced by gritty. Let the race begin. Lammy is firm. “I turned down a job in the curiously philosophical about the outcome of knife crime, seduced by extreme violent Shadow Cabinet. I want to work for my the mayoral contest. fundamentalism... when you connect the - Courtesy of THE EVENING STANDARD

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com

8 Issue 222 - September 2014 The London Cab Drivers’ Club When Tootles the Taxi Met Caroline Pidgeon

@TootlestheTaxi: Mark White meets having listened and talked to Cabbies on C: I'm not saying we will, these are all the passengers, moving forward to the future. @CarolinePidgeon. Twitter and he's come out with "Mayor is questions we are just asking. We're not And we want to hear from drivers. I STARTED THE VOICE RECORDER ON destroying the London Taxi Industry!" saying we want to, we are just saying; is the MY i-PHONE SHORTLY AFTER That's quite a strong statement. Knowledge right now, should we change it, INTRODUCING MYSELF TO CAROLINE, C: Yes it is. But we get lots of submissions should it be done differently or is it ALTHOUGH I'VE BEEN HAVING and at the moment we are listening to lots absolutely where we want it to be? CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LONDON ASSEMBLY MEMBER (WHO IS of people, taking lots of evidence, having CHAIRING AN INVESTIGATION INTO submissions and really focusing on a range Q: I was going to throw something in to TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE SERVICES AT of issues: how are Taxis and Private Hire say, because in the index, it surprised CITY HALL, IN HER CAPACITY AS services meeting the Passenger's needs? me, because I didn't know and it goes TRANSPORT COMMITTEE CHAIR) ON How can we improve safety? Is the back to 'hidden charges' - Darren TWITTER AND VIA EMAIL FOR A FEW YEARS. Knowledge right for this day and age? Can Johnson says, the guy from London it be changed? Do we still need it? Travel Watch says 'hidden charges'. I'm So, I thought I’d ask a nice easy sitting there tweeting from the Chamber question to start off with - you Q: Is it? on the iPad, thinking what's he on Qobviously go out in the West End C: Well, that's a question we're asking. about? for the odd meal...? "Darren Johnson just agreed; he loved Caroline: Yes, I do, not as much as I used Q: But is it? that part 'hidden charges'!" What to because I have a very young baby. But C: Well, that's what we'll be asking. We 'hidden charges'? yes, of course I go out in town. want to know from people... C: Mmm...

Q: I got an email last night from Clean Q: The Knowledge, according to this Q: Everything is regulated; everything Air in London's Simon Birkett.. who is index I managed to find somewhere, and we ask for, is down there as a quite well known now... this goes back to Darren Johnson in percentage of the fare.... C: Yes, yes... City Hall going on about 'Hidden Vehicle costs is 9% of the fare... parts, Charges' - I mean where did he get that tyres, insurance, garage and servicing - C: We're really keen - we've already had Q:..for his campaign for Air Quality. A from? and then I came down to 'the loads of submissions; we want to hear from few years ago, Simon was blaming C: I can't account for individual members Knowledge'! drivers to really understand what the issues London Cabbies for Air Quality, saying things, but what we are trying to do How much do you think 'the Knowledge' are, and how we can make improvements suggesting that Taxi Drivers should use is... comes out as? As a percentage of the going forward - that's what our piece of work different vehicles, asking why we didn't Can I just take a step back, Mark, because fare? is about, as we've looked at the Tube, the buy a Toyota Prius and ditch the models it's really important? C: Oh, I don't know.... Buses, Walking, you name it, Cycling. we drive, and I tried to educate him about the Metropolitan Conditions of Q: Sure... Q: 5.3%! Q: But it's all Sustainable Transport isn't Fitness which includes wheelchair C: The reason we decided to do this Surely that's worth keeping? it, nowadays? And there's so much accessibility and the rules appertaining investigation is, I've been on the London 5.3% of your fare is having a person who uncertainty, which goes back to Clean to Hackney Carriages... that the whole Assembly for 6 years and a number of us knows where he's going, against having Air's Simon Birkett: he can see that the fleet must be WCAVs... that we must were new to Transport then. someone who just turns a Sat Nav on! reason we cannot upgrade the Cabs, is have partitions for privacy and We've done every mode of Transport and And then you have to ask the question: we do not have the investment! protection of both the drivers and the one we haven't been near, is Taxi and "How do Mini Cabs work out their C: No, we're not looking at that, but later passengers... the smoke tests we take, Private Hire. fares?" (licks finger and holds in the air!) on down the track, the Environment the servicing schedules and fuel we I've raised questions before, at Mayor's C: Yep. That's a good question... we don't Committee may be - and all of these use... I had to tell Simon that it's not the Question Time. I've been out and done know? questions about sustainability and diesel Cab Trade who choose the vehicles we visits at night with Taxi Drivers looking at But, I mean this is all what we are looking and clean cabs etc. use... and then I got his email last night, touting issues. at. We are very open....we are looking at all which included his submission... I've asked oral questions of the Mayor... sorts of things...can TfL both license and Q: Because Diesel was supposed to be I don't know if you've seen it? But actually, none of us have sat down also regulate - are they regulating enough - what people said was the cleaner fuel. C: Yes, I have. Can I just say, our and done a sort of comprehensive look at are they doing enough enforcement? All C: Yes, but it's still a polluting fuel, but I investigation is not looking at the where are we with this Industry, and you these sorts of things are exactly what we appreciate that the vehicles you operate are environmental issues regarding Taxis... know we chose to look at this before Über are looking at? those that comply within the rules that TfL blew up, before all this, we just thought this impose, and it's very stringent with the Q: No, but he has put his is a big area of transport that we haven't Q: Well, that's another thing I looked up - turning circle. submission in. looked at and hasn't been looked at for a you're the Chair of the Policing C:Yes, he has, as many other people have while That's why we felt we wanted to look Committee. Q:And then we lose out on the PR side put a submission in. at it, find out what passengers want - as C: Deputy Chair. of life and the green side of life and things move forward and technology and so everybody goes "You Nasty Cabbies!" Q: No, but just the headline of it - he said on - what do we want, to make sure that our Q: Deputy Chair, you share and it's like "hold on a second!" "We "Mayor is destroying Taxi Industry in Taxi service can stay at this Gold standard that one as well? are only charging you for the vehicle we London!" as it's known, and as our New York visitors C:Yes, I share that one as well: Policing are told to driveand the only difference, C: Mmm...... stated at our first meeting - and how do we and Transport are my big issues. supposedly is that I know where I'm keep it there? But, the Mayor has the executive powers going, and the other fella doesn't - and Q: It's not ‘Cab Drivers are killing and we are doing a piece of work looking at you're only paying 5% extra for that - I people’, like it was before. He's done Q: Why would we get rid of the Taxis and the PH Trade and what changes, think you're getting good value for some investigation into the subject now, Knowledge? if any, are needed, to improve them, for money!

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com Issue 222 - September 2014 9 b Presents

Then the other thing is, hold on a my home, I could not vote on that or speak second, but the vehicle is not very on that. I'd have to remove myself from the economical with the fuel; because it room. weighs so much, because it has to be Well the same applies to Bob, so he can't fully wheelchair accessible and that's ever speak about your trade in any case. actually in here: Social Costs 2.7%. I Q: So it's kind of like..... would say to you it's actually a lot dearer C: So you're kind of gagged- on one hand than that because it impacts on the fuel. it's great that you've got Taxi Mark White and Caroline Pidgeon C: Well, you heard the evidence we had representatives, but on the other hand you on how valuable our Black Taxis are at our can't speak on that. They're conflicted. Q: We go all around the West End, you first hearing from disabled groups talking must've seen it yourself, you say you go Q: Do you know what the current budget about the accessibility.....and the rest of the Q: So does he advise or does he out with Cab Drivers? The guys with the for Cab Ranks is? hearing you heard. You liked our guy from represent? You asked the question, just Clipboards? C: This year, it's £45,000. New York....and that was interesting to try and get a general answer so that C: Yes, I have seen all the touting. I've evidence. we can understand. We don't want to heard it all. I've been around Vauxhall; I Q: Did you know that when they do the keep criticising Bob Oddy, but we do! know the issues - it is safety and touting. Marshalling, they take the money out of Q: Yeah, they were brilliant! They even C:Yeah, well, I think, as you know Taxi And they’re some of the questions we are the Cab Ranks Budget? took me for lunch! Drivers have hundreds of opinions and no going to be asking. C: Oh, really? That's very interesting. It's a C: There you go. Even better! one can ever say they represent all Taxi big issue. And I think we've got some really Drivers! Q: But why is it that TfL have managed interesting figures on that. I was looking at Q: I mean that was after I told them that to go from 2005, when all the Vehicles that only yesterday and that's one of the big that was Tower Bridge and not London Q: Boris says on the top of the were licensed and it was "PRE-BOOKED areas we'll be investigating. Bridge, that they were having their Manifesto: "I have fulfilled my promise at ONLY", because they have this hungry I often hear that from people and our picture taken in front of - they nearly the last election to put representatives of animal to feed; they need to keep giving passenger research is feeding into that - bought it! Black Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles on their drivers more and more work, that people do not know where Ranks are. C:Haha... the Board of TfL." But he can't speak they suddenly encroach into our market, We'll have more evidence to consider from C: Well, there you go! where we are already competing fairly Q: I'm told there are 120 outstanding our second meeting, and we are hoping our But he didn't say that they would speak did on on-street demand and ranks, and applications for Ranks, which if we say flyers and interviews and adverts and stuff, he? He said McNamara does. cruising around the streets plying for it's five grand a Rank (between £2- will generate even more submissions and But some of those things are arguments hire? There are no prosecutions for 10,000); we are talking half a million ideas from drivers, as well as passengers for the Mayor. illegally plying for hire - there's like, 3 or pounds-£500,000! we've been surveying. So we'll get a good 4 in a year. And Boris spent how much on a Cable rounded picture, put a good report together Q: We don't have anybody that kind of C:Well, that's about the whole issue of Car? and put that to TfL and the Mayor - and manages 'the business', because we are Enforcement and Prosecutions, and is one And how much on Facebook and hope they might listen to some of the things all individuals. of the things we have to look at. Twitter? we suggest. C: You are all individuals; you're self- We had someone at our last meeting from C: Well, this is it. If you are putting in employed individuals. the Met's Cab Enforcement Unit, so infrastructure and so on - infrastructure Q: But will they listen? enforcement is one of those issues that includes Taxis. How much power...? Q: We are all in competition we're going to pick up on. C:Well, we can never force them to - but with each other. But the key message that I want to get out Q: And Charging points! some of our more recent reports they have. C: Exactly. to drivers, and for you to get out, as per our I had a guy on Twitter, telling me about flyers. the new charging points. Could be that Q: Boris already meets with the Trade Q: I don't want to tell that guy what I'm We are keen to hear from people: we are you drive onto a Cab Rank and by the Groups. doing and how I'm marketing the Cab; looking at all these issues - Safety and time you reach the front, you're charged! C: That's right. I'm in competition with him! Security including Touting. Fares. Payment C: There you go! C: Yeah, it's a bit different... Options. How TfL's Taxi and PH Unit Q: He's got Bob Oddy, who is an advisor perform. The availability of Taxi Ranks. Q: Solar powered! and I've asked you and Val (Shawcross), Q: If there's a fare in the street, I want to C: Wow! the question, 'is he an advisor or is he a pick it up! Q: Cab Ranks: Boris has got a Cab Rank Taxi Trade Rep? Because he doesn't C: Of course you do. Plan (in his Manifesto - it was shelved Q: Fantastic! Great! Give it to me! represent us! until recently dusted off). Everybody But how much is it going to cost? If he's advising, he doesn't speak! Q: But in the same respect, if you go says "Cabs do not go South of the When you get the minutes from back to emails and letters and stuff - River!" I'd like to say "Thank you!" to Caroline meetings, it doesn't say "Bob Oddy said Karen Buck was the Minister of State for Have you ever stood on a Bridge Pidgeon for her time. this, or Bob Oddy agreed to do that!" Transport, in London. watching Cabs coming back empty? C: The problem is because he's on the C: Yes, that's right. There are no Ranks at the Tube Stations! Additional information from the first hearing can be found here: Board, isn't he? The problem is when you No Cab Ranks in areas like Brixton. http://www.london.gov.uk/moderngov/ie sit on a Board, if you have a vested interest, Q: And she's on Twitter as well, but she C: Yes, I think Cab Ranks, again, is one of ListDocuments.aspx?CId=173&MId=543 you can't speak! kind of went missing, disappeared, the big issues, and we are very concerned. 1&Ver=4 when I said define Taxis and Private Remember to email Q: Vested interest, you can't speak.... Hire. Q: Do you know how much it costs to [email protected] with your ideas for the future and solutions to C: For instance, when I was a Councilor, if C: Yes, you said that in your submission implement a Cab Rank? current problems. We’re being asked for something came up in the exact area where didn't you? C: Between Two and Ten Thousand input – let’s give as much as we can. I live, that would have a financial impact on Pounds.

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com 10 Issue 222 - September 2014

AS AN L.C.D.C  COMPLAINTS  RANKS The Chairman is a regular AND APPEALS AND HIGHWAYS contributor on LBC, Radio MEMBER YOU As a member of the LCDC, The LCDC attend the Joint London, and the BBC. WILL RECEIVE: we will deal with any Ranks committee, working We at the Club also complaint that has been hard for more ranks and represent the trade at  made against you by more access for the taxi meetings with the Mayor’s 24 HOUR DUTY Office, TFL, LTPH, SOLICITOR members of the public. trade in London. Also we will attend the Corporation Of London, EXCLUSIVE TO THE LTPH with you on any  CAB TRADE ADVICE BAA, and all Local Authorities in the Capital. CAB TRADE personal appeals that All members can call the Your 24 Hr duty solicitor would affect your licence. office for any information hotline membership card. or up to the date news on Peace of mind 24 hrs of  any trade related subject. JUST the day. HEATHROW AIRPORT   REPRESENTATION MEDIA AND £3 per FULL LEGAL COVER AUTHORITIES Our fantastic team of City With our reps at the airport The LCDC is always the Of London based solicitors working hard on the month first to be called when the and barristers, experts in trade’s behalf for a fairer, media want the “Cab * £12 per month is tax Hackney Carriage and and more safer future Trade’s“ reaction. deductible road traffic law. at Heathrow.

Please complete this form and send it with your application form Application Form (LCDC) Ltd UNIT 303.2 Please complete this form in BLOCK CAPITALS TOWER BRIDGE BUSINESS COMPLEX, TOWER POINT, 100 CLEMENT’S ROAD, SOUTHWARK The subscription rate is £170 per annum. If you are unable to pay in a LONDON, SE16 4DG single payment please make one cheque payable to “The London Cab 0207 394 5553 Drivers’ Club Ltd,” with today’s date, for £56.67, and two post-dated cheques one month apart for £56.67. Standing Order Form Send the completed form to: THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, The London Cab Drivers’ Club Ltd, UNIT A 303.2 Your Bank: ...... Tower Bridge Business Complex, Tower Point, Your Bank Address:...... 100 Clements Road, Southwark, London SE16 4DG Post Code:...... Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms:...... Surname: ...... Please pay the sum of £15 NOW and monthly therafter until further notice. First Names:......

Please pay the sum of £42.50 NOW and then quarterly thereafter Address: ...... until further notice...... Post Code: ...... Quoting Reference No ( ) Badge No: ...... Shift: ...... Telephone No: (with full STC code):...... To the account of THE LONDON CAB DRIVERS’ CLUB LTD, Barclays Bank Bloomsbury & Tottenham Court Road branch, I agree to abide by the rules of the Club. I also agree that the above PO BOX 1134, London W128GG information will be kipt by the LCDC in a computer system under the Sort Code 20-10-53. Account No- 40450421. terms of the Data Protection Act. Your Name: ...... Account No: ...... I understand that I will not be eligible for legal representation for Sort Code: ...... matters arising prior to the date of this application. Thereby declare that Signature: ...... I have no outstanding PCO or police matters pending. Date: ...... Signed: ...... Date: ...... Issue 222 - September 2014 11 PERSONAL ACCIDENT & SICKNESS POLICY - SCHEDULE OF BENEFITS OPEN TO ALL BADGE READERS. SCHEME NOW EXTENDED UP TO 65 YEARS. 0203 327 0555

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Issue 222 - September 2014 13

Alan’s Angle SUPER CYCLE HIGHWAY NIGHTMARE!!

Last week I went to a meeting with TFL Embankment from Westminster Bridge, you will regarding their plans to introduce two also have to go round Parliament Square. Now new cycle schemes for the Capital at a they will also stop us from going right into cost of £110 Million pounds. Storeys Gate and you’ve guessed it, yep you One will run north and south from Farringdon will also have to go round the square. How Road to St George’s Circus and the other will much traffic do they think Parliament Square run from Tower Hill along the embankment can handle, it’s busy now without the extra through Green Park onto Hyde Park and up traffic. Heading East back to Tower Hill they will onto the westway. The North/ South route will be removing the left turn into Fish Street hill and see Blackfriars Road become a two way cycle a no left turn into Trinity Square, leaving you to lane and only one lane north and south for go through America Square to gain access Parliament Square vehicles. As you head North over the Blackfriars Trinity Square. TFL seem to be now trying to Bridge they are going to take the slip away and push this scheme out and complete the whole we will have turn left down Queen Victoria process by 2016 before Boris finishes his main Street and then turn right onto Victoria term in office. Embankment. They also want to make Tudor These plans will cause so much traffic Street a no entry from New Bridge Street and congestion to the capital that we will be looking make Bridwell Place two way. There’s not many to speak all user groups that will be affected by surprises for the rest of the route but when we these plans. Not only are we going to suffer as a come to East / West we are going to have trade from these proposals our customers are problems. Coming South on Mansell Street they going to suffer as the extra mileage will show up have provided no right turn to allow us to get on the meter. Whether the public except this we onto Tower Hill heading West. They will be will have to wait and see. asking us to go left into Royal Mint Court, Right It seems unbelievable that TFL are committed Dock Street and Right East Smithfield. Running to spend £913 Million pounds on this scheme to West the Embankment will be down to one appease a small minority people who chose to lane, when we get to Westminster Bridge you cycle to work. Not only that most of these lanes will not be able to turn left onto Westminster will be empty as we all know as you work the Bridge. You will have to go right and around majority of journeys will under taken at peak Parliament Square and onto Bridge Street to times, leaving them empty for most of the day get onto Westminster Bridge. They are also just like the Olympic lanes. Does Boris want his going to stop you doing a right onto Victoria legacy to be the man who gridlocked London! Victoria Embankment NOVIKOV RANK AGREED

At last, Westminster council have rank space in Regent Street after the crown informed me that the rank proposals estate asked for some of the ranks to put in a for Novikov have been agreed after the permanent island down the middle of the road. consultation. Only one negative reply Next dual rank should be Hakasan in Conduit came in at that was from a resident in Street, I've seen the plans and we have the Berkeley Street. We will take over the 5 bays outside that the private hire sit in at the parking spaces after 6:30 every night moment. Now we are going to need some and use it like a rank just like we do major enforcement from Westminster parking with Sketch. and TPH enforcement as Ph are going to be It will become a dual rank as Westminster reluctant to give up their rank at Hakasan and Council will not give up there profitable parking we will need the rank and Novikov kept clear of spaces just for us to use as a rank. We might people parking there just to use the restaurant. have to get used to these as hoc ranks in future At the moment we are not seeing much as kerb space becomes very tight in enforcement from either authority, so let's hope Westminster. We were given the opportunity to that both authorities help keep these ranks get the rank in place by horse trading some clear.

[email protected] 14 Issue 222 - September 2014 GLA: T&PH INVESTIGATION CONSULT

created a two-tier licensing regime for taxi and These additional vehicle costs imposed by the operator, along with the attendant insurance. The PH services. These regulations blurred the regulator on the taxi service only, results in the operator sets the price to the customer and also distinction between the two services, capital and running costs of a taxi being the price paid to the driver. compounded by a continued lack of enforcement significantly higher than for a PHV. As an The main trade union of PH drivers is the GMB, and LTPH’s assistance to subvert the regulations example, the current cost of PBV taxis are who consistently complain of the working to allow PH to offer services that should have £34,995 and £39,999 respectively. conditions and pay of PH drivers and not without remained the preserve of the taxi service. Two of the most popular vehicle choices for good cause. The PH driver largely belongs to a The current situation is that while passengers PHVs are the Toyota Prius saloon and the vulnerable group as more than 80% of PH generally understand the physical difference Vauxhall Zafira MPV. These models cost drivers are fairly recent immigrants into the UK. between a taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV), £21,995 and £21,225 respectively. Based on (2) there is possibly little understanding of the these figures, the mean capital cost of a PHV is Tenuously classed as self-employed, the PH difference between the two services. almost half of those pertaining to a taxi. (Prices driver enjoys none of the rights of an employed BACKGROUND Passengers recognise there are price correct as 8th August 2014) person. Consequently, drivers may work up to differences between the two services while not The maintenance and fuel costs are similarly six, 12 hour shifts per week and still not earn While the focus of this investigation is fully understanding the reasons for any disparity. reduced for a PHV. enough pay, after expenses, to allow them to live on taxi and Private Hire (PH) customer Although it is said that passengers understand Legislation and regulation ensure that there are without in-work state benefits to supplement that concerns and issues with regard to the physical differences between a taxi and a safety aspects built into the PBV taxi that would income. these services, this response comes PHV, this is not completely so and in part, this is be externalised in a free market, or discarded in Yet, the operator AL produced a 2013 gross primarily from the point of view of the the making of the regulator. The public now a market dictated largely by price. The PH profit of £68.8 million on a turnover of £171.6 taxi driver. largely distinguish one service from the other by market is guided largely by price with much million. (3). This profit margin is due in part to an Directly or indirectly, the root cause of any calling taxis “black cabs” and PH “minicabs”. lighter regulation. The travelling public, to an inadequate return to drivers. The operator’s concerns or dissatisfactions will be shown to rest Although the PH Act(London), 1998 says that extent, are protected from themselves in regard costs are being externalised from the market and with the regulator. PH may not use the word “taxi” or “cab”, of the taxi service. However, this increases transferred to the welfare state via in-work Taking a brief view of recent history of these singularly or In plural, on their own or as part of a market price. benefits. two trades, there were few problems of supply or word,the regulator advises PH operators on Not only has the regulator created a two-tier Thus, any public perception of taxi fares being price of the London taxi service prior to the receipt of their licence that they may use the term regulatory system where the resulting skewed excessive may be informed by the 1950s. However, the quarter century following “minicab”. costs ensure that the taxi service is unable to misconception that the taxi service is a monopoly WWII was marked by unprecedented economic Clarity is also not helped by the largest PH compete on price with the PH service, the that allows the taxi service to charge more than growth, allied to the creation of the welfare state operator, Addison Lee (AL), using an all-black regulator compounds this by failing to inform the PH. If PH fares are genuinely lower than taxi and a vastly more equitable distribution of wealth fleet of taxi-like Multi- Person Vehicles (MPV). public sufficiently of this regulatory disparity and fares, it is not that they represent greater value than had previously existed. For the first time, the So, the minicab is black and the black cab is a thereby explain the reason for any disparity in for money but rather because all costs of the taxi working classes enjoyed disposable income and range of colours. Many passengers consider AL price between the services. service are internalised and passed to the as a result the taxi service ceased to be the to be taxis of a lower order than “black cabs” but Another possible reason for passengers passenger, whereas many costs of the PH province of the wealthy and demand grew a higher standard than “minicabs”. thinking taxi fares are too high is the popular service are externalised as outlined above, rapidly. This confusion of difference between the two misconception that taxi drivers hold a monopoly safety, etc. Effectively, prices and PH operator The licensing regime was not equipped to services goes directly to the regulatory creation and are protectionist. There is a justified profits are maintained by an effective subsidy expand the taxi supply quickly enough to meet of a two-tier service. This is coupled to the tendency to believe that such a monopoly from society at large and the oligopolistic market the burgeoning demand for the service, mainly regulator providing insufficient public information produces inflated prices and supernormal profits they operate within. due to the entry barrier to new drivers known as with regard to the distinction between services for the monopolist. However, the reality is that This may also be the reason for the stability of the “Knowledge of London (KOL )”. This is the and a failure to enforce regulations. Indeed, the London’s taxi service operates in a near perfectly the taxi driver employment and instability of the topographical requirement of taxi drivers. regulator has created illogical service distinctions competitive market, aside the fact that the PH driver. Also,why the taxi service is largely However, no demand will remain unmet in the and then compounded this byallowing PH to regulator sets price rather than the market. self-regulated,while PH drivers have scant medium term and this resulted in the “minicab” offer what should be regarded as traditional taxi Taxi driving is non-exploitative of the labour regard for the regulations they are supposed to industry being created to exploit this excess services, without increasing the regulation of PH involved as each driver operates his own work under. Taxi driving is regarded as a “job for demand. Passengers now had the option of in line with the taxi service. business and can never have more than one life”, as the intellectual capital invested in using the taxi service or the unregulated minicab driver, the owner of the business. This also obtaining a licence means a holder does not give service. ensures that no driver has enough market share up the licence lightly, while approximately 40% of There was a clear distinction between the two to allow her distort or lead the market, unlike the PH drivers do not renew their licence. (4) services. The relevance for passenger situation with the PH service. There is no capital investment in obtaining the satisfaction was the recognition that the minicab Price is not totally insusceptible to consumer licence and the operators’ appropriation of driver represented a cheap, inferior and unregulated demand as the metered price is a maximum labour results in low pay for the driver. In short, service as compared to the taxi service. Even price that can be charged, rather than an the PH driver licence has no value to the holder. more importantly, all actors understood that a absolute price. It is not uncommon for taxi Despite this, there is no shortage of new entrants minicab had to be pre-booked via an operator, drivers to agree a price below that of the to PH driving, in large part due to the absence of either by telephone or by visiting the operator’s meter, although this usually will apply to longer entry and exit barriers. The current 66,000 PH high street office. fares. drivers have increased by approximately by 25% However, by the 1990s, many minicab drivers The PH service faces a market with the in the last nine years. began touting on the realisation that enforcement conditions of oligopoly.The large PH operators These assertions challenge a view that taxi was almost non-existent. By the end of the ‘90s, drive the marketplace within the service. There is fares are too high, compared to PH fares? Of virtually every late night venue in central London THE VEHICLE opportunity for informal cartel pricing through course, it does not necessarily signify that they had a regular group of touts outside their door, market leadership by a few, large players such are not too high. It does signify that while taxi accosting patrons and often intimidating both The taxi service faces much higher as Addison Lee (AL). booking operators can only make minimal profits patrons and taxi drivers attempting to serve vehicle costs than the PH service. PH This creates an unequal arrangement between (less than 2% currently), the market mechanisms those patrons. may use virtually any production model operators and drivers. The operator generally pertaining to the taxi service appear to be The situation changed quite dramatically with car or MPV as a PHV. So many controls the driver and the larger the operator the working efficiently. the regulation of the PH service during 2001-03, additional conditions are placed on a more control they are able to exercise, to the Conversely, PH operators have undue control by which time the number of serious sexual taxi – wheel-chair accessibility, for point where the driver can hardly be regarded as of their driver – suppliers and customer price. assaults by minicab drivers had reached around example – that a Purpose-Built Vehicle self-employed. AL’s 40% gross profit margin (up from 6.25% in 400 convicted attacks per year. (PBV) is required, of which there are The driver is required to work shifts dictated by six years) signifies that supply and demand in The Private Hire (PH) Act, 1998, driven by TFL, currently only two models available. the operator, lease a vehicle through the this market is indisequilibrium. Issue 222 - September 2014 15 ULTATION-RESPONSE from the LCDC

has concluded that rickshaws operate as taxis. the case of the taxi this includes wheel- same regulations as the traditional PH operator The point was made that not being motorised chair accessibility (WAV), grab-handles, technically, PH operators are concerned, along does not preclude rickshaws being classed as distinct colouring to help the partially- with the taxi service, that regulation of the rules of taxis. Therefore, they should either be licensed sighted, intercom friendly to the deaf, booking, driver verification, etc are greatly more as taxis or banned. If they are to be licensed, etc. In all, these accessibility features difficult to ensure and enforce. consistency demands that they have a raise the price of a new taxi For the taxi service, the PH App concerns the topographical knowledge of the area they are considerably. way in which PHVs are booked and fares are licensed for, some type of driving test and the However, despite a greater percentage of PH calculated, in the main. To date, the regulator has vehicles subjected to a rigorous safety standard. passengers being disabled than taxi passengers, recognised App bookings as traditional PH “pre- http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/doc the regulator does not stipulate any disabled- booked” fares, while they are patently not so as s/lc347_taxi-and-private-hire- access features on PHVs at all, far less WAV. the PHV is hailed electronically. The taxi service services.pdf This is discriminatory. At the very least, it should has the right to accept hails, or instant booking SAFETY AND SECURITY be incumbent that any PH operatorabove a requests, from the street or from ranks, whereas TAXI AND PH given size should provide a percentage of WAV the PH driver and operator are excluded from this INCLUDING TOUTING vehicles at least equal to the percentage of type of passenger request. CONCERNS OVER disabled passengers using PHVS (currently The taxi service and passengers are rightly RICKSHAWS 19%). It should also be noted that many protected in this way. The service is protected ENFORCEMENT contracts that transport temporarily and from unfair PH competition as a result of PH There are many reasons why rickshaws It is doubtful, even were there is a will to permanently disabled people, such as hospital lower costs resulting from a lighter regulatory cost should not be allowed to operate in do so, that the taxi and private hire and social service contracts, are awarded to PH burden. Passengers are protected from under- London and no good reason why they services could be properly regulated and services. qualified and tested, albeit licensed drivers. should be allowed. enforced under current arrangements. There is an argument that PH self-regulate in However, the App removes those protections as There is a fairly commonly held view that Pre-TFL, the taxi service had been under this area but this has been proven not to provide their vehicles are “electronically hailed” as this rickshaws are environmentally friendly. This is a the control of a dedicated regulator. sufficient WAV vehicles. As has been stated, the investigation recognises by its use of the term myth. Although mainly pedal-powered, most Once PH was licensed during 2001-03, taxi service has the better record on self- “electronic hail”. have a battery that powers essential and the same regulator became responsible regulation and yet are compelled to use WAV, A physical hail is when an available taxi is decorative lighting, along with a noise-polluting for the two trades. while PH with the worse record do so, or not, on sighted by a customer and a hand is raised and music system. The number of drivers being regulated has a voluntary basis. the driver responds. An electronic hail is where an Additionally, many of these rickshaws are virtually quadrupled since 2001. available taxi or PHV is sighted on a screen and a clandestinely and illegally equipped with a Taxi drivers have traditionally required only light DIFFERENCE OF telephone is “pinged” and the driver responds. battery to assist the illegal powering of the enforcement as the value of the licence ensures There is no discernible difference between the vehicle itself, rather than relying solely on pedal- a large degree of self-enforcement. PH drivers, ACCESS TO SERVICES two processes but rather only the method of the power and transforming the rickshaw into a on the other hand, are not self-enforcing as the process. “motor vehicle”. While pedal-powered rickshaws licence has no value. Additionally, many PH Both services can be accessed via The “electronic hail” certainly destroys the may not be directly polluting, they cause drivers are not aware of the regulations that they telephone, internet and App. The only concept of a PH driver not requiring extensive secondary pollution as they are of a size that operate under. As stated elsewhere, many PH difference of access between the two topographical knowledge due to having time to they cannot easily be passed by other road drivers believe themselves to be taxi drivers. PH services is that PH cannot in theory, compute a route in advance. If not technically, the traffic, unlike bicycles. Traffic travelling at the drivers represent approximately 75% of the supply vehicles on the street or a rank taxi driver has in practise lost the exclusive right to pace of a rickshaw is far more polluting than combined driver numbers of both services. for immediate hiring: they are 'Pre- accept instant bookings via hailing, while having travelling at normal roads speeds. This suggests the regulator has difficulties in booked only' no protection against competition while continuing The rickshaw poses several safety problems. regulatingeffectively and indeed so much so that to be burdened by a skewed regulatory burden The most direct involves the vehicle itself. taxi driver representatives have asked for the two TECHNOLOGICAL that increases taxi service costs against that of ROSPA were commissioned to testthese services to each have their own regulator. PH. vehicles for safety and were forced to abandon Instead, the regulator has been recently IMPACT The second area of concern of PH Apps for the the project as they could not allow their subsumed into the Surface Integration taxi service is the way in which PH App fares are inspectors to be driven at speedsabove 5mph, Programme (SIP). It would appear that over the While the App presents opportunities for calculated. PH regulations bar the use of a due to safety concerns. lifetime of TFL, stronger enforcement has been both drivers and passengers, it also taximeter. Fares are agreed between customer There is a growing lack of respect for other required at the same time as the regulator’s produces threats to both services. and supplier by agreement, usually based on road-users and road rules and laws by rickshaw ability to provide proper enforcement is being The App itself is not problematic as in the case mileage or banded fares. riders. Some common examples are two eroded. of use for genuine pre-booking it is nothing more However, there is currently a large PH App rickshaws travelling side by side along the than a useful tool for the customer to obtain a car (Uber) that calculates fares in exactly the same highway, mounting pavements, travelling the or taxi. It is when the App is used for the purpose way as taxi fares. That is, a hiring charge coupled wrong way along one way streets, ignoring traffic of “electronic hailing” that the App does not fit to a rate per unit of distance in addition to a rate lights and stop signals. Road races are not comfortably within the current regulatory system based on elapsed time when the vehicle is uncommon where a group of passengers are and as a result threatens the status quo of the stationary or moving below a minimum speed. divided into two rickshaws. Inebriated rickshaw established taxi and PH services. The relevant data is transmitted from the driver’s passengers can often be seen hanging from the For PH, the App passes much control from smart-phone via GPS to the operator in order to sides of the vehicle, arms akimbo. operator to driver, making it difficult for the calculate the fare at journey’s end. Rickshaws are associated with less developed operator to organise vehicle supply to the This fare calculation fits exactly the description countries of the global south. Within these passenger and threatens the operators’ revenue of a “taximeter” as per the Private Hire Act countries, rickshaw-driving is considered a lowly streams as the PH driver is no longer necessarily (London) 1998 (5). The taximeter is not a physical occupation. In a wealthy country of theglobal tied to a single operator and nor does the driver item of equipment but rather a method of fare north, such as the UK, it is utterly degrading to DISABLED ACCESS TO pay the operator subscription fees or have to rent calculation according to the Act. use a human being in the same way as a beast equipment such as computer terminals and In short, the PH App generally has removed the of burden. To use the human energy of one TAXI AND PH SERVICES vehicles from the operator. barrier for the service to accept instant, hailed person in order to transport other persons has no As the investigation has discovered, The operator also now faces the same problem bookings. The Uber App in particular, is effectively place in a modern, enlightened society. 14% of taxi passengers and 19% of PH from the App as the taxi service has faced from a complete taxi service rather than a PH service Currently, rickshaws operate outside of the law customers are disabled. Yet, the the PH service – competition that is more lightly as the law and regulations intended. as transport providers. The recently published regulator has ruled that taxis must be regulated than their competition. Visit lcdcorg.wordpress.com Law Commission review of taxi and PH licensing 100% accessible to all passengers. In While, the App operator and drivers face the to read the submission in full 16 Issue 222 - September 2014 What a summer it has been he decided to run off and arrest a toe rag Drogba seems to be enjoying his semi (sorry I mean suspect) It was his first as retirement. boss and now gave him the distinction of Arsenal have got themselves an making an arrest at every rank. England striker. In days gone by that You should have seen his bodyguards' might have meant something but in face when he got in a stranger’s car and Danny Welbeck they have got sped off. Priceless. themselves a player who succeeded only Have you all been following the case of in falling over a lot for Manchester United. Ashya King? The 5 year old suffering The more things change is the more from a brain tumour, who can't walk or they stay the same as was proved in Danny Welbeck talk. His parents arrested for doing what I Tottenham's home humbling at the hands think we would all do which is the best The footie season is here and I am of Liverpool. Most interesting thing about they can for their sick child. already upsetting Mrs Nestor by the that game was the return to the As a parent I feel for them and pray by number of games I NEED to watch. premiership of the enigmatic Mario the time you read this they will have been Ok so after my predictions of last year Balotelli. EDDIE NESTOR freed from their Spanish prison cell and which were pretty good, even if I say so He is unusual in a footballer who is BBC London 94.9 reunited with their precious and very sick myself [and I do]: transferred a lot in that the champagne Drivetime: Weekdays 5-7pm child. QPR will stay up. Not quite sure how but corks go off when he arrives at a club and Boris Johnson is mad. Not crazy though Arry will work his magic. again when he leaves. Call: 0207 224 2000 I suppose you could debate that too but Interviewed him last month about the West Ham will again survive but after ...The Mayor is furious about the decision retirement from international football of his seeing how comprehensively they were Weekly Podcasts not to adopt his idea of an airport in the Nephew and Chelsea legend Frank outplayed by Southampton, I fear their UK Black Thames estuary, lovingly dubbed "Boris Lampard. manager will not. Big Sam is the most Island" He is an honest and charming man and pragmatic of managers but that cannot Manchester United Redcast It will be interesting to see how this plays when he says he won't even bother to work when the club likes to play out because even though his idea is dead read the new contract being offered by champagne football. Fans were telling Hopefully we'll get some of that cabbie in the water (geddit) he will soon be the Hoops I believe him... honest me last year they preferred relegation and gold this autumn so I don't have to standing for Parliament in Uxbridge and Talking of Chelsea, there cannot be any playing well [or rather flamboyantly] than listen to your moaning every time I get as I understand it, many of his would-be excuses this year. The "Special One" has surviving playing the kind of nonsense in the cab. new constituents are employed at got rid of the players who couldn't or they were playing last year. Drive-time made all the papers last Heathrow and will no doubt have strong wouldn't buy into his philosophy and Be careful what you wish for. Oh and I month when, whist interviewing the Met views on how they want to be brought in some real quality. pick Chelsea to win something this year. commissioner [Sir Bernard Hogan Howe] represented. Costa has already made an impact and Don't say I sit on the fence

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com Issue 222 - September 2014 17 Walker on the March....

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS the door of our street work to PH. Our circuits have been stuffed, largely by the TFL setting rules that do not allow When I was but a boy and could us to compete on a level playing field. afford to smoke 60 Woodbines a day, Now it’s the turn of our street work. cabbing was a different world. Lawyers can pick around at the law Even in 1990, there were just 16,565 and say this and that but in reality PH drivers, against today’s 25,000. The satellite office and App “electronic hail” poor old Yellow Badge drivers have work is our traditional street work. It has more than doubled in number in that taken just over a decade for the time. combined efforts of PH and TFL to In 1980, just after I began cabbing, a destroy our “pre-booked” work. If new cab could be bought for £6,660. It something isn’t done, it looks like we was still rubbish so no change there have about five to seven years before then. Diesel was just £1.20 per gallon or our street work goes the same way. in new money, 26.5p per litre. The cab TFL has an obligation to either level the licence cost £25 and insurance was playing field or afford us the protection £200 on average. Repairs and servicing required as a result of the way they averaged around £240 per year.* apply regulations unevenly to the two In 1980, I also bought my current services. If not, they will completely house, a 3-bed semi in the burbs for destroy the world’s best taxi service. £32,000. Hogan Howe - “You cabbies are just frightened of competition” Every regulation put in place carries cost How times change, eh? for the regulated service. If two competing services such as taxis and YOU CAB DRIVERS ARE PH are regulated unevenly, as is the JUST FRIGHTENED OF prospective taxi drivers towards the PH community are discriminated against in case, TFL impose greater costs on the service. Too many PH drivers and not order to reduce the costs of the PH most heavily regulated (taxi) service. COMPETITION! enough taxi drivers as a percentage of service. Thus, that service will be unable to the combined total is the result. The result of this is clear to see if we compete with the lightly regulated (PH) So said the commissioner of the Met TFL are killing us on costs. Heavy look at taxi radio circuits. Certainly there service in a free market. to a leading member of the Unite regulation of the taxi service and light are other factors involved in why they TFL have an absolute duty to either branch recently. regulation of the PH service has have failed to compete with PH but an regulate the two services evenly or We’re not frightened of competition but resulted in very different costs facing inability to compete on price as a result separate the markets they operate in. rather just the unfair competition that each service. We have a choice of of TFL applying one rule for us and The former would require bringing TFL have created with their two-tier taxi vehicle that costs £35,000 and £43,000 another for them is the prime reason. licensing standards into line for both and PH licensing system. It is unfair, respectively. PH can pick up a Vauxhall After eleven years of competition from services; bringing PH standards up to, or unjust and it is killing us off through no Zafira or Toyota Prius for £21,000 and PH in the “pre-booked” market, the a lot closer to ours. The latter requires fault of our own. £22,000 respectively, almost half the circuits are out on their feet. In 2013, withdrawing satellite offices and the It is now eleven years since full PH cost of a taxi. Their running costs are the three circuits combined turnover method of booking currently used by PH licensing came into force. In that short much less as well. A PH driver/operator was down 16% on 2003. If account is Apps. This last would also demand space of time, the number of Private can even pick up a Mercedes Vito taxi, taken of inflation and the fact that in proper enforcement, rather than the Hire (PH) drivers has risen from 24,000 without the turning circle and wheelchair 2013 their figures included a significant laughable 68 enforcement officers and to the current 66,000. Taxi driver facility (WAV), for £12,000 less than a amount of revenue from PH, the real disinterested Metropolitan and City of numbers have only risen by just under Vito taxi. This is particularly absurd value of taxi work is probably not much London police services. 50% in twice that number of years. The when it is considered necessary for more than half of 2013. While there may have been a case for taxi service is being engineered to taxis to be 100% WAV, while Private The biggest PH operator, Addison Lee, light PH regulation as a short-term stagnate while the PH service is Hire Vehicles (PHV) do not need WAV returned turnover of £172 million in measure in order to ensure a sufficient growing rapidly. vehicles at all, according to TFL. 2013, more than 50% higher than the number of drivers, the long-term goal This is the fault of the TFL. An average Yet, only 14% of taxi passengers are three circuits combined. In 2005, its should have been to increase PH time of 51 months to complete The disabled, while 19% of PH customers turnover was just £39 million, almost regulation and bring it closer to a uniform Knowledge is too long and a couple of are disabled. It gets dafter. Bearing in half of Comcab’s turnover. AL ain’t standard for both services. Uniform hours for a PH driver test to show a mind that there are almost three times doing it by working on slim profit regulation would benefit the passengers, driver can read a map is far too short. as many PH drivers as taxi drivers, a margins either. They don’t need to the disabled and fair competition. Some will think we have enough taxi crude average suggests that four times because TFL is sorting that out for drivers already but that is not so. There as many disabled passengers use them by making slave labour available should be many more. However, there PHVs as use taxis. Yet, TFL decides all to operators as a result of a worthless TFL – STILL NOT FIT should not be a total of 90,000 taxis must be WAV (rightly so), while PH driver licence. Their gross profit combined taxi and PH drivers but a lot there is no need for a single PHV to be margin is a consistent 40% of turnover. FOR PURPOSE! less. The regulator is effectively WAV (very wrong). Makes one wonder So, the pre-booked battle is already hampering the growth of the taxi service what the people at TFL are putting in lost. Thank the heavens we still have *Thanks go to Les Hoath of the and if not stopped, will eventually kill the their tea? They have created a system the street work, eh? Nah, think again suburban drivers coalition for the trade off. It is effectively directing where both taxi drivers and the disabled because now the regulator is opening cab data.

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com 18 Issue 222 - September 2014

RESULTS

Winner - Chris Allen 38 points TLC CHARITY GOLF DAY 2nd place - Dave Sweet (37 points - 18pts back 9 countback) Other Society members had also been 3rd place - Nick Hunt running sweepstakes and prediction (37 points - 9pts back 3 countback) competitions to raise funds, while another golf society had donated their Guest Winner - "fines" pot to help the cause. Colin Moore 38 points (20 pts back 9) As well as the items donated, Guest 2nd - organisations also made charitable Brad Curtis 38 points (17 points back 9) Guest 3rd - donations to the fund, including the Lawrence Cannell 36 points LCDC who also sponsored the prize for Father and Son pairing - the Nearest the Pin in 2, which was won John and Chris Allen - 68 points by guest Colin Moore. King of Par 3’s The 50 plus members and guests - Lawrence Cannell - 14 points enjoyed good weather and varying King of Par 5’s degrees of success or failure on the - Dave Sweet - 14 points course with Chris Allen coming in Leading Lady victorious having only taken up golf 2 - Hilarory (aka Peter) Thompson years ago. The dreaded wooden spoon Winning Team - Dean Banks, Mark was won by Chris McPhillips. We also Shonfeld, Terry Campion, Dave Sweet had a leading "lady" thanks to Peter "Hilarory McIlroy" Thompson, who raised Hole 2 Longest Drive - Danny Sullivan £150 from driver pledges to see him/her Hole 4 Nearest Pin - Colin Moore Kevin Portch (left) and John McDonald play dressed as a lady. Some people Hole 7 Nearest Pin - Lawrence Cannell The (TweetaLondonCab) TLC Golf Children's Charity. Behind the scenes, will do anything to play off the red tees. Hole 9 Nearest Pin in 3 - Dave Sweet Society has been running since 2010 captain John McDonald and other However, the real success of the day Hole 10 Nearest Pin in 3 - John Farrow and meets once a month to contest members had been approaching various was the amount raised by the Society, a Hole 12 Nearest Pin in 2 - Colin Moore Hole 15 Nearest Pin - Marc Rose the CabUp trophy. friends of the trade for donations towards staggering £4,600. The Society wishes In July, the Society met at Stockbrook the fundraising efforts, including services Hole 17 Nearest Pin - to thank the following who donated raffle TLC Umbrella - Marc Rose Manor Golf Club near Billericay for its and goods from taxi garages, free prizes, on-course prizes, auction lots, or Hole 18 Straightest Drive - John Allen first Captain's Charity event, hoping to rounds from golf clubs around London made financial contributions towards the raise funds for the Great Ormond Street and even a pair of Arsenal football boots. fundraising. Wooden Spoon - Chris McPhillips

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www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com Issue 222 - September 2014 19 Airport Matters

BY PETER “THE CANNON” L.C.D.C AIRPORT REP

Heathrow byelaws forbid private ensure that the ranks are working hire drivers to pick up passengers properly under HAL’s control. Strictly on the airport’s forecourts. speaking, TfL has a duty to intervene if The byelaws are backed up with it can be shown that HAL and rank appropriate signage in all places where agents APCOA are controlling the vehicles are likely to park and wait. ranks under conditions that are likely to Unfortunately for the licensed taxi be prejudicial to the rights of drivers trade, Heathrow police officers and and passengers who need to hire taxis. traffic wardens who patrol the terminal To make this point another way, as a forecourts seem to have been public interest issue, TfL has a duty to account when HAL and the MPS and CODE OF CONDUCT instructed to give minicabs a free hand prevent HAL from engaging in activity unnamed stakeholders meet to assess Heathrow’s trade organisations to park and wait wherever they please. that’s detrimental to the standard of and discuss annual policing costs. In recognise that something needs to be There’s no doubt that HAL managers service drivers are able to provide on August the MPS advised that they done about drivers who persistently and senior police officers at Heathrow the airport’s ‘authorised standings’. know nothing about the major meeting cause unnecessary trouble on the are fully aware that private hire attended by the MPS and HAL in early ranks. Ideally Heathrow needs an companies are illegally conducting SURPRISE PROPOSALS May even though the meeting was enforceable Code of Conduct, but business on the terminals. FROM HAL about policing costs. Heathrow Police how would it work and who would do Many Heathrow drivers are At the Taxi Liaison meeting held in July, pointed out that if they were holding the enforcing ? HAL doesn’t have any convinced that the failure of HAL and Heathrow Ltd. (HAL) warned of relevant information they would release powers to deal with a Heathrow driver the police to stop minicabs from forthcoming proposals to make it. The MPS also offered legal advice who faces allegations of law breaking offering illegal pick up services is acceptance of credit cards compulsory on how to interpret and use the or misbehaviour. Only Transport for calculated to give the PH industry a for all Heathrow drivers. HAL also Freedom of Information Act. Eventually London can revoke or suspend a major advantage over Heathrow’s mentioned a proposal to compel it turned out that it was the MPS who driver’s licence and HAL wouldn’t be licensed taxis. The byelaws demand drivers to accept all journeys ending needed advice, when they located able to ban a driver from Heathrow that minicabs must only load within the Met’, irrespective of final information that they didn’t know they on the recommendation of a passengers and luggage in an official destinations. had until they were given a few clues disciplinary committee. Even a car park and Heathrow police shouldn’t For some reason HAL managers as to where it might be found. committee made up of recognised have unfettered freedom to ignore aren’t aware that credit card Heathrow drivers are entitled to know trade organisations, would have no offenders. acceptance by drivers is a Hackney what the MPS Heathrow is required to powers over drivers who refused to Carriage matter over which HAL do to earn its keep at Heathrow and the recognise the disciplinary committee CHAOS ON THE RANKS doesn’t have any enforcement powers. LCDC isn’t going to let drivers down. as a properly constituted body. HAL made a big mistake by engaging With regard to the length of Imagine a scenario where a driver the contractual services of APCOA as a compellable metered journeys, again TERMS AND CONDITIONS who is a known trouble maker arrives replacement for NSL. Scenes of utter HAL doesn’t have any powers to force DOCUMENT at the south feeder park and finds chaos confront passengers and drivers a driver who lives in Enfield for Heathrow Ltd.(HAL) has raised the that he can’t get in. He then makes who arrive on Heathrow’s ranks. example, to accept a hiring to Croydon. subject of having written Terms and enquiries and finds that HAL has Despite all the assurances from HAL HAL managers who deal with the taxi Conditions for Heathrow drivers. removed his Cabtag. On the management, APCOA staff show no trade will never admit to having a lot to The LCDC has often tried to get HAL assumption that the driver is in signs of being able to settle in. learn ; but until they recognise their to discuss producing a formally written possession of a valid licence issued HAL should have foreseen that the weaknesses, they will continue to document that sets out what drivers are by TfL, HAL would be in more trouble bunch of novices employed by APCOA waste valuable time whenever the supposed to receive in return for their than the driver. would be incapable running the ranks. meaning and effect of Hackney gate money, but HAL has consistently Bad drivers need to be sorted out, In mid August Transport for London Carriage law comes under discussion. rejected our well-intentioned but neither HAL nor the trade orgs advised the LCDC that Heathrow Ltd. submissions. The Terms and could muster the legal powers (HAL) is responsible for deciding how POLICE COSTS Conditions HAL has in mind relate to required to remove a driver’s Cabtag, the Taxi System operates. This was AT HEATHROW the commercial agreement (contract) unless TfL had previously ‘removed’ bad advice from TfL and by way of The LCDC is finding it hard to get that comes into existence when a his licence. Any driver barred from response it has been pointed out to TfL information explaining the elements of driver pays HAL £5.22 for use of the the Taxi System by HAL could apply that in the interests of the travelling annual policing costs at Heathrow that Taxi System. The agreement is quite to Uxbridge Country Court for an public at Heathrow, TfL has no choice last year amounted to £36.8 million. simply a bilateral one-off contract that order granting him access to the other than to be concerned that Key stakeholders who agree policing forms between an individual driver and System. facilities provided by HAL to taxi drivers costs at Heathrow are supposed to HAL each time HAL accepts a payment The application process includes and their passengers are of the highest include all important businesses that from a driver. The London taxi trade asking the applicant-driver if Human possible standard. Although have an interest in crime and security consists of a highly complex group of Rights issues are to be raised in Heathrow’s roads and ranks are issues. sole traders and not a business connection with his right to earn a situated on private property, they are Given that the taxi trade supplies the consisting of a single ‘legal person’ living and the ramifications for HAL nevertheless places where TfL has MPS Heathrow with a labour force of representing the trade as a whole. The and members of a disciplinary jurisdiction. London Hackney Carriage taxi marshals, it goes without saying applicable legal framework is on par committee would be endless. law applies at Heathrow, irrespective of that the taxi trade is a key stakeholder. with the rules regulating the provision However keen the trade orgs are to how big and powerful HAL happens to But are we getting the recognition we and use of private and public car parks. draft a Code of Conduct, we all have be. As previously clarified in The deserve when crime and security is As a general rule all car parks display to think very hard about the legal Badge, TfL enforcement officers don’t discussed ? The LCDC is determined their terms and conditions on a Notice consequences and costs issues that need permission from the airport to find out whether the value of taxi Board either at or very near the point of could follow the removal of an operator before visiting Heathrow to marshalling scheme is taken into entry. ‘innocent’ driver’s Cabtag.

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com

Issue 222 - September 2014 21

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Join us Mike & Paul www.vitotaxiclub.org 22 Issue 222 - September 2014 Cotto the main man native Philippines with no part of it slated to fight in either February or March on pay-per- take place at Roach's Wild Card gym in Los view. As for a venue, duBoef said the No. 1 Angeles, which is typically where Pacquiao choice is Madison Square Garden, so he will does half his camp for fights in the United need to talk to Garden executives about States. available dates. Last week, Roach and Cotto talked about "Obviously, the Garden is home to him. It's a Steve Bunce the possibility of Cotto traveling to the wonderful place," duBoef said. Philippines to train there, but Cotto ultimately As for opponents, there is no fighter who is -BOXNATION decided he did not want to make the trip. As the particular focus. DuBoef recently went to he reasoned, he doesn't have to fight again Puerto Rico to talk to Cotto about a deal for this year, there is no natural available the December fight, but before they got too opponent and he doesn't need the money, so far, Cotto realized he needed to talk to Roach why not just take off the rest of the year? about the schedule. Miguel Cotto (left) and Sergio Martinez "We were trying to coordinate having The big fight for Cotto obviously would be a However, on Wednesday, Cotto, whose tour [Roach] with him at all times during his camp showdown with former junior middleweight de force against Martinez made him the first for the planned December fight, but at the titlist Canelo Alvarez, who is due to fight in Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four end, it was not possible due to his prior November or December against an opponent weight classes, pulled a bit of a surprise when commitments with various fighters that will to be determined. he announced on Twitter that he would take train in Asia during a good part of that period," Many thought that Cotto and Alvarez would Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, off the rest of the year. Gaby Penagaricano, Cotto's adviser, told each fight different opponents at the end of who claimed the title by dropping The reason for Cotto's decision was simple ESPN.com. "We looked at various scenarios, this year, setting themselves up for a Sergio Martinez four times en route to logistics. Freddie Roach, Cotto's Hall of Fame but at the end, Miguel decided to wait until blockbuster showdown next spring or early in an upset 10th-round knockout victory trainer, also trains welterweight titlist Manny next year. He has no problem at all not the summer. It is not out of the realm of June 7 at New York's Madison Square Pacquiao, who is preparing for his Nov. 22 fighting this year and is very happy with his possibility that Cotto could forgo a fight in the Garden, was expected back in the ring defense against Chris Algieri. But because the decision." first quarter of 2015 and simply go right to a Dec. 13 at the Garden, although the fight will take place in Macau, China, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, Cotto's fight with Alvarez in May or June, assuming opponent had not been selected yet. Pacquiao's training camp will take place in his promoter, told ESPN.com that Cotto would Alvarez wins his fight later this year. New Old Rules and a New Old Club Another day another compressed safely. All female and male boxers, 50 boxers, junior and senior who are on rule, AIBA the world up to 18 years of age, have to wear national squads based in Sheffield. governing body of headguards, so I guess AIBA are saying AIBA have acquiesced in that, male, 18 year amateur boxing, headguards are safer, in which case only olds are now permitted to box 19 year olds, but whoops they’ve international and boxers in senior national the bout must be without headguards and the banned the word championships should box without headguards. 18 year old can then only compete against amateur, have just All of this is taking place with the British Medical seniors and is not permitted to box in issued an edict that Council suggesting footballs should not be tournaments for 18 year olds. Terry Spinks - West Ham ABC all male, senior The Boddyman headed until players are 17 years old, that Only Doctors registered with their regional boxers, that is all male rugby should be non contact until players are ABA authority can officiate at amateur shows, champions Nigel Benn and Steve Roberts, boxers 19 years and - BOXNATION 17 year olds and there is the back ground of the the doctors’ insurance now covers, these, Billy Walker, one the biggest British, pro boxing older have to number of cut eyes at the 2014 Commonwealth “registered” doctors, only, to officiate at attractions of the 60s, Jimmy Tibbs, pro trainer compete without Games. amateur boxing. Last season ended with a supreme, (he has just released an headguards. Incidentally, this season will be the last boxing situation where doctors were told that they autobiography), Ralph Gold, co owner of West I’m continually being season that runs from September to July, as of were not insured to officiate at amateur boxing Ham Football Club, current pro star, Kevin asked about headguards, 2016 we have to fit in with AIBA’s international shows, which would have been the end of Mitchell, through to all the young lads who so although being in calendar, which runs from 1st January to 31st amateur boxing, so good news as amateur found their way to a better life because of the danger of repeating myself here’s the picture. December. So, probably the ABA boxing can now continue. values instilled in them by West Ham Boxing When AIBA, initially, scrapped headguards, Championships, renamed “Elite”, will be moved 25% of all amateur boxers, registered in Club, now all have their legacy saved, earlier this year, it was only for elite, ie, open from May to December, or is that just an old England, are from London. London is booming preserved and continued. class, international boxers; this new edict is with Walter Houston/Frank Sinatra song? and is now the powerhouse of English boxing. Recently deceased, legendary Hammers, immediate effect and was issued a week before Basically, because the powers that be, that Keith Walters OBE and Paul King, former chief trainer Micky May and matchmaker, Jimmy the commencement of the new boxing season. run amateur boxing in England, now renamed, exe of English Amateur Boxing, with the help of Murphy, have large portrait photos overlooking Peculiar, in that, whilst all agree, from an “England Boxing”, wanted to stay in power, Powerday, Network Rail, Ringside, (the boxing the two rings, as always and now forever, entertainment point of view, boxing is better earlier this year, after being voted out, 10 to 1, equipment and apparel supplier) and Sport watching out for their charges. The honours without headguards, we are not being given by the 12 autonomous regions, that are England have raised £4.5 million in two years,( board and memorabilia, the stuff of East End medical facts. AIBA base all their, dubious, amateur boxing in England, they sacrificed unprecedented and undreamable riches for a legend and folklore, along with current and medical info on the words of one USA doctor, England’s national amateur boxing authority to boxing region), this money is being put to good future champions have found a fitting and yet the USA military insisted on headguards, for AIBA; AIBA keeping them in power by stating effect, more will be set out in future articles, but permanent home. all their amateur boxers, soon after World War England would be banned from all international a significant event, for London boxing, was the Newham Council are playing and have 11. Sweden came out with a head trauma boxing, at all levels, meaning not only would September opening of new premises for West played their part and along with, head of Sport medical paper approx 1959, hence headguards England’s boxers not be able to take part in Ham ABC. England, Nick Bittel, an East Ender, made all being dropped, overnight, by rugby forwards, international competition, but foreign boxers, After 92 years behind the “Black Lion”, West the right noises at the official opening. Long for tape around rugby ears. Then East inclusive of boxers from Scotland and Wales, Ham have moved to, London Road, which is may this marriage, of private enterprise, local Germany, noted for their medical expertise in could not compete on ordinary club shows. directly behind Plaistow tube station. A government and sports governing bodies, doping athletes to win gold medals, came out This means that rules designed for Olympics, completely, refurbished, derelict, 1960s social continue. with specially designed rubber to go in World, European and Commonwealth club will see West Ham continue with its’ Finally, big congrats to Earlsfield’s, Joe Joyce, headguards which cushioned punches without Championships are in place for club shows production line of champions. From Ron for winning Super Heavyweight, the trampoline effect caused by the previously featuring 11 year old, no bout, novices. Cooper, who competed in the 1948 London Commonwealth Gold in Glasgow, used headguards; the headguards had to be Basically English amateur boxing is being Olympics, via Terry Spinks, who won gold in Until next time, drive carefully, cheerfully, replaced, every two years, to ensure the rubber administered and run for the sole benefit of the the 56 Melbourne Olympics, pro world safely and profitably.

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com

24 Issue 222 - September 2014

Adam D. Elliott Vincent House, 99a Station Road, London, E4 7BU SPECIALIST ACCOUNTANT TO THE LICENSED TAXI TRADE

Tel: 020 8281 0500 email: [email protected] / SKYPE: taxitax

www.lcdcorg.wordpress.com

26 Issue 222 - September 2014 Heart Tests For London Taxi Drivers WOOD STREET CLINIC The Heart Centre For London Taxi Drivers

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TX / VITO REMOULDS CHICKEN / LAMB / MIX GRILLS +VAT All served with rice / salad £38.50 Fresh & Healthy TEL: 0207 231 5857 72 ENID STREET, BERMONDSEY, LONDON, SE16 3RA 0207 336 7036

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