Hendy states live on TV that St. Thomas Street is the councils responsibility not TfL's.

Peter, Oh what a tangled web we weave.

Hendy stated live on @LondonLive powerlunch (sky channel 117, Virgin 159 and Freeveiw 8) that St. Thomas Street is the councils responsibility not theirs...Wrong of course, as it's managed entirely by TfL as a Red Route.

Hendy also try's to give the impression he's just found out about the license renewal delays. "I said to Leon this isn't good enough, if you've paid your money you should get your licence".

Well Peter all you have to do is reintroduce temporary  licences that you personally withdrew!

  

Still it deflects the story and as TfL are concerned, its job done. Let's not forget, this is the man who appeared on LBC saying the reported increase in sexual assaults were the product of a militant drivers blog, even though they were published on TfLs own website.

So let's look back at the last week or so in the cab trade.

The Shard demo went ahead and caused disruption, well done to all who took part or if not able to attend, gave messages of support, with some good sound bites and articles in the papers.

Über (endorsed by Boris) now embedded on Google maps that's on billions of smartphones worldwide. PH are also on the hook here ,no wonder they are asking for our support (after years of undermining us). Imagine the scenario with a certain large minicab operator.

His drivers lease their vehicles from a leasing company and are fitted out with a mobile device for accepting

work, offered by the company. But as far as the company are concerned the drivers are not employees. 

Nothing stopping them then from having Über on their phones and accepting work paid at a higher rate than the company pay. 

Soon the company could have trouble covering some of the accounts they do at a dramatically cut rate.

Now, if they instruct their drivers only to accept company work, would this make them employees... which has big implications.

The taxi apps are also under the same threat. We the working drivers however, can go back to doing what we completed the KOL to do and that is Ply for Hire. 

But to do our job efficiently, what we need most of all are Ranks (100's of them, not just a handful, plus real enforcement).

Virtual Taxi Meters:

Don't lose sleep about the virtual meter issue, the trade could spend many thousands on a court case and the day before Über could just decide to go to another pricing model, what's needed here is the TfL board to instruct Hendy to suspend Über's operating licence until this and many other grey ares are resolved. You don't get your licence until all the boxes are ticked, neither should anyone else.

We need to accept as a trade, that TfL and the Mayor have no interest in our wellbeing. 

We know it must be galling for those trade Orgs that engaged with TfL to realise it was all a carefullyn constructed plan to keep us divided and give us nothing. 

Let's now accept that the UTG negotiated in good faith, but we're let down big time.

It's no good dwelling in the past, we all need to move on, TOGETHER.

So what's to do?

More drive-ins.

More flash mobs.

Picket TfL. 

Picket the Mayor.

Leaflet GLA, TfL Board and Surface panel meetings.

Promote locally, nationally and internationally, a campaign to halt the race to the bottom that is Über.

Use every tool we have to ensure the GLA bring TfL to account, expose the untruths, the inadequate oversight from the TfL board.

Campaign for a stand alone taxi licence authority, well away form the incompetence at TfL.

Talk to your Councillor, MP, MEP and government minister.

Explain to your passengers the dangers for them and their families.

But as the song goes:

"More, than this"....much more than this

UNITE or DIE.

Together we are unbeatable

I'm Spartacus