TfL have declared war on the Licensed Taxi Trade and announced the first minicab bay/rank, at the Shard.
When I held the position of ranks and highways officer at the RMT, I explained to a packed branch meeting, that minutes to a surface transport meeting document had been found which laid out plans for future ranks for private hire. Shortly after the meeting the document was removed from the Internet.
Unfortunately only a online link to the document was kept. We didn't have the foresight to make a hard copy as the proposer (Jerome Weimar) had by then, gone from TfL. We thought that would be the end of the matter. But as we now know to our cost, nothing ever gets completely scrapped by TfL. Proposals get shelved and re-emerge at later dates.
We now see it's TfL's intention to restart the implementation of this damaging idea.
And the Shard is just the tip of this iceberg,
So now the United Trade Group are crying "Foul" and calling for united trade action.
But just how sincere are these people and can we trust them?
Surely now the engagement policy has been scrapped, there is no reason whatsoever for the LTDA, LCDC and Unite, to exclude the RMT and the UCG from the joint ranks, or any other united trade committee.
Stephen Hammond, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the Westminster debate on deregulation said:
I hope that in the few minutes available to me I have been able to demonstrate that the Government have considered the measures carefully. They are pragmatic amendments to the Deregulation Bill. They will allow substantial scrutiny in Committee and will reduce the burdens on the taxi and private hire trade. They are effective and safe steps along the longer deregulatory journey.
He couldn't have made it any clearer.
The Government want to deregulate the whole Taxi trade nationally, including London. They want to work closer with Private Hire. If we don't act soon, our days will be numbered.
Boris had said in his election promise:
"London is different"
He also promised not to close the tube ticket offices.
The RMT made this statement after the Westminster Debate.
The RMT, GMB AND UNITE have agreed a tri-union coalition and informed all their relative parliamentary groups briefing MPs on that deregulation bill debate.
Only trade unions with serious clout can do this. If the trade is to survive, drivers must get behind the call for total trade unity.
This begs the question, if the unions can work together on a national basis then why is there such reluctance in London?
Bob Oddy, Grant Davis, why won't you engage with the RMT and UCG?
We want to know why certain Taci drivers can't sit down with other Taxi drivers and work together.
Our future is in the balance.
This must not be about personal agendas.
17 comments:
As was warned TfL will bend over backwards to accomodate the Carlyle Group - the sharde is a perfect example of what's to come... The bigger picture is coming together, the Carlyle Groups 300 million investment cannot show the returns they require without deregulation - then Addison Lee can be rolled out nationwide. This deregulation bill is a sham, it will be endorsed by parliament, a£750,000 bung/donation, or any other way you want to dress it up... the most corrupt government in living history will make sure of this. The acceptance of satellite offices by the UTG paved the way for the situation at the shard and let's not forget who played best mates with TfL!
The Carlyle Group want it ALL: STATIONS, AIRPORTS, HOTELS, THEATERS, BUILDINGS, VENUES, STADIUMS... THE WHOLE LOT !
ITS ONLY JUST BEGUN!
Unfair comment about the UTG who didn't exists as a representative body in 2005/07
We only had the LTDA who TfL consulted with regular plus the odd meeting with Alan Flemins LCDC.
Unite were only concerned with airport matters as that's where their handful of members worked.
How are the UTG a representative body?
No membership of any organisation was ever consulted about its formation therefore they have NO mandate.
I think you will find that there have been plenty of invites from non UTG groups for us all to come together.
Some have raised objections about X said this and Y said that, well that's the rough and tumble of cab trade politics and people need to realise that they need to 'man up' and do what's best for the taxi trade as a whole.
The stakes are just too high now, don't let TfL keep us divided, how can it be to anyone's benefit?
MOVE ON, MOVE UPWARDS!
Oddy and davis must go they have divided the trade along our badge colour lines.Shame on them.
The question is... are the UTG going to act swiftly; or are they going to bury their heads in the sand like they did over the STaN issue ? and we all know what the outcome of that was - Satellite offices all over the place, with or without planning permission!
The more troubling part of the satellite office debacle was UTG and other trade individuals went to John Masons leaving do to shake hands and backslap this alleged private hire supporter - the very man that facilitated the viral spread of satellite offices throughout London.
The point I am trying to make is: Can the UTG be trusted to act on behalf of the trade at large and secondly - do they have the brains to realise -they do not have the intelligence, nor ability to take on this issue alone!
More like sensored by the UTG's newest flunky!!!
I take that back Jim... sorry
Ok Jim, I'll go with your version... but those who think my axe is blunt, beware - I keep it immaculately honed!
Jimmy, you know and I know that the trade will again tear itself apart rather than unite and fight the real enemy.
Oddy will not sit down with the RMT or UCG because it will compromise his position TfL board.
He has said, and have constantly you reminded us that Mr Oddy doesn't represent the Taxi trade on TFL's board.
He was not elected, he was offered a paid position as the mayors transport advisor.
This position has always been a conflict of interest with his position as General Secretary of LTDA.
He had to resign from the board of Com Cab over his TfL seat but is still an advisor to Com Cab and also director of the PRIVATE company LTDA Enterprises Ltd, along with the other LTDA Executive board members.
Oddy is a money man, he will always follow the money.
Too many in this trade have dipped their snouts in the feeding trough.
Certain trade leaders have vehicle leasing agreements that are not available to the majority of the trade.
Just look at the Radio circuits that used to belong to the drivers, run by the drivers now virtual arms of an ever expanding PH trade.
Taxi drivers are talking down our position saying they are going to just work and ignore the bad news. But it ain't going away. We don't have long left as a viable trade, we've seen that with this latest Westminster debate.
Unless of course we join ranks and fight back as one army. All on the same side, for the greater good.
But that us not going to happen because of the egos of three men.
Who allowed this and why? Your mates at the club John and Helen that's who!!!
What a bunch of jokers at the club.
All I am seeing is join the Lcdc, associate membership free - text us now to join. I am seing NO real leadership over The Shard issue at all. On paper it's looking more and more like a recruitment drive aimed at recruiting butters and knowledge boys into the Lcdc.
There are some serious issues that need to be met head on immediately - unfortunately I strongly suspect to the trades detriment, this will not happen. I believe the so called big hitters of the UTG are caught in the headlights sitting stationary waiting for the devastating inevitable impact that will kill off what is left of the London Taxi trade... the trade is waiting helplessly for leadership that will
l never materialise!
LTDA council of management members are already making their excuses via twitter, before they head for the hills.
DISGRACEFUL!!!
In a nut shell
Deregulation proposals will not affect the London cab trade
TfL/LTPH do not have any statutary authority to appoint private hire waiting areas/ranks on the highway but the Shard may do so on private land
If all trade representatives do not support the forthcoming demo on 6th May then we can pull the shutters down and call it a day. History will show those weak, narrow minded individuals who could not put personal grudges and vandettes to one side for the sake of saving over 350 yrs of the greatest taxi service in the World
The cork in the bottle is Oddy. Nothing will move in this game whilst he is in it.
Stop giving this man your money and the rest if them might grow enough balls to get rid of him.
Then & only then can we begin to save the trade.
Anon. 5.09
Look at case law before you state things.
Rose V Welbeck and the Eastbourne case.
Deregulation will affect us as PH will 'pass the baton'.
All with you for trade unity, the UCG and RMT have made the moves without any response.
Sorry Anon 5:09 you are very wrong.
National deregulation of the PH trade will see London flooded with scabs from outside the GMPD.
Many sections of the PH act 1998 are listed as prospective, meaning they can easily be chanced by amendment. This was recently the case with ID cards, Hackney Carriage act, amended by TfL commissioner Peter Hendy.
TfL have removed Taxi ranks and many stations around London and allowed minicab offices on their forecourts. Most have lines of cars outside i.e. Minicab ranks.
This situation mustn't be viewed through closed eyes, we are slowly being replaced
Our rank spaces decline year after year, many taken over as bus stands, but some replaced (as is the case at Enfield Town) by minicab rank.
Why is the Shard Demo in the afternoon?
It won't affect the opening night bash.
Have the 'organisers' cut a deal with TfL and the Met.?
It gives the illusion of meaningful action to keep an increasingly disgruntled membership sweet and they have a hour or so in the afternoon sitting in the high street until the old bill say: 'thanks boys and girls you have had your fun now back to work'.
Remember the past behaviour of these people and make your own judgement.
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