Uber have taken over the headlines. Have we taken our eyes off the ball, as the other big player (as predicted) starts making its move.
Apparently, the Carlyle group is now he biggest private equity firm after raising an $30 billion (£18 billion) war chest over the past five years, according to figures from Private Equity International, who rank the top 300 buyout firms.
Carlisle group are owners of a host of companies including RAC, minicab company Addison Lee and pushchair maker Britax.
Last year they overtook rivals TPG, after raising a stunning $22 billion.
Least we forget:
This below from Daily Mirror, April 2012: Around the same time Uber got its PH operators licence: around the same time RD2 aquired an operators licence plus 18 satellite office licences on the same day. Around the same time a west london minicab firm received an envolope stuffed with PH roundels without having to oresent their cars to SGS (someone doing a favour for a friend)
Taxi for tycoon's unfare cabs deal:
David Cameron has been slammed over contract for £250k Tory donor
At least six Whitehall departments hold accounts with John Griffin’s Addison Lee firm, which has given £250,000 to the Tories
The Prime Minister faces demands to suspend the lucrative Government contracts with the minicab tycoon at the centre of the latest cash-for-access donor row.
At least six Whitehall departments hold accounts with John Griffin’s Addison Lee firm, which has given £250,000 to the Tories.
Labour says Mr Griffin will benefit hugely from ex-Transport Secretary Philip Hammond’s decision to slash spending on the official Government car service.
Mr Griffin also faces accusations he broke the law by ordering his drivers to use bus lanes.
The minicab tycoon held talks with Tory Mr Hammond on winning new business. The meeting came weeks after Addison Lee gave the Tories two £50,000 donations on one day.
Mr Griffin discussed getting private firms like his to take on work from the official Government car service.
The meeting came a year after the then Transport Secretary cracked down on the use of ministerial limos.
Ministers boast they have cut the cost of the car service from £6million to £3.5million but claim they do not have details of spending on private hire vehicles.
However, figures unearthed by Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle put it at £468,539 since the general election.
Ms Eagle has called for Addison Lee to stop doing Government work while the Cabinet Secretary investigates the decision to cut the official car service.
She said: “David Cameron made a big deal of claiming he’d massively cut the costs of running the Government car service.
“Yet ministers are hopping into expensive private hire cars instead, with the majority of contracts won by a firm founded by a donor to the Tory Party.”
Labour peer Lord Prescott suggested that Mr Griffin had broken the law by telling drivers to break the bus lane ban.
Ex-Deputy PM Lord Prescott said Addison Lee should not benefit from Government contracts when it tells drivers to “flout the law” and “encourage staff to become getaway drivers”.
He added: “The Addison Lee chairman boasted that businessmen ran this country and that politicians were given money ‘like housewives’. Cameron should now have the guts to condemn his premier league donor, cancel the contract immediately and hand back the £250,000 donation.”
Parliamentary answers show that Mr Griffin’s company is doing a roaring trade in Whitehall.
Mr Griffin shrugged off suggestions he could be prosecuted.
He said: “The law they are trying to impose on me is flawed because it discriminates. Therefore I’m in bus lanes. Therefore I’m not breaking the law.”
Source: Daily Mirror
15 comments:
John griffin is retired and no longer anything to do with Addison lee
Yes indeed Mr. Griffin, The Law does discriminate, the Bus lanes are for Taxis (vehicles licensed for public hire) and not other classes of vehicles.
If you or anyone else wants access, complete the KOL and comply with all the other conditions of fitness.
Until then obey the law and stay out of them and that includes any politician your workforce may be carrying, if I were you I would advise them to use a cab!
Wrong... John Griffin has donated a total of £750, 000 to the Tories, the most corrupt government in living history. A tax deductable sweetner to pave the way for the Carlyle Groups national business plan. And a farewell "up yours" to the London Taxi trade !
The only way to stop them is to modernise ,use apps,direction ranks,use YB,s after 12,stop refusing to go south, keep our customers dont just moan :i,ve done the kol
With the greatest respect my friend you're missing the point.
We not looking to defeat Uber, after all the ones with the biggest threat from this company are PH
The reason why we are up in arms is that TfL are not playing by the rules and enforcing fairly
Uber do not meet with PH licensing standards and should never have been license By TfL
Our main attribute is that we can ply for hire. To do this to the excellent standard that has seem us voted the best taxes service in the world for the past six years, we need the laws on illegal plying for hire enforced
We need properly sighted Taxi ranks and yes we do need to keep harping on about the fantastic achievement of passing the hardest knowledge test anywhere in the world.
We have to make sure that when the public leave a venue, station, hotel, as they exit the first thing they see is a row of orange for hire signs.
If they chose to use an app m, that's up to them and we can compete against that if the rules/ laws are administered fairly.
As for modernisation, we have the best apps on the market and for Boris to say Uber knocks Hailo and Get Taxi in to a tin hat shows just how biassed he and TfL are, in favour of these global multi national companies.
Out drivers are the best in the world, we have the best technology in our vehicles and our radio circuits and Apps match anything PH has
TtT
551dwhat is stopping y.bs using the uber app..??
Anon4.56. Nothing whatsoever, use it if you like.
yes you are right ive been in touch with uber and i can join
up as a yb this is a god send
Proverbs 17:16
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
money in the hands of fools is food on the table .he who has wisdom should see that
"The wise man plans for tomorrow, the foolish man plans for today."
have you been watching the kung fu programme from the the 70.s..grasshopper
To the editor,with respect im not missing the point.You can have ranks everywhere but drivers dont use them ,yes we do have best test,s but by far not the best drivers.22 years doing this job now i see new drivers are like pack of dogs,no respect for passengers or other drivers.A flash Harry attitude and new shiney badge PH will win because of our selfish attitude.
Anon 2:26
I'm sorry you feel that way, a view not shared by the people (our customers) that have voted us the best in the world for the last 6 years.
I admit there are a few who have no driver etiquette and there are a few bad drivers, but there are many more who are absolute gentlemen. I am often impressed at the standard some drivers keep their vehicles.
Unfortunately some will only see the bad as that's all they look for.
If there is a problem with the attitude of new drivers, then the problem should be sorted out by the knowledge schools.
After 40 years of driving a Taxi I'd say standards were no worst now than previous years. Taxis are more comfortable, more reliable and most keep their vehicles spotless. It's just the odd one that lets us all down.
But that's the way it's always been.
As for selfish, the only selfishness I see is the drivers who try to impose their particular fancy on others.
That's what makes this job so great and attractive. You have free will
TtT
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