The meeting was well attended with particularly good speeches from both MP Tom Watson and GLA Assembly Member Val Shawcross.
Val Shawcross concentrated on the general issues with Private Hire legislation saying that a major part of the problem related to the fact that although there is a regular complaints system in place for Licensed Taxi drivers, but there is no complaint system in place for PH drivers. Therefore there is no proper database to show TfL what's going wrong with regards to the mass of complaints about Uber. She said this is something the GLA would be been pressing TfL to change.
Val also pointed to the security problem, endemic in the fact that private hire drivers (and vehicles) do not have to be registered (on a data base) with any particular private hire operator. Plus there is no restraint in the amount of hours drivers can work or the number of operators they can work for.
She pointed out if you can just buy a PH vehicle and drive it privately, it leaves London vulnerable to terrorist attacks such as we saw on the 29 of June 2007 when two car bombs, disguised as PH vehicles were left, one outside the venue Tiger Tiger and the other at the bottom of the Haymarket.
Also bought up was the virtual ranks around Heathrow where uber cars can be seen parked up en masse waiting to become hire. Val said it wasn't only the Taxi trade being affected by the onslaught of increasing numbers of Uber but also the regular PH industry was being decimated.
Highlight of the evening was Tom Watson's address to the meeting. But as the say, a pictures worth a thousand words, but a video is even better. Below is Toms speech recorded by the Save Our Black Taxis FaceBook group.
The Save Our Black Taxis campaign represents the families of the Black Taxi Drivers in London. We are fed up of our drivers being demoralised, stressed and unhappy with their work which is having a massive impact on our family lives.
We are therefore campaigning for TFL to implement and enforce their own existing regulations. We strongly believe that this alone, is the main cause of most of the problems facing the taxi trade today.
We are independent of any trade unions and do not have any political party affiliation.
We are simply the families and supporters of the London Taxi trade and have organised a static demo outside TFL on 31 July for the families and trade supporters.
We have set up this fundraising page to help us purchase the necessities for our demo to be a success.
20/30 thousand hits are expected on this post between now and the demo on the 31st of July.
If every one donated just £1, it would give this fantastic group a massive fighting fund.
To hear more about what this group have done/ are doing, please listen to the London Taxi Radio Podcast number 35
A big thanks to the Save Our Black Taxis group
11 comments:
The Simple Solution-IMMEDIATE DIRECT ACTION
I am going to keep this short and simple.
There has been some positive activity recently by taxi trade organisations, mainly as a direct response to challenge Uber.
However the problem is not Uber
The problem is clear and simple to anyone who takes the time to analyse the facts.
The problem is unarguable CORRUPTION.
Most people who are corrupt do not wear a sign around their neck saying ’ I’m corrupt’
When challenged they do not readily admit ‘I’m corrupt’.
The facts are clear with the Uber situation. Uber are backed by multi national multi billion dollar companies. They have power that most people are unaware of.
Cameron told Johnson not to challenge Uber; the connection was clear by the fact that CEO of Uber was godparent to Cameron’s child.
That is corruption.
There are laws already in place that Uber does not comply with and those laws have not been enforced.
The reason that they have not been enforced is because of corruption. It’s that simple.
Engaging in lengthy political process to clarify definition of the laws that already exist and are not enforced by a corrupt TFL or to adapt those laws to stop improper activity by Uber is pointless.
Even if achieves its objectives this activity is futile. By the time it has done anything it will be too late.
Every week that goes by there are hundreds of new Uber drivers and hundreds of new Private Hire Licenses issued by TFL
This situation is not easily reversible; TFL are not going to suddenly revoke those tens of thousands of Private Hire licences and Uber are not going to suddenly sack their drivers.
Even if Uber is later shut down there will be another illegal app which the thousands of Uber drivers will switch to and then it will take months to shut that down
It is a one way process and every single day that passes the situation will become worse.
The SIMPLE SOLUTION AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS IMMEDIATE DIRECT ACTION. Anything else is pointless.
ALL of the issues that affect London TAXI Drivers have been caused by corruption, whether it’s Uber , the Taxi Age Limit (unarguable documented evidence of corruption), the exclusive money making position of certain trade orgs who do nothing to represent their members or complete lack of enforcement of Private Hire regulation.
The corruption needs to be exposed and it needs to happen NOW.
The GLA and Parliamentary Committees will spend months deliberating and then have no mechanism for resolving the issues.
There needs to be URGENT DIRECT ACTION EVERY DAY UNTIL THE UTTER CORRUPTION OF BORIS JOHNSON AND TFL IS EXPOSED BY THE MEDIA AND URGENT ACTION TAKEN TO STOP IT.
THE TAXI TRADE WILL CONTIUE TO DECLINE ON A DAILY BASIS UNTIL A PROPER AND FAIR SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT IS IN PLACE.
IF THIS WAS HAPPENING IN FRANCE THEY WOULD TAKE DIRECT ACTION AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE FORCED TO MAKE IMMEDIATE CHANGES.
LONDON TAXI DRIVERS NEED TO DO THE SAME EVERY SINGLE DAY ANDF THEY NEED TO DO IT NOW!
Post of 2015 ! Amen.
Semtex
Thanks Semtex.
Tom Watson himself said the Parliamentary process is very slow and they are now in recess for 2 months.
The GLA published the Woefully Inadequate report in November last year and nothing has happened because they have no power to take action.
Direct action to expose the corruption is the only way
Without the GLA Report Tom Watson would not be addressing Taxi Drivers!
So many expert opinions who fail to get out of their Cabs!
It's easy to say take 'take direct action' it's another thing to get Cab Drivers to show up!
If you want to see something happen, get off your fat arse and turn up in your thousands to City Hall!
Boris is responsible for TfL! The rats are deserting the sinking ship and Boris is on his way out....
If enough of you support the GLA, BoJo the Clown may spill the beans on 'Dodgy Dave' and his mates!
This blog could not even see the benefit of City Hall, moaning that sitting in silence listening to answers was a waste of time!
Well that's what you do in a Court! The LTDA haven't even started and the Chamber at City Hall has chewed up and spat out Hendy, Daniels, Emmerson & Dedring!
Grow some bollocks and admit when you got it so badly wrong.....
Not that this post will ever see the light of day!
+2. Hammer home the corruption with direct action. Johnson and TFL can't argue their way out of the well documented evidence. This is a strategy with real balls. With the support of Tom Watson, Sadiq Khan and the GLA Johnson an the TFL hirachy snides will have nowhere to hide!
The GLA collectively had the corruption evividence when Anon 10:52 was an RMT member, and to date they have done nothing with the dossier. As Anon 5:08pm says, the GLA are powerless to hold TFL accountable. Baring this in mind Anon 12:06 AM what's your strategy?
Yeh right, the GLA report has been going over a year and up till now !!!Nothing.
Boris and TfL just turn up, lie and go home laughing.
Tom Watsons attention was bought to our situation by the recent #enough demos, which were supported by every trade group except the RMT.
Direct action works.
Tom even added in yesterday's meeting he hadn't read the GLA report (yet) or spoken to any assembly members (which he is now keen to do).
Tom Watson is to put our issues to parliamentary select committee.
Now they do have power !!!
Unlike the GLA who have none,
The reason why city hall is badly attended is because nothing's happened in over 12 months....and the clock is ticking.
We don't have another twelve months, many drivers are already falling behind with cab and mortgage payments.
Some will soon lose their vehicle, their home, their marriage.
Unites whole agenda was to promote Sadiq Khan as their endorsed candidate for mayor. Forget about Tom Watson for a moment. Sadiq Khan has a law degree, yet there is no reference to what he had to say. What's his mandate?
Yes just sit back and wait another few months and see what Parliament does ; thats a great strategy.
Whatever it does it will be too late.
Taxi Drivers work will continue to diminish and the cost of taxis to rent or buy will continue to rise.
Its a basic law of economics called supply and demand. The more taxis that are scrapped the less are available the higher the price will be.
As every day goes by more and more Uber Drivers will get licences and more and more passengers will be changing their habits and using Uber instead of Taxis.
Some will get ripped off and come back but many will not.
IMMEDIATE URGENT DIRECT ACTION EVERY DAY IS THE ONLY ANSWER.
DO NOTHING AND F OFF AND DIE - JUST LIKE BOZO SAID
Here is how it works.
You take direct action and tell the media WHY
The reason why is CORRUPTION and nothing else.
You let every driver know that is the reason you are protesting.
The clear objective is for a for IMMEDIATE and urgent action to be taken by the Government including a complete stop an issuing any further licenses until a proper investigation is carried out.
Most of the Taxi trade problems could be resolved instantly if there was a proper system of management and regulation in place.
The reason for ALL the problems is those in power are corrupt.
Sitting at City Hall and saying nothing will achieve nothing which is why no one turns up.
It has no objective or clear message and is pointless, even if those organising it have deluded themselves they can not delude others
The GLA report said in November TFL are Inadequate.
Now there is a ground breaking piece of forensic investigation.!
Any taxi driver could have told you TFL were inadequate years ago.
THE GLA HAVE NO POWER AND ITS A WASTE OF TIME GETTING THEM TO SAY IN A REPORT WHAT EVERYONE ALREADY KNEW
THE END
Excellent anon 10:04am 👌
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