Taxi Demo, September 16 : Don't Be The One Who Says "No One Told Me"...by Richard Busby

London's black cab trade, complete with regulations and the knowledge has worked well for over 150 years. Sudden, the market has been opened up to anyone with the licence fee by our regulator. Its not rocket science....they no longer want us.

 

We now have "one stop shop" satellite centres, complete with TfL approval, where it's possible to get an interpreter to help do the topographic test, arrange a CRB and complete the application form, all for a small fee. A production line walk in centre, where you can walk out a fully licensed private hire driver.

In a world where a man with a job cannot make ends meet, he gets a car a goes to work at night and bingo!

The unemployable man, the thief, the burglar, the opportunist rapist, the tout, all get a car go to work at night and bingo! 

You can all see what's happening here, the streets have never been so dangerous at night with these drivers working under the respectability of the uber platform with impunity and a level of new found confidence that makes them feel as they have made it.

 
The car they drive does sixty miles to the gallon and they have zero road tax do the maths.

 
The police have there hands tied, any indiscretion by these drivers is low prioritised. The press, TV news and the radio stations have their own agendas. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. 

Under a freedom of information request, it has recently been found that uber has been named in over 600 crime reports in the last year... what does that tell you. This current government and TFL and anyone else that uber think maybe helpful has been lobbied and paid off. We are in a battle against a massive machine that will not stop until we are gone.

 
l don't think they imagined we would put up such resistance, but now the time has come for every cab driver to wake up, take your head out of the sand and fight this gross injustice. 

I have many cabbie mates that are all pulling in the same direction but I'm sick of cab drivers that say I'm too old for all of this and ones that don't do demos because the have a mortgage and bills to pay. Well let me tell you this, if you don't get on board you're gonna be finished very very soon.

As a cab driver I'm urging you after reading this when you stop to put the world to rights and your talking to other cab drivers on the street, rank, station, cafe, make sure you look them in the eyes and ask them what there doing on the 16th. Will they be going to city hall or attending the other demos on the day. 

Pick up a leaflet, read the trade press, ring the trade orgs and find out exactly what's happening on the 16th September. 

Make sure every cabby you know is informed and don't let this glorious trades famous last words be etched on its grave;

"NO ONE TOLD ME" 

Let's all get out there and give it to them.