Again, yesterday afternoon, rank and file drivers answered the call and assembled at the Bank Junction, despite another section 14 being slapped on the peaceful protest, limiting a static demonstration to just 30 minutes. But at 3:30, plan B was put into action.
The police tried to preempt the demonstrator's plans and reports were being received that groups of motorcycle cops, with flashing blue lights, had been dispatched to both Tenison Way and The Old Street roundabouts....but again, the police were out manoeuvred by the protesters.
Apparently, plan B had been kept off social media. Drivers were all instructed by word of mouth, to leave the junction and slowly make their way over to London Bridge.
Southbound lanes soon ground to a halt and using the station forecourt, drivers doubled back around, with the northbound lanes soon becoming gridlocked.
Drivers who chose to ignore their colleagues and look for work at the station, were caught up as the station forecourt seized up, trapping Taxis on the rank.
TfL's centre coms managers, frantically tried to re-phase the lights to empty traffic from the bridge, but in true TfL fashion, they just added to the chaos.
Funny that, we've had months of congestion on this bridge, yet they just left commuters sitting there, as the bus lane was moving well.
They said it couldn't be done!
Day 4 Taxi trade 4 City of London 0...
Trade orgs who refused to support this week's demos have shot themselves in the foot as drivers are now looking at private legal cover (£8 a month) which could see their membership fall.
After all, why belong to an org that refuses to support its own members!
It was their drivers who turned out every day, lanyards of all colours and even diaries on dashboards. Well done to those who turned out on these highly successful demos.
On day 3, the protesters out manoeuvred the Met and managed to get the Bank Junction closed, even though they held their demo elsewhere.
A spokesman for the driver led ITA said:
"Tomorrow will be the last demo in this series for a couple of weeks. This is to enable drivers who have taken a huge dip in takings this week, to go back to work and earn a living.
"In the words of a great leader of men, General Douglas MacArthur, WE SHALL RETURN."
5 comments:
What a great 5 days so far. Been a foot soldier on each of the demos with the wife (and she's disabled) where we got a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones along the way. Thanks to all the cabbies that picked us up and dropped us at the new destinations :) It was excellent knowing the police were totally confused and I loved Wednesday when they closed down Bank and we were all at Parliament Square!
39 years a cabbie, due to retire, and I'll be damned if TfL think they're getting away with all this. It appears the net is closing in on them and I, for one, can't wait to see them in court!
Happy to continue with the demos for as long as it takes!
The likes of 'Corrigan Roy' (above) is what makes these protests possible.
They are our strength!
Thank you.
Great sentiment from Corrigan Roy, many thanks to you and your wife for your support. If the other 20k odd drivers had as much fight in them as you do maybe we wouldn't find ourselves in the situation we are today
Couldn't agree more with the sentiments of Corrigan Roy, DDD and Danny Pin.
Imagine what a force we would be as a trade if every one of us with a badge thought the same ?
UNBEATABLE.
Semtex.
It's been a tough week, but it must be done. I've been proud to attend all week. Never Give Up Never Surrender.
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