Letter To Taxi Leaks : Conclusive Evidence That A Profit Making Company Should Not Be Running TfL

Dear Taxi Leaks

Appertaining to your post about Sky doing away with satellite dishes :

 At first I wondered why this would be attached to this blog. The message is now clear sky has moved with the times and embraced technology. 

However in my opinion the cab trade was never stuck in the past; it was just perceived as being old fashioned but the fact is that it wasnt. 

The trade moved with the times with apps and card machines long before the corruption started with tfl. Technolgy does not change laws. But now Tfl see the london taxi as a threat to their business model. 

Ever wondered why taxi demos never make the news? This thing is massive with the ex prime minister and the ex chancellor with dirt on their hands. There is evidence to back this up if you search the web. 

The deregulation bill of selling licenses to drivers who had been banned in there local authority has made a cash cow for tfl to milk. 

While TfL seem not concerned about renewing taxi renewal licenses on time and not allowing drivers to continue work during the renewal period -incase the driver commits a heinous crime which would put the public at risk- yet they were more than happy to renew out of town minicab licenses who's local authority banned.

Tfl say they are obliged to issue licenses to all phv applicants because there is no cap on there numbers; 

Yet they take 4 months to renew a Licensed Taxi Drivers license and do what ever they can to say they cannot work during the renewal period because tfl is deeply concerned about public safety even though the law says a submitted application is enough for a driver to continue work until their license arrives or a decision not to grant a license is made. 

Tfl have changed the regulation deciding a crb application is now part of the application, when in fact it is a seperate applcation like the mot, plate or tax disc. 

Tfl are so concerned with public safety that they are prepared to issue licenses to out of town drivers who's local authority banned them on safety grounds!
(Channel 4 news: The Leytonstone Slasher, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had spent 3 months incarceration, but was still licensed to driver for Uber  see this from his brother.. https://youtu.be/YQBdJddkEQI)

This is conclusive evidence that a profit making company should not be running tfl.

Londoners deserve better.

Exposure is the key we have the proof how about a bbc1 documentary?
Paul

Editorial Reply From Semtex:

Paul, a great comment you make and I agree with every word of it. Apart from one bit. The BBC are in it with TFL. 

The BBC have never favoured us and are bias.

About seven years ago, I contacted an award winning top of his game Investigative Journalist. I explained our plight and he was keen to work with me to show what we are up against. It was called Operation Nightingale.

I funded it myself and it cost just under £5000, yes FIVE GRAND ! We spent 6 weeks out on the streets in the early hours of the morning collating a ton of hard evidence on film. During it, I had a blade pulled out on me, was followed home by a tout and only managed to lose him at Chislehurst and was rammed in Piccadilly causing 2 grands worth of damage to my cab.I was gobbed at by the Egyptian doorman of Crazy Larry's .Most of it was all caught on film.

Despite the attack on myself my cab and the film crew I thought, well at least we got what we came for.
I told the whole trade and eagerly awaited the airing on BBC1 with the popcorn out.

I could never tell you how I felt when it was transmitted. The BBC absolutely annihilated our trade insinuating it was a turf war and we were just unhappy that we had come up against some competetition and didn't like it. I felt a right prick !

I will never forgive the BBC for that betrayal and huge loss of my money. I got my own back two years later though. But that's not for now. Another day maybe !

Other than that Paul a great comment mate. Just don't trust the BBC.

Semtex.