🟥 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 “𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈” 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 “𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈” 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. 

But what will our wonderful Orgs and Unions do about this abuse of his position with the Mayoral office❓

🔸Is this why TfL are currently killing off the Taxi trade❓

🔸So they can replace us with glorified rickshaws❓

𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 earlier today:

“Brilliant to see the @Bikeworksuk Cycle Taxi Service project out and about in London.

“This fantastic initiative is all about helping tackle loneliness using the v cool @VanRaamBike 4 person cycle taxi.

“Currently operating in East & West London “.

https://twitter.com/willnorman/status/1597198191430361088?s=61&t=BsfDxvHLSJKbKL88IHFkEA

𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓:

Also, let’s not forget that TfLTPH allowed an illegal TukTuk to ply for hire in central London. It was reported to them on multiple occasions but they just ignored. 

🔸Where is this new illegal service going to be operating❓

Cycle Taxis are based in neighbourhoods across East and West London and ready to make journeys in approx. 3km radius.

East London: Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and West Newham.

West London: North Kensington & Chelsea and North Hammersmith & Fulham.

𝐓𝐅𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏::

This reminds me of a case I reported to John Mason when I was Ranks and Highway rep for the newly formed UCG. 

A company called UBI cars, was advertising in hospitals and supermarkets as an on-line Taxi booking service.

Mason who was in charge of TfLTPH back then said the company wasn’t an operator, just an "online only" service that passed bookings over to local minicab firms. Therefore, there was nothing he could do 🤷‍♂️

He lied of course, as the company was registered at York House, 221 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9UZ and was breaking the law under the 1998 Act.

I spent many hours going round local hospitals in my area (plus a few super markets) telling them that the signage was illegal and saying if the illegal signage wasn’t removed, I would report to the police. The signage was changed in almost all the places to Private-hire free phone, and eventually the on-line company UBI cars (who’s founders were Jay Patel, Lorenzo Caffari, Prem Sharma) went into liquidation. 

But their website has never been removed and still remains on-line advertising them as a Taxi service.

No help whatsoever from anyone at TfLTPH.