another new electric cab for london? pp · in more than ﬁ ve thousand of uber’s twenty-seven...

NEWS: p22 & 23PATRIC’S STORY: ROAD TO ‘THE KNOWLEDGE’

The newspaperof the Licensed

Taxi Drivers’ Association

www.ltda.co.uk @TheLTDA

#4675 May 2020

LTDA

PRIVATE HIRE TRADE DEMAND PARTITIONS p3

ANOTHER NEW ELECTRIC CAB FOR LONDON? p3FOR LONDON? FOR LONDON? p3

2 TAXI |||| 5 May 2020 www.ltda.co.uk |||| @TheLTDA

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NEWS

Reports since TAXI #466 would appear to indicate Uber are having a bit of a crisis. Thuan Pham, Uber’s Chief Technology Offi cer - who joined Uber in 2013 and is the longest-serving senior executive at the company has resigned and will leave later this month, according to a report fi led with the New York Stock exchange on 24th April. It’s not clear if he’s still in the offi ce at this point or doing a bit of lockdown gardening.

Other mainstream news outlets claim to have learnt that Uber have been discussing plans to lay off twenty percent of its workforce - which could result in more than fi ve thousand of Uber’s twenty-seven thousand employees losing their jobs. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have said that delivery riders have seen demand for their services plummet (food delivery app businesses seem to be responding by attempting to onboard new restaurants) - it’s hard to imagine Uber Eats not being heavily impacted by the lack of demand for their services.

As reported in TAXI #466, Private Hire groups are calling for a Judicial Review following deaths of minicab drivers (six, to date) and a report from researchers at Oxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford,

the University of Manchester, and the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore has assessed the methods gig economy platforms have used to protect their workers during the coronavirus crisis which has somewhat further legitimised their plight. The research found that many workers “are having to choose between holding on to their incomes and putting themselves at risk of contracting coronavirus.” They made the following recommendations:

◆ Rapid access to a minimum income for those unable to work due to a fall-off in demand, to legislative restrictions, or pre-existing health vulnerabilities;

◆ Additional hazard pay for those facing additional risks while working during the pandemic;◆ Regular, adequate, free provision of personal protective equipment;◆ Extended sick-pay for those hospitalised by COVID-19;◆ Establishing an accessible communications channel for workers for all issues relating to COVID-19

Mark Graham, Professor of Internet Geography at Oxford Internet Institute said: “A disappointingly high number of companies in the gig economy are prioritising shareholders, investors and customers above their own workforce.”

If all this wasn’t enough, The Financial Times ran an article which argued that Uber’s target of breaking even, ‘now looks impossible.’

Amidst this talk of job losses, crisis of cash and pressure from distraught workers to provide PPE to prevent infection and transmission of COVID-19, Uber have however, found the cash to commission and release a new advert… The commercial focusses on images of the public enduring lockdown to progressively emotive piano music and ends with a simple message: ‘Thank you for not riding with Uber.’

No problem, Uber. No problem at all.

Thank you for not riding with Uber? No Problem!

5 May 2020 |||| TAXI 3@TheLTDA |||| www.ltda.co.uk

Minicab trade wrestle with image problems – but that focus won’t solve their corona vehicle issues…

PR ISSUES, PARTITIONS & PROTOTYPES STEVE MCNAMARA

TOP TRADE STORY

Even though we are still no closer to an offi cial date for any let up on the current lockdown, more and more

businesses are beginning to open - albeit with restricted hours. B&Q were fi rst, closely followed by McDonalds and many smaller restaurants offering take-away services. The minicab industry has seen these fi rst signs of movement as the time to try and ‘favourably position themselves with the travelling public’ through a series of PR campaigns and, in Uber’s case, with expensive TV advertisements.

They know they are going to have a problem post lockdown and all the PR in the world cannot overcome their biggest hurdle - their vehicles! It’s impossible to self-distance in a Prius and sterilising such a small area built with unsuitable and absorbent materials will never work. Anyone with even only a handful of brain cells is going to be fi gure this out and the minicab industry is worried they will lose their premium customers to us. My spies tell me they fear only retaining those customers whose primary choice criteria is ‘price’ (the ones that swap from app to app, with zero loyalty, to save pennies) whilst the ‘better’ more regular riders will desert them in droves.

The big operators are lobbying hard for some sort of plastic partition to be approved in an effort to reassure passengers - others are dead against the idea, fearing it will further cheapen and denigrate the customer experience. One operator described it as “madness” and questioned how “cramming a passenger into the back of typical saloon with his/her knees pushed up against an obviously fl imsy and aftermarket Perspex partition, that will scratch and look rubbish in less than a week, is going to be a good experience?” He went on “It will be impossible to talk to the driver or hear what he/she is saying. Passengers will feel ‘caged’ and trapped - we might as well put a sign on the roof confi rming our third world status”

Whilst the minicab trade is tearing each other apart on conferences calls, rumours are mounting that Karsan are currently in talks with TfL over plans to launch their electric cab in London. The Turkish manufacturer were thought to have pulled their protype vehicle back in 2016 but reports of pre-production models undergoing testing on European roads and a new possible tie in deal between Karsan and Renault, who manufacturer the electric Zoe, lead many to believe that the Turks are back. ◆

Steve McNamara is the LTDA’s General Secretary

Early Karsan protoype images released to trade in 2015


* Available at participating dealers only. Business users only. Finance illustration refers to Personal Contract Purchase. 7.3% APR Representative; figures based on TX Vista at £59,448 OTR (OTR figure is net of OLEV Plug in Taxi Grant which is up to £7,500 and is subject to European Whole Vehicle Type Approval and European Commission state aid notification) and including an optional 5 year service plan costing £1,700 and an optional 5 year warranty costing £649, a finance deposit contribution of £2,500, a customer deposit of £1,250, followed by 60 monthly payments of £842.88 (equivalent weekly payments of £195 – it is not possible to pay by week, balance is paid monthly via direct debit) plus an optional final payment of £18,873. Based upon an annual contracted mileage of 30,000. You have the option at the end of the agreement to 1. Return the vehicle and not pay the optional final payment. If the vehicle has exceeded the maximum agreed mileage a charge per excess mile will apply. In this example, 6p plus VAT per excess mile. If the vehicle is in good condition (fair wear and tear accepted) and has not exceeded the maximum agreed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. 2. Pay the optional final payment and keep the vehicle. Or 3. Part exchange the vehicle subject to settlement of your existing finance agreement; new finance agreements are subject to status. All prices inclusive of VAT. Two, three or four year plans are also available. Finance is provided by Black Horse Taxi Finance a trading style of Black Horse Ltd, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. All prices and promotions are valid for vehicles ordered and delivered before 30 June 2020. LEVC reserves the right to terminate offers at any time. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Excludes Meter, credit card equipment and any local authority fees. For full details of LEVC Servicing and Warranty inclusions please refer to the ‘LEVC Operators App’ available to download via IOS and Android.

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NEWS

T. Cribb & Sons were fi rst established in 1881. They pride themselves on being a traditional, old, East End funeral directors. Despite possessing a stunning fl eet of specialist, modern Jaguar vehicles, the advent of this Coronavirus has prompted the need for innovative ideas, and the use a different type of purpose-built vehicle… the TXe.

John Harris, Senior Partner at the fi rm explained to TAXI: “The limousines we use, do not have a partition, so because of the Corona pandemic we were approached with the idea of using the new modern black cabs. I actually really like the way they look – they are smart, and they fi t into the fl eet nicely.”

John adds that due to many households being in isolation, attending funeral services and adhering to government social distancing guidance was a challenge that required a solution. Cabbies’ duties for the company involve being allocated a particular family, who may live fi ve miles out or fi fty-fi ve miles away - their job is the same and so is the fl at rate paid to them. A Cabbie collects a family from their home and ensures they travel in a disinfected Cab, with partition, to the meeting point of the ceremonial convoy. The TXe is then driven in procession to the funeral service, and the

families are safely returned back home again in the same, clean vehicle by a professional driver, dressed in the appropriate attire.

“Whatever you take from a family now – you can’t give back.” John talks with sincerity and a depth of understanding in the service he provides. Using the Taxis means families can attend and take part in traditional funeral arrangements, “The Cabbies tell me they have found the work rewarding – I’ve lent out the odd tie and jacket - we started with four Cabs and the

demand grew, we’ve had six Cabs at one funeral yesterday and now there are nine Cabs in total which we can call upon”. It won’t come as a surprise John stating that he didn’t really have to ‘go looking’ for Cabbies with TXe’s – he says that they all just sort of knew each other and made themselves available… T. Cribb & Sons have since been inundated with enquiries from Cabbies offering themselves and their TXe’s – and would like TAXI to point out that they are grateful, though now have more than

enough TXe’s and Cabbies!Licensed Cabbie, Mark who initially

pitched the idea said, “Whilst the role can be distressing, especially seeing the strict limitations of mourners allowed into chapels and cemeteries, it’s also rewarding. It’s extremely heart-warming to be met with such gratitude for our services, by people enduring emotional and traumatic times – as Cabbies we don’t always receive such heart-felt courtesy from our customers in our regular work!”

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The LTDA Legal Team Winning in LockdownWhilst many competitors have provided little or no service to clients throughout the lockdown period, the LTDA Legal Team remain available to members and are continuing to get results for their clients. LTDA member Cindy Brown, who found herself receiving a Court Summons (despite promptly paying a £100 fi ne and sending her licence off to Southend, following receipt of a notice alleging she had been driving at 24mph in a 20mph zone), was particularly grateful to the LTDA Legal Team who took on her case in late March:

“They didn’t offer me a speed awareness course, so I paid the money and sent off the licence – I paid the money back in January and they sent me my licence back! On receiving the summons, I got in touch and sent them my bank statement evidencing this… All they did was refund me the money, shifting the responsibility on to me to deal with the Court! That’s when I got in touch with the LTDA Legal Team…”

LTDA Solicitor John Luckhurst explained, “Yes, in that instance we intervened, engaging with the relevant agencies and the Court in order to secure a fair resolution. Our client had done all the right things, yet still found herself being summoned to appear – we took on that case in late March and had a resolution on 29th April, all conducted throughout lockdown. The case was settled without our client needing to attend court, on the same terms she was offered and legitimately undertook. LTDA legal intervention ensured that the global fi gure of costs (Fines, Victim Surcharge and Prosecution Fee), amounted to the £100 in the original notice and the client did not incur further costs which would often be the case when such a matter proceeds to Court.” The LTDA Legal Team continue to be active throughout this challenging period, and available to take on trade related cases to support members.


MASSETT'S

CAMERAHOTSPOTS

EXMOUTH MARKET Red zoneBERKLEY STREET J/W PICCADILLY Yellow box camerasJOHN ISLIP STREET No right turn into Ponsonby TerraceFULHAM BROADWAY/BARCLAY ROAD Yellow boxCAMDEN 20mph limitSELFRIDGES Over rankingLUDGATE HILL Zig-ZagsISLINGTON 20mph limitRED ROUTES TfL is actively enforcing yellow box restrictionsTOWER BRIDGE 20 mph speed limit – average speed camerasLIMEHOUSE LINK 30mph speed limitSMITHFIELD Do not park in loading boxes, they are enforced by cameraA13 Average speed cameras in operationTHE CITY 20mph limitKILLICK STREET Pedestrian zoneWESTMINSTER PARK PLAZA No right turn into Addington StreetVERNON PLACE No left turn into Southampton Row

◆ HOTSPOT 1Devonshire Place Mews— no right turn

◆ HOTSPOT 2Bin� eld Road—24hr pedestrian zone

RICHARD MASSETT

Will authorities permanently hijack roads under the guise of introducing emergency measures?

ROADS HIJACKED AS COUNCILS LAND GRAB

THE MASSETT FILE

With London’s roads the quietest that they have been in living memory due to the Covid-19

Pandemic, some pressure groups with anti-car agendas are looking to take full advantage of the current situation. They have been pressing their case with claims about how wonderful it is to see London’s streets and roads so quiet and free from traffi c, proposing that this should become the new norm, with no going back to the way we were.

Indeed, there are calls to seize the initiative and to rush through measures to widen pavements and to introduce more cycle lanes by removing even more space from motorists under the guise that further space is currently needed to provide for social distancing and because there are currently more people out cycling for exercise or leisure, there is no mention of the huge reduction in work based cycle trips. The plan then, is that when life does eventually return to normal, these groups would argue that the ‘temporary

infrastructure’ has been so successful that it should remain in place, all with the possible connivance of local political sympathisers who are in league with the cycling lobby.

Already, it has been reported that Hackney Council has been drawing up a shortlist of mainly residential streets where it intends to put in measures that would both reduce the level of rat running traffi c and to enable these roads to operate for the exclusive use of pedestrians and cyclists. It is not explained how this fi ts in with the fact that general traffi c on main roads in London is currently around 67% down on the normal average, which could be assumed to mean less traffi c would be rat running. The intention being, to get the restrictions in under the guise of emergency measures - without going through any lengthy consultation process. To effect the measures, the Council has said that it may use low cost items such as planters or bollards to block the roads at strategic points so that vehicles would not be able to get through, allowing the roads to then be used exclusively by cyclists and pedestrians. When the current Government imposed lock-down is eventually raised, the Council

has suggested that it may then ask residents and presumably cycling pressure groups whether they wanted the restrictions to remain - no doubt this is seen as a quick and easy way for Hackney to cleanse its streets of what it sees as unwanted motor vehicles, regardless of whether they are electrically powered or not. It is notable that Hackney Council has previously informed TfL that it will not accept any new Taxi ranks on its roads that are not defi ned as exclusively for the use of zero emission Taxis.

Many other local authorities around the country are considering such measures and a similar pattern is appearing abroad too. For instance, take the Italian ‘car crazed’ city of Milan - the City Council authority there has come up with a plan to widen pavements and to introduce more cycle lanes. It is said that there is great concern over what happens during the period when lock-down conditions are gradually eased and while the numbers who would like to use the public transport system are set to increase, social distancing measures will still be in place, so trains and buses will each be carrying far fewer

numbers than they would normally. The City Council states that it has to attempt to provide for alternatives, otherwise the City’s road system will not be able to cope. Although ongoing, the City centre may well be environmentally improved with permanent reductions in motor traffi c, it is not thought likely that there is the public appetite to introduce sweeping measures across the wider area to restrict the use of cars or indeed the continued use of the iconic Italian motor scooter, on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile back in West London temporary measures have been put in place to widen the pavements and narrow the traffi c lanes in parts of King Street and Uxbridge Road to enable people to comply with social distancing measures.

So beware, it’s just possible that when you do get back to work it may be that some of the roads that you have been used to using may have been hijacked while you were away. ◆

Richard Massett, LTDA Chairman, and Chairman of the London Cab Ranks Committee


L O N D O N N O R T H

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London Cabbie, Joseph Theodore, 82, from Muswell Hill, began volunteering for the Taxi Charity in 1958 when he took two veterans in his cab on the charity’s annual trip to Worthing. Almost every year since then he has joined the convoy of London cabbies who take veterans from all confl icts for a day at the seaside.

Joseph Theodore, London Cabbie and Charity Volunteer, said, “I was 21 when I started volunteering for The Taxi Charity. The veterans, I took to Worthing that fi rst year were from WWI and WWII. Over the years we have lost many veterans and been joined by those from other confl icts and recently my passengers have included veterans who have served in The Falklands, Afghanistan and Iraq. I have made amazing friends amongst the

veterans and the cab trade and I would highly recommend volunteering for this amazing charity.”

During the last sixty years Joseph has driven seven different cabs, his fi rst was an Oxford, then a Beardmore, followed by an FX3, an FX4, a Fairway, a TXE and he is currently driving a TX4.

Dick Goodwin, Vice President, Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said, “The Taxi Charity and veterans rely on the help of kind-hearted London Cabbies who volunteer their time and vehicles for free. Joseph has been an amazing volunteer for over sixty years, and he is a very

important part of the charity family.”Joseph campaigned for many years to

see Norman Wisdom recognised with an MBE. He is now hoping to see a

statue to Nye Bevan erected in London as there is currently only a bust of him situated in Tower Bridge. Joseph said, “With the amazing work being done by the NHS now it would seem very fi tting to

have a statue in London of Nye Bevan who contributed to

the founding of the welfare state in the UK.”

About the Taxi CharityThe Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was formed in Fulham in 1948, to work

for the benefi t, comfort and enjoyment of military veterans and arranges many trips every year for veterans from all confl icts.

The charity offers international trips to The Netherlands, Belgium and France, UK day trips to concerts or museums, transport to attend fundraising events, as well as special days out to catch up with friends and comrades.

To fund and facilitate these outings, the charity is wholly reliant on generous donations from members of the public, businesses and trusts and the amazing group of London licensed taxi drivers who offer their time and vehicles free.

◆ You can fi nd out more about the charity by visiting www.taxicharity.org

Cabbie Volunteers for Over Sixty Years


ANTHONY STREET

STREETS AHEAD

Well here we are, still in lockdown with only very few drivers out there trying to

work and I’m being told regularly that work out on the streets remains scarce. But I already knew this, as I’ve recently been out in the cab myself and only did one job to Streatham - on the way back, I decided to head for Chelsea. I drove through Clapham and the amount of people I noticed having picnics on the Common amazed me! If we are going to restore some normality back into our daily lives these people have got to take the social distancing guidelines set out by the Government, seriously.

As you are all aware, the LTDA takes hundreds of calls every week from our members on all the issues they face relating to our working practices and rules set out by our regulator TfL: medicals, licences, NSL tests, DBS checks… the list goes on. You might think with the majority of drivers not working the phones have gone quiet, but the problems we all have as drivers are still coming thick & fast into the LTDA via calls & emails. Many issues are still those we see as ‘par for the course’ of our daily work in Taxi House, but the virus and the lockdown have thrown up their own very unique problems and challenges. But then I do love a challenge…

One such unique problem arose for a member when knowing that his cab would reach 15-years of age (and as we all know that means the cab would no

longer be licensed due to the current rules set out by the Mayor of London), he did what most of us would do and started planning ahead. So, at the end of February 2020 with some ‘forward thinking,’ he decided to surrender the cab licence that was due to expire in two months and sent the licence with the plates off to Sheffi eld and was looking forward to starting afresh.

He looked into the possibility of buying a new TXe. He arranged a test drive and was surprised with the technology and comfort the cab

provided him and after giving some serious thought made the decision to order a new cab that would make his job more enjoyable and less stressful. He also decided to book a family holiday for the beginning of April and planned the trip so when he returned, his new cab would be ready for him to go back to work feeling ‘fresh as a daisy’… ‘I think we would all agree this is a good plan so far?’

However, all this was done without the knowledge that the outbreak of Coronavirus was about to destroy all his carefully laid plans - and that the taxi trade was about to hit a brick wall, with no work and London becoming a ghost town. He then found himself in a position where his holiday had been cancelled, with no idea when he would take delivery of his new cab and he still has a cab sat on his driveway but of course it now it has no cab licence. If only he had known that TfL would be giving drivers a six-month extension on 15-year-old cabs, and if he had plates, he would have an option to work to provide for his family - no matter how little but at least putting some food on the table.

Unfortunately, although not being blessed with the ability of seeing into the future, he did however possess the foresight to have previously joined the LTDA, who he called to see if we could help with the predicament he now found himself in.

Well I never say never and thought this request to TfL would be a long

shot, but I always do my upmost to help our members. I straight away got on the case emailing my contact at TfL, asking what could be done. TfL replied straight away, asking me to provide cab licence expiry dates, vehicle registration number and proof from the travel agent that confi rmed the holiday had been cancelled. This case was then escalated and reviewed by senior staff within TfL who agreed to reissue our members cab licence. Great news for all involved.

Bus LanesYou will be aware we have been banging the drum for some time now requesting 24 hour a day taxi access to several bus lanes. A list was sent to TfL and we have been granted some of these, such as the Euston Overpass that make our job much easier. We have now also been given Tunnel Avenue/Blackwall Tunnel north bound and the signs are up. We have been told they are approved but are awaiting traffi c orders on Shorter Street and City of London approval on Bus Gate at Tower Hill. I know twitter worriers will be negative about this news, but not all bus lanes are on Red Routes which are on the TLRN which are much quicker and easier to get approved - many are on ‘Borough’ roads like Blackwall Tunnel in the borough of Greenwich that has taken a long time getting approved.

Stay safe and stay well. ◆

Anthony Street is an LTDA Executive Support Offi cer

LTDA continue to respond and resolve driver issues throughout lockdown

WHO’S STILL GOING THE EXTRA MILE? THE LTDA

The LTDA members forum is currently postponed due to Covid-19 circumstances. We will update you with the next date as soon as we are able.

LTDA


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PAUL BRENNAN

TOP RANK

Before the lockdown and our lives becoming impacted beyond what we could have ever possibly

imagined, I wrote the following ‘Ring Roads to Nowhere’ article for Taxi.

I don’t know what type of city we will emerge into after the lockdown; will we see a change in attitude from those in charge or will it be the same old crap of yesterday? I don’t know, I hope things will improve, I hope this has been a massive wake up call for the powers that be on just how fragile we are, not only us humans but also our economy and business.

I hope the games played by politicians cease and in building back our economy, the frivolous spending of public money on niche schemes that benefi t just a few - ends. London isn’t just a home, a playground or business, it’s all three and much more besides, now more than ever a good balance must be struck.

With London and therefore the trade in limbo, I didn’t want to speculate on matters covered in the last 3 editions of Taxi, that will serve no-one and I’m sure any meaningful updates will be covered by others. This article covers our ‘pre virus’ problems and I hope you will forgive me escaping our current woes, all be it for one edition…

I don’t think there are many people, except maybe the most ardent of climate warriors who would argue against the fact that roads are vital to all who live, work or just visit a town or city. That’s as true for London as it is for any other city, despite us having a better rail network than most, which some mistakenly claim could take up a larger share of trips currently taken by road. They obviously haven’t stood on a tube platform letting two or three trains

go by before fi nding a spot in a carriage they can squeeze into.

Roads are the arteries of London. Residents and businesses rely on the road infrastructure to carry them and their products around the capital. And like arteries, we block or reduce their capacity at our peril.

Unfortunately, too many of those responsible for keeping the arteries clear are likely sat in their favourite fancy café, supping an ‘almond-milk latte’, munching an ‘avocado on cardboard’, thinking, ‘What a wonderful world it would be, if everyone cycled like me and ate like me.’ (Without giving any thought whatsoever as to how that almond milk or avocado actually reached the café. Clue for them - it isn’t by cargo bike.)

Our road network has always been used as a ‘Political Football’. Whilst historically this has been the reserve of mainstream national politicians, it seems that sadly, this is all changing. This is likely because your ‘new local councillor’ has managed

to ‘stumble over a career boundary’ from being employed in a totally unrelated fi eld and has turned overnight into a ‘wannabe MP.’ (Who quite remarkably may now neither work nor even live in the ward they supposedly represent.) It seems this new breed of councillor doesn’t care about the local economy, they only care about climbing the internal political ladder - living and reacting only to the internal political bubble that will aid that climb. Maybe they feel safe and comfortable in doing so because most of us are now so disengaged with politics, creating easy opportunity for those with minority views to band together and force through changes that suit their agenda and not that of the mainstream? It’s both amazing and strangely quite reassuring that many of the councillors that are changing our road network to the detriment of local businesses, residents and other commerce were elected with only a thousand votes. I say reassuring, because it only takes a small swing in votes for their jobs to be put at risk - just as they have done to so many others.

In 2000 when a London Mayor became a reality, road schemes once again became a Political Football, this time between the Mayoralty and the London boroughs - who’d well and truly had their noses put out of joint. As a result, the last 20 years feels like it has seen very little joined up thinking, as when road schemes are planned, effectively we have 33 entities, all with their own plans and priorities, introducing schemes at the expense of each other, not to mention those of the Mayor’s/TfL’s.

There have been some quite ridiculous schemes for London’s road network throughout the years, the cycle superhighway is the current scheme but equally in the 60’s there was a big push to extensively build up London’s roads

by having four ring roads. One on the outskirts (the M25) and three inner rings, made up of a much wider North & South circular, along with two more which were only part built. Probably the most visible sections of what could have been the inner most ring roads are the East Cross route, the Westway and the West cross route. The latter has at its Northern end, a roundabout, that still has an ‘off road’ to nowhere - it’s an anomaly from that scheme coming to an abrupt end, and actually I have to say, I’m quite glad it did.

We can’t keep going from one extreme to another, just as the plan to build four ring roads throughout London in the 60’s was not right for London, neither is the current obsession of building cycle superhighways everywhere. Despite millions of pounds being spent on them and the disastrous effects they have had, the cycleways have not increased the number of trips made anywhere near a level that justifi es the negatives. You would think the ‘avocado on cardboard’ brigade would see the empty cycleways next to heavy stationary traffi c or the fact that many cyclists refuse to use them because others have turned it into their own personal racetrack as a sign that they are simply not working.

Amazingly, the pedestrian in almost all schemes has always seemed to be the one that loses out, which is quite odd because almost everyone whether you’re a cyclist, motorist or a user of public transport (including Taxis) will at some point throughout the day, be a pedestrian. Many current schemes, force pedestrians to dice with danger from the speeding ‘Lycra-clad’ cycling men (who I’m convinced were once the sad boy racers of the 90’s all grown up and forced by their wives to drive ‘Dacia Dusters’ rather than the hot hatch of their youth they so long for). The picture on this page at fi rst glance, seems absolutely ridiculous - until you look at the bus and realise it makes complete sense for the pedestrians to be where the cycles should be. It’s so they can safely access the bus, so why do TfL & boroughs insist on putting pedestrians - especially vulnerable pedestrians with impairments or disabilities in danger with segregated cycleways?

Did you know?Roman London is approx. 23 feet below todays road surface, that’s almost the height of three red phone boxes. Deeper still is a layer of red ash caused when Boudica, Queen of the Iceni burned the original Roman London to the ground. ◆

Paul Brennan, LTDA Executive

‘Lycra clad cycling men – the sad boy racers of the 90’s’

RING ROADS TO NOWHERE


If social distancing becomes the ‘new normality,’ the taxi trade may well bene� t.

OPTIMISM IN SOCIAL DISTANCING?LLOYD BALDWIN

ON POINT

Hi Everybody, I hope you and all your families are ok.

A big topic of discussion lately with members I speak to, is what our thoughts and predictions are of what will happen when we fi nally return to work. Although it is very diffi cult to predict and let’s be honest, who knows, the general consensus is that although it may be a bit quiet at fi rst (especially if London workers are bought back in stages), the majority of cabbies believe that London will get back to normal relatively quickly.

The optimists point to the fact that people will not be wanting to travel on the Tube or Buses in fear of catching something. I agree with this, because I can see the ‘social distancing’ as something that will become the ‘new normality’ to many people. As we all know, travelling on the tube in rush hour is horrible and people are forced to stand face to face. Imagine being on a packed tube, bus or train and somebody near you starts coughing or sneezing… I can imagine the dirty looks being fl ashed around, can’t you? I foresee situations where if you obviously have a cold, people standing or sitting close by are going to be more than prepared to tell you in no uncertain terms to leave the train at the next station. I’m sure we will see videos popping up on social media of such situations in the future. The travelling public are really going to think about this when they walk down to get the tube or wait in a large queue at a bus stop and they are unable to get on without someone being in what people call their ‘personal space’. As we’ve seen on the news, some will have no other choice and will be forced too, but others may see this as something they are no longer prepared to do. My colleague at the offi ce who travels from East London by bus every morning will tell you of times where he has got off and walked because of the overcrowding. It will only take a few percent of commuters, changing over to utilising us instead, to make a difference.

Hopefully the public will look at the advantages of using a London cab for another added reason. Not only are they being driven by the best Taxi drivers in the world, they are in a vehicle that is without question, better for their chances of not being in danger of picking up a bug. When we get back to normality - this safety feature is something we all need to promote. Back in the day, some drivers used to leave a box of tissues on the back-parcel shelf and now they could be replaced by some anti-bacterial hand wipes or

maybe a hand gel. Personally, I wouldn’t leave them in the back because people will steal them (they did my tissues) but having some in the cab ready to offer if asked for, or maybe some sort of fi xed dispenser if approved, will do our reputation no harm.

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.As you all know, we all have to apply for a Criminal Records Check (DBS) every 3 years when we renew our licence. There are different

levels of DBS checks and we must provide a ‘Fully Enhanced’

one. Transport for London should send your Licence

renewal pack out to you by post 4-months before your current licence expires. Within this pack, is information regarding the DBS check giving you a

PIN number (104175) and a secret word (tphcrb)

that you need to enter on the ‘Register’ page. I have seen

many examples of members putting ‘DBS check’ into a search engine and clicking on the fi rst option given and although applying for a DBS they are applying for the wrong type. You need to go onto your online search engine and put in the website address: www.gbg.onlinedisclosures.co.uk – Please make sure that when you click into this website, you then choose ‘GBG online disclosures only.’ Do not use CRB direct, as this will not be acceptable

for TFL, and you will have to re-apply and re-do the DBS again! Our (DBS) checks, cost £52 - others cost different amounts, so this is something to look out for. Transport for London have always been very clear regarding DBS, and that is if you have applied for it 3 months before your licence expires and for some reason it does not get issued in time, they will consider issuing a temporary licence. There are 5 stages to our check and usually if there’s any delay, it’s when it gets to the Police check - stage 4. The police do not even have a number to call in order to ask that a particular application be looked at as a matter of urgency due to the licence being about to expire… When your renewal pack comes through the door and if you are not 100% confi dent or have any queries, then please call me - and if you want to, you can come to the offi ce with the paperwork and I’ll be happy to do the whole application for you. Just call and we can arrange a time that suits you. There is also the option of signing up to the DBS update system where you pay £13.00 a year to automatically update and this saves you having to go through the application process every 3 years. You can only sign up to the automatic update system in the year that a Certifi cate is issued and within 30 days of the date of issue. It’s something that ends up costing less and is easy to set up. Please call me if you need any information regarding this.

I wish you and your families all the best. Take Care.. ◆

Lloyd Baldwin is an LTDA Executive Support Offi cer

“Imagine being on a packed tube, bus or train and somebody near you starts coughing or sneezing... I can imagine the dirty looks being � ashed around, can’t you?”


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London’s Black Cab only app!

“As a nurse who has just worked 65 hours this week a ride home in a black cab with a fantastic driver has been such a wonderful treat. Thank you to all the cabbies doing this for NHS workers. I actually don’t have words enough to thank you all. You are amazing!”

Ciara, London

We are proud to work with London’s finestThank you for your support at this time


ROB’S TIPS

Whilst on the Knowledge, I became fascinated by the hidden stories associated with London’s countless

streets and points. I’ve been passionate about the city’s history ever since - and have discovered that sharing these tales with the public often results in a nice tip! Thousands of fi lms have been shot in London over the years and I’ve found that many people - especially tourists, love having cinematic locations pointed out. Here then, are some ‘movie-runs’ to keep your brain ticking over.

Let’s get off to a running start with The Beatles’ 1964 fi lm ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’In the opening credits, the ‘Fab Four’ are famously chased by a mass of screaming fans. This begins on Boston Place before turning the corner into Marylebone Station, where the band sprint towards an awaiting train. Let’s take it from Marylebone to Crystal Palace Park where, fi ve years later, ‘The Italian Job’s’infamous “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off” sequence was shot - you can see the Crystal Palace transmitter in the background.

Another 60’s classic starring regular cab user and all-round legend, Sir Michael Caine is ‘Alfi e’ which opens on Camley Street. Run it from there to Waterloo Bridge where the fi lm’s melancholy fi nal scene takes place.

London provides the backdrop for many gangster fl icks- such as 1980’s ‘The Long Good Friday’ starring the late, great Bob Hoskins as mobster Harold Shand. In the fi lm’s terrifying climatic scene, Harold’s car is hijacked outside the Savoy Hotel by two IRA hitmen - one of who is played by a young Pierce Brosnan. Take it from the Savoy to Rutland Mews West where, in 2000’s ‘Sexy Beast’, dodgy banker Harry also meets a sticky end.

Sexy Beast stars another top Londoner - Ray Winstone. As a youngster, Ray was a regular at Repton Boxing Club - which, in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels’,appears as the venue for a high-stakes poker tournament. Take it from the Repton to Hatton Garden where, in Guy Ritchie’s second gangster comedy, ‘Snatch’, ‘Doug the Head’- played by Mike Reid, works as a crooked diamond dealer.

The main villain in ‘Snatch’ is psychotic crime boss ‘Brick Top’, played by Alan Ford. Another of Alan’s roles was in 1981’s ‘An American Werewolf in London’ in which he plays a cabbie who gets fl agged down by Jenny Agutter (who plays nurse, Alex) on Wilton Crescent. The journey ends up on the north side of Trafalgar Square - now pedestrianised of course. Although you don’t see the entire

journey, what route would you take?

One of London’s most unlikely fi lm locations is the former Acton Lane Power Station which serves as a remote space base in 1986’s ‘Aliens.’It can also be spotted in 1989’s ‘Batman’ - this time as the ‘Axis Chemicals’ plant where Jack Nicholson suffers an appalling industrial accident which transforms him into the Joker.

How would you get from Acton Lane to Westfi eld White City? Here there’s another unusual site - the old brick ‘Dimco Buildings’alongside the bus station were used as the ‘Acme’ joke factory in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ Quite odd really, considering the fi lm’s set in Los Angeles!

Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ generated much controversy when it was fi rst released in 1971. The fi lm showcases many London locations including Thamesmead, Brunel University and even Albert Bridge. The early, shocking sequence, in which Alex and his gang of ‘droogs’ assault an elderly tramp was fi lmed in a pedestrian subway beneath Wandsworth’s Trinity Road roundabout. Run it from there to the Balfron Tower which features in 2002’s ‘28 Days Later.’ It’s here that London cab driver, Frank (played by Brendan

Learn Rob’s tales of London history to increase your tips!

LONDON FILM LOCATIONS & RUNS!ROBERT LORDAN

Gleeson) and his daughter have transformed their fl at into a makeshift fortress to guard against ‘the infected’.

You may have been lucky enough to get a fare out to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour near Leavesden where the ‘Harry Potter’fi lms were made. The franchise also stars a number of central London locations. The ‘Leakey Cauldron’ for example can be found in Leadenhall Market (in reality it’s an opticians). How would you get from Leadenhall Market to Lambeth Bridge where, in ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’ the triple decker ‘Knight Bus’, magically squeezes itself between two regular London buses?

Even John Wayne made a fi lm in London: 1975’s ‘Brannigan’ in which he plays an American cop on the trail of a fugitive Chicago mobster. Whilst in London, Brannigan stays at York Mansions on Prince of Wales Drive. Another major Hollywood star who worked in London in the 70s was Gregory Peck who fi lmed much of the supernatural thriller, ‘The Omen’ here. How would you get from Prince of Wales Drive to All Saints Church, Fulham where, in ‘The Omen’, Patrick Troughton’s character, Father Brennan is apparently slain by devilish forces? ◆

“Thousands of � lms have been shot in London and I’ve found that many people love having cinematic locations pointed out”


A MAN IN BLACK

Appy, appy talking, appy talk, talk about how we like to work - Ahhh, wise words from Captain

Sensible… Well actually, he didn’t sing it quite like that, I just pinched it and twisted it - after all, imitation is the best form of fl attery and to start an article such as this in any sensible way, is nigh on impossible.

Discussing apps and radio circuits has become rather a hot potato, so now that the ball is rolling, I am going to enter the time tunnel (cue swirly spiral opening sequence and me being frozen in time) as I head back to 1991...

30 years ago, I was a mere snip of a lad, sporting long shoulder-length blonde hair (think Van Halen but without the sex appeal - or the money), I was consuming copious amounts of alcohol, smoking 30 Marlboro a day and playing bass guitar in a heavy metal band called ‘Critical Mass.’ Now in fairness, I could see the writing on the wall for the group as we were more like a critical mess (sorry John, Andy, Richard & Jason) but we were.

I decided to do the Yellow Badge and after 3-months of learning the streets of East London and Essex in a bright red Datsun Cherry sports coupe (yes it did exist), I fi nally passed the Knowledge and subsequent drive - in a manual taxi, no less. (Put that in your pipe and smoke it, millennials.)

Driving a taxi was only ever meant to be a part-time job for an aspiring rock star. I did do other jobs, but I was determined to make my fortune playing to 80,000 headbangers at Castle Donnington’s ‘Monsters of Rock’ festival, however the cab became a full-time profession.

Now, the reality of being a Yellow Badge in the early 90’s meant that unless you were willing to sit on any given rank for at least an hour waiting for God, you had to be on a radio circuit. I opted for ComputerCab, primarily because they had a number of other major accounts. This was the key to my fi nancial survival without having to do 16-hour days over a 6 day a week period, and for a 21-year-old that was never going to be an option because I had a life and wanted to live it.

A couple of years later I passed the Knowledge of London to obtain my pretty Green Badge. On becoming friends with a small group of cabbies I was given some advice by one of them, which was:

“Come off the circuit son, you don’t need them, they need you, they’re only after your subs to fi nance their holiday homes in Majorca and they have minicabs on their circuit too.”

Upon being given these words of ‘advice,’

affi rmation was given by the other drivers: “Yeah, make you right, he’s not wrong,

yeah if we can do without them then so can you.”

Interestingly the one giving the ‘advice’ had been declared bankrupt. Looking back, I probably should have ignored this guy, but being the young impressionable whippersnapper that I was, I took that ‘advice’ and came off of ComputerCab. Part of me wanted to do it anyway as I wanted to see how I could get on, in relation to street work.

I was doing okay, ranking up, driving around etc, but I actually missed being on a radio circuit, so I signed back up again.

There was still a twang of discomfort in being on a circuit which used minicabs to cover work that the taxi industry wasn’t covering, but being the commercial beast that I am, I decided that if something increased my income and reduced my working hours then it wasn’t going to bother me. It also had to be recognised that due to the hours that I was working, streetwork was scarce.

Moving forward to the mid 2010’s, the cab which I owned reached the end of its lifespan - as a result I went back to renting a taxi (I am still renting to this day), though because I drive any cab which is available, I cannot be on a radio circuit.

Now the fi rst thing that needs to be highlighted is that cabbies have the oddest shaped bums. Some of the seating positions would quite frankly cripple a contortionist. There’s been many a time I have fi nished work and realised that my ankles are where my earholes should be, it’s most disconcerting. Anyway, since I couldn’t be on a circuit, I decided to join Gett, I also joined Hailo a short while later.

Now given the way that I had to (and still have to) work, I needed to take as much money as I possible within a very short space of time, anything else wasn’t an option. Working from 5am until 7pm 5 or 6 days a week meant that I barely spent any time with my wife, kids and grandkids. In turn, working from 2pm until 4am was

having the same effect and I ain’t getting any younger. I reached the stage where nothing was more important to me than spending time with my loved ones.

Upon moving away from London, I decided to work a number of longer days and take a considerable amount of time off, thus allowing me to maximise my quality time. Due to my circumstances I have to use the apps as well as any other tool available to me. I use the apps primarily because of the account work available and because there is a dearth of streetwork after 1am. I don’t want to rank up for 45 minutes on a regular basis as that impacts on my hourly takings, therefore driving around looking for hands, waiting for pings and taking pre-bookings is how I operate - this means I can maximise my income in the shortest possible time.

Right now, discussion is raging, because some of the apps have allowed or are allowing minicabs onto their platform, but this is nothing new and has been a talking point since the late 80’s, the older drivers seem more circumspect about this than the newer drivers.

The thing that seemingly gets lost in the whole discussion is the fact that we are customer driven, like a pub, restaurant, retail establishment or brothel - if we don’t produce the goods or make ourselves visible then we won’t get the custom. Whether the industry likes it or not, many customers want to use technology, many people wish to use taxis rather than minicabs but does anybody seriously expect a passing taxi with their light on to suddenly emerge at 3am on a rainy November night in Dulwich Village - any hands? That’ll be a no then.

But wait! What about the taxi industry’s rights, its exclusivity, the earned right to exclusively ply-for-hire, the right to exceptionalism given the qualifi cation process which is undertaken, the right to operate unhindered and unfettered working within a two-tier service?

The industry is an uncomfortable place right now, legislation has failed to keep pace with technology. The lack of a fi rm

defi nition as to what denotes “plying-for-hire” has been exploited by every single ride-hailing app across the country, let alone London.

The industry has gone from being the only game in town, a singular entity up until the early 60’s to having low grade competition. However, worrying about what that competition does has never held anybody in good stead, but the last thing that the industry needs is to see the two-tier system erode into a one-tier free-for-all. This path could lead to the ruination of the taxi trade, after all, who would spend several years qualifying to enter into a heavily regulated industry, driving an extremely expensive (albeit fantastic) vehicle, knowing that a private hire driver can in-effect usurp regulation and do the same thing by plying-for-hire on an app, in a vehicle which costs around one-third of the price of a taxi. Ultimately taxi drivers need to have the confi dence in app-providers to respect and understand the divisions between the taxi and PHV industry and act accordingly - ‘vive la difference.’

All of that notwithstanding, as well as PH being my competition, every other taxi driver is also my competition, therefore if I have the opportunity to take a job to Lower Denture in deepest Berkshire then I am going to go for it, if you get that job before me I will repeatedly headbutt the steering wheel until my ears bleed - then a short while later smile and say to myself (through gritted teeth) “At least it went to one of our own” - we are colleagues as well as competitors.

In summing up, the world has shrunk, we are no longer just taxi drivers, we are part of the wider transport logistics sector (try saying that after 5 bottles of Trooper), we are representatives of one of the most respected trades on the planet, we have a responsibility to our customers and we must maintain a presence. In an ideal world, that would mean differing app platforms to represent the differing levels of service between taxi and private hire. As far as apps are concerned, ‘the genie is out of the bottle’ – we can’t turn back the clock, but ensuring the genie serves the taxi trade appropriately, and recognises and respects its unique differences should now be our focus.

Ultimately you are your own boss - and nobody can tell you how to operate. (Except she who must be obeyed in my case.)

So, brethren, take thine rattle cart and go forth and prosper - once we are out of lockdown of course… in the meantime, enjoy your DIY and cookery lessons. ◆

Steve Kenton is a Licensed Taxi driver of 30 years

The MIB time travels to explore the ‘(un) -appy’ situation & embeds an unwelcome lockdown earworm

BACK TO THE FUTURESTEVE KENTON


It’s crucial that we all pull together. Join a trade organisation, preferably the LTDA

ADAPT AND SURVIVECHRIS ACKRILL

ON THE ROAD

The cab trade has a proud history. We all worked hard on the Knowledge, and most of us had the intention

of continuing the hard work once we earned our badge. None of us went into it thinking we’d end up claiming benefi ts. Unbelievably, that day has come.

In times of crisis, some people turn on each other. If you read the gloom & doom cab forums, you’ll see the fake news and rumours. You’ll see opposing factions arguing with each other. Some virtually call drivers, ‘scabs’ for attempting to work. Others consider those sat at home as lacking commitment. It all comes from frustration of the situation. Many of us feel like working, but the fact is, there’s virtually no work. It wouldn’t be worth me driving in from Bedfordshire to cover one twenty quid job. It costs me that in diesel to get to London and back.

The current situation doesn’t only affect the drivers. There’s a support network depending on our ability to work: the

mechanics who keep us on the road; the radio circuits and app providers who supply an increasing proportion of the work - and of course, our valued customers. Around 22,000 taxis – and over 90,000 minicabs - rely on fuel. How many fuel stations will be at risk at the end of the summer? The cab manufacturers will have taken a hit - few drivers are going to invest sixty-grand in a new cab until trade levels improve. We have no idea when our customers will return, but they surely will. The trade has gone through crisis before and we’ve always recovered.

The virus has taught us that we’re all inter-connected. We sometimes take for granted the carers, shop staff, postal and bank workers, the distributers and drivers, refuse collectors – and many others. We have more appreciation of services and products - how things are provided and who provides them. We also have a new appreciation for those who we rely on to make our daily lives better. We can see that the highest value jobs often pay the least money. I believe cab drivers will be more appreciated too!

My wife and I do our own thing as to work. I’d normally be coming back from London, and she’d be getting her own taxi to the elderly care home she works at, in Wing, Buckinghamshire. She was on scheduled holiday when the lockdown came and was dreading returning on April 1st. We then found there were no taxis working in Leighton Buzzard! With a poor bus service, it was down to me to get her to work. That’s fi ne, but I then had the dilemma of whether I should look for work myself. I’d considered applying for temporary warehouse work, but I now needed to be home at a certain time.

I’m trying to use my time wisely. I’m getting things done, whist re-charging my batteries and enjoying the sun. I always worked weekends and bank holidays. Last year I vowed to have a couple of days off this Easter and enjoy it. Careful what you wish for, eh?

Change is disruptive, but it forces you to think and refl ect on your life and where you’re going. Unexpected change can present new opportunities. Why not read? Write? Study? Consider different ways of working when you return to work. It’s easy to get set in your ways and carry on old practices when they are no longer effective. Only a few years ago, most work was for cash, and was found by cruising the streets. Things change. You probably won’t survive on street work alone. Find a circuit or app that suits you, but don’t become a slave to it. When you depend too much on someone else to provide work you lose your independence. Being independent is what we went into the cab trade for, right?

The fortunes of radio circuits and app providers go up and down. You could join a small concern with the potential to grow, or an established player. I had no complaints on ComCab. By all means consider the ethical concerns: would you align yourself with a provider that also supplies private hire?

Don’t worry about Uber, they have their

own problems. Don’t just sit on your arse either, typing out gloom and doom web posts. There’s no need to tell everyone else how bad things are. We can see that. But it’s temporary. Things will be radically different in six months. Once back in the saddle we can move on again, hopefully to a brighter future.

We all need to think seriously about where we are going and keep our options open. When I started feeling the chill wind of middle age, I took stock of my situation and considered how I was going to spend my September years. I couldn’t imagine myself driving in from Bedfordshire when I was 70. I’d prefer something offi ce-based and closer to home. Thinking ahead, I started a Diploma in Applied Health & Safety over a year ago. I de-licensed my cab on March 23rd. My nine-year old cab had become an expensive burden and I was throwing money at it to keep it going. I wouldn’t have survived the lockdown without the de-licensing money. While I’m looking for work as a health and safety adviser, I’ll need to decide whether to return in a rented cab after the lockdown. There will be some good deals around. Sharing cabs was common when I started out, and some people think doubling-up will make a return. Maybe you could drive a shiny new electric cab if you’re willing to share it for a while?

I have a history of dipping in and out of the trade, and while I have a badge, I remain part of the London taxi trade.

It’s crucial that we all pull together and stop the in-fi ghting. It’s important that all drivers join a trade organisation – preferably the LTDA, the organisation with the most credibility. We must take part in the consultations that affect the working environment. While things remain uncertain, we need to be moving in the right direction. ◆

Chris Ackrill is a taxi driver and former Knowledge examiner

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INTERNATIONAL

I n 1991, the American director Jim Jarmusch shot the ultimate taxi movie, a comedy-drama called ‘Night

on Earth.’ Probably the best taxi movie ever (but I’m happy to trade my opinion for a better one). Five wry and hilarious vignettes set in Los Angeles, New York, Rome, Paris and Helsinki, starring fi ve taxi drivers, made late at night and with almost nobody around. It could easily have been made in times of corona.

As doing reports on the working conditions of taxi drivers all over the world is rather unusual, I have a sneaking suspicion Dutch TV documentary channel VPRO Tegenlicht (backlight) was mildly inspired by that movie. They shot fi ve similar vignettes in their documentary ‘Taxi in Lockdown’ at the beginning of April. Featuring taxi drivers Adrie, Chuan, Alex, Lior and Josh cruising empty, spooky streets in Amsterdam, Wuhan, Kisumu (Kenya), Tel Aviv and New York, desperately trying to stay healthy due to each scarce punter being both a source of income and a health threat.

Wallpaper of urban society Isn’t it weird that nobody really notices taxis? They’re even overlooked by governments as a widely available vehicle for help in times of crisis. Even when they colour the streets, as they do in London and New York. Taxis are the wallpaper of modern urban society. But their (almost) permanent presence in the urban fabric offers other possibilities, as researcher and fi lmmaker Fleur Amesz discovered. She came up with the idea for this taxi documentary, which was quickly embraced by her editorial board. “I have always found taxi drivers to have an interesting profession,” she says. “And suddenly there was a wonderfully legitimate reason to take to the streets as a fi lmmaker and look around the empty world cities through the eyes of taxi drivers.” In prior work Amesz had featured the growing army of platform-induced fl ex-workers and so-called ‘self-employed’ workers, too often exploited “and often lacking a fi nancial safety net.” The TV-report featured both app-drivers (Bolt, Didi) and licensed taxi drivers.

Struggling drivers Instead of working with her regular airport-drivers, Amesz found a

57-old Amsterdam taxi driver, Adrie

Touw, to drive her around the deserted Dutch capital and show her the eerily empty Schiphol Airport. In normal circumstances Touw shares trips with others. He is the heart of a mini radio-circuit with many regular customers. “I was able to feed fi ve other families,” he says. Nowadays, his schedule is empty. Work has dried up to 5%. And he barely makes enough money to keep himself afl oat – despite some government support. With every trip coming in, he wonders whether it is wise to put his health on the line. After every customer he disinfects his Mercedes religiously.

In other cities local fi lmmakers followed Amesz example, explains researcher and editor Arnout Arens:

“In most cities we already had good contacts with local fi lmmakers we worked with before. They chose the drivers and sent us a short introductory video the drivers shot themselves.” Filming was done at the beginning of April and the report aired on April 19, “without anyone having fl own a mile.”

“The combination of lockdown and taxi drivers on the street was a wonderful vehicle to look around in all those cities in a legitimate way. The completely hushed Times Square or the otherwise vibrant centre of Tel Aviv... Desolate now. Our drivers gave us a generous view of their city and the diffi cult working conditions with a corona virus infection constantly lurking at each trip.”

“These self-employed workers are really struggling,” says Amesz, who questions the new world of platform-based fl ex workers. “Often there is no real safety net for them. I am self-employed myself and

I know how diffi cult it is. Taxi operators everywhere fi nd it diffi cult to earn a decent crust. And not all of them get government support. Most of them don’t.”

In the same boat“Nobody is travelling, hotels are closed, cafes and shops too. When you see the centre of New York, where Josh drives, there’s nobody on the streets – such a poignant image. But the image of driver, Alex in Kenya, who continuously weighs whether he should put his health at risk for a ride, is really heartbreaking.”

“All these drivers are in the same boat,” Amesz adds. “Only their living conditions are different. Take for instance Josh, who is from the Bronx and lives in a homeless shelter with his two-year-old son.” At some point, Josh (26) says that he only has $6 in his pocket and is concerned about the lease payment for his car. No car - no work. A dilemma. “All drivers have a universal problem”, adds Amesz. “But it was worthwhile showing the cultural and socio-economic differences. How are the self-employed in need treated? Are you looked after and taken care of by a social safety net, or do you have to fi gure everything out yourself?” Having seen the fi ve vignettes, in most cases the answer can only be the latter.

Remarkable mixThe fi lmmakers chose a remarkable mix of drivers. Lior Peri (47) works in an empty Tel Aviv, fully kitted out in mask, gloves and protective glasses. His 44-year-old Kenyan colleague Alex (working via the Bolt-app) in his small car

without any change of social distancing, worries about every trip. Just like his wife. The same goes for taxi driver, Chuan (40), whose home front is also worried about him making deliveries and picking up health workers. He at least has some work as ‘preferred driver’.

The makers of the report have woven several strands of the drivers’ daily life – including the family - into a complete picture. Sometimes the only contact is by mobile. Josh fi rmly refused to have him and his son fi lmed in the homeless shelter. “I think he was ashamed,” Amesz thinks. “We wanted to respect the privacy of our drivers. That’s why our local director didn’t insist.”

“We followed all drivers for a while, at home as well,” says Amesz. “At the kitchen table, in their offi ce.” Filmmaker Amesz liked to prepare the next day’s shooting without preparing driver Touw for her questions. “I want the real answers to come out as spontaneously as possible.”

No shields, mostlyNo driver in the report uses a London-type cab. All separations are improvised – often hastily - or they are completely absent. One ritual is the same everywhere: all drivers routinely wash their cars, again and again - inside and out. With litres of disinfectant they brush as if their life depends on it - literally. “Because we wanted a certain uniformity,” says Arens. “We had a checklist for all fi lmmakers. We wanted certain shots in every report, like the rear-view mirror, hands on the steering wheel and the taxi on the local streets.”

Car radios (every driver listens to them), also played an important role. In one story there’s a news report about the number of corona victims in New York and the report cuts to Times Square. “We also had city trips and disinfection rituals. And the children, the family, also appeared. But sometimes spontaneous shots were the best, like the shots in which the enormous despair is almost palpable.” Alex, the Kenyan driver, was shown with four people in his small cab, while the fear clearly showed on his face. The scene after that ride was poignant too, as he feverishly cleans his hands with a small bottle of hand sanitizer and seems to wonder out loud if this ride was worth it…

In the future the fi lmmakers are hoping to get back to the drivers they interviewed, to see how they fared after the times of corona. The fi lmmakers are working on a YouTube-report with English subtitles. We’ll keep you posted. ◆

WIM FABER

Lockdown trade: Taxi drivers - their cities, economic woes and � exibility

INTERNATIONAL COVID-19 WORKING

Fear on his face: Kenyan Alex is shown with four people in his cab

Amsterdam Adrie use to provide an income for � ve families

Josh in New York says that he only has $ 6 in his pocket

Licensed cab driver Lior in Tel Aviv was usually fully kitted out


FEATURE

About 10 years ago, I was stood talking with a mate of mine who had been a cab driver for

nearly 30 years. He was telling me how amazing the job had been for him and his family - both in terms of the money and associated lifestyle he’d been able to lead and how it had allowed him to have the freedom to choose when he worked and for how long. He suggested to me that I should do it! He reckoned that my personality and banter would be ideal to be a ‘cabbie’!

At the time, I was just getting into the middle of my career as a ‘Gangs Worker’ for a Youth Offending Team. I was developing drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs to help young people get out of damaging lifestyles and it was an exciting time for me - so the thought of leaving that career had not crossed my mind. Then 4 years later - that was to change.

The Gangs work allowed me to get to management level, I was on a good salary and well known across many areas of social care within the boroughs across London. I had forged a solid reputation for being a reliable, trusted worker who had delivered some really positive outcomes for services and in turn, individual service users - and my work had made visible impacts across the board. But the social care fi eld had started to change with the political landscape, and funding was starting to dry up. I took

early redundancy and left the job.The work in this fi eld had shaped

my identity and helped me use my experiences to help others. I had purpose, direction, I felt alive. Then all of a sudden, I was leaving, and I realised that the life I’d created was no longer going to be who I was. So, what was I going to do? The money I had from redundancy was going to dry up. I ventured into a couple of different roles, mainly helping mates, but nothing that I felt could be a career. I needed to sit and have a serious think about what the path ahead looked like. Then it hit me.

Out of nowhere, I remembered the conversation I had with my mate nearly a decade ago. ‘The Knowledge!’ That was it. That was what I was going to do.

I had a long hard think before applying to do the Knowledge. You see, I have a criminal record and substance misuse history that I thought might prevent me being accepted. But (and this is the important bit) my work with Gangs and the Police taught me about the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which is the piece of legislation that would hopefully ensure me a ‘level playing fi eld’ if I was going to apply. I spoke with the regulator and disclosed all that they asked – I already had an enhanced DBS from my work with vulnerable people and hoped this would go in my favour. So, I submitted my application for ‘The Knowledge.’

I got accepted in the December of 2012.

Just the feeling of getting that letter back, brought tears to my eyes. I was

overwhelmed with emotion at the possibility of just starting it, let alone

fi nishing it! To have been accepted, even with my past, was a huge

relief – it’s one of the main reasons I share my story with people who are

thinking of doing ‘The Knowledge’ or know someone who may share a similar background. I feel it’s important for people to know, that despite one’s backstory - hurdles, barriers and hardships can be overcome if you are committed. People can change. People grow. I felt it was the right time for me to do exactly that and start ‘The Knowledge’.

At this juncture, in order to understand my joy, it’s probably prudent that you also know a bit about my backstory:

Growing up in the home I did, it wasn’t necessarily the perfect environment to develop self-esteem or self-worth. Being around the dysfunction of my father’s domestic violence and his drinking, the home was not a place I could associate with happiness most of the time. He’d spent time in prison for serious violence and his ideals were in contrast to my mums - his parenting contradicted everything society and my mother was trying to teach me. There were some happy memories - just me and my mum, baking and cooking Sunday lunch, listening to Dave Lee Travis on the radio. She’d have me stand on her feet and teach me to dance. Then, my father would return from the pub and it would be back to the tense atmosphere we were accustomed to. So, when the opportunity came for me to be outside the house, I embraced it to the full.

School was supposed to be a place that afforded me security and escapism, but when you have to mentally overcome the diffi culties of

the home environment such as I was experiencing, it’s a diffi cult task to stay focused on lessons. Inevitably, my learning became affected and I was brought to the attention of the authorities, I had already started to play truant, and at 9 years old when they had had enough - they placed me into the care system. I would run away – a lot, and so that escalated to secure care where they would lock me in, to prevent me from escaping.

It was around this age that I started to be exposed to substances - solvents especially. Given it was the mid 70’s, the punk scene was in full swing and so glue sniffi ng and other such past-times were part of that social sub-culture. The rebellion of that movement I embraced and started to get into trouble with the police. The lack of discipline and boundaries, the diffi culty in managing emotions and putting into words the trauma I’d experienced, made it diffi cult to transmit what I was going through and so my behaviour became the tool of choice the world would see. And of course, I was judged on that behaviour. My acting out and antisocial traits cast me in a light that most didn’t want to see beyond.

This was not the right course of action to take and got me into a lot of trouble, eventually teaching me that the world owes me nothing. What I put out, I got back - my expectations on the world were unrealistic, hence I was always feeling let down. I had created an image of self that was not true, all based on my internal feelings of disillusionment and anger - and so the world saw me in a light which was false. It needed to change if I was to move forward in life, but how? What did I need to do to get myself on track and live in harmony with the universe and the people in it? How was I to do that?

At a time when the trade is facing tough challenges – here’s one cabbie’s story of overcoming the odds

PATRIC’S STORY - ROAD TO ‘THE KNOWLEDGE’TAXI EXCLUSIVE

As a youngster

Post-rehab

Pre-rehab


My drug addiction and offending behaviour forced me, eventually, to go ‘on the run’ in and around South East Asia, which lasted for about 6 years. After suffering a bad bike accident in Thailand in 2002, I found myself waking from a 10-day coma, multiple bones broken, including back, neck, legs and arms and it was at that point that I realised something drastically needed to change. If something didn’t, I was going to either die or get a really long prison sentence. So, I returned to the UK and faced the issues I had left several years previously.

The criminal justice system in England and Wales back in the late 90’s early 2000’s was a perfect environment for rehabilitation. There was funding available to address substance misuse issues, there were suitable programmes to address offending behaviour, and the after-care system was suffi cient enough to manage the numbers looking for safe accommodation and reintegration back into society.

Whilst serving my last term in the criminal justice system, I was offered and accepted treatment. Off I set to a 12-step rehab down in Bournemouth, where I was afforded the opportunity to deal with the issues I had carried, and buried, for years. The violence from my father, the sexual abuse from priests, the torment of a childhood lost to the care system - all of these were opened up in therapy and the burden of my tortured past started to lift. I realised the trauma I carried was not mine, the guilt of my youth was the result of my father’s failing’s and not mine. A dark and grey cloud started to pass, the light of day started to materialise and ‘hope’ slowly trickled in. I began to get a glimpse of the man that I could be. I started to shape my ideals and my moral compass which eventually became realigned with what society expected of me. The path I was to walk, slowly opened up and I embraced the principles I was to live by. I left rehab, temporarily settled in Dorset for a few years and embarked upon a path working in health and social care.

I applied to go to college and regularly attended Cocaine Anonymous meetings - a ‘12-step’ fellowship to help people with substance misuse issues. The diffi culties I had endured throughout life started to make sense, the parts I played in life’s events became clearer and my life started to take shape. I realised I had been selfi sh, dishonest (even in my emotions and feelings), self-centred and scared most of my life. I had made decisions based on self - which later came back and harmed me in one way or another and this needed to be addressed. It eventually dawned on me that the idea of ‘giving’ would actually be the best way forward, as in the ‘giving’ I would receive. The health and social care sector was an ideal opportunity for me to help others and in doing so, repair the damage of my past.

I started working as a volunteer in a children’s home down on the south coast after I left rehab. Predominately to repair the damage I caused as a child in the care system growing up. As a child in care, I was aggressive and violent towards people who were there to try and help me. My behaviour was off the charts. It got me into many a

sticky situation that ended in trouble for me. Possessing a unique insight into that world enabled me to use my experience to help others ‘in the same boat’ as I had been, and I realised I had a talent for working with ‘hard to reach’ young people. Especially those in care.

I also acquired some qualifi cations, asked questions of others, took whatever training I could when it was offered, learning what I could from whomever would teach me. (I’d left school, basically at 13 years old with no exams or education and all I’d known, I’d taught myself one way or another.) This approach enabled me to get to the very top of a profession, working with troubled young people. From volunteer to team leader in the children’s homes, to Gangs lead for a youth offending team and service manager in supported accommodation. I done it all. Learnt all that I could until the path in that fi eld ran its course.

My journey over the last 17 years has taken me from the depths of despair to the highs of success. What underpinned all of it was my recovery - and to stay abstinent. Not returning to substance misuse is at the centre of my life, as without it, I revert to type - a person with a chaotic lifestyle and offending behaviours.

The outlook that has served me well, is the attitude that no matter where I have come from, no matter what is put in front of me, I can overcome it - regardless of what it is. With the right support and reaching out for help when it’s needed, anything is possible. After coming through mental health, substance misuse, offending

behaviour and homelessness there was literally not a lot left that could test my mental attitude to get through ‘The Knowledge.’ I realised if others could do it, then so could I, and off I set from Manor House to Gibson Square back in the cold December of 2012 to come full circle sat here in May 2020 with my new electric cab parked outside my house.

I realise at present we are facing a testing time within the trade. With the obstacle of the Covid-19 virus and other transformations across the landscape, now more than ever I need to address the road ahead like I have any other that I have faced - and I’ll be approaching it with the same mindset. Head on!

The trials and tribulations that each and every one of us endures doing the Knowledge is what sets us apart from all other transport sectors across the globe. No other country in the world have what we do in London - that is what makes us the very best. Entering into this trade has literally put the cherry on the cake for me and I would encourage anyone thinking of doing ‘The Knowledge’ to just get on and do it! A member of Parliament recently compared us to the ‘Spitfi res’ during the war in our fi ght against Covid-19, it brought a real sense of pride to me knowing I was in that comparison.

I feel today like I did when facing all the historical barriers I have had to overcome. And I know that I can get through this – and if I can get through it, then you can too. ◆

“My drug addiction and o� ending behaviour forced me, eventually, to go on the run in and around South East Asia, which lasted for about 6 years”


TAXI TALK

Scrolling through my old Taxi articles of some 50 years ago, leads me to believe that I’m probably the last man

still standing who has served under four General Secretaries!

Bill D’Arcy was The LTDA’s fi rst General Secretary when he was elected at The LTDA’s inauguration meeting at County Hall in 1969. But unfortunately, Bill didn’t last long and was forced to resign when he allegedly phoned The LTDA on his foreign holiday - soon after the meeting and asked to borrow some money from the kitty until he got paid! It was a mistake by Bill, but it was a coup for his critics on the Committee!

Harry Feigen was voted in as the next General Secretary and I had close contact with him in the Nineties when I was the Senior LTDA Heathrow Rep. When Harry sadly passed away, Bob Oddy was next in the chair. Both Harry and Bob were dedicated to The LTDA and did everything to let London know who they were! They were fi rst in organising ‘Demos, Drive-Ins and Stoppages’ – with excellent support from all their members! But when Steve McNamara took the mantle after Bob retired, he had a completely different interpretation for what was benefi cial to The LTDA and our trade. He believed, like many other cabbies – myself included, that fronting ‘Demos, Drive-Ins and Stoppages’ were only aggravating the Government, City Hall and the general public – and labelling us as, ‘bolshie cabbies who should be ignored!’

Steve fi rmly believed that negotiation was the answer and arranged a meeting with Wes Streeting MP, The Chair of the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group.) Steve met the MP several times and convinced him that the Cab Trade needed important issues to be put to the Government, including cross-border hiring, national mini-cab standards, plying for hire and accessibility! So, the MP started an APPG for Taxis and persuaded other fellow MP’s to join this group and ask ‘Taxi-Questions’ to the Government!

Steve then made another appointment to see The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan at City Hall. He also met The Mayor’s Team and focussed on Heidi Alexander who was in charge of all the transport in London. Once again Steve brought up all the questions he had put to Wes Streeting – plus TfL’s view on Uber’s Licence Renewal!

Thanks mainly to Steve McNamara, the LTDA and the Taxi Trade now have a productive working relationship with Parliament and City Hall. Our problems won’t be sorted overnight, but it’s certainly better than being outside in the cold as a ‘bunch of bolshie cabbies’ who were not getting anything from the higher echelons!

‘RIP Sir Stirling Moss’.The recent sad news about the passing of yet another one of my heroes from the fi fties, Sir Stirling Moss (generally recognised as the fi nest Formula One Racing Driver of ALL TIME), takes me back some 50 years to relay an amusing story when I met him for the fi rst and only time!

I turned the cab into the entrance of BBC Television Centre in Wood Lane, on my way to picking up an account job. I’ve always thought that the design of TV Centre was a little quirky to say the least, because the main entrance is at the very top of a steep hill!

There is a semi-circular road with white roadblocks to enter and a similar-shaped, white road as the exit. They both join at the bottom which completes a huge white circle. In the centre is a huge sunken tropical garden, with massive plants swaying in the wind. Very artistic, but not my style!

So, I’m plodding up the steep hill in my old cab, when suddenly ‘Whoosh’, a souped-up Mini fl ashed past and frightened the life out of me! I pulled alongside the Mini at the top, dropped the luggage window and yelled out in my best Cockney accent, “ooh d’ya fi nk you are matey, ‘bleedin’ Stirling Moss?” The window of the Mini opened to reveal the familiar, scarred face, with just a hint of a twinkle in those cold, blue eyes. It was the man himself, Stirling Moss!

As he left the Mini to enter the building, I

ALF TOWNSEND

“Thanks to Steve McNamara, the LTDA have a working relationship with Parliament and City Hall”

MOVING FORWARD WITH ‘THE LTDA’!

felt I had to say something to eat humble pie, so I shouted out, “Great pass Stirling old mate!” He raised an arm in response to my shout. It was getting a bit gloomy but was that ‘two-fi ngers’ he was giving me at the top?!

‘Alf the (baccy-less) Pipe?’I thought I’d cracked my problem with shopping recently – more by luck than judgement, when I found that Morrison’s of Chalk Farm were the only store in my manor that stocked pipe tobacco. I got a pleasant surprise when I turned up there for the fi rst time (before this rotten virus and the ‘bloomin’ lockdown that ensued with it) and I reckon I now save about half the price on my previous pipe tobacco – which is about £8 when I shop there!

But things look like changing because I’ve heard that they have pocketed £20 million, in a deal with Barratt Homes to build eight ‘fl ocks of bats’ for 700 homes on their massive car park. It is estimated there will be 35% of affordable homes, with underground parking, a park and a children’s playground. The massive concrete wall at the front will be demolished and the new Morrison’s will be built so it can be seen from Chalk Farm Road. The petrol station will also be demolished. This massive build will take at least ten years or more, so I might have to start ordering my pipe baccy on-line! ◆

“I dropped the luggage window and yelled ‘ooh d’ya � nk you are matey, bleedin Stirling Moss?’ ”


DOWN:1 Rented (a car, eg) (5)2 Infant’s gnasher (4,5)3 Variety of bean (4)4 Finder’s payment (6)5 Supply water to (land or crops) (8)6 Slap (3)7 Listless lack of interest (6)12 Mountain snow-slide (9)13 Brown variety of cane sugar (8)14 Attitude, pose (6)16 Packed outdoor meal (6)19 Level betting odds (5)20 Strongly against (4) 22 Glossy fabric for boots and macs (inits)(3)

ACROSS:1 Final stretch of a racecourse (4,8)

8 Team race (5)

9 Kitchen counter (7)

10 ___ on, be very fond of (4)

11 Pleasantly perfumed (8)

14 Got a goal (6)

15 Firmly � xed, balanced (6)

17 Good at sport (8)

18 Move the arm in greeting (4)

21 Master of a ship (7)

23 Recess in a wall (5)

24 Poor quality of a sound

recording (12)

PUZZLER

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD #467

SUDOKU Have a go at this medium level Sudoku puzzle. Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9 just once

2 88 7 6

3 22 1

2 1 96 9 3

9 6 4 58 4 3

1 5 6 9

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8 9

10 11 12

13

14 15

16

17 18 19

20

21 22 23

24

SUGURU Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2, a three-cell block contains the digits 1, 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells, not even diagonally.

3 5 4

1 4 2 4

1

Copyright Puzzler Media Ltd - www.puzzler.com

ALL ANSWERS TO PUZZLER ON P30

PREDICTIVE TEXTStarting in the highlighted box, try to make a word adding one word part from each layer as you go. Then return to the second layer and use the letters in the unused box to start another word and so on, until you’ve used all the boxes and created six words of decreasing length.

Starting in the highlighted box, try to make a word adding one word part from each layer as you go. Then return to the second layer and use the letters in the unused box to start another word and so on, until you’ve used all the boxes and created six words of decreasing length.

PREDICTIVE TEXT

TONFARON LOWLYTAL

VERNTI TAIN

CONTER

MENCAL SOTIVE

GO NANO

AL


LICENSED TO CHAT

Driving my cab daily around a packed London town is a now dim and distant memory. When the time

comes to get back on the road it is going to be very exciting.

Lockdown is starting to feel like Longdown. I miss the punters, my cabbie mates and the many and various 1am celebrity pick-ups from The Chiltern Firehouse and The Hospital Club.

I’ve had Tom Cruise in the back of my cab, you know. He was so tiny that I couldn’t see him, but he was defi nitely in there somewhere. He told me he loves London and that he does all his own stunts. I believed him. I’ve also had Tony Blair on the backseat. He said he wanted to go to the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre… but he could have been lying, right? It’s not like he doesn’t have form…

My most favourite celebrity is Michael Ball and, oh my heart, I’ve picked him up too. I got a radio call to Abbey Road and I

had no clue I was about to get up close and personal with my very favourite musical star. If only I had known in advance just who would be gracing my backseat I would have bigged out my hair, lashed on the makeup and plucked my chin, dammit.

We defi nitely had a little spark, Michael and me. I felt it and I’m certain he did too. I told him I would give him a free ride (dirty minds can step back right now - this was the purest of pure propositions) if he serenaded me with a teeny chorus of ‘Love Changes Everything’. He did. AND it turned into two verses and then three choruses. He was extremely impressed that I

knew all the lyrics. What’s more - and let me shout this part out… IT BECAME A DUET.

It was one of my life’s most magical moments. ‘Twas tragic that I

was in the front and he was in the back of the

cab. I so needed to pull over to fl ing

my arms about to fully express the emotions in the song - but sadly we were on a red route at Archway.

I have a dear friend,

Irene, she works in Immigration at

Heathrow. The man who makes her knees knock and

then buckle is George Clooney. To Irene’s shock, he once arrived in front of her for a passport check. He was (in the times before social distancing, remember them?) a

mere two feet away from her. She reported that when she saw him, she

felt her blood dropping to her ankles and that certain parts of her anatomy started to fi zz. Unable to speak it was Gorgeous George who broke the silence. He said, “Good afternoon Ma’am”. Irene says that this impressed her much. I wanted to say it sounded like a regular kind of greeting to me but didn’t want to burst her love bubble.

She couldn’t answer him. She couldn’t do her job. She didn’t care if he had a passport or not. After an eighteen-year career in Immigration, and several promotions to a very senior level, Irene was paralysed by the one, the only, GC.

Finally, she got some words out. She says she didn’t compose the sentence in her head fi rst, but that the words just dropped out… “Can I touch you?” is what she asked him. And gorgeous George did his crinkly smile and slightly tipped his head to one side and replied, “Sure. Go right ahead”.

And then she fainted.No matter how big the mega star, that

you can’t do when you’re driving a cab. ◆

If Meg had only known, she’d have ‘bigged out’ her hair, lashed on the makeup and plucked her chin…

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The Direct Debit Guarantee• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit LTDA will notify you (10 working days) in advance of your account being

debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request LTDA to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by LTDA, or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

- If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when LTDA asks you to.• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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For Office use only9 1 4 4 2 8

This guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer

APPLICATION FORM

LTDA Application Form Oct18.indd 1 09/10/2018 10:23


CLASSIFIED

INSURANCE

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“Moneywise, if I was driving a diesel cab it probably wouldn’t work…”

REASSESS, RECHARGE, REBOOT & RERUN!

ELECTRIC DREAMS

Inormally start this column by writing something about everything being rosy in the world of the electric cab driver -

guess that’s a bit inappropriate now as it’s not rosy in anyone’s world.

Personally, I have taken a 3-month holiday on the lease on the cab and cancelled every ‘luxury’ from Sky TV to my big holiday that was planned for January next year. We now shop at Lidl and I go around the house turning off lights and reminiscing about take away food and nice bottles of red wine.

Workwise, I have been doing a bit. I sealed the money slot and air gaps in the cab, printed off my own fl yer and went around all my neighbours in sunny suburbia and offered fi xed fares for commuting and shopping trips. I now have two regular riders, one into the City at silly o’clock, then I shoot back home and do the other one into Canary Wharf and repeat the process in the afternoons. At fi rst it was great, but as the traffi c is

starting to build up again it’s getting a bit stressful - especially with the afternoon run when some days, in certain places on the commuter routes, the traffi c isn’t much better than normal. Moneywise, if I was driving a diesel cab it probably wouldn’t work but with the TXE, I get both morning runs done on the battery in

‘Pure’ mode, put it on charge when I get back home and then get the afternoons out of the battery as well.

Since I last updated you on my cab, I have gone from being a rarity to one of 3500 cabbies going green for London - and up until Corona, it was paying massive dividends, as customers continued to

choose my TXE over diesel alternatives. Reliability wise, the cab’s been great - it needed the ‘Drop Links’ replacing at the annual service (whatever they are) and other than two regular software issues its been 100%. The software problems are really only an irritation and easily resolved. The fi rst one is that the screen freezes, normally on the air conditioning page and whilst everything still works, I can’t change radio stations or make a phone call through the Bluetooth. The ‘standard reboot method’ works for this: turn the cab off, lock it, leave it a few minutes and restart - all fi xed. The other one is the annoying, screaming whistle, which is the ‘door ajar’ warning but when all the doors are shut. This one is: reboot, leave but often the noise is still there on the restart and has to be resolved by opening and shutting the driver’s door. Sure, this is a pain, but it’s about once a month and when I think back to the grief I had, and the hours I spent in garages, with blown radiators on TX4s, or wonky rear wheel steering on my Vitos - it’s a non-event. Stay Safe! ◆

JOE THE TXE

[email protected]

01727 739 196

Jack Green

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The LTDA is the definitive voice of and for London cab drivers and is responsible for ensuring best practise in the trade, making sure its members’ voices are heard and serving members with the back up and support they need.

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Beehive Lane, Gants Hill◆ Cricklewood Carriers, Cricklewood◆ Dial A Cab, City Road, N1◆ Edgware Station Rank◆ Euston Station Rank◆ G & L Taxis, Crayford Road, N7◆ Globe Transmissions,

Cudworth Street, E1◆ The Ham, Brentford◆ Heathrow Airport Canteen◆ Hexagon Garage, Lukin Street, E1◆ Jet Garage, Clipstone Street, W1◆ Knowledge Centre, Caledonian Road◆ KPM, Hemming Street, E1◆ London City Airport Canteen◆ LP Motors, Dunbridge Street, E2◆ Martin Cordell, E3 and Stanmore◆ Paddington Station Rank◆ Putney Bridge Taxis, The Arches,

Putney Bridge Station, SW6◆ Richmond Road Taxi Centre, E8◆ Safewise Supermarket, Harrow◆ South Bank Service Station,

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A quick rant, a quick sale, and a quick lockdown recovery warning…

3 RANTS, 2 SALES AND A WARNING THE CAB YOU DRIVE

WORD ON THE STREET

Apparently, I am allowed a rant, as speaking to the editor I am not the only one who is beginning to

see this lockdown as a bit of a farce. Like most people I have rarely ventured outside my front door, other than a trip to the supermarket or the occasional sneaky 2nd walk, but last week I had to deliver a cab to a well-known south London garage. I was stunned. I left early, thinking that the traffi c would be light to non-existent - I got that wrong, it was not far short of a normal morning. Every construction site was working as normal and there were queues of builders outside every café for take-away breakfasts. They are building blocks of fl ats, how is that essential work? There were delivery vans on every corner, no doubt delivering all sorts of non-essential stuff making Amazon rich whilst the ‘High Street’ stores are forced shut. Whilst mentioning the High Street, again I am baffl ed, why are the banks and chemists only open reduced hours?

If they are open, surely, they should open longer hours to allow people to spread out the times they visit? Surely, reducing the hours crams the same amount of people into a narrow slot, forcing unnecessary queues and social distancing problems? Rant over.

Meanwhile in the world of cab sales and traders, we are locked down and very little is happening, although my garage visit revealed a near fully functioning

workshop and a surprising number of customers, which tells me that more and more cabbies are working. The Vito I delivered was bought by another trader who had a customer lined up, presumably waiting to go to work. Even though the plate expired two weeks ago, the automatic extension being given by TfL and NSL meant he wanted it checked over before taking delivery. I knew it was all fi ne and the other trader knows

me well enough to trust me, so that’s my last stock cab gone, but not for long… Waiting outside, I saw a cabbie I sold a late TX4 to about a year ago and we got chatting - I discovered he has a Nissan on order… quick look over the cab, a bit of ‘Del Boy-like’ haggling and he is delivering it to me next week!

Finally, a word of warning, if you are buying any sort of vehicle during this crisis, be extra vigilant on getting an HPI check and ensuring all the details on the V5 match the vehicle and the person selling it. I have heard a lot of stories of private ‘log book’ loans that have gone wrong where an innocent buyer fi nds out later that the seller was not the lawful owner, despite having the car and the V5. I am also hearing that some fi nance companies are being slow to add and remove fi nance agreements and defaults on the registers, so be careful and remember the golden rule of buying any vehicle: If you have any doubts or are unsure of anything, walk away, there are thousands more out there - never take a chance. ◆

We Speak Your LanguageWith exclusive schemes and specialist knowledge

why would you use anyone else?

www.quotax.netQuotax Insurance Services is a trading name of London Taxi Insurance authorised and regulated by the FCA (504042)

To see how much you could save call

0208 127 8419

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Quotax__language_LTDA_340x265_ideas 2018.indd 2 21/05/2018 22:33

another new electric cab for london? pp · in more than ﬁ ve thousand of uber’s twenty-seven...

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