Archive for category: Taxi News

In a draft of the guidelines the European Commission have asked member states to implement more moderate restrictions rather than ban so called ‘’sharing economy’’ companies such as UBER and AIRBNB.

Up until now UBER and AIRBNB have navigated different regulations across 28 of its member states.

UBER have had a dramatic effect on the London Private Hire market with the number of Private hire drivers increasing by a huge amount since 2013.

Several protests have been held across London by Black Taxi drivers due to the lack of regulation within London by Transport for London.

UBER and AIRBNB have been partially banned across a series of cites including France, Germany and Belgium and AIRBNB have faced heavy criticism for its effect on the local housing prices.

The draft apparently reads ’’Total bans should be a last resort and only be applied where no less restrictive requirements can be used.’’

The commission also said that operators should be considered employees if they aren’t allowed to set their own prices, this is likely to be heavily contested by UBER who have argued that the drivers are independent contractors.

London’s black cab drivers want to offer superfast WiFi to passengers travelling across the capital and have taxi ranks outside every Night Tube stop as part of new efforts to keep the taxi industry competitive.

The growing pressure the taxi trade is facing from Uber has resulted in an alliance of cab drivers, the London Taxi Company, trade unions and black cab apps such as Gett and Hailo to form a set of plans which they feel will help the trade continue to be the ‘best in class’.

They have advised that they will be calling upon the next Mayor of London to get on board with the ’28-point plan’ to help the industry thrive.

Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) stated; “What we are launching today is London’s taxi revolution, a guarantee to make the best taxi service in the world even better. Faster, smarter, greener is our offer and our ask of the next Mayor of London,”

Peter Johansen, the chief executive of London Taxi Company said: “London acts as a beacon for cities around the world and the next mayor has the opportunity to enact an ambitious policy agenda to ensure that our city remains a world leader in technology, service and on the environment. This means there are real choices to be made for the next mayor to keep pace with London’s ever changing transport challenges.”

One of the group’s main objectives is to have a cap placed on the number of licensed minicabs in London. The plan also calls for minicab drivers to pay the congestion fee which they are currently exempt from.

“The traffic in central London has to flow better and move faster, we must continue to adopt new technologies including apps, wifi and contactless to ensure we are smarter,” said McNamara. “Coupled with the right investment in infrastructure, such as rapid charging points to support the introduction of the new zero emissions taxi by 2018, we can make London the world’s first zero emissions taxi city.”

They have also pointed out that they would like the Mayor and TFL to integrate black taxis and ranks into plans drawn up the same way in which the Tube and Buses have been. With this they have requested that taxi ranks are set up at all 24-hour Tube stations “to create a fully integrated transport services”.

A further plan flagged as “action required” is a pilot for fast WiFi to be rolled out over the next two to five years in order to bring the industry more up to date and in line with services provided by other modes of transport.

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan “I will be the mayor who begins the renaissance of the black taxi”

Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith ‘I love black cabs’

UKIP candidate Peter Whittle claims he is the only candidate who really supports the trade’

 With the London mayoral election 2016 closing in the hopeful candidates have been out in full force trying to gain as much support as possible and it seems that the London taxi industry is something that has been hitting the headlines.

Sadiq Khan, the candidate for the Labour party, has claimed that if elected in May one of his roles will be dedicated to try and “level the playing field” within the private hire industry.

In a recent interview with London radio station LBC, he pointed out that private hire vehicles have increased dramatically with the introduction of Uber and like companies which is having a negative effect on the number of black taxi’s on the roads.

Khan goes on to state that solid regulations and a cap are put in place for private hire vehicles in a bid to “level the playing field”.

Zac Goldsmith, the candidate for the Conservative party, has pointed the finger at Uber claiming they are “unfair competition” and that if things remain the same the industry could become “extinct”.

Goldsmith has used interviews to highlight the negative features and effects that Uber is having on the trade and has called on Andrew Jones, the under-secretary of state for transport to review the market as a whole as he claims there is “no question of banning Uber” however he would like to see a better regulatory system put in place. 

Peter Whittle, the candidate for UKIP, has shunned Sadiq Khans comments claiming that what he has said is “pure hot air”. Whittle has stated that his support for the black taxi industry is unequivocal and that unlike the other parties hopefuls he will continue to fight in their corner.

In an interview on the UKIP website the candidate has said “I believe black cabs are an iconic part of London life. The service they provide is unique and the envy of cities around the world, and they offer Londoners the security of a properly regulated and licensed taxi service.  

UKIP have gone on to state the following as well, “We believe in a level playing, and to this end if elected I would push for a temporary freeze on any further PHV licences being issued by City Hall. This would give us a breathing space in which to put in more vigorous and fairer qualifications with regard to PHV drivers. Not just a greater understanding of English, but proper health checks and where possible, criminal record checks.”

Quotax are extremely pleased to announce the sponsorship of Professional Boxer Deano Richardson.

 Deano first tried boxing at the age of 12 however it was not until he was 14/15 years old that he decided to get back into the sport and become dedicated to it. His amateur career was short with him totalling 16 fights, 12 of which he won and comments that he has faced some talented opponents. It was at this point that Dean felt that he would be better suited and wanted to move up the ladder and join the professional arena. 

Many people enter the world of boxing and become deflated after they realise the amount of work and effort it takes in order to succeed however Deano, who attends the gym to train 6 days a week, has proved that he has great potential which has not gone unnoticed.

November 2015 was a pivotal moment in the young boxers life as he signed a three year contract with Goodwin Promotions and will be making his debut on the 19^th March 2016 ‘Paddy’s day punch up’ at York Hall. The young professional is looking to ‘keep his head down, train hard and remain disciplined’ along with getting as many fights under his belt during 2016.

Deano has stated in an interview introduction with Goodwin Promotions that the greatest achievement he wishes to make is his fan base and connecting the fans to the sport.

As if pursuing a boxing career wasn’t hard enough as it is Deano has also been taking steps to become a licensed London Taxi driver like his father Ray. Ray has been a London Taxi driver for over 18 years now and has been helping Deano on his journey to follow in his footsteps, which is not as easy as many think.

Iconic London Black Taxi drivers have to undergo ‘the knowledge’ which is on par with an undergraduate degree and takes three years to study and graduate. A driver is expected to know at least 320 basic routes, 25,000 streets within the routes and around 20,000 different landmarks/places of public interest all of which are located within a six mile radius of Charing Cross. The process takes time, dedication and patience however can prove very rewarding and as Deano explained he likes the freedom of the job and that he can make his own hours to fit around his professional boxing career.

Dean Richardson will certainly be a name you will hear more within the boxing industry and hopefully a name that will continue to be heard as he works his way up. As with any boxer that is freshly starting in the world of professional boxing Deano is required to make his own ticket sales that provide him funding for his fight in March. The event at York Hall will also host a number of fights with various boxers in the ring eager to add another win to their name.

If you wish to attend the event you can find tickets, which also support Deano, at http://iboxingtickets.com/products?keywords=dean+richardson and we highly recommend you buy your tickets as soon as possible as they are going as quickly as they came through. York Hall boxing nights are always good entertainment with a friendly yet intense atmosphere so get yourself a ticket now!

You can also follow Deano’s journey via his Twitter/Instagram @deanoboxing