On Remembrance Sunday, the United Cabbies Group (UCG) was proud to be able to organise a Free Taxi Shuttle Service to take war veterans, their helpers and families to the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall. For the 3rd year in succession the UCG marshals were at most of London’s stations, the Victory Services Club and the Union Jack Club, ready to transport the heroes arriving for the Memorial Service to their destination, free of charge. And once again the world’s best Taxi drivers turned up in their droves willing to offer their services.
This year’s free service was even bigger and better than the 2 previous years with approximately 250 cabs involved covering over 1000 journeys. Since the UCG stepped in to help after Transport for London badly let down our war heroes by closing a large part of the Underground network on Remembrance Day, this free taxi shuttle service has grown bigger every year with more and more drivers willing to give up their time and show their gratitude to those that fought for our freedom. And once again when all the war veterans and their families were transported to the Cenotaph the UCG Marshals and the drivers made their way to Westminster Bridge where the police had cordoned off a special waiting area for the Taxis.
A UCG spokesperson said: “For some strange reason Transport for London decided this year that Westminster Bridge would be open to traffic. This was something they have never done before and was in stark contrast to their usual strategy where they have no qualms about shutting down Central London for all manner of sporting events and demonstrations. Their original plan was to hide all the Taxis away in Storeys Gate, but after a series of meetings with the police and TfL we convinced them that there was only one place that could accommodate the vast number of Taxis who do care about our veterans, and that was Westminster Bridge”.
As an added bonus this year we had also arranged for a couple of vintage Taxis to be there. As the sun shone this was a perfect tribute to our veterans who would have no doubt ridden in cabs such as these, way back in time. We would like to say a big thank you to Doug Cheshire, Chairman of The London Vintage Taxi Association, for supplying these wonderful cabs and making the day extra special. As Big Ben struck 11 and London descended into silence you could feel the pride amongst the cab drivers. Once again many of them have told us that this was definitely the most humbling and gratifying time as a Taxi driver and they can’t wait to do it again next year.
If you haven’t taken part in this free shuttle service… you don’t know what you’re missing! After the service was finished the taxis took all the veterans and their families and helpers back again. The comments and thanks that were received whilst loading the cabs up were superb and it’s a fantastic feeling to know that the London Taxi trade is still very much appreciated by those who fought for this country. The UCG would like to say a big thank you to Mike Hughes who was once again instrumental in organising this service, to Cabgeeza & Dizzy from the UCG Committee for organising the marshals, to the marshals themselves for doing such a splendid job, to the Knowledge boys who gave up their time to marshal (we look forward to you joining our ranks) and last but definitely by no means least… the many hundreds of drivers who provided this service and who keep this great city moving day after day, night after night 24/7/365.
You really are the world’s best!
News supplied by Taxi Cab News
Do not be tempted to display copied or forged area identifiers
/in Taxi NewsYOU WILL LOSE YOU LICENCE WHEN CAUGHT! That’s the message from TfL.
Unless there are significant mitigating factors, drivers found working without displaying their area identifiers will face further action.
TfL say this action will typically be:
A written warning for a first offence.
A period of suspension for a second offence.
Revocation of the driver’s licence for a third offence.
To date, a total of 104 written warnings have been issued to drivers found by the TPH Compliance team not displaying both area identifiers while working.
A further 8 drivers have so far had their licence suspended for a minimum period of one month.
In addition, further to reports received via the reporting tool at www.tfl.gov.uk/cabenforcement, 73 letters have been sent to drivers advising that a report has been received and reminding them of their obligations to always display the area identifiers whilst working.
Since the area identifiers have been introduced, TfL has been working closely with the police to investigate and follow up instances of licensed and unlicensed drivers using forged area identifiers.
To date, 25 arrests have been made by the police for suspected forged area identifier use. Of these, 16 arrests are for drivers that are licensed to work in Suburban areas but have used forged All London identifiers. The remaining 9 are unlicensed drivers using forged area identifiers. Investigations are also underway into a number of other cases.
Of the 16 arrests so far, 6 drivers have had their licences revoked and the remainder are subject to their fitness to remain licensed being reviewed.
Taxi fare receipt policy changed
/in Taxi NewsFrom 1 January 2013 taxis will no longer be required to have electronic taxi meter receipt printers installed as a condition of the cab licence. In 2003, as part of a review of the Conditions of Fitness, Transport for London took the decision to require all London taxis to install taximeters which have the facility to issue printed receipts.
Following a number of representations from individual drivers and driver trade associations questioning the continued effectives and relevance of the mandatory electronic meter receipt policy, Transport for London has decided it is no longer an appropriate requirement. Although Transport for London is removing the mandatory requirement of a printed receipt, the requirement that drivers must provide a fare receipt on demand by a passenger remains.
However, drivers will now have a choice of how they meet this requirement which could be through issuing paper receipts or, if they prefer, still using an operational taximeter printer installed in their taxi. For credit and debit card transactions it is still a legislative requirement that a printed receipt is provided to the passenger and this obligation remains operating.
Boris Johnson tells Taxi drivers to jump of Tower Bridge
/in General NewsIn Boris Johnson’s speech at the Tory Party conference, he talked about taxi drivers protesting over the Olympic route network restrictions prior to the Olympic Games beginning. He said: “The taxi drivers were blockading the West End. One of them actually handed the keys of his cab to a police guy and jumped off Tower Bridge.
I wish some of the others could have done the same frankly but never mind.” Undoubtedly there will be drivers in the trade who would like Mr Johnson to take a running jump off Tower Bridge – or any other bridge of his choice. How can this be a helpful comment? Especially as just days before this comment, in a radio interview, Mayor Boris Johnson had apologised to taxi drivers and restaurant owners after their businesses were hit by the Olympics. Speaking on LBC 97.3, Boris Johnson denied claims that London became a “ghost town”, but said sorry to businesses whose trade was hit by the Games.
He told Nick Ferrari: “I’m not going to pretend it was a bonanza for everybody and for those that feel hard done by, I’m sorry for the losses or low takings they had. But the overall economic benefit to London of people around the world seeing a city that can deliver an amazing event like that so successfully was incredibly positive. If you look at the spend by tourists in the city, it was up overall. The economic impact of the Games is estimated to be massively positive.”
Nissan Taxi seen testing in London
/in Taxi NewsAccording to Internet site Autoblog one of their eagle-eyed Autoblog readers photographed the new Nissan NV200 London Taxi being road tested on the streets of London a few days ago.
Not due to go on sale until the New Year, the ‘revolutionary black cab’ is already pounding the streets of the capital as engineers aim to iron out any issues before the launch.
Both LTC and Mercedes, have notoriously suffered from reliability problems in the past, so the Japanese manufacturer is obviously intent on ensuring the launch of its new model goes smoothly.
The NV200 London Taxi features a 1.5 dCi engine that is said could achieve 53.3mpg on a combined cycle. Drivers and proprietors are reportedly looking forward to the new Nissan. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, reportedly said: “From what I’ve seen of the NV200 London Taxi, it ticks all the right boxes. It’s important that it looks like a cab, is comfortable and is reliable. If the fuel consumption figures are as promised, it will be a big seller.”
Chinese E-Cars to turn London Minicabs Green
/in Taxi NewsIt is reported that Chinese car manufacturer BYD will help to make the streets of London just a little bit greener after signing a deal with the capital’s second largest minicab service to supply the city’s first fleet of electric taxis.
Greentomatocars, which describe itself as “London’s second largest quality minicab service”, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shenzhen-based BYD to take 50 of its e6 electric models on a trial basis from mid 2013.
The zero emission e6 car features a 75kW motor and BYD’s Iron Phosphate (Fe) battery, which apparently gives the car 186 miles on a single charge, assuming ‘urban’ conditions, and a top speed of 87mph. The Fe battery can be fully charged and discharged for 4,000 cycles, the firm said.
Mayor Boris Johnson has welcomed the news, releasing the following statement: It is my aim that London’s minicabs and taxis will be zero-emission by 2020, which will have a major impact on air quality. Every year the fleet is getting cleaner, making our city an even more attractive place to live, work and visit. Encouraging many more electric vehicles is a key part of this transformation, so it is great news that greentomatocars has committed to operating 50 of these super clean machines from next year.
News feed supplied by Taxicabnews
Rule change needed for emergency vehicles
/in Taxi NewsAccording to the latest poll by the IAM almost 50 percent of motorists believe that traffic stopped at an incident should keep a lane space free for emergency service vehicles. They also agree that those who fail to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle should be fined, but 35 percent of respondents also admitted that they don’t know the current rules on how to deal with an approaching emergency service vehicles.
This is reflected in the results with a quarter of people saying they would go through a red light to let an emergency vehicle through and almost a third say they have entered a bus lane to allow access to an emergency vehicle, both maneuvers often result in fines to the driver. 44 percent of motorists also believe that it is unfair to prosecute someone who crosses a red light to let an emergency services vehicle through. A further 31 percent of people feel that this should be made legal. But, overall the largest group of respondents (41 percent) believes that the law should not be changed in regards to crossing red lights for emergency vehicles.
It is illegal to enter a bus lane during its active hours of operation to let an emergency vehicle past, and 86 percent of motorists believe that this is unfair. Findings reveal that, while most people are aware of the laws surrounding emergency vehicles, around half are willing to flout them to let the emergency services through. IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Fining people for pulling into empty bus lanes so that life-saving services can get through is just plain wrong. Most drivers quite rightly want to get out of the way. Simply catching and penalising drivers who break the rules to let emergency vehicles pass will not serve to educate them – people must understand the rules to abide by them. Road users must be on the look-out for emergency service vehicles and move out of the way where possible but laws have been put in place for the safety of all road users. Our survey shows clear support for more clarity and new ways of ensuring police, fire and ambulance personnel get to incidents with maximum speed and minimum risk to themselves and others.”
News supplied by Taxi Cab News
Fix for TX4 steering fault implemented
/in Taxi NewsSince the initial announcement that 440 TX4 taxis across the UK were being recalled for a steering fault in October a further 16 UK taxis have been affected by the recall. This takes the total to 456 taxis across the UK and 325 TfL London licensed taxis.
Life for these drivers has been extremely difficult. Many have not been in a position to work as they have not all managed to rent cabs and the uncertainty of when a fix would be found has stressful to say the least. Now, almost one month later, the administrators of Manganese Bronze Holdings have announced that an engineering solution to the steering fault has been found for the TX4 model taxi. The joint administrators say they have focused their resources on developing and testing a solution to repair the steering manufacturing defect as quickly as possible, working closely with The Mayor, Transport for London (TfL), the LTDA, other driver organisations and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). They have now secured a supply chain availability and logistics to begin a rapid replacement of the affected parts in the recalled fleet with new steering boxes from a UK supplier. The work has now started, with completion of the exercise by mid December 2012.
News supplied by Taxi Cab News
Could personal breathalysers be made compulsory in the UK?
/in Taxi NewsEarlier this year, France made it compulsory for every driver to carry a minimum of two personal breathalyser kits in their cars – even if they never consume alcohol. The theory behind the move is that if a driver has consumed alcohol, they can make sure they are not over the legal limit before starting the engine and make a journey.
Those drivers who are discovered not carrying the kits with them while driving face a fine. Here in the UK, some campaigners argue that if the same simple system were introduced here it too could save hundreds of lives. Research has revealed that many organisations would be in favour of the idea. But Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Head of Road Safety Kevin Clinton differs: “We don’t think it would be a good idea because we’re not convinced that these kits are useful.
Our main concern is that they may encourage some drivers to try to drink up to the limit and drive instead of avoiding drinking at all, when they know they’re going to be driving. We don’t think they would help people to avoid drink driving because there’s a danger it would have the opposite effect. We’re also not convinced about how reliable or accurate the readings are. I certainly wouldn’t want to risk my driving license on a three quid blow-in-the bag device.” While disposable breathalyser tests are very cheap, they can also be inaccurate in comparison with those used by police forces. Ultimately, there is no safe limit when driving with alcohol in the system. Mr Clinton described how if personal breathalysers were made compulsory, he feared that police resources dedicated to tackling drink driving directly could be diverted and instead used on making sure drivers have these kits – resulting in a waste of time, money and lives.
News supplied by Taxi Cab News
Verifone extends Taxi payment services to Poland
/in Taxi NewsVeriFone Systems has announced that a contract has been agreed to provide managed payment services to Glob Taxi Company of Warsaw, Poland, and its fleet of approximately 500 vehicles. VeriFone is providing Glob Taxi with in-taxi payment systems that enable passengers to pay with credit and debit cards, contactless and NFC mobile wallets, as well as fleet cards and electronic vouchers provided by VeriFone. They are the first company to provide a complete managed solution for taxi companies in Poland. VeriFone now provides taxi systems and services to 70,000 vehicles in 17 countries, including Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
News supplied by Taxi Cab News
War Vets get VIP treatment
/in Taxi NewsOn Remembrance Sunday, the United Cabbies Group (UCG) was proud to be able to organise a Free Taxi Shuttle Service to take war veterans, their helpers and families to the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall. For the 3rd year in succession the UCG marshals were at most of London’s stations, the Victory Services Club and the Union Jack Club, ready to transport the heroes arriving for the Memorial Service to their destination, free of charge. And once again the world’s best Taxi drivers turned up in their droves willing to offer their services.
This year’s free service was even bigger and better than the 2 previous years with approximately 250 cabs involved covering over 1000 journeys. Since the UCG stepped in to help after Transport for London badly let down our war heroes by closing a large part of the Underground network on Remembrance Day, this free taxi shuttle service has grown bigger every year with more and more drivers willing to give up their time and show their gratitude to those that fought for our freedom. And once again when all the war veterans and their families were transported to the Cenotaph the UCG Marshals and the drivers made their way to Westminster Bridge where the police had cordoned off a special waiting area for the Taxis.
A UCG spokesperson said: “For some strange reason Transport for London decided this year that Westminster Bridge would be open to traffic. This was something they have never done before and was in stark contrast to their usual strategy where they have no qualms about shutting down Central London for all manner of sporting events and demonstrations. Their original plan was to hide all the Taxis away in Storeys Gate, but after a series of meetings with the police and TfL we convinced them that there was only one place that could accommodate the vast number of Taxis who do care about our veterans, and that was Westminster Bridge”.
As an added bonus this year we had also arranged for a couple of vintage Taxis to be there. As the sun shone this was a perfect tribute to our veterans who would have no doubt ridden in cabs such as these, way back in time. We would like to say a big thank you to Doug Cheshire, Chairman of The London Vintage Taxi Association, for supplying these wonderful cabs and making the day extra special. As Big Ben struck 11 and London descended into silence you could feel the pride amongst the cab drivers. Once again many of them have told us that this was definitely the most humbling and gratifying time as a Taxi driver and they can’t wait to do it again next year.
If you haven’t taken part in this free shuttle service… you don’t know what you’re missing! After the service was finished the taxis took all the veterans and their families and helpers back again. The comments and thanks that were received whilst loading the cabs up were superb and it’s a fantastic feeling to know that the London Taxi trade is still very much appreciated by those who fought for this country. The UCG would like to say a big thank you to Mike Hughes who was once again instrumental in organising this service, to Cabgeeza & Dizzy from the UCG Committee for organising the marshals, to the marshals themselves for doing such a splendid job, to the Knowledge boys who gave up their time to marshal (we look forward to you joining our ranks) and last but definitely by no means least… the many hundreds of drivers who provided this service and who keep this great city moving day after day, night after night 24/7/365.
You really are the world’s best!
News supplied by Taxi Cab News