The esteemed right to ply for hire in London can only be achieved by completing the Knowledge of London, which was started in 1884 and continues to the present day.
This fact was highlighted and reinforced in TfL`s Law Commission response (TPH 1080 p.4) which states “London’s taxi service is widely recognised as the best in the world. The world renowned Knowledge of London that must be demonstrated before a taxi driver is licensed to ply for hire, means that these drivers have an unparalleled understanding of London’s streets and points of interest, as well as pride in their profession”.
PUBLICLY HIRED V PRE-BOOKING
Plying for hire allows a taxi to be publicly hired the significance of this was further clarified by the Maxwell Stamp report (1970) which stated… “The entitlement to ply for hire being for the most part safeguards against the possible abuses of the travelling public by taxi drivers and of taxi drivers by their passengers that are inherent in a situation where it is reckoned that any member of the public, however defenceless should be able to pick up any one of a large fleet of identical vehicles in the street to take him or her to the destination of his or her choice without being harmed, lost or cheated in the process.
The reason for the distinction between the two types of vehicle is that taxis are allowed to ply for hire and private hire cars are not and it has always been held that a degree of control is necessary in the interests of the travelling public, when the vehicle can be hailed in the street which does not hold for vehicles that have to be ordered in advance. More recent analysis and comparison of this was explored in an article by Rory Sutherland of The Spectator 20th July 2013 where he states… “Now, useful as it once was, many people feel the Knowledge has been made superfluous by the arrival of cheap satellite navigation devices. I thought this. Conventional economic thinking, obsessed with ‘market efficiency’, would argue that the Knowledge is a ‘barrier to entry’ erected to maintain the scarcity of cab drivers, rather like a medieval guild. But as some people have begun to realise, markets need trust before they can be efficient. Medieval guilds existed for this reason. Trust is always more difficult in cities because of the anonymity they afford. Guilds offset this problem.
If it is costly and time consuming to join a guild, the only people who enter a trade are those with a serious commitment to a craft. And guilds are self-policing; the up-front cost of being admitted adds to the fear of being ejected. Could you really trust cabbies as you do now if they had gained their licences through attending three or four evening classes and shelling out for a second-hand TomTom? Reciprocation, reputation and pre-commitment are the three big mechanisms which add to trust. You can use a small local firm which needs your loyalty. You can use someone larger with a brand reputation. Or you can trust someone who has made a big investment in getting a badge, and stands to lose everything if caught cheating”.
While no system can claim to be perfect, figures released by TfL in the “Where to Guv” report 2005 for the period 2000 – 2005 showed an average of 1034 complaints against taxi drivers were received per year. However it is estimated that London taxis complete 75 million hirings per year. This clearly demonstrates Mr Sutherland`s analysis of why the knowledge is fundamental for passenger trust.
THE KNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE
Trust is also about safety as highlighted in Mr Ellis’s response (TPH 0384) where he states: “A driver who is lost can inadvertently take a passenger into danger and can also be taken into danger by passengers… Uncertainty regarding a route reduces the driver’s ability to drive safely, especially if searching for directional signs or road names….In responding to street hails a taxi driver does not have the luxury of time to input a destination and wait for a sat nav to calculate the route but needs to move off quickly in the right direction to avoid hindering other traffic, causing an obstruction or creating danger.” Of the 343 Licensing Authorities about 60 per cent of them test taxi drivers on their local geographical knowledge. Only in London and Northampton does the estimated average time to acquire a level of geographical knowledge take more than 12 months.
The All London Knowledge testing currently takes an average of 44 months to complete. However in 2007 the London Chamber of commerce report on the London Taxi trade asked over 120 company directors: “Would you be willing to accept any of the following if it meant there were more taxis on the streets – A less stringent “Knowledge” requirement for drivers?” 83% answered No. By not defining plying for hire and repealing the term will devalue the KoL. Why spend a number of years completing the Knowledge to gain an entitlement that has been repealed along with valuable underpinning case law.
We (RMT) therefore take the view that plying for hire and the knowledge are synonymous with London, and are intrinsically linked. Devalue one you devalue the other. By defining plying for hire will not only reinforce our rights and privileges but also assure Londoners that the future of their taxi trade will remain safe to use and of the highest standard.
London – Safe in the Knowledge since 1884 let it remain so!
The Knowledge – A London Thing Since 1884.
TaxiCabNews
Unlicensed Minicabs targeted in Operation Condor
/in Taxi NewsThe fifth major London-wide crackdown by the Metropolitan Police Service on crimes relating to licensing issues has resulted in 420 arrests and the seizure of thousands of pounds worth of contraband and counterfeit goods. Over the weekend of Friday 13th – Sunday 15th September Operation Condor saw officers from Territorial Policing join forces with specialist officers and partners to carry out 942 separate activities targeting offences, including unlicensed minicabs.
Other areas targeted were licence breaches by venues and the selling of knives, alcohol and cigarettes to under-age customers, tax avoidance and immigration fraud. Around 3,793 officers were deployed during the course of the initiative, carrying out operations ranging from sex worker card patrols and brothel visits; targeting of unlicensed mini cabs and taxi touts; enforcement of no drinking zones and spot checks carried out at bars, pubs and nightclubs.
By the end of the operation a total of 3,740 licensed premises had been visited, of which almost 806 were subjected to a full licensing inspection – entailing officers demanding the immediate production of all relevant documents. Arrests were made for a range of offences including drugs; attempted rape; immigration, public order; burglary; robbery; assault; weapons and assault. Quantities of Class A and B drugs, thousands of pounds in cash and weapons including a BB gun; knife and bullets were recovered and more than 34,500 contraband cigarettes were seized from premises across the capital, along with hundreds of bottles of wine; beer and spirits.
Commander Mak Chishty, lead for the operation, said: “This is our fifth Operation Condor to date and yet again we have witnessed a raft of excellent results, obtained by our concerted efforts involving thousands of officers being deployed all over London over a 48 hour period, together with the support provided by our key partners in other agencies. “Licensing related crime affects many of our daily activities – from shops and supermarkets who sell knives or alcohol to young people and pubs and clubs who increase the risk of anti-social behaviour and violence by not ensuring alcohol is sold responsibly or drugs excluded, to those road users who put us all at risk by driving unlicensed, unsafe vehicles. These are just some of the areas that impact our communities we have repeatedly targeted under Operation Condors to date and we will continue to commit resources to these problems in order to reduce crime and increase public confidence.”
TaxiCabNews
RMT – The Knowledge
/in Taxi NewsThe esteemed right to ply for hire in London can only be achieved by completing the Knowledge of London, which was started in 1884 and continues to the present day.
This fact was highlighted and reinforced in TfL`s Law Commission response (TPH 1080 p.4) which states “London’s taxi service is widely recognised as the best in the world. The world renowned Knowledge of London that must be demonstrated before a taxi driver is licensed to ply for hire, means that these drivers have an unparalleled understanding of London’s streets and points of interest, as well as pride in their profession”.
PUBLICLY HIRED V PRE-BOOKING
Plying for hire allows a taxi to be publicly hired the significance of this was further clarified by the Maxwell Stamp report (1970) which stated… “The entitlement to ply for hire being for the most part safeguards against the possible abuses of the travelling public by taxi drivers and of taxi drivers by their passengers that are inherent in a situation where it is reckoned that any member of the public, however defenceless should be able to pick up any one of a large fleet of identical vehicles in the street to take him or her to the destination of his or her choice without being harmed, lost or cheated in the process.
The reason for the distinction between the two types of vehicle is that taxis are allowed to ply for hire and private hire cars are not and it has always been held that a degree of control is necessary in the interests of the travelling public, when the vehicle can be hailed in the street which does not hold for vehicles that have to be ordered in advance. More recent analysis and comparison of this was explored in an article by Rory Sutherland of The Spectator 20th July 2013 where he states… “Now, useful as it once was, many people feel the Knowledge has been made superfluous by the arrival of cheap satellite navigation devices. I thought this. Conventional economic thinking, obsessed with ‘market efficiency’, would argue that the Knowledge is a ‘barrier to entry’ erected to maintain the scarcity of cab drivers, rather like a medieval guild. But as some people have begun to realise, markets need trust before they can be efficient. Medieval guilds existed for this reason. Trust is always more difficult in cities because of the anonymity they afford. Guilds offset this problem.
If it is costly and time consuming to join a guild, the only people who enter a trade are those with a serious commitment to a craft. And guilds are self-policing; the up-front cost of being admitted adds to the fear of being ejected. Could you really trust cabbies as you do now if they had gained their licences through attending three or four evening classes and shelling out for a second-hand TomTom? Reciprocation, reputation and pre-commitment are the three big mechanisms which add to trust. You can use a small local firm which needs your loyalty. You can use someone larger with a brand reputation. Or you can trust someone who has made a big investment in getting a badge, and stands to lose everything if caught cheating”.
While no system can claim to be perfect, figures released by TfL in the “Where to Guv” report 2005 for the period 2000 – 2005 showed an average of 1034 complaints against taxi drivers were received per year. However it is estimated that London taxis complete 75 million hirings per year. This clearly demonstrates Mr Sutherland`s analysis of why the knowledge is fundamental for passenger trust.
THE KNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE
Trust is also about safety as highlighted in Mr Ellis’s response (TPH 0384) where he states: “A driver who is lost can inadvertently take a passenger into danger and can also be taken into danger by passengers… Uncertainty regarding a route reduces the driver’s ability to drive safely, especially if searching for directional signs or road names….In responding to street hails a taxi driver does not have the luxury of time to input a destination and wait for a sat nav to calculate the route but needs to move off quickly in the right direction to avoid hindering other traffic, causing an obstruction or creating danger.” Of the 343 Licensing Authorities about 60 per cent of them test taxi drivers on their local geographical knowledge. Only in London and Northampton does the estimated average time to acquire a level of geographical knowledge take more than 12 months.
The All London Knowledge testing currently takes an average of 44 months to complete. However in 2007 the London Chamber of commerce report on the London Taxi trade asked over 120 company directors: “Would you be willing to accept any of the following if it meant there were more taxis on the streets – A less stringent “Knowledge” requirement for drivers?” 83% answered No. By not defining plying for hire and repealing the term will devalue the KoL. Why spend a number of years completing the Knowledge to gain an entitlement that has been repealed along with valuable underpinning case law.
We (RMT) therefore take the view that plying for hire and the knowledge are synonymous with London, and are intrinsically linked. Devalue one you devalue the other. By defining plying for hire will not only reinforce our rights and privileges but also assure Londoners that the future of their taxi trade will remain safe to use and of the highest standard.
London – Safe in the Knowledge since 1884 let it remain so!
The Knowledge – A London Thing Since 1884.
TaxiCabNews
Allied have their eye on London
/in Taxi NewsPaul Nelson is managing director of Allied Vehicles, who manufacture the E7 taxi in Glasgow, trading as Cab Direct. In a recent article in a Scottish newspaper he revealed that Cab direct once again have their eye on getting their taxi licensed in London. The main reason that the E7 is not allowed to ply for hire in the capital is that it fails to meet the 25 feet turning circle requirement of the Conditions of Fitness. Mr. Nelson said: “We are in the early stages of instructing lawyers to take London to court if our vehicles are not allowed on its streets. Our message to Boris Johnson is that Allied are coming. We will get our vehicles on to the streets of London, hopefully with his blessing.”
He said: “refusing to allow the E7 taxis may be a breach of European competition rules”. During the past few years, there have been several challenges to licensing regulations in various cities around the UK where the E7 was subsequently licensed. In 2009, Allied won a landmark ruling after challenging Liverpool city council’s decision not to allow the E7 to operate. Lawyers argued the decision contradicted free trade laws by restricting the Peugeots’ use and sale. The High Court ordered the council to reconsider licensing the Peugeots for taxi use. E7 taxis are licensed in other cities including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Manchester. Allied’s co-founder and chairman, Gerry Facenna, reportedly met with TfL officials recently to ask them once again to lift the ban. Mr. Nelson told reporters: “We have spent a lot of time and effort on building a product. What we are up against is a Chinese company producing the London black cab to a 60-year-old design while we are a good UK company working for the best solution for the customer. “London wants to keep its own black cabs. The problem is clearly that we are not part of the establishment.” Helen Chapman, TfL’s taxi general manager, said: “Currently there are two taxi manufacturers, the London Taxi Company and Mercedes Vitos adapted by One80 Ltd, which have a variety of vehicle models that are licensed. Some older models of taxis from other manufacturers, which meet the Conditions of Fitness and are approved for use in London, are the Metrocab and Asquith taxi models. “TfL is also aware of, and working closely with, a number of other vehicle manufacturers that are developing new zero emission capable taxis which will also fully meet the Conditions of Fitness.”
CoF REVIEW
Back in 2005, it was the Public Carriage Office who issued the results of the Conditions of Fitness review for London’s taxi industry. Three aspects had been challenged by Allied Vehicles Limited; the turning-circle requirement; the requirement that sliding doors are power assisted and the requirement for a one-piece rear window. At that time, the Review decided to retain the turning-circle requirement, not require sliding doors, if fitted, to be power-assisted and introduce a new condition to address the issue of visibility into and out of taxis for the benefit of passengers and drivers. Roy Ellis, then the Head of the PCO, said: “After a comprehensive review, it was found that the tight turning-circle produced tangible significant benefits to the travelling public, and that these outweighed the advantages of removing it. Allied Vehicles alleged that the retention of the turning-circle requirement led to fewer taxis, higher fares, less suitable taxis for the needs of the disabled and the unavailability of safer and more comfortable taxis, to the disadvantage in general of passengers and drivers alike. The facts of these alleged dis-benefits were not borne out by the research undertaken. “Approximately 50m U-turns and over 90m other tight turns are performed by London taxis each year. If these U-turns were replaced by multi-point turns and other alternative complex manoeuvres, this could cause delay and impede other road users. “Overall, during this review, both passengers and drivers preferred the existing London Taxi.”
Installation Court Dinner
/in Taxi NewsOn 4th September 2013, The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers (WCHCD) held their Installation Dinner on board HQS Wellington. During a meeting before the dinner, taxi driver Graham Woodhouse was installed as the Master of WCHCD for the forthcoming year. Handing over the tenure was Brenda Bartlett who wished Graham a year as good as the one she has enjoyed as Master. During the same ceremony, the Wardens (pictured) were also installed and for this year they are Malcolm Paice as Upper Warden, Renter Warden is Colin Evans and Lower Warden is Alan Roughan.
Graham said that it was a great honour to be chosen as Master for the year and he is looking forward to carrying out his duties. One of the main aims of the WCHCD is to promote high standards of the taxi trade in the City of London and Brenda said that she found the WCHCD is held in high esteem throughout the City with other Masters and Livery companies. Other aims of the WCHCD are charitable and educational; Graham has been the lead Guide Course tutor run by the WCHCD and some of those who have joined the Company have been introduced through undertaking the course. A new course is now underway and is fully subscribed, but a new one will be running in the early weeks of 2014. One of Graham’s first duties as Master was clothe two Freemen of the WCHCD in the Livery. David Neale and Stephen Mullen were welcomed as Liverymen and then Raymond Coggin, Lee Cooper, John Ford and Graham Waite joined the WCHCD as Freemen. They were given a warm welcome and joined the WCHCD at dinner. Following a Drinks Reception out on the Quarter Deck in glorious sunshine, dinner was enjoyed in the magnificent Court Room, where the gold and silver collection of The Honourable Company of Master Mariners, along with works of art, is housed. During the course of the dinner, the Master welcomed the new Liverymen and Freemen and then he spoke of how he had become a member of the Company and how delighted he is to be Master. His guest speaker for the evening was Vera Day, who has been an actress in many movies including Lock Stock and Smoking Barrel. In her speech she regaled guests with her memories and experiences over the years. The evening finished with a Stirrup Cup which guests enjoyed on the upper deck of the ship where the River Thames sparkled with the reflections of lights along its banks. On 20th September, Graham together with his wife Caroline, headed the convoy of cabs leaving Canary Wharf on the Magical Taxi Tour. Graham has been a driver on this trip for many years and this is the 20th anniversary of the event.
For more information on the company, joining the Guide Course or the Magical Taxi Tour please contact The Clerk Mary Whitworth on 01494 7675922.
TaxiCabNews
Dial-a-Cab goes live with new terminal and app
/in Taxi NewsLondon’s only co-operative radio taxi organisation, Dial-a-Cab, have extensively road tested their new in-cab terminals and begun the process of fitting the fleet with the new equipment. They have simultaneously launched their new App, which is currently for both account and credit card customers. According to Chairman Brian Rice initial feedback is very encouraging and credit card usage in Dial-a-Cab taxis has increased quite significantly. To help encourage drivers cover even more credit card trips, the Society has announced that it will return to weekly payments and that any extra administration costs will be picked up by the Society. Unlike the previous terminal, the new equipment will have no geographical boundaries and can be used anywhere in the UK where there is a mobile phone signal.
This is especially useful when using the Knowledge Master Cabbies Mate satnav system, which is part of the new terminal. In addition to the mapping and postcode facilities, there are also over 25,000 points of interest that will help drivers to find buildings and apartments that they possibly may not be able to locate otherwise. In order to promote their new App, Dial-a-Cab have liveried a number of their fleet to help encourage passenger usage. The ‘superside’ ads include a QR (Quick Response) code both within the livery and also on the taxi tip-up seat, so that passengers can just scan it to their smart phones and then easily download it. The Dial-a-Cab Board had originally asked for volunteers to livery their cabs to promote the new App and the response from Members was overwhelming, consequently a ballot had to be arranged in order to choose the successful applicants. According to a Dial-a-Cab spokesperson, the App has an optional driver’s run-in on Credit Cards booked through the system that will be at the driver’s discretion, drivers will always receive the full metered fare and they will not be charged for the privilege of completing the trip. As a safety factor, the Dial-a-Cab PED (Pin Entry Device where the passenger’s credit card is inserted), is in the front of the taxi and passed through the partition opening. This means that should the passenger claim there is a problem with the card the driver would not have to leave the safety of his vehicle. Chairman Brian Rice told TaxiCab News: “Not only are we extremely pleased with the new terminals, but I must say how proud Dial-a-Cab is that all our software is built in-house and that so far as I am aware, we are the only taxi or private hire organisation that has the ability to do that.”
Taxicabnews
Hailo teams up with Rainbow Trust
/in Taxi NewsHailo, one of London’s largest app-based taxi network is set to team up with Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity to raise at least £10,000 in just ten days. The charity provides emotional and practical support for families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. For every Hailo job accepted by Hailo’s London driver network between 1st and 10th October 2013, Hailo will make a donation to Rainbow Trust. The £10,000 target will be sufficient to cover the cost of transport in Hailo taxis to and from essential hospital appointments in the London area for an entire year. Given the range of illnesses suffered by children supported by Rainbow Trust, travelling to these appointments using public transport is highly challenging and often impossible. Therefore, assisting with transport is one of many areas of support provided by Rainbow Trust.
CHARITY OF CHOICE
The idea for this initiative came directly from Hailo drivers, who identified Rainbow Trust as their charity of choice. Hailo will be providing regular updates throughout the duration of the fundraising directly to its driver network and through its Twitter feed, @HailoLondon. Commenting, Russell Hall, Hailo co-founder and a London cabbie for over 20 years, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to help a charity as worthy as Rainbow Trust. Anyone who is a parent knows that seeing their child suffer is one of the most difficult things in life to cope with. There is no financial value that can be put on the support that Rainbow Trust provides to families but I very much hope that we’ll be successful in reaching our £10,000 target and the transport cost this will cover will make a difference to the children and parents that Rainbow Trust supports.” Nicola O’Donnell, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, Rainbow Trust, added: “We’re delighted that Hailo has chosen to support Rainbow Trust in this brilliant initiative. It’s even more pleasing that this initiative has been driver led. £10,000 worth of taxi transport will make a huge difference to our families as important hospital appointments are stressful enough without the added difficulty of taking public transport with a seriously ill child and an agitated sibling. We urge every London cab user to help support these families by downloading the Hailo app and making every taxi they use between 1st and 10th October a Hailo one.”
RAINBOW TRUST
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity provides expert social palliative care to families when their child has a life threatening or terminal illness. Offering emotional and practical support, assistance is available for families 24 hours a day. Individually tailored high quality care is offered from diagnosis through to treatment and, should a family become bereaved, the charity will continue to support them for as long as they are needed, helping family members cope with the present and prepare for the future. Rainbow Trust relies almost entirely on voluntary donations and through the outstanding generosity of its supporters is able to help more than 1,350 families a year throughout England. The charity’s vision is that one day all terminally ill children and their families will have access to a Rainbow Trust carer. During the last 25 years the children’s charity has attracted a raft of celebrity support, with highlights including renowned sports presenter Clare Balding hosting their glittering carol concert last year; the cast from Downton Abbey attending Rainbow Trust’s Jubilee Ball along with creator Julian Fellowes; and Hollywood actress Brigitte Nielsen stepping out to support the charity’s ‘Trust in Fashion’ event. The charity has gained considerable respect among the healthcare/medical profession for its expertise in social palliative care and in 1993 the Department of Health actually used Rainbow Trust’s methods as a template for social palliative care services. The charity was also invited to contribute to the Department of Health independent review of palliative care services for children and young people in England in 2007.
TaxiCabNews
Bonjour assevillers!
/in General NewsEach year when the Magical Taxi Tour drives down through France a refuelling stop is made at Assevillers Service Station. Elior is a major global Company operating 257 outlets and shops in 70 Service Stations throughout France; each year the Assevillers staff liaise with the trip organisers and Esso to get ready for the arrival of the convoy. Whilst the cabs and support vehicles are refuelled, the children are given an amazing welcome by staff at the service station; they are entertained by all the staff at the services, many of them in costume, and they provide free gifts, face painting, stilt walkers and entertainers as well as food and drink for the children and their families. The children are always reluctant to leave after the one-hour stop off – as are the cab drivers once they discover the home made cake stand which the team at Assevillers also provide!
Because of the time constraints of the trip the Magical Taxi Tour Committee Members do not usually have time to show their appreciation as much as they would like on the day – so this year the annual Charity Award was presented to the Management and Staff of Assevillers Service Station for their unsolicited kindness and generosity shown each year to the children and drivers involved in the Magical Taxi Tour. Kevin Deneux and Mickael Bruder made the journey over to the UK for the annual WCHCD Liverymen’s Dinner and were delighted to receive their Award.
Taxicabnews
Lifetime Achievement Award
/in General NewsThe final presentation of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year it was given to Ronnie Mitchell who first entered the cab trade in 1948. He drove a cab until 1962 when he decided to further his involvement in the trade, going into business as M & M Taxis renting and repairing cabs. In 1969 he sold his interest in the Company but because of the excellent reputation he had gained for fairness and good old fashioned customer care, there was a constant call from the cab trade for him to return to business. This he duly did and Stables Taxis was born. This was very much a family business with his beloved wife Edna and subsequently his two sons becoming an integral part. His interests were not just confined to business and he was involved in the Committee of the Albany Charity at its inception, as well as the War Veterans Charity. Ronnie had joined the Fellowship of Hackney Carriage Drivers in 1991 where he became an active participant in all of its activities, eventually reaching Court and Committee level as well as taking an active role in the annual Magical Taxi Tour as a driver. He has always been a keen campaigner for the relief of hardship for both those in and out of the trade, making it truly apt that he was given this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. There was a great round of applause as Ronnie accepted his Award.
London wins Two top travel awards
/in Taxi NewsLondon has been awarded Favourite UK City for the third year running in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers Travel Awards. London also won City of the Year at the Food and Travel Magazine Awards 2013. These awards follow on from the announcement recently by Ipsos MORI that London has been voted one of the world’s favourite cities in the largest ever global survey conducted of its kind.
A total of 18,000 people were surveyed across 24 countries and London was voted top city in Europe and the second best city in the world after New York. It follows the news that record numbers of tourists have visited the capital this year with numbers up 4 per cent and spend up 11 per cent. Julie Chappell, Director of Consumer Marketing and Digital Channels at London & Partners said: “We are delighted London has won these prestigious awards and is continuing to attract more visitors who consider this city the best in the world to visit.
London has so much to offer travellers from our rich cultural heritage to world class museums and restaurants and unrivalled shopping experiences. London & Partners is working hard to capitalise on the Olympic legacy and we’re seeing a real buzz in the capital that includes an increase in visitor numbers, increased hotel occupancy, more visitors to tourist attractions and a major resurgence in the London food and dining and scene. There’s no doubt London is the place to be.” This month alone 20 new restaurants are opening in London including Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant Union Street Café, backed by David Beckham, Angela Hartnett’s Merchant’s Tavern in Shoreditch and Richard Caring’s Grillshack in Soho.
TaxiCabNews
Putney Bridge
/in General NewsThe Putney Bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic on July 14th for urgent repairs. It will remain closed for approximately three months. During this period pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to cross it but cyclist will need to dismount and wheel them across. The decision to close the bridge to all traffic – instead of a partial closure – was backed by a clear majority of both residents and businesses during the public consultation last year. The public’s preferred option was getting the job done in the shortest possible time and at the lowest cost to taxpayers. The works are needed after a study found that the bridge’s waterproof membrane, which protects the internal structure from water penetration, needs replacing. The installation of a new membrane should prevent the problems caused by water penetration, which experts say has contributed to the poor road surface despite continuous repairs. The council’s transport spokesman Councillor Jonathan Cook said: “Unfortunately a major repair like this to a busy river crossing means there will be disruption to the travelling public and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience this will cause – but we have pushed hard to keep this to the absolute minimum and ensured the works are carried out at a time of the year when the roads are at their quietest. However, the repairs are absolutely necessary to protect the bridge’s internal fabric and structural integrity. Our primary goal now is to get this important task done quickly and efficiently.”
THE HISTORY OF PUTNEY BRIDGE
It’s said that in 1720 Sir Robert Walpole was returning from seeing George I at Kingston on Thames and being in a hurry to get to the House of Commons rode together with his servant to Putney to take the ferry across to Fulham. The ferry boat was on the opposite side, however and the waterman, who was drinking in the Swan, ignored the calls of Sir Robert and his servant and they were obliged to take another route. It was then that Walpole vowed that a bridge would replace the ferry. The then Prince of Wales was also often inconvenienced by the ferry when returning from hunting in Richmond Park and asked Walpole to use his influence by supporting the building of a bridge. The legal framework for construction of a bridge was approved by an Act of Parliament in 1726. Built by local master carpenter Thomas Phillips to a design by architect Sir Jacob Acworth, the first bridge was opened in November 1729, to become the only bridge between London Bridge and Kingston Bridge at the time. It was a toll bridge and made of wood; it had tollbooths at either end of the timber-built structure. The bridge was badly damaged by the collision of a river barge in 1870. Although part of the bridge was subsequently replaced, soon the entire bridge was demolished, and in 1886 was replaced by the stone bridge that stands today. The Metropolitan Board of Works purchased the bridge in 1879, discontinued the tolls in 1880, and set about its replacement. The current bridge was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette as a five-span structure, built of stone and Cornish granite. Bazalgette also designed London’s sewerage system, and the bridge integrates two of his five outfall sewers running perpendicular to it. It was constructed by John Waddell of Edinburgh, whose tender of £240,433 was accepted on 15 April 1882. It is 700 feet long and 43 feet wide, and was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 29 May 1886. Putney Bridge unique, because it is the only bridge in Britain to have a church at both ends, St. Mary’s Church, Putney is located on the south and All Saints Church, Fulham on the north bank.