Taxi Driver Online

Touts and taxis clash in downturn

Taxi drivers who face dwindling trade in the recession are mounting nightly co-ordinated operations against rogue minicab touts working outside West End nightclubs.

The black cab drivers are using radio networks such as Dial-a-Cab to target illegal touts, often summoning 30 cabs or more to converge on a club or restaurant and to form an impromptu taxi rank to take business away from the minicabs.

The tactic, operating up to six times a night for the past couple of weeks, has resulted in violent confrontations with touts and nightclub door staff. "It's taxi wars," said Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association. "It's almost been a throwback to the clashes of the 1960s."

The worst clash to date happened in Cornhill in the City. A black cab was rammed and a driver attacked, leading to a brawl after up to 200 cabs converged on the scene, he said.

Cabbies' anger at illegal touts, who operate outside nightspots clad in high-visibility vests and brandishing clipboards, has intensified as trade has declined in the recession and London's authorities have failed to get a grip on the problem.

Some companies have set up legitimate cab booking desks in clubs after a requirement for minicab offices to gain planning permission was scrapped. But it is illegal for so-called "clipboard johnnies", who taxi drivers accuse of working in league with some door staff, to approach people on the streets to offer taxi services.

Mr McNamara said: "It has been very successful for drivers. They have been finding it quite lucrative." He said the black cabs were cheaper than the minicabs, which can have a £25 minimum fare.

Brian Rice, chairman of Dial-a-Cab and the London Taxi Board, said: "It started off with Dial-a-Cab. Our members are self-employed and they can send messages by the data network.

"The touts are beginning to get a bit upset that licensed taxis are turning up and taking people home and that's obviously led to some problems. But it's a perfectly legitimate use of the network."

The minicab industry has also criticised the touts, but it pointed out some of the operations linked to nightclubs were operating legally.

Steve Wright, chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said the issue had come to a head as many cabbies had moved into the West End after corporate work dried up, while the downturn had increased the numbers of unlicensed minicabs on the streets.

Mr Wright, a Transport for London board member who yesterday attended a Scotland Yard meeting about the problem, warned against confrontations. "It solves nothing to be a vigilante and [to] take matters into your own hands . . It needs a broad church of people to resolve this issue."

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IDFIMH

Someone remind me why the black cab trade weren't doing this years ago?

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IDFIMH

It obviously wasn't hurting their pockets so much back then. Anyway I wish them luck I think it's shameful that the authorities don't do anything about this problem. I'm still amazed that they don't have some kind of knowledge test for PH there

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

They do have a knowledge test toots.
Whilst its great what the taxi drivers are doing, I feel it's only happening because it's so quiet out there.

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stressed controller!!!

Now I feel silly cos somebody said they didn't have a knowledge test for the PH in London

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Am I correct in believing that the PCO do not conduct these tests? Am I correct in believing that the PH companies conduct these tests?

Regards
BB

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Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk

There is no form of Knowledge for Minicab or Private Hire drivers in London.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartne ... /1346.aspx
As you can see,it's as easy to get as a dog licence...

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Charlton's lost past http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFKWGlrze0
London's future? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rants.html

As a new driver, you must complete a knowledge test to work as a PHV driver in london. I did not do a test as I got 'grandfather rights'.

These test are carried out by PCO approved test centres which do include PHV operaters, a complete disgrace if you ask me.

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stressed controller!!!

What is a dog license?

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Grandad,

The latest NVQ for Hummer Drivers.

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IDFIMH

Some of have always have.

The 'fight back' if you want to call it that, is no more than Taxi's ranking up outside some of London's more popular nightspots in order to remove the touts / clipboard clowns work, thus making their 'cab' drivers unemployed, thus getting rid of them.

As Rambo rightly says, the momentum is greater at the moment as more Taxis have chosen to work nights, as the economy recovers, will we loose the work that has been gained back? Time will tell, but so far it's down to the efforts of Dial a Cab and the drivers on that circuit who have started the ball rolling, well done Brian Rice and the lads on DAC.

Even better though, it's really irritating a few former troublemakers from the DAC circuit who were expelled, to see their fellow drivers achieving something they couldn’t, a certain vociferous trade 'leader' come to mind.

There's coverage in the latest edition of the LTDA's TAXI paper which is due out this week.

Read all about it.

I'm going to agree with Mr BB on this one.

Whoever gave the responsibility to individual Minicab operators to:

1. Respond to complaints about drivers / cars instead of the PCO

2. To put their own drivers through a topographical test in order to gain a PH license, should hang their heads in shame.

What a scam, as if anyone is going to fail someone who wants to pay them a £120 a week radio rental.

And this chaps reply to Mr A is worth saving:






Well said Richard, the truth kills those folks who are more 'gullable' than those who can think for themselves and grasp the reality of running a radio circuit in 2009, not 1979.

Ah I see.

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Grandad,

A bit like your TV licence,in that it has four legs and produces a lot of crap...

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Charlton's lost past http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFKWGlrze0
London's future? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rants.html