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The Guardian (London)
May 23, 1989
Police threaten cab firm
The Metropolitan Police has threatened to prosecute London's largest minicab company if it goes ahead with a plan to use French-registered drivers to operate in the South-east.
The move is part of a campaign by the Private Hire Car Association to embarrass the Government over its decision earlier this month to refuse to bring in legislation to control the 40,000-strong minicab trade.
Mr John Griffin, the managing director of Addison Lee which employs 500 drivers, next month intends to set up a French company - using Londoners as drivers to avoid restrictions on plying for hire - as a move to embarrass the Government over its failure to act.
The decision has brought a rapid response from the Metropolitan Police Public Carriage Office. 'The only vehicles entitled to ply for hire on London's streets are Hackney Carriages licensed under the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869.
'The attempt use of any other vehicle for this purpose will leave the driver open to prosecution,' a senior official said.
Mr Griffin, who is also chairman of the Private Hire Car Association, says his purpose is not to break the black cabs' monopoly on the right to tout for trade.
'We want to confront the Government on this issue, Forty thousand drivers are not going to lie and down and take this on the chin. We have waited 19 years for legislation.'
Mr Griffin cited a cast two weeks ago in Brixton, south London, where a woman was picked up and raped at night by a man purporting to be a minicab driver. 'We want to be able to guarantee the public that they are safe getting a minicab even if it is after midnight.
'Legislation would lead to the demise of the cowboy driver.
'There are drivers who draw the dole and pay part of it to the proprietor in return for his radio. The proprietor in turn is protecting him by not telling the social security that he is drawing the dole.'
The minicab drivers will meet Department of Transport officials later this week to discuss the Government's decision, announced earlier this month, not to legislate to control the trade.
The Transport Minster, Mr Michael Portillo, despite widespread speculation, decided not to change the rules governing black cabs or the Knowledge of London examination.
He also decided to retain the present distinction between the tax and hire car trades.
The announcement was accompanied by an 11 per cent increase in London black cab fares from June 9.
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