Taxi Driver Online

This from the Sunday Mail 14/11/2010

Edinburgh taxi boss targeted in twisted YouTube videos after moving from black cabs to private hire

Nov 14 2010 Exclusive by Russell Findlay, Sunday Mail

A TAXI boss told yesterday how he has suffered gun and bomb threats after leaving a black cab company and joining a private hire firm.
Iain Colquhoun says he was also branded a paedophile, a rapist, a police informer and a wife-beater and accused of dealing drugs. And he's angry that a man suspected of involvement in the threats has not been prosecuted.

Colquhoun, 48, was chairman of Edinburgh's biggest hackney cab firm until he was poached last year by Edinburgh City Private Hire (ECPH). He became a hate figure for black cab drivers after his move. And it sparked a series of online death threats and chilling videos on YouTube.
In one, a photo of Colquhoun's home is superimposed with pictures of two masked gunmen and a fake bomb under his Mercedes car. Another shows a masked man pointing a handgun at Colquhoun's head, and the words, "Wanted dead or alive". Others feature a pile of cash and a Godfather-style horse's head.
Colquhoun, of Millerhill, Midlothian, said: "Two days after starting my new job, comments began to appear on an online taxi forum. "They said I was a sexual predator, paedophile and rapist and I'd got a staff member pregnant. "They said I was a drug dealer, police informant, thief and a wife-beater, all because I was working in private hire. "The people behind these lies are despicable and cowardly."

Since his move to ECPH, the capital's biggest private hire firm, Colquhoun has been targeted by at least two dozen hateful videos posted on YouTube.
Subtitles were placed on foreign language films to attack him and other figures linked to the taxi trade.

ECPH are co-owned by Paisley businessman Stevie Malcolm, 47, Glasgow taxi chief Allan Gibson, 50, and Edinburgh taxi boss Kevin Woodburn, 48. Malcolm, who has a £9million house at Gleneagles in Perthshire, took over Festival City Cars three years ago. Festival then merged with Direct Cabs to form ECPH. Last year, the new firm, based in Sighthill, won a battle to charge fares 30 per cent lower than the black cabs. And Colquhoun said the rise of private hire has sparked an angry backlash. He said: "I know how it works from being on the other side for 20 years.

"There's an anti-private hire agenda in Edinburgh and a whispering campaign that they're all gangsters, but every single penny is auditable and traceable.
"They're furious their monopoly has been broken, and I'm being blamed."

The prime suspect behind the threats is a black cab driver and former Hibs casual in his 40s, who posts online as Klansman. Police quizzed him, but told Colquhoun the procurator fiscal had refused them permission to seek a warrant to search his house and seize his computer epuipment. Colquhoun said: "I don't understand why this man was not prosecuted. It's very disappointing."

Also smeared in the videos is Edinburgh councillor Colin Keir, convener of the council's taxi trade regulatory committee. He said: "They're having a go because I'm the regulator but I keep my distance from both sides. "Any time I get something like that, I send it to the police taxi inspector and to the council solicitor.
"In relation to personal threats, the police should really follow that through."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders police said: "An investigation was carried out but no one was charged."

One of Malcolm's other firms, Glasgow Private Hire, are co-owned by gangster Tam McGraw's widow Margaret. Allan Gibson owned Glasgow's Network Private Hire when they were raided six years ago as part of a money-laundering probe into the McGovern crime clan. Neither Strathclyde nor Lothian and Borders police have objected to Malcolm's firms being granted base licences, introduced to clean up the taxi industry.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott ... -22716859/

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Taxi boss? Or clerk?

Once again Coolky gets it wrong. His bosses got it wrong.

What was the point of this? Improve Coolky's image? Tell ECPH customers how good the company is?

It's done neither.

How it is free from questionable financing? Who wins from this misguided press interlude? Who is giving the poor advice that led to this?

Next week, no one will remember any of this, other than perhaps the tag line which trawled out Stevie Malcolm's name and associated him with gangland. Anyone like me wonder whether he sanctioned this abuse and public sullying of his name?

I can't believe this little foray into the media was approved by him and if it was, why this stoic defence of Coolky? What makes him worth the embarrassment?

The article was written from only one side. There was no hint at what really caused the bile against Coolky to erupt. But who reading the article is gonna believe that this is an innocent being unfairly victimised? And won't some real doubts be raised about the company employing him, particularly when the Sunday Mail has dragged up spurious and unsubstantiable connections with nefarious concerns?

Shouldn't the top man be saying enough is enough. He doesn't need this grief. And the grief is only coming because of Coolky.

Is he worth it? Or has he served his purpose, time to move on?



Isn't it a simple commercial premise that anyone seeking to build a reputation should do so quietly, away from the public spotlight? So, what's all this about?

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

may I refer the honourable member to the thread I started previously....

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15322

over 100 views and no replies. lack of interest?

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

I'll buy that.

_________________
Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Remedied...

Seems the fanny forum is getting itself agitated.

Their erstwhile legal expert, the incomparable Travis Bickle, he reminds me of a certain big individual, is claiming to understand the law of defamation.

Well perhaps they can explain to theeblackone that when I say that a councillor, or others, are scumbags it's because that is the truth.

The definition of scumbag is "despicable and contemptible". That is precisely what the actions of council officers has been. Lassies being raped to protect vested interests is scumbaggery for sure.

Cops rousting cabbies, the lack of support in the face of assault by the public, the lack of protetion from fare dodgers, A chief Condtable who fails to answer questions, who is investigated for his actions by an inferior officer, a cab inspector reporting unsubstantiated complaints to stiff licence holders, councillors sitting in kangaroo courts and removing people's livelihoods for no good reason, that is scumbaggery of the first order.

This trade is rotten to the core. It is contolled by scumbags who abuse their position to ensure their vested interest. It is support4d by a bewildered herd who'd rather risk being stiffed, in the hope it won't ever happen to them, rather than stand up and be counted for common decency.

Now, if these fragile souls don't like being labelled scumbags, then let them take the action where we could air all of this in public.

The Skull and I are up for the challenge. We're waiting theeblackone

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Jasbar whens your licencing application going back to the courts BTW???

why?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

If I recall it was lined up for this November sometime

My licemsing app is sisted. There is a trial case going before the courts this week, we believe Thurs.

Thing is it's worth waiting to see what happens here.

The council appears to have a spurious case. We think their intent is to ask the court to remit back to them for a presumed grant. We think they may believe that they can get away with fiving up another 35 licences an they keep control.

Now this would open the floodgates. because it will show they've made such a fist of the whole process evert sisted case could be brought forward citing their skullduggery.

The council is just digging a £huger" hole for itself.

We have a strategt going forward. It really is only a matter of time.

We should remember the elections doming up. Council strategy has always been to buy time. It's likely they would want to see what happens in May and let a new committee deal with it.

Our strategy is to ensure that that new committee starts with the biggest pile of shecht to clear up.

One thing is for sure, the scumbag Keir will not be involved. He knows the SNPO are gonna get a stiffing. he's off trying to get elected as an MSP ro wreak his bile on Parliament. My task is to make sure this doesn't happen. I'm going onto his hustings if he gets a candidacy and embarrass the barsterd.

After all, how can any man who knows that lassies are getting into unlicensed vehicles because they can't hail a hack, and get raped, yet still restrict taxis which ensures this will happen again, possibly have the public interest at heart and deserve election.

What will his voters think of this?

I'm going to tell them.

Remember, truth is the ultimate defence of a defamation allegation



A fact that Central didn't have the wit, patience or cash to find out

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Will they take any notice of you?

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Grandad,

We don't give them a choice grandad.

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

They may hear you but that doesn't mean that they will take any notice.

_________________
Grandad,

Licence applications and court cases say differently, grandad.

As I said before, it's not a choice.

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

How many voters are present at licence applications and court hearings?

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Grandad,