Taxi Driver Online

Is the DDA in the hands of cab drivers?

If LTI and Metrocab went bust and everyone stopped buying the E7 where would that leave the Government, Councils and the DDA?

I know its a hypothetical question and under normal circumstances I'm not one for posing them but in this case there is perhaps a tinge of reality behind it?

If this Taxi trade of ours was united it would be us dictating the terms of how and when the DDA was implemented and not councillors and Government Ministers.

After all, it is you people who put your hands in your pocket and it is you who dictate if the likes of LTI and Metrocab survive?

Collectively there are no heights that can't be achieved but as long as you have organisations that divide the trade such as the NTA, T&G and NTTG then I'm afraid this trade is going nowhere.

Regards

JD

And if everyone one in the world laid down their weapons we'd have world peace too, until someone decided a big stick was a good idea instead of a gun, and someone else thought they'd need a bigger stick, then someone else thought sticks are crap and the break besides its easier throwing rocks.

Your not one for posing hypothetical questions, except when they perhaps are intended to have a dig at the representative bodies?

Need I remind you that the NFTA spent many of thousands of pounds trying to retain saloon vehicles in Nottingham? Where the 'black cab' members in Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool effectively stated this case was against their wishes and refused to pay plate Levy's?

Need I remind you that the fundamental principle of the NTA is freedom of choice of vehicles?

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I take it you take issue with my suggestion that the NTA, T&G and NTTG, are holding the Taxi trade as a whole, back?

I suppose that when you have the likes of the T&G batting for LTI over driver choice, then you could say there is a conflict of interest, somewhere?

I also suppose that when you have the T&G batting for one section of its members over another in respect of quantity controls then you could say they have a conflict of Interest?

When you consider that the NTA has a policy that restricts non-owning cab drivers to no more than 49% of membership then you could say they have a vested interest in making sure that cab drivers don't take control of the NTA.

When you consider the NTA policy has always been the retention of quantity control of Taxi numbers then you could say they have a vested interest in favour of owners?

So if you can't see the divide I'm sure everyone else can.

It doesn't make any difference to me because everyone already knows of the divide, its not as though this revelation is new?

Regards

JD

Conflicts of interest?

Okay JD hows about this one.

The December issue of Cab Trade News mentions the T&G campaign to keep Ryton open, calling upon consumers to boycott Peugeot and Citroen products......now whats the policy of the T&G in Edinburgh?

The NTA policy toward vehicles is freedom of choice.

The NTA policy towards delimitation would appear to be justification, with undersupply being as bad as oversupply.

Are you not being very selective in your thoughts?

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I don't know the economics of the Peugeot situation but I do know that the T&G in Ryton have had talks with the Government. I also know that the T&G cab trade section has a vehicle policy, which works against Peugeot and in favour of LTI. Therefore it would appear to me that one section of the T&G is working against the other.



We all applaud the NTA policy on vehicle choice, well at least I do? Those of us in the real world would expect nothing else.

When an organisation such as the T&G departs from the freedoms of allowing Taxi drivers to choose what vehicle they drive then you have to ask yourself why?



That seems to be your stance but from where I'm sitting the NTA have never taken that stance and nowhere was it made clearer than at the transport select committee hearing when Mr Conyon said the decision should remain in the councils hands because they know whats best for their area. Yet when councils started exercising their right to implement policies they thought were best for their area the NTA didn't like it one bit and sent out a press release stating such. And you wonder why I keep harping on about you guys having double standards. In fact as an ex NTA administrative officer and in charge of promoting the NTA and I might also add, NTA webmaster, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if you penned that letter yourself, even though you said you didn't.

Talking of double standards you yourself were party to a report sent to the DfT in response to the OFT report on behalf of the Carlisle TOA in which you stated "Control should not be taken away from Local Authorities." You also criticised DIPTAC and the D.D.A. and even told your buddies in region 2 that the initial N.T.A. response should be to "rubbish" the OFT report but have a fall back position.

Your fall back position was that all new licenses should be for purpose built vehicles but at the very least wheelchair accessible. You also said existing licenses should have grandfather rights and Taxis should be controlled locally.

So your position would seem to be that if deregulation was ever visited on the remaining 89 restricted Authorities it would be alright as long as owners have grandfather rights and new entrants supply the WAVS? I guess that sounds democratic if your an existing owner, especially one in Blackpool who has probably paid about tuppence for his car or cab whatever you want to call it?

The fact that Taxi drivers are not allowed to represent their TOA at regional NTA level speaks volumes for the type of organisation you belong to and the people you represent.

Taxi drivers who are not owners have no say in what goes on in the NTA because its solely an owners organisation. Now that is the nub of the matter whether you or anyone else like it or not, so its pointless trying to convince the masses that the NTA represents the Taxi trade because they represent a very minute portion of the National Taxi Trade, as Barry Perkins pointed out in 2003. And thats the reason why the NTA and the T&G are chit scared of publishing their membership figures because the world will see exactly what Barry Perkins pointed out.

BarryPerkins said, that he felt the problem of such a "Low National" membership was one of marketing and the NTA really needed more members.

So just as a matter of interest, how low is the membership?



Where praise is due I will unreservedly give it and where I believe criticism is due, then I reserve the right to give that too. There is no doubt that you are no stranger to giving out criticism as you have ably demonstrated on many, many occasions in the past and no doubt you will in the future?


Regards

JD

I am not an ex officer

We have been through the fallback discussion before JD, surely any organisation would need a plan b?

However, that was the suggestion of the TOA in Carlisle, I cannot recall if it was taken on board by the NTA as a suggestion, although I don't believe it was, which kind of makes responding to the rest of this particular part of your response a little pointless.

The fact that Taxi drivers are not allowed to represent their TOA at regional NTA level speaks volumes for the type of organisation you belong to and the people you represent.

Presuming a driver is a member of his local association, I cannot recall anyone ever being refused admittance, however, if it is a bone of contention with you, I will propose a resolution to conference to change the company articles. It is a member association and for the members to decide upon.

I don't know who Barry Perkins is. Do you mean Barry Carter?

At the moment I understand membership is at record levels

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I was referring to the NTA policy of not allowing drivers to represent local Taxi organisations at NTA regional meetings?

I don't have a problem with that because thats what the NTA is about but I take exception to the fact that whenever the NTA say they have ordinary cab drivers as members that they fail to point out that those cab drivers only have input at their local level and are not allowed to represent their local association at NTA regional level because they are not plate holders?

Not many people know that and they could be forgiven for thinking that ordinary drivers are given full right of association when the reverse is the truth?



Nope, Barry Perkins Bourenmouth.



Well I wouldn't know? lol but i'll take your word for it.

Just for the record, I never for one moment doubted that you did not hold some sort of position at the NTA. Just what it is I don't know but I'm sure some little bird will enlighten me?

Regards

JD

I was referring to the NTA policy of not allowing drivers to represent local Taxi organisations at NTA regional meetings?

Its not NTA policy its in the articles of association, a rule of the company, and in the constitution, so I understand it would need a two thirds majority to change the constitution.

I understand you concerns, but even my local association send drivers to regional meetings (how very naughty?).

Are you suggesting a place like Carlisle which has 204 licensed HC's and 250 licensed HC drivers and therefore has an overwhelming majority of owner drivers, that those owner drivers are not taxi drivers?

Nope, Barry Perkins Bourenmouth.

Never heard of him.

Well I wouldn't know? lol but i'll take your word for it.

Well they are, for example in Carlisle, we have a larger membership than Manchester TODA

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin