Taxi Driver Online

I've been asked to post these letters for discussion.

Alex


Confusion over taxi trade
Your report (22 October) on organised crime in the private security industry stated that new regulations could drive illegal activities into other businesses. To that extent, it would be interesting to know what has happened to the measures intended to address long-standing allegations of similar activities in sections of the taxi and private hire car trades.

It's perhaps instructive that two leading Edinburgh councillors recently made fundamentally contradictory statements regarding this issue. In July this year, Colin Keir, convener of the city's regulatory committee, criticised private hire licensing because the trade is "deregulated" and councillors "don't have any bearing over" the sector. A fortnight later, Steve Cardownie, the deputy council leader, refuted allegations of criminality in the private hire sector by telling a Sunday newspaper "people with a criminal record cannot get a permit or licence in this city".

In my opinion, both these statements are misleading, because official vetting is similar in both the taxi and private hire sectors, but the criminality problem seems to relate to the operation of unregulated booking offices rather than licensed vehicles and drivers per se.

Mr Cardownie's statement was made in defence of his business interest in Edinburgh's private hire trade, and Mr Keir seemed to defend numerical controls on the city's taxis by alluding to a (specious) link between a lack of such controls on private hire vehicles and criminality in that sector. With these people running the show, is it any wonder such problems arise?

STUART WINTON, Hilltown, Dundee

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters ... 1728112007


Taxis free of criminals
Stuart Winton (Letters, 30 October) claimed contradictory statements were given from councillor Steve Cardownie and myself regarding criminal interests wishing to take over taxi and private hire car companies in Edinburgh.

Mr Winton should know that although there is no limit within the city of private hire car numbers, they are still regulated, therefore I see no conflict between the statements of Mr Cardownie and myself

Drivers and operators of taxis and private hire cars are subjected to rigorous police vetting. Should anything be found in these background checks, the police will bring the information to the attention of the city council regulatory committee.

I can assure Mr Winton that when this type of information has been made available to committee members in the past, they have shown a particularly robust attitude towards their decision making.

Because of this, Mr Cardownie was correct when he said he was sure there were no criminals running taxi and hire car operations within the city of Edinburgh.

There can be no compromise when it comes to the safety of the travelling public. I can assure everyone that taxi and cab companies within Edinburgh operate to the highest standards. Should they fail to meet these standards they face losing their licences.

COLIN KEIR, Convener, regulatory committee, City of Edinburgh Council, High Street, Edinburgh

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters ... 1740422007


Reply sent to the Scotsman
In his reply (Letters, 1 November) to my letter about allegations of criminality and the Edinburgh taxi and private hire trades, Councillor Colin Keir, convenor of the city council's regulatory committee states "drivers and operators of taxis and private hire cars are subjected to rigorous police vetting" and there are "no criminals running taxi and hire car operations within the city of Edinburgh".

However, earlier this year, in the context of a newspaper article about allegations of gangsters attempting to infiltrate the Edinburgh private hire trade, Mr Keir said: "Because private hire is de-regulated, much of the movement within the trade is just down to commercial decisions taken by the individual organisations, which we don't have any bearing over."

Thus in July Mr Keir seemed to have identified some sort of regulatory shortcoming, but now appears to view the process as adequately robust, so isn't there an unexplained contradiction here?

Moreover, Mr Keir's reference to "drivers and operators [vehicle owners]" ignores my point that the problems seem to relate to unregulated booking offices rather than current two-tier vetting regime.

A 2005 Scottish Executive consultation said it accepted "there is some evidence which suggests that vehicles and drivers operating from such establishments are operating illegally and that such establishments are being used for illegal activities".

Thus since Mr Keir seems not even to acknowledge the possibility that such problems could arise then presumably he knows something that the then Executive didn't, not to mention the police, other local authorities, COSLA and the taxi and private hire trades who raised these concerns.

Indeed, if Mr Keir can provide such categorical assurances, then what regulatory rabbit has he and his council pulled out of the hat since January 2004, when the now justice secretary Kenny MacAskill asked the Scottish Executive: "What its position is in respect of any alleged links between individuals involved in private hire companies and organised crime, and whether it will take any action, including seeking any necessary additional powers, to address this issue."

Stuart Winton, Hilltown, Dundee.

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These are the press articles referred to.

MacAskill meets cabbies amid fears over Glasgow gangsters
ANDREW PICKEN

JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill is to meet with Edinburgh's taxi and private hire drivers to discuss fears about Glasgow-based rivals trying to buy into the Capital.

There are fears some Glasgow businessmen looking to move into the city's private hire trade may have links with criminal gangs.

Several Edinburgh private hire operators say they have had lucrative offers to sell up their businesses in recent months.

One senior figure in the Edinburgh taxi trade said: "We are concerned about our business but people should be worried about the drugs, violence and money laundering that comes with some of the people looking to come here."

Police raised fears last month that west coast gangsters want to infiltrate the Capital's private hire car firms, tanning salons, security businesses and the sex industry as "fronts" for drug dealing and money laundering.

Mr MacAskill, the MSP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, will meet representatives of the Scottish Taxi Federation and the city's taxi and private hire firms to discuss their concerns.

Unlike black cabs, there are no restrictions on the prices private hire operators can charge. The existing operators are worried their west-coast rivals will start a price war with a view to driving them out of business.

Bill McIntosh, secretary of the Scottish Taxi Federation, said: "Some members have concerns about the situation in Edinburgh and we hope to raise these with the minister.

"You have to remember there are no restrictions on private hire licences as long as they meet the police checks.

"So anyone is perfectly entitled to apply for as many licences as they want."

Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the city council's regulatory committee, said he welcomed the Justice Secretary's meeting with the taxi and private hire trade.

He said:

"Because private hire is de-regulated, much of the movement within the trade is just down to commercial decisions taken by the individual organisations, which we don't have any bearing over."

Two weeks ago, police told of their fears that some of Glasgow's most notorious gangsters were attempting to expand their crime empire into the Capital - among them associates of millionaire gangland boss, Tam McGraw, known as "The Licensee".

Officers fear organised criminals could use the taxi trade to help mask illegal activities, including drug dealing, in the Capital.

Mr MacAskill is understood to have discussed the issue with Lothian and Borders chief constable David Strang and Graeme Pearson, head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.

McGraw, 55, is rumoured to be worth more than £20 million, having earned his nickname after establishing himself in Glasgow's pub trade.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinb ... 1099722007


Sunday Mail
July 29, 2007, Sunday

COUNCIL BOSS SAYS TAXI FIRM IS CLEAN;
By FIONA YOUNG

A COUNCIL chief has defended his work for a taxi company after it was taken over by the boss of a firm linked to a gangland family.

Steve Cardownie, deputy leader of Edinburgh City Council, insisted his new bosses at Festival Cars, the capital's biggest private hire firm, are "legitimate".

Four weeks ago we revealed Festival had been taken over by Allan Gibson, director of Glasgow's Network Private Hire, which has links to the McGovern crime clan.

In 2004 Network were raided in Operation Maple, Scotland's biggest money laundering crackdown.

Police also searched a petrol station belonging to McGovern lieutenant Russell Stirton and his pounds 500,000 home.

SNP councillor Cardownie, a member of the council's police board, owns a Skoda Octavia at Festival and employs two drivers to run it for him.
Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill has met police, licensing officials and other cab firm owners to discuss fears that Glasgow criminals are trying to buy into the capital.

Last night Cardownie, 54, said: "I have had the taxi for a year. Since then Festival has changed hands twice.

"As far as I'm aware these are bona fide businessmen. People with a criminal record cannot get a taxi permit or licence in this city.

"I'm happy to stay at Festival."

Gibson became a director of Festival in May and visits their HQ in Broompark Business Park, Granton, every day.

He has been on the board of Network for eight years

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At the end of the day the taxi trade is by and large a CASH trade and anything through which cash can be laundered is always going to be of interest to criminal elements as well as a large number of "lads" who like the opportunity to earn cash which is not so easily traceable by the taxman I would say this latter group are far more prevalent in the trade

But at the end of the day it is very difficult for the powers that be to weed out any such elements unless a new kind of stricter application procedure took place which involved both CRB checks plus HMRC and Benefits agency checks for all licence applicants that might weed a few of the rogue element out

In Scotland no licence is required to run a booking office. Therefore criminals can (and do) own or run some of them. Councils have no control.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I think there is probably a contradiction in terms, in respect of one councillor saying everything is fine and dandy with private hire operators and another saying it isn't but the council can't do anything about it because the P/H sector is deregulated.

Regards

JD

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