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MountviewNews
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December 2011
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Join the Credit Union
IN THE LAST EDITION OF THE MOUNTVIEW NEWS
we inserted an application form to join the Credit Union, and
what a success it was.
A warm welcome to all the new members who sent in their form and became members, they must
know something that many of you do not. For those of you that still have the form, why not
complete it and return it to me as soon as possible, you have nothing to lose.
I know it’s a bit late for new members to save or take a loan, but were you caught out by not having
enough money last year for Christmas or a holiday, or even enough to pay your income tax? This
would not happen if you were a member, you would have peace of mind.
A typical loan from Radio Taxicabs (London) Credit Union Ltd is as follows:
£1,000 over 12 months will cost you £88.85 a month, total loan repayment is £1,066.20, interest
payable is only £66.20, beat that if you can. In addition to this all loans and savings are insured and
fully protected in the event of an untimely death, this normally costs a
great deal more with other lenders.
There is a qualifying period of 3 months from the time of joining
before a loan can be granted, you will then be eligible, should you
wish, to apply for a loan, this can be up to 3 times the amount
you have saved on a regular basis.
You do not have to take a loan if you don’t want,
just save an amount each month until you are ready
to take out a Share Withdrawal to pay for whatever
you want.
Call me, Alan Woolf on 020 7561 5148 Tuesday or
Wednesday before 13.00 hours or leave your
name and telephone number and I will
return your call.
email alan.woolf@radiotaxis.co.uk
CreditUnion
Radio Taxicabs ( London) Credit Union Ltd No. 90C
Mountview House, Lennox Road, London N4 3TX
Tel: 020 7561 5148 Fax: 020 7561 5166
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority FRN. 213232
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
4 This Month’s Latest News
Roger Sligo our roving reporter tells all
6 Thoughts as Christmas Closes In
Geoffrey Riesel presents his views
8 The Zeus is Coming
Steve Cooper reveals some good news
9 It’s That Time Again
Alan Franks gets you ready for a busy Christmas time
10 Curiosity Corner
Roger Sligo reveals three mysteries of hidden London
12 2012
Peter Gibson looks forward to the year ahead of us
13 New Chip & Pin Devices
Gordon Brown reveals there’s £350 organised for you
14 Your Driving Style Can Cost You Money
Hot tips on how to save fuel
15 Events Calendar
All you need to know ‘What’s On’ guide to 2012
16 The 684th Lord Mayor’s Show
Roger Sligo was there with thousands of others too
18 Major Review of Taxi & Private Hire
Legislation Underway
20 So You Think You Know London…
London Knowledge Course – Lee Cooper interviewed
21 Non PC Adverts
Wow! – how things have change over the years!
22 A Look Back Through the Year 2011
A summary of the past year, January to November
24 The Marine Police Museum
Roger Sligo gets all nostalgically nautical
26 The Eco Friendly Marshals
Roger Sligo finds out more on a day out with them
28 Where Am I?
Roger Sligo wants you to tell him – again!
29 Between Gratuity and a Hard Place
Roy Hughes views on this sometimes complex subject
30 The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Robert MacDonald Watson goes back 60 years
31 Are you a Tweeter a Twit or a Twitterer?
Geoffrey Riesel is on Twitter as @RadioTaxis_Boss
32 TfL’s Lost Property’s Christmas Donation
The page to have your rage!
33 Walking for Kids
Penny Cuckston takes time out for ‘Action for Kids’
34 Letters to The Editor
The page to have your rage – or anything else actually
35 The Mountview Puzzler Page
Don’t snooze – use this page to amuse!
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MOUNTVIEW NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM IS:
Roger Sligo – Editor & photos / Penny Cuckston – Administration
Doug Canning, DC-Graphics – Design, layout, artwork, print & distribution
Geoffrey Riesel & Peter Gibson – Board production
Design: © 2011 / DC-Graphics / Barnet / Herts / EN5 5TP
T: 0208 440 1155 / W: www.dc-graphics.co.uk
Content: © 2011 / Radio Taxis Group Ltd / Lennox Road / London / N4 3TX
The information and images contained in this Newsletter are subject to copyright.
Unauthorised use, disclosure or copying without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
3
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The Olympics Fare
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Hike & Other Stories
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THE LTDA HAS REPORTEDLY TOLD THE NATIONAL
MEDIA THAT TAXI DRIVERS WANT A 20 PERCENT
FARE INCREASE DURING THE 2012 OLYMPIC AND
PARALYMPICS GAMES TO ENCOURAGE DRIVERS
TO WORK DURING THE EVENTS.
The Evening Standard’s Olympics Editor Mathew Beard hit
back by printing “Black cab fares are set to rise by about 20 per
cent during the Olympics and Paralympics. Passengers within
the M25 face paying extra if Boris Johnson agrees to the
cabbies’ “ransom” for not boycotting the Games.”
The public are being told that greedy cab drivers want more,
which could not be further from the truth!
Apparently the LTDA did not consult any of its members nor
did it take any votes on this issue before going public with their
announcement, which led to a taxi demo outside their HQ in
Woodfield Road. The United Cabbies Group (UCG) organised the
“Not in Our Name” demo made up from all trade groups including
LTDA members who were also upset with the announcement.
The reason some drivers are against working during the
Olympics is because taxis are not being allowed to use the VIP
lanes, and therefore drivers are unhappy that it could take an
enormous amount of time to complete jobs, with passengers
having to pay out too much money for journeys around town.
Adding more money to the meter would make matters even worse,
and therefore risk losing us more customers throughout the rest of
the year.
The UCG took email and text votes from its members and
here are their published votes.
There was an 84% return of the membership who voted.
Those in favour of increase = 2%
Those against = 92%
Abstentions = 6%
•
•
•
THE ROARING 20’s RETURNS TO ISLINGTON
Islington is to become the first place in Britain to introduce a
20mph speed limit on both major and minor roads. These roads
include main routes out of the city such as Old Street, Goswell
Road, and Caledonian Road.
Councillor Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive
member for planning said; “We’re on the side of our residents and
are committed to making Islington a safer place.”
The roads managed by TFL such as Upper Street, Seven
Sisters Road and Holloway Road will not apply to the new limit.
Councillor Convery went on to say “Hit someone at 20mph and
they have a 90 per cent chance of survival. At 30 it’s 50 per cent.”
So why not go back to the beginning of motoring and have a
man with a red flag walking in front of cars; this would
undoubtedly reduce deaths on the road by 100 per cent.
The police however have more important things to do and will
not be enforcing the new law. The best Islington can offer is more
mountainous bumps and flashing 20mph signs not to mention
keeping you waiting longer at traffic lights.
4
DUTY OF CARE
At the time of writing and so far this year alone, 14 people have been
killed cycling in London. The majority of them crushed under HGVs
at left-hand junctions, with many more being left badly injured.
As we all know some of these deaths and injuries could be avoided
if cyclists were to obey the laws and follow the Highway Code!
I think it is high time that the forces of law and order were held
to account for the lack of any real enforcement regarding cycling.
Getting away with jumping red lights, passing on the inside at road
junctions, cycling on the pavements, going along one-way streets in
the wrong direction, in short doing whatever they please without fear
of prosecution. The lack of enforcement sends out the wrong
message – just do whatever you please if you’re a cyclist.
It is entirely due to this “getting away with it” mentality which
could be to blame for some road accidents, and the powers that be are
as guilty as anyone for not providing a duty of care not only to
cyclists, but also pedestrians using pedestrian crossings, and having to
run the gauntlet of verbal abuse with cyclists heading full-pelt towards
them! The authority responsible for neglecting law enforcement as far
as cycling is concerned should hold their heads in shame!
How many times do we all witness cyclists doing as they please
right in front of police officers, without any notice taken? I think the
only way to make sure our roads are safer for all and to bring cyclists
into line with other road users would be a snatch squad of officers,
who could confiscate bikes which are ridden in an illegal manner,
and then only return them once a hefty fine has been paid.
We now have to endure many left hand turns banned on our
roads which were once legal, simply through cyclists undertaking
at road junctions.
It is a sad loss for the family and friends of the dead and injured,
and fair to say that not all of them were in any way to blame for their
accidents. To have lost loved ones in any circumstances is bad
enough, but for some of them using a little more common sense, and
obeying the law they might have averted such tragedies occurring.
With more cyclists charging frenziedly along the roads and with no
one accountable for their own behaviour, the death count can only
grow higher!
BORIS BIKE
TRANSPORTERS ABOVE
THE LAW
Ask many cab drivers what is the most
stressful part of driving a taxi in London
today, and they will tell you that looking
over your shoulder for CCTV parking
cameras is one of their top concerns.
A passenger taking a taxi and on
reaching their destination tells you to
wait while they get your fare out from
the hole-in-the-wall. They never told
you that at the start of the journey, so
you are left with a dilemma, do you wait or drive off without any
payment? You glance up and down for any obvious CCTV
cameras – but should you have to take such stress whilst doing
your job? The dustman working for the council doesn’t worry.
Neither bus drivers nor post office vans, they never have to look
out for any fines dropping through their letter box a few days
later. Like we do!
Taxis and private hire are allowed however to pick up and set
down on yellow lines and red routes, in fact we are the only vehicles
allowed to stop but not wait on red routes according to the rules.
If you’re working on the other hand for the contractors who
drive around loading and unloading Boris Bikes, no worries
you’re just doing your job! Take as long as necessary, the double
red lines and no-stopping orders don’t apply to you.
RING OUT THE OLD RING IN THE NEW
From January the 3rd, 2012 all taxis presented for annual relicensing will have to meet the new conditions of fitness and be
less than 15 years old. Week by week we will see the Fairway
slowly disappear, and by the end of the year only a handful will
be left in service.
The London Vintage Taxi Association (LVTA) is planning
some goodbye parades for the FX4/Fairway during 2012.
After 40 years of producing the same body and 54 years of
pounding the streets of London, next year it will be given the
send off it deserves, just like its old friend the Routemaster
received a few years ago!
WESTMINSTER CONFIRMS NO U TURNS
The controversial new parking charges 7 days a week in
Westminster is to go ahead even though the move has been
condemned by both Mayor Boris Johnson and Prime Minister
David Cameron.
Extended hours of control will be in force from Monday 9th
January 2012. The Council claim; “We will do everything that we
can to advise motorists of these changes, including signage on the
street. For the first two weeks we will enforce the new controls with
warning notices, rather than penalty charge notices, and we will
begin issuing PCNs from Monday 23rd January.”
Originally, Westminster Council planned to implement this
policy in December, 2011, but because of being accused of
cashing in on the Christmas Shopping period by most of the
West End retailers, who are already suffering difficult times with
a drop in sales; it was decided to begin in January.
I personally think that Sunday charges are fair game, as there
is little doubt shopping traffic blocks many of the side streets,
especially when there is a rush to drive away at closing time.
But there is little need to impose night time charges in the area as
this has never posed much of a problem. The parking charges are
bound to affect night life in the West End for restaurants,
theatres and night clubs. It will remain to be seen whether this
has any impact either way for taxis!
THE LOW EMISSION ZONE INCLUDES MORE
The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was first introduced in 2008 to
encourage the most polluting heavy diesel vehicles driving in the
Capital to become cleaner. The LEZ covers most of Greater
London. To drive within it without paying a daily charge these
vehicles must meet certain emissions standards that limit the
amount of particulate matter (a type of pollution) coming from
their exhausts.
Despite significant improvements in recent years, London’s
air pollution is still a concern.
So much so, that from 3rd January 2012 the LEZ emissions
standards will become more stringent. More vehicles will be
affected, and those that are already affected will need to meet
tighter emissions standards.
This is bound to make roads a lot clearer within the LEZ zone
as traffic which does not meet the low emissions will need to
keep away or pay £200 a day in fines.
Lorries, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles will need to be
Euro IV. Large vans, minibuses and specialist vehicles first registered
from 1st Jan 2002 onwards will have to meet Euro III standards.
I was talking to the driver of an AA relay transporter who
informed me that many of the AA transporters, including his, are
not LEZ compliant, and that recovery vehicles from January 2012
would take much longer whilst a suitable transporter could be
diverted into the LEZ area.
During what is claimed to be a double dip recession
beginning early next year, many companies who cannot afford to
replace, or upgrade their vehicles, will have no other choice but
to stop servicing Central London.
ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS
It has been a number of years since I was last asked to take
passengers via Regent Street in order for them to see the
Christmas lights. Perhaps it is since the theme changed to
advertising the latest children’s movie, but for whatever reason it
no longer happens. It could also be that each year the same lights
are displayed (see picture inset below) – Oxford Street with boxes
and umbrellas, and Regent Street with its fishing nets, always
there are a couple of them which don’t light up! I wonder where
all these decorations are stored throughout the rest of the year!
There must be an enormous warehouse costing a small fortune in
storage. You would think it would be cheaper to design and make
new ones each year and bring back the wow factor.
Once Christmas has arrived it is time to settle down with the
family, have a few drinks and take it easy.
Wishing all drivers and staff at RTG a Merry Christmas and a
Prosperous New Year. ■ ■ ■ Roger Sligo
Picture taken in Oxford Street Xmas 2009
5
RTG Chairman Geoffrey Riesel
reveals his thoughts as
Christmas closes in on us
AS THE OLD SAYING GOES – “BEWARE OF GREEKS
BEARING GIFTS,” in reference to the Wooden Horse
used at Troy by the ancient Greeks in order to trick
their way into the Trojan besieged city.
Well since the Euro crisis started in the summer in Greece
and then when it spread to Italy, the taxi business has taken a
“nosedive.”
And it has been so unexpected, because from January this
year, right through to July, the work graph showed a very
positive growth and recovery of around 10%, particularly in the
corporate markets.
However, since the Greek sovereign debt crisis started in
August, the work graph has just “dropped off a cliff ” in a way
reminiscent of 2008 after the Lehman’s collapse.
BIG CORPORATES DOWN
Most marked in that drop off, has been the big corporates, their
publicly announced losses and redundancy stories, are the stuff
that daily fills the media; and when the papers aren’t re-counting
that they move on to tales of doom and gloom about the various
sovereign debt crisis.
Now add to that the irresponsible deals being offered by
some of our taxi competitors (ComCab actually) which is in
danger of breaking down the whole “radio taxis industry” model,
where they are offering reckless deals of Zero admin and Zero
gratuity and this they subsidise by primarily offering their City
Fleet car services.
We have advised those large corporates that service levels
could well be affected by those kinds of deals, but I have to say
the corporates are currently only attracted to the possibility of
saving money. Service does not seem to come into it right now.
There is likely to be a to-ing and fro-ing of large accounts while
Private Hire chuckles on the side lines as the taxi industry fights
amongst itselves.
A POSITIVE NOTE
On the positive side however, the single area of consistent and
continuing growth has been the consumer/credit card market.
I have to say that the project of rolling out our new terminals
and of our “chip and pin” machines in the New Year could not be
timelier. If we only achieve half of the work growth that the New
York cab industry received after the installation of these rear
compartment devices, then it will provide considerable
additional business (improved market share) for drivers in what
we expect to be yet another difficult year. Not to mention the
sustained improvement in gratuities experienced as a result of
the “gratuity prompt” on these machines.
6
Even in a recession, people still spend on credit cards. It is an
area in which our Private Hire competitors cannot legally
participate.
LAW COMMISSION REVIEW INTO
TAXIS AND PRIVATE HIRE
The Law Commission review into taxis and private hire (see page
18) is potentially the largest overhaul of licensing in the UK.
It is very important that everyone in the London Taxi
industry takes a close involvement in this review, because it has
the potential to make significant changes to the way in which our
industry operates.
That is why we attended the Commission to ensure that the
views of the radio taxi industry are fed into the review team’s
work.
We have already had an initial meeting with the team
conducting the review and we will be attending their stakeholder
groups.
In that first meeting with the Law Commission, we
underlined the importance that any potential reforms must
maintain the very high standards that the London Taxi industry
is deservedly renowned for worldwide and of course it must also
ensure that Private Hire in London meets with certain minimum
quality standards and that it is subject to effective enforcement.
I intend to provide further information on this review once
the formal consultation is published.
HOW GREEN IS THE
NEW TRANSPORT MINISTER?
Photograph by Damian Walker for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
As a member of the Board of the London Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, I recently attended the LCCI transport dinner as a
guest of LCCI President Willie Walsh.
To be fair to the new Transport Minister, it was only the day
after Dr Liam Fox had resigned as Minister of Defence and Phillip
Hammond (formerly Secretary of State for Transport) replaced
him. Mr Hammond was due to be the guest of honour at the
dinner; instead brand new rookie-in-the-job Ms Justine Greening
made it her very first engagement as Minister for Transport.
Now on your first day in the job, you wouldn’t expect too
much but her speech was a bit of a ramble; she must have
mentioned the phrase proper “transport infrastructure” about
twenty times. And she talked a lot about how we were all “in it
together” and how we all had to work together (to create a
sustainable transport infrastructure.)
Now the RT Hon Ms Greening is Member of Parliament for
Putney, Roehampton and Southfields (which is right under the
Heathrow flight path) candidly, she struck me as being the
doyenne of the “NIMBY” brigade; (not in my back yard!)
particularly when she admitted to Willie Walsh, in her speech
with some enthusiasm, that she had crusaded successfully to
constrain Conservative policy, by blocking any talk of a third
runway at Heathrow.
Such unashamed parochialism seemed to me to be rather
extraordinary, particularly at a time of economic difficulties.
London needs to be doing everything it can to attract foreign
investment as a good place to work, to do business and to live.
The ruling out of a third runway at Heathrow will compound the
fact that London will lose out to other more accessible cities.
Heathrow is already operating at 99% capacity.
Sitting next to me at the dinner was BAA CEO Colin Matthews.
He revealed to me that, more energy (CO2) or carbon is used by
planes circling (i.e. stacked) than the whole airport uses on the
ground. Which also struck me as not at all in keeping with the
Government’s professed “Green” credentials?
As I mentioned, this was only her first day in the job, she
definitely needs to move things forward substantially if she is to
gain my confidence for one.
Maybe I’m just getting old and cynical, but it seems to me
that politicians are all busy doing that which is locally expedient
(i.e. that which will get them personally re-elected) rather than
that which they are in power to do, which is to improve things
for the whole country (for all of the electorate as a whole) and
for future generations. The leaders of Germany, France and
generally in the Eurozone need to start worrying about our
futures as a whole rather than just worrying about issues which
will prolong our fiscal pain. It’s past high time they reached
some sort of workable agreement.
I don’t know do we get the politicians we deserve these days
(of all political colours) rather than the statesmen of yesteryear?
Maybe that is just looking through “rose coloured spectacles.”
NEW LOGO, CHIP & PIN PAYMENT
As part of the great deal we are proud to have done on your
behalf, in terms of our new in cab credit card systems, we will be
putting refreshed company logos on your cab. This will include
the Visa logo as part of the fitting of the new terminals, also the
package will include the new credit card chip and pin machines;
in return for which we have negotiated for you the receipt of a
one-off payment of £350 per driver. You will receive this
payment immediately having done your first credit card journey.
THE LORD
MAYOR’S SHOW
I just wanted to thank all of
the staff who participated in
the Lord Mayor’s Show again
for us this this year,
especially Penny Cuckston,
our Finance Manager, who
organised and liaised.
We had a number of Vintage Cabs in the show, a Beardmore; an
FX3; an Austin Low Loader; and a Morris Oxford. We took part
alongside the Bus belonging to our friends from the charity
Action for Kids.
Celebrity cab owner Stephen Fry (pictured above) not only
watched, but came over to speak to Radio Taxis driver Eddie
Zeitlin who owns the Beardmore, telling him that he would love
to drive that cab. We have put an open offer to Stephen on
Twitter – let’s see if he takes it up.
SYLVIE DARLING (RIP)
I am sorry to announce that Sylvie Darling,
who was a long serving and valued member of
the Radio Taxis team, died last month aged 69
after a period of ill health.
Sylvie had worked for “Mountview” in
many capacities and was often thought of as
“Mum” to many of the boys and girls whom
she recruited and who worked for us over the years; without
doubt she was regarded by most of us with real affection.
During her many years as part of the Mountview family
she met and married former Radio Taxis Chairman Dave
Darling. She and her family “retired” to Ireland and then
I understand, they moved to Southend, Essex. Her funeral
was held last month at Southend Crematorium. I attended
the service and it was a very sorrowful occasion, reducing
most of us to tears. The Radio Taxis family, staff, board and
drivers; present and past, were very well represented and
we all know that her former friends and colleagues will miss
her very much indeed.
I want take this opportunity of wishing you all and
your families the very best compliments of the season.
7
The Zeus is Coming
By Steve Cooper
RTG’s Driver
Services Manager
AT LAST SOME GOOD NEWS.
FORGET THE EURO CRISIS AND
PENDING FUEL INCREASES.
Christmas is coming and there’s some
positive news on the Zeus. Since the last
Mountview News, the Zeus pilot scheme
has proven to be extremely reliable.
We have been able to robustly and extensively test
the Zeus terminal in around a hundred taxis and the
results are very positive. As with any new equipment
it is impossible to predict every issue or challenge
that we might encounter along the way, but thanks to
a core of (“test pilot”) drivers we have been able to
address all of the issues that came to light and keep
the drivers inconvenience to a minimum.
This has allowed us the time to now move our
focus to the re design of the driver screens. We are
in the final troughs of agreeing the look and feel of
the next generation user screens including mapping.
We are all acutely aware of the importance of
paying particular attention to this feature as “it has to
be right.” This development is and will remain ongoing
until we achieve the best possible user experience.
We are able to do this because these upgrades can
be downloaded over the air with no need to visit the
workshop. So, although we are not totally past the
winning post yet I am delighted with the recent
progress made and I think you will like what we are
rolling out – and as you start to work with the new
terminal, lots of new features (bells and whistles) are
in the pipeline and they will be uploaded as
upgrades over the coming year or so.
Meanwhile we are also testing the chip and pin
integration and have a rollout plan in place to
accommodate a total fleet refit during the first half
of 2012.
The chip and pin facility is very impressive and
will be a major step forward for all drivers in what is
undoubtedly heading towards a cashless society. And
with the Olympic year almost up on us Credit Card
acceptance is a must for the modern professional
taxi driver.
8
APPS
I had a driver ask me to clarify Radio Taxis position
on RT driver’s subscribing to third party Apps.
Our position is clear, we have our own App for our
clients and they expect access to the RT available
fleet. There is a conflict of interest and as such any
RT driver that considers supporting another
booking system should be aware that they cannot
subscribe to RT at the same time, after all who
would think it acceptable to subscribe to two radio
circuits and have two terminals in the same taxi?
You should also be aware that many of these new
App suppliers are scrambling over each other to
convince many of our existing accounts that they
can supply a service cheaper and better. The reality,
apparently, is proving somewhat different – I am
pleased to say.
So, again, just to re-cap – the Radio Taxis and
indeed all three radio circuit’s position is that – a
taxi App is an embryonic circuit. We would not
allow a Radio Taxis driver to also have a Dial a Cab
or ComCab set of equipment in their cab at the
same time as the Radio Taxis’ kit. Likewise, we will
not allow the operation of any of the taxi Apps in a
Radio Taxis fitted cab.
This position is of course common sense.
Can I conclude by wishing you all a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year,
from all of us at Driver Services.
Alan Franks, RTG’s Group
Operations Director says…
It’s That TimeAgain
AS WE APPROACH THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD
I would like to remind you that it is very
important that we give a good service over
this period. We have some major clients that
will be using our services throughout and
are dependent on us covering their bookings.
The busiest periods will be late on Christmas Eve into
Christmas Day and we are very busy on Boxing Day.
We will be inviting drivers to phone in so that we can
allocate some bookings in advance to encourage you to work,
messages will go out over your terminal at the appropriate
time so please don’t call before this communication as we will
have a dedicated team dealing with the bookings.
We have been going through a difficult period, as the
Greek and Euro crisis has affected us, as it has the entire
country since August and it is imperative that we continue to
give the very best service to our clients at all times.
“I would like to take
this opportunity
to wish you all a very
Merry Christmas
and a
Happy New Year.”
Alan Franks
‘TONIGHT SOMEONE WILL SLEEP ROUGH FOR
THE FIRST TIME. Help us make sure they don’t
spend a Second Night Out’
No Second Night Out aims to ensure that by the end of 2012 no one will live
on the streets of London and no individual arriving on the streets will sleep
out for a second night. Started in April 2011, and set up by the Mayor’s
London Deliver Board, NSNO provides a rapid response to new rough
sleepers and a credible offer that means they do not have to sleep out for a
second night.
As part of the project, an assessment hub is open twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. Rough sleepers are brought to the hub by outreach teams
and assisted to exit rough sleeping by a team of assessment and reconnection
staff. For many this will mean returning to their home area, reconnecting
with family and support networks where they are eligible for services.
Weekly there are over 40 people new to rough sleeping seen in London.
To increase the chances of assisting these people off of the street quickly, a
twenty-four hour Rough Sleeping Referral Line has been established.
This number is for anyone to report a rough sleeper across the Capital.
The referrals are immediately passed onto outreach teams who respond by
endeavouring to find the rough sleeper in their shift. No Second Night Out
needs the public to be the eyes and ears on the street and report rough
sleepers who may not be known to existing services.
Taxi drivers travelling to such a wide variety of areas across London can
potentially be an extremely valuable resource for referrals. A call to refer a
rough sleeper is confidential, will take a few minutes and potentially save
someone spiralling into a life on London’s streets which is dangerous,
degrading and dehumanising.
Rough Sleeping Referral Line: 0870 383 3333 or refer via:
www.nosecondnightout.org.uk
9
Curiosity
Corner
Roger Sligo on the
mysteries of hidden London
MOVING OBJECTS
“I may not have gone where I intended to
go, but I think I have ended up where
I intended to be.”
Douglas Adams.
The Black Bull
I HAVE OFTEN BEEN FASCINATED with the many objects, statues
and buildings in London, which, for whatever reason, have found
themselves moved to different locations.
The Black Bull is one of these relics which have had their fair share of
roaming. It was modelled for William Lockwood, the inventor of Portland
cement, by Obadiah Pulham at Woodbridge in Suffolk, during the early 19th
century.
First transported to London by boat, from the North Sea and along the River
Thames to Holborn, it stood there for nearly a century as the sign outside the
‘Black Bull Inn’ a well-known coaching inn, which stood on the corner of
Leather Lane and Holborn; that is until the inn was demolished in 1904 to make
way for Gamages department store. It was at the Black Bull, Sarah Gamp and
Betsey Prig nursed Mr Lewson in Dickens’ celebrated novel Martin Chuzzlewit.
The Black Bull statue was saved from destruction by Sir William Bull, MP
for Hammersmith. It was taken for its next journey across London to King
Street, Hammersmith, where it stood guard above the entrance to the offices of
Messrs Bull & Bull, a firm of solicitors belonging to Sir William, until that
building too was demolished.
It was then taken on its final journey just a few hundred yards along King
Street to adorn the front of the Ravenscourt Arms pub, where it has stood ever
since – without causing too much attention.
10
The National Gallery Columns
NELSON’S COLUMN IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE,
overshadows the portico columns of the National Gallery,
although these should not be dismissed as they are older than
Trafalgar Square itself.
They were salvaged when Carlton House, the nearby
residence of the Prince Regent, later to become King George
IV, was demolished in 1828.
Being the only relics not to disappear, these columns were
resurrected when the Gallery was built during 1832 – 1838.
Carlton House, with its lavish grounds, stood where Carlton
House Terrace stands today.
St Antholin’s Spire
“Older than Trafalgar Square”
THIS MONTH’S
CURIOSITY BEGAN LIFE
IN THE CITY OF LONDON,
almost opposite the Lord Mayor’s
Mansion House, near the corner
of Sise Lane and Budge Row. After
the Great Fire of London in 1666,
Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt the
destroyed church of St
Antholine’s, which was originally dedicated to Saint Anthony.
The new church was completed in 1682 and stood proudly with its
lofty spire in the centre of the city for almost two hundred years.
During the reign of Queen Victoria in 1875, a new roadway was
cut through the city connecting the Bank Junction with Blackfriars
Bridge and suitably it was named Queen Victoria Street. With the
making of such a wide road, many old properties in the area were
demolished. Sadly Wren’s St Antholin’s church was an obstruction;
therefore it was completely destroyed except for its lofty spire.
The Wren spire was sold for £5 to a rich city merchant who had a
country retreat in the distant leafy suburb of Sydenham. The large
spire was dismantled and loaded onto several carts each pulled by
two horses, then despatched to his home at Round Hill House
Sydenham, where it was re-erected in the rear garden, which has
long since disappeared. However this remarkable Wren spire still
remains where it has stood for over one hundred and forty years.
Now the garden has made way to a small housing development.
Unfortunately there is no sign placed on the base of the spire to tell
this story, thus most of the local residents remain unaware of their
historic curiosity.
First Published online in Curiosity Corner –
E-View Magazine, August 2010.
11
2012
By Peter Gibson, RTG’s Group
Strategic Director
AS WE APPROACH CHRISTMAS 2011, WHICH HAS
BEEN A ROLLER COASTER YEAR FOR THE ECONOMY
BOTH FOR BUSINESS AND FOR CONFIDENCE.
The government cuts are still biting and I believe they will continue
to do so throughout 2012 – so unemployment will probably rise
through the next year. In London we have two events in 2012 that
should help us enjoy a somewhat, more buoyant 2012 than perhaps
the rest of the country can look forward to?
Apart from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics we have the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee that will be celebrated throughout the year. There are
four days in June Saturday 2nd, Sunday 3rd, Monday 4th, and Tuesday
5th that are being given over to celebrate the 60 years that the Queen has
been on the throne. Much of the celebrations will take place around
Buckingham Palace and should draw people from the length and
breadth of the country as well as from abroad.
Just in case that doesn’t whet your “Royalist” appetite, we then have
the Olympics. They start on Friday 27th July and will run for some 17
days. I have written extensively about potential traffic congestion and
road restrictions that will affect us during the games but I thought that
I would concentrate on some of the statistics that should translate into
opportunities for us all throughout the Olympics and Paralympics that
will, hopefully, make 2012 a memorable and busy year.
From 1st January 2012 a slow, metaphorical, drum roll will begin to
announce the beginning of London 2012 Olympics. Road and building
works are all timed to be completed or suspended before the games start.
Partial road closures will all have to be signed and throughout the first half
of the year many hooded signs will appear in anticipation of 27th July.
Men with paint machines, in order to mark out the “games lanes,” will be
pouring their paint onto the self-same streets that you burn rubber on.
All advertising on television will suddenly take on an Olympic
flavour as the sponsors start wringing out some value for their
multimillion pound investments.
There are expectations that the roads will be congested and possibly
snarled up completely. There are expectations that hotel rooms will be at
a premium and scarce with an expected 350,000 people per day increase,
throughout the Olympics. But there are alternative opinions about what
might happen during the Olympics.
LIKE Y2K?
I have heard a suggestion that the whole two weeks could be like a long
version of the Y2K issue or the “millennium bug”as it was known – do you
remember the predictions of the end of the world as we know it? Another
predicted comparison is that of the introduction of Congestion Charging
when, for ten days or so, next to nobody ventured into the centre of
London in case they got themselves “arrested”for driving when forbidden.
There are some interesting stats available from the last three
Olympics and I have included some extracts in this article from a Tour
Operators Research Report published late in 2010.
The trade body representing tour operators has warned that
expectations of a boost in tourism from the London Olympics may not
12
be met, after unveiling research that suggested previous games had a
“toxic” effect on visitor numbers.
The European Tour Operators Association released research that
showed previous hosts had invariably overestimated the number of
foreign visitors and the duration of their stay.
The Sydney games in 2000 anticipated 132,000 visitors and received
97,000 for the games period, while Athens hoped for 105,000 per night
in 2004 and received fewer than 14,000. In 2008, Beijing anticipated
more than 400,000 foreign guests and received 235,000 for the whole
month of August.
The average number of hotel beds occupied in Beijing during the
Olympics was 39% down on the previous year, the ETOA report showed.
It said that while the Beijing Games may have been a “triumph of
planning and showmanship”, for the tourism industry they were a “toxic
event that crushed normal demand, both business and leisure”.
The report said that while tourism chiefs and organisers had recognised
that the Olympics would create some displacement, with visitors
arriving for the games replacing those put off by the fact it was taking
place, they still tended to talk in terms of a large overall boost.
“For London many in the industry are anticipating a boom, with up to
350,000 foreign visitors predicted per day during the Olympics,” it said.
“This expectation of bounty creates its own problems. In London, hoteliers
expect to be full with premium business, and some anticipate a
displacement of demand that fills up the surrounding months.”
But the ETOA report claimed that the perception that the host city
would be crowded and prices expensive was likely to tarnish the view of
the country as a whole.
It said its members were already dealing with the perception that the
UK would be crowded and so best avoided in 2012.
“The problem is not restricted to the host city. London is the gateway to
the UK and its biggest draw. If you remove London from a visit to the
British Isles, everywhere else becomes far more difficult to sell,” it said.
“Athens has nothing like the central importance that London occupies, yet
when its visitor arrivals dropped by 6% in the Olympic year, regional
Greece fell by 11%.”
Olympic organisers and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, face
an ongoing battle to convince overseas travelers that visiting London for
the games will remain cost-efficient and have appealed to hotels not to
try and cash in by increasing their prices.
So, there you have it. The only thing that we really know is that we
don’t know what affect the Olympics will have on our industry other
than it will be busier. Will the roads grind to a halt – perhaps not?
Will London enhance its reputation as one of the great cities of the
world – I hope so?
We will be seeing a lot of the Queen in 2012 as the country celebrates
60 years on the throne and 60 years of massive changes in the world over
those years. We will also see a lot of the Mayor (whoever it may be – there
are elections on Thursday 3rd May) as the Olympics will be the Mayor’s
showcase. So London will be on show throughout next year and we really
should do all we can to ensure, in our own little way, that most of the
visitors that arrive for the Jubilee or the Olympics come back again to
London as it becomes a living postcard for 2012.
New Chip &
Pin Devices
By Gordon Brown,Chief Operating Officer
Photo by LaMir.
AS MOST OF YOU WILL KNOW
Chip & Pin devices are coming to
Radio Taxis and Xeta and as you
read this some of your colleagues
may already have had the devices
fitted during our December trial.
This is an exciting development that we
are convinced will increase the amount
of work you get, with a package that has
been put together which will benefit you
from day one.
Geoffrey has been boring you for years
now with how passenger usable credit
card devices in the back of taxis
benefitted New York and
ed a £350
“We have securt for you.”
paymen
other big
city’s cab drivers. The evidence is now
available in London where drivers using
these devices have had more long distance
work and tips still averaging around 10%
in spite of a service charge.
We have teamed up with VeriFone to
provide the latest chip & pin device and media
screen. The device has the latest technology, it
is compliant and ready to use for contactless
transactions and mobile phones.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN POINTS
YOU NEED TO KNOW:
● Fitting will start in January and will be
completed by June.
● For Radio Taxis drivers it will be part
of the Zeus fit out and it will be an
extra feature for Xeta drivers too
● It will be free.
● Once you’ve completed your first
transaction we and Visa will provide
you with a £350 prepaid debit card for
you to spend on whatever you want.
● The surcharge will fall to 10% from
12.5% – something many of you have
been asking for.
● Any job done using the device will
currently count as a bonus job to then
help reduce your subscriptions.
● You will be paid to the same timescales
as now but we are looking at ways to
increase the frequency and make it feel
more like cash (watch this space).
● The media screen (which is optional
but we strongly recommend you take
it) will in time attract advertising
income and we hope in the long term
to be able to share this revenue with
you but to make it happen we need to
get the show on the road and lots of
cabs out there with these screens.
WE ARE THE FIRST CIRCUIT
DOING THIS, WHY?
● By going first and getting everything
done by June 2012, we have secured a
£350 payment for you.
● Ours (and other circuits) technology is
becoming out of date with the banks
slowly prohibiting its use through
increased charges together with an
increase in fraud
● Before long we are convinced it will
become mandatory in London to have
Chip and Pin EMV machines in the
back of every London Taxi which
accept cards and by being one of the
first it all comes free to you.
This is an exciting time to be a taxi driver
in London and especially if you are on
the Radio Taxis and Xeta circuits.
Customers will now undoubtedly go out
of their way to hail your taxi rather than
phone a mini cab – they just need to step
out in the street so take advantage and
enjoy the experience.
● As part of the fitting all cabs will get
new logos which will help promote the
service and win back some of those
jobs going into mini cabs.
13
Your Driving Style
Can Cost You Money
There has been much debate about the price of Diesel throughout
2011 and the possible “profiteering” of the petrol companies.
This in turn has given a renewed airing to the benefits of
changing driving habits to see how much fuel and money could
be saved.
The escalating price of fuel is a huge incentive to use less Diesel each week but many of us
don’t feel willing or able to cut down.
But petrol giant Shell reckons the average driver could save £500 a year through smarter
driving. It recently challenged 18 cabbies from cities across Britain to adopt fuel
efficient driving tactics on the road. These drivers reduced their fuel consumption by an
average of 20%.
There’s lots of information on the web on driving more efficiently, including a very
thorough guide from Yahoo!.
But it can be hard to keep these techniques in mind all the time and some bad habits are
pretty ingrained. In particular people often keep their foot down even when they can see a
red light ahead – meaning they have to brake rather than gradually slow down. When you
get caught at a nearby railway crossing do you think to switch off your engine?
First of all make sure your tyres are pumped to the manufacturer’s recommended level, to
reduce unnecessary friction.
Then try writing a few tips down and leave them where you can re-read them every time
you get behind the wheel.
WILL I USE LESS FUEL?
Lots of things can affect your mileage per gallon, including the weather. However, even if you
manage to fractionally lower your average fuel consumption compared to the previous week
this could add up to a significant saving over the year.
A tried and tested methodology to check your fuel consumption improvement is by filling
your tank and recording the mileage at the start of the experiment. When you next fill up see
how many litres you have used and the miles travelled. Then divide the total mileage by the
number of litres and multiplied that by 4.546 to work out your miles per gallon.
STILL FOLLOWING ME?
For example if you’ve covered 1,000 miles and used 101 litres of fuel, your average
mpg = (1000/101) x 4.546 = 45mpg… if only!
WHY ARE SPEED BUMPS NOT STANDARDISED?
Throughout London speed bumps are a (some say) necessary evil – I will not go into the
debate about the damage that they inflict on vehicles – but they certainly do slow down
traffic which, after all, is the stated aim.
I have my own question about speed bumps (or traffic calming measures as they are
sometime euphemistically called) and that is why does every street in every borough have
differing types of traffic calming measures?
Why can there not be a set of standard bumps or different but recognisable types of bumps
for different widths of road?
One would have thought that they have been around long enough that we could agree to
use two or three types of speed bumps and deploy them so that motorists can adjust their
driving to cater for the height or distance apart of a “universal” speed bump?
Wasn’t there some research a few years ago that concluded that speed bumps were really
only necessary and effective near schools and that all speed bumps were brought into
disrepute – or did I dream this?
14
Events Calender
Chinese New Year (23 January 2012):
One of the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations to
take place outside of China features a parade followed
by a boisterous festival. 2012 is the year of the dragon.
St Patrick’s Day Parade: (18 March 2012):
100,000 people participate in London’s St Patrick’s Day
Parade. Keeping things authentically Irish, the day’s
often hydrated by a steady flow of Guinness and
drizzle. Celebrations typically conclude in Trafalgar
Square, where Irish musicians strum to the crowds.
BADA Antiques and Fine Art Fair (21 March 2012):
Sloane Square welcomes even more debonair chaps and
discerning ladies during this annual event, billed as the
UK’s premier art and antiques fair.
London Marathon (22 April 2012):
The annual London Marathon sees London’s streets
shut to traffic as tens of thousands of runners’ pound a
26.2 mile route through the city.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (22 – 26 May 2012):
One of London’s loveliest events, the Royal
Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show blooms
with perfumed buds and imaginative floral displays
each May.
Diamond Jubilee (2 – 5 June):
There’ll be celebrations throughout the country to
mark the occasion, and not just because the nation has
been bequeathed an extra bank holiday. Expect street
parties, bunting galore and a rousing display of
national pride.
Hampton Court Palace Festival (7 – 18 June 2012):
An annual mixed-genre music festival in the manicured
lawns and well-tended squares of Hampton Court
Palace, this is altogether more refined than your typical
summer festival. Previous headliners have included
Elton John, Andrea Bocelli and Eric Clapton.
Wimbledon (25 June – 8 July 2012):
An event adored by London, it needs no introduction.
Trooping the Colour (16 June 2012):
The Queen’s official birthday, this annual display of pomp
and ceremony might not glisten quite so grandly when
compared to the Diamond Jubilee shortly beforehand, but
it’s another reliable display of British majesty.
Greenwich & Docklands International Festival
(21 – 30 June 2012):
There are over 200 free performances taking place
during this festival. It’s been going for a few years now,
but with this being the Olympics year; expect a
bumper program from this East End event.
Meltdown Festival (10 – 19 June 2012):
One of many, many events held at the Southbank
Centre, the annual Meltdown Festival is a repository
for all manner of music, literature and comedy events.
There’s a different curator each year and the festival
has established a knack of enlisting some of the world’s
best musicians to steer its course. Massive Attack and
David Bowie are among those who’ve taken charge at
this event before.
London International Festival of Theatre LIFT;
(11 June – 8 July 2012):
There are theatre-themed events held in London
throughout the year, every year, but this biennial
celebration provides a point of focus.
London 2012 Festival (21 June – 9 September 2012):
After four eventful years and some 7 million free
opportunities to participate, the UK’s Cultural
Olympiad concludes with the London 2012 Festival.
Events throughout the capital will aim to cement this as
the most culturally engaging Olympics Games ever held.
The Lord Mayor’s Show (10 November 2012):
November’s a quiet time for festivals, but the gloom’s
brightened up a bit by the Lord Mayor’s Show.
The world’s oldest civic procession and it weaves
through central London and concludes with a huge
fireworks display.
15
Alderman David Wootton became the 684th Lord Mayor of London on the
12th of November 2011 with thousands of people lining the streets in the
city to watch the Lord Mayor’s Show. Featuring 71 floats, 21 carriages, 150
horses and 20 marching bands, and of course 4 vintage taxis provided by...
Radio Taxis.
The 684th Lord Mayor of Lo
THE WEATHER FORECAST WHICH IS
ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE TAKING
part was overcast and dry, so we could all dispense
with raincoats and brollies and just wrap up warm.
I met Michael Epstein (H54) the same place as
I did last year. Michael is our support taxi driver
who is sometimes needed for emergency work
Some of the Action for Kids Supporters
during the show. He told me that last
year he had to rush to hospital with a
Beefeater in the opposite direction to the
main route, as the poor man had suffered
a heart attack. Fortunately, because of the
hasty service that Michael provided the
Beefeater survived his ordeal (see the letter
of praise on this month’s letters page).
Michael is gearing himself up to become
Lord Mayor himself one day. “When I got
the phone call from Tracey at driver’s
services, whilst I was on a job climbing
Highgate Hill near the Whittington Hospital
– not quite Dick Whittington I admit, but
who knows one day I might have a hospital
named after me – How 54.”
This year Radio Taxis supplied four
of the very best vintage taxis available.
Most of the London Vintage Taxi
Association (LVTA) were away with their
cabs at the Classic Motor Show, National
Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
The Chairman of the association, Doug
Cheshire even lent us one of his own Low
Loaders which proved to be very popular
with the crowd. Three of the drivers were
Michael Epstein from Radio Taxis with the fourth being
16
entrusted with the – low loader.
Silvi Oliveira (T42), who I first met at last year’s
parade was there once again with his pride and joy
his 1952 Morris Oxford ‘Nuffield’. His taxi is very
popular for weddings and he told me; “touch wood it
has never let me down yet on the bride’s special day.”
Eddie Zetlein (K36) was here with his 1966
Beardmore, he explained that this was his second
Mayor’s show; the first was about nine years before.
He told me he bought the cab about 1989 and spent
almost three years restoring it. “It was originally on
the Radio Taxis circuit and still has the old sticker
with the phone number in the partition window” he
revealed. We were left wondering which type of
antiquated wireless system was originally installed!
Eddie joined Radio Taxis in 1978 and has only had
three cabs since he started. He now drives a 1999
TX1 – T reg which will be forced out of service
within the next couple of years. “What will you do
when it has to go, rent or buy?” I asked him. “No I
will retire gracefully” he said.
John Slade (W26), was driving Stephen
Dimmock’s FX3, while Stephen was in Birmingham
for the Classic Motor Show. John normally drives a
new TX4 and changes his cab every two years. He
was here with his wife who seemed to also be a taxi
“The Beardmore still has the
old sticker with phone number
in the partition window!”
enthusiast like John. He joined RT in the late
eighties, and has recently suffered some ill health
and the loss of his mother. He is about to go into
Bart’s soon for some treatment and I know I speak
for everyone when I wish him well.
Mark Bernie, the only non taxi-driver from our
quartet drives a limousine (no not a minicab) and
today was driving a low loader for Doug Cheshire.
He told me that he and Doug worked together for Cardinal
Chauffeur Services “They do funeral services and not private hire”
he explained. He went on to say “I sometimes do work for
Leverton’s Funeral Directors of Eversholt Street, but otherwise I
work out of London.” The low loader has no side windows (was
this a forerunner for air con in cabs?) he also produced a stick
ondon Show
RTG staff, drivers with just some of the children
The Lord Mayor in his coach
Three of the cabs from days gone by
painted orange at one end. “What’s that for?” I asked. “It’s the left
hand indicator” he replied. I could see he wasn’t joking either!
The other end of the same stick acts as a fuel gauge he
informed me – very impressive. The temperature gauge
is on the bonnet and also acts a pressure cap valve.
I met up with one of my colleagues, Penny
Cuckston from the Finance Dept and who also
acts as our Mountview News Administrator. Penny
is the main organiser for Radio Taxis at the show.
Sandra Kennard from Station Road used to
take her two small boys to the show, this was before
she worked for RT and now every year she takes part in
the parade!
Anita Belnevis one of our ladies from the call centre was here
with her children and grandchildren; it was their very first time
and she said she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Other call centre
operators attended too, Margaret Barry was there with her five
year old daughter Millie and her niece, Rebecca, who is also still
at school. Linda Dixon was another first timer who said she was
looking forward to the show. She attended with her daughter
Kyra; they both had to get up at six in the morning so as to be
ready to get to the show on time.
We again shared our float in the show with the charity Action
for Kids and after our own group pictures were taken we joined
forces with them for another photo shoot. Then after a couple of
hours of hanging around it was all systems go – start up the
engines – always a tense moment with vintage cabs – and off we
went! The three-mile route of the 800-year-old spectacle took us
from London Wall, Gresham Street, (giving a wave to the deserted
Piccolo as we went by) Princess Street, Bank Junction, Cheapside,
New Change, Cannon St Paul’s, Fleet Street and the Strand
straight through to the Law Courts. These are places we all know
so well – only today people were cheering and waving at us.
Even Stephen Fry (see photo below) came into the
road to share a joke with one of our drivers saying
“I’d rather have your vintage cab than my TX4.”
The children, one as young as five, were having
a wonderful time, and after walking such a long
way their little legs must have been getting tired.
I must admit I was running out of steam chasing
after the cabs which normally move at walking pace.
I jumped into the low
loader and enjoyed a pleasant
drive with Mark at the wheel.
Following some way behind us
was Alderman David Wootton who
has now become the 684th Lord
Mayor of London and all of us at
Radio Taxis Group Ltd wish him the
very best. ■ ■ ■ Roger Sligo.
17
Major Review of Taxi and Private
The Law Commission is reviewing the existing framework of taxi and
private hire legislation which could lead to a major shake-up in how the
industry is licensed. Mountview News explains…
EARLIER THIS YEAR, the Law
Commission announced it was to
undertake a review of the existing
framework of taxi and private hire
vehicle regulation with a view to
preparing formal proposals for a
three-month consultation which
will begin in April 2012.
They then plan to publish a final report with
recommendations for new arrangements and a draft
Parliamentary Bill that would amend existing
legislation covering Taxis and Private Hire.
They have published the following terms of reference:
“Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are an
important part of local transport. They operate in
highly regulated markets where safety and quality
control are paramount. Licensing covers key areas such
as the quality of services, the fitness of drivers, fare
regulation and restrictions on the number of licenses
issued. The current law on taxis and PHVs has been
criticised for being complex and out-dated.
“One problem is the multiplicity of legislation.
Taxis, which can “ply for hire” so customers can stop
them in the street, have different rules to PHVs which
can only be pre-booked. In turn each of the taxi and
PHV trades is regulated by multiple statutes. There are
also different legal systems along geographical lines
distinguishing Plymouth, London and the rest of
England and Wales. Whereas some distinctions are
clearly justified others are less clearly so.
18
“Some of the legislation, particularly relating to
taxis, is archaic. The key statutes date back to Victorian
times and refer to “hackney carriages” when taxis were
literally horse-drawn vehicles. Case law and guidance
are indispensable in interpreting the law. This also
makes the legislation less able to reflect more modern
technology like the telephone, internet and GPS
technology.”
WHO ARE THE LAW COMMISSION
AND WHY ARE THEY, NOT POLITICIANS,
MAKING THE LAW?
The Law Commission has been established by the
Government to review the legal system ensuring it is
‘fair, modern, simple and as cost-effective as possible.’
It conducts research and consultations before making
recommendations for change that are then considered
by Parliament. It describes the focus of its work as
being to codify the law, eliminate anomalies, repeal
obsolete and unnecessary enactments and reduce the
number of separate statutes. Most of its work takes
place on subjects deemed to be technical rather than
political in nature.
While the Law Commission can make
recommendations, only Parliament itself can change
the law.
Historically, more than two-thirds of the
Commission’s law reform recommendations have been
implemented. More information about the Law
Commission can be read at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission/index.htm
Hire Legislation Underway
The Department for Transport has given its full backing
to the work of the Law Commission and says that it
seems ‘clear that a sensible and desirable outcome from
the review would be a single Act of Parliament covering
both taxis and private hire vehicles.’
London. If a new Act of Parliament is introduced that
covers the entire industry it will have to decide how
London’s taxi industry, admired nationally and
internationally for the standards that it sets, is
addressed within the legislation. At present London’s
licensing regime regulates a considerably large sector of
more than 85,000 drivers.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES
IN THE REVIEW?
The Law Commission’s terms of reference, set out
above, demonstrate that all areas are subject to review
but there will inevitably be certain priority issues that
will command the most focus.
At its heart the review is looking at whether there
ought to be common licensing standards for taxis and
private across the country and the extent to which
standards ought to be nationally imposed or left to
local authorities to determine.
The single biggest issue that has prompted the
review is “cross-border hiring” outside of London and
whether an operator from one licensing area ought to
be able to pick up radio jobs from outside its licensing
area. The small sizes of many licensing areas outside of
London make this a major issue.
Other questions that the review team are being
urged to look at, including by the Private Hire Reform
Campaign (PHRC), which has been created to
champion change, are whether:
● Operators should be able to sub-contract a booking
to an operator anywhere else in the country;
● Vehicle standards need improving or changing,
including the conditions of fitness, and whether
these standards should be national;
● There should be national driver standards, including
passing criminal records background checks and
demonstrating topographical knowledge.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR LONDON?
While the pressure for the review was driven by
concerns arising largely from the licensing system
outside of London, any national review of legislation
and standards will by definition have to include the
arrangements in London which are governed by
specific legislation and regulated under the policy
direction of the Mayor of London and Transport for
In the next few weeks, the Law Commission will
continue to meet with interested parties and travel to
inspect licensing models across the country. It has also
established a formal consultation forum that includes
the following organisations; the Disabled Persons
Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), the Institute
of Licensing (IoL), the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association
(LTDA), the London Taxi Company, the National
Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers
(NALEO), the National Association of Taxi Users
(NATU), the National Limousine and Chauffeur
Association (NLCA), the National Private Hire
Association (NPHA), the Private Hire Reform Campaign
(PHRC), Transport for London, and Unite the Union.
Geoffrey Riesel, Chairman of Radio Taxis, said of the
Law Commission review into taxis and private hire “It is
very important that everyone in the London Taxi industry
takes a close involvement in this review which has the
potential to make significant changes to the way in which
our industry operates. That is why Radio Taxis are working
alongside Dial-a-Cab and ComCab to ensure that the
views of those who work in the Radio Taxi industry are fed
into the review team’s work.We have already met with the
team conducting the review and will attend their
stakeholder groups. In our first meeting with the Law
Commission we stressed the importance of any reforms
upholding the high standards that the London Taxi
industry is deservedly renowned for worldwide and of
ensuring that the Private Hire industry also meets good
quality standards and is subject to effective enforcement.”
Once a formal consultation is published in April
2012 the law Commission will invite everyone who has
an interest on the subject to make a submission for
consideration. ■ ■ ■
19
So you think that you
know London... read on...
LEE COOPER (W130) is a driver on Radio Taxis and recently finished a London
Knowledge course that is run from the premises of the London Museum.
We asked him why he did it and what it was like to complete. His answers are
below. If you would like information on this course or would like to join the next
course which starts on February 6th, please contact Tracey Fuller, Drivers
Services: 020 7272 2626.
What made you want to sign up for this course?
I thought it would be something interesting to do as I have always been fascinated by London and its
history – I also thought that my passengers might like it and the knowledge would add something to
a sometimes mundane job.
Did you do it on your own or with somebody else?
I did the course on my own but with some input from my family testing me by asking me
questions and me telling them what I had learnt.
How many people were in the classes?
There were about 14 in the class two dropped out fairly early on.
Where and when are the classes held?
The actual classes were held at the Clore Learning Centre at The Museum of London on a
Monday evening for two hours as well as practical walks around the city of London on a Sunday
morning for about two hours.
How long did the course take?
The course took two months in total with study, mock exams and final exams written and
practical test.
Was it harder or easier than you thought it would be?
I would not say the course was easy at all as there was a lot to take in with the classroom work and walks plus
my own research and there are plenty of handouts to read.
Was it enjoyable?
I found it really enjoyable seeing London in a different light instead of behind a steering wheel. You see so much
more on foot and a get real feel of the history.
What surprised you the most as far as what you now know about London and have
you used his new found knowledge on any passengers yet?
What surprised me most, as a born and bred Londoner, was how little I knew about the place – an example is
Smithfield, the original name Smoothfield was pastureland where horse fairs and hangings took place. There are
also plague burial pits on the Smithfield site and we drive over them everyday.
How did you study for the City of London (walk about) test without notes?
To study for the actual walk I made sure I knew all my information off pat I then kept saying it aloud to the
family, a bit like calling over on The Knowledge, not going too fast and trying to keep it interesting. Even the dog
got an ear bashing when I was practicing. My two topics were the Bank of England and the Temple Bar about five
minutes or so on each followed by an obligatory health and safety chat.
Would you recommend this course to anybody else?
I would definitely recommend the course to others, it was really interesting and I met some very nice guys, who
I think will remain friends for a long time.
Now you have successfully completed this course – what’s next?
Now the course has finished I actually miss the walks and talks. I still keep up my research on London and I am
keeping in touch with the chaps I met on the course. We all had our presentation on the 24th November at the
Cutlers Hall in the City where we were presented with our certificates and badge. I have had some business cards
printed with my details on and I will now start doing cab guides around London.
20
Non PC Adverts
GOING BACK OVER THE LAST FIFTY TO HUNDRED YEARS,
advertisers were able to make claims which were not only
unsupportable, but in this day and age they were absolutely
POLITICALLY INCORRECT. These adverts in our current era
seem outrageous – however they may make you smile when
you think how far we’ve moved on from those times.
21
A Look Back Throu
JANUARY:
■ 4th of January, gave us a rise in VAT from
17.5% to 20% another unnecessary price rise.
■ New Knowledge information packs
containing a Knowledge of London
candidate’s introductory booklet together
with a covering letter, the ‘Blue Book’ and
a ‘Guide to learning the Knowledge’ DVD
were being sent out.
■ Applicants no longer had to wait to
attend an Initial Talk before commencing
their studies. The new changes, we were
told, represent better value for money for
successful applicants whilst making more
efficient use of examiners’ time.
FEBRUARY:
■ According to the BBC blog “Mind the
Gap” after a request under Freedom of
Information reveals; Boris Johnson’s bike
transporters have been involved in 24
incidents. Twenty of these are said to be
minor scrapes and scratches, the other
four however involved collisions with
cyclists.
MARCH:
■ 1st of March saw the Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) clamping
down on misleading internet advertising!
■ The “Rank at the Bank” taxi demo –
Wednesday 30th March was organised by
LCDC. James Whale began his 4pm drive
show on LBC with phone calls on illegal
mini-cabs touting, and gave LCDC
Chairman Grant Davis the chance to air
taxi-drivers’ views.
■ Taxi-drivers and other motorists who
leave their engines running are to face
new £120 fines under plans drawn up by
Boris Johnson.
■ The New Vito 5 Launches.
22
APRIL:
■ Transport for London’s (TfL) Board noted
a below-inflation average taxi fare
increase of 2.7 per cent for the 2011/12
financial year.
■ Alan Fleming the ex-chairman of The
London Cab Drivers Club and current
Chairman of the Taxi Drivers & Owners
Legal Protection, considered mounting a
legal challenge through the courts against
Boris Johnson’s 15 year cab rule. Traffic
restrictions introduced on Wilton Road
for Victoria Station Upgrade.
■ Taxi and Private Hire Licence Fees Frozen.
■ Royal Wedding day 29 April 2011.
MAY:
■ Westminster City Council brought a legal
action against Addison Lee’s 21
advertisements at seven sites – six of
which are in conservation areas. Addison
Lee has sponsored more than 19,000
cigarette waste bins for more than three
years, and now a judge ruled the company
acted illegally by erecting some of the
bins without planning permission.
■ New York City Choose The Nissan
Minivan As Their Next Taxi-Cab.
■ Radio Taxis rear window sticker campaign
begins with winners receiving £1.00
discount every time they visit Bubbles
Hand Car Wash for 6 months inside and
out.
■ Consultation began on Monday 23 May
with decision on exemptions to age limits
to be made later this year.
■ The Docklands Light Railway’s (DLR)
three-car upgrade was completed on time
and within budget with the launch of
three-car trains on the Tower Gateway to
Beckton route.
JUNE:
■ On the evening of June 14th in
conjunction with the London Chamber of
Commerce, Radio Taxis hosted an
Olympics Travel Question and Answer
session at the London Transport Museum
in Covent Garden.
gh the Year...
JULY:
■ St James’s Street and Pall Mall – reverts to
a two way stretch after 50 years; on
Sunday 3rd July.
■ A convoy of 100 taxis packed with
youngsters headed off from Victoria Park
in East London for a day out at Southendon-Sea on July 5th 2011.
■ Southend Airport Railway Station, opened
on the 18 July 2011 and is now providing
fast and frequent train services direct to
Stratford (for Docklands and Canary
Wharf) and to central London’s Liverpool
Street Station.
■ Work has now begun on both sides of the
River Thames on the two stations
passengers will be using for the cable car;
this includes piles being driven deep into
the ground to support the construction of
the building foundations. Work to install
the piles for the new North Station in the
Royal Victoria Dock is taking place from a
barge rig moored in the dock and on the
Greenwich Peninsula for the South
Station. Work in the river is also
progressing to probe for obstructions
prior to the river piling.
■ First air conditioned Tube trains now
running in central London.
AUGUST:
■ On Monday 1st August 2011, councillors
at Westminster City Hall decided to bring
in Sunday charges for parking, as well as
no waiting restrictions on single yellow
lines to the area around West One.
■ The new TFL building in Blackfriars
which incorporates T&PH (PCO) was
taking no chances with the recent riots.
Tuesday 9th August, the day after the
biggest riots all over London, I found
workmen boarding up wooden shutters
all around the new glass building. Night
time parking is also to change and apply
until midnight, with residence parking
bays operational for 24 hours a day.
■ Mayor Boris and TFL chief Peter Hendy
are angry over Home Secretary Theresa
May’s plans to allow taxi and private hire
drivers to have only standard CRB checks
instead of the current enhanced versions.
SEPTEMBER:
■ Howard Hotel closes its doors for the last
time.
■ Tower of London Taxi Rank suspended
for 18 months for re-building work
opposite.
OCTOBER:
■ Thursday 6 October, St John’s Wood
round-a-bout was chosen for the latest
venue for the Olympic Lane Demo,
bringing much of this area to a complete
stand still. Organised by the (UCG)
United Cabby’s Group.
■ Boris Johnson has set up a website and
telephone hotline to complain about
roadwork’s which are taking a long time
to get finished without anyone appearing
to ever work on them.
■ John Mason, Director of London Taxi and
Private Hire, said “There has been quite a
bit of speculation and misinformation
about the restrictions that are in place
around Liverpool Street station – as a result
of long-term Crossrail works.” He put the
record straight by announcing; “The
traffic restrictions do not apply to the whole
of Old Broad Street. Taxis and private hire
vehicles can in fact enter Old Broad Street
up to Broad Street Avenue.”
NOVEMBER:
■ The New Routemaster Bus Launches The
first new “Boris Bus” has rolled off the
production line of the Wrightbus factory
in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It will
enter passenger service next year.
■ Transport for London (TfL) has begun
installing Trixi mirrors beside traffic
lights along the 12 new blue lane cycle
networks. The mirrors are fitted beside
traffic lights and allow HGV drivers to
spot cyclists on the inside of their
vehicles.
■ The 9th of November will be a day to
remember as protesters gathered around
London. The City of London had the
students marching, the Embankment with
the Electricians and plumbers marching,
whilst Trafalgar Square had a drive-in by
taxis driver organised by UCG and RMT.
23
The Marine Police Museum
LONDON HAS PLENTY OF MUSEUMS, SOME OF
THEM LARGE AND WELL KNOWN – OTHERS SMALL
AND OBSCURE. Within them they hold a unique insight
with collections and artefacts which many of us are already
familiar with. I would like to enlighten you with a story of one
of the rarest; a museum which is certainly a hidden gem of
London – not only a museum but also an active working
environment where history is still being written.
Robert Jeffries
Attached to the Metropolitan Police Marine
Unit in Wapping High Street, is the museum of
the marine police, which can only be viewed by
special request; and for security reasons the
museum will be permanently closed
throughout 2012 while the Olympics takes
place. I contacted the trustee of the museum, a
retired marine police officer Robert Jeffries,
who allowed Mountview News an exclusive
narrative of the history and mysteries
surrounding the Thames River Police.
THE BIRTH OF THE POLICE FORCE
Rob began by telling me that what we have here at Wapping is the
spiritual home of policing as we know it today. People believe policing
began with Sir Robert Peel’s police force in 1829, but the river police
predates the “Bobbies” by some thirty-one years. “Why, you might ask,
did London need its own riverside police? The answer lies in the fact that
during the late eighteenth century, London was the richest nation in the
world. All of London’s trade was brought up the river to the legal docks,
where every year 13,500 ships would unload their cargos. Many of the
loaders who removed the goods were “thieves” although they did not see
themselves in quite that way; to them it was plain and simple – one of the
perks of their job!
Merchants of the West India Company during the 1790’s, operating
the largest cargo fleets, were facing a serious problem. The pilfering of
their cargoes was causing huge losses. It was estimated that £500,000
worth of goods each year was being stolen by the loaders – taking their
perks! In today’s money this would equate to around £70 million per
annum in losses – a whacking great sum to lose.
Master Mariner John Harriot devised a plan to curb the problem in
1797 along with Essex Justice of the Peace Patrick Colquhoun; they also
procured the help, of a Scottish merchant, statistician, magistrate, and
utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Bentham.
Armed with Harriot’s proposal and Bentham’s insights, Colquhoun
was able to persuade the West India Planters Committees and the West
India Merchants to fund the new force. They agreed to a one year trial
and on 2 July 1798, after receiving government permission, the Thames
River Police began operating with Colquhoun as Superintending
Magistrate and Harriot the Resident Magistrate.
With an initial investment of £4,200, the new force began with about
50 men charged with policing 33,000 workers in the river trades, of
whom Colquhoun claimed 11,000 were known criminals and “on the
game.” The river police received a hostile reception by riverfront workers
not wishing to lose their supplementary income. A mob of 2,000
attempted to burn down the police office with the police inside.
24
The skirmish that followed resulted in the first death in the line of duty
for the new force, with the killing of Gabriel Franks.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL MURDER
OF A POLICE OFFICER
Kept in a glass cabinet in the museum, is The Roll of Honour, which
contains the name of Gabriel Franks, the first police officer ever to be
murdered. The account of what led up to his murder involved a perk of
the job – coal!
Ships would arrive from Newcastle, laden with coal and the lumpers
would unload them.
Gabriel was a master lumper, a man in charge of a gang of lumpers
and he was employed by the police. A ton of coal would be stolen by the
heavers from each ship, submerging the sack into the river to make the
coal wet and therefore if questioned by the police they would claim to
have gathered up bits of coal, lost from the ships and found on the banks
of the river.
On the 13 October 1798 Charles Eyers plus two others were charged
with the theft of coal and fined 20 shillings (£1).
As they were leaving court, John’s Brother James arrived and asked
if they were fined; on hearing that they had been fined he told them to
demand it back!
They threatened to set light to the place and to kill the magistrate.
A riot ensued as stones and bricks were thrown at the courtroom in
Wapping High Street. The doors were all bolted as the fire alarms rang
out and Harriot ordered everyone upstairs.
Unlike today the early police force was heavily armed. They took up
positions on the rooftop and commenced to shoot. One rioter was killed
and the angry mob dispersed only to return armed and re-grouped.
At the same time Gabriel Franks had just come out of the nearby
Rose and Crown public house in the company of some friends.
Upon hearing the commotion, he made his way to the police office with
two other men (Peacock and Webb) and asked to be admitted. He tried
to gain entry into the police station. He was told that no one was to leave
or to enter and for some reason Gabriel started taking notes. He decided
to go back to his pub and to arm himself with a cutlass, as he turned
around he was mortally wounded by gunfire and died a week later.
The murderer was never found but James Eyres was charged with the
murder of Gabriel Franks, on the grounds that he started the riots.
He was found guilty at the Old Bailey on the 9th January 1799 and
sentenced to death by hanging.
Nevertheless, Colquhoun reported to his backers that his force was a
success after its first year, and his men had “established their worth by
saving £122,000 worth of cargo and by the rescuing of several lives.”
Word of this success spread quickly, and the government passed the
Marine Police Bill on 28th July 1800, transforming it from a private to a
public police agency. Colquhoun published a book on the experiment;
The Commerce and Policing of the River Thames. It found receptive
audiences far outside London, and inspired similar forces to be
established in other countries, notably, New York, Dublin, and Sydney.
The Marine Police Force continues to operate from the same
Wapping High Street address. The Thames Magistrates Court originated
in this building. In 1839 the force merged with the Metropolitan Police
Force to become Thames Division; and it is now known as the Marine
Support Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service.
Another floating base was established at Blackwall opposite the
present day O2 Arena. When a vessel was anchored here it was termed as
being ‘Stationed’ from where the words ‘Police Station’ originate from.
Rowers would work a 6 hour on and 12 hour off shift. The rowers would
patrol to the beat of their oars – and this where we get the words,
‘patrolling the beat’ from.
Today, the River Police are concentrated more on river security on
the Thames with so many potential targets. Take for example, the Houses
of Parliament, with all its crash barriers in place, at the front and sides;
and yet the riverside is totally unprotected. Add to this all the bridges
crossing the Thames, and the MI5 and MI6 buildings down at
Millbank/Vauxhall.
THE GREATEST TRAGEDY ON THE THAMES
Rob the museum trustee explained “Silvia Stevens the patron of the
On September 3, 1878, SS Princess Alice, a passenger paddle steamer
museum accompanied me on a boat trip to the Thames Barrier and she
was sunk in a collision on the River Thames with the collier Bywell
asked me “what do you think about the possible threats on the river?”
Castle off Tripcock Point (near the present day Thames Barrier) with
I replied; “if someone hijacked two lorries and filled them with
the loss of over 650 lives, the greatest loss of life in any Thames shipping
explosives; then loaded them both onto the Woolwich ferry at high tide
disaster. The Princess Alice was making what was billed as a “Moonlight
when the barrier is closed, then hijacking the ferry, holding a gun to the
Trip” to Gravesend and back. This was a routine trip from Swan
captain’s head and ordering him to ram into the barrier, detonating the
Pier, Swan Lane EC4 to Gravesend and Sheerness. Tickets were sold for
bomb as it hits the barrier.”
two shillings.
Rob went on to say “if this broke up, the barrier water
By 7:40pm, the Princess Alice was on her return
would crash through potentially flooding London.”
journey and within sight of the North Woolwich Pier –
Because there is real threat with terrorists on the river,
where many passengers were to disembark – when she
the museum will not under any circumstances be
sighted the Newcastle bound vessel SS Bywell Castle
allowed to open throughout 2012.
which had just been repainted at a dry dock and was on
Rob was a serving police officer for 32 years and
her way to pick up a load of coal. Her Master was Captain
retired in 2009. “I started at West End Central and did
Harrison, who was accompanied by an experienced
five years on the diplomatic section before transferring
Thames river pilot. Harrison was following the traditional
to the river police.”
routes used on the Thames instead of the 1872 rule about
What did he prefer, ‘D’ division or policing the river?
passing oncoming vessels on the port side.
Ensign of the Princess Alice
“Oh without question the marine police. I saw my job here
On the bridge of the Bywell Castle, Harrison
as primarily a life saving role, along with advice to boat users on navigation.
observed the Princess Alice coming across his bow, making for the north
Are you aware that anyone can bring a craft along the river?” He asked.
side of the river; he set a course to pass astern of her. The Master of
“You don’t need a licence or anything, unless you are doing it for hire
Princess Alice, 47-year-old Captain William R.H. Grinstead, was
and reward?”
confused by this and altered Princess Alice’s course, bringing her into the
I had to admit I wasn’t aware of this! “You don’t need any insurance
path of Bywell Castle. Captain Harrison ordered his ship’s engines
or pay river tax all the way up to Shepperton and then it’s run by the River
reversed, but it was too late. Princess Alice was struck on the starboard
Agency from there on.”
side; she split in two and sank within four minutes.
“Where do boats get their fuel from?” I asked. “There is one place
Many passengers were trapped within the wreck and drowned: piles
opposite Parliament and another at Hermitage Wharf but there is only
of bodies were found around the exits of the saloon when the wreck was
Diesel, there is nowhere you can obtain any petrol on the Thames, as the
raised. Additionally, the twice-daily release of 75 million imperial gallons
license to sell petrol is too expensive”.
of raw London sewage from sewer outfalls at Barking and Crossness had
Rob said his most notable day with the river police was without
occurred one hour before the collision: the heavily polluted water was
doubt the dreadful; Marchioness Disaster.
believed to have contributed to the deaths of those who went into the
“When I left West End Central my mates said you’re off to join NAPO
river. It was noted that the sunken corpses began rising to the surface
(National Association of Retired Police Officers); you could say that I told
after only six days, rather than the usual nine. Between 69 and 170 people
them, but the 15 years I spent with ‘D’ division I didn’t save any lives – three
were rescued: but tragically over 650 died. 120 victims were buried in a
months into my job here and I had saved three already.”
mass grave at Woolwich Old Cemetery, Kings Highway, Plumstead.
Rob summed up “The primary object of policing is: number one to
A memorial cross was erected to mark the spot, “paid for by national
save life; number two stopping crime; and number three detecting crime.”
sixpenny subscription to which more than 23,000 persons contributed”.
Our thanks go to Robert Jeffries for this unique insight into River
The Marine Police Museum has the only remaining artifact from the
Policing. ■ ■ ■ Roger Sligo.
Princess Alice, the Company ensign of the Princess Alice (1878).
Found by William Grinstead’s grandson with the same name.
Waterloo Pier; situated next to Waterloo Bridge, Thames Division’s
Waterloo Pier was the only floating police station in the world.
The present pontoon was constructed in 1873 (now the RNLI lifeboat
pier Victoria Embankment).
Officers based at Waterloo Pier patrolled the Thames from Tower
Bridge to Richmond. The base played an important role in the policing
of London because of its strategic location.
25
Roger Sligo is invited exclu
TfL IS ENCOURAGING DRIVERS OF ALL VEHICLES IN LONDON
to save money and improve the environment by switching off
vehicles engines whenever possible. As professional taxi
drivers TfL believes that we can make a positive difference to
London’s air quality and protect the health of our passengers
as well as ourselves. Over the next few months TfL along with
T&PH are putting together a team of Eco Marshals who will
visit a number of taxi ranks to give advice, to hand out a
questionnaires and leaflets pointing out ways to reduce fuel
consumption as well as pollution levels.
good way to approach it” Steve added.
Roger adds, I asked one driver on the rank, Terry Martin,
what he thought of the Eco Marshals and did he think it is a
good thing?
“Yes” was the reply “anything which helps to cut down on
pollution has got to be good” Terry responds.
Another driver in a Fairway said “It must be a good thing to
inform drivers, yes a good idea.”
“What will you do next year when the 15 year age limit comes
in?” asks Roger. “Buy a lottery ticket” was his reply. “Yes, but what
if you don’t win?” “Buy a TX1 – I don’t want a TX4 they are too
juicy on fuel” he said.
The Eco Marshals at work
After well over an hour without sight of any Radio Taxis or
Xeta drivers (the radio circuit must be busy I thought,) one of
To see how it all works Mountview News Editor, Roger Sligo, was
our drivers Kevin Donovan, Duke 114, suddenly appeared!
invited to meet with Helen Chapman, Deputy Director for Taxi
Kevin thought it was a good idea to switch his engine off anyway.
and Private Hire, along with TfL press officer Sandeep Dhillon and
“Why use more fuel than necessary?” He said, and as he pulled
four Eco Marshals. The Eco Marshals were made up of Carriage
forward Roger says he noticed that Kevin had a rear window sticker!
Officers Steve Algar and Phil Hutchinson; both are Vehicle
Steve then explained the technique which is employed in
Compliance Examiners, and David Hall,
monitoring the cabs. “We pick out a cab at
Knowledge of London Examiner was there
the back of the rank and give them a
too along with Paolo Vienali from TfL.
questionnaire, and then time how long it
Roger explains what happened on the day…
takes for them to get to the point of the rank.
As he stood by Roger watched Steve
Waterloo on an average day, when cabs are
approaching a taxi about halfway along a line
down at the bottom of the rank by the
of cabs and he starts to talk to the driver.
tunnel, to get to the front, is about 15
“Hello Sir” Steve begins “I just wanted
minutes, that’s 15 minutes of dead time” he
to ask you a couple of questions, and I will
explained. How many times would they
try not to keep you. We are from TfL and the
switch off in that time realistically? The top
carriage office and over the next few weeks
of the rank holds eleven cabs at the front,
we are asking taxi drivers about their
and it is constantly moving and is where
approach to driving? We are enquiring about
you would not expect them to switch off;
how drivers rank and how long they keep
unfortunately it’s undercover and it is also
their engines running before switching off?”
the worst place to be.
David Hall and Paolo Vienali
Steve continues “Also we are helping with
At the point of the rank another marshal
the marshalling, we’re helping passengers load their luggage and we
takes the filled in questionnaire which is added onto the data base.
want to help to keep the ranks moving. We are going to busy
Helen Chapman then declared “This helps us to find out
railway stations such as Waterloo, Paddington and St Pancras,
drivers eco awareness and whether the driver has been on a driver’s
handing out leaflets and a questionnaire for you to complete.”
awareness course, how long do they switch their engines off and all
Steve’s whole approach was spoken in a friendly manner
those kind of things.”
which seemed designed to put the driver at ease.
Roger was then asked if he had been on the driver’s
“We have not had any bad responses or anything like that, because
awareness course, the “smarter drivers’ course” they called it, says
we are asking drivers for their help, this is the thing, which is a
Roger; “I had to admit I had not, they don’t teach you how to
26
sively to spend time with the
Eco Friendly Marshals
● A programme of business engagement to promote greener
travel and reduce their air quality impact.
Kevin Donovan
drive, or to do things you already know. They just teach you how to
coast up to the lights instead driving up to them.”
All the marshals have done the course, and it was suggested
that Roger should go on it! “The selling point for taxi drivers”
Helen went onto say “is a win/win you’re not only going to save on
fuel and money but you’re also helping the environment.”
Helen asked Roger if I wanted to go on the course and
arrangements are being made for him to do so. With a bit of luck
he will give you his account of it in the March issue of
Mountview News.
Roger says “My thanks go to Helen, Sandeep and the Eco
Marshals for promoting cleaner air for London.”
These are some of the things we can all do!
● Switch off your engine when waiting at ranks as this helps
reduce pollution levels both outside and inside your taxi.
● Keep your tyres pumped up and check the pressure regularly.
● Remember air-con and electrics all contribute to your fuel
consumption.
● Maintain smooth and progressive braking and acceleration to
save fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle.
The eco-marshals will be marshalling at the following key
hotpots across London where the air quality limits are
exceeding limits:
● Charing Cross Station
● King’s Cross Station
● Leicester Square
● Liverpool Street Station
● Marylebone Station
● Paddington Station
● St Pancras Station
Driver getting advice
● Victoria Station
Part of the marshals’ work will include data gathering and
research amongst licensees. This will include:
● Awareness of smarter driving
● Likelihood of undertaking an eco-driving course
● Awareness and understanding of MAQS
● Understanding and awareness of eco-driving and smarter
driving behaviour
● Working patterns and behaviours
● Reasons for idling, including what would motivate change
● The eco-marshals are not law enforcement officers. The ecomarshals are working in an advisory capacity to taxi and private
hire drivers advising them of the environmental and health
benefits of switching off their engines when waiting at ranks.
● By switching off their engines whilst waiting at ranks taxi
drivers will be reducing pollution levels both inside and
outside their taxi, benefitting the environment, passengers
and drivers themselves.
The steps you take benefit you, your family, other drivers and
your passengers too. Roger Sligo
THE ECO MARSHALS SCHEME
By Sandeep Dhillon TfL Press Officer
● There are five eco-marshals.
● The eco-marshals will be in place until March 2012.
● The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated Transport
for London (TfL) £5m of funding to help reduce emissions and
improve air quality in London. £300,000 of this set aside to
provide London Taxi and Private Hire (LTPH) eco-marshals.
● The eco-marshals are one of several measures to improve air
quality in London. The Clean Air Fund will fund other
initiatives including:
● The expansion of the Cleaning and Application of Dust
Suppressants trial
● Trials of green walls and screens and additional tree planting
● The installation of Diesel Particulate Filters to buses on
selected routes; and
27
Where Am I?
THIS MONTH I AM STANDING
BENEATH THE RAILWAY
ARCHES WHICH CARRY
TRAINS FROM WATERLOO
STATION TO VAUXHALL
STATION. There are tiled wall
plaques on both sides of the road with a Spanish theme, not
surprising as the street name recalls a famous battle, which took
place between England and Spain, with our leader the Duke of
Wellington. “Monasterio De Las Duenas” translated means
Monastery of the owners. Where am I?
Send your answers either to:
mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.uk
Or you can post it to:
Where Am I Competition,
Mountview News Editor,
Mountview House, Lennox
Road, London N4 3TX – Don’t forget your
name and call sign. The winner will receive a £25 Marks &
Spencer Gift Voucher.
LAST MONTH’S WINNER – was David Dowding,
Whisky 96 Rightly naming 12 – 13 Widegate Street,
Spitalfields, E1 – as the place to find our bakers.
28
The Story behind the Bakers’ Statues –
An article in the Jewish Chronicle of 31st August 1928 joined a
controversy to name London’s oldest shop. A shop called Ellis
the Booksellers of Bond Street, established in 1728, had laid
claim to this worthy title. Not so, said the Jewish Chronicle,
because Levy Bros, Matzo bakers of 31 Widegate Street,
(present day number 12/13) on the corner of White Rose
Court, could beat this by 18 years, having been established in
1710! The article went on to say that… Antiquarians who love
old pieces of architecture will find pleasure in studying the
curious old carvings in the front of the quaint pointed roofs of
the premises of this well known matzo baker.
On a building newly erected on the site are relief
representations of bakers making bread from the beginning
of the process to the end. Levy Bros may be long gone, but
look above the modern shop front of 12 Widegate Street
and, metaphorically speaking, you will see that these sturdy
fellows have been toiling away for nearly 300 years!
Roy Hughes, Radio Taxis
Group Head of Sales and
Account Management
Between Gratuity
and a Hard Place…
OSCAR WILDE ONCE SAID: “THE CYNIC KNOWS THE
PRICE OF EVERYTHING AND THE VALUE OF
NOTHING.” Fast forward to the 21st Century and we have an
accurate description for the London corporate taxi market – which
by his definition, has become very cynical indeed!
Previously, I have referred to the trend for corporate decisions for
ground transport supply to become the responsibility of Procurement,
Finance or outsourced Facilities Management, rather than the
Operations Staff who actually manage the business and make the
bookings. For these personnel, used to dealing with Catering
Businesses, Stationery Suppliers, Travel Management Companies etc
the Taxi charging structure i.e. Administration, Gratuity and/or
booking fees is unwieldy and unclear – confusion as to exactly
what is being charged being the result. Although the taxi meter
charges customers only for what they use (unlike Private Hire)
and displays the fare accordingly, it is so complex to explain to
the client, that it would confuse a civil servant with OCD.
In comparison, Private Hire suppliers, with their basic pricing
methodology, appear as not only more competitive, but also
significantly easier to understand. Moreover, the ‘value’ that a black taxi
service offers customers is obscured by the complexities of taxi pricing.
A simplification of taxi circuit pricing for corporate structure is
probably overdue. Indeed one of our competitors has already taken
this leap of faith, with ‘zero gratuity’ deals being offered to corporate
customers, ostensibly to win business from Private Hire, but
increasingly in direct competition for the black taxi business. In one
recent tender, a large city financial institution stated that ‘gratuity’ by
definition, was a discretionary (service related) payment and therefore
refused to accept this as part of our pricing submission.
What would a ‘no gratuity’ account look like? It may have all jobs as
‘fixed price’, it could have a ‘gratuity’ element submerged in a single
combined administration and booking fee, it could even have an
increased ‘run-in’ to accommodate a gratuity element – it might be a
mixture of all three !
However, throw into the mix new entrants into the market,
offering a simplified taxi pricing model direct to our corporate
customers via ‘App’ based products and it is clear that doing nothing is
not an option. If we are able to compete on a level, pricing, playing
field then the value offered by the complete Radio Taxis service, will
always give us a better than even chance of winning business and new
customers.
Onward and upward!
“A simplification of taxi circuit
pricing for corporate structure
is probably overdue!”
29
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
By Company Secretary
Robert MacDonald Watson
Although my Birth Certificate bears the stamp of her father King George
VI, I was not old enough to remember The Queen coming to the throne
on 6 February 1952 or her coronation on 2 June 1953.
However, my mother-in-law from New Zealand was in the crowd of well
wishers in the Mall.
IN 1977 WE CELEBRATED THE QUEEN’S SILVER JUBILEE (25 YEARS).
This I can remember distinctly as I was in charge of a guard of Honour of a group of pikemen from a civil
war enactment society. We were on top of Butser Hill in Hampshire, just off the A3 south of Petersfield
and were there for the lighting of a Jubilee Beacon by Princess Alexandra.
Come 2002 and we were all celebrating the Golden Jubilee (50 years) and some
of the family were parked outside Buckingham Palace for the celebrations.
Now we are about to mark a truly historic 60 years of the Queen’s reign with
next year’s Diamond Jubilee. This feat has only been accomplished by one other
British Monarch, namely Queen Victoria in 1897.
The main action appears to fall in the first half of the year so that it doesn’t
clash with the Olympics. There will be a Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor
Castle in the evenings of 10, 11 and 13 May 2012. This will be 90 minute
programme with dancers, musicians and military and equestrian displays from
around the world.
For most of us, it will be the extended weekend of 2 – 5 June 2012 that will
bring the Jubilee to life. The Queen will be at the Epsom Derby on Saturday,
let’s hope she owns the winner. On Sunday 3 June, street parties for the Big
Jubilee Lunch should bring a rash of street closures as trestle tables, home
made cakes and fancy dress competitions take over. On Sunday afternoon
(3 June), a huge flotilla of boats dressed overall will be assembled on the
Thames as The Queen’s leads the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. There will
be a gun salute downriver of Tower Bridge and an avenue of all types of Boats
to process past.
On Monday 4 June, which will be the bank holiday moved from the late May
Bank holiday, 2012 beacons will be lit around the United Kingdom. See if you
can experience the countdown that I did back in 1977 as they coordinate the
timing of the lighting up. The BBC will be masterminding a concert from
Buckingham Palace with performers from all over the Commonwealth.
I wonder who will be up on the roof this time.
Tuesday 5 June will be an extra new Bank holiday and schools will be closed to allow for more flag
wavers to exercise their skills. They will need these for the carriage procession though London that will
follow the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Apart from the Jubilee Emblem designed by 10 year old Katherine Dewar that will be appearing on
everything that moves, there will also be a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal to be awarded to Armed
Forces, emergency services and prison service personnel.
Various exhibitions will be held by The Royal Collection to commemorate the Jubilee. Amongst these:
The Queen: Sixty photographs for sixty years from 4 February 2012 to January 2013 at The Drawings
gallery at Windsor Castle. Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy drawings at The Queen’s galley, Buckingham
Palace 4 May to 7 October 2012. Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration at the summer opening of Buckingham
Place in August and September 2012. The National Maritime Museum will launch “Royal Power,
Pageantry and the Thames” in April 2012 and the National Portrait Gallery and The Victoria and Albert
Museum are staging special exhibitions.
As heritage items, The Royal Commonwealth Society has organised a special Jubilee Time Capsule to
which contributions can be made. There will also be 60 Diamond woods of at least 60 acres to be planted
from this Autumn to the end of 2012.
It will be some year for a great lady, get that bunting out of the attic in good time and be ready to join in.
30
Are you a Tweeter a
Twit or a Twitterer?
@RadioTaxis_Boss
2011 is the year of Twitter, writes Geoffrey Riesel
IN THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES,
Mountview News looks into this new
communication phenomenon and suggests some
Twitter accounts you might like to follow.
Established just five years ago, Twitter is an online social networking
and micro blogging service that enables users to send and read textbased posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as “tweets”.
Twitter has rapidly gained worldwide popularity and now has
more than 200 million users sending more than an incredible 220
million tweets a day!
It is sometimes described as the text message service of
the internet and has become one of the most popular ways
that news is delivered, important information relayed, and it’s
also a form of entertainment. Twitter now regularly sets the
news agenda and allows for people with similar interests to
create a dialogue with each other.
It is a service that can also be particularly useful to those out and
about in London all day.
Following a series of seminars where the potential benefit to our
business was pointed out to me, I have now become a regular Twitter
user because I now understand that Twitter is an important tool for
communicating with drivers, with clients and with other stakeholders.
It also allows me to stay up to date with key news items, stories
about London and sports results. I hope readers of Mountview News
will find my Twitter feed a good way of getting more information
about what’s important for London for
our industry and of course for the work
of Radio Taxis.
THE TOP TEN TWITTERS IN BRITAIN
Rank
Twitter Name
Followers
Description
1.
@coldplay
4.59 million
Official Coldplay Twitter Page.
2.
@rustyrockets
3.47 million
Comedian Russell Brand.
3.
@stephenfry
3.38 million
Stephen Fry’s Twitter Page
‘British Actor, Writer, Lord of
Dance, Prince of Swimwear
and Blogger.’
4.
@MrsLRCooper
3.12 million
Official site of Lily Allen
“I can babble a little.”
5.
@Fearnecotton
2.35 million
Official Fearne Cotton
‘Rockin in a free world.’
6.
@BBCBreaking
2.2 million
Breaking news alerts & updates
from the BBC.
7.
@OfficialAdele
2.12 million
Official site for Adele.
8.
@eddieizzard
2.11 million
Comedian Eddie Izzard
I’m a British European, I think
like an American and I was born
in an Arabic country.
9.
@waynerooney
2.05 million
Footballer Wayne Rooney.
10.
@emwatson
1.88 million
‘British actress and fair trade
supporter.’
31
TfL’s Lost Property
Office brings some
Christmas Joy to
Hundreds of Children
■ Over two hundred toys donated
to The Salvation Army
■ Toys are donated to families
and children across south
London
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON’S (TfL)
Lost Property Office is donating hundreds of
toys to The Salvation Army to give to
disadvantaged children in south London over
the Christmas period.
The toys will appeal to children of all ages and range from soft
toys and board games to sports equipment. The Salvation
Army in Deptford, south London, will work with the local
council to distribute the toys to families in need.
Paul Cowan, Manager of TfL’s Lost Property Office and Travel
Information Centres, said: “Of the hundreds of thousands of items
of lost property received each year, toys and children’s gifts have a
particular significance. Many are unable to be traced to an owner
and, perhaps due to their perceived value or belief that they will
not be handed in, remain unclaimed after three months.
Pre-loved items are donated to our charity partners on a regular
basis, however new toys and gifts are saved until the end of the
32
year, when their donation has a much greater impact. For those
who have lost these items, their original intention of bringing joy to
a child has still been achieved. The team at the Lost Property Office
take great pride in the work they do and it is rewarding for them to
be able to complete the cycle of giving through this donation.”
Captain Kevin Stanbury of The Salvation Army’s Deptford
Community Centre, said: “More people than ever are struggling
financially and this is never more apparent than around Christmas
time. Right across the country, The
Salvation Army provides toy parcels to
those families who would otherwise have to
go without. “This service is made a little
easier due to the kind donation from
organisations such as Transport for London.
Over the past five years they have donated
countless toys, all of which help to bring joy
and laughter into the life of a London child.
We cannot thank the Lost Property Office and its staff enough for
making this scheme possible.”
The LPO has handled over 200,000 items of lost property in
2010/11. On average one in three items is reunited with its
owner. Over the years people have handed in many unexpected
and unusual items including, Rolex watches worth more than
quarter of a million pounds, £10,000 cash, human skulls, breast
implants and a lawnmower.
Walking for Kids
Penny Cuckston,Radio Taxis
Group’s Sales Ledger Manager
Reports on her Charity Walk
SUNDAY 11th OF SEPTEMBER WASN’T JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY,
as 14 members of Radio Taxis staff met up in Hyde Park at 10am
to compete in the Adidas Womens’ 5K Challenge 2011.
With more than 15,000 women
competing in the race, raising
money via sponsorship, for
a charity that was close to their
hearts. The park was bustling with runners
and spectators.
All the Radio Taxis staff were personally
sponsored by family and friends to raise money for
a local charity called ‘Action for
Kids’ based in Hornsey, which funds
“bespoke” wheelchair facilities for
children that have disabilities where
a normal NHS wheelchair would not
cater for their needs. Matching white
T-shirts with both Radio Taxis and
Action for Kids logos on the back
and our race numbers on the front
were worn.
On arrival at the park, a warm up
and stretch routine was held by
Adidas for all racers to prepare us for the race.
The queue began to form and at 11am the race
began with the elite athletes from around the world
starting off first, followed by the fun runners,
walkers and wheelchair users.
Radio Taxis staff walked with the helpers and
students of the charity, many of which were in their
specialised wheelchairs. Everyone was very excited
to be part of such a great event. The crowds lined
the route waving and cheering the competitors on
the route around Hyde Park and the Serpentine
finally crossing the finish line in around one hour.
Everyone received a goodie bag, a T-shirt and a
medal from Adidas for completing the race.
A great time was had by all the competitors.
33
@
Letters & Emails
to the Editor...
Dear Geoffrey,
The Lord Mayor’s Show – Saturday, 12 November 2011
This year’s Lord Mayor’s Show was once again a
tremendous success and I am very grateful to you for
your contribution, not only as a participant, but with
the much needed provision of the support taxis.
In an event like ours, so much depends on all the
various elements of the day working together
successfully and your drivers fulfilled their duties, with
their customary good humour and efficiency.
Please pass on my appreciation to them, particularly in
view of the additional work involved with the River
Progress.
Yours sincerely –
Dominic Reid OBE
Pageantmaster, The Lord Mayor’s Show.
Dear Roger,
I am writing further to your
article in the last edition of
Mountview News about Thomas
Crapper and our subsequent
chat whilst at work a few weeks
ago. I sent this article through the post to
a very old mate of mine, Harry (it would be wrong to
quote his surname – but he lives in the Mill Hill area!)
who unfortunately was christened with the name
‘Crapper’ about 30 years ago whilst we were on a lad’s
holiday in Spain! I don’t know whether it was the
sangria or paella that was responsible, but poor Harry
spent a lot of the holiday in the loo! Fellas being fellas,
we have never let him forget it!
Harry and his wife, Mandy, celebrated their silver
wedding anniversary a couple of years ago and to add
insult to injury, we all bought him a toilet brush!
I think he was the proud owner of about 12 loo
brushes! He is still a very good and valued mate of
mine regardless of his bathroom habits!
Kind regards –
Jeff Middleton (V70).
PS: I have enclosed an old photo of the holiday we was
on when Harry took the nickname of ‘Crapper’.
Harry is the guy in the middle and I am on the far
right. What did we look like in them days?!
SEND YOUR LETTERS BY:
Email: mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.uk
Or by ‘snail mail’ to:
The Editor
Mountview News
Radio Taxis Group
Mountview House
Lennox Road
LONDON
N4 3TX
34
The Mountview Puzzler Page
CLUES ACROSS
1. Man’s felt hat (7)
5. It was (4)
8. Radical (7)
9. Wool fat (7)
10. Spendthrift (7)
12. Loud, rushing noise (6)
15. Encroach (5)
18. Instructed (6)
20. Yorkshire town (7)
23. Rotate (7)
25. Thin coating of metal (7)
26. Pace (4)
27. Nightgown (7)
Jotting space
MOUNTVIEW SUDOKU
The object is to write in the missing numbers in the empty boxes
below. But to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and
3 x 3 box must contain the digits 1 through to 9 exactly once.
What could be simpler?
Hooked? You can find more Sudoko online at: www.sudoku.cc
?
CLUES DOWN
1. Empty (6)
2. Morning (4)
3. Unfasten (7)
4. Valleys (5)
5. A tenth part (5)
6. Removing faults (8)
7. Erodes (5)
11. Agreement (4)
13. Cloudy (8)
14. Sharpen (4)
16. Dividing into two equal parts (7)
17. Silhouette (5)
19. From that place (6)
21. Scrimp (5)
22. Inert elemental gas (5)
24. Ultimate (4)
The Mountview
Amusing Caption
Competition
CAN YOU COME UP WITH
A FUNNY CAPTION FOR
THE PICTURE OPPOSITE?
If you can, then please email it to:
mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.uk
The funniest caption will win its
writer a bottle of Champagne!
The Mountview News Amusing
Caption Competition –
If you spot something funny yourself,
take a picture of it and email it to the
mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.uk and we
may use it in the next edition.
35
CHIEF RENTALS is proud to announce that they
have joined forces with Radio Taxis as their main
supplier of replacement licensed Radio Taxis for
their drivers who find themselves involved in the
unfortunate circumstance of a non-fault accident.
This specialist service enables Radio Taxis drivers who are
involved in such an incident to get straight back to work and
more importantly, back on the Radio Taxis circuit as all
replacement vehicles supplied by Chief Rentals are fitted with
a Radio Taxis terminal.
Other aspects of this exceptional service also include repair
management of the driver’s own vehicle as well as the handling
of all personal injury claims, either from injured drivers or
their injured passengers.
Not only are these services available to Radio Taxis drivers,
but Chief Rentals has also agreed to expand them to drivers’
families and friends who may also find themselves in a similar
predicament following a non-fault accident and requiring a
like-for-like replacement vehicle.
Chief Rentals look forward to working with both Radio
Taxis and their drivers long-term into the future and endeavour
to provide them with an outstanding service that will keep
everyone ‘on-circuit’ and at work during difficult times.
To find out more with no obligation, please call us FREE
on the number above.
Mountview News – Graphic design, layout, print and distribution by DC-Graphics: 0208 440 1155 | www.dc-graphics.co.uk