RMT "Scrap the Satellites".

NEW RMT LONDON TAXI BRANCH WEBSITE

2011-11-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

The RMT London Taxi Branch is currently working on a new website that will pull all of its blogs together under one URL address. This will make navigating the various issues much easier for visitors and users alike.

In the meantime, postings will remain available on our blogsites until the new website is up and running.

Thank you for visiting.

PHV Consultation...

2011-01-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

Some news from the rather odd looking building on Blackfriars Road and it is regarding the PHV Consultation.

It appears that Taxi Private Hire (TPH) a directorate of Transport for London (TFL) needs a reasonable amount of time to now compile its conclusions to a consultation that was meant to have closed before Christmas but was extended to the 14th January 2010 to help some organisations/associations actually respond.

The issue for the RMT London Taxi branch is very clear.PHV's more commonly known as mini-cabs DO NOT have the right to ply for hire. Plying for Hire by way of legal definition eg stated case law is a "stationary activity" this occurs when you sit on a rank or stand or you stop in a street or road after responding to a hail. Now somebody at TFL created the "Satellite" or sub mini-cab office and I'm afraid somebody will need to take responsibility for this most disastrous policy that has created "illegal" ranks with operators "touting/soliciting" upon the pavement.

After TPH have sifted through all responses it will be for the main board of TFL and a sub committee called the surface transport panel to decide the actual outcome of this consultation.

Please be assured that the RMT London Taxi branch will take all necessary action to defend our members hard earned right to "ply for hire" and we call upon the TPH/TFL and the Mayor of London to end the madness of the Satellite mini-cab office/illegal rank.

Join the RMT online at www.rmt.org.uk

Update on the PHV consultation...

2010-11-12T04:34:00.000-08:00

All members and Taxi-cab drivers should note that the RMT London Taxi branch is included in ALL consultations regarding matters that affect you the self employed London Taxi-cab driver. This was recently confirmed by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

At present the issue of satellite/sub offices of mini-cab operators is causing much trouble within the London Taxi trade and the RMT London Taxi branch has formed a sub-committee which has recently met on two occasions to formulate our response to the phv consultation paper. Sean Kellett our excellent Ranks and Highways representative is chairing/leading our sub-committee and members can be assured that our response will be both robust and technically sound.

ALL members should note that the RMT is engaging with TFL/TPH on this most important issue for it has major ramifications for the Taxi trade and our "hard earned right" to "ply for hire".

Join the RMT London taxi branch online at www.rmt.org.uk and pop along to our next branch meeting on the 1st of December 2010...

Private hire consultation...

2010-10-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

The long awaited consultation regarding private hire and more importantly the sub or satellite mini-cab office is here.

The London Taxi trade needs to inform TPH/TFL that the creation of these offices has created illegal hackney carriage ranks all over the Metropolitan Police district. This must stop and TPH/TFL need to take into account all relevant case law.

We look forward to yet again responding to a long overdue consultation.

RMT London Taxi branch, others claim to lead we just get on with solving the many problems the trade faces...

The Biggest threat to the London taxi trade...

2010-09-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

The Satellite mini-cab office is the biggest threat to the London taxi-cab driver since the inception of the very idea of radio controlled cars. The comparison here is very important for mini-cabs are meant to be pre-booked or pre-ordered they should not be ranking on the public highway insight of the public at venues where we are denied ranks by the very authority that is charged with licensing ourselves.

We at the RMT London will be taking a very robust, proactive stance regarding this issue and we await the long over due consultation on these offices which have merely turned out to become a "touts" charter with little or no enforcement of the law from TFL or the Met Police.

Be assured that the RMT and its London taxi branch will do all within its power to seek the closure of these offices, we will not sit back and watch your livelihood disappear in front of our eyes for we the branch officials/officers all drive taxi-cabs for a living.

The "safer travel at night programme" run by TFL fails this trade miserably.

We await the long overdue consultation on this issue...

Don't hold your breath...

2010-08-21T02:55:00.000-07:00

Don't hold your breath and don't expect satellite mini-cab offices to be closed down by transport for London (TFL)/taxi private hire (TPH) in the up and coming review which is soon to report.

Before the world cup drivers taxi-cab drivers took it upon themselves to mount/hold a couple of very well attended demonstrations in an attempt to highlight to the media and the masses the many problems the London taxi trade faces on a day/nightly basis. One of the biggest threats to the very existence of the London taxi trade isn't the proliferation of the mini-cab but the lack on enforcement and the inability of even the new director of taxi/private hire to get a grip of the situation regarding "touting" and the "illegal ranking" of mini-cabs outside bars/clubs where TFL/TPH have granted a mini-cab licence.

London taxi-cab drivers have earned the right to "ply for hire", plying for hire is in fact a stationary activity and the ranking of mini-cabs outside bars and venues is an "illegal activity" that this trade must bring to an end in the future.

We at the RMT will be seeking and working towards doing just that for this trade is failing. Mini-cabs are stepping on our toes by ranking outside these bars/venues. But how do we know they are ranking well the acid test is a very simple one you merely ask the drivers of these mini-cabs for the details of the pre-booked job they are waiting for, you'll find that they don't have any details or they just make up a name that can't be matched with a person within the venue/bar. Therefore if they haven't got any details why are they waiting ?Remember this activity is the sole preserve of the taxi-cab driver, we are the group of workers who have the right to rank and wait whilst on display to members of the public and not mini-cabs.

Why is TFL/TPH allowing mini-cabs to rank illegally outside bars/venues?
Why does the united trade group (LTDA/Unite the union) sit back and accept the feeble excuses put forward by this division of TFL?

The RMT London taxi branch is the only trade union/organisation that fully understands the problems that we all face and we shall be over the coming weeks/months (lets hope not years) seek to remedy the situation regarding satellite mini-cab offices.

The taxi trade needs new ranks all over London outside bars/venues.
Case/common law needs to be enforced with regards to our right to "ply for hire". Before the UTG or should I say LTDA/UNITE start screaming we must ask why have you been doing to remedy the situation regarding this issue/right to "ply for hire".

Trade organisations shouldn't fear failure because the trade is losing market share, the trade is losing work, the trade is lacking rank space and the trade at night is in chaos. It is time to wake up and bat for taxi-cab drivers and at the very least defend our rights in court if necessary. What is the worse that can happen we lose and let's be totally honest here we are losing presently anyway...

Time to join the only union/organisation that has the intelligence and ability to deal with these matters in a professional manner/way. Whilst others print papers and tell you stories we just get on with the hard work and do our level best has working taxi-cab drivers to save all our jobs. Instead of asking questions of the mini-cab trade others should be asking questions of the TFL and its TPH division.

Why are TFL allowing mini-cabs to rank illegally outside bars and venues?
Why does TFL and the Met Police take little or no action regarding this matter/issue?
Why has TFL failed to appoint taxi ranks in the correct/appropriate places e.g. outside bars/venues for the London taxi trade?

The RMT London taxi branch will be asking these questions of the Mayor, the transport commissioner, London assembly members, Members of Parliament and many many more...

Time for the sub/satellite office to go...

2010-08-05T03:45:00.000-07:00

Whilst we wait for the recently announced review of sub/satellite mini-cab offices to be completed you can rest assured that the RMT London Taxi branch is working hard to sort this mess out.

We have requested a list of all sub/satellite offices from the Taxi Private Hire directorate and we will be visiting many of these premises ourselves. Collecting intelligence and collating information so that we build up a solid case against the biggest threat to our right to ply for hire since the inception/creation of the mini-cab.

Only the RMT have the will and the resources to challenge TFL and the policy that has created "illegal ranks" of PHV's all over the capital.

Join online at www.rmt.org.uk or pop into George Vyse's office at Great Suffolk Street Taxi centre and request an application form.

PS. We would also like to inform you all that satellite offices will not be closed by TFL/TPH.The review will only seek to tighten up the lax rules that are unenforceable now.

New Satellite Offices Suspended...big deal...

2010-06-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Recently it was announced by the Director of Taxis Private Hire that no new Satellite mini-cab offices would be created pending a review. Good news you may think, well sorry if you happen to think this was a victory because it wasn't, it isn't and it ain't !

TFL under the banner of safer travel at night created the satellite mini-cab office at a time of economic boom and like many then probably thought that the bubble would never burst and London's taxi-cab drivers would simple carry on working the street or servicing the major corporate accounts in the square mile and be content. Well the bubble burst the economy collapsed and here we are requesting ranks at venues that simply never appear. An example of a rank request is or should I say was the Buddha Bar on Victoria Embankment we have waited so long for a promised review the club/bar has gone bust...

Yes the recession moved the touts and illegal rank of licensed mini-cabs and not the people we pay to do the job. The later part of this statement is important for we pay TFL/TPH formerly known has the PCO money to run/operate our trade and part of this bargain involves a duty of care towards our industry and the rules that protect us from unfair competition. We have all earned the right to "ply for hire" and with this right comes constraints on the type of vehicle we can drive or use to do our jobs. It appears that previous administrations at city hall decided to ignore the taxi trade in favour of the job creating mini-cab trade that is fast turning into a modern form of slavery.

These drivers have no rights because they are self employed and not as much work as you would believe so they tout openly in the street with the knowledge that the chances of actually getting caught are near 1%. The new Director then spins out the collective figures of the past 5 plus years of cautions/arrests of these people in the hope that this will make us all believe his department are actually doing something.

Well here is the solution to the satellite mini-cab office problem let us all contribute towards the cost of a court case and ask a judge to decide if these offices are legal. Many of us believe that these offices breach hackney carriage law and due to the lack of resources and money raised from the mini-cab trade the Director of Taxis and Private Hire will never be able to police these offices in a satisfactory manner.

John Kennedy Chair RMT London taxi branch.

PS time for the spinning and the story telling to stop and time for this trade to take a trip to the courts, what have we to fear other than failure...

The Campaign is about to Begin...

2010-06-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

The RMT London Taxi branch is starting to begin a campaign aimed at closing down satellite mini-cab offices on a case by case basis.

Led by our Ranks and Highways team and many members who work nights we shall produce evidence and lodge formal complaints with the Taxi Private Hire Directorate of Transport for London (TPH) formerly known as the Public Carriage Office (PCO). We will also complain to the Metropolitan Police and seek their assistance so that the law is enforced in relation to "plying for hire".

All London Taxi trade organisations and unions should remember that the London Taxi-cab driver is granted the privilege of "plying for hire" in return for his/her acceptance of strict licensing controls regarding the standard of driver and type of vehicle we can use to go about our business. It appears to us at the RMT that this has been forgotten by some within our trade and certainly not understood by the Transport for London and its Taxi Private Hire (TPH) Directorate.

RMT London Taxi branch members will be asked to report all incidents of "clip board operations" and "illegal ranking" along with "parking contraventions" outside any venue they witness within the Metropolitan Police District. Please email taxiranks@rmtmail.org.uk with time/date/venue/location and any supporting evidence eg picture/film.

Many Taxi-cab drivers from all trade organisations have taken part in unofficial demonstrations recently and we at the RMT understand their collective frustration with Transport for London management and senior officers within the Metropolitan Police. Our plight will be brought to the attention of the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and all London MP's. We shall also be making direct contact with the new Transport Secretary and the Transport select committee in the House of Commons.

Demonstrations have a role to play within any campaign but the political work behind the scenes is oh so vitally important...

PS a special thank you to Sean Kellet for his sterling work regarding this issue...

Safer Travel at Night...

2010-05-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

The RMT London Taxi branch recently asked a number of questions of Peter Hendy the Transport commissioner our enquiry was passed to John Mason Director of Taxis and Private Hire. The questions related to "Satellite mini-cab offices" and the "Safer Travel at Night" programme which was implemented by the previous Mayor/Chair of Transport for London.

We will be publishing the questions and answers shortly and debating this serious issue at forthcoming branch meetings. We have requested clarification and further information on one point/question and due to this matter it would not be right to state something that may well mislead or give you the self employed Taxi-cab driver a false impression.

The Safer Travel at Night programme was set up at a time of economic boom and let us all be honest here the boom has certainly gone and the road to economic recovery looks like it will be a long hard one.

The London Taxi-cab driver is self employed and due to this chooses what hours he or she works. In the late 1990's a study took place and it was agreed that the meter should reflect the unsocial hours that people work and the Taxi trade benefited from the introduction of rate 3 which was later changed as it was felt it started to early. Rate 2 was introduced between 8-10pm with rate 3 starting at 10pm and ending at 6am. This was a major achievement by all concerned.

Rate 3 vastly improved the supply of Taxi-cabs at night within the capital but at the same time streets and roads were being closed to traffic and our ability to move about the capital has been hindered by local and regional government. With a massive increase in buses and an explosion of private hire the available road space has been reduced and this has choked the supply of Taxi-cabs in central London. The creation of the satellite mini-cab office has ignored case law, allowed a class of vehicle to illegally "ply for hire" and it appears local councils ignore their own parking regulations and allow many to park/rank illegally on the public highway.

The RMT London Taxi branch is to launch a campaign to highlight the illegality, the danger, the touting and the failure of the Police, local Councils, Transport for London and the division PCO who actually grant these licences at these premises.

The basic premise for our campaign is simple, we (the RMT London Taxi branch) firmly believe that the policies of London and Local Government have created a situation where we the London Taxi-cab driver are unable to "ply for hire" effectively or in an efficent manner due to road/street closures, bad town planning, contra flow bus lanes, lack of rank space and the complete failure and lack of enforcement by the Police and TFL.

The authorities should take note that our members and colleagues see the lengths that TFL and the Met Police go to to protect revenue on the buses with reguar raids at various locations throughout the capital. If TFL need extra revenue so they can enforce the law in an adequate fashion they should seek to raise significant revenues from the private hire trade and not the London Taxi-cab driver.

TFL are a statutory authority and the RMT London Taxi branch expects this authority to carry out its duty with a degree of care towards an industry that it governs. The laws that govern our right to "ply for hire" need to be upheld.

The RMT London Taxi branch will be launching "Sack the Satellites" at the next branch meeting on Wednesday the 9th June 2010 if you wish to save your job, our trade and your way of life join the only trade union that is prepared to stand up for your rights. Get organised join the RMT online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ !

John Kennedy Chairman RMT London taxi branch.

PS Recently it was mentioned by Westminster City Council that they are considering increasing parking times in the West End. The RMT London Taxi branch would like to discuss this interesting idea proposed by Westminster City Council for it could free up road space and improve traffic flow. Rest ranks/bays would certainly be needed for Taxi-cabs on a much greater scale than at present but any idea that improves traffic flow is worth looking at and certainly debating. We at the RMT look forward to discussing this issue/idea with Martin Low head of transportation at the council.

Satellite Mini-Cab Offices...

2010-05-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

The satellite mini-cab office is a touts charter and this project launched under the banner of "safer travel at night" has done little to improve the safety of the travelling public other than to highlight the complete and utter failure of the licensing authority.

London taxi-cab drivers have been denied ranks outside venues whilst private hire companies are granted satellite mini-cab offices within bars and venues and then allowed to rank and park illegally whilst the clipboard operator openly touts for business on the public highway.

At a recent meeting of the RMT London taxi branch members backed a call to start a campaign to scrap the satellite mini-cab office. If the London taxi trade is to survive and be able to grow in a sustainable fashion the satellite mini-cab offices must go for the vast majority in their present form do not comply with the rules and regulations laid down by the Public Carriage Office.

The time has come to "Scrap the Sats" and end the touts charter which is damaging the taxi trade within the capital...