Old Broad St Important Update!!

Finally we seem to have a answer to the mystery over Old Broad street and the confusing signage.
After many emails to the COL(corporation of London ) the LCDC can hopefully clear up where we can drop off in Old Broad Street.

This is hopefully the last email on this matter, reply from Jon Wallace who is the Highways and Traffic Manager for the Square mile

There are two sets of No Motor Vehicles signs on Old Broad Street. The first one that you would encounter at the southern end of the street has an “Except for Buses and Loading” supplementary sign. The second No Motor Vehicles sign has an “Except for Buses and Loading by Lorry” supplementary sign. The intention is that it is only the area controlled by the “Except for Buses and Loading by Lorry” sign will be enforced for taxis. This means that you will be able to travel as far north as Broad Street Avenue.
In the event that your passenger has limited mobility or heavy baggage, closer access can be achieved via the Primrose Street station access.

I hope this clarifies the position

Hope that’s finally cleared up this very confusing matter.

So we can get into New Broad Street, Dashwood House and drop off.
But do NOT go past the second sign which is shown above as a PCN will be issued!!

Another Night of Rickshaw Madness

Around ten o’clock last night, the LCDC started to receive information about a serious accident which involved a rickshaw rider and his passenger at the Waterloo round about by the IMAX cinema, where she had been thrown from the rickshaw as the driver tried to navigate round the roundabout, the young woman in question suffered serious head injuries’ and was knocked unconscious.

The emergency services was called to the scene, and a total of three ambulances and a police car was in attendance, the young woman was then rushed to hospital, to be kept under observation for the night.

This is the main reason the LCDC opposed the bill in parliament.

We view rickshaws like most people who work and live in the capital to be the most dangerous form of travel in these modern times.

The LCDC will continue to fight the rickshaw bill in parliament and any governing body that tries to legitimise these death traps.

Is the Mayor of London waiting for someone to die ?

BEFORE TFL ACT !

Ken Livingstone`s Brighter Future For The Taxi Trade?

By Ken Livingstone

London’s cabbies are an important part of our transport system, providing a service that millions rely on every year.

But everywhere I go I hear cab drivers telling me things have got to improve. We need a new deal for cabs. I am setting out here today some early ideas to help achieve that.

First, as I have already set out this summer, the Olympic Route Network as it’s currently proposed isn’t right: for example, many pedestrian crossings are to be removed. The current proposals would have elements of the restrictions in place for one hundred days during the summer of 2012.

The Games last from July 27th to August 12th and from August 29th to September 9th, yet the Mayor’s own transport officials show considerable changes in force from June 2012 throughout the entire period. And for the cab trade and Londoners more generally, we need clarity on who is currently likely to be permitted into the network and who is not; athletes and IOC members and those vital for the Games must have access, but we need to be clear about who else may get access. The danger is that Londoners will be facing transport problems whilst lower-tier pass-holders swish past in the lanes.

Part of rebalancing this arrangement needs to include permitting cabs to use the network. I will continue to press for changes to the ORN to make it more Londoner-friendly

Secondly, the government’s unacceptable plan to water down Criminal Record Bureau checks on taxis must be fought every inch of the way. The Tory-led government, with London MP Lynne Featherstone leading the charge, is trying to end the practice of enhanced CRB checks for taxi drivers. I cannot find anyone in the cab trade who thinks this is a bright idea. Under the guise of cutting red tape – but really to make ideologically-driven spending cuts – the safety of the travelling public is being put at risk.

I will campaign all the way against the removal of enhanced CRB checks and if elected lobby for legislative change to ensure enhanced CRB checks are sacrosanct.

Thirdly are the road-works and traffic chaos. Everyone knows this is getting worse. The ultimate solution involves lane rental, which I have long-supported. That would be the way to ensure utilities co-ordinate effectively and keep disruption to a minimum. But there is much that could and should be done to bang heads together and to make the utilities and transport authorities work better together.

However, there are another set of issues that must be addressed.

I am concerned about the stories I am hearing from cab drivers about the changes that have taken place to what was formerly the Public Carriage Office, now ‘London Taxi Private Hire’.

There is a sense that the reformed PCO has lost its unique identity within the larger TfL organisation. Moreover, the cost-cutting drive of the Conservative party is manifesting itself in problems for cab drivers, and is undermining the Knowledge.

Usually a knowledge student graduates from testing every 56 days, then to 28 days, and then – as they move up the Knowledge scale – to fortnightly tests. By failing to replace examiners in a prompt manner, with less than fifty per cent having been in place during the spring and early summer, Boris Johnson has caused many trainee drivers to wait much longer between examinations. Some are reporting waits of over 90 days for appearances that should take place every fifty six days. I am committed to sustaining the number of examiners so that knowledge students can proceed at the fair and agreed pace.

Tory-led government cuts to local government mean councils are tightening their belts. One victim is spending on cab ranks. Cab ranks are good for local businesses, particularly night time businesses, enhance public transport links, and support our green agenda by reducing idling. The supply of new ranks is drying up because many local councils are struggling to find their share of the resources to pay for them. City Hall must ensure that its transport priorities include more new cab ranks and must get a grip of this problem so that the supply of new ranks continues to grow.

Across the public sector privatisation and cuts threaten worse services. In terms of the cab trade there are reports that even the complaints procedure is to be hived off. The drive towards even more needless tendering, outsourcing and privatisation has to be curtailed.

Cuts have led to the end of the popular shared taxi scheme such as in Cranbourn Street. That is a false economy. We should be about providing value for money for Londoners, a safe journey home, and work for cab drivers. I want to work with the cab trade to bring back schemes like this that make a real difference to everyone.

A failure to invest in the work of cab enforcement is leading a boom in complaints from Londoners, including cab drivers, that the rules are not being pursued vigorously. We should be clear that a minicab must be pre-booked. The practice of wild-west style mini-cab operations – effectively touting – particularly in the West End must be dealt with. Mini-cabs are an important part of the industry but the current Mayor has failed to keep up standards of enforcement and it is starting to show. Enforcement must be actively pursued in order to provide the best possible service.

Cabs are part of the fabric of London life. The industry is suffering under a combination of Conservative-led cuts and mismanagement from the current mayor’s office. For the cab trade, as with London, we need an administration that puts London first, is genuinely in it for London, and will get a grip.

JULY’S BADGE…

 

 

Click here to read this months badge

Old Broad Street PCN’s To Be Issued!!

Since the new no entry signs in Old Broad St went up their as been some confusion over are we allowed to enter or not. The LCDC as been in discussions with COL and have been trying to get taxis allowed past the No Entry signs allowing us to drop off.
As we feel this is going to put a lot of strain on a already gridlocked liverpool St making it hard work for taxis with customer to get out onto Bishopsgate .

I have just had a email from Jon Wallace who is the Highways & Traffic Programme Manager on this subject he said” I have discussed Old Broad Street with our traffic office.
Cabs are allowed to proceed as far as the No Motor Vehicles restriction and must drop off before this sign.
If you proceed past this sign you are guilty of a moving traffic violation and will receive a PCN. It has been necessary to introduce this restriction as there was severe disruption to bus movements into/out of the station as a result of taxis (and other vehicles) doing u-turns at the Old Broad Street / Liverpool Street intersection”.

Any Notices issued to date are warnings only. However, the warning period ends this Sunday (24 July) after which proper PCN’s will be issued to any unauthorised vehicle passing the No Motor Vehicle sign.

Jon Wallace
Highways & Traffic Programme Manager

So please let’s get this message out to drivers so we don’t go lining the pockets of the corporation!!

Front Page Of July’s Badge.

Will be available at most stations and taxi watering holes from Tuesday.

VeriFone Joins Effort to Turn London’s Black Taxis ‘Green’

 

Verifone Press Release

Verifone Works with The London Taxi Company and Black Horse Taxi Finance to Offer Incentives for Drivers to Comply with City Push for Reduced Emission Vehicles

 

SAN JOSE, CA – July 14, 2011 – VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY) and Black Horse Taxi Finance today announced they are offering drivers of London’s famed, but high-emission, black taxis with a £3,000 financial incentive to trade in their old models for newer vehicles that comply with age limits announced as part of the mayor of London’s air quality strategy.

In December 2010, the mayor of London launched an air quality strategy that outlined a range of measures to improve air quality and reduce transport related emissions, including a 15-year age limit for licensed London taxis. VeriFone and Black Horse Taxi Finance are offering the incentive to reduce the financial impact for drivers who trade up to newer, less polluting vehicles through the Islington retail outlet of The London Taxi Company, the UK’s top retailer of London’s iconic black taxi and an agent and installer of VeriFone’s card payment solution.

“VeriFone has been working closely with The London Taxi Company to make advanced electronic payments systems freely available to London’s licensed taxi trade,” said Mark Roberts, vice president and general manager, VeriFone Taxi and Media Solutions. “With this new initiative, we want to encourage affected drivers to modernise their vehicles. By doing so we can help London’s taxis evolve into a greener world class fleet.”  

Mark Brown, general manager, The London Taxi Company (London), said: “VeriFone and Black Horse Taxi Finance have come up with a fantastic offer to help owners trade up. We’re keen to get these older vehicles off the road to help make London cleaner, as well as provide passengers with a more enjoyable taxi experience.”

As part of this offer, owners will receive a VeriFone-branded livery on their new vehicle and a pre-installed VeriFone card payment system. The VeriFone system accepts all types of card payments, including credit, debit, Chip & PIN, magnetic stripe and contactless. Drivers must also successfully apply for financing via Black Horse Taxi Finance.

John Mason, director, London Taxi and Private Hire, with Transport for London (TfL) said: “The age limits announced by the Mayor in December last year are absolutely vital to improve air quality in London. Since this announcement we have been in constant dialogue with the taxi manufacturers about what they can do to ease the burden on those cabbies impacted by the limits and we are very pleased to see VeriFone, Black Horse Taxi Finance and The London Taxi Company working together to come up with this deal.”

On a first come, first serviced basis, drivers will be able to secure a £3,000 finance allowance on the first 200 sales of new Euro 4 – TX4 Style or Elegance London Taxis, when a Fairway, TX1 or Metrocab is offered in part exchange that is “S-reg” or older. The older models will be scrapped.

 

Another one bites the dust!! Only another few thousand to go!!

An illegal cab driver who was arrested twice in subsequent weekends has been jailed for a total of 18 weeks.
The sentence follows arrests made by the MPS Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Transport for London (TfL) funded Safer Transport Command (STC).

Nahim Gaffer-Doud, 37 years of Rectory Lane SW17 appeared at West London Magistrates Court on 15 June and pleaded guilty to two counts of touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

Plain clothed police officers were carrying out roadside and compliance checks on minicabs in Regent Street W1, in the early hours on Friday 27 May, when Gaffer-Doud approached the officers in his vehicle and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested for touting for hire and further checks revealed that he was disqualified from driving and uninsured. He was charged and bailed to appear at West London Magistrates Court at a later date.

But just over a week later, in the early hours of Saturday 4 June, Gaffer-Doud again approached plain clothed police officers, this time in Clapham High Street SW4 and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested and appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court later that day where he pleaded guilty to touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

Both cases were transferred to West London Magistrates Court and on 15 June, he was sentenced to a total of 18 weeks imprisonment.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, MPS Safer Transport Command, said: “The Cabs Enforcement Unit is dedicated to improving the safety and security of cabs and dealing with unbooked ‘minicabs’, which put the public at risk. This case should serve as a reminder that our officers are out on the streets of the capital targeting unbooked minicabs and bringing offenders to justice.”

Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: “This is a fantastic result for the Safer Transport Command, who work tirelessly to minimise the threat posed by unbooked minicabs. The severity of the sentence given to Mr. Gaffer-Doud should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about touting in London. We will always push for the harshest punishment possible for those who engage in this criminal activity “