Channel 4 Tuk Tuk's...

Channel 4 have for some reason decided to put free tuk-tuk's onto the streets of London to promote its "Indian Winter" campaign. If you look at the picture we see clearly the Channel 4 logo and across the back you can just make out the words "take a free ride on us". Now the questions we need to ask of this public sector broadcaster are very simple.

Did they seek permission from any relevant authority (PCO/TFL, Westminster City Council, Metropolitan Police) before they decided to place tuk-tuk's on the public highway ?

Do Channel 4 understand that the London Taxi trade is presently in the middle of a very bad recession ?

Did Channel 4 contact any Taxi trade organisation/union and seek advice on this publicity stunt ?

Now before anybody tells us we are over reacting just remember when the first few rickshaws hit the streets of London we were told "people won't use them", "there's only a few of them" etc. Well here we are with well over 900 3rd world death traps on the streets of the capital and look at the chaos and congestion they cause.

The RMT London Taxi branch have been in contact with John Mason Director of Taxis and Private Hire and we are of the understanding that Martin Low of Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police are looking into this matter. Any further details we shall inform you asap via the blog/email or at one of our branch meetings.

Remember whatever you hear elsewhere you'll only get to the truth by talking to and joining a real Taxi Trade Union and that is the RMT specialist transport union http://www.rmt.org.uk/

RMT Specialist Transport Union...

On Tuesday the 5th of January Brian Whitehead,Regional Organiser of the RMT Specialist Transport Union,along with David Vidgen, Eddie Lambert, Stan Murat, John Kennedy and James Thomas met with John Mason the new Director of Taxis and Private Hire at Transport for London.

Many issues were discussed in detail ranging from the recent consultation on taxi fares and passenger information, satellite mini-cab offices, touting, illegal ranks, pedicabs/rickshaws and the present bill before Parliament. The meeting was constructive and certainly frank with a good exchange of opinion.It was felt that a future meeting should be arranged in February so that we can discuss issues in more detail.

It must be said that the new director is certainly a breath of fresh air and displays a level of openness that was unheard of in previous years under different management. The RMT and its London Taxi branch looks forward to open honest dialogue with the new director and his management team at Transport for London/Public Carriage Office.

Branch Meeting 11th January 2010.

With a change of venue and the beginning of a new year it must be said what a tremendous turn out at this latest meeting of the RMT London Taxi branch. With real opinions and views of hard working self employed taxi-cab drivers the RMT is certainly on the move and is the only really democratic trade union/organisation within the London Taxi trade. So if you haven't already joined please do visit us at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ and sign up now. We at the RMT listen to you the membership and you the membership decide policy.

RMT meets Murad Qureshi AM at City Hall...

The RMT specia-list tran-sport union and its London taxi branch hit the ground running this week with a meeting on Tuesday the 5th of January at City Hall where Brian Hall committee member (pictured here with Murad Qureshi) and John Kennedy vice chair met with Murad to discuss a range of issues affecting the London taxi branch.

Top of the agenda was the Mayor's emissions proposals and how these will in their present form impact on the London taxi trade. Murad was receptive and certainly understands the concerns of the self employed taxi-cab drivers. The discussions then widened from emissions to include pedicabs, touting, satellite mini-cab offices, transport for London and the Public Carriage Office.

It was felt by all present that this was a constructive meeting and we would certainly like to thank Murad Qureshi Labour Assembly Member of the GLA for agreeing to meet so early in the New Year. We look forward to meeting Murad at our branch early this year where many of the above subjects will be debated in much more detail.

3rd World Transport...

Would BAA let gliders take off from London Heath-row or Gatwick airports, would Transport for London or Network Rail allow you or I to use a manually propelled rail platform on the underground or intercity/highspeed rail network, the answer is a resounding NO! Therefore we must ask the question why does the Mayor and board of Transport for London sit back and allow one of the most dangerous passenger carrying objects to be placed on the public highways of the capital.

These objects have no impact protection nor facilities for those in wheelchairs or with assistance dogs. The objects are dangerous and should be banned from the public highway and placed within the confines of London's many parks. The Mayor wants to see these objects licensed, we at the RMT London taxi branch wish to see 3rd World rip off dangerous transport removed from the public highway. Others within the London taxi trade think it is a good idea to allow ranks/stands to be placed on the public highway for these objects. We must say it really does worry us and it should certainly worry you that the LTDA and the union UNITE think it would be a good idea to give these objects ranks/stands in any London borough.

You should remember that last year the RMT London taxi branch was the first trade union to react and deal with the issue of the individual on the knowledge of London who had serious mental health problems. The story broke on the 2nd of September we were picketing on the 4th and demanding a reversal of this policy that compromised public safety and our world wide reputation. The other trade organisations finally turned up on the 10th of September when we had done all the hardwork and won the battle in the media with reports in the Evening Standard and regular updates on LBC 97.3 fm. What was a real concern though was the fact that it was and still is rumoured that a certain trade association knew of this information for well over a year but who knows and let us be honest with you we only deal with fact and not fiction here at the RMT.

We have many battles ahead and we hope to soon have some excellent news regarding the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (no.2) Bill. Remember we have an excellent parliamentary team that has written to the Mayor seeking talks and discussions regarding the progress of this bill and our democratic right to object to this daft pointless "Voluntary Registration Scheme" that is unenforceable and unworkable due to its voluntary nature. Remember the RMT says "NO to 19" (clause 19 of the bill) and the voluntary registration of these dangerous objects whilst the LTDA and the union UNITE say lets give them ranks/stands on the public highway. Come to think of it wasn't it the LTDA and the union UNITE that had the ear of the previous Mayor of London Ken Livingstone when Transport for London created these SATELLITE MINI-CAB offices?

Just Remember as we enter another year in recession and the start of the kipper season that it is the RMT specialist tranport union that is picking up the baton left by others who are clearly not up to speed or the job in defending your right to ply for hire.

Join the RMT specialist transport union at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ or contact the branch secretary at londontaxi@rmt.org.uk or via mobile phone 07899 786 433.

2010.

Happy New Year to you all and let us welcome the new decade and year of 2010 with renewed vigour and determination to save our jobs and trade from the damage of the past ten years.

This new decade brings to a close a very dark lazy chapter in the history of the London taxi trade, one where those in authority failed this trade at nearly every twist and turn. A near decade of economic boom that led us all to believe that things would only get better, with growth in business finally declining in the last quarter of 2007 the writing was on the wall and along came a recession that we are still presently in.

For the London taxi trade will survive a recession no matter how deep for we are decent hard working people who cut the cloth to meet our needs of family and loved ones. However the threat from private hire/mini-cabs and the lazy lax representation this trade has experienced over the last decade must be brought to a sharp end. The days of silence and submission are over and we shall stand tall and true and ensure that you the hard working self employed taxi-cab driver doesn't just have a voice but you have a union that you can be proud of, one that will work night and day to ensure our collective right to ply for hire isn't taken away by stealth or lazy representation.

1. Time to scrap the Satellite mini-cab offices and time for those who sat back and allowed these offices to be created without challenge to step down and go back to driving a taxi-cab.
2. Time to end the lines of illegal mini-cab ranks all over Greater London.
3. Time to stand up and defend our right to ply for hire.
4. Time to ask the united trade organisations what did that drive in on the 5th of Feb 2009 (it's nearly a year now) actually achieve.
5. Time to scrap clause 19 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (no.2) bill. The RMT is the only trade union/organisation that is actually doing work in Parliament and the Greater London Assembly to ensure that pedicabs DO NOT GET RANKS on the public highway. You should note the LTDA and the union UNITE support this bill and wish to see pedicab ranks on the public highway. Pedicab ranks will lead to mini-cab ranks, honestly can you really trust the authorities with those empty hollow promises of enforcement. Just look at the state of touting and illegal ranking by licensed mini-cab drivers which the authorities fail to deal with on a daily/weekly basis.
6. Time to end touting for "touting is rife and not just at Christmas".

The fact is 2010 is the beginning of a New Year and a new decade one that we can fill with hope so do one thing this year and that is join the only trade union that is prepared to deal with the issues that affect you and your family. It's time to join  the RMT specialist transport union and take an active part in saving your right to ply for hire and the world's greatest taxi-cab trade.

PLEASE NOTE THE RMT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE USE OF TACHOGRAPHS FOR SELF-EMPLOYED TAXI-CAB DRIVERS NOR DO WE REPRESENT MINI-CAB DRIVERS.

Time for certain trade organisations to concentrate on the real issues affecting this trade end the sniping and slating now and stand up to the authorities and defend our collective right to ply for hire. Join the specailist transport union the RMT at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ or contact the branch secretary for details at londontaxi@rmt.org.uk .

Best wishes from the RMT London taxi branch for 2010 and the decade ahead....