London-Taxi.co.uk

Sales of Britain’s most iconic vehicle have plunged by 10%, according to new statistics.

Sales of London Taxis, which are manufactured by Coventry-based firm Manganese Bronze, dropped to 1,502 last year, compared to the 1,653 that were bought in 2010.

The Coventry firm’s latest figures show that there continues to be a gaping divide between sales in London and sales beyond the city. According to the statistics, sales of black cabs in the capital rose by 4% while deals in other regions fell drastically, some by as much as 31%,

Observers have put the poor performance down to low buyer confidence and economic uncertainty, combined with huge slumps in non-London trade.

London cabs, also known as Hackney Carriages, have been in use in the city since the early 20th Century and are generally seen as one of the most recognisable British-made cars. They can be found for sale as second-hand cars, but buyers are reminded that the type of car insurance required will vary according to the model of vehicle.

Copyright Press Association 2012

By Michael Hirst BBC 2012

London taxi drivers have protested over the removal of taxi ranks and access to Games Lanes during the Olympics.

Organisers said the Stratford protest could have been avoided had Transport for London engaged with the RMT London taxi branch without pre-conditions.

But the London Taxi Drivers Association, which represents 9,500 London cabbies, said Locog had agreed to keep key ranks in Stratford open.

It praised concessions made by Olympics organisers over cab ranks and access.

The RMT said Wednesday’s protest was against the removal of taxi ranks in east London, and lack of access to Games Lanes on the Olympic Route Network – which aims to provide safe, secure and reliable transportation on key roads linking venues for athletes, officials, media and sponsors.

John Mason, Director of London Taxi and Private Hire, said the protest was "deeply regretful" and "based on factually incorrect claims".

‘No Disneyland’

The LTDA’s Steve McNamara said Locog had made important concessions regarding access for taxis around the Olympic Park, but raised concerns about the impact of closing The Mall in central London for three months.

TfL says security and construction issues mean The Mall will be closed from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June until after the Paralympics, as a 16,000-capacity beach volleyball arena is built in Horse Guards Parade and the site is prepared for the marathon, cycling and walking events.

Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: "We have reluctantly concluded that it won’t be possible to get traffic down The Mall whilst they are building and the (Games) are in operation as it is a secure zone."

One road north of The Mall – Marlborough Road – will remain open to drivers in June.

"London’s a working city, not a theme park," Mr McNamara told the BBC. "It’s not like Disneyland where you can close Mickey Mouse Avenue and open Pluto Drive."

A London 2012 spokesman said it would continue to meet taxi organisations to discuss travel plans – including proposals on drop-off and pick-up points – with them.

"We want to ensure taxis are able to get as close as possible to the venues [bearing in mind the local area traffic management issues and security provisions]," he said.

The Olympic Route Network (ORN) – covers 170 miles of UK roads, as well as 109 miles in the capital, a third of which will have Games Lanes.

What are the Games Lanes?

• Dedicated lanes on a third of the Olympic Route Network in London
• For use only by Games Family – those deemed to be critical to the success of the Games – and emergency vehicles
• One lane in either or both directions on key roads linking Olympic venues
• Mostly in offside lane of road, although which lane used will depend on layout
• Used by 55,000 members of Olympic Family each day
• Mostly used by fleet of 1,500 coaches and nearly 4,000 BMWs for officials and VIPs
• Lanes to be marked by road markings and traffic signs

Many road-users fear the result of the extra traffic restrictions across the ORN – including closed side roads, banned turns, suspended parking, diverted buses and changed traffic signals – will be increased congestion.

Games Lanes will operate on the busiest section of the network – around Heathrow and Wembley Stadium, through central London and out to the Olympic Park at Stratford.

An extra three million journeys are expected in London on the busiest days of London 2012. While organisers say 70% of roads in Greater London will see no impact, critics say the impact on London’s already-busy road system will be widespread traffic jams, which taxi drivers say will cause a four-fold increase in fares.

TfL – which manages transport services across the capital – said it was holding regular meetings with unions like the London Taxi Drivers’ Association to discuss Olympics transport concerns.

79% of taxi passengers would like to be able to differentiate taxis which have wi-fi and phone charging from those which don’t.

Research has found that 79% of passengers would like to be able to easily identity taxis which offer free wi-fi while hailing them, with 79% also saying they would like to be able to differentiate between taxis which offer in-cab phone chargers from those which don’t.

The research of 517 London taxi passengers by Ubiquitous for its Icons-on-Icons Report found that signposting payment options on the side of taxis was also rated as an important function, with 66% saying they would use taxis more often if they knew in advance of journey that they could pay electronically, while 86% said they like the idea of being able to choose to pay by card or cash at the last minute.

Andrew Barnett, managing director of Ubiquitous, commented: “Mobile phones running out of batteries, or failing to get a decent mobile connection when out and about, are pains suffered by busy consumers and business people up and down the country. For this reason, taxi passengers are understandably keen to benefit from the innovations in in-cab technologies, be it to charge their smartphone to make an important call or access the internet to search for crucial information or download emails.

“The problem lies in them not being able to identify which cabs carry which services. There is a tremendous opportunity for major operators and technology companies to associate their brand themselves with these SOS services and help consumers re-energise and re-connect at a moment of need.”

It was discovered that the majority of passengers (91%) use their handsets during a taxi journey, with 84% checking emails, 67% texting and 60% checking Facebook.

Barnett said: “With all eyes on London in the run up to the Olympics, the iconic black cab will prove to be a key outdoor advertising channel. But in order to offer advertisers the most effective means of engagement with passengers, we must look to adopt the technologies they want. Over 70 per cent of passengers interviewed for the report stated they were a technology influencer within their social circle, so the availability of technology on the go is of growing importance.”

Source: The Drum

In an interview with Radio Taxis CEO Geoff Riesel, London Mayoral Candidate Brian Paddick gives his views on the best Taxi service in the world…The London Taxi.

• Taxis are as much a part of London as the big red double decker bus!
• We must put pressure on local councils to relax parking restriction for Taxi drivers around public toilets.
• Local councils have duel standards when it comes to Private Hire parking on yellow lines while black cabs are being persecuted allowing customers to access ATMs to get the means to pay for Taxi.
• Lib Dems through Caroline Pidgeon pressing Boris to give access to all Olympic lanes for Taxis.
• If I become Mayor, Taxis will be allowed to use the whole of the Olympic Rout Network!
• The best place for a Pedicab is in Asia, we don’t need them, they are a bloody nuisance and highly dangerous.
• The Police and TfL DON’T enforce illegal plying for hire by touting minicabs. We have got to enforce these or there is no point in drivers doing the knowledge.
• We need democratically elected representatives on the board of TfL! No one knows London’s roads better than London’s Taxi drivers and we need to inject common sense into TfL.
• London has THE best Taxi service in the world and it must be preserved.
• As for TfL, to be honest it was a lot better when the Met ran the whole show.
• Law commission must not be allowed to water down London’s taxi system, there is no problem in London, it’s not broken and it doesn’t need fixing.
• Londoners are fed up with the same old two tired mayors. Its Time for a change.

POLICE hunting the attacker of a wealthy Russian banker shot in a suspected assassination bid have appealed for a taxi driver to come forward.
The cabbie took German Gorbuntsov home shortly before he was shot and may have been in the area when the crime took place.

Mr Gorbuntsov remains critical but stable in hospital after he was shot several times as he entered his apartment near Canary Wharf in east London.

Scotland Yard has said it is too early to speculate on Russian reports that the attack could be linked to a bid to murder banker Alexander Antonov in Moscow.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said the taxi picked up the victim in the City of London around 7pm before dropping him in Byng Street just before 7.30pm.
The spokesman added: "Officers are now keen to speak with the driver as they may have been in the area when the shooting took place."

The guman was said to be white, 6ft tall and of slim build. The victim, in his 40s, previously owned banks in Russia and Moldova, according to Russian media.
Police would not confirm Russian reports that the attacker had used a sub-machine gun and officers would not say where Mr Gorbuntsov is being treated, but a source said he was under armed guard.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper quoted Mr Gorbuntsov’s lawyer, Vadim Vedenin, as saying his client had submitted evidence to police probing the attack on Mr Antonov in 2009.

Three Chechen men were convicted of attempted murder in the case and given long jail sentences in 2010.

From today, all taxi licensing authorities can request enhanced criminal record checks before issuing licences to taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

This means licensing authorities can find out if someone is barred by the Independent Safeguarding Authority from working with children or vulnerable people before issuing a licence.

The changes will help simplify the system of criminal record checks, and provide reassurance to women and other vulnerable customers who use taxis and mini-cabs.

Criminal Information Minister Lynne Featherstone said: ‘Taxi drivers provide a vital service so it is only right that the public are confident proper checks have been carried out.

‘Good recruitment practices are a key responsibility for all employers. These changes will ensure that licensing authorities have access to relevant information to make informed decisions before granting taxi licences.

Until today, only drivers who regularly pick up vulnerable people, including children, have been eligible for enhanced checks. Today’s change will standardise this practice for all drivers.

The announcement has been welcomed by groups campaigning for women’s safety.

Director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust Linda Craig said: ‘We encourage the public to use licensed minicabs and taxis and these changes will give licensing authorities the information necessary to ensure that the public who use them are as safe as possible.’

Tighter checks on taxi drivers are part of a radical overhaul of the criminal records regime and vetting and barring, scaling it back to common sense levels, while still ensuring adequate protections are in place where they are needed most.

A 47-year-old private-hire driver received six points on his licence and was fined for touting outside a Bermondsey nightclub.

Laszlo Gazdag was caught red handed during a police operation, when he asked three female officers if they needed a cab. The cops, who told him that they were going to Sidcup, then followed him to his taxi, where they arrested the Hungarian.

The incident took place on February 25, outside Cable nightclub in Bermondsey Street at 1am.

Mr Gazdag of West Hendon Broadway, Hendon, who had a translator with him in court, pleaded guilty to touting and driving without insurance. He already had three penalty points on his licence for driving without consideration of others in January.

Gazdag, who has been a private-hire driver for four months, was fined £200 and received another six points on his license.
He was also ordered to pay £15 surcharge and £85 costs in weekly installments of £20.

The driver, who lives with his partner, received a four months’ custodial sentence in 2005 for burglary.

•Can’t speak English without interpreter!
•Points on license for driving without consideration of others.
•Four months in prison for burglary.
•Caught openly touting outside nightclub

How did this man get a Private Hire License?

source: www.southwarknews.co.uk

Smart phones have offered us as cabbies new technology which if used correctly would connect cabbies to customers to the mutual and long term advantage of both by reducing costs and improving service levels however I am convinced this new tech is being perverted and used to build a new way for London cabbies to be made dependant on corporate entities like never before.

It is no accident so many corporates are identifying the London taxi trade as being ripe for disruption but is this interest good for the working driver in the long term? As we all know London is quite unique from many other world cities in that it’s licensed taxi service is made up of 24,000 sole traders which up until now has made it impervious to major corporate attention because there is no income stream to be had nor is there any possibility of corporates owning licenses or dictating the terms under which taxi drivers in London can go to work however all of that may now be about to change.

Phone/App HIRINGS.

Our radio circuits came into being to offer the public a way of hailing a taxi by telephone to augment a drivers income but now appear to be in a self made, blue chip account, rut, in which quality cash work offered to the public with the prospect of no above meter charges and linked to drivers paying by way of "per job" micro payments is of seemingly no interest to them?

The Corporate Disruptors

Some very savvy people have noted this opportunity and set about using new tech to exploit what might prove to be a very profitable venture for them. Drivers hungry to access natural taxi riders that no longer use us because existing circuit run-ins, booking fees and 12.5% card fees not charged by their second choice private hire provider, which linked to a customer reluctance to venture onto increasingly lawless streets in search of a taxi has lost us a whole swathe of taxi customers who want a taxi but cannot get one at a reasonable price, leaving drivers disgruntled with existing circuits and their narrow blue chip account mindset but nevertheless drivers are eager to service the cash and credit card market and are signing up to new tech in the form of smart phone taxi booking applications.

The best funded of these appear to be GetTaxi, Hailo and soon to be launched MyTaxi (all risking several million pounds each of either their own money or venture capital loans) and are launching under the banner "WIN THE WORK BACK!"

Beware of Greeks Baring Gifts.

It cannot be denied customers are coming back to taxi usage with the help of these corporate booking apps and that is to be applauded but what long term implications are there and is anyone asking or considering what these same corporates might want to impose should they win a significant market share, one clearly has an exit strategy which once activated leaves who as owner once floated or sold to persons as yet unknown? Under the rules of business their new owners (private or public) would demand profits are maximised and if the only revenue stream is drivers that’s you!

These new entities are offering incentives to drivers to sign up new or not so new taxi customers in an attempt to lock customer and driver into using any chosen app. They know they can’t own your taxi or your license but if they own your customers they hold the aces and the more customers they own the more aces they hold. Inevitably this ensures maximum leverage on per job pricing as their customer base grows, they secure a larger and larger customer base maybe even consigning the street hail outside of W1 & EC2 to history and as they build driver dependance upon the work they offer their power over your working practices grows commensurately.

Roadkill

What becomes of the inevitable road kill arising from taxi app wars. Will the losing combatant wipe its mouth, swallow its loses and walk away?

More likely the venture capital backing will look to recoup as much of its investment as possible and move on, if that means selling their tech and customer base to the highest bidder you can be assured no sleep will be lost if that highest bidder is from the Private Hire side of the street.

So whilst they all seem to be reluctant to charge for a job right now please give a thought as to what they might be charging you for that same job in 5, 10 or even 15 years once the market is disrupted to the point it’s work from their app, at their price, or no work at all?

Declaration of interest.

I believe there is a better way and something that is truly for drivers by drivers and put into trust so no person can ever sell it off for personal gain. I won’t name it for fear of accusations of sour grapes. Dig around, it’s not hard to find the only app that has no paid employees or staff and wants to use new tech to benefit drivers rather than merely disrupt your trade and profit from you. If there are other groups of drivers who want or have their own not for profit micro circuit please get in touch we would love to form an alliance.

Thank you for reading.

Lee P

iZettle, the Swedish mobile payments startup that basically competes with Square, has gone live on the App store in the Nordic markets today (Denmark, Norway and Finland). It’s making 5,000 card reader devices available in each country. They’ve also appointed a UK managing director, Stewart Roberts. Stewart was former Director of Global Innovation at Barclaycard. A launch in the UK is therefore all but confirmed.

Unlike square, iZettle’s card reader is a “chip and signature” device, which makes it more secure than Square. However it doesn’t have quite the same advantages, as its reader uses Apple’s proprietary connector so it has to pay Apple for the license on that.

Chip-based payments are the standard in Europe which means it is much better positioned than Square on this market.

iZettle charges sellers 2.75% on a sale plus €0.16. Funds get transferred to bank accounts on the next business day.

The company, appearing at Mobile World Congress, says it has 25,000 users and is most popular in Sweden so far.

IZettle’s proposed launch in the Uk will be of particular interest to the London Taxi Trade due to the low charges, it will also challenge the current market leaders whose charges are significantly higher.