TfL have released the following statement:

QUOTE
Sadiq Khan has committed to a dramatic expansion of the
Transport for London (TfL) team responsible for tackling
touting and illegal activity affecting the Capital's taxi and
private hire trades.

As part of a concerted drive to improve customer safety,
an extra 250 Compliance Officers will be recruited and
deployed over the next year to patrol London's streets
and crack down on illegal activity and improve safety.
The Mayor's move quadruples the size of a team which
provides a highly visible, uniformed presence in the
West End, City and other areas across London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

'I want Londoners to feel safe when they take a taxi or
minicab and that is why I have approved a major increase
to the size of our team that targets touts and illegal activities.
It is the first part of a wider programme I will be introducing
that will drive up standards in the industry and help our world
famous cabbies continue to thrive.'

Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Enforcement and On-Street
Operations, said:

'Illegal minicab activity not only poses a serious risk to
passenger safety but undermines licensed, law abiding taxi
and private hire drivers. This welcome boost to our enforcement
team provides Londoners with additional reassurance and
also sends a message to those not complying with the law
that they will be caught and dealt with robustly.'

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi
Drivers Association, said:

'This is fantastic news for Londoners and the black cab
trade; it is so refreshing to have a Mayor who recognises
the danger posed to the travelling public by illegal minicab
activity and is prepared to act to ensure their safety. We
welcome this substantial increase in compliance officers,
and look forward to working with Sadiq in the future.'

The new officers will be funded through changes to private
hire operator licensing so that larger firms pay a greater
share of the costs of enforcement.

TfL and its partners regularly carry out operations to deter
and disrupt illegal minicab activity in the Capital and protect
the public from touts. Operation Neon is a joint operation
between TfL, the Metropolitan Police Service and Westminster
City Council that takes place every weekend. An operation
running between May 2015 and July 2016 has seen the
following results:

Operation Neon results:

•127 Operations.
•9699 private hire drivers advised and moved on to keep roads
clear for taxis and booked private hire cabs.
•448 private hire drivers were reported for not having a badge
and were stopped from working for the remainder of the evening.
•5116 private hire drivers were reported for not wearing their
badge.
•65 private hire drivers reported for plying for hire offences.
•1265 private hire drivers reported for parking on taxi ranks.
•2916 Parking tickets issued.

Today's announcement is the first part of a comprehensive
strategy overseen by the Mayor that will herald in a new era
for the Capital's taxi and private hire trades. It will deliver
radical improvements for customers, a boost to safety, support
for the taxi trade and further improve the quality of service
offered by the private hire trade. There will also be a concerted
effort to make the Capital's taxi fleet the greenest in the world.
UNQUOTE

I'm not sure how public safety is increased by giving private hire
drivers parking tickets, and I suspect most people using minicabs
don't care if the driver is not displaying his badge. It will be
interesting to see if the new mayor will have any really
constructive ideas in his "wider programme."

On 04/08/2016 13:54, Robin9 wrote:
TfL have released the following statement:

QUOTE
Sadiq Khan has committed to a dramatic expansion of the
Transport for London (TfL) team responsible for tackling
touting and illegal activity affecting the Capital's taxi and
private hire trades.

The new officers will be funded through changes to private
hire operator licensing so that larger firms pay a greater
share of the costs of enforcement.

TfL and its partners regularly carry out operations to deter
and disrupt illegal minicab activity in the Capital and protect
the public from touts. Operation Neon is a joint operation
between TfL, the Metropolitan Police Service and Westminster
City Council that takes place every weekend. An operation
running between May 2015 and July 2016 has seen the
following results:

Operation Neon results:

•127 Operations.
•9699 private hire drivers advised and moved on to keep roads
clear for taxis and booked private hire cabs.
•448 private hire drivers were reported for not having a badge
and were stopped from working for the remainder of the evening.
•5116 private hire drivers were reported for not wearing their
badge.
•65 private hire drivers reported for plying for hire offences.
•1265 private hire drivers reported for parking on taxi ranks.
•2916 Parking tickets issued.


Were no black cab drivers picked up on any infringments (however small)
or is Operation Neon solely targeted at the private hire trade?


I'm not sure how public safety is increased by giving private hire
drivers parking tickets, and I suspect most people using minicabs
don't care if the driver is not displaying his badge. It will be
interesting to see if the new mayor will have any really
constructive ideas in his "wider programme."


Indeed - and in particular with Uber you know who the driver is from the
app and can recognise them from their photo. Uber also track their
drivers activity and it's very easy to complain about them if they do
the wrong thing - something that's nowhere near as easy with
conventional private hire companies and/or black cab drivers (if a black
cab driver takes a circuitous route, what's your come back when the only
person to complain to is the driver themselves and there's an absence of
proof of the route followed)

According to the "statement" only private hire drivers were
involved. The mayor is, of course, a professional politician.
For some reason I've never understood, it seems politicians
feel it's both respectable and legitimate to regard minicab
drivers with open suspicion and dislike. This is particularly true
of pseudo-liberal politicians who make a great song and dance
about opposing prejudice.

In message , at 11:29:02 on
Fri, 5 Aug 2016, Paul Corfield remarked:
There are "bad apples" in every trade but the inability to control the
private hire industry expansion is causing considerable problems and
not just for black cabs.

Yes, the 95% of bad apples in the minicab business give the other 5% a
bad name
--
Roland Perry

Robin9 wrote:

Someone Somewhere;157370 Wrote:


Were no black cab drivers picked up on any infringments (however small)

or is Operation Neon solely targeted at the private hire trade?
-

I'm not sure how public safety is increased by giving private hire
drivers parking tickets, and I suspect most people using minicabs
don't care if the driver is not displaying his badge. It will be
interesting to see if the new mayor will have any really
constructive ideas in his "wider programme."
-

Indeed - and in particular with Uber you know who the driver is from the

app and can recognise them from their photo. Uber also track their
drivers activity and it's very easy to complain about them if they do
the wrong thing - something that's nowhere near as easy with
conventional private hire companies and/or black cab drivers (if a black

cab driver takes a circuitous route, what's your come back when the only

person to complain to is the driver themselves and there's an absence of

proof of the route followed)

According to the "statement" only private hire drivers were
involved. The mayor is, of course, a professional politician.
For some reason I've never understood, it seems politicians
feel it's both respectable and legitimate to regard minicab
drivers with open suspicion and dislike. This is particularly true
of pseudo-liberal politicians who make a great song and dance
about opposing prejudice.[/i][/color]

I think the true motivation becomes clear if you read it as minicab = Uber.

Robin

The notion, put about eagerly by Boris Johnson, that the
Mayor and TfL do not have the powers to limit the number of
new minicab drivers is completely fraudulent.

The Bill passed by Tony Blair's government which imposed
licencing upon London's private hire trade made TfL the
regulatory body and gave them the authority to set standards
and to create competence tests, including a "knowledge" test.

The larger private hire firms took fright at this because they
recognised that even a very moderate knowledge test would
cut off their constant supply of new drivers. They lobbied TfL
that they, out of the goodness of their public-minded hearts,
should do the testing themselves and would set a realistically
high standard, relevant to the day-to-day work of minicab drivers.

To the eternal discredit of both the Mayor and TfL, this absurd
proposal was accepted and TfL washed their hands of the matter.
As any fool could have predicted, the private hire firms passed
everyone who wanted to be a minicab driver and the number of
private hire drivers in London increased enormously. To distract
attention away from his and TfL's gross negligence in allowing
this situation to arise, Boris Johnson put out impropaganda (1)
to the effect his hands were tied and he needed special extra
powers to restrict the number of new entrants to the trade.

All that needs to be done is for TfL to take back the testing,
to set the most undemanding of tests and the number of new
entrants will collapse.

It should be remembered that most new applicants to be
minicab drivers in London are either Asians or immigrants
who don't know Kings Cross from Charing Cross or London
Bridge from Waterloo Bridge and who are totally convinced
that all they need is a sat-nav. Demand that they learn how
to get to Victoria Coach Station and the Royal Albert Hall and
their enthusiasm will soon evaporate.

(1) I regret to admit I did not invent this splendid word. There
was, and perhaps still is, a company in Kentish Town, trading
under that name.

"bob" wrote in message ...
Robin9 wrote:

Someone Somewhere;157370 Wrote:


Were no black cab drivers picked up on any infringments (however small)

or is Operation Neon solely targeted at the private hire trade?
-

I'm not sure how public safety is increased by giving private hire
drivers parking tickets, and I suspect most people using minicabs
don't care if the driver is not displaying his badge. It will be
interesting to see if the new mayor will have any really
constructive ideas in his "wider programme."
-

Indeed - and in particular with Uber you know who the driver is from the

app and can recognise them from their photo. Uber also track their
drivers activity and it's very easy to complain about them if they do
the wrong thing - something that's nowhere near as easy with
conventional private hire companies and/or black cab drivers (if a black

cab driver takes a circuitous route, what's your come back when the only

person to complain to is the driver themselves and there's an absence of

proof of the route followed)

According to the "statement" only private hire drivers were
involved. The mayor is, of course, a professional politician.
For some reason I've never understood, it seems politicians
feel it's both respectable and legitimate to regard minicab
drivers with open suspicion and dislike. This is particularly true
of pseudo-liberal politicians who make a great song and dance
about opposing prejudice.

I think the true motivation becomes clear if you read it as minicab =
Uber.[/i][/color]

I've said it before, and I'm saying it again

if TPTB want to clamp down on Uber they should be doing so by enforcing the
disabled regulation on them properly.

There are dozens of stories of their drivers not complying.

tim

Which disabled regulation are you referring to?

Private hire drivers are not taxi drivers. Therefore the
various obligations imposed on taxi drivers do not apply
to private hire (minicab) drivers. Obviously private hire
drivers, like everyone else, must obey the law, including
the several laws against discrimination, but unlike taxi
drivers, they have no greater duties and obligations than
anyone else.

Witty but unfair!

"Robin9" wrote in message
...

tim...;157390 Wrote:
"bob" wrote in message
...-
Robin9 wrote:-

Someone Somewhere;157370 Wrote:-
-

Were no black cab drivers picked up on any infringments (however
small)

or is Operation Neon solely targeted at the private hire trade?
-

I'm not sure how public safety is increased by giving private hire
drivers parking tickets, and I suspect most people using minicabs
don't care if the driver is not displaying his badge. It will be
interesting to see if the new mayor will have any really
constructive ideas in his "wider programme."
-

Indeed - and in particular with Uber you know who the driver is from
the

app and can recognise them from their photo. Uber also track their
drivers activity and it's very easy to complain about them if they do
the wrong thing - something that's nowhere near as easy with
conventional private hire companies and/or black cab drivers (if a
black

cab driver takes a circuitous route, what's your come back when the
only

person to complain to is the driver themselves and there's an absence
of

proof of the route followed)-

According to the "statement" only private hire drivers were
involved. The mayor is, of course, a professional politician.
For some reason I've never understood, it seems politicians
feel it's both respectable and legitimate to regard minicab
drivers with open suspicion and dislike. This is particularly true
of pseudo-liberal politicians who make a great song and dance
about opposing prejudice.-

I think the true motivation becomes clear if you read it as minicab =
Uber.

I've said it before, and I'm saying it again

if TPTB want to clamp down on Uber they should be doing so by enforcing
the
disabled regulation on them properly.

There are dozens of stories of their drivers not complying.

tim

Which disabled regulation are you referring to?[/i][/color]

The one that requires them to provide an "equal" service to disabled
passengers.

It is generic legislation, not specific to taxi drivers

Private hire drivers are not taxi drivers.

They still have to comply

Therefore the
various obligations imposed on taxi drivers do not apply
to private hire (minicab) drivers. Obviously private hire
drivers, like everyone else, must obey the law, including
the several laws against discrimination, but unlike taxi
drivers, they have no greater duties and obligations than
anyone else.

They have the duties and obligations of a "business", these are
significantly greater than the duties of a private individual (who can, of
course, freely decide not to let a guide dog in their car when offering a
blind person a lift)

tim