On Wednesday 9th November 2011, the United Cabbies Group called for a Mass Drive-In Demonstration at Trafalgar Square in protest at Transport for London’s inability to deal with the touting epidemic perpetuated by the large majority of Private Hire drivers every day & night on the streets of our capital.
TfL’s failed Safer Travel at Night (STaN) agenda has created an ‘out of control’ monster that we believe is the direct cause of the serious number of rapes and sexual assaults committed by TfL Licensed Private Hire drivers, and with NO provisions made for when it all goes wrong the results are there for everyone to see.
Director of T&PH John Mason, and his Deputy Helen Chapman had the chance to implement measures that would have gone some way to taking control of this desperate situation when they announced the Private Hire Consultation, but they have both FAILED miserably when they dropped all the proposals that would have made a real difference, in favour of the pathetic changes they have opted for that simply give the green light to all the sexual predators to carry on as normal!
Surely both John Mason and Helen Chapman MUST now be removed from their positions before any more vulnerable women are attacked.
The demonstration was scheduled to start at 4pm, but such is the strength of feeling amongst the Black Cab trade that the roads around Trafalgar Square were already Gridlocked at 3.30pm.
Within a short time the centre of London was brought to a complete standstill with Taxis appearing from every direction, sounding their horns and voicing their displeasure at TfL’s failure to stop the touting epidemic.
With an estimated turnout of somewhere in the region 0f 4000 Taxis, John Mason had better think again before he issues ridiculous statements saying…
“It is deeply regretful that a small and isolated group, who do not represent the views of taxi drivers across London, feel the need to stage this demonstration”.
Does this look like a ‘Small & Isolated’ group to you John?
With reports of the gridlock stretching as far as the Angel in the North, Shoreditch in the East, Elephant & Castle in the South and Earls Court in the West, it is evident that John Mason’s statement is nothing more than TfL propaganda to disguise their failings, and to protect them from having to officially engage with the Taxi trade’s fastest growing organisation…The United Cabbies Group.
You can run John, but you cannot hide!
Taxis stretch the length of The Mall.
A New Dawn!
The UCG were pleased to welcome our colleagues from the RMT London Taxi Branch to this demonstration.
They are the ONLY other trade organisation who are prepared to make a stand against Transport for London, and defend their member’s rights and the safety of the travelling public.
And of course with them they brought their big gun in the form of Bob Crow, the General Secretary.
As well as drivers from the UCG and the RMT, the demo was also attended by a large presence of LTDA and LCDC drivers, who in the absence of their leaders showed their support, and one has to ask exactly what it is they are doing to justify the subscription fees they take from their members?
It was also fantastic to see a large amount of Knowledge students in attendance, this is their future and we must all come together to STOP the likes of Peter Hendy, Transportation Commissioner at Transport for London destroying it to satisfy his own personal hatred of the Taxi trade.
Mayor Boris Johnson must realise that Peter Hendy is simply carrying out former Mayor Ken Livingstone’s STaN agenda in the hope that Livingstone will return to finish us off.
Peter Hendy MUST also be removed from his position, and the trade MUST fight tooth & nail to stop Ken Livingstone EVER being re-elected!
And Boris Johnson must also wake up and realise that time is running out for him, and if he doesn’t want to go the same way as his predecessor he has to remove the aforementioned and make serious changes to the way Private Hire is enforced. (Or not as the case may be!)
The United Cabbies Group would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who attended this demonstration, and you can be sure that this is by no means the end of our action. If Transport for London do not address our concerns we will be back.
We Demand…
* A Public Enquiry into the governing of the Taxi and Private Hire trades by Transport for London
* A re-opening of the Private Hire Consultation
* The United Cabbies Group to officially engage with TfL on the SAME terms and conditions as the United Trade Group ie. LTDA, LCDC and Unite
Until then these demonstrations will continue, see you all at the next one.
Special thanks must go to the UCG and RMT organising committees who work tirelessly for the trade, Jonathan Myers the UCG spokesperson who did a sterling job once again addressing the media, LBC’s James Whale who gave us a whole afternoon’s coverage, Seamus the Superstar with his bucket who collected a whopping £800 for the UCG fighting fund, all the drivers who donated to that fund, the Police who in the main were very co-operative on the day, the world’s media who covered this demo despite several other demonstrations taking place that day, and our own Stormcab, Headlong and The Roman for supplying us with these fantastic photos.
Top Notch all of you!
Last word must go to LT&PH Deputy Director Helen Chapman who ummed and errred her way through her first radio interview on LBC. Fear not Ms Chapman, you will have plenty of opportunity to practice. (Unless Boris takes our advice and gets rid of you of course)
We live in hope!
Footage courtesy of RMTV
Footage courtesy of Stormcab
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21 comments
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H. Wall
November 9, 2011 at 4:47 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Another great turn out today, very encouraging.
Can we have one every week please and insist on John Mason making an appearance or we’ll carry on until he does. Would it also be possible,when producing the next mag, to make reference to all those scummy cab drivers who worked instead of standing up for what’s right.
Hang your heads in shame
S.Kelly
November 10, 2011 at 9:47 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Small and isolated eh? You’ve gotta laugh!, Great work everyone.
johnhippy
November 10, 2011 at 10:17 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Congratulations well organised demo a real wake up call to the dinosaurs in the cab trade
Simco
November 10, 2011 at 11:37 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Just to say Thank You to the Taxi Drivers on the Demo in Trafalgar Sq yesterday. You were part of the fight back to protect our livelihood
danny
November 10, 2011 at 11:39 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
well done to everyone who made the effort to stand up for there trade it was great to see so many drivers come together.Then to see all these numptys driving around with there lights on while we were all fighting there corner one idiot whilst i was sitting bang in the middle of trafalgar square had driven straight into it with a punter in the back i’d like to know how he tried to explain his way out of that one hence he did his window up and would not look my way bless him.
qprjim
November 10, 2011 at 12:14 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Fantastic turnout yesterday. Greens and Yellows side by side, and drivers of all Orgs making an appearance whilst their “leaders” sit on their ####’s so-as to not upset the “applecart”.
It gives me great hope knowing that there are many Licensed London Taxi Drivers out there who obvs are bothered, but have been waiting for leadership and guidance which has been seriously lacking for years now and still many more, who once they realise what the UCG stand for, i believe will be joining in their droves
To think where the UCG was 18 months ago. Once infamously described as “12 nutters in a cafe”, 18 months down the line, membership numbers are well on the increase everyday, a fine, well read and supported publication in the United Cabbies News in near monthly print, and a group of members who do everything for no personal gain but care about the badge which they worked so hard to achieve.
Whilst here, i must also thank the RMT and it’s members for officially supporting the Demo.
“ENFORCE THE LAW !!!”
JohnBoyWalton
November 10, 2011 at 12:29 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Bravo to all that attended with me. Give the trade back to the Met Police immediately.
Dont sit on your hands anymore… support your new trade voice now…. it remains to be seen what if anything the LTDA, LCDC etc have been doing for us up untill now ????
Be lucky out there. JBW
S.O.E.
November 10, 2011 at 4:15 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
A well planed and executed operation, once again the UCG deliver.
taxibell
November 10, 2011 at 4:45 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
hi there chaps,great turnout for the demo,was wondering,we always have too grin and bare at so called fellow drivers,working alongside us while we serve the cause,that for future demo,s a campaign can run alongside the drive in that whatever excuse you have for not joining the demo,ie been in garage all morning,had to start late today,got a job far away etc,that you too can join with us,by parking up,keeping your light off,where ever you are for a designated period,anywhere you are,just a thought,it hasnt been done that i can remember,and could affect lots more disruption too get us heard more,again just a thought,keep up the great work.
K. Jarvis
November 10, 2011 at 7:29 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hi and congratulations to U.C.G. for leading the fightback and well done to all the drivers that stuck together. To those that decided to earn at your colleagues expense, you clearly miss the true prupose of being a professional Black Taxi Driver.
dicky
November 10, 2011 at 9:21 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
you deserve a medal at last someone that talks sense we need to support you iam paying ltda at the mo and would gladly give this money to you but you need to get some legal help if we get any probs clip board jonnys need to be targerted also we need to bring respect back into being a cabbie years ago no1 would park on a cab rank now look at pont street more set up for the polish builder i used to be very proud to be a london taxi driver now i feel the job doesnt deserve our commitment to the london people you cant acutally earn aliving in the daytime hours if you have a mortgage buying a taxi a PAYING TAX i tried to get to trafalgar sq at 2.30 fr embankment not poss well well well done from postings looks like you r the only ones that can help dicky gives you 100%get some thing sorted so we can help you instead of other non achievers
MIke
November 11, 2011 at 12:20 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Great result, I am an LCDC member but I have to say that I am unhappy with the RMT involvement. I will never support such a left wing organisation whose Gen Sec is a communist and a hypocrite. let us not forget that it was they who wanted to install Tacho’s in our cabs and all the bleating, whining and denials will not cover up the fact that this was on their website before they realised their mistake and took it down.
Sorry but they want to do the trade down too and Crowe is just being an opportunist for his own agendas. Please don’t let them hijack what is an excellent idea, you would have even more members if they were not involved in any way.
bobby
November 11, 2011 at 9:10 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
me and my son were at the protest and i think it was a great turnout,i take my hat off to everyone involved with the ucg but i too am not happy with the involvement of bob crowe and the rmt.
Mike Tinnion
November 11, 2011 at 10:29 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I have to say a big thank you to the UCG for putting the fight back in my life. The Taxi trade can be proud of what the UCG has done. I’m an RMT member, and i will support any group who defends my right to ply for hire. It’s just a shame none of the more “significant” trade groups bothered to support their members. You have ask yourself why your paying a subscription to an organisation (UTG), who are actively destroying your trade. JOIN THE FIGHT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
As for Tachographs in cabs “Mike” you just keep listening to the Bob Oddy media machine, one day you might understand the bigger picture.
What the Taxi trade has needed for a life time is “UNITY”, the demo on the 9th of November was the start of things to come.
MichaelB
November 11, 2011 at 2:39 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
What a fantastic turn out at Trafalgar Square well done to all at UCG the way forward for this trade is united in our condemnation of all the the shortsighted people that only have one thing in their minds and that is the total destruction of the best taxi service in the world bar none.
We the taxi drivers of London Will not allow this to happen as you can see from our recent action their is plenty more where wednesdays demo came from so ignore us at your peril.Many Members of the public that I had the plesure to speak to in the square are very supportive of the licensed taxi trade they understand that the only way forward is for us to expose those at Transport for London. For the willful neglect of the safety of the travelling public. A UNITED TAXI TRADE will NEVER ACCEPT YOUR SPINELESS ATTACKS. It was great to see drivers from all organisations standing side by side. “A small number of militant Taxi drivers” Rubbish Ms. Chappman
steve
November 11, 2011 at 4:13 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Well done the UCG boys you really have secured this trades future and you’ve done it all off you’re own backs whilst trying to support your families etc.
I truly admire you all!
Regarding the RMT comments.
1- Don’t believe everything you read in The Taxi.
2- Why would you not want the wealth and political influence of one of this countries biggest most powerfull militant unions on your side?
Think about it logically.
Jon
November 11, 2011 at 11:35 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Well done UCG and all that attended. It looks like UCG is growing at a rapid rate, which should give us all hope for the future. Lets all keep up the pressure this time and get the results we deserve. I am also a member of the RMT who took the time to support there members. Well done Bob Crow. As for the other Bob, maybe next time.
GARY... one R
November 12, 2011 at 5:30 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
How can anyone say that the LTDA does nothing; who else stands outside the Cumberland dressed as Father Christmas?.
Phil
November 13, 2011 at 1:32 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Mayoral candidates:
Blue Boris; Red Ken; Pink Paddick, it has to be Carlos Cortiglia who has vowed to stick up for one of Londons indeed Britains’ greatest institutions the London Cab Trade.
Keep up the fight.
Royzee
November 13, 2011 at 6:14 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Pro active is the only way forward for our trade . As a U C G member I was happy to join all of our drivers on this demo . Also as an L T D A member I have E-mailed them for some answers to what they are doing for me/us ??????? I wait with not much hope
Well done guys and lets not rest here !!!!!!!!
gus
November 15, 2011 at 5:21 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
As an existing member of The UCG I am cancelling my membership of the LTDA as I am distgusted with their lack of action regarding the real issues facing our trade. Bob Oddy and his Board of useless scribblers are a disgrace to the members of the LTDA. I am very willing to pay my current LTDA fees to this organization who, I feel represent my, and thousands of my fellow drivers feelings .
Keep up the good work and keep the pressure up.