London Taxis

The minicab company Addison Lee is losing its contract with the Government for private car hire, according to information received today from the Cabinet Office.

RMT Taxi Branch commends tfl for swift response to block Addison Lee for drivers from using bus lanes.

The RMT will continue to investigate the working practices of this company, the employment status of the drivers who we believe are employees under UK Law and bring such information to the relevant authorities for enforcement action.

TfL has won an injunction against Addison Lee preventing them from instructing or encouraging their drivers to use bus lanes.

The full text of the injunction is below.

The RMT London Taxi Branch notes the disturbing comments made by Mr John Griffin concerning London Cyclists, This once again demonstrates his complete contempt for other road users.

This statement and his continued instruction to his drivers to flout the law in respect of Bus Lanes calls into question Addison Lee's fitness to hold a Private Hire Operators Licence.

If TfL fail in their attempts to prevent these illegal actions, we will act and invite all trade organisations to join us in that action

RMT London Taxi Branch notes the instruction by Addison Lee PLC (A London Private Hire Operator) to instruct their driver to break the law by using bus lanes reserved for Buses and Taxis.

We demand that Transport for London (TfL) suspends the operating licence of Addison Lee PLC with immediate effect and rigorously enforce the Bus Lanes to prevent such dangerous and reckless behaviour.

The latest edition of London Taxi News, an anti-pedicab special, is now availale to download.

In this edition:

• RMT London taxi branch calls for unity to save trade
• Unity meeting discusses common approach to review
• We can't rely on Boris
• RMT scores major victory over pedicabs
• Demo at Stratford a great success
• United we stand - Implementation of identifiers has been greeted by the trade with different levels of
  enthusiasm.

You can download the full newsletter using the link below, or click 'read more' to view the pdf if you have a modern browser.

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch, and its request that legal advice relating to taxi issues should be obtained from a legal firm that specialises in Hackney Carriage Law. We refer this to our Council of Executives for consideration at its meeting on the 2nd of April.

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch and fully support its sentiments. It
is vital that Taxis are able to use the fastest and most direct routes, in the interests of both
passengers and drivers and to avoid unnecessary congestion.

We therefore agree that road signage changes should not apply to Taxis, and instruct the
General Secretary to request our Parliamentary Group to table an Early Day Motion calling
for an exemption.

London Taxi branch to be advised.

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch and fully support its sentiments. Current plans for the exclusive VIP Olympic Lane will severely restrict the ability of Taxi drivers to earn a living, and will deny passengers the opportunity to use Taxis.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to request our Parliamentary group to submit an Early Day Motion calling for the legal right for London Taxis to be allowed to drive in the VIP Olympic Lane for the duration of the Olympics and/or London Taxis to be classified as official Olympic vehicles.

London Taxi branch to be advised.

AFTER MONTHS OF campaigning by RMT taxi branch, and with the support of the RMT parliamentary convenor John McDonnell, who through a series of actions blocked the progress of the London Local Authorities Bill, the sponsors have now been forced to withdraw the offending clause which would have enshrined the right to register pedicabs and provide them with rank spaces.

If the Bill with the offending Clause had been enacted it would have meant the introduction of a fully-fledged licensing and right to ply for hire regime for pedicabs, undermining the tightly-regulated licensed taxi trade.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch, and the concern expressed by our members about the complaints procedure of the London Taxis and Private Hire Directorate of TfL. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report from the branch giving fuller details of its concerns, and once this report is received, to obtain the legal advice requested, within a reasonable timescale.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the legal opinion on this matter, which is disappointing. We note that our London Taxi branch is due to discuss this matter at its meeting this evening, and instruct the General Secretary to place this matter back in front of us once the branch has communicated its views.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

from General Secretary Bob Crow - TFL (RT/14/2)

Further to my circular dated 14th December (IR/608/11) I write to update branches on the TfL scheme to introduce Identifier tags from March 2012 for all Taxi driver members (Taxis and Private hire).This would distinguish between those drivers licensed for hire in all of Metropolitan London (green badge) and those who were licensed for particular sectors outside the centre (yellow badge). Yellow badge drivers might be typically licensed for the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Greenwich, Merton, Harrow, Hillingdon and so on.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from the London Taxi Branch regarding the 15 year vehicle age limit to be imposed on the London Taxi trade as part of proposals to reduce vehicle. We note that there is a conversion kit available for buses that allow them to become compliant with EURO 4 emissions regulations and have been made aware that such a conversion kit could be made available for the older black cabs.

RMT General Grades Committee:

That we note the legal advice received from Thompsons and are disappointed to learn that the chances of legal success in cases of defamation are very slim indeed. We therefore note that letters have been sent to the LTDA and the publishers of ‘Taxi’ and instruct the General Secretary to place any responses back in front of the General Grades Committee.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our London Taxi Branch and the sentiments expressed within.

Therefore we instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting at the earliest opportunity at Unity House to discuss this matter further. The Lead Officer, Regional Organiser, members of the GGC and Brothers Stan Marut and Mick Tinnion to be in attendance.

London Taxi Branch and London Regional Council to be informed.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our London taxi Branch [below] and accordingly instruct the General Secretary to provide an up-to-date report on this issue. This report to be placed on file and back in front of the General Grades Committee as appropriate.