Professional Driver Magazine December/January 2021/22

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 07 £4.95

The Champions

All the winners in our 2021 QSi and Car of the Year Awards

CAR OF THE YEAR

THE ALL-ELECT

Mpg (l/100km): Not applicable. CO2 emissions: 0 g/km. Electric energy consumption (combined): 20 to 21 kWh/100Km / 2.9 – 3 miles/kWh. The iX xDrive40 e a battery electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare electric range figures with other starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load.

TRIC

iX QR

Search: BMW iX #bornelectric

electric range: 246-257 miles. The iX xDrive50 electric range: 366-380 miles. These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. The iX is r cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the

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COVER STORY

TRIUMPHANT RETURN – all the winners at the 2021 Professional Driver QSi and Car of the Year Awards dinner

B usiness News

The latest from around the UK private hire sector 12 The 2021 Professional Driver QSi Awards 22 Business Diversification Award 23 Chauffeur Company of the Year (1-10 vehicles) 24 Chauffeur Company of the Year (11+ vehicles) 26 Community Award 27 Marketing Award 28 Environment Award 30 New-Start Operator Award 32 Private Hire Company of the Year (1-80 Vehicles) 34 Private Hire Company of the Year (81+ Vehicles) 36 Professional Driver of the Year 38 The 2021 Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards 40 Luxury SUV of the Year 41 MPV of the Year 42 Estate Car of the Year 43 Executive Car of the Year 44 Chauffeur Car of the Year 45 Private Hire Car of the Year 46 Professional Driver Car of the Year, 2021 48 All the QSi and CoTY winners at a glance 50 Running Report On the road adventures in a BMW 745Le

Self Drive Hire of PCO Licensed and Un Licensed Exe

Mercedes S-Class , Mercedes V-Class , Mercedes

Tesla Model S , Nissan Leaf

51 C urrent Affairs Our new regular column 01707 649 090 about electric vehicles, infrastructure and issues : info@chauffeurrentals.com REGULAR FEATURES 52 The Knowledge 53 The Advisor Daily , Weekly Hires The Monthly Negotiator 55 The Insider 54 or

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VOLUME 15 ISSUE 07 £4.95

The Champions

All the winners in our 2021 QSi and Car of the Year Awards

CAR OF THE YEAR

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Mark Bursa Mark Bursa 07813 320044 07813 320044 markbursa@prodrivermags.com markbursa@prodrivermags.com COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Paul COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Webb 07807 133527 Paul Webb 07807 133527 paulwebb@prodrivermags.com paulwebb@prodrivermags.com ART DIRECTOR

KevinWillis, Willis,Peter PeterPanayiotou, Panayiotou, Kevin Iain Iain Dooley, Mike Stone, Dooley, Mike Stone, Denot Nyack, Dennot Nyack, Adam Bernstein, Adam Bernstein, Dr Mike Galvin Dr Mike Galvin, Tim Scrafton WEBSITE WEBSITE M artinCoCoombes ombes 01959547000 Martin

01959 547000 COMPANY ADDRESS 5COMPANY 0BeechcroADDRESS ftManor, O50 atlBeechcroft ands,WeybriManor, dge,KT1Oatlands, 39NZ Weybridge, KT13 9NZ SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE Curwood CurwoodCMS CMSLtd, Ltd,The Barn, The Barn, Abbey Mews, Abbey Mews, Robertsbridge, TN32 Robertsbridge, 5AD, 01580 883844 TN32 5AD subs@prodrivermags.com 01580 883844

ART DIRECTOR Alan Booth 07817 671973 Alan Booth alan.booth@calixa.biz 07817 671973 CONTRIBUTORS alan.booth@calixa.biz Ian Robertson, Tim Barnes-Clay, CONTRIBUTORS Ian Robertson, Glen Holder, PhilGlen Rule,Holder, John Phil Rule, Gary JohnJacobs, Coombes, Phil Huff, Coombes, David Tim Self Barnes-Clay, Drive Hire of Gary PCOJacobs, Licensed and Un Licensed Executive Cars Wilkins, Phil Huff, Craig Thomas, David Wilkins, Craig Thomas, subs@prodrivermags.com Mercedes S-Class , Mercedes V-Class , Mercedes E-Class

awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Back with a bang!

T

HE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC MEANT

we couldn’t hold the QSi Awards in 2020 – but we more than made up for it in 2021 with the biggest and best celebration of all that’s good about this industry.

The eighth annual Professional Driver QSi Awards dinner saw us move the event to a new venue – the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. And those who made the trip were treated to a night to remember as we rewarded the best operators and drivers with Gold, Silver and Bronze QSi Awards.

In addition, we revealed our Cars of the Year for 2021. We’re very proud of our Car of the Year Awards – they are the most thorough readerjudged car awards anywhere in the automotive industry.

Our QSi Awards dinner is firmly established as the number one social event for our industry, and it was good to re-establish it in its regular slot in the calendar. As well as celebrating the best operators and drivers in the business, it gives the industry a great chance to catch up and network.

In this special issue of Professional Driver, you’ll be able to find out who were the big winners at the eighth annual Professional Driver QSi and Car of the Year awards.

We had some great battles for gold, with some past champions battling it out against some tremendous first-time entries. And with more entries than ever before, judging the winners is certainly getting harder and harder each year.

This year’s awards rewarded the resilience and innovation that companies displayed during the covid crisis, keeping the country moving, delivering food and medicines, getting key workers to work and helping the elderly and vulnerable.

Everyone who attended was a hero.

This year’s ceremony was expertly helmed by our regular host, broadcaster and racing driver Amanda Stretton. And the aftershow party carried on well into the small hours.

We’d like to thank all the supporting the QSi event, all our sponsors for making it possible, and all the readers who helped us get the right results at our Car of the Year judging event in August. And in particular, I’d like to thank Jon Hill, Mike Galvin, Steve Sommerfeld and Gary Jacobs for going the extra mile in helping us judge the QSi Awards.

The pictures over the next few pages are designed to give a flavour of the evening. See who you can spot!

ESTABLISHED SINCE 2005 4

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DECEMBER 2021

DEC/JAN 21/22

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Quality, Service, Innovation —and R for Resilience

T

he QSi Awards returned last month

with a phenomenal event at the Celtic Manor resort in South Wales. We know how important these awards are for the industry – and how relieved and delighted everyone in attendance was to have them back.

Every company or individual that has won one since we started the QSi Awards in 2013 has had to prove to our judges that they are truly worthy of the industry’s benchmark awards.

It pained us greatly to have to cancel the 2020 awards, but with the nation in the teeth of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was no way we could do the QSi Awards justice via Zoom.

So this year’s QSi awards were reflection of Quality, Service and Innovation for both 2020 and 2021. Maybe there’s another letter that should be included – R for Resilience.

This is a tough industry, and even though getting government support during the pandemic was like pulling teeth without anaesthetic, everyone has battled through to hopefully brighter days in 2022, providing the vaccination programme keeps new strains of Copic-19 such as Omicron in check.

And with Covid still very much an ongoing problem, it was worth spending a little time on a night of celebration to remember those who haven’t made it through.

One of the grim tasks we’ve had to do over the past 18 months is report on the death of drivers who caught Covid-19 while doing their jobs. More than 200 drivers lost their lives in 2020, and we’ve reported on more casualties in 2021. Many died in the first weeks of the pandemic, oblivious to the deadly virus that their passengers brought into their cars.

These drivers were just doing their jobs. And drivers are still doing their jobs, even though the pandemic is not yet over. We don’t want to report any more deaths,

DEC/JAN 21/22

so please stay safe, and keep using the Covid protocols that you can find on the Professional Driver website.

The industry faces many challenges – driver shortages, tougher environmental rules, random regulations from local authorities and other issues.

Now we face the prospect of fare inflation following the recent High Court ruling on Uber’s relationship with its drivers.

Remember, this ruling applies specifically to Uber. There is no “one size fits all” solution regarding employment models in this industry.

However, we do have a groundswell from various trade unions, including the stablished ones such as GMB and the newer, more radical-minded disruptors such as ACDU, that workers status should apply to all self-employed drivers.

Unfortunately, in the absence of any attempt to draw up new, definitive rules for the taxi and private hire sector, we’re looking at further court cases, each coming to slightly different conclusions.

It’s not a recipe for success.

This industry needs national standards and national rules. If you’re going to go with “worker” status, so be it – but it has to apply everywhere. Same as car standards, or licensing costs. By not having a joinedup system, we have chaos – unlike other sectors such as bus or truck drivers, where national licensing is clear and understandable, and applies equally everywhere.

No doubt this debate will continue into 2022.

Meanwhile, this special edition of Professional Driver has all the winners from the QSi Awards.

It proves Quality Service and Innovation still underpins everything we do. In the meantime, have a great Christmas and, hopefully, a safe and prosperous New Year.

Mark Bursa Editor markbursa@prodrivermags.com

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news

High Court ruling could force London ridehailing giants to charge VAT on all fares Mark Bursa The High Court has ruled that it was unlawful for a private hire vehicle operator to act as an “agent” between a driver and a passenger, following a claim brought by Uber.

This means Uber and other ridehailing companies, not individual drivers, enter into contracts directly with passengers and should be held liable for anything that goes wrong with the service.

The ruling has implications for the industry, but it is not seen as a precedent applying to all companies. However, it is expected to mean that Uber must now charge VAT on all fares, which could lead to 20% fare increases – and other operators cold be forced to do the same.

Previously Uber claimed it acted as an agent in passenger bookings and that any contract for transportation services was made between drivers and passengers. But since the drivers were granted “worker” status in a separate court case, Uber could not argue that the drivers were independent contrators.

The new decision underscores the earlier ruling that drivers are in ef-

fect working for the operator, and that could trigger further worker claims across the ride-hailing sector in London from Uber’s rivals such as Bolt, Free Now and Ola. If similar rulings are made, these companies too will be liable to pay VAT. Uber brought the legal action after the UK Supreme Court in February ruled that Uber drivers were workers and therefore entitled to the minimum wage and holiday pay. It sought clarity on a point of law after a Supreme Court justice, Lord George Leggatt, suggested that Uber was not only in violation of employment law, but might also be in violation of transport law administered by TfL.

Leggatt had said there was “no factual basis” for Uber’s contention that it acted as an agent for drivers. TfL remained neutral during the legal challenge.

In the most recent hearing, Mr Justice Peter Fraser and Lord Justice Stephen Males concluded that “to operate lawfully, an operator must undertake a contractual obligation to passengers”.

Uber said: “This court ruling means that all the details of the Supreme Court decision are now clear. Every private hire operator in London will be impacted by this decision, and should comply with the Supreme Court verdict in full.”

TfL has now told private hire firms

that they will need to take steps to ensure that they comply with the High Court judgment, “including considering whether any changes to their way of working are required”.

James Farrar, general secretary of the App Drivers and Couriers Union, claimed that the legal action was a “failed collateral attack” on the Supreme Court ruling by Uber. “Rather than fix its broken business model, Uber was determined to double down,” he said. “It clears the way for all drivers in the sector to seek worker rights protection.”

Mick Rix, national officer from the GMB trade union, said the ruling provided clarity in determining private hire drivers were workers. He urged other private hire operators, such as Bolt and Addison Lee, “to change their business models in light of today’s judgement”.

In a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019, Uber warned that HMRC could impose a 20% VAT bill on gross bookings or on the service fee that the company charges drivers. This could be applied retrospectively – which could involve a bill of up to £1 billion for Uber, according to sources.

senior district judge Tan Ikram.

A TfL spokesperson said: “In October 2020, TfL refused Ola a licence to operate due to significant concerns with its systems and processes that were in place at that time. Since then Ola has taken a number of steps to resolve the issues identified by TfL.” “Subject to TfL and the Court being satisfied that Ola’s terms and conditions of business are compliant with the court judgment, Ola will be granted

a licence for 15 months with stringent conditions attached.”

The decision to grant just 15 months rather than a regular five-year licence suggests that TfL is not fully satisfied that Ola has fixed its welldocumented problems. Indeed, many industry observers believed TfL might make an example of Ola and reject its application a second time.

Ola, which only launched in London in February 2020, appealed against TfL’s refusal to renew its private hire operator’s licence in October 2020, where TfL cited safety breaches.

An investigation discovered data anomalies within the Ola app, which led to unlicensed drivers and vehicles carrying out more than 1,000 trips on the platform. Ola also failed to bring the issue to TfL’s attention immediate-

ly when the data breaches were first identified.

It subsequently emerged that despite losing its licence, Ola was operating under less onerous conditions than its rivals.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Uber has 21 conditions attached to its most recent London licence, while Bolt has 15. But Ola, which is expecting to hear later this month whether or not it has won back its licence following an appeal, has just seven conditions. Even Free Now, which has never been refused or lost its licence, has nine conditions attached to its licence, two more than Ola. It is not known whether the “stringent” new conditions are tougher than those of Ola’s rivals.

Ola wins 15-month licence – but with ‘stringent conditions’ attached Mark Bursa Transport for London has granted Indian-owned ride-hailing app Ola a 15-month London private hire operator’s licence following its court appeal against TfL’s decision not to grant it a new licence last October.

In a statement, TfL said Ola’s licence would have “stringent conditions attached”, giving the company 15 months to prove that its service is safe, following a judgment at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by deputy

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news

‘Insufficient, inefficient and inconsistent’– Addison Lee slams London EV charging network Mark Bursa

public charging points in London to 8,500 n Removing inefficiency from the Addison Lee has branded network by ensuring all charging London’s electric vehicle charging points are utilised to full capacity. infrastructure “insufficient, In particular, allowing other inefficient and inconsistent” after vehicles to use dedicated and its first 100 EV drivers struggled to single-manufacturer charge points find charging points in their first when they are not in use few weeks of operation. n Tackling inconsistencies in In a survey of Addison Lee EV infrastructure provision across drivers, 93% said they had not found London by ensuring that there are rapid charging through the public enough charging points in every network to be an easy process. More London borough. than half (57%) reported charge Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin said: “COP26 points were broken or damaged, while more to all EV owners. Addison Lee claims previous was a clear reminder of the responsibility than a third (37%) said it took them more than independent research shows that if London’s every business has to reduce its carbon output 30 minutes to find a vacant rapid charger. private hire vehicle and taxi fleets all shift and tackle the climate crisis. By pledging to The private hire giant has called for urgent to full EV, then approximately 8,500 rapid electrify by 2023 we are playing our part in investment in the London public charging chargers will be required in the capital. network to make it fit for purpose. In a And new research published by the Society of reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in the capital. But our commitment is statement, the company said: “Without the Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) not enough. To meet London’s 2030 net zero right support, these issues pose a challenge showed that availability of public charging to the PHV and taxi industry’s adoption points is far behind the sale of electric vehicles, carbon target, every fleet operating in London needs to transition to electric as quickly as of electric, and their ability to contribute with only one point installed for every 52 EVs possible.” positively to the Mayor of London’s 2030 net sold.

Griffin continued: “To achieve this requires zero carbon target.”

Addison Lee warned that an absence urgent investment in London’s public charging Addison Lee introduced the first 100 of sufficient, working charging points network. Our experience of our EV rollout so Volkswagen ID.4 cars into its fleet in November. (insufficiency), a failure to maximise the The company eventually plans to have 4,000 utilisation of each charging point (inefficiency), far has highlighted the huge infrastructure challenge we face as a city. Unless we can work electric vehicles, and hopes to have a fully and the uneven location spread in the public together to fix this, we will never reduce carbon electric fleet by 2023. This should remove 20,000 charging network (inconsistency), risk tonnes of CO2 from London’s air each year, the compromising the ability of fleets in the capital emissions to an acceptable level in the capital.”

Griffin said Addison Lee would share data to make the transition to EVs. company said. from its own EV rollout across the capital The firm calls for the public and private Transport for London has estimated that with authorities and infrastructure networks, sector to come together to urgently address London will need almost 4,000 rapid EV including insight into the specific challenges it charging points by 2030, but currently just over these issues, focusing on three critical areas: faces. n Swiftly ramping up the number of rapid 600 are in place, and these are not available

BMW gives first glimpse of allelectric i7 on test BMW has released the first photographs of its forthcoming i7 all-electric luxury saloon undergoing winter testing in Sweden prior to a 2022 launch.

The photos show a disguised prototype, but the car is very clearly a threebox saloon, which may give BMW an advantage in the

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chauffeur sector against key rival Mercedes-Benz, which has opted for more of a coupéprofile with its new EQS

electric limousine.

The BMW i7, which has been developed in tandem with other ICE and hybrid

versions of the next 7-series, is expected to have range of around 400 miles and a highvoltage battery, allowing ultra-fast charging at 350kW charge points.

BMW describes the i7 as “a luxury saloon that is characterised by uncompromised elegance and refinement”. The car will be revealed early in 2022 and will be on sale by mid-year.

—Mark Bursa

DEC/JAN 21/22

Innovative taxi operators are using what3words for smoother rides Companies across the UK have integrated what3words through their software providers to help drivers find exact pick-up and drop-off locations. A what3words address is a unique combination of three random words that identifies a specific 3 metre square. It’s an easy way to find and navigate to precise locations anywhere in the UK.

Get what3words enabled by visiting what3words.com/uk-taxis Software partners

news

DG Cars takes East Midlands contract as Arrow Cars scales back airport work Mark Bursa Nottingham-based DG Cars has made a major strategic acquisition with the takeover of Arrow Cars East Midlands. The move gives DG the contract to operate the official taxi service from East Midlands Airport operation, and includes the former Arrow Cars operation in Hucknall.

The move sees Leeds-based Arrow Cars exit from a second airport contract in as many months following its decision to resign from its contract to serve Birmingham Airport, citing a lack of drivers as the problem.

Arrow Cars has diversified into food distribution and retailing during the pandemic, setting up the successful Arrow Fresh business in 2020 in response to a collapse in its taxi services, which are largely airport-based. It also serves Leeds-Bradford, Bristol and Newcastle Airports.

DG Cars has also diversified into food delivery via its DG Delivery business, another pandemic move, which won it two Gold Awards at Professional Driver’s QSi Awards last month.

Uber adds new app features to improve safety Mark Bursa Uber has added new features to its app in a bid to improve safety. New technology will detect unusual routes, prolonged stops or if a trip finishes in a different location to the destination, and contacts both passenger and driver to check that everything is OK. Drivers and riders can confirm there is no problem, or they can take other actions such

Shrewsbury Taxis signs up to Uber Local Cab scheme Shrewsbury Taxis is the latest highprofile private hire operator to sign up to the fast-growing Uber Local

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In a statement, DG said: “This acquisition will enable us to improve services to both riders and drivers at East Midlands Airport, ensuring resources to cover all existing work while developing services further.”

Last month Arrow Cars wrote to its Birmingham-based drivers to announce the immediate closure of its Birmingham Airport contract. Arrow won the contract in 2018, becoming the first private hire company to serve the airport as an alternative to black cabs.

The company wrote: “It has been apparent

for a significant period that we do not have sufficient drivers to perform our contract with Birmingham Airport. Our contract with the airport has now ended. We fully appreciate the shock this will cause but there is nothing we can do.”

Around 20 drivers were affected by the closure, and the drivers were requested to return vehicles to the airport with immediate effect.

Arrow told them in its letter: “We fully understand we haven’t performed as the contract and our presence at the airport was turning embarrassing.” Arrow said that if it had “another 10 drivers or so” it would have been able to continue the business.

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “It is with regret that Arrow Cars has decided to suspend its operation at Birmingham Airport, particularly as passenger volumes are recovering incredibly well. Passengers can continue to use the alternative black cab services available around the clock at the airport, which are located outside the terminal building.”

YouGov poll of more than 2,000 as contacting the emergenwomen to gauge opinions. cy services via the EmergenThe survey found that 72% cy Button. A specialist safety of women feel their safety is team may also follow up with protected when they’re using a phone call. an app whose journey details Uber has also teamed up can be shared with friends with Home Safe, an organiand family. Seven out of ten sation that offers free vouch(70%) feel more safe when ers to Londoners who need they’re in a vehicle whose help getting home. The iniwhereabouts can be tracked tial phase will see Uber cover using an app.

1,000 codes worth £10 for anyBex Xiao, Head of Community Operations, one to use who contacts the organisation.

Uber is also publishing a new report, Driving Uber UK, said: “The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app Safety Forward, that sheds light on the technologies and processes that help make their service is a top priority, which is why we have bolstered safe. The ride-hailing company commissioned a the safety features available on the Uber app.”

Cab scheme. Shrewsbury Taxis last year launched the successful Shrewsbury Eats service, which helped its drivers keep active during the pandemic.

Now the company will handle any Uber bookings in Shrewsbury, where the Uber app was opened

6,000 times in September, but no cabs were available. Now anyone opening the Uber app in Shrewsbury will be presented with the Local Cab option, which connects them with Shrewsbury Taxis.

Matt Young, director of Shrewsbury Taxis, said: “This

provides another way for customers to book with us – and for anyone visiting Shrewsbury that already uses the Uber app, Local Cab will make it easy for them to book a ride with a local operator.”

—Mark Bursa

DEC/JAN 21/22

news

Gatwick Airport charging flagship heads Gridserve EV infrastructure investment Mark Bursa Gridserve has announced it will build more than 20 new EV charging hubs across the UK motorway network in the first half of 2022.

In addition, it plans to open ‘Electric Foreourts’ at Gatwick and Norwich international airports. These will follow the blueprint of Gridserve’s first Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex, which opened in 2020.

Gridserve says the moves are the biggest upgrade of motorway EV charging infrastructure in UK history. Each ‘Electric Hub’ will feature between 6 and 12 350kW ultra-high-power chargers with contactless payment, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes. These will replace old Ecotricity chargers following Gridserve’s takeover of Ecotricity in June 2021.

Since the acquisition, Gridserve has invested tens of millions of pounds in the network to develop the new Electric Hubs, as it replaces the 300-plus motorway chargers it inherited from Ecotricity, and install 130 additional AC chargers to cater for all types of EVs. Gridserve said the majority of the 20 new Electric Hubs will be installed by the end of March, and a second phase of a further 50 sites will follow.

The Gatwick Airport Electric Forecourt site is the first in the world to be hosted at an international airport. This, and the one at Norwich airport, are under construction and are due to open in 2022.

Several additional Electric Forecourt sites now also have planning permission including Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough, with more than 30 additional sites also under development as part of the company’s commitment to deliver more than 100 Electric Forecourts.

Gridserve said some of the Electric Hubs would be located in areas traditionally left behind in the EV transition, including Wales and Cornwall.

Since the acquisition, Gridserve has invested tens of millions of pounds in the network to develop the

Wolverhampton site becomes first of Osprey’s 150 planned EV charging hubs Osprey Charging has opened the first of its planned 150 electric vehicle dynamic charging hubs. The site, in Wolverhampton, is the first site in the UK to use Kempower smart charging technology, which uses power balancing technology to maximise the

DEC/JAN 21/22

Gridserve’s planned EV Charging sites

new Electric Hubs, replace the 300+ existing motorway chargers it inherited from Ecotricity, and install 130 additional AC chargers to cater for all types of EVs. Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, said: “Our mission is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change. Getting people into electric vehicles is a big part of our vision, but to do that, charging has to be simple and free of anxiety.”

The Gatwick Electric Forecourt has been developed in partnership with Gatwick Airport. It is located on the Ring Road South approach to Gatwick’s South Terminal and adjacent to the M23. It will enable 36 EVs to be charged simultaneously, with highpower chargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power, capable of adding 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes. Multiple charging connectors will cater for all types of electric cars.

The site is due to open in autumn 2022 and will host a café, waiting lounge with free WiFi, convenience supermarket, children’s play area and a dedicated educational space to increase awareness around electric vehicles. The Norwich Electric Forecourt is scheduled to open in April 2022, and will mirror the setup at Gatwick. As with all of Gridserve’s chargers, the site will also be supplied with low cost, 100% renewable net zero carbon energy generated by Gridserve’s own solar farms.

number of chargers at a location.

The hub includes four ultra-fast chargers capable of adding 100 miles of range to compatible EVs in just 10 minutes. There will be branch of Costa Coffee at the site for drivers to use while they recharge their cars.

It is located just off the A463, and more than 130,000 vehicles pass the site every day. A recent report predicts that there will be 1.7 million EVs in the Midlands by 2030 compared with –around 45,000 at present. Factors,

ELECTRIC HUBS urrently under construction u C – Swansea (Moto) – Heston West (Moto) – Severn View (Moto) – Wetherby (Moto) – Burton in Kendall (Moto) – Exeter (Moto) – Woolley Edge North (Moto) – Woolley Edge South (Moto) – Thurrock (Moto) – Leigh Delamere Westbound (Moto) – Reading West (Moto) u S tarting construction early next year – Reading East (Moto) – Grantham North (Moto) – Scotch Corner (Moto) – Washington North (Moto) – Washington South (Moto) – Cornwall Services – Annandale (Roadchef) – Magor (Roadchef) – Rownhams North (Roadchef) – Durham (Roadchef) – Watford Gap North (Roadchef) – Watford Gap South (Roadchef) – Northampton North (Roadchef) – Northampton South (Roadchef) – Strensham North (Roadchef) – Strensham South (Roadchef) ELECTRIC FORECOURTS urrently under construction u C – Norwich (opening April 2022) – Gatwick (opening Autumn 2022) u P lanning permission secured – Uckfield – Gateshead – Plymouth – Bromborough

such as Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone introduced in June 2021, are accelerating the switch to EVs. Osprey is investing £75 million in its UK-wide EV charging hub roll-out, which will see a total of 1,500 150175kW rapid chargers installed across 150 sites nationwide over the next four years.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “The opening of our high-powered charging hub in Wolverhampton – the first of 10 in

construction this year – once again puts the region at the leading edge of innovation, marking a step-change in the UK’s EV infrastructure as we accelerate towards mass adoption of EVs. The site, which deploys multiple high-powered chargers, will provide a blueprint for hundreds more right across the UK, meaning no waiting times for drivers and an overall outstanding customer experience.

—Mark Bursa

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Dp

Delivery Point

awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Back with a bang!

T

he coronavirus pandemic meant

we couldn’t hold the QSi Awards in 2020 – but we more than made up for it in 2021 with the biggest and best celebration of all that’s good about this industry.

The eighth annual Professional Driver QSi Awards dinner saw us move the event to a new venue – the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. And those who made the trip were treated to a night to remember as we rewarded the best operators and drivers with Gold, Silver and Bronze QSi Awards.

In addition, we revealed our Cars of the Year for 2021. We’re very proud of our Car of the Year Awards – they are the most thorough readerjudged car awards anywhere in the automotive industry.

Our QSi Awards dinner is firmly established as the number one social event for our industry, and it was good to re-establish it in its regular slot in the calendar. As well as celebrating the best operators and drivers in the business, it gives the industry a great chance to catch up and network.

In this special issue of Professional Driver, you’ll be able to find out who were the big winners at the eighth annual Professional Driver QSi and Car of the Year awards.

We had some great battles for gold, with some past champions battling it out against some tremendous first-time entries. And with more entries than ever before, judging the winners is certainly getting harder and harder each year.

This year’s awards rewarded the resilience and innovation that companies displayed during the covid crisis, keeping the country moving, delivering food and medicines, getting key workers to work and helping the elderly and vulnerable.

Everyone who attended was a hero.

This year’s ceremony was expertly helmed by our regular host, broadcaster and racing driver Amanda Stretton. And the aftershow party carried on well into the small hours.

We’d like to thank all the supporting the QSi event, all our sponsors for making it possible, and all the readers who helped us get the right results at our Car of the Year judging event in August. And in particular, I’d like to thank Jon Hill, Mike Galvin, Steve Sommerfeld and Gary Jacobs for going the extra mile in helping us judge the QSi Awards.

The pictures over the next few pages are designed to give a flavour of the evening. See who you can spot!

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Business Diversification Award

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The Winners Gold Silver Bronze

DG Cars, Nottingham Need-A-Cab, Plymouth Cabs Smart, Ipswich

Go ld

his is a new award for 2021, designed to reflect initiatives to develop new lines of business. The Covid pandemic certainly made these initiatives more important as a way of keeping cars and drivers working when the regular business had disappeared.

Our Gold winner, Nottingham’s DG Cars, saw the opportunity to provide a better local service than the national chains in the growing food delivery market. Working with local restaurants, it launched DG Delivery, and actually grew its driver numbers during the pandemic.

When Uber announced it would be giving work to local cab firms, many operators were sceptical. But our Silver winner didn’t run away – instead it ran towards the fire, and became the first company to work with the ride-hailing giant. And the decision has paid off, with growing work and drivers returning to work for Plymouth’s Need-A-Cab. The Bronze winner was Ipswich’s Cabs Smart, which launched an innovative new service this year for some of the rural towns it serves – an easy-to-use, on-demand taxi-bus service called Katch, which uses electric minibuses.

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DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

Chauffeur [1-10 vehicles]

C

hauffeurs have had it tough in the

past 18 months. With international travel at a standstill and workers furloughed or working from home, much of their traditional business has disappeared. But some have prospered through the troubled period.

A relative newcomer, Manchester-based Driven By Liberty, won Gold. Two years ago it won Gold for best New-Start Operator, and now it’s beating established operators. The company acted to mitigate the impact of Covid by installing innovative and bespoke partitions in its cars, as well as air purification devices, putting driver and customer safety at the forefront.

Silver QSi winner Parkers Executive of Newcastle-upon-Tyne won a Gold QSi Award back in the first year of the Awards in 2013. It’s a strong regional operator that used the pandemic downtime to review and improve every aspect of its business, reinforcing its position as the best in its region.

Our Bronze winner is Camberley-based JRA Chauffeur Drive. This small business offers an exceptional standard of personal customer service and attention to detail, tailoring its offering to its customers’ needs.

The Winners Gold Driven By Liberty, Manchester Silver Parkers Executive Bronze JRA Chauffeur Drive, Camberley SPONSORED BY

Roll of Honour 2019 Gold Belgraves of London, Sutton Silver Smart City Prestige, London Bronze Drive Arrive, Huntingdon Bronze MET Chauffeur Services, Erskine 2018 Gold Belgraves of London, Sutton Silver MET Chauffeur Services, Erskine Bronze Orion Luxury Services, London Bronze AZ Luxe, London 2017 Gold Orion Luxury, London Silver Cole Executive Hire, Malmesbury Bronze Chauffeur Travel, Bath 2016 Gold Alpha Executive, Bury St Edmunds Silver MLC Chauffeurs, Chorley Bronze Driving Force, Tunbridge Wells Bronze Home James, Birmingham 2015 Gold Chirton Grange, Rochester Silver Near and Far, Fakenham Bronze Park Executive, Sunderland 2014 Gold Park Executive, Sunderland Silver Elite Chauffeur Services, Edinburgh Bronze Chirton Grange, Rochester 2013 Gold Parkers Executive, Newcastle Silver Driving Force, Tunbridge Wells Bronze Location Chauffeurs, South Mimms

DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Chauffeur [11+ vehicles]

W

e’ve lowered the bar from 31+ for big chauffeur companies this year to reflect the damage Covid has caused on the sector. It was reassuring to see so many companies coming through the pandemic wounded but intact, and already starting to rebuild. Winning Gold in this category is a tough ask. But Belgraves of London is used to winning Gold QSi Awards. It has been dominant in the 1-10 class, winning gold in 2018 and 2019. This year, it’s moved up a division, growing the fleet despite the pandemic. And Belgraves has not only grown, it has adapted, survived – and electrified, adding new electric and plug-in hybrid cars to the fleet. iChauffeur is another former Gold QSi winner with a strong reputation – but which has had to bounce back from a 95% drop in business in the early stages of the pandemic. Methodically, the company set about restructuring its website and booking system, as well as developing Covid protocols that soon became the industry benchmark, earning it the Silver QSi Award.

Our Bronze winner, AZ Luxe, has a growing fleet and customer base, SPONSORED BY and a focus on family values. During the lockdowns it won new accounts, allowing it to retain all its chauffeurs and recruit new ones.

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Belgraves of London, Sutton iChauffeur, London AZ Luxe, London

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2019 Gold Fylde Executive Cars, Blackpool Silver iChauffeur, London Bronze Embassy Cars, London 2018 Gold iChauffeur, London Silver Embassy Cars, London Bronze Herts Executive, Welwyn Garden City 2017 Gold iChauffeur, London Silver Driven UK, Horley Bronze Herts Executive, Welwyn Garden City 2016 Gold Airport Lynx, Cambridge Silver Auto Executive Corporate Travel, Redcar Bronze Driven UK, Horley 2015 Gold Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham Silver Capstar Chauffeurs, London Bronze Airport Lynx, Cambridge Bronze Home James, Birmingham 2014 Gold Capstar Chauffeurs, London Silver Airport Lynx, Cambridge Bronze England Limousines, London 2013 Gold Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham Silver Fylde Executive, Blackpool Bronze England Limousines, London

Gold Silver Bronze

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Roll of Honour

The Winners

DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Community Award The Winners Gold Silver Bronze

Cabs Smart, Ipswich Radio Taxis, Southampton Castle Cars, Tonbridge

SPONSORED BY

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HE QSI COMMUNITY AWARD AIMS TO reward those operators that make an extraordinary effort to provide an exceptional service for local businesses and organisations. Our Gold winner is one of the smaller companies in this category. But Ipswich’s Cabs Smart has a phenomenal and highly personal focus on local charities. And on top of that, it’s managed to make something work in its local area that major car companies have failed to achieve in London: the Katch electric on-demand taxi-bus.

The Silver Community QSi award winner, Southampton’s Radio Taxis, is renowned for being a true part of the fabric of its home city. As well as supporting elderly and vulnerable people through the pandemic, it lobbied its local council to provide better support for drivers – and succeeded. The judges were impressed by the sheer number of locally-focused initiatives the company carries out.

The Bronze QSi Community Award winner is an outstanding servant to its town. Tonbridge’s Castle Cars offers old-fashioned personal service, which meant it offered a “cabs for jabs” service for elderly and vulnerable customers – funded by local businesses under a crowdfunding scheme. And despite a massive hit to its business, it continued supporting local charities and providing special training for all its drivers to ensure the highest standards.

Roll of Honour 2019 Gold Silver Bronze Bronze 2018 Gold Silver Bronze 2017 Gold Silver Bronze 2016 Gold Silver Bronze 2015 Gold Silver Bronze 2014 Gold Silver Bronze 2013 Gold Silver Bronze

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Royal Cars, Oxford Veezu, Newport GLH, London Street Cars, Manchester GLH, London Q Despatch, London Royal Cars, Oxford Street Cars, Manchester GLH, London Solway Private Hire, Silloth Solway Private Hire, Silloth Castle Cars, Tonbridge GLH, London Solway Private Hire, Silloth GLH, London Argyle Taxis, Birkenhead Solway Private Hire, Silloth GLH, London Posh Limousines, Stoke-on-Trent Fylde Executive, Blackpool Pryors, Didcot GLH, London

DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

Marketing Award The Winners Gold Silver Bronze

CamCab, Cambridge Take Me Group, Leicester DG Cars, Nottingham

SPONSORED BY

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H

ow do you promote your operations in a creative and original way, when you’re faced with the biggest operating crisis in decades?

The QSi Award for Marketing has been hard won this year. The judges were looking for Chauffeur, taxi or Private Hire operators, large or small, that make use of innovative or creative marketing and advertising across a range of media, and can show how this has improved their businesses.

How do you really stand out from the crowd?

Our Gold QSi Marketing winner, Cambridge-based CamCab, remembered a simple rule. Try and put a smile on people’s faces. From free MOT tests for NHS workers to free ice creams on a hot day – from the company’s own ice cream van – to simply changing the company logo to have a smiley face on it. CamCab remembered that the little things count for a lot.

The company that took Silver has been one of the stories of the year. Take Me Group has used social media and a strong brand story to grow its business.

By vigorously promoting itself to the industry, it has started building a national network of local operators, all working together. Our Bronze winner acted quickly to help its customers get essential supplies of bread and milk in the early days of lockdown. And the clever part was using social media and its own PR activities to draw attention to this – resulting in massive exposure on TV and in the national media. And that led to a successful expansion into food delivery for Nottingham’s DG Cars.

Roll of Honour Station Taxis, Sunderland 001 Taxis, Oxford Street Cars, Manchester Street Cars, Manchester Radio Taxis, Southampton Royal Cars, Oxford GLH, London Addison Lee, London Go Green Taxis, Didcot Go Green Taxis, Didcot Addison Lee, London Airport Lynx, Cambridgeshire Spotty Cars, London Addison Lee, London Airport Lynx, Cambridge Tristar Worldwide, London White 7, Shrewsbury Capstar Chauffeurs, London

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White 7, Shrewsbury Reliance Worldwide, London Tristar Worldwide, London

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2019 Gold Silver Bronze 2018 Gold Silver Bronze 2017 Gold Silver Bronze 2016 Gold Silver Bronze 2015 Gold Silver Bronze 2014 Gold Silver Bronze 2013 Gold Silver Bronze

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

ur industry is in the firing line as

local authorities bring in tough clean air policies, so operators are having to take the green side of their business very seriously. This category recognises companies that have shown a genuine commitment to adopting environmentallyfriendly policies that have made a positive impact.

Our Environment Gold QSi winner has proud record of winning a QSi Award in every year since we started the awards in 2013. London’s GLH has been at the forefront of the green revolution for two decades. It was an early adopter of hybrids, and now expects to have a 100% zero-emissions fleet by next year. With industry standard ISO 14001 accreditation in the bag too, GLH has a true commitment to sustainability.

Our Silver QSi eco-warrior has embraced electrification, replacing most of its diesel fleet with electric and hybrid cars – with more on order. And it has installed chargers at its office and at some of its drivers’ homes, helping them become champions of green chauffeuring in London. A second award on the night goes to Belgraves of London.

The Bronze winner was also returning to the podium. Parkers Executive of Newcastle-upon-Tyne has taken a methodical approach to reducing its environmental impact. It has introduced cleaner cars, a carbon offsetting policy and a systematic approach to reducing dead miles and waste.

The Winners Gold Silver Bronze

GLH, London Belgraves of London, Sutton Parkers Executive, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

SPONSORED BY

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Environmental Award

Roll of Honour

Greentomato Cars, London DG Cars, Nottingham Parker Car Service, London Addison Lee, London Greentomato Cars, London Cloud Cars, Nottingham Addison Lee, London eConnect Cars, London Cloud Cars, Nottingham GLH,London eConnect Cars, London Addison Lee, London Go Green Taxis, Didcot eConnect Cars, London Phoenix Taxis, Blyth Greentomato Cars, London Climatecars, London GLH, London Cloud Cars, Nottingham

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DG Group, Nottingham 001 Taxis, Oxford GLH, London

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2019 Gold Silver Bronze 2018 Gold Silver Bronze 2017 Gold Silver Bronze 2016 Gold Silver Bronze Bronze 2015 Gold Silver Bronze 2014 Gold Silver Bronze 2013 Gold Silver Bronze

DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

New-Start Operator taxi and chauffeur businesses that have only recently become established in the market. It’s open to companies that have either started operating or undergone a major change of management or direction since the start of 2017.

Our Gold winner is another pandemic start-up. With a vastly experienced team and strong backing, Chabé has been a textbook case study in how to do everything right, with a growing fleet of luxury cars and a growing reputation for quality.

The Silver New-Start QSi award goes to a chauffeur who ignored the pandemic and pressed ahead his dream of running his own company. And it’s worked, with blue-chip clients and an upgrade from an E-class to an S-class after just a few months. A brave decision has paid off for our local winner – Newport-based Carl Harris of Luxstar.

Our bronze winner, NI Chauffeurs, only started operations in 2018, but has raised the standard in its region, being voted the best chauffeur company in Northern Ireland for the past two years – and the first QSi Winner from across the Irish Sea. Sadly owner Mick Hedley was working and couldn’t attend.

Roll of Honour 2019 Gold Driven By Liberty, Manchester Silver OnCue Transport, London Bronze Tadley Cars, Tadley 2018 Gold Excel Executive, London Silver Wayland Executive Cars, Watton Bronze AZ Luxe, London 2017 Gold Orion Luxury, London Silver London Luxury Chauffeuring, London Bronze Myhills Mini Coaches, Cambridge 2016 Alpha Executive, Bury St Edmunds Gold Silver Near and Far, Fakenham Bronze EA Chauffeurs, Byfleet 2015 Gold eConnect Cars, London Silver Portfolio Executive, Woking Bronze Alpha Executive, Bury St Edmunds 2014 Gold Capstar Chauffeurs, London Silver Park Executive, Sunderland Bronze London SilverBlack, London

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Gold Silver Bronze

Chabé, London Luxstar, Newport NI Chauffeurs, Belfast

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SPONSORED BY

The Winners

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he New-Start Operator Award aims to reward private hire,

DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

Private Hire: 1-80 vehicles U

sually this is one of the most popular QSi Categories –

after all, the small, local private hire and taxi fleets are the lifeblood of our business. But Coronavirus has had a devastating effect on this part of the sector, resulting in many of these companies closing or being taken over by bigger local rivals.

With just two entries, the judges had a difficult job. Both Cabs Smart and Castle Cars did exceptional things with an intense focus on supporting their local communities. They did more than just survive – they enhanced their already strong local reputations. And they’d already made trips they’ve to the stage to collect trophies on the night.

But how to split them? We decided not to. Instead, the judges decided to make an exception. Both these companies deserve Gold, so they’re both received Gold. Congratulations to Castle Cars of Tonbridge and Cabs Smart of Ipswich, which took its second Gold QSi Award of the night.

The Winners Gold Gold

Castle Cars, Tonbridge Cabs Smart, Ipswich

Roll of Honour 2019 Gold Silver Bronze 2018 Gold Silver Silver 2017 Gold Silver Silver Bronze 2016 Gold Silver Bronze 2015 Gold Silver

Your Local Car, Camberley OnCue Transport, London Castle Cars, Tonbridge

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SPONSORED BY

Location Cars, London Castle Cars, Tonbridge Pryors, Didcot Go Green Taxis, Didcot Cabs Smart, Ipswich Location Cars, London Castle Cars, Tonbidge Go Green Taxis, Didcot Castle Cars, Tonbridge Cloud Cars, Nottingham Go Green Taxis, Didcot Alpha Executive Cars, Bury St Edmunds Castle Cars, Tonbridge

Bronze 2014 Gold Pryors Cars, Didcot Silver Castle Cars, Tonbridge Bronze On Time Travel, Warrington 2013 Gold On Time Travel, Warrington Silver Cloud Cars, Nottingham Bronze Bolton Airport Transfers, Bolton

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DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

his is the category for the

big guns in private hire – and it always attracts seriously highquality entries from some of the biggest and most successful large fleet operators.

Our Gold QSi winner is a company that set the benchmark for a way through the pandemic. By diversifying into deliveries, DG Cars of Nottingham kept all its drivers on the road – and even recruited some new ones. Add in a strong green ethos and you have the perfect large private hire operator.

The Silver QSi Award goes to a company that has built on its strong position in its home city, helping everyone from students to the elderly with a raft of initiatives and good ideas. It’s a second Silver of the night for Radio Taxis of Southampton.

Our Bronze QSi Award goes to a company that has won gold here before.

During the pandemic, Street Cars of Manchester launched a number of initiatives to help local people and NHS workers. With innovation and a strong focus on its local area at its core, the company is always going to be a contender.

The Winners Gold Silver Bronze

DG Cars, Nottingham Radio Taxis, Southampton Street Cars, Manchester SPONSORED BY

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Private Hire: 81+ vehicles

Roll of Honour

Street Cars, Manchester Royal Cars,Oxford Green Tomato Cars, London Parker Car Service, London Royal Cars,Oxford Carrot Cars, London Addison Lee, London Parker Car Service, London GLH, London Phoenix Taxis, Blyth Parker Car Service, London Addison Lee, London Phoenix Taxis, Blyth GLH, London Greentomato Cars, London GLH, London The Keen Group, London Climatecars, London

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Radio Taxis, Southampton Street Cars, Manchester Veezu, Newport

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2019 Gold Silver Bronze 2018 Gold Silver Bronze 2017 Gold Silver Bronze 2016 Gold Silver Bronze 2015 Gold Silver Bronze 2014 Gold Silver Bronze 2013 Gold Silver Bronze

DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

The Winners Gold

Joe Tranter, Belgraves of London, Sutton Silver Kenneth Bond, City of Birmingham Bronze Peter Mangion, Oracle Chauffeurs, Westcott, Surrey

[FROM LEFT] Lee Connelly of BMW presents Joe Tranter with his Professional Driver of the Year trophy, alongside QSi host Amanda Stretton

SPONSORED BY

F

Professional Driver of the Year 2021 inally, the Professional Driver of the

Year. It’s our Flagship Award, and goes to individual private hire drivers or chauffeurs, who provides the absolute highest standard of service, in terms of driving skills, customer service, personality, and ability to represent their company.

Our Gold QSi Professional Driver of the Year, 2021, is Belgraves of London chauffeur Joe Tranter. Joe displays an intense focus on detail, giving him the highest satisfaction rates with some of the most demanding clients, including some notoriously hard-to-please Hotel Concierges.

This is a chauffeur who will go the extra mile for his clients – literally, in some cases, going to a particular bakery to buy a client’s preferred pastry. In addition, he’s become an early adopter of an electric vehicle, helping his

36

employer lead the way in transitioning to an electric fleet.

His employer says: “He always puts the company and the client first. His motivation solely comes from wanting the client to walk away satisfied and impressed.”

Our Silver winner is a private chauffeur working for a major city council, driving senior dignitaries.

City of Birmingham chauffeur Kenneth Bond has a list of qualifications as long as your arm, and a complete focus on customer service, making him everything a first-class chauffeur should be.

Our Bronze QSi Award for Professional Driver of the Year goes to Oracle Chauffeurs’ Peter Mangion.

Peter is a chauffeur who tried something different.

Rather than a regular car or MPV, he looked for something bigger – but to the same standard – and commissioned a custom-made luxury 8-seater minibus.

As a result, he’s created his own niche.

DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

Roll of Honour

DEC/JAN 21/22

ze on Br

r lve Si City of Birmingham chauffeur Kenneth Bond

Oracle Chauffeurs’ Peter Mangion

2019 Gold Scott Phillpot, Belgraves of London Silver Steve Sommerfeld, Marshalls of Cambridge Bronze Peter Conisbee, Drive Arrive 2018 Gold Paul Garratt, Excel Executive Silver Terry McCann, Herts Executive Bronze Stuart Johnson, Wayland 2017 Gold Hilary Hutchinson, Lakeland Chauffeurs Silver Simon Peacock, Capstar Chauffeurs Bronze Marc Brodie, GLH Bronze Bogdan Tepes, Herts Executive 2016 Gold Andrew Matthews, Alpha Executive Cars Silver Paul Bhamra, Tristar Worldwide Bronze Michael Browne, Driven Worldwide 2015 Gold Danny Richards, Capstar Chauffeurs Silver Hilary Hutchinson, Lakeland Chauffeurs Bronze Paul Stanley,Tristar Worldwide 2014 Gold Eric Bonful, Greentomato Cars Silver Kevin Willis, Chirton Grange Bronze Paul Alleman,Tristar Worldwide Bronze Clive Pearce, England Limousines 2013 Gold Robert Mroczek, England Limousines Silver Andrew Fowler, Location Chauffeurs Bronze Maurice Holman, Tristar Worldwide

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

An electric atmosphere!

G

reat cars, great weather and a

great turnout marked the return of the Professional Driver Car of the Year judging event in August.

The much-loved event couldn’t happen last year, so we were delighted to be able to invite our friends in the industry to the first post-Covid social event of 2021.

One thing had changed – we moved from our traditional home of Sandown Park to another Surrey racecourse, Epsom, as Sandown has been pressed into vital service as a Coronavirus vaccination centre.

Our new location was well received, and we’d like to thank the Epsom staff for being so welcoming. And, of course, we’d like to thank everyone who turned up to judge, especially those

38

who travelled long distances, from as far as the West Country, South Wales and Lancashire.

We had a terrific selection of cars, including many of the latest plug-in hybrid and electric models, giving judges a chance to sample the cars that will form their future fleets.

The Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards are still the most rigorous in the industry.

The judges include heads of chauffeur and private hire firms, experienced chauffeurs and carefully chosen editors and journalists, who bring their objective eye and road testing experience to bear.

Every shortlisted car is delivered to the venue for evaluation by our panel. Having all the vehicles together on the same day gives the judges a rare chance to evaluate competing products back-toback, in real-world conditions. At the end of the

SPONSORED BY

day, the scores are totalled for each car and divided by the number of test drives to which that car was subjected, giving an overall average score.

Finally, the Professional Driver team factors in further marks for the financial aspects of owning and operating each car. We use special pence-per-mile running cost data sourced from leading analysts Fleet Audits, based around typical chauffeur or private hire mileages.

This thorough and comprehensive process means we’re as certain as we can be that we’ve got a far result – and we know how and why the results have been achieved. Here’s a gallery of images from the judging days.

DEC/JAN 21/22

CAR OF THE YEAR

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

CAR OF THE YEAR DEC/JAN 21/22

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

Luxury SUV of the Year

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Audi e-tron SHORTLIST • BMW X5 • Lexus UX300e • Mercedes-Benz EQC • • Mercedes-Benz GLE PHEV •

Roll of Honour Chris Stephens of Audi

S

uvs make great electric and hybrid

cars as there’s plenty of room under the floor to stash the battery pack. And our shortlist includes both full electric and

40

PHEV models. In the end, it was a battery-electric car that triumphed. With an outstanding combination of space, quality and performance, our Luxury SUV of the year is the Audi e-tron.

2019 BMW X7 2018 Audi Q8 50 quattro 2017 Volvo XC60 D5 2016 Audi Q7 3.0TDI SE 2015 Volvo XC90 D5 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 LWB 2013 Range Rover Vogue SE 2012 Porsche Cayenne Diesel

DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

CAR OF THE YEAR

MPV of the Year

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Mercedes-Benz EQV SHORTLIST • BMW 225xe • Ford S-Max Hybrid • Ford Tourneo Custom PHEV • • Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life •

Roll of Honour

Brian Luff of Mercedes-Benz

T

he seven-seater market has changed

over the years, and van-based peoplemovers are now the standard. This year’s MPV of the Year has been a genuine game-

DEC/JAN 21/22

changer for chauffeurs looking to offer an electric option. With a class-leading combination of high build quality and cavernous interior space, the winner is the Mercedes-Benz EQV.

2019

Mercedes-Benz V-Class

2018

Mercedes-Benz V-Class

2017

Mercedes-Benz V-Class

2016

Seat Alhambra

2015

Ford Galaxy

2014

Ford Tourneo Custom

2013

Mercedes-Benz Viano

2012

Ford Galaxy

2011

Volkswagen Sharan

2010

Ford Galaxy

2009

Ford Galaxy

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

Estate Car of the Year – Executive

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Volvo V90 T6 SHORTLIST • BMW 330e Touring • BMW 530e Touring • Mercedes-Benz E300de • MG5 Electric • Skoda Octavia iV • • VW Passat GTE •

Roll of Honour [from left] Ricky Chivers, of Aston Lark, and Professional Driver Editor, Mark Bursa

F

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or many operators, an estate gives

more versatility than a saloon – especially if you’ve got to carry passengers with luggage. The Estate Car of the Year

category was a closely fought contest, where plug-in hybrids are still the main option. Our winner is the Volvo V90 T6, offering great looks and class-leading loadspace.

2019 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

BMW 520d Touring (Executive) Skoda Octavia Estate (Private Hire) Mazda 6 Tourer Mercedes-Benz E220d Estate Skoda Superb BMW 520d Touring SE BMW 520d Touring SE

DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

CAR OF THE YEAR

Executive Car of the Year

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Tesla Model 3 SHORTLIST • BMW 330e • BMW 530e • • Mercedes-Benz E300de • • Polestar 2 • Volvo S90 T6 •

Roll of Honour

Josh Middleton of Tesla

T

he Executive Car is the lifeblood of

the chauffeur sector – and this is a very competitive sector. Over the years BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volvo have all taken

DEC/JAN 21/22

the honours. But this year we had a very different outcome. You have to go electric to avoid the London congestion charge, and the car the judges all agreed was the best in this class was the Tesla Model 3.

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

Audi A6 TDI BMW 630d Gran Turismo Mercedes-Benz E220d Mercedes-Benz E220d Audi A6 2.0TDI Ultra Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTec Hybrid Volvo S80 BMW 530d Gran Turismo BMW 530d Gran Turismo Mercedes-Benz E250

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

Chauffeur Car of the Year

SPONSORED BY

Winner: BMW 745Le SHORTLIST • Audi A8L PHEV • Mercedes-Benz S350L • Porsche Taycan • Porsche Panamera PHEV

Roll of Honour

[from left] Ricky Chivers of Aston Lark with Lee Connolly of BMW

C

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hauffeurs are still waiting for

truly effective electric cars, so plug-in hybrids are still the only real option for now. This is always a close contest, but

this year we had a clear winner. Spacious, good-looking and incredibly smooth, the Chauffeur Car of the Year is the BMW 745Le plug-in hybrid.

2019 Audi A8L 50 quattro 2018 Audi A8L 50 quattro 2017 BMW 740Le 2016 BMW 730Ld 2015 Range Rover LWB Autobiography 3.0 SDV6 2014 Mercedes-Benz S300L BlueTEC Hybrid 2013 Audi A8L 3.0TDI 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350L 2011 BMW 730Ld 2010 Jaguar XJL 3.0D 2009 BMW 730Ld

DEC/JAN 21/22

Professional Driver QSI 2021 | awards

CAR OF THE YEAR

Private Hire Car of the Year

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Kia e-Niro SHORTLIST • Citroen e-C4 • Ford Mustang Mach-e • Kia Soul EV • MG5 Electric • • Nissan Leaf • Skoda Enyaq iV • • Skoda Octavia iV • • Skoda Superb iV • Toyota Mirai FCEV • • VW ID.4 • VW Passat GTE •

Roll of Honour

John Hargreaves of Kia

W

hat’s the best car for private

hire use? This was the most intensely-fought battleground, with the new generation of electric cars going head-to-head with more traditional plug-in hybrid versions of familiar saloons. But you can’t

DEC/JAN 21/22

stop the march of progress. And it was an electric car that triumphed. With more than 250 miles of range, plenty of interior space and class-leading manufacturer support, our Private Hire Car of the Year is already becoming the default option for some operators. It’s the Kia e-Niro.

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport Toyota Prius Excel Ford Mondeo Skoda Superb Ford Mondeo Skoda Octavia Greenline Skoda Superb Volkswagen Passat Skoda Superb Skoda Superb Skoda Superb

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awards | Professional Driver QSI 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

Car of the Year CAR OF THE YEAR

46

DEC/JAN 21/22

CAR OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

Winner: Mercedes-Benz EQV SHORTLIST

O

• Audi e-tron • BMW 745Le • Kia e-Niro • • Tesla Model 3 • Volvo V90 T6 • ur overall Professional Driver Car of the Year is chosen

from the six category winners. A solid selection, and with a number of new models winning their classes, it proved to be a difficult choice for the overall winner, as several cars made a strong case.

Ultimately, our Car of the Year was the clear winner in its category. It’s been a game-changer for the market, and – it’s fully electric, with an electric range in real world use of more than 250 miles.

Offering exceptional versatility as anything from an events shuttle to an aircrew transporter to a mobile boardroom, it offers high levels of comfort, massive luggage space and that crucial prestige brand. The Professional Driver Car of the Year, 2021, is the Mercedes-Benz EQV – effectively retaining the award won in 2019 by its diesel sibling, the Mercedes-Benz V220d.

It was interesting to note that our Professional Driver of the Year, Joe Tranter, is an EQV driver, and his employer, Belgraves of London, has three on its fleet with more on order. In a market where there are no truly practical electric chauffeur cars available, the EQV is spearheading the drive to electrification among chauffeur operators.

In many ways, the fact that the car is largely indistinguishable from the diesel-powered V-Class that the chauffeur sector is so familiar with, makes acceptability of the EQV much easier to achieve. Other than the lack of engine noise, the user experience is hardly any different from a standard V-Class.

Roll of Honour 2019 Mercedes-Benz V220d Extra Long 2018 Jaguar I-Pace EV400 2017 Mercedes-Benz E220d 2016 BMW 730Ld 2015 Tesla S85 2014 Mercedes-Benz S300 Hybrid 2013 Mercedes-Benz E300 Hybrid 2012 Volvo S80 D3 SE Lux 2011 BMW 730Ld 2010 Jaguar XJL 3.0D 2009 BMW 730Ld

DEC/JAN 21/22

Brian Luff of Mercedes-Benz and Ricky Chivers of Aston Lark

47

awards | Professional Driver Awards 2021

CAR OF THE YEAR

Winners at a glance Professional Driver QSi Awards 2021 Winners

Gold Silver Bronze Gold Silver Bronze

Car of the Year 2021 Winners Professional Driver Car of the Year 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQV Luxury SUV of the Year Audi e-tron MPV of the Year Mercedes-Benz EQV

48

Gold Silver Bronze Gold Gold Gold Silver Bronze Gold Silver Bronze

MPV of the Year Estate Car of the Year Volvo V90 T6

Gold Silver Bronze

MPV of the Year Executive Car of the Year Tesla Model 3

Gold Silver Bronze

MPV of the Year Chauffeur Car of the Year BMW 745Le

Gold Silver Bronze

MPV of the Year Private Hire Car of the Year Kia e-Niro

Gold Silver Bronze

Chauffeur [1-10 vehicles]

Driven By Liberty, Manchester Parkers Executive, Newcastle-upon-Tyne JRA Chauffeur Drive, Camberley

Chauffeur [11+ vehicles]

Belgraves of London, Sutton iChauffeur, London AZ Luxe, London

Private Hire: 81+ vehicles

DG Cars, Nottingham Radio Taxis, Southampton Street Cars, Manchester

Private Hire: 1-80 vehicles

Castle Cars, Tonbridge Cabs Smart, Ipswich

Community Award

Cabs Smart, Ipswich Radio Taxis, Southampton Castle Cars, Tonbridge

Environmental Award

GLH, London Belgraves of London, Sutton Parkers Executive, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Marketing Award

CamCab, Cambridge Take Me Group, Leicester DG Cars, Nottingham

New-Start Business

Chabé, London Luxstar, Newport NI Chauffeurs, Belfast

Business Diversification Award

DG Cars, Nottingham Need-A-Cab, Plymouth Cabs Smart, Ipswich

Professional Driver of the Year

Joe Tranter, Belgraves of London, Sutton Kenneth Bond, City of Birmingham Peter Mangion, Oracle Chauffeurs, Westcott, Surrey

DEC/JAN 21/22

Season’s Greetings From all of us at Aston Lark Providing tailored insurance for chauffeurs and private hire drivers

Call us on 020 8256 4916 or email us at chauffeur@astonlark.com

YOUR WORLD IS OUR FOCUS www.astonlark.com/chauffeur

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running report

BMW 745Le xDrive MSport

Reporting for duty Mark Bursa

I

ts metallic blue paint looking good

in the afternoon sun, the 745Le sits outside the main entrance of the Celtic Manor resort, on show to welcome our guests to the 2021 Professional Driver QSi Awards.

The car earned its keep on the day, ferrying display boards, PPE kits and trophies to the event. Just as many drivers have had to diversify into goods deliveries, our 7-series was also pressed into service as a light commercial!

It would be a good night for the 7-series, as you can read in this issue, with the big Beemer recapturing the Chauffeur Car of the Year Award from the winner in 2018 and 2019, the Audi A8L. With Mercedes unable to offer a plug-in hybrid, and Audi suffering superconductorrelated supply shortages, the 7-series remains the only game in town for chauffeurs. You can register one with TfL – but since October 25, all PHEVs have been liable to pay London’s £15 a day congestion charge for entering the central area of the City and West End. Unfortunately, in the absence of a realistic electric chauffeur car, everyone’s in the same boat – indeed, a PHEV is treated no more favourably than a Euro 6 diesel in C-Charge terms.

Fortunately, electric chauffeur cars are just

50

around the corner. We’ve seen the MercedesBenz EQV, and now BMW has revealed some shots of a disguised i7 undergoing coldweather testing.

The two cars make an interesting comparison. Mercedes has gone out of its way

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to make its luxury EV look very different to its regular S-Class, with a low, coupe-style roofline and a hatchback tailgate. BMW has done the opposite. The i7 is very clearly a 7-series.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the market. Will chauffeurs be lured by the three-pointed star, or will a more conventional body have an advantage?

Clearly, not all clients want a low roof line – ease of entry and exit is of vital importance, and low-roofed cars have always been at a disavantage – it was a big problem for the last Jaguar XJ. The availability of the 745Le PHEV has really helped BMW in the sector. It has made significant gains, and that has somewhat eroded Mercedes’ dominance in the chauffeur sector.

Even that restyled front from 2019, derided at the time because of the size of the kidney grille, now looks normal – if anything the grilles of older 7-series look a bit undernourished. Crucially, it made the 7-series look a lot more imposing and less like a grown-up 3-series.

It’ll be interesting to see the final treatment of the i7. As an EV, it doesn’t need a “grille” – so maybe it’ll be the nose that distinguishes the i7 from the regular 7.

We won’t have long to wait – it’ll be with us in 2022.

DEC/JAN 21/22

current affairs

A

Is public EV charging viable?

the lack of public charging infrastructure – just as Addison Lee drivers are already finding out.

The first 100 EV drivers have already responded very unfavourably in a new survey regarding the viability of public charging infrastructure: n 93% found that the required rapid charging using the public network not to ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL Tim Scrafton be an easy process.

Fleets of all shapes and sizes filling up with fuel Founder and COO n 57% of their drivers reported rapid at conveniently located petrol stations and all chargers were frequently faulty or of The Connect paying roughly the same price was a level playing damaged Consultancy field. Electric vehicles, however, are a whole n 37% found it could take over 30 minutes new ball game and it’s the charging of them that to locate a rapid charger, with availability creates huge disparities between companies and drivers alike. being a further issue When it comes to private charging infrastructure either The Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders has at home or work, there are definitely ‘the haves’ and ‘the also revealed that only one charge point is being installed have nots’. The term ‘levelling up’, popular with media for every 52 EVs sold – and this is before you get to the and politicians at present, certainly applies to charging inefficiency, reliability and availability issues. infrastructure if large-scale adoption of EVs is to take place.

It’s my experience and opinion that the availability issues There are large differences in perspective for fleets and could also be heavily connected to the reliability issue. individual drivers alike. Some face huge challenges, while This is because when a charger isn’t working the driver will others are presented with huge opportunities. immediately look for the nearest alternative available charge The lucky ones will be those companies that have plentiful point – along with everyone else – thus causing charger private parking at their depots, and drivers with private ‘gridlock’ in much the same way as road accidents cause parking and home-charging. This is something I will address related traffic bottlenecks. next month when I’ll focus on strategies to leverage this.

OTHER CHARGING OPTIONS THE CHALLENGE BEGINS Without depot or home charging there is very little else to The ratio of EVs to available rapid charging public offer. Street/kerb charging is only just at the starting line, and infrastructure is an issue vital to increasing the electric still suited only really to overnight top-ups for high-mileage fleet of private hire vehicles and taxis – and especially those drivers. reliant upon it.

CHARGING CONVENIENCE & COST DISPARITIES Until now, the stakeholders in EV charging infrastructure concentrated on deploying chargers in locations mostly Another issue for cab drivers is the cost of rapid charging, catering for private car users, located at motorway service which averages 40p per kWh. This works out at virtually stations, or typically a couple of rapid chargers in retail parks the equivalent cost to running a diesel which is capable of or pubs and hotels. around 50mpg. And you still need to factor in dwell time and These chargers are virtually all 50kW in power, but most download lots of network operator and other resource apps to EVs coming to market are now capable of charging two or locate and access the chargers – another inconvenience. three times quicker than that – so this early infrastructure – Perhaps the main concern, though, is that those reliant on such as the Ecotricity motorway services chargers, is rapidly charging at public rapid chargers will be paying up to eight becoming obsolete. times the cost of those with home charging and using timeMore problematic are city centres, where there has been of-use (TOU) tariffs – twice that of kerb charging, if it is a distinct lack of impetus or investment to cater for the available. Depot charging provides the largest scope for those growing numbers of EVs. And these are the areas where most with the commitment to gain a real market advantage. More professional drivers will need to charge, on a daily basis. on this in next month’s column.

As a high-profile example, the UK’s biggest private hire and n Tim Scrafton is founder of The Connect Consultancy black cab firm Addison Lee announced in September that it is www.theconnectconsultancy.com to transition rapidly to a fully electric fleet by 2023, through 0161 635 6553 a £160m investment and partnership with Volkswagen, in Please follow me on LinkedIn: particular choosing their ideally-suited ID.4. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-scrafton/ However, the problems start when EV fleets are exposed to s we come to the end of another

year with Covid making a comeback, and Brexit (supply chain) and Climate (CAZ) issues all causing further disruption, the question for many fleets may be: “Will 2022 be the tipping point for commercial public transport on the journey to electrification, and is it now the time to go electric?”

DEC/JAN 21/22

51

the knowledge

A patchwork of case law

W

is little certainty that any situation is likely to recent High Court judgement stay the same for long. Planning, running a may not have been a surprise business and importantly enjoying what we do – when was there ever a has rarely been this difficult. The same applies relationship between driver and customer? to predicting even the near future. Clichés – it has started the process whereby original such as ‘the only certainty is uncertainty’ are legislation appears to become almost secondary not particularly helpful but unhelpfully are to case law. probably true.

Inevitably, this will lead to a situation similar Dr Michael Galvin A NEW YEAR FILLED to the patchwork of case law that tried to deal WITH NEW CHALLENGES with the whole cross-border issue prior to the https://mobility Deregulation Act. Every New Year begs the question: will it be serviceslimited I remember giving a presentation to an better or worse than last year? But 2022 looks .com increasingly incredulous, and probably to be more difficult to call than any year I can disbelieving, European trade audience trying to explain, remember. So what advice would I give to anyone concerned forlornly, the logic of why the prevailing laws and precedents at what 2022 will bring to their business? considered it was better to send a car many miles to make I would call upon a maxim that has carried this country the pick-up than give the job to a car around the corner. through dark days. Keep calm and carry on. Some sunny day, Each of the cases, based on specific events, no doubt made things will settle down again. The balance between supply sense at the time and in isolation. But as the number of case and demand will reach an agreeable equilibrium; we will law rulings grew, so did the lack of a cohesive and sensible once again have legislation and regulation that is settled and framework. The original thinking, intent and rationale workable and each business will re-establish its niche. was lost to a panoply of decisions based on individual We probably have some tough times, tough decisions and circumstances and challenges. difficult choices to make between now and then but all cycles But the law is not the only sword of Damocles hanging have a beginning and an end. over a cash-strapped industry. There’s the move to electric The shape of the industry will inevitably change and vehicles, congestion charging, LTNs, new statutory guidance I suspect strongly will reduce in size due to a number of leading to new regulations, the impact of HMRC’s new factors: higher fares and VAT which will burn off demand; licensing requirements… the list, while not endless, is higher costs due to training, data management overheads certainly not trivial. and the migration to electric cars; a reduced driver pool So here just to top it all off is the likelihood of a 20% that will command better pay and a general increase in increase in private hire fares at a time when fares are in need overheads. of an increase to cover the costs mentioned above and the Consolidation and partnerships will replace fierce record-high operational cost increases that are led by petrol competition. Private hire and taxis will return to their and diesel prices, not to mention second-hand car values. traditional last mile, distress or luxury purchase role The operators need the 20% more than HMRC does. linking passengers with public transport, rail and air. If car While business may be recovering to a degree, drivers ownership does, as is frequently predicted, reduce there may have found more profitable uses for their labour than driving be a slightly bigger role for us. a cab. Talent scouts are out there trying to headhunt HGV In such a world where platforms focus more on profitable drivers from building sites. Joining bonuses are being paid. deliveries than costly ride hailing, maybe the heritage Bus drivers can earn £19 per hour and there is no shortage companies will be the beneficiaries. The evidence to suggest of parcel delivery, grocery delivery and food delivery jobs. that the opposite may be true and that the industry grows Added to this the almost total famine of potential new drivers exponentially by being cheaper and taking market share from into the industry thanks to Brexit. public transport seems hard to point to.

Removing the fizz, returning to responsibly-run businesses SO, WHAT DO WE that follow the rules. Actually WANT FOR CHRISTMAS? producing what for some has At this time of year, when we are been the most of elusive concepts: allowed to dream a little about what profitability; and getting back to we would like for Christmas, what enjoying the industry and individual should our wishes be? Do we want businesses should be our aspiration. things to freeze as they are now?

In the meantime, enjoy Christmas, Do we want wholesale change?

New Year and remember – keep calm A new law? A return to 2000, and carry on!

2010 or 2018? n www.mobilityservices Even if our wishes come true there limited.com hile the outcome of the

“Private hire and taxis will return to their traditional last mile... linking passengers with public transport, rail and air...”

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DEC/JAN 21/22

the advisor

The never-ending story

U

BER VERSUS TFL VERSUS UTAG versus ADCU, with Free Now watching on…

You have probably heard by now that something was going on at The Royal Courts of Justice.

Essentially, there has been a judgement on a judgement. As I look on as a slightly interested bystander, here’s what I see.

It’s either an epoch-making event that will change everything, or the end of tax, or the end of the tech apps or … *insert emotive phrase here*. In truth, most pundits are still undecided.

did not actually create any laws), I don’t necessarily see how Uber and any other ride hailing apps such as Bolt (which are not VAT-payers in the UK) are actually going to be affected in the short term.

Many experts, are saying that Uber’s VAT bill will create major losses, but no one has explained how HMRC can force any global operator to pay VAT. At the moment, it’s all Gary Jacobs just words.

In many ways the reason for The App Gary Jacobs Drivers and Couriers’ Union (ADCU) to runs Eazitax, an get involved is to force the definition to accountancy firm be confirmed to uphold their original specialising in judgement. I doubt that James Farrar, HERE’S WHAT THE REALITY IS the taxi and private however clever he is, is expected to change The press releases tell us that it’s about the the nature of tech tax in the UK. hire business role of London private hire vehicle (PHV) When reading the press on this operators and the contracts that they enter eazitax.co.uk judgement, there is an awful lot of use of into with passengers. the words ‘should’, ‘would’, and ‘maybe’. “...in order to operate lawfully under The agent model is widespread, Transport for the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, a licensed London remained neutral during the legalities. operator who accepts a booking from a passenger is The judges concluded that: “To operate lawfully, an required to enter as principal into a contractual obligation operator must undertake a contractual obligation to with the passenger to provide the journey which is the passengers.” The question is: what is TfL going to do about subject of the booking.” implementing this decision? TfL has already commented The unions claimed a victory for worker status, saying on the need for operators to comply with the High Court the ruling gave clarity in determining that private hire judgment. drivers were workers. However, worker status has, to date, TfL says operators should be “considering whether not been implemented to any great extent anywhere. any changes to their way of working are required”.

In some cases, operators have adopted a ‘self-employed Unfortunately, this is without actually laying out a model plus’ style. This is a halfway house, but as I write this that operators must adhere to. there is no compulsion in law to give drivers worker status So, what are we doing at the moment? We are automatically. This doesn’t mean to say this won’t happen considering our positions, although no one has actually in the future. outlined what our positions are from a regulatory The case is really testing whether Uber’s operations standpoint. TfL is considering the written terms of those were compatible with operating laws in London. The ruling applying for or renewing a licence and looking at operators’ basically says that it was unlawful for an operator to act as terms during the period of the licence. So even though the an ‘agent’ between a driver and a passenger. press says ‘panic’, It’s all still speculation at the moment.

This means that Uber and other ride-hailing companies, In conclusion, much of the presumed outcome of not individual drivers, will enter into contracts directly this decision was not necessarily why the parties went with passengers and will be held liable for anything that to judgement, and there will be a lot more head-scratching goes wrong with the service. before anyone can give clear This has caused an uproar, and precise advice. Watch because to many private hire this space. operators – many of whom consider themselves as agents for n Gary Jacobs is a director tax purposes – a company that of Eazitax, an industry was VAT-registered, would in effect specialist accountancy have to add VAT to the fare. Hence practice. He sat on 20% more cost to the travelling the original HMRC public and no direct benefit to Conditionality panel and is operators or drivers. currently involved with the However, as with the original major trade bodies in The Supreme Court ruling (which Conditionality Campaign.

“Ride-hailing firms, not individual drivers, will enter into contracts directly with passengers and will be held liable for anything that goes wrong with the service...”

DEC/JAN 21/22

53

the negotiator

A coach and horses, pursued by cowboys

H

all previous laws and legal arrangements redundant.

ERE WE GO AGAIN. UBER HAS ONCE MORE been to the High Court in an attempt to They even claim that they are not transport companies undermine the victory that private hire but technological organisations. That’s like Tesco claiming drivers achieved in their 2021 Supreme that it is nothing than a mere landlord, facilitating the Court victory. selling of food on behalf of manufacturers.

Here they were joined in their endeavours by another They are a contracting party with passengers and operator, Transopco (UK) Ltd, trading as Free Now. Both may therefore be liable to claims under contract and tort were roundly defeated in this endeavour. What happened? law, depending upon the circumstances. Hence, their First, let’s be clear: apps, including Uber, are great for responsibilities under legislation such as the Private Hire private hire drivers and users. Driver can fully utilise their Vehicles (London) Act 1998.

Dennot Nyack time, reduce dead mileage, and thus reduce greenhouse 3: That they are not jointly or severally liable for gases. This is as welcome as the ability of passengers to the services provided by the drivers because The union view summon a car to their location at a time of their choosing. they are only acting as intermediaries. from our GMB Apps bring features such as tracking, data recording, As explained earlier they are not intermediaries but representative payment facilities, and so on, making them a great advance principals. Therefore, their legal liability would depend on on previous systems. the circumstances of each case.

But almost every mechanism has a positive and negative 4: T hey do not guarantee that a driver is who they claim to be use. A sharp-bladed instrument in the hands of a surgeon is great. In the or that a vehicle matches any description provided by it. hands of a thug, not so welcome. Likewise an app can be used in a positive I don’t know what Uber and Free Now stated in their application for an or negative way. operator’s licence. The legislation and the guidance provided to operators In the High Court case, with the judgement delivered on December 6,

by TfL is clear and spells out the legal duty they and all operators have 2021, it appears that Uber and Free Now had tried to backtrack on the to meet, in respect of the identity and legal status of drivers and their Supreme Court decision by claiming that they were acting as agent of the vehicles. drivers in relation to passenger bookings. Can you believe it?

So why did Uber and Free Now do this, and what has TfL been doing? I Consequently, they argued, that they created a direct contract between believe that this court case was a scouting party designed to explore the the passenger and the driver, so were not liable for legal issues arising judicial landscape. Uber and Free Now were scoping out the possibilities from the “passenger’s contract” with a driver. This would include claims for undermining the Supreme Court decision AND the existing legislation. such as breach of contract or negligence on the part of the driver among They need to do this in order to maintain their UK business model, one other things. In court they went further and stated that they did not even that I believe is untenable. guarantee that a driver would be who they claim to be, or that a vehicle A number of commentators such as the Financial Times have stated matches any description provided by it. Phew! that Uber will need to change its business model. I have long corresponded Uber and Free Now are wrong on so many grounds that I don’t have the with Uber on this and urged it to become a regular minicab company and intellect or space in this column to go into these in detail. However, I will base their pricing on time and distance rather than these fanciful stew of try to cover the main points. different fares, discounts and promotions. I have never received a reply.

1: C reation of a direct contract Poor TfL. What were they doing when Uber and Free Now were up to between the passenger and the driver their shenanigans?

Do they not or did they not read the passenger’s and Under a well-established legal principle called privity of contract, a person driver’s terms issued by Uber, Free Now and other app-based companies? cannot enter into a contract with a third party except by an express Did they not notice that such terms ran a coach and horses (presumably agency agreement. Uber or Free Now cannot, willy-nilly, create agency chased by cowboys) through the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998? agreements.

Maybe they didn’t.

Furthermore, Uber or Free Now set out the terms of the contract, from I have to agree with Sian Berry, Green Party London assembly member, cost of journeys, conditions, and so on, so they are the principals in who said: “This judgement is damning on TfL and embarrassing for Uber. this case. If it was the case that drivers were contracting directly with passengers this would amount to “plying for hire”, which would be illegal, Ever since Uber emerged, Transport for London has been on the backest of being contrary to a number of laws such as the Metropolitan Public back feet, failing properly to use the powers it has to regulate and protect Carriage Act 1869 and the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998.

London’s private hire operators and drivers” 2: T hey are not liable for legal issues arising from the passenger’s contract with a driver, such as claims of breach —Dennot Nyack of the contract or negligence on the part of the driver.

Passengers do not have a contract with the driver, just as I don’t enter n Dennot is a AGM trade union member and was a former into a contract with my bus or train driver, airline pilot or cruise ship representative of the GMB’s professional drivers. He is also an captain. When I book a car through an app, I enter into a contract with the company providing the app. author and broadcaster with a strong knowledge of the private The app comapnies clam to be “tech bros”, but really they are more like hire industry and an equality and diversity specialist. email: cowboys. They are trying to ride roughshod over well-established laws and dennotnyack@yahoo.com regulations, some more than one hundred years old. They believe that they can do this because a shiny new thing they created called an app renders mobile: +44 0740 625 276

54

DEC/JAN 21/22

the insider

T

No time to drive

in a call to their boss. After an anxious wait, he accompanied Barry as he hauled up hands Pond the receiver. Barry couldn’t believe his the old garage door to reveal the illicit luck, as you can never, but never, get through to contraband he had hidden within... a anyone at TfL! 2015 Mercedes V-class people carrier.

“Hello sir, Barry Pond, reporter from Top Bloke This former darling of the mean streets was magazine, I am interviewing all of London’s top unique in this modern world. She required DIESEL blokes and thought of you first. There’ll be a photo to get her going! She handled as well as Barry’s on the front cover.” Barry replaced the handset. rose-tinted glasses could remember as he chucked “He says you are to escort me right up.”

Kevin Willis her through bend and chicane as they sped to the The goldfish bowl of Khant’s office afforded centre of the city. unrestricted views of the metropolis. Khant sat Today was to be no ordinary job. No airport in a large black chair facing the view, not the Everyday problems room, while Barry took his place and searched for transfer or wait-and-return for him. This time from the operator’s clues. Hmm, he pondered, all too normal. Just the Barry was hell-bent on saving the world... which point of view... commanded a four-hour minimum price tag plus standard laser beam, fluffy white cat and a huge congestion, parking and VAT. map of the globe with a red X through all major Evil overlord Sadheep Khant was moving into the cities. final stages of his world domination programme and, following the “How can I help you, Mr Pond?” said Khant, without turning to meteor strike that had rendered the National Grid out of action, face his nemesis. had chosen now, when the world lay wounded, to strike.

“Just a few questions for your fans,” said Barry. “For instance, Barry had received the call. This was war! He pulled into a is Khant a family name…” Suddenly, Sadheep jumped to his feet, Southwark car wash, where Marco, owner and resistance leader, hurling the white cat at Pond. “You don’t fool me Pond, I know climbed into the passenger seat. “You are late,” grumbled Marco. your game!”

Barry spread his hands out like Jesus to a child. “It’s these bloody By the time Barry could remove the cat, which was clinging to 20mph speed limits mate, you try getting anywhere quick!” his face, Khant had leapt from the balcony. Pond ran out to watch Marco looked amazed, there had been no electricity for three helplessly as the Trump Baby blimp rose majestically past the days so none of the speed cameras were working. Barry read window, with Khant laughing maniacally from within the swinging his mind. “Look, I know Daniel over there is a trained assassin, basket. code breaker and martial art expert, whose smouldering looks “So that’s where that thing went,” mused Barry. There was only could induce any Mata Hari to talk, but I couldn’t get him on the one thing for it. Pond bashed at the buttons on his mobile phone. insurance, so it has to be me!”

“Good morning Ma’am. If you would be so kind, now please, “Fine,” growled Marco, who then pointed behind him. “MI6 excuse me, yes, dinner sounds amazing, thank you.” wants to brief you.”

Her Majesty the Queen stepped out on to the balcony of Barry looked into his rear-view mirror to be met by the fixed Buckingham Palace. She drew back a magnificent diamond gaze of a beautiful, though serious-looking woman. A woman encrusted bow, took aim at the grotesque balloon blighting her blessed with two incredible assets... she had a first-class honours capital city and sent a flaming arrow right into its nappy. “There degree from Cambridge and a photographic memory. you go Philip, got the bastard!”

“Good to meet you Mr Pond. I am agent Bangors, Misty Days later Barry Pond was escorted through the hallowed Bangors.” Agent Bangors quickly explained the dilemma: “So, corridors of the MI6 building, Vauxhall. Ralph Fiennes sat behind Sadheep has been using the new Sewer Superhighway as an a wide, mahogany desk. excuse to place detonators under the toilet bowls of every London “Good work, Pond.” Barry caught the eye of Misty Bangors. resident. He then plans to detonate them once everyone rushes to “Team effort sir, thank you.” As you might be aware Pond, we use the bathroom at the end of the Queen’s Speech on Christmas are looking to fill a very special slot, that of 007.” Fiennes took Day.” a healthy swig of his single malt whisky. “And I thought of you, Barry wiped the sweat from his top lip. “Genius. So this is why Pond.” they’ve taken so frikkin’ long to finish the work? It was a ruse all Barry gulped. “Thank you, sir.” along?”

Fiennes stands to his feet and leans both knuckles on the desk.

“Exactly,” confirmed Bangors. “We have tried to alert the His face red with rage, he shouted: “But then I find out you want government but the music is just too loud at their Christmas party £35 an hour! You’re taking the piss, Pond! Get out!” so no one is picking up. It’s up to you, Pond!”

Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings and a very Happy New Barry Pond, reporter for Top Bloke magazine, approached the Year. security desk of London City Hall. “Good morning, I’m here to interview Sadheep Khant.” n Kevin Willis runs Chirton Grange, One security guard eyed Barry suspiciously while the other put contact@chirtongrange.co.ukw he clank of turning metal

DEC/JAN 21/22

55

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