Professional Driver Magazine February 2021

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 01 £4.95

Triumph and tragedy Industry rises to pandemic challenge as Covid-19 claims the lives of more than 200 drivers – while government bailouts never come

IT’S SHOWTIME

CES went virtual in 2021 but there was plenty of new tech on show... including flying cars

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COVER STORY How the industry is still paying a high price in the pandemic Business News The latest from around the UK private hire sector

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ProDriver Congress Online We’re launching a series of powerful and practical business webinars

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CES 2021 Report Automotive highlights of the leading technology show

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VOLUME 15 ISSUE 01 £4.95

Triumph and tragedy Industry rises to pandemic challenge as Covid-19 claims the lives of more than 200 driver – while government bailouts never come

EDITOR A D REC OR Mark Bursa 01932 858575 markbursa@prodrivermags.com COMMERC A D REC OR Paul Webb 07807 133527 paulwebb@prodrivermags.com ART DIRECTOR Alan Booth 07817 671973 alan.booth@calixa.biz CONTRIBUTORS Ian Robertson,

news analysis: pandemic

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Bringing back hope Covid-19 death toll for professional drivers continues to grow as the industry again rises to the challenge of the pandemic

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Mark Bursa HE DEATH TOLL FROM COVID-19 FOR TAXI DRIVERS, private hire drivers and chauffeurs passed 200 in 2020, and the occupation continues to be one of the most high-risk, with a death rate for male drivers more than three times higher than the national average.

According to new Office for National Statistics data, 209 male drivers died from coronavirus between March 9 and December 28, 2020 a death rate of 101.4 per 100,000 people employed in the sector.

This is far worse than the national average: across England and Wales there were with 31.4 deaths per 100,000 men of the working population (age 20-64), and 16.8 deaths per 100,000 women.

Almost two-thirds (64.4%) of workingage people who died were men. Of the 7,961 coronavirus-related deaths of working-age people, 5,128 were male.

Only men in the restaurant and catering trade, care workers and people involved

in factory work were at higher risk, and in overall numbers, only care workers (male and female) have suffered more deaths than drivers. Including bus, coach and van drivers, 389 people with driving jobs lost their lives through Covid-19 in 2020.

Ben Humberstone, ONS head of health analysis and life events, said: “Jobs with regular exposure to Covid-19 and those working in close proximity to others continue to have higher Covid-19 death rates when compared with the rest of the working age population.”

The data shows that the death rate for drivers has slowed significantly following the introduction of improved safety

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CES went virtual in 2021 but there was plenty of new tech on show... including flying cars

measures, including the use of PPE, deep cleaning and protective screens. Earlier data showed 134 drivers died from March 9 to May 26, which means 75 drivers have lost their lives in the seven months between May 27 and December 28.

Drivers are continuing to die from Covid-19. Last week a funeral convoy of taxis drove through Porthcawl in Wales in honour of 60-year-old Robert Newcombe, a popular driver with local firm Driven Taxis, who died on January 14 of coronavirus at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

The scene was repeated in Middlesbrough (pictured, right), where drivers honoured veteran Boro Taxis driver John Tunmore by following the funeral cortege through the streets. Known as “Geordie John”, he’d been a driver for more than 30 years, and died on January 19, age 53.

And on January 25, 63-year-old Rafique Meah, who had worked for Nottingham Cars for 30 years, died just eight days after testing positive for the virus.

The latest statistics will back up calls for the Government to do more for at-risk

FEBRUARY 2021

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Khan’s planning failure is more than ‘inappropriate’

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UCH – ARGUABLY MOST – OF CAR COMPANIES’

future planning is geared toward the urban environment. Moves to electric cars are designed to clean up the air, while autonomous driving is usually planned with city safety in mind.

Meanwhile, ride-hailing and rental operations are converging into a concept of ‘mobility’, where travel is seen as a whole, and different modes combine to form part of the journey – everything from a train to an e-scooter – and of course, taxis play a major role.

Against this backdrop of progressive thinking, it’s such a disappointment to hear London Mayor Sadiq Khan present a transport blueprint for 2041 that totally misses the point. The document – and the mayor’s utterances in support of it, seem to suggest a wilful, almost Luddite, disregard for technology.

For many years, the car – and that includes taxis and PHVs – has been the bogey man. The polluter, killing schoolchildren with noxious fumes. It was a fair point – but it’s a lot harder to make the same point when that dirty diesel has been replaced by an electric car with no tailpipe emissions at all.

That’s clearly the direction – TfL itself has already mandated it for all taxis and PHVs, and the Government has decreed that no regular petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030, and no PHEVs after 2035. Eleven years before Khan’s plan reaches its endgame, the last non zero-emissions capable car will have been sold. It’s pretty certain that by 2041 the entire taxi and PHV fleet will be powered by batteries, hydrogen or some other clean energy source.

Yet, in Sadiq’s world, taxis are “inappropriate” as a form of transport, and are excluded from the plan. The plebs will walk, or cycle, or pile into the dirty, under-invested tube network or on to overcrowded buses.

This is backed up with a load of nanny state guff about health and fitness, and as a concession to science, the existence of brake and tyre dust as a way to push the EV back into the garage marked “pariah”.

Yes, braking does create fine powder, and that contains toxic particulates. Tyres too create particulates, especially if a vehicle is driven enthusiastically. But average traffic speeds in London are around 10mph – so there’s not a lot of scope for “hooning”.

And what’s more, electric cars produce a lot less brake dust than ICE cars, because the electric motor provides plenty of braking resistance without the need for friction brake pads.

Advanced autonomous tech means it’s likely that within a short time, most EVs will drive in “one pedal” mode, with the brakes needed only for emergency stops. And technology is advancing apace in reducing emissions from brakes and tyres – a brief Google is worth the effort.

Khan’s argument is nonsense, so why is it being made? TfL is basically bankrupt, so it needs to keep that public transport revenue flowing. Partially this is the fault of central Government

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withdrawing the capital’s transport subsidy. Part of it is down to the endless money pit of the still-unfinished Crossrail project.

And part of it is down to TfL itself, and successive mayors, who squandered hundreds of millions of useless vanity projects – yes you, Boris Johnson, with your stupid non-bridge, your idiotic island airport proposal and your over-expensive and not-veryclean “new Routemaster”. That little lot blew close to £200 million, for zero gain.

Both Johnson and Khan have been keen cycling enthusiasts too. Nothing wrong with that – visit a sophisticated European city such as Rotterdam or Copenhagen and you can see how cycling is part of the culture, integrated seamlessly into the road system with priority lanes, separate traffic lights and so on.

In medieval London, cycling has been grafted on to an already overstretched and cramped street network, and very badly, in such a way that benefits a very small percentage of the population at the expense of everyone else in terms of time and cost.

The TfL planning department is seems to be peopled by young, non-car-owning cyclists whose attempts to prioritise cycling above all else have made congestion – the thing they’re supposed to be trying to solve – much worse.

There is no logic in removing a lane from major arterial routes, such as the Embankment or Park Lane, just to install a bike path.

Park Lane runs beside Hyde Park – might it not have been more sensible to sacrifice a strip of land from the edge of the park in order to route the cyclists there in safety, rather than making them dice with death alongside the traffic on one of the main arterial through-routes? All it does is slow traffic down - and that means more emissions from those idling bus engines.

For many people, cycling and walking is not an option. Many people will return to commuting into London – and they’re not going to be cycling in from Watford or Weybridge. Elderly and disabled people are not going to walk or cycle. Yet even wheelchair-accessible cabs are “inappropriate”.

The taxi and private hire sector, pre-lockdown, employed around 130,000 drivers in London, and many more in support jobs. So if we believe the sector employs around a quarter of a million people, that’s a lot of votes that Sadiq Khan is going to lose.

It remains to be seen if the other candidates in the forthcoming Mayoral elections have a better plan. We’ve seen what happens when politicians have “had enough of experts” – the unfolding catastrophe of Brexit is proof enough.

So let’s actually hire some real transport experts and harness the ideas and technologies available, and get London moving forward in every sense of the word. Including the highly appropriate mode of transport called a taxi.

Mark Bursa Editor markbursa@prodrivermags.com

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Competition watchdog confirms investigation into Uber takeover of Autocab will run until March 26 Mark Bursa Uber’s planned takeover of dispatch systems supplier Autocab is to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority over concerns about its possible impact on the UK taxi market.

As expected, the CMA will examine whether the deal could result in a “substantial lessening of competition” in the sector. Uber acquired Manchester-based Autocab in a deal said to be worth around £65 million in August 2020, saying the move would help it connect passengers with local private hire and taxi operators via Autocab’s iGo platform in areas it does not serve.

Outside London, Uber operates in around 40 towns and cities – if it can

tap into the Autocab user base, Uber estimates another 170 significant markets will be available to it. As part of the takeover, Uber pledged to keep Autocab independent, under its own management.

The watchdog said in a statement: “The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.”

In response, an Uber spokeswoman said: “We are co-operating fully with the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s

inquiry to ensure it can conclude its review as quickly as possible. We are confident that this acquisition is positive for consumers, will help local operators grow and provide drivers with genuine earning opportunities.”

Autocab has maintained that it is not a competitor with Uber, and that the two businesses occupy different spaces in the sector: Uber as a marketplace, and Autocab as a dispatch systems supplier. In August, Autocab stated: “Autocab

and Uber are not competitors. The deal will enable Uber and local private hire and taxi operators across the UK to grow through their use of the iGo marketplace.

They will be able to access hundreds of thousands of additional trips every month as Uber connects people looking for trips in the app to local firms in areas where Uber does not operate.”

The CMA is seeking comment from the industry until February 12. The watchdog has until March 26 to decide whether it wants to clear the deal, demand actions from the companies, or launch a more indepth investigation. n To access the consultation, visit: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/ubertechnologies-inc-slash-gpc-softwarelimited-autocab-merger-inquiry

Gett under HMRC investigation over VAT on B2B rides Ride-hailing app Gett has been hit by an HMRC investigation into £5 million of business-to-business VAT receipts, according to documents filed at CompaniesHouse.

Gett is part-owned by Volkswagen, and works with both private hire operators and London black cabs.

According to Gett, the dispute centres around whether or not Gett is acting as an agent or not. Gett said HMRC “deems the group to be the principal rather than the agent”, meaning it must charge the full amount of VAT on its ride-hailing fees.

The claim only refers to its business customers,

as Gett has previously said it already charges VAT on its consumer ride fares. Gett denies the claim, saying in its accounts that it “maintains its position as an agent and in line with agency rules has only been charging VAT on part of the ride, i.e. the profit the group makes”.

HMRC is also investigating Uber – which could cost

the company up to £1 billion. Uber does not charge VAT on its rides as it says it acts as an “agent” – or middle man. If it is deemed to be the principal, it could face a massive bill for retrospective VAT, and would have to increase its fares and pass on the costs.

In December, the Government announced a review of how companies in the “sharing economy” charged and paid VAT. Uber drivers are typically classed as self-employed, and they do not reach the £85,000 threshold for paying VAT. If Uber was classed as the entity supplying the service, the 20% tax would apply and potentially generate billions of pounds for the exchequer.

Driver Bubble Mercedes-Benz E-Class partition screen being readied for February launch Leading partition screen maker Driver Bubble is planning to have a Transport for London-approved screen for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class on the market by the end of February.

And the company is diversifying its product offerings in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic with the upcoming launch of Covid-19 testing kits that give a near-instant response.

The E-Class screen is currently undergoing testing at Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire in order to comply with the onerous TfL requirements that mean only drivers of some Ford and Toyota vehicles are allowed to fit the screens in London.

Amsterdam-based Driver Bubble has bought a secondhand E-Class, and Millbrook technicians will detonate some of the car’s airbags as part of the testing process to ensure that the screen does not interfere with their operation.

Only a few councils require such testing in order to allow screens to be fitted, said Driver Bubble’s Business Development Manager Will Cattrall, most

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notably Wolverhampton council, which actively discourages screens and “makes life difficult for drivers”.

He said he hoped the TfL process would become easier as Driver Bubble develops more screens for other vehicles. “After we’ve done three or four successfully, we’re hopeful Millbrook will approve everything we do,” said Cattrall.

Other UK councils were a lot more helpful, and Driver Bubble has started supplying screens in bulk to some of them, including Bradford City council, which has bought 3,000 screens to supply to local drivers free of charge.

“Depending on the council’s implemented policies, we have and continue to work closely with each separate Council to ensure that we provide the correct product which may be modified depending on the requirements of the Council,” Cattrall said.

He said northern councils were leading the safety initiatives: “They are more likely to provide screens for drivers rather than just recommend them.”

At least 10 other councils have approved or ordered Driver Bubble screens. He also said he had been having “good conversations” with major ride-hailing apps about supplying screens in bulk for their drivers to use.

Cattrall added that it was in the interest of councils and operators to use approved screens in order to stop drivers from fitting unsafe or ineffective DIY screens in their vehicles.

Driver Bubble’s Covid-19 self-testing kits will be ready within the next three months. The kits are a self-administered swab test that tells the user whether or not they have Covid-19 within 15 minutes.

This would allow drivers to undergo very regular testing if clients are insisting upon a tested driver, or if a driver feels he or she may have been exposed to someone with the virus. It would also allow symptoms of non-Covid-19 illnesses to be tested – a driver may have a cough, but this might be unrelated to the Coronavirus.

—Mark Bursa

FEBRUARY 2021

news

Herts Cars adds first two electric MG5 estate cars as start of transition to all-EV fleet Mark Bursa Radlett-based Herts Cars has taken delivery of two all-electric MG5 estate cars as the start of a transition to a fully zero-emissions fleet.

Managing director Muhammad Qureshi said the company had a pre-Covid fleet of 150 cars, and by the time business returns to 2019 levels, he plans to have swapped his entire fleet for EVs. “Hopefully within three years we will be completely electric,” he said.

The deal to take the two MGs was set up by Ram Automotive, which specialises is putting together finance packages for taxi and private hire operators looking to source EV or PHEV cars. The cars were supplied by local MG dealer Bushey Heath Garage.

Qureshi said the MG5 was ideal for the sort of work Herts Cars carries out. “Before Covid we were doing more than 100 airport runs a day for business clients.” The MG5 has a range of 215 miles on a single charge in normal mode, and with eco mode engaged, this rises to around 270 miles – enough for a

MODERN GENTLEMEN: [FROM LEFT] Simon Posner of Ram Automotive, Damien McGlue of Electric Blue and Herts Cars managing director Muhammad Qureshi with the new MG5 electric car

day’s work or more. “We wanted an affordable car, and it looks the business too,” Qureshi added.

Under the deal, drivers rent the cars on a rent-tobuy scheme from Herts Cars. After the end of three years, the drivers keep the car. “These cars are ecofriendly and there is a saving of £120-200 a week for the driver in fuel costs alone,” Qureshi said. In ad-

dition, the cars are London Congestion Charge exempt, giving a further £15 a day saving for drivers travelling to Central London.

Charge point supplier Electric Blue is fitting a twin-socket rapid charge point next to Herts Cars’ office at Radlett Station, and the drivers will be able to charge the cars there for free. Electric Blue is installing rapid chargers across Hertfordshire, as local councils in the county want to encourage EV use. The rapid chargers will allow a full recharge in 40 minutes.

Qureshi also said there were charge points in Tesco and Asda car parks and some Shell forecourts, so drivers without off-road parking at home will easily be able to find places to recharge.

Electric Blue is running an initiative called Herts 2025, aimed at increasing the uptake of zero emission EVs within the taxi industry. The initiative provides discounts to operators such as Herts Cars looking to go electric, and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2014-2020.

Blackpool’s Premier Taxis replaces hybrids with MG5 electric estates, taking EV fleet over 100 cars Blackpool-based Premier Taxis has added five new MG5 electric cars to its fleet. Premier is one of the largest EV taxi operators in the UK, with more than 100 electric cars, mainly Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 models.

The Chinese-made MG5 is capable of around 200 miles on a single charge £25,000. The MG5 estates will replace Toyota Auris hybrid estates in the and is one of the most keenly priced Premier fleet.

EVs on the market, costing around

Burnley Council to pay for Covid-protective screens to be installed in all local private hire cars Burnley Council has secured funding to fit protective screens inside private hire vehicles in the town. The funding is part of its overall Covid-19 response to supporting local businesses, and includes the cost of the screen and fitting.

The screens will be restricted to saloon and estate cars. Minibuses are not currently included; however, this will be the subject of further review. The equipment is only available to private hire vehicles currently licenced by the council. Hackney carriages already have

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Premier Taxis managing director John Cutler said: “The public are going to travel in a mode of transport that is not adding to the pollution problems in the town and we have got a climate emergency situation in Blackpool.”

Driver Steve Foster, who has taken on one of the MG5s, told the local Evening Gazette: “I have already

screens installed between the driver and passengers.

Cllr Afrasiab Anwar, the council’s executive member for community and environmental services, said: “Protective screens are yet another measure that not only protects passengers, but also drivers who are placing themselves at significant risk of infection and have played a vital role in their continued efforts to provide a means of transport to the general public throughout the pandemic.”

He continued: “These screens will help passengers feel more secure when they use private hire cars for essential journeys. We’re working with private hire operators to encourage them to install this equipment, at no cost to themselves.”

The screens will be fitted by

been managing more than 200 miles on a single charge. I plug it in at home at 5pm and that will last me until the following day at 5pm. Our old Ford Mondeos cost £22 to get to Manchester Airport which dropped to £13 with the Toyotas. With the MG it will cost hardly anything for the same trip so they make great sense for a taxi driver.”

Licensing4U, a local company that has already provided this service for a number of other local authorities.

Booking should be made directly with Licensing4U and not through the council’s licensing team.

The council has contacted local private hire operators with information on how to get the screens fitted free of charge. Taxi operators are also being encouraged to apply for Government grant support aimed at helping businesses through the Covid pandemic.

The grant support is through the additional restrictions grant (category 9 for hackney and private hire drivers, and category 8 for operators). Details on the additional restrictions grant are available at www.burnley.gov.uk/business —Mark Bursa

FEBRUARY 2021

news

Blacklane acquires majority stake in Jaguar-backed London e-chauffeur Havn Mark Bursa Global chauffeur service Blacklane has acquired a majority stake in Havn, the Jaguar-backed London electric chauffeur start-up, and has added the brand to its offering in the capital.

Blacklane now plans to grow Havn’s service and offer more zero-emissions rides in London, as well as adding the Jaguar I-Pace EV to its global fleet for the first time.

Havn, pronounced ‘hey-ven’ was launched September 2019 by InMotion, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital and mobility services arm, which invests in new products and services in the autonomous, electrified, connected and shared mobility sector. The Havn management team, including managing director Joseph Seal-Driver and business development manager Nicholas Osy de Zegwaart, are staying with the company.

Berlin-based Blacklane has operated in London since 2013, part of a glob-

FLASHBACK TO 2019: [FROM LEFT] Havn founders Nick Ozy de Zegwaart and Joseph Seal-Driver, with one of the company’s first Jaguar I-Paces

al service spanning 50 countries. The premium chauffeur service has offset carbon emissions of all rides worldwide since 2017 – a first for the sector. This year, Blacklane will achieve carbon neutrality over the company’s lifetime by offsetting past emissions from 2016 back to its 2011 founding.

Sascha Meskendahl, chief revenue officer of Blacklane and director of Havn,

said: “Havn customers can have safety, sustainability and sanitisation at the same time. With our combined expertise, Havn and Blacklane will provide more zero-emissions rides in London and beyond to lead the next era of chauffeured services worldwide.”

Lars Klawitter, managing director of Studio 107, InMotion, said: “This is a partnership of companies that believe in

being first. Havn was London’s first allelectric chauffeur service, while Blacklane introduced the first carbon-offset programme in the industry. Blacklane and Havn share the same DNA of customer service, professional chauffeurs and green mobility.”

Blacklane CEO and Co-founder Jens Wohltorf has committed the company to switching to electric vehicles, saying: “While EVs are a novelty in chauffeured transportation right now, we will make them the norm.” Blacklane added EVs to its fleet in 30 cities in 2018.

Each Havn journey can be tailored to the preferences of the passenger with options such as playlist, temperature and chauffeur interaction all customisable within the Havn app.

Blacklane and Havn have a policy of Covid-19 secure health checks to protect chauffeurs and customers. Chauffeurs take their temperatures daily, wear masks, circulate fresh air between trips and disinfect vehicles between journeys.

Free Now plans to switch all taxis and PHVs to zero emissions capable by 2025 Drivers signing up to the Free Now ride-hailing app will have to switch to zero-emissions capable cars in the next three or four years. The jointly Daimler and BMWowned service has announced that all UK taxis must be electrified by 2024 and all private hire vehicles by 2025.

The mobility platform has set a goal of making all trips throughout Europe zero-emissions by 2030, and until these goals are met, Free Now is promising to offset all emissions from 2020 onwards. This involves preservation and regeneration of forests and planting more than 20,000 trees across European cities.

As part of its Green Pledge, Free Now will invest more than £20 million supporting drivers to switch to electric vehicles. Any black taxi drivers with a cab more than 12 years old by 2023 will need to upgrade to a hybrid taxi to continue taking Free Now jobs. Before the end of

2024, all other non-electric black cabs will be removed from the platform.

Cabbies driving older TX1 and TX2 black taxis must upgrade to an electric black cab before the end of the year to continue working on the platform. Currently more than half of Free Now taxi trips are completed in electric vehicles, and 80% of all electric taxis in the Lon-

don market are on the app.

Free Now merged with private hire ride-hailing app Kapten last year. Mariusz Zabrocki, UK General Manager, said: “As a business we play an integral part in the evolution of the London ride-hailing industry towards greener and cleaner travel. More journeys are being made in zero-emission-capable vehicles, and with the Government’s recent ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, this is only going to increase.

“We are proud to be the only app to offer electric vehicle booking options, both for PHV and black cab, to enable passengers to choose more environmentally friendly vehicles whenever they travel. We are already at the forefront of this with over half of our taxi trips already being completed in electric vehicles and we have the largest green fleet of black cabs in London.”

Mayor Khan excludes ‘inappropriate’ taxis and PHVs from his future London transport strategy London Mayor Sadiq Khan has excluded taxis and private hire vehicles from his Transport Strategy as they still cause brake, tyre and tailpipe emissions – and taking a cab is “unhealthy”.

Mayor Khan said he wanted 80% of all journeys in London by 2041 to be made on foot, by bicycle or public transport. “It would be inappropriate for taxis to be included in this 80% target given they do not contribute to our aims to increase Londoners’ physical activity and given they do create emissions, including from tyre and brake wear.”

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Taxi operators are switching from diesel to zeroemissions capable cabs, while all new private hire vehicles registered in London now have to be either plug-in hybrids of electric vehicles. But while this reduces tailpipe emissions, even the cleanest EV still creates particulates via brake and tyre dust – and that’s not good enough for the mayor.

All Mayor Khan would say was that taxis and PHVs will “continue to play a role”, for some of the 20% of trips in 2041 that are not expected to be made by foot, cycle or public transport.

Public transport, such as buses and Underground trains are included in the key policy, and the same criticisms could be levelled at them – London’s 9,300 buses generate tyre and brake dust, as well as contributing 25% of all vehicular NOx emissions in London.

And a recent study by King’s College found that pollution on the London Underground was on average four times worse than that on the road surface above.

—Mark Bursa

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news

Birmingham’s TC Cars joins growing Take Me portfolio in £2 million takeover Mark Bursa

DG Cars’ delivery business allows the Nottingham taxi firm to grow during the Covid-19 lockdown DG Delivery, Nottingham private hire giant DG Cars’ takeaway food delivery business, has now signed up more than 160 restaurants across Nottingham and Derby – and helped the company buck the trend of driver losses by recruiting 175 new drivers during the pandemic.

The business, launched during the first lockdown in April 2020, has helped local restaurants stay afloat during the pandemic and provided the firm’s drivers with a new source of jobs. The initiative has been such a success that around 3,000 delivery jobs are now being passed through to drivers each week.

Restaurant customers simply order online or over the phone. The delivery element is then entered into Delivery Point, a technology platform developed by Autocab, which allocates the work to local DG Cars drivers.

Instead of losing drivers during lockdown, the new service has enabled DG Cars to take on an additional 175 drivers. The taxi firm is now planning to extend the service to the retail sector, to help them get goods out to customers.

Omair Javaid, Director at DG Cars, said: “In a difficult economic climate, this has been a fantastic way for us to support local businesses and connect the community. “It has also opened up doors for our business – it’s enabled us to provide a new opportunity to our drivers, who have been struggling due to the lack of traditional passenger and corporate work.”

He added: “We plan to continue rolling out the service in the months to come. Many vulnerable people are currently relying on deliveries, so the more businesses we can work with, the better for them in terms of the options they have available.”

Ryan Schofield, head of internal business development at Chao Chao, a franchise takeaway with sites in Arnold and West Bridgford, which has been using DG’s delivery service, said: “Working with DG has solved many problems for us – we were struggling to find enough drivers to fulfil our orders during busy periods. With access to a huge network of drivers, we now know orders will be collected quickly and will arrive with our customers as fresh as when it left our premises.”

—Mark Bursa

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Ambitious taxi operator Take Me has added another company to its growing portfolio, with the acquisition of Birmingham-based TC Cars.

And Take Me managing director Davis Hunter said the company had at least three more purchases in the pipeline to be announced in the near future.

This deal, valued in excess of £2 million, differs from earlier acquisitions in that it is not being funded by venture capitalist MBH Corporation, but by Hunter and business investors – though future Take Me acquisitions are likely to be MBH-backed.

“TC Cars is a well-run firm and one of the best in the West Midlands,” said Hunter. The company was voted the best taxi company in Birmingham 2019 by Corporate Wire. Before Covid, it had a fleet of 400 cars, but that has dropped to around 280. “Despite the pandemic, it has very loyal customers and drivers and

is still busy, doing 15-20,000 jobs a week,” he added.

The company has been carrying out essential work, including supermarket runs, food deliveries, transporting key workers and, recently, taking people for Covid vaccinations.

Hunter said the plan was to add Take Me branding, so in time the company will become “Take Me powered by TC Cars”.

Initially the company has switched dispatch systems from Autocab to iCabbi in order to maintain commonality with the Take Me group.

In September 2018 TC Cars purchased Parkers Cars in Sutton Coldfield, adding to its reach in the affluent Birmingham suburb.

This resulted in a 45% increase in work in 2019 compared to the previous year.

TC Cars was established in 1986 by current managing director Martin Smith, who is leaving the business but staying in the taxi trade, as he also owns a taxi fleet called All the 2s in Weston-super-Mare, which has a 70car fleet in the seaside town.

Uber launches same-day delivery with pilot schemes in three UK cities Mark Bursa Uber has launched a new sameday delivery service called Uber Connect in the UK. Costing the same as a regular UberX journey, the new product will initially be available in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds as a pilot programme.

Uber Connect allows users to deliver parcels and packages quickly by tapping into the existing Uber network. Users can order in-app, with the same notifications and ability to track the parcel in real-time.

Jamie Heywood, regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Uber, said: “Daily life remains very different this

year and we want to help people keep in touch while staying safe at home as lockdown continues.

Uber Connect means you can send that last minute gift that you accidentally forgot, share a book you loved with one of your friends, or documents for a work colleague.”

This is an additional way Uber’s platform can provide support during this difficult time and help ensure people can get the items they need, when they need them. It also provides driver-partners on the Uber platform a new earnings opportunity.

The new product is set to prove popular this weekend as

couples living in different houses send each other Valentine’s Day gifts, while it’s also expected the product will be used regularly by those working from home to courier documents and parcels.

To send a package, users need to select Connect in the Uber app and enter the pick up and delivery details. Sealed packages should be loaded into the boot of the vehicle when the driver arrives, and users can then follow the journey in app to see it arrive safely with the recipient as a contact-free delivery. Packages can be valued up to £100, must weigh under 13kg and must not contain any prohibited items.

FEBRUARY 2021

news

Mayor Khan and TfL acted unlawfully over London Bishopsgate Streetspace scheme, high court rules Mark Bursa Transport for London and London Mayor Sadiq Khan acted unlawfully when they announced that taxis would be banned from parts of Bishopsgate under the Streetspace for London plan, the High Court has ruled.

The plan called for taxis to be banned from two sections of Bishopsgate in the City of London between 7am and 7pm on weekdays to help speed up buses and “prioritise people walking and cycling”.

But ruling on an action brought by the United Trade Action Group (UTAG) and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), Mrs Justice Beverley Lang described TfL and the Mayoral office’s decision-making process as “seriously flawed”.

She also said the scheme would impact those requiring door-to-door travel, such as the disabled or elderly, adding that Mayor Khan and TfL “took advantage of the pandemic” to implement “radical changes”.

Mrs Lang told the court the Mayor and TfL failed to distinguish taxis from “general traffic” and failed to recognise them as a mode of public transport. She said: “It was both unfair and irrational to introduce such extreme

measures, if it was not necessary to do so, when they impacted so adversely on certain sections of the public.”

Mrs Justice Lang also said that as TfL’s bus lanes policy permitted taxis to use bus lanes in all but the most exceptional cases, the claimants had a legitimate expectation that they would be distinguished from general traffic and would be allowed to use the Bishopsgate bus lanes.

She rejected the TfL and the Mayor’s claim that any departure from such policies was proportionate in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

LTDA General Secretary Steve McNamara said: “It’s fantastic to see the Judge rightly recognising the key role licensed taxis play in our great City. This is an extremely important judgment for London’s hard working taxi drivers and the passengers who rely on them.”

Shaun Bailey, the rival candidate in the forthcoming London mayoral elections, said: “Given the severity of the judge’s ruling, Sadiq Khan must now publicly apologise for the harm his Streetspace scheme has caused. And he must compensate the hardworking taxi drivers who lost even more business in the middle of a pandemic, all thanks to his scheme.”

The High Court has now quashed the Streetspace

plan, Interim Guidance to Boroughs and the A10 Bishopsgate Traffic Order. TfL sought permission to appeal the judgment, but was denied on the grounds that there was “no real prospect of success on appeal”.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “We are very disappointed by the court’s ruling. This route has long suffered with a poor safety record and slow bus speeds, and the scheme aimed to tackle these issues, reducing road danger for vulnerable road users and improving the flow of bus traffic.

“Our temporary emergency Streetspace measures are vital to help support both walking and the huge increase in cycling we’ve seen since the pandemic began, reduce the risk of a damaging car-based recovery and enable social distancing and much faster journeys on public transport, reducing the risk of infection. We mustn’t get through one public health crisis only to face another caused by congestion and toxic air pollution.”

A TfL spokesperson said: “Temporary Streetspace schemes are enabling safer essential journeys during this exceptionally challenging time and are vital to ensuring that increased car traffic does not threaten London’s recovery from coronavirus.”

ling said: “We already have 50 battery-powered cars on the road, but the eVito represents a new and exciting chapter. It’s our first electric vehicle capable of carrying eight passengers. We’re limited at the moment by social distancing restrictions, of course, but this capacity puts us in prime position to meet demand as soon as these are lifted.”

He added: “We’ll be evaluating the eVito’s performance and usability over the next 12 months. The early

signs are very promising, though. It’s extremely smooth and quiet, so provides a very pleasant ride for our driver and passengers. The running costs are very low, plus it’s super clean.”

The eVito is currently assigned to a school run contract, collecting pupils of a local special-needs school – which remains open during the latest lockdown – from their homes in the morning, and dropping them off at the end of the day. It is also undertaking general private hire duties in between. The eVito’s electric motor produces 114hp and drives the front wheels via a single-speed auto transmission. Top speed is restricted as standard to 50mph, although this can be increased on request. The eVito’s range of 90-plus miles – supplemented by recuperative charging but reduced by constant driving with a full load – is comfortably sufficient for Phoenix Taxis’ school contract and urban PH work.

Phoenix adds all-electric Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer for school run work Northumberland-based electric taxi pioneer Phoenix Taxis has added its first all-electric Mercedes-Benz eVito hackney taxi to its fleet.

The long L2 Tourer Pro variant offers flexible seating for up to eight passengers. Supplied by north-east dealer Bell Truck and Van, it is the subject of a yearlong Mercedes-Benz Finance contract hire agreement, which includes a grant contribution from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

Based in Blyth, Phoenix Taxis is a Professional Driver QSi Gold Award-winning operator with a fleet of more than 200 vehicles, serving customers in Northumberland and on Tyneside. Business Manager Michael Car-

Drivers to receive free packs of medical grade PPE from Welsh Government Taxi and private hire drivers in Wales will be able to claim free PPE and vehicle cleaning material packs as part of a new scheme, funded by the Welsh Government.

The pack contains medical grade re-usable face coverings and hand sanitiser, as well as all-purpose sanitiser, cloths, wipes and gloves, allowing drivers to clean their cars between rides. Medical-grade face coverings have been chosen to provide enhanced protection over standard face coverings.

Ken Skates, minister for economy,

FEBRUARY 2021

transport and North Wales, said: “Details will be posted on the Welsh Government, WLGA and local authority websites, including how and where drivers can claim their free PPE kit.

Every effort has been made to source

products from local suppliers, including Rototherm in Margam and Bio Hygiene in Caerphilly.”

Each pack is worth £73.50, including free postage and packing. The packs, which are being put together by supplier Lyreco, will be delivered free of charge.

The Welsh Government recommends that drivers wear face coverings when transporting passengers, so long as it does not interfere with their ability to drive safely. The legal requirement for passengers to wear face coverings remains in place.

Skates added: “Taxis and private

hire vehicles are an essential part of our public transport network and we appreciate the vital role drivers have played as frontline workers during this pandemic. We recognise drivers are keen to make their vehicles as safe, clean and hygienic as possible, and these packs will contribute to the ongoing efforts they are making.”

Russell George, the Welsh Conservatives’ spokesman for transport, said: “It’s about time this sector was brought into closer alignment with other public transport operators in Wales.”

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W

E CAN’T INVITE YOU TO OUR

regular annual Congress event just yet – but we know that more than ever, there are vital topics that we all need to discuss.

So, Professional Driver is proud to announce series of focused, free webinars to help operators rebuild after Covid-19.

We all know how tough the last year has been. The private hire and taxi industry has done its bit – and some – in the Covid-19 crisis, but nobody’s really had our back, with operators and drivers left to fend for themselves.

Out of this difficult time have come tremendous stories of innovation and renewal, where faced with the choice of sink or swim, innovative operators have freestyled their way to recovery and success.

This is not the time for blue sky thinking or navel-gazing.

Each 90-minute webinar will concentrate on a specific topic, and we will invite speakers with relevant hands-on experience and knowledge.

The webinars are free to attend – all delegates have to do is register on the prodrivermags.com website and we’ll send personalised joining instructions.

PRODRIVER CONGRESS ONLINE 1 – BEYOND THE PASSENGER Lockdown means no passengers – but you can keep the fleet moving by turning it into a delivery fleet. If people can’t go out, the things they need have to be brought to them. That means there is huge demand to deliver takeaway food, shopping and parcels. This business is there for the taking – and we’ll be talking to a number of operators that are already building new business divisions from deliveries.

We’ve reported these stories in Professional Driver over the past months. Now we’re bringing you a chance to find out directly from the innovators, how smart operators have battled through the hard times with new businesses and new approaches, that have helped them survive the pandemic.

CONGRESS ONLINE 2021 Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 11am

Professional Driver is bringing you a series of practical, focused online seminars where you will be able to learn how the brightest companies have survived. You’ll be able to ask them questions about how they did it, and it will show you how you could do something similar.

www.prodrivermags. com/congress

SPEAKERS Dominic Moyes, DG Cars Zoe Walsh, GLH Safa Alkateb, Autocab Matt Young, Shrewsbury Eats More speakers TBC later

FUTURE EVENTS

PRODRIVER CONGRESS ONLINE 2 – REPLACING BUSINESS TRAVEL Lockdown means no airport or railway station runs, and as office worke working from home, those late-night pick-ups may be thin on the groun But business has to keep moving, and Covid-19 still presents a serious health journeys, there is a case for using safer, cleaner cars rather than public trans business-focused operators about how they are replacing lost travel, and how sure they provide the safest option for essential journeys.

n

1

ers get used to nd in the future too. h risk. With fewer sport. We talk to w they are making

PRODRIVER CONGRESS ONLINE 3 – CLEANING UP THE FLEET The car market may have declined sharply in the past year, but electric vehicle sales have continued to power ahead. As more manufacturers add EVs to their range, increasing numbers of buyers are making the switch. And with environmental pressure from clean air zones and other restrictions being placed on conventional cars, many private hire fleets are now going electric. What do you need to know in order to make an informed decision? How do you choose the right car? And is the infrastructure there?

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news

UVA plans 2021 ride-hailing launch with fixed prices, flexible commissions, Midlands recruitment drive Mark Bursa

Another new player is preparing to launch into the ride-hailing business, as Solihull-based UVA UK has launched a recruitment drive in the West Midlands.

UVA is set to start services in a number of UK cities including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Exeter and London in early 2021.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, UVA (pronounced yoo-vee-ay, not Yoo-va) has created 10 new job roles for aspiring apprentices and young people.

The new jobs include roles as team leaders, in business administration and in digital marketing.

Five new apprentices will be appointed by the end of February and will be taking on an 18-month programme to develop their skills, increase their confidence and work towards their apprenticeship

Scottish operators can access new Energy Savings Trust fund to equip vehicles with Covid-beating devices Private hire and taxi operators in Scotland will have access to a new fund that will help them fit their vehicles with Covid-19-beating equipment such as screens and PPE, as well as air filtration and sterilisation devices and UV cleaning systems.

The new fund, administered by the Energy Savings Trust, is aimed at supporting all public transport operators during the pandemic, with a specific section for taxi and PHV operators. The Covid-19 Public Transport Retrofit Fund is part of a larger Covid-19 Public Transport Mitigation Fund, announced by Transport Scotland last year.

The fund supports the installation of measures needed to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission on vehicles and aims to improve capacity and increase public confidence while on board.

To apply, the vehicles must be licenced in Scotland.

Lincoln council gives green light to new-start Holla’s electric tuk-tuk service A proposed tuk-tuk taxi scheme in Lincoln will now use electric three-wheelers rather than highpolluting petrol-engined scooter-based vehicles, the company behind the scheme has announced.

The city council’s licensing committee voted to allow new-start service Holla to run tuk-tuks in the city last August. Now Holla owner Christine Kimbrell has responded to negative feedback from the council about pollution from the proposed tuk-tuks, and has changed the proposal to three electric Zbee vehicles.

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qualifications with support from UVA and training provider Remit Group.

UVA has created five additional roles as part of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, which aims to create new job placements for young people between the ages of 16-25 either on Universal Credit or at risk of long-term unemployment.

During the placements, candidates will take part in masterclasses with leading industry business partners, receive a recognised qualification on completion and have the opportunity to take on a full-time job at UVA. UVA UK CEO Ayesha Rees (pictured) said: “The creation of these new roles is a vital part of our commitment to giving back to the local community and nur-

turing local young talent across the region. We felt a sense of responsibility to create these opportunities to make sure that emerging young talent doesn’t slip through the net, which is now more important than ever. We want to make sure that candidates get the fullest and best experience they can when placed with us so they become well-rounded, confident young people, equipped with the skills they need for the next stages of their career.”

UVA was founded by Ibrahim Aldaajani in 2019.

It promises fixed-price rides without surge pricing.

Drivers are charged flexible commission rates:15% up to £1,500; 12.5% from £,1500 to £1,750 and 10% on everything over £1,750.

All funded vehicles must be currently in operation and must be operational primarily within Scottish local authority areas. A cap of £350 per vehicle applies and applicants may apply for funding to retro-fit up to 25% of their total vehicle fleet, or five vehicles, whichever is greater. Operators can apply for other measures, or to retrofit more vehicles. These applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The application form suggests the money could be spent on items such as hand sanitiser dispensers, easy-clean seat covers, partition screens for PHVs, and automated UV cleaning solutions for card machines.

Applications are being assessed on an ongoing, first-come-first-served basis until funding is fully allocated or the end of the financial year, whichever is first. There are no restrictions on what could qualify as an enhanced measure, and the website for the scheme says applications will be reviewed on a caseby-case basis and assessed in terms of efficacy, cost, and ease of use.

It goes on to list examples that could be considered by operators: n AIR QUALITY AND VENTILATION: Installation or

improvement of air conditioning units; installation of high-performance filtration systems. n STERILISATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hygienic surface coatings; UV cleaning solutions; innovative solutions based on the use of UV light to disinfect surfaces. n MOBILE/DIGITAL SOLUTIONS: Use of real time occupancy application, to monitor and receive details of vehicle passenger capacity in real time.

The scheme could allow operators to purchase devices such as the AirBubbl air filtration device, or the Sany Car ozone sanitisation machine.

Applicants must not purchase any measures before receiving a formal grant offer letter from Energy Saving Trust. If you do so, your application will be refused, though micro-businesses (including sole traders) that have installed and paid for measures between April 6 and October 8, 2020 may be eligible for retrospective payments.

The revised application has been approved by the city council’s licensing committee, which removed the usual licensing requirements for a vehicle to have an engine capacity of not less than 1,297cc and at least four seats.

Extra conditions were imposed including giving a list of drivers’ names to the council and, although a spare tyre will not be required on the vehicle, it will be necessary to always have one in stock.

Kimbrell said she had tested the Zbee vehicle in Stockholm, Sweden, where they are being used by a taxi and delivery service. Holla has purchased

n To apply for the scheme, please visit https://

energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/ covid-19-public-transport-retrofit-fund/ three of the £10,000 electric “pods”, which will operate in a three mile radius of Lincoln and seat up to two passengers.

She said the service would be cheaper than city taxis and will be charged on a per-metre basis. She said: “The only thing the council came back with last time was that it wasn’t electric. We will be the first in the UK to have a zero emission pod taxi service.”

Holla hopes to expand to 15 vehicles by the end of 2021, by which time Kimbrell hopes to employ 15-20 staff. Holla has premises on Wragby Road and is finalising a website and app.

FEBRUARY 2021

news Uber rejects London cabbies’ proposed class action claim for lost earnings as ‘completely unfounded’ Uber has dismissed as “completely unfounded” reports that a group of London taxi drivers are planning a class action lawsuit against the ride hailing giant, claiming that Uber’s practices resulted in a loss of earnings.

In a press release, litigation specialist RGL Management and law firm Mishcon de Reya, said it was working with a group of drivers in order “to commence proceedings by no later than Q1 2022”.

The release states: “The basis of the claim is that Uber operated unlawfully by breaching the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 from June 2012 until March 2018.

Uber permitted drivers to accept bookings directly when they were not licensed to do so.”

“Uber’s failure to adhere to the relevant statutory framework caused loss of earnings to licensed black cab drivers, who continued to operate lawfully and were subject to strict legislative and regulatory rules and requirements throughout.”

RGL Management believes up to 30,000 drivers are so eligible and that for a full-time driver operating throughout this period, a claim against Uber could be worth in the region of £25,000 or more.

In response, an Uber spokeswoman said: “Uber operates lawfully in London and these allegations are completely unfounded. We are proud to serve this great global city and the 45,000 drivers in London who rely on the app for earnings opportunities and are committed to helping people move safely.”

No claim has actually been issued, and Mishcon de Reya has threatened the claim since 2018, when it was reported that the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association was seeking advice from the law firm about a class action suit.

Now RGL Management is funding a marketing campaign titled Black Cabs vs Uber 2021 (BULit21). Drivers can sign up for the campaign free of charge, and RGL claims around 4,000 have signed up so far, with a further 5,200 registrations to be processed.

RGL Management CEO James Hayward said: “We’re working to bring an action against Uber that will be by cabbies for cabbies.”

—Mark Bursa

FEBRUARY 2021

Addison Lee launches new 2hr delivery service aimed at local London businesses Mark Bursa Addison Lee has expanded its courier service with the launch of AL Now – a two-hour, rapid delivery service for local London businesses.

Rather than giving customers allday delivery windows, AL Now allows users to offer consumers a specific two-hour delivery window. The service is already used by several major retail clients and is being expanded to help independent local businesses compete on a more level playing field with retail giants such as Amazon.

A number of companies are already trialling the service in time for Valentine’s Day, including Islington-based champagne retailer The Finest Bubble, Earlsfield florist Blume Studios, Menswear retailer Hackett and N1 antique store Urban Vintage Affair.

Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin said: “Since the first lockdown last March, we’ve seen our courier services grow by 30% as shopping behaviour shifted online. At the same time, we have seen shoppers come to expect that their purchases will be delivered at a time and date of their choosing.”

New data from Addison Lee suggests people are planning to use local businesses rather than large retailers such as Amazon to provide

a special Valentine’s Day gift for loved ones. Almost half (47%) of those celebrating this year want to support local businesses in their community.

But more than half of the 2,000 people surveyed (54%) said they’d be more likely to shop with local businesses if they offered a quick and efficient local delivery service, while 34% were worried that they wouldn’t be able to pick up Valentine’s gifts this year with shops being shut.

“As a public facing service, licensed taxi drivers are considered to be in a high risk group. A recent report by the Office for National Statistics showed that Covid-19 death rates among people in jobs such as taxi driving were up to three times higher than the national average.

“Licensed taxi drivers play an important role within the city and are making a significant contribution to the vaccination programme by, for example, transporting residents to their appointments. The proposal is for the negative impact on taxi drivers to be recognised with a specific grant award.”

The grant will be in relation to the

fixed business costs that drivers incur for their taxi licence, insurance, vehicle maintenance and Covid-19 safety measures in this period.

The council report said: “The proposal is for a one-off payment, on application, of between £250 and £400 to private hire and hackney carriage drivers licensed in Brighton and Hove. There are approximately 1,300 licensed private hire taxis in the city. The estimated cost of this award is between £325,000 and £520,000.”

The grants are funded by the government which has set up a number of schemes, each with different rules and conditions.

Brighton Council proposes Covid support grant for local taxi and private hire drivers Mark Bursa Three taxi drivers in Brighton have died of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, and many drivers have been forced to use food banks following a collapse in trade.

The council is due to meet to discuss further hardship funding and a council report ahead of the meeting said: “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is being felt by the city’s licenced private hire and hackney carriage drivers. With pubs, bars, venue, indoor entertainment closed, and people advised to stay at home, drivers have experienced a significant loss in turnover while still having to cover key business costs.”

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news analysis: pandemic

Bringing back hope Covid-19 death toll for professional drivers continues to grow as the industry again rises to the challenge of the pandemic

T

Mark Bursa HE DEATH TOLL FROM COVID-19 FOR TAXI DRIVERS, private hire drivers and chauffeurs passed 200 in 2020, and the occupation continues to be one of the most high-risk, with a death rate for male drivers more than three times higher than the national average.

According to new Office for National Statistics data, 209 male drivers died from coronavirus between March 9 and December 28, 2020 a death rate of 101.4 per 100,000 people employed in the sector.

This is far worse than the national average: across England and Wales there were with 31.4 deaths per 100,000 men of the working population (age 20-64), and 16.8 deaths per 100,000 women.

Almost two-thirds (64.4%) of workingage people who died were men. Of the 7,961 coronavirus-related deaths of working-age people, 5,128 were male.

Only men in the restaurant and catering trade, care workers and people involved

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in factory work were at higher risk, and in overall numbers, only care workers (male and female) have suffered more deaths than drivers. Including bus, coach and van drivers, 389 people with driving jobs lost their lives through Covid-19 in 2020.

Ben Humberstone, ONS head of health analysis and life events, said: “Jobs with regular exposure to Covid-19 and those working in close proximity to others continue to have higher Covid-19 death rates when compared with the rest of the working age population.”

The data shows that the death rate for drivers has slowed significantly following the introduction of improved safety

measures, including the use of PPE, deep cleaning and protective screens. Earlier data showed 134 drivers died from March 9 to May 26, which means 75 drivers have lost their lives in the seven months between May 27 and December 28.

Drivers are continuing to die from Covid-19. Last week a funeral convoy of taxis drove through Porthcawl in Wales in honour of 60-year-old Robert Newcombe, a popular driver with local firm Driven Taxis, who died on January 14 of coronavirus at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

The scene was repeated in Middlesbrough (pictured, right), where drivers honoured veteran Boro Taxis driver John Tunmore by following the funeral cortege through the streets. Known as “Geordie John”, he’d been a driver for more than 30 years, and died on January 19, age 53.

And on January 25, 63-year-old Rafique Meah, who had worked for Nottingham Cars for 30 years, died just eight days after testing positive for the virus.

The latest statistics will back up calls for the Government to do more for at-risk

FEBRUARY 2021

news analysis: pandemic drivers, including priority vaccinations – the subject of a recent demand by taxi trade bodies to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps – and mandatory installation of screens.

Local licensing authorities – notably Transport for London – continue to insist on onerous and unnecessary testing before screens are approved. Others, like the wilfully negligent Wolverhampton Council, refuse to sanction their installation.

Trade unions reacted angrily to the news.

Dan Shears, GMB national health, safety and environment director, said: “The deaths of eight thousand working age people is a devastating and bitter milestone that could have been avoided. The truth is that the UK was too slow to respond to the outbreak in workplaces.”

He continued: “Workers are still being forced to use inadequate PPE, and some people are attending work despite being infectious because they cannot afford to self-isolate. These are structural problems that could have been fixed months ago.”

The British Occupational Hygiene Society, the leading scientific charity and the Chartered Society for worker health protection, also expressed concern about the ONS data.

“People are dying unnecessarily, because there is still insufficient understanding of occupational hygiene measures that can prevent the spread of this disease,” said BOHS president Kelvin Williams, who chairs the Society’s COVID-19 expert group.

“The knowledge is available, but not all areas of the public sector and government seem to be using it. We see excess deaths in other public-facing occupations, such as restaurant and catering managers, bus, coach and taxi drivers, which shows there is more to do to protect them from obvious risk,” he added.

Meanwhile, the taxi and private hire industry has continued to rise to the challenges presented by the pandemic, providing a critical service to help the most vulnerable.

Operators large and small have been offering free or discounted rides to take elderly and vunerable people to get coronavirus vaccinations – despite a continued refusal by the UK government to provide specific help for the beleaguered sector.

Trade associations have written to government ministers asking for priority vaccinations for drivers due to the highrisk nature of the work. And while devolved governments in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have pledged funds to help

FEBRUARY 2021

Covid-19 continues to cost drivers their lives. Rafique Meah (LEFT) and Robert Newcombe both died of the virus in January 2021

Middlesbrough pay their respects by following the funeral cortege of local taxi driver John Tunmore

the taxi and private hire trade, drivers in England have to hope for meagre local council handouts on an ad-hoc basis.

Meanwhile taxis provide the only safe means for many people to get their vaccinations, as many of the NHS vaccination sites are in hard-to-access locations that are not well served by public transport.

Veezu, the UK’s largest private hire operator, is working with GP surgeries throughout the UK regions it serves to offer free rides to elderly and vulnerable people who are attending a coronavirus vaccination appointment.

The firm is working with participating GP practices to help eligible people get to their vaccine appointments if they have no other means of transport. “In these first few weeks of the programme, we are helping to assist the first wave of people get their vaccinations,” said regional director Jack Price.

“We don’t want to bring any additional pressure on the NHS or GP practices and it’s vital that people do not call their GPs

or NHS asking about free rides. Our offer is strictly on appointment only for those persons who are eligible.”

Veezu “hub” operations, including Dragon Taxis in South Wales, Go Carz in the Midlands and V Cars in the Bristol area are all helping out. Telephone operators at the participating GP surgeries will co-ordinate the journeys with Veezu’s dispatch centre, in a system designed to make sure only the eligible people who need it get access to the free rides.

“We are also exploring the option of fixed rates and reduced fares for future waves of people who are invited for their vaccination,” Price added. “Even if you are not eligible for the free journey, we may be able to help you. This might be a useful option as public transport services are being reduced.”

Ride-hailing apps are also offering free rides, with both Uber and Bolt announcing schemes. Uber said it would offer free trips to help the most vulnerable get to the seven mass-vaccination hubs that have been set up across England.

Uber will cover up to £15 of passengers’ trips by entering the correct promotion code for the mass-vaccination hub they are travelling to in the app ahead of booking their journey. The offer extends to all trips, including wheelchair-accessible Uber Access vehicles and Uber Assist vehicles for those needing assistance in getting into and out of the car.

In addition, Uber is working with Age UK to identify areas within its network of local charities where free round trips can be covered by Uber, to help some of the most CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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news analysis: pandemic Lack of clarity and government guidance hampers local authority efforts to provide help to struggling drivers

F

UNDING FOR BELEAGUERED DRIVERS

is becoming available – but the sums can be meagre, and it has become a “postcode lottery” depending on where the driver is licensed.

An online Unite Scotland survey of more than 200 taxi drivers in December 2020 revealed just how hard the pandemic had hit drivers’ revenue.

The survey showed that some drivers were regularly working 16-17-hour days but earning less than £50 per shift.

And 30% of drivers had been unable to access any financial help from government support schemes. For those that had, the financial support represented less than 25% of their average earnings.

The Government has typically abdicated responsibility for helping the drivers and devolved the job of distributing funds to devolved UK governments and, in England, directly to local authorities. The response has been mixed, with some councils offering one-off payments to cover licensing costs or PPE, while others are providing a monthly grant.

Northern Ireland was fastest to react, setting up a £14 million hardship fund last November for taxi drivers whose trade has collapsed during the Coronavirus pandemic. The scheme provides a one-off payment of £1,500 to eligible taxi drivers, and more than 2,000 taxi drivers applied for a one-off £1,500 grant on the first day of the scheme, November 13.

The Scottish Government followed suit with a similar scheme, again offering one-off payments of £1,500 to all drivers, but had to act quickly to close a loophole that would have excluded the poorest taxi and private hire drivers from receiving the payments to help cover costs such as licence fees and insurance payments for taxis not on the road.

The grants come from a £57 million fund intended to help all Scotland’s 38,000 private hire and taxi drivers – but the Unite Scotland trade union pointed out that many drivers would miss out on the payouts if they had previously claimed benefits, including universal credit.

Initially, drivers could not apply for the grant if they had been in receipt of state benefits payments including universal credit, statutory sick pay, employment and support allowance, job seekers’ allowance and income support. Even those who have applied for universal credit but have not yet started receiving it were ruled out.

But after intervention by the Unite union, the

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Scottish government backtracked. Now taxi and private hire drivers who received state benefits at any time since March 2020 will now be eligible for the £1,500 business support grant as long as they meet the remaining criteria.

Scottish Business Minister Jamie Hepburn confirmed that the change would come into effect immediately to ensure that drivers on the lowest incomes can access support.

However, Hepburn warned that UK Government universal credit rules mean that drivers could lose out overall if the grant is considered to be income by DWP. He has written to UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey asking for the £1,500 not to be considered as income.

Hepburn wrote: “This scheme is designed to help with fixed costs and is not intended to replace lost income, so I believe that it could be argued that it is inappropriate for this to be considered as income for the basis of calculating universal credit. I would ask you therefore to amend the criteria to ensure that drivers on universal credit can benefit from the full £1,500 payment without it reducing their overall income.”

Local Scottish councils will contact drivers directly to help them get grants of £1,500.

Councils will ask them to provide supporting information and bank account details. They do not need to apply, or contact the local authority.

To be eligible for the financial assistance taxi or private hire drivers must be licensed for the period October 9, 2020 to at least January 31, 2021, and drivers must have experienced at least a 50% loss of income compared with 2019.

In England, there is no unified grant or payment. Instead, drivers have to depend on the generosity – or otherwise – of their local authority.

One of the most generous councils appears to be Bury, where taxi and private hire drivers who have been substantially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will be able to apply for a monthly support grant of up to £677, according to a an announcement by the local Labourcontrolled council.

“Bury’s Labour cabinet has approved a new package of support to include Bury’s taxi drivers, meaning you’re now eligible to apply for up to £677 per month in grant support,” the council announced. “Find out more at burymeansbusiness.bury.gov.uk” We checked the website, and found a

confusing array of grants and schemes with various exclusions, and nothing specific to the taxi trade. However something called the Additional Restrictions Grant does appear to cover small or micro-businesses with fixed costs such as a car. We recommend you seek advice before applying from local citizens’ advice offices.

For other towns and cities, the size of the grants available depends on how much local money is available. In Brighton and Hove, a £500,000 fund looks likely to be shared among the 1,300 drivers in the area, though this is likely to mean sums per driver of just £250-400.

Details of the scheme have yet to be finalised, including how those affected can apply. The money is intended to go towards costs, such as Covid safety measures, rather than to subsidise lost income.

Green council leader Phélim MacCafferty said the council was trying to work out how to provide help within the rules set out by the government. He said: “We are working behind the scenes with officers to try to address other requests.”

These include ways to reduce the burden of costs, red tape and technical requirements at a time when takings have tumbled. Cllr MacCafferty said he was “hopeful that they are going to be able to come to the trade with the best possible package considering the circumstances”.

He added: “We may be able to review what’s going on. Some of this depends on the national picture.” He added that one of the shared frustrations was that the council had no way to prevent drivers who were licensed elsewhere from coming in to Brighton and Hove and hoovering up trade.”

The council’s executive director for the economy, environment and culture, Nick Hibberd, said many self-employed people, sole traders and directors of small limited companies were missing out because they did not have fixed costs.

He said: “We are taking the approach that wherever we are able to support businesses, we will. When we did some analysis of the discretionary grants, more than 20% of those grants have been awarded to sole traders and the self-employed. We are trying to support businesses wherever the government guidance allows us to do so.”

—Mark Bursa

FEBRUARY 2021

news analysis: pandemic

Taxi and PHV trade bodies unite in call to ministers to prioritise drivers for Covid-19 vaccine Taxi and private hire trade bodies across the UK wrote to the Government in January demanding that professional drivers are given priority access to Covid-19 vaccinations.

The joint call, which includes the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), LTDA and Private Hire Board, has written to ministers in the Transport, Health and Education departments, stating that the highrisk nature of the job means drivers should be given high-priority vaccination status.

The letter states: “You will be aware that taxi and PHV drivers are in the very high-risk category group and that sadly the associated mortality rate as borne out by Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures is extremely high. Not only is there extreme risk for drivers but, of course, the same applies to passengers due to close proximity, which in turn, adds to the risk of onward transmission and super-spreading.”

In the early stages of the Covid-19 crisis between March and May 2020, 143 taxi drivers died of the virus after picking up infected passengers, mainly at airports.

The letter continued: “Our industry has

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

vulnerable people travel to their vaccination appointments.

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe said: “It’s vital that the most vulnerable people in our society are vaccinated against the virus as soon as possible, and we want to help remove any barriers that could prevent them from travelling safely to get their jab.”

Uber’s rival Bolt has pledged an initial £250,000 worth of rides to the government and said its 50,000 registered London drivers were on standby to help with the vaccination effort.

In Leicestershre, ADT taxis taxi company is offering free rides to help over-80s get to their Covid-19 vaccine appointments. The taxi firm said it had already offered support during the pandemic, including delivering free emergency food parcels to those most in need and collecting shopping.

Director David Hunter said that to take advantage of the vaccination help,

FEBRUARY 2021

been asked to support the NHS, nursing establishments, other modes of transport, the elderly, the vulnerable, Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), key worker and educational support transportation.”

“We respect the absolute priority set out in the Independent report by the Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which identifies the priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination (updated January 6, 2021) but wish to add that taxi and PHV drivers need to be included/added.”

The letter was sent to Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department for Transport; Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, on behalf of all the trade bodies listed below: n Chauffeur & Executive Committee n City of Salford Private Hire Association n Driver Guides Association n Durham Licensed Taxi Association n GMB Professional Drivers Branch n Greater Manchester Drivers Federation n London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC)

Licensed Private Hire Car Association Private Hire Board Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) National Private Hire & Taxi Association (NPHTA) n Scottish Licensed Private Hire Car Association n Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association (SHPHA) n South Cambridge Executive Operators n Unite the Union (Cab Section) n United Cabbies Group n Welsh Licensed Private Hire Car Association n York Private Hire Association LPHCA Chairman Steve Wright added: “Many taxi and PHV drivers have needed to continue working to support the NHS, emergency services, educational and other critical services. With all the above essential services stretched it has been necessary for drivers to play their part in supporting them. Drivers need to be protected as do passengers, so once the very highest levels of priority have been done, taxi and PHV drivers should be prioritised for vaccination.”

—Mark Bursa n n n n

customers would need to call on one of the main ADT numbers – either 01509 260000 or 0116 255 5222 – and quote “Cab-4-AJab”. The offer is valid until February 15.

Hunter said the company was also offering NHS and other key workers a 20% discount by using the code NHS20 when they booked via ADT’s app.

“We are determined to help the great people of Leicestershire get around during this pandemic and ongoing lockdowns, with the hope that we will all some day soon return to enjoy a more normal life together,” Hunter said.

In Winchester, local taxi firms are taking part in an innovative crowdsourced local fund raising initiative called Cabs for Jabs, which is trying to raise £20,000 in donations. This will allow local taxi drivers to carry out 1,000 free rides to and from vaccine hubs for vulnerable local people.

Winchester resident Tim Perry, who is heading the scheme, said: “With the help of local Winchester Taxi firms we aim to provide free taxi rides to as many people who need a lift as possible. We hope it will take a little bit of the stress out of

the day knowing a taxi will already be paid for, getting them to and from the vaccination centre safely.”

Even smaller operators in rural areas are helping out – particularly necessary where bus services are limited and people may live in remote villages some distance from the nearest vaccination centre.

A number of taxi firms in Sudbury, Suffok and the surrounding areas are offering free transport to elderly residents who would otherwise be unable to get to their Covid-19 jabs.

Sudbury Cab Company and Smith’s Private Hire are helping out the elderly in Sudbury and Great Cornard, while Cooks Private Hire is covering the Melford and Lavenham areas. Sudbury Cab Company managing director Joanne Cleverley previously worked in the care industry, and she said she wanted to help the community in a difficult time.

“A lot of elderly people who live alone are really worried about getting the vaccine. If I can help them get there and back safely, without the need for public transport, then that’s great.”

19

Have you signed up to the Safe Taxi & Private Hire Charter?

Option to pay by card through the app, to avoid drivers and passengers using cash.

Hand sanitisers will be provided to all drivers and customers.

Drivers will sanitise their hands regularly.

No physical contact with the passenger unless in an emergency situation or if a passenger requests assistance.

Drivers will wear clean clothes each day, be well-presented and maintain impeccable personal hygiene.

Vehicles which have a shield installed will be regularly cleaned and sanitised.

The passenger area of the vehicle will be wiped down and cleaned with sanitiser regularly.

The driver will conduct a weekly inspection and deep clean of their vehicle.

Signage to be displayed, (where available and where licensing permits) to convey safety and sanitation messages in and out of vehicle.

Social distancing guidelines will be followed by the driver.

Drivers will wear PPE in line with the latest government guidelines.

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200 sign-ups in 2 weeks! Huge thanks to all the operators nationwide for taking the time to sign up and support the #GoSafeGoTaxi campaign and the launch of the Safe Taxi & Private Hire Charter. It’s wonderful to see the industry working together. Join the movement - Sign up, share and get involved at: https://gosafegotaxi.com/

SHOW REPORT: CES BMW iDrive

It’s... CES showtime!

CES went virtual in 2021 but there was plenty of new tech on show... including flying cars Mark Bursa

T

HE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

show, or just CES as it is now known, has become the place to see new car and mobility technology.

Coronavirus meant this year’s show couldn’t take place, so CES morphed into a virtual event. That didn’t stop the flow of major announcements about electric vehicles, autonomous vehicle technology, in-car technology and safety systems. As well as the obligatory flying cars!

Here are some of the highlights from the 2021 virtual CES.

BMW IDRIVE Twenty years after the original iDrive system was launched in the 2001 7-Series, BMW

22

has unveiled a major upgrade to its in-car connectivity and infotainment system.

With an extra-wide-screen display comprising two 14.9in screens side-byside, the upgraded system will appear in the forthcoming BMW iX electric car later this year. BMW describes the upgraded system as one that “bridges the gap between analogue and digital technology”, so the rotary input controller is retained alongside more developed voice and gesture input capability.

The twin-screen approach is very similar to some current Mercedes models, but BMW claims the system’s true advances are in its increasing use of the Cloud, as well as 5G, which

will be integrated into the iX. This will allow greater connectivity – so more accurate traffic and route information – as well as better autonomous capabilities as the 5G system can process double the amount of data from cameras and sensors.

MERCEDES-BENZ HYPERSCREEN While BMW is going down the “floating screen” direction, Mercedes-Benz has revealed a giant integrated 56in one-piece curved touch-screen called Hyperscreen (pictured, below), which will make its debut in Mercedes’ luxury electric car, the EQ-S, later in the year.

The OLED Hyperscreen takes up almost the entire width of the car’s dashboard,

FEBRUARY 2021

SHOW REPORT: CES and includes integrated voice-controlled MBUX software that learns and adapts to driver behaviour, as well as making suggestions for vehicle functions and entertainment choices using artificial intelligence.

Up to seven profiles can be added to the system, each with their own customized settings.

Front passengers get their own display screen to control music, car temperature, and so on. This becomes a decorative display showing animated stars if the seat is empty.

Mercedes describes the MBUX Hyperscreen as “both the brain and nervous system of the car”, suggesting settings and apps that the driver uses regularly.

The screen has a lot of technology – it incorporates eight CPU cores and 24 gigabytes of RAM, as well as a multifunction camera and light sensor to analyse elements such as screen brightness. The Hyperscreen includes an EV mode display, to show functions like energy boosting and recuperation. Even the car’s air vents are integrated into the screen.

PANASONIC HUD

The mainstream consumer electronics industry is increasingly getting involved as an automotive supplier, and at CES, Japanese electronics giant Panasonic revealed a futuristic augmented reality head-up display (HUD).

The HUD (above) uses artificial intelligence to detect and highlight potential hazards involving pedestrians, cyclists, bridges or other vehicles. Panasonic Automotive said the advent of autonomous cars would bring about a reduced driver focus on information and surroundings, so the new HUD can project graphics on a car’s windscreen relative to its surroundings.

The artificial intelligence-driven system uses 4K resolution displays to project information that artificial intelligence within the system deems important, including 3D images to highlight obstacles or enhance navigation instructions.

The bottom half of the display shows regular HUD information like speed, speed limits and a rev counter. The top half of the display is designed to show information in unison with the car’s surroundings. It can highlight potential driving hazards like narrow bridges and cars moving into your lane.

Panasonic’s augmented reality HUD can track

FEBRUARY 2021

the driver’s eyes to ensure the display is aligned with head and eye position. The technology is likely to appear in production cars from 2023.

PIONEER HEAD UNIT

MOBILEYE While much of the tech at CES is looking to the next generation of cars, Japanese electronics firm Pioneer has kept one eye on providing upgrades for older models. The company believes there is still a market for aftermarket head units, especially those with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

At CES 2021, Pioneer announced a new modular head unit, where the display can be detached from the rest of the unit. Called the DMH-WC5700NEX, the chassis containing the processor and other components can be installed wherever is convenient, while the 6.8in touch screen head unit is fitted to a double-DIN slot in the dashboard.

This design is helpful for vehicles that lack the depth behind their dashboards for an aftermarket infotainment system. The Pioneer also includes Bluetooth, DAB, rear camera input and HDMI capability.

Intel-owned Mobileye used CES 2021 to announce updates to its autonomous car technology. The Israeli firm revealed a “breakthrough” Lidar system that it claims could bring fully-autonomous vehicles to “everyone, everywhere.”

The new Lidar is described as a “System on a Chip” – it is the size of a biscuit, and is smaller and lighter than even the latest solid-state Lidar sensors from rivals such as Bosch.

Mobileye plans to use crowdsourced mapping, with 8 million km of public streets being mapped every day. Mobileye claims it has tracked nearly 1 billion km (620 million miles) to date.

Mobileye plans to operate consumer-facing autonomous taxis by 2025, and that it will launch test fleets in at least four cities over the next few months including Detroit, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

“The artificial intelligence-driven system uses 4K resolution displays to project information that artificial intelligence within the system deems important...”

AUDI E-TRON GT CONCEPT Audi continues to grow its e-tron electric car range, and at DES unveiled a four-door Gran Turismo aimed at rivalling the Tesla S and Porsche Taycan. The e-tron GT has a flat-floor architecture that gives a low centre of gravity, combined with lightweight multi-material chassis construction. It has the equivalent of 590hp, giving a 0-62mph time of around 3.5sec and a range of around 250 miles. It uses quattro permanent all-wheel drive and has been developed by Audi’s performance subsidiary Audi Sport.

23

SHOW REPORT: CES CADILLAC LYRIQ General Motors may have pulled out of Europe, but its US brands are going through a serious transformation, with the emphasis on electric drive. The Lyriq large crossover is the first car to be built on GM’s new all-electric platform and will be followed by a saloon, called Celestiq.

It’s also the first car to use GM’s new Ultium batteries (see separate story, p26) and it is expected to have a range of 300 miles. The concept is said to be 85% production-ready. Inside it features a huge 33in digital panel with an extremely high resolution and the ability to display more than 1 billion colours, as well as a dual-pane head-up display with augmented reality.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

SONO SION Swedish start-up Sono (above) revealed a concept that could lead to a fully solar-powered car. The Sono Sion Solar Van has solar panels integrated into its matt black polymer body panels which could add 20 miles of range per day – though a full solar recharge might take a week.

Sono is hoping to put a solar car on the road in Europe as early as 2022. Including its solar range, the battery-electric about 158 miles. The car will cost around £30,000, and you can have it in any colour you like - as long as it’s black.

SONY VISION-S Not content with just supplying electronics components to the car industry, Sony (below) has revealed its first complete car. The Sony

24

Vision-S is a fully electric concept and it was seen taking to the road for the first time in a new video shown at CES 2021.

Sony says it is “continuing to advance vehicle development for safety and security, entertainment and adaptability”, though it is unclear if the Japanese electronics giant plans to put its car into production or just use it as a test bed for technology it plans to supply to other automakers.

“By bringing together its cutting-edge technologies, Sony intends to contribute to the evolution of mobility by contributing safety, security, and in-car entertainment that generates new excitement,” Sony said.

Technology includes the Sony Safety Cocoon – an array of sensors that provide 360-degree coverage using solid-state lidar to map out the car’s surroundings. Advanced gesture control is implemented inside the car, along with a large digital dashboard, advanced AI systems, and rear-seat screens that give passengers a view of the road ahead.

GRUPO ANTOLIN ELIN Grupo Antolin (top, right), an automotive supplier specialising in lighting and air conditioning systems, revealed two “virtual concept cars” that show its vision of what purpose-designed autonomous ride-hailing and ride-sharing taxis might look like.

The ride-sharing concept car is called ELIN. Grupo Antolin says it has been designed to be integrated into urban areas. The boxy concept has a versatile interior that can be customized with acoustic panels with decorative inserts made of natural materials.

The ride-hailing concept car has an interior that can be used as a mobile workspace or relaxation space. The interior also features advanced air purification technology and a range of interactive technologies.

HERE TECHNOLOGIES HERE Technologies unveiled a system that helps operators of electric vehicles plan their journeys to take the optimal route, including charging stops where needed. The system is aimed especially at taxi or delivery fleets that want to switch to EVs. HERE Technologies EV Routing feature takes into account topography, road geometry, real time traffic information and traffic patterns while planning trips. It can be synced to the consumption model of the vehicle and can be adjusted to different driving styles, loads or weather conditions.

EV Routing is part of a routing API built on top of HERE’s own mapping technology. It also leverages HERE’s database of EV Charge Points, including vehicle brand, real time availability, CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

FEBRUARY 2021

SHOW REPORT: CES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

subscription and pricing information.

“EV Routing does more than show you the way to a charging station. It provides the most optimal route, including charging times, while taking into account static and dynamic data such as charging speed or real time traffic conditions,” said Jussi Koski, VP Product Management at HERE Technologies.

PAL-V LIBERTY FLYING CAR A practical flying car is something of a holy grail at CES, and the PAL-V Liberty is a propellerdriven two-seater Gyroplane that can also function as a commuter car.

Dutch company PAL-V claims the Liberty is “the world’s first commercial flying car”. It looks like a helicopter in the air but it’s actually a propellor-driven gyroplane with non-powered rotating blades that spin with the air and fold up when not in use.

PAL-V claims the three-wheeled Liberty is certified for use in Europe. Range in the air is up to 300 miles, at about 100 mph.

BRIGHTDROP EV600

General Motors has launched a new division called BrightDrop, aimed at “reducing the time and physical effort it takes to get goods from the warehouse to the destination,” according to Pam Fletcher, vice president of innovation.

BrightDrop’s all-electric products include a delivery van called the EV600, built on GM’s Ultium platform and due late in 2021. Aimed at parcels delivery firms, it offers 17cu m of cargo space and 250 miles of electric range.

CADILLAC HALO VTOL TAXI GM showed an electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air taxi called the Cadillac Halo. It has a 90-kilowatt-hour battery, four rotors, and a top speed of 56 mph. A single-seater, it would be autonomously guided to its destination. Also shown as part of the Cadillac Halo series was a luxurious van concept that showcased a living-room-style interior that autonomy may make possible. This uses the same platform and batteries as the BrightDrop EV600 van.

GM ULTIUM BATTERIES GM’s second-generation Ultium batteries offer improved performance and a lower Cobalt content, which will appease critics of Cobalt mining.

The Ultium cells can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, and GM claims they will cost just $100/kWh by mid-decade.

The batteries are a joint venture between GM and LG Chem. A 60% reduction in Cobalt content will help cut the cost of the batteries while the cells offer twice the energy density of today’s cells, yielding a range of up to 450 miles for a typically-sized pack, GM says.

26

FEBRUARY 2021

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first drive

Mercedes-Benz GLE 350de 4Matic AMG Line

Hybrid hero

Mark Bursa

I

T’S PERHAPS PREDICTABLE THAT A LOT

of manufacturers have gone down the SUV route for their first “proper” electric cars. After all, it’s where the hot spot of the market seems to be, and there are practical advantages too – a tall body design gives designers a nice underfloor area to stash the cumbersome battery pack.

Mercedes-Benz’s EQ-C is now on sale, offering 250-mile all-electric range, and clearly the EQ sub-brand is set to play a major role in the future – it’s already rolling out a whole range of EQbranded EVs of all shapes and sizes.

But Mercedes hasn’t yet abandoned the hybrid – far from it, with diesel and petrol plug-in versions of E-Class still leading the way in the executive sector. And Mercedes has now installed a version of the same powertrain in its GLE SUV, giving the option of a full-size, roomy sports utility that is London ULEZ-compliant, while offering all the performance and range advantages of a diesel.

What’s not to like?

The GLE is pitched against big rivals such as Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XV90. It is descended from the previous Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and

28

initially, it was just a case of rebadging the car to bring it into line with Merc’s more logical naming structure. The interior is perhaps the most significant upgrade on the latest generation GLE model, The new version on test here is basically a major facelift, bringing the car up to the standard of its E-class saloon brethren.

Inside the car, it’s very recognisably a Mercedes, with the wide-screen “floating dashboard”, just like you’ll find in an E-Class, or a current-gen S-Class.

Mercedes enthusiasts will have no problem acclimatising to the controls, including the latestgeneration touch-pad Comand controller and the usual cluster of steering wheel buttons.

Our test car featured a stylish, predominantly black interior, with aluminimum-effect detailing rather than shiny chrome. Plenty of good features, including a wireless phone charging pad, but the USB sockets only seemed to be the latest, USB-C ones with the smaller socket, so if you’re using older USB devices, you’ll need to buy an adaptor.

The big display is of the same standard as the E-class – gone are the old analogue dials and inset satnav screen. It’s comfortable and very refined, with engine noise minimised by the hybrid

powertrain and relatively little road rumble, despite the chunky 4x4 tyres.

On our test drive, we selected standard hybrid mode and immediately the battery does most of the work. Out of the first 27 miles of driving, 18 were by battery, with 23 miles remaining. Mercedes claims 66 miles of electric range on a full charge, which is one of the best PHEV ranges we’ve tested. We didn’t drive it for long enough to get a meaningful mpg figure, which is obviously dependent on how frequently the car is charged up.

And with a diesel engine providing the ICE element of the drivetrain, there’s plenty of overall range – around 550 miles on a full tank. So a long journey can be non-stop – something that’s not possible with the EQC and its 250-mile electric range.

Seats are comfortable, and there’s plenty of rear legroom. Boot space is generous too, and although the 31.2kWh battery pack sits below the luggage area, it doesn’t take away so much space as tor ender the boot cramped. The boot has a slightly lower total capacity than the conventional GLE (490 litres versus 630 litres) but that’s still a decent size. However, the electrical paraphernalia

FEBRUARY 2021

first drive

Mercedes-Benz GLE 350de 4Matic AMG Line

does mean the PHEV GLE can’t have a third row of seats, so it’s strictly a five-seater.

The 134hp electric motor is fitted between the engine and gearbox and assists a 194hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The battery charge plug is on the nearside rear wheel arch, and on a fast charge at up to 22kW, you can replenish the battery in an hour. A domestic wallbox is slower – around 3hr 15min. Under the latest WLTP testing, the GLE 350de has a very low CO2 figure of 29g/km.

There are the usual choice of drive modes Comfort, Sport, Eco, Individual - and you can change the level of battery regeneration by using the steering wheel paddles that would be used for shifting gear on a petrol or diesel car.

Comfort is the best compromise – for chauffeuring it’s best to avoid Sport. Eco cranks up the regeneration, so you gain a few extra miles of range, though the throttle response becomes more sluggish and you have to keep your foot down much of the time to stop the car jerking to a sudden halt when coasting. Ultimately, you’ll find a combination of settings that will give the right compromise of comfort and performance.

FEBRUARY 2021

verdict

T

HE LATEST VERSION OF THE GLE IS A revelation – not only has its interior been brought up to the standard of the Mercedes saloon range, there have been major upgrades to the ride and handling, especially in terms of cabin refinement. It’s very smooth and comfortable, and a long way from the rather rugged feel of previous M-Class models. The plug-in hybrid powertrain gives very generous range in pure electric mode, and that can be extended even further if you’re prepared to put up with the slightly sluggish performance in Eco mode, with energy regeneration turned up to the max. The interior is comfortable too, and the boot space, while slightly compromised, is still cavernous.

On the downside, it’s not cheap – with a price tag of £61,000-plus, you’ll be paying £465 a year in road tax, despite the classification of the car as an ecovehicle thanks to the plug-in powertrain. Plug-in hybrids are still seen as a stop-gap in the headlong drive to all-electric cars. But right now they can do a job very efficiently, without the need for range anxiety, and complying with ULEZ rules. Keep them on your shopping list for now.

data PRICE as tested WARRANTY VED

£61,360 3 years / unlimited mileage B

performance 1,950cc, 4-cyl, turbodiesel w/electric motor 9 speed auto, 4WD SYSTEM POWER 320hp (194hp diesel + 134hp electric) SYSTEM TORQUE 700Nm (400Nm at 1,600– 2,800rpm, + 440Nm electric boost) 0-62MPH 6.8sec TOP SPEED 130mph COMBINED ECONOMY 313.0-406.6mpg (WLTP) ELECTRIC RANGE 66 miles CO2 EMISSIONS 29g/km ENGINE

TRANSMISSION

dimensions LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT WHEELBASE LOADSPACE TURNING CIRCLE FUEL TANK

4,930mm 2,018mm 1,795mm 2,995mm 490 litres 12m 69 litres

29

running report

BMW 745Le xDrive MSport

PHOTO: GERRARDS

Lockdown learning!

Paul Webb

I

SUSPECT LIKE MANY OF OUR CHAUFFEUR

readers, my car has basically been an expensive driveway ornament during lockdown.

But even if the mileages are limited, it’s at least a chance to get behind the wheel on the driveway and explore some of the car’s features that you know exist, but you probably haven’t had the time to learn how to use. And the BMW 745Le has plenty of them.

As the February snow came down, I decided to set the car’s defrost and warm-up feature using the key and the timer. It’s actually very simple, and with a bit of planning you could be setting off to your first client on a winter’s morning without the usual cold hands and suit covered in snow scrapings.

Of course, cold hands are soon warmed with the heated steering wheel, heated arm rests and of course heated seats, front and rear. Winter warmers, indeed.

In these odd times, your old service of a newspaper, bottled water and magazines will probably be replaced by a tube of hand sanitiser, face masks and wipes. We have been using a Highly recommended Covid-fighting pack that contains all the essentials and very handily fits

30

perfectly in the storage box in the rear arm rest.

Better still, it’s been put together by a chauffeur company, and is selling under the name of PPE Company Care. Even better, you can order it via the Professional Driver online shop, at www. prodrivermags.com/store/ Back to the technology! With clients in the car,

BMW 745Le xDrive MSport £87,680

PRICE VED BAND WARRANTY

C 36 months / unlimited mileage

performance ENGINE 3.0l inline, 6-cyl, petrol w/electric motor

8-speed steptronic, AWD 394hp TORQUE 600Nm COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY 134.5mpg CO2 EMISSIONS 52g/km ZERO EMISSIONS RANGE 32-34 miles TRANSMISSION POWER

dimensions LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT WHEELBASE LOADSPACE

5,260mm 1,902mm 1,479mm 3,210mm 420 litres

using the voice recognition commands was pretty much a non-starter but the system is actually very good. After a short amount of practice, simple commands on navigation making calls and controlling what radio station you listen to become so much easier by just asking. It’s safer too, as your hands stay on the wheel, and you can use it to your heart’s content when there’s just you in the car.

It’s good to have a sit in the back and familiarise yourself with the rear seat tech too. It’s a comfortable place for your client, but you can make it even better by running through some of the features they might not realise are there.

There’s a massage facility from their heated seats. And there’s a clever tablet that unclips from the arm rest. This lets them control the cabin entertainment, from the screens where they can watch tv, follow the sat-nav or listen to the radio or their own music from their smartphone. It seems a shame that so many clients never really get to grips with what the car can offer to make their journey more pleasurable.

The BMW745Le is London ULEZ-compliant, its running costs are comparable with a 740Ld, and you can buy it now. OK, work may be scarce at the moment, but when it comes back, and it will in the second half of the year, nobody is going to want to be seen in a diesel.

FEBRUARY 2021

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the knowledge

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Will the electric revolution remain on ICE?

HE NEWS THAT TRANSPORT FOR plug escalates to a point where the economic London has completed its programme benefit of migration to EVs dissipates or even to provide 300 rapid charging points disappears. One could say that saving Londoners’ across London is to be welcomed. health through improving air quality has a value, But let’s face it, 300 is never going to be something I agree with, but for the PH and anywhere near enough to enable London’s taxi driver when purchasing an EV there is a private hire and taxi industry to switch to electric. hefty premium – the sales huff and puff is that Forgetting for the moment the vans and private this is recovered through the comparatively cars in London, a study that I commissioned some lower fuel costs. four years ago found that 8,000 was the number Hmm. To hit that sweet spot there needs to be Dr Michael Galvin of rapid charging stations required for a complete balance between the vehicle purchasing premium https://mobility migration of both the taxi and PH industries to and the cost of charging. Both seem to be moving electric. in opposite directions with the poor old cabbie serviceslimited This assumed that a percentage of taxis and PHVs struggling for viability in the middle. Suffice to say, .com would be able to charge at home and then top up there appears to be nothing in place to provide during the day. I was unsuccessful in trying to get the any assurance on that front. data behind TfL’s figure of 300. I was keen to understand We are very much at the moment in first-mover territory, a few where that number came from, but I don’t believe there was relatively keen pioneers investing in the future. That voluntary any logic there. Ultimately, I assumed it was a political decision situation is at an end for taxis in London where any new vehicle – 300 sounds a lot! must be electric and soon PH will be in the same territory.

At the time I engaged in some lobbying to TfL and others to A lack of rapid charging will, as night follows day, mean prices consider moving the number of charging points ahead of the to charge will increase. This will encourage those who can to take up of EVs so that there was an incentive to migrate fleets hold on to older vehicles with their inherent adverse air quality from petrol and diesel to electric. Two thousand to me seemed impacts, those who can’t to use hybrid plug-ins and vehicles a significant population of charging points that would give with range-extenders – in effect both vehicle types relying on a companies and individuals the confidence to move to EVs. combustion engine rather than using electric continuously.

I think it was true to say that what transpired was that the 300 WHAT TO DO? target provided TfL with a very real challenge in itself. Planning So what can be done? Is leaving it to the market enough? Will it was a problem, supply was not available in places and there was work? With rapid charging points permanently populated, won’t always a background thought that either battery technology the obvious move to be to increase charging prices? would see a breakthrough or another technology, perhaps What about TfL? I believe it is true to say that some within hydrogen, would overtake EVs. This would enable the 300 to buy TfL were surprised to find that institution saddled with the task a significant amount of time for the market to pick up the slack. of locating and installing 300 points. TfL’s remit is to provide THE COST OF CHARGING Another concern amongst industry representatives at the time of the migration being discussed was the cost of electric charging and how that would be managed. There was certainly no appetite for managing cost at any meeting with the authorities that I attended and instead there was a vague reference to competition from the market.

Predictably, costs are climbing. I note that in the TfL press release one supplier has an opening offer of 25p per kWh. According to the consumer champion Which? domestic supply is between 16-18p per kWh. If 25p is a special introductory offer then the standard tariff is going to be some distance north of 25p.

While we might consider this situation a negative, in fairness the suppler will have to secure supply, collect money, presumably expand the network at their own risk, market to and acquire customers, manage customers and maintain the network. All that costs money, so there will be quite reasonably a cost that has to be recovered - assuming that suppliers are not in the business for the good of their health they need to make a profit.

The nightmare scenario is of course that the cost at the

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transport in London - but now it finds itself responsible for in some way regulating electriciy tariffs for charging vehicles.

That might not be the natural direction of travel.

What about Government? Er, let’s move on. Local Authorities?

I suspect not.

If the industry is lucky, the cost of charging and the cost of the vehicle will largely align with the previous costs for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. If the industry wins the lottery there will be a small saving and the alternative doesn’t need spelling out.

My advice is to enjoy the clean air and its health benefits and don’t expect any EV financial bonus. The cost of charging will become one of the industry’s banes in the years ahead and it is closely coming to a point where if anything is going to be done to get some kind of framework in place it needs to happen now.

It would be a missed opportunity if the revolution from ICE to EV and the inherent health benefits from removing tailpipe emissions in London was muted through a reluctant cohort running ICE powered vehicles for as long as possible and any investment moving into plug-in hybrids. Is this one for London Councils to grasp?

FEBRUARY 2021

the advisor

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The impact of IR35 on the private hire sector

T’S A SUBJECT WHICH MAY SEEM RELEVANT A medium or large business, as per the definition only to larger operators. But IR35 but will within the Companies Act 2006, falls within the have an impact in many ways on those who definition, therefore a business turning over more than are also sub-contractors or micro limited £10.2m, with a balance sheet of more than £5.1m and more than 50 staff would be within the scope of IR35. companies, and that carry out work for big operators.

However, please remember that for all And eventually, all this legislation will trickle down subcontractors, any limited company contractor to affect all self-employed contractors and their engaged will need to make their own decision as to engagers in this industry. whether their engagement is caught by IR35 under the I genuinely believed that, among all the chaos of Gary Jacobs existing rules.

Covid-19 and Brexit, the government would be unlikely If you are a medium or large business, you will have to go through with this legislation. But no. IR35 is Gary Jacobs a legal obligation to decide whether each contractor’s still happening, and will be here in April 2021, so big runs Eaziserv, an engagement falls within IR35 using the traditional tests companies need to prepare for it now. accountancy firm of employment status. This is the case for each and The IR35 legislation was brought in as anti-tax specialising in every contractor – no blanket decisions. avoidance legislation, to reap back tax through the taxi and private You have an obligation to use “reasonable care” national insurance. It is aimed at the situation when making the decision, and to issue a Status hire business where a worker is believed to be more like an employee, Determination Statement (SDS) confirming your but they provide their services through a limited eaziserv.co.uk decision. If you engage contractors – drivers – directly, company, thus avoiding the tax and NIC consequences this SDS must be issued to the driver. For those that of being employed. engage contractors via an agency, the SDS must Since its introduction in 2000, the onus was on the be issued to both the worker, and the party in the limited company contractor to look at their engagement contractual chain directly below the client. to decide whether it would reflect employment were it So, who is liable for the tax and NIC? This is a little tricky, as there not for the limited company. IR35 is essentially a question are provisions for the liability to move up and down the contractual of employment status: if IR35 applies, the limited company chain depending on the parties involved and their behaviour. must pay the tax and NIC that would have been due if the Simplest of all is where the operator engages the contractor contractor’s engagement were reclassified as employment by HMRC. (driver) directly, where the driver is responsible for the tax and NIC. This has already been rolled out into the public sector, where Where there are other parties in the chain between the client and it is the public sector body’s responsibility for deciding as to worker’s company, the ‘fee-payer’ – that is the party making the each contractor’s engagement, and then the limited company payment to the contractor – is treated as making the deemed direct must be paid net of tax and NIC when an engagement is deemed payment, and therefore responsible for the tax and NIC. caught by IR35.

However, even where there is a fee-payer involved, there are It is no secret that change to the legislation in the public circumstances in which the operator will be liable which you should sector created chaos. This resulted in many departments issuing be aware of. The operator could be liable for the tax and NIC until blanket ‘caught’ decisions across their workforce, with swathes of and unless it issues the SDS to the worker and, if applicable, the contractors terminating their engagements and seeking work in party below it in the contractual chain. the private sector. It also fed into the hands of the many umbrella So, if you are an operator or an engager of sub-contractors, you companies, who offer a legitimate half-way house: compliant and yet need to confirm whether the legislation applies to your operation within the spirit of the legislation. and identify where workers’ services are provided via intermediaries.

Because of this absolute chaos, the Government decided that this You need to put procedures in place for reviewing engagements change to the legislation was a success, and it decided to roll it out and issuing SDSs, as well as investing time in ensuring they have to the private sector as the IR35 legislation. So, who in this trade will an adequate appeals procedure in place – either internally, or via a be affected by the changes? suitable external advisor.

‘SMALL BUSINESSES’ ARE EXEMPT A warning: During the consultation process, HMRC has made it The new legislation will only apply to medium or large businesses, clear that it is aware of avoidance strategies and will not be fooled and public sector organisations, that engage limited company by contrived arrangements intended to circumvent the new rules. contractors either directly or via an agency. Note that the legislation Such arrangements should not be entered into in haste, and without replaces that which currently covers public sector engagements. review by a suitably expert third party.

Just to be clear, a small business has turnover of less £10.2 Thanks to Rebecca Walker of HQ35 for her substantial input in million, a balance sheet under £5.1m and fewer than 50 employees. this article.

FEBRUARY 2021

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the negotiator

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The self-driving dream fades into the distance

aspects of our behaviour are something HE BIG RIDE-HAILING COMPANIES that no algorithm can currently compute.

– and a number of motor Who would believe that a human would manufacturers – have bet the farm on autonomous vehicles. Both have be walking down the middle of a highway much to gain: the former because such at night pushing a bicycle? Would a farmer a development would be the way out of be expected to release llamas on a back a busted business model, and the latter road in Scotland? because that is the next “big thing”.

Secondly, there is too much reliance They believe that if everyone is going in on the technology both by the designers that direction then that is the way the of the vehicle and their buyers. Humans, Dennis wind is blowing. whatever our faults, can see a big truck on Bartholomew At the same time, the political imperative a sunny day and would not run into it at to reduce or reverse global warming and speed. Yes, I know that 90% of accidents noxious gases, blamed on the internal are caused by humans, but a key premise GMB combustion engine, has become a key of these vehicles is that they will be much representative objective of many governments and safer than us humans. for Uber drivers international bodies. This has resulted in So, the technology will need a lot more a slow, but increasingly aggressive, set of development. In early 2020, CNBC claimed measures being introduced against the use that “Uber’s self-driving cars are a key to its of fossil fuels as a means of vehicle propulsion. path to profitability...” as its autonomous car division, the The outcome has been an acceleration in the Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), had taken a new development of electric powered vehicles. approach to autonomous driving.

Let’s look at both of these issues and their impact But in late 2020, Uber had ditched its effort to develop on the professional driver. I will examine the current its own self-driving car and sold ATG to Amazon. With situation of autonomous vehicle development below and that Uber has said bye-bye to its vaunted ambition to have advances in electric vehicles in the next issue. self-driving cars replacing driver driven cars.

For the moment Tesla is continuing the self-driving SELF-DRIVING CARS – THE MYTH HAS EVAPORATED IN THE MORNING SUN crusade, with its Autopilot system. However, the US transport authorities, both national and local, are About 2016, I worked as a professional driver for Uber becoming alarmed at the reported accidents and deaths and began to hear stories about the next big thing in the caused when these vehicles crash while in Autopilot private hire industry, autonomous cars. These, it was mode. So there is a lot of work to do. claimed, would be safer, reduce fares and enable Uber Don’t get me wrong. I still believe that self-driving cars and similar companies to get rid of those pesky drivers will come one day, but not in the short term. and achieve profitability at last.

So, for professional drivers the employment situation Those drivers were the cause of so much trouble, caused by self-driving cars is not terminal, although there Uber seemed to be saying, demanding higher pay and are other reasons why it is currently dire, with low pay, better conditions; not being submissive enough to the long hours and huge financial risks. passengers’ whims; always whining; and so on. All of I urge every driver out there to join the GMB so that these bothersome things could be got rid of once these current terms of work can be changed for the better and, magic self-driving vehicles were produced and licensed when autonomous vehicles arrive, strategies for road use. can be developed to help the professional I told my colleagues, family, friends and driver. They can do so at https://www.gmb. anyone who would listen to my fevered org.uk/join-gmb. Other unions are available – ravings that this was going to happen and and they’re all on your side. it would happen soon. After all, companies —Dennis Bartholomew such as Ford, Daimler, Uber et al would not be spending gazillions of dollars if they n Dennis Bartholomew is the GMB weren’t expecting a reward in the short to trade union representative for driver/ medium term. Or so I thought. members working for Uber. He is an It is now clear that the dream of the author and broadcaster with a strong autonomous vehicle has receded into the long term. And there are a number of knowledge of the private hire industry. reasons for this. dennis.bartholomew@yahoo.co.uk Firstly, human beings are too fickle. All +44 7544 026 122

“It is now clear that the dream of the autonomous vehicle has receded into the long term...”

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FEBRUARY 2021

the insider

Ever the optimist in this mug’s game

N

OPE, I DID NOT ENDURE ‘DRY JANUARY’ Then again? I did enjoy the time I sat down (for I am no quitter) or set myself to lunch with three players from the Brazil 1970 unattainable resolutions for 2021. If you did World Cup squad; Carlos Alberto, Felix and any or both of these social media-fuelled Jairzinho, as we spent the afternoon picking bullying events then I commend you for being a better our all-time World Cup 11 team. A time when I person than myself. defended my selecting Peter Beardsley in place of The bad news for us is business remains as weak Pele to the death. as the security guards at the Washington Capitol Great memories, like the time I was threatened Building. I even offered to supply cars for the funeral with violence from a Spice Girl and once again of the modern-day legend that is Captain Tom free of from Fred Durst of the band Limp Bizkit. I will Kevin Willis charge, but was politely told they had already made openly admit to being mildly scared and a little arrangements. turned on by one of those threats.

So much like a Katie Price fitness video, I can’t even A few years ago I was asked to play the husband/ Everyday problems give it away. Even so, I remain strangely optimistic, and father to a Russian lady at her son’s very posh from the operator’s I’m counting the days to when we are all vaccinated graduation dinner and I even appear, smiling point of view... and free to travel. We have made it through January, awkwardly with my family, in the commemorative well into February, and I’m feeling positive for a return photograph! This might be up there as one of the to better days ahead. We can’t give up now! most excruciating nights of my working life but doesn’t come Searching the corners of our industry to discover what is new out close to claiming the title of the longest. there I came across a piece by the Guild of Professional Chauffeurs That would be a toss-up between the time I worked with a film which has launched an online training module aimed at encouraging crew who were shooting the overnight ‘celebration’ of the Summer people into our industry.

Solstice down at Stonehenge, with drunken hippies jumping All worthy stuff, but I must admit that when I first read, then up and down in front of me all night because I was the only one watched the promotional videos, I had a little chuckle to myself. I have wearing a tie. Admittedly, I had nothing else on but the tie after some great mates within the Guild, and I would look to encourage any succumbing to a couple of puffs on a cigarette that smelt of fox’s venture that seeks to improve either the service or standards of our wee, offered to me by a guy who insisted on calling me “tie dude”. trade. But honestly, who would want to become a driver these days?

Or it could be the night I slept in my car at the back alley to My promotional video would start with a still of a northern tea cup Ministry of Sound while waiting for the ‘turn’ to stop partying.

– that’s a mug down south. Because this is truly a mug’s game. We However, those nights forged great friendships, stories and were worry constantly about where the next job is coming from and we followed by the best cooked breakfasts I have ever tasted. can’t even take a comfort break in case we miss a phone call. We are I have been in Moscow nightclubs where an illegal taxi ride going to wake at least three times a night to check for emails. Handily, through that beautiful, mad city followed and been driven back to this coincides with the fact that the bladder of the more mature man our hotel by a movie star we had just had dinner with in LA. From needs to be emptied on a regular basis. Then, when we are busy, we running (falling) down Coopers Hill in the Cheese Rolling Festival moan about how tired we are with not a moment to ourselves before to being the ‘contender’ in a Man v Food eating race (I went on to complaining that the diary for next week is empty. experience vomiting deep fried Mars Bar not five minutes after).

My wife (and business partner) and I once took a holiday to China All great memories. which put us eight hours ahead of the UK, but with clients in New York, I suspect many of you reading this have similar, better stories Los Angeles, India and Moscow we were constantly busy checking and experiences that would never have happened had you chosen drivers, emails and flight numbers. Perhaps leaving the office was not an alternative career path. (Try motoring journalism – Ed) We the right thing to have done! could write them all down and collate them into a book but no one Thank God for the rabid jet lag I suffered, which enabled me to keep would believe half of the stuff said. Send them over if you dare! on top of things, although I confess this also meant I slept through the Being a chauffeur can put you in places you probably don’t coach tour of Wuhan which, back then, was only known for having lots belong. We meet the super-rich, ultra-famous, inspirational and of bicycles and a whacking big coach station. downright annoying. We drive, we advise, we work and play always Throughout our business life we have had to cancel more restaurant knowing when to back away and shut up. So, I do wish the GoPC bookings than we made because when a job overruns, it overruns! We every success in bringing through new talent and raising the have never, ever, gone to the theatre without running, sweating and standards of the next generation of chauffeurs. apologising profusely to others in our row for being late.

Some of the attributes that make a successful chauffeur, Any earnings you create in the good months then get dissipated by I believe, cannot be taught, but if you are given the basics the slow months, or there is a car to be serviced, a tyre to change or of what is expected of you then the rest will only come test to sit. VAT payments seem like a constant battle and the only time through the experience of doing the job. Check out www.

I feel loved is when HMRC remind me to pay what I owe, four months guildofprofessionalchauffeurs.co.uk for more information. before it is due.

Kevin Willis has no involvement with the Guild of Professional Add to the fact that when the pandemic hit, Rishi Sunak Chauffeurs, nor has he ever taken any illegal substances while completely ignored us, and supported everyone in the ‘hospitality’ working. industry except the poor sods who move all those business people n Kevin Willis runs Chirton Grange, and tourists around the UK. And for what? To earn the same hourly contact@chirtongrange.co.uk rate I did twenty years ago!

FEBRUARY 2021

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