Professional Driver Magazine July 2022

VOLUME 16 ISSUE 06 £4.95

ID Parade VW’s all electric ID.3 and ID.4 on test

UBER LEAKS

Spotlight on malpractice at the app giant from 2013-17

CAR OF THE YEAR

The 2022 shortlist revealed

FORWARDISM E V E R Y M O V E M E N T C R E A T E S I T S O W N

#bornelectric

I C O N .

THE NEW

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contents

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COVER STORY ID Parade – Volkswagen’s ID.3 and ID.4 on test

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B usiness News The latest from around the UK private hire sector

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N ews Analysis THE UBER LEAKS – game changer, or old news?

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N ews Analysis NUMBERS GAME – new data shows the impact of Covid on the trade

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C oTY 2022 Shortlist The Fab 50 – our shortlist of cars for you to test at our Car of the Year judging days

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R unning Report Mazda 6 GT Line 2.5 GT

REGULARS 30 The Knowledge 32 The Negotiator

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mark Bursa 07813 320044 markbursa@prodrivermags.com COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Paul Webb 07807 133527 paulwebb@prodrivermags.com ART DIRECTOR Alan Booth CONTRIBUTORS Ian Robertson, Glen Holder, Phil Rule, John Coombes, Phil Huff, Tim Barnes-Clay, Gary Jacobs, David Wilkins, Craig Thomas,

31 The Advisor 33 The Insider

Kevin Willis, Peter Panayiotou, Iain Dooley, Mike Stone, Dennot Nyack, Adam Bernstein, Dr Mike Galvin, Tim Scrafton WEBSITE Martin Coombes 01959 547000 COMPANY ADDRESS 50 Beechcroft Manor, Oatlands, Weybridge, KT13 9NZ SUBSCRIBE Curwood CMS Ltd, The Barn, Abbey Mews, Robertsbridge, TN32 5AD 01580 883844 subs@prodrivermags.com

Registered in England No.: 7086172 © 2022 All contents copyright of ProDriver Media Ltd.

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JULY 2022

comment

Be pragmatic, not dogmatic, Mr Khan

H

ailing a taxi via an app is not plying

for hire. The Court of Appeal’s landmark judgement over a black cab group’s attempt to block Free Now finally puts to bed a contentious issue that frankly should never have got as far as it did.

Once geolocation technology became widely available on smartphones, there was no way the process of booking a private hire vehicle could ever be wound back to phone lines and offices with orange flashing lights outside.

UTAG’s assertion that an unmarked minicab is “plying for hire” just because it is driving around waiting for a job in a busy part of town is nonsense – and the judges’ scathing response said as much. “Virtual hailing” is not the same as standing with your arm out, flagging down a taxi. End of. Nothing to see here, move on.

If only such clarity of thought and judgement could be brought to other contentious issues. Hats off to Gerrards CEO Martin Cox for challenging TfL over its intransigent approach to vehicle licensing.

TfL’s insistence on zero-emissions capable vehicles being the only ones allowed for private hire use is one of the most stupid, self-defeating decisions. Almost up there with Brexit on the gun-to-foot scale of idiocy.

Yes, we all want to see cleaner vehicles. I’m sure that given the operating cost advantage, every operator would happily switch to electric – if it was possible to do so.

Ever since TfL introduced the idea of “ZEC” vehicles back in 2015, we’ve said it was a bad idea.

Remember too that DfT/DoE guidelines for taxis and PHVs is Euro 4 petrol/ Euro 6 diesel. Those standards are applied in all other Clean Air Zones; it is only TfL that has gone beyond them.

And therein lies the problem. There are still very limited numbers of vehicles that meet the criteria.

Take seven-seater chauffeur cars. The only game in town is the Mercedes-Benz EQV, an electrified V-Class.

It has a range of barely 200 miles, it’s expensive and in very short supply. The supply does not meet the

JULY 2022

demand, and as a result, fleets needing vehicles are having to buy diesels. But TfL won’t let them register new diesels, so they have to buy ones that are 18 months old (bizarrely, these can be licensed still).

This means dealers are charging premium prices for secondhand V-Classes – more than the new list price of a 2020 car, in some cases.

Other operators are just hanging on to the vehicles they have. Which means TfL’s intention to clean up the fleet is having the opposite effect. Older diesels, with higher mileages and greater levels of engine wear are chugging around because there are no EVs available.

At least allowing new diesels to be licensed would bring about some improvement in air quality. Remember that if there was bountiful EQV supply, the operators would buy the cars.

But there isn’t.

And even if there was, the infrastructure in London is still not up to speed. Drivers need on-street charging, and that needs to be much more extensive than the current occasional charger. It needs every lamp post to be capable of recharging overnight. But TfL can’t afford this either.

Until the ducks are in a row – vehicle availability and infrastructure – we need a temporary moratorium (Martin Cox suggests 24 months, which seems eminently sensible) on the unreasonable ZEC rule.

Remember, even non-plug-in hybrids were ruled out, so demonstrably clean cars such as the Toyota Prius became unlicensable.

Sadiq Khan cannot deflect every request for a little pragmatism with dogmatic answers about children dying from pollution. Nothing TfL is doing at present is helping matters. It’s just making things worse. Get things moving again, and allow businesses to recover.

Here at Professional Driver we fully support Martin Cox’s initiative and we’ll do whatever we can to help.

Mark Bursa Editor markbursa@prodrivermags.com

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news

Ride hailing and app bookings are not ‘plying for hire’: landmark judgement Mark Bursa Use of ride-hailing apps does not constitute plying for hire, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

In a landmark decision, three High Court judges rejected claims by a taxi activists group that the Free Now app was acting unlawfully by operating in London.

In a lengthy judgement that referenced laws dating back to 1869, the judges agreed that making cars available to be booked via an app was not “plying for hire”. The judgement supported an earlier judgement made in favour of an Uber driver in Reading (Reading BC vs Ali), where a court ruled that a driver sitting in a vehicle waiting for a booking was not plying for hire.

Taxi trade group United Trade Action Group Ltd brought the case – the first test of the phrase “plying for hire” in the Court of Appeal in 150 years, alleging that by making cars available via an app, Free Now was acting illegally.

But the judges agreed with earlier judgements that “plying for hire” had to involve “exhibition” – displaying the vehicle as clearly available for hire – and “solicitation” – inviting the public to get inside.

The judges ruled that displaying the outline of a car on an app screen was not “exhibition”.

And the fact that the vehicles cannot be booked other than via the app means no

“solicitation” is taking place.

Lord Justice Bean (pictured, inset) said: “I do not consider that drivers of PHVs using the Free Now app can be said to be plying for hire. Neither the ‘exhibition’ nor the ‘solicitation’ element of the test is satisfied.”

He said the use of app technology made no difference to the principle: “The App is simply the use of modern technology to effect a similar transaction to those which have been carried out by PHV operators over the telephone for many years.”

“If I ring a minicab firm and ask for a car to come to my house within five minutes and the operator says ‘I’ve got five cars round the corner from you.

Background: Cogley v Sherwood, 1959 Before the era of the smartphone app and ride-hailing services, the leading case on plying for hire was Cogley v Sherwood, dating back to 1959. This ruling, presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of the day,

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One of them will be with you in five minutes,’ there is nothing in that transaction which amounts to plying for hire. As a matter of principle, I do not consider that the position should be different because the use of internet technology avoids the need for the phone call.”

Dismissing the UTAG claims, Lord Justice Bean added: “The Appellants [UTAG] argue that as a matter of ordinary language a vehicle plies for hire if it ‘drives around or parks in a public place waiting for someone to hire it’.

That cannot possibly be enough.

Such a test would criminalise almost the entire PHV industry, except perhaps one-person operators working from home.”

set the definition of plying for hire which was used by Free Now to win the case.

Cogley v Sherwood involved two individuals who were prosecuted for plying for hire at Heathrow airport. Their vehicles were parked at the airport but there was nothing about the vehicles’ appearance, the place where they were parked, or the behaviour of the drivers which suggested that they were for hire. Bookings could

Referring to the 1869 Metropolitan Carriage Act, which UTAG had claimed Free Now was contravening, Lord Justice Singh said: “It was always possible, even in 1869, for a person to hire a private vehicle (to use modern terminology) which would not be plying for hire. At that time, there were carriages with horses and drivers available for hire from a ‘jobmaster’. There were stables where such carriages and horses were kept.”

“But the essential difference between such a hire and plying for hire by a hackney carriage was that a pre-booking had to be made. The coming of the motor car did not change this conceptual distinction.”

only be made via the car hire desk, inside the terminal, which advertised their services.

The court ruled in favour of the drivers, and gave the clearest definition of “plying for hire” by introducing the concepts of “exhibiting” the vehicle and “soliciting” for work. In the Cogkey v Sherwood case, the drivers were found not to be doing either, and therefore were not “plying for hire”.

JULY 2022

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news

Pressure grows on councils to fit mandatory CCTV in taxis and PHVs Mark Bursa Increasing numbers of licensing authorities are looking at whether to make in-cab CCTV mandatory in a bid to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.

Councils in Essex and Gloucestershire are among those to launch public consultations on whether or not all taxis and private hire vehicles should have CCTV in the vehicle.

Under Government guidelines launched in July 2020, all councils are expected to consider whether they should have a local policy mandating CCTV in taxis. This month Stroud District Council in Gloucestershire and Uttlesford District Council in Essex have both said they are planning to install the devices if the local taxi trade and public are in support. The statutory guidance states that the Government expects the recommendations to

be implemented unless there is a compelling local reason not to.

The DfT claims CCTV can improve safety for passengers and drivers, and make it easier for incidents to be investigated.

Chris Brine, community services and licensing committee chair of Stroud District Council, said: “There is an important balance to be struck and we want to get this

right.” A consultation has been launched, which runs until August 14.

Over in Essex, Uttlesford District Council wants to make sure the devices would improve the safety of local taxis or result in privacy issues before proceeding with the plan.

The council’s Licensing and Environmental Health Committee

Wakefield drivers in town hall protest over ‘unfair’ six-point ban Mark Bursa Wakefield councillors have ignored drivers’ protests and voted against proposals to amend its taxi driver suitability policy.

In particular, the council voted to retain the controversial “six-point ban”, which results in drivers losing their taxi or private hire licence if they amass six points on their driving licence within a three-year period.

Drivers claim this is “unfair”, and the decision led to protests on the streets of Wakefield, ahead of a meeting in which drivers called on the council to think again.

It is the second time this year that members of the Wakefield Drivers Association (WDA) have picketed the town hall over the issue.

As well as scrapping the six-point ban, the drivers want the council to relax other rules, including extending the life of taxi vehicles, as they struggle during the cost of living crisis.

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this month approved an eight-week public consultation on the plans.

According to the draft survey, both video and audio recording is being considered.

According to DfT data, only 15 licensing authorities out of 280 insist on mandatory CCTV. Licensing officer Steven Mahoney said: “Most of those measures have already been adhered to already, we’ve ticked most of those boxes. But the one we haven’t done is a consultation on the CCTV in hackney carriages and private hire.”

During the consultation period, the requirements for CCTV provision in taxis and private hire vehicles would be advertised to the public. The findings will be presented at a second committee meeting in October. The public will be asked for their opinions on audio and video CCTV and whether they believe it will have an impact on passenger safety.

Aberdeen opens public consultation on knowledge test Members of the public in Aberdeen are being urged to have their say on potential changes to the taxi driver street knowledge test.

Following a request received from the taxi trade, the council’s licensing committee decided to undertake a full public consultation on the Street Knowledge Test for prospective taxi and private hire drivers.

The Street Knowledge Test aims to ensure that all taxi and private hire drivers have knowledge of the city including the layout of its roads and the location of landmarks.

An online survey has been launched, which runs until August 5, and asks whether the test should be amended for PHV drivers, or even abolished.

—Mark Bursa

JUNE 2022

news

Gerrards CEO Cox calls on London Mayor to allow operators to licence new diesels Mark Bursa A leading London chauffeur operator has called on London Mayor Sadiq (inset) Khan to reverse Transport for London’s policy of refusing to license diesel vehicles.

Martin Cox, CEO of Gerrards, claimed the policy was damaging chauffeurs’ businesses and costing TfL money, and called on Mayor Khan to reverse the policy for a 24-month period to allow drivers to buy new vehicles.

In an open letter on social media, Cox wrote: “Your policy of not allowing private hire in London to license new diesel vehicles, is damaging our industry to a point where I believe it could become business critical.

I implore both you and the Senior Managers at TfL to reverse this for 24 months and allow us to rebuild our businesses from the devastation of Covid, then buy new diesel vehicles and

renew our fleet, meet client demand, as the delays and the issues around PHEV and EVs are well documented and are stunting growth.”

The situation is particularly critical regarding 7-seater MPVs, where the only car of chauffeur standard – the Mercedes-Benz EQV – is in short supply, is expensive and has a limited range compared to many other EVs. TfL bizarrely allows used diesels to be registered, and Cox said he

had to pay £75,000 for an 18-monthold Mercedes-Benz V-Class – a hefty premium over the £49,000 he paid for the same vehicle new in 2019.

“This is solely due to your policies,” he said. “We have hundreds of chauffeurs leaving London and setting up outside, so they can buy new vehicles, costing TfL hundreds of thousands in lost revenue.”

He concluded: “London is now offering older dirtier vehicles because

of a policy brought in prior to Covid, New entrants are unable to find cars and service the demand that is here today! My industry has no influence with you whatsoever, we are weak in representation, so I make a personal plea to your common sense.”

The call was echoed by Greg Mendoza, vice president, international operations at Carey Worldwide Chauffeured Services. He said: “This is exactly what we told TfL and The Mayor’s office when these policies were being formed. With or without Covid it was inevitable that the PH fleet would get older and dirtier as a result of the speed of implementation with no transitional arrangements. Covid has made the situation even worse.”

Cox said he planned to hold a meeting with all the fleet-owned chauffeur companies in London in September and formulate a plan to bring this issue “up the priority chain”.

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9

news

ACDU Uber drivers set to strike over demands to be paid for waiting time Mark Bursa A number of London Uber drivers staged a 24-hour strike and protest in London after a trade union claimed they were losing 40% of their earnings because Uber did not include waiting time as drivers’ working hours.

In a statement, the App Drivers and Couriers Union said: “Uber has failed to comply with the Supreme Court and lower court rulings to pay drivers at least the minimum wage after costs for all working time from log on to log off.”

The statement continued: “Instead, Uber has chosen to observe worker status for the working time periods only from dispatch to drop off but excludes waiting time which leaves drivers short-changed for about 40% of their true working time.

In addition, last year Uber arbitrarily set the HMRC reimbursement rate of 45p for the purposes of calculating driver costs in determining minimum wage payments. However, this rate is not appropriate for commercial vehicles and was anyway set in 2011 and certainly does not reflect 36% fuel inflation since last year.”

The union is demanding full compliance with the courts, fares to be increased to £2.50 per mile

and 20p per minute and that Uber commission be capped at 15%.

In response, an Uber spokesperson said: “The ADCU represents a tiny proportion of active drivers on Uber. For over a year now, GMB Union has served as the voice of drivers in the UK following our historic recognition agreement which helped secure new worker protections including holiday pay and access to a pension plan.”

The spokesperson added: “With

demand up following the pandemic, Uber drivers are earning more than ever — in the first quarter of 2022, they earned on average £29.72 an hour, including holiday pay, when actively engaged on the app.”

The strike comes after damning revelations about Uber’s practices between 2013 and 2017, with 83,000 internal emails leaked to a national newspaper by a former Uber lobbyist. The papers show a concerted campaign by the Cameron

government to urge then-London mayor Boris Johnson not to tighten up regulations on Uber.

In response to the “Uber Files”, Uber said the company had fundamentally changed since 2017, after Dara Khosrowshahi replaced Travis Kalanick as CEO. But the ADCU said this was “a lie”, adding “Uber certainly has become more slick and less brash in its PR, but the brutal exploitation of workers has only intensified.”

DG Cars takes 2022 takeover tally to seven with Alert Taxis acquisition Mark Bursa Nottingham-based DG Cars is continuing its rapid expansion drive to become a major player in the East Midlands with another acquisition, its seventh since the start of 2022.

DG Cars has added Alert Taxis, founded in 1994 and based in the Nottingham suburb of Arnold, for an undisclosed figure. The takeover, which includes Alert’s base on Colwick Industrial Estate, will add around 30 drivers to their DG fleet. It is believed Alert Taxis’ management will remain with the company.

DG Cars said in a statement: “This will be our seventh acquisition of 2022 and makes us the fastest growing private hire company in the UK.” Last month, DG added Cambridge-based CamCab into its growing business. CamCab is a major

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player in Cambridge, with 110 drivers on its books.

CamCab founder Rowhi Nemer has remained with the business.

And earlier in the year, DG made the major purchase of airport taxi specialist Arrow Cars, giving DG bases at Leeds-Bradford,

East Midlands and Bristol airports.

Both DG and CamCab were Gold award winners in the 2021 Professional Driver QSi Awards, held last November.

The takeover activity has bolstered DG Cars’ total UK fleet to more than 1,500 cars, and this is likely to increase. “We have also started a driver academy to recruit drivers into the industry who don’t have a licence,” said a DG Cars spokesman.

After its purchase of Arrow Cars, DG issued a statement, saying it remained acquisitive.

In a statement, DG said: “These acquisitions demonstrate that DG Cars is fast becoming a major provider of transport services within the UK. DG Cars is actively expanding within the UK, and taxi companies that want to be part of our growth are welcome to get in touch via socialfeedback@ dgcars.co.uk”

JULY 2022

news

TfL tightens rules, begins crackdown on motorists who drive in cycle lanes Mark Bursa TfL has tightened up its rules on cycle lanes, and from the end of June it has been fining motor vehicles caught driving in mandatory cycle lanes and cycle tracks.

Transport for London (TfL), as well as all London boroughs, has been given expanded enforcement powers, designed to improve safety for cyclists.

Most vehicles are already prohibited from driving within or crossing the white lines of the cycle lanes that are marked by a solid white line and cycle tracks, which until now have only been enforced by the police.

Transport for London (TfL) is now issuing fines to vehicles that drive within, or cross, the white lines of cycle lanes that are marked by a solid white line and cycle tracks.

In a statement, TfL said: “Cycle lanes play a vital role in keeping people cycling separated from most motor traffic, reducing the risk of collisions, which can cause death and serious injury. Reducing noncompliance will help improve safety and the confidence of cyclists as part of TfL’s Cycling Action Plan and

JULY 2022

local authorities in England outside of London the powers to enforce moving traffic contraventions.

Initially, TfL will use existing CCTV cameras to enforce contraventions in cycle lanes and cycle tracks at key locations across its road network.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of compliance, policing, operations and security, said: “We welcome the introduction of the new enforcement powers in London. Protecting designated space for cyclists is essential in keeping them safe and improving confidence to cycle. We will start enforcing in key locations in London to deter drivers contravening the road rules.”

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “Enabling more Londoners to Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury walk and cycle continues to be at the heart of the on the road network.”

Mayor’s vision to create a healthier, cleaner and more The Government has introduced new powers sustainable London for everyone – these new powers allowing TfL and London boroughs to fine motorists will play an important role in that.” who infringe on cycle lanes and cycle tracks in the TfL claims it has created 260km of high-quality same way that they currently do for bus lanes and cycle routes since May 2016. TfL has also made safety yellow box junctions. These powers were introduced improvements to 43 junctions where cyclists were felt to be at risk. at the same time as wider national changes giving

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news

Ultra-fast chargers lead growth in UK EV infrastructure as total tops 32,000 Mark Bursa The numbers of ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers in the UK grew by 40% in the first half of 2022, according to data from EV charging app Zap-Map. As of the end of June 2022, ZapMap’s data shows that the number of ultra-rapid charge points, which cater to drivers travelling long journeys and looking to charge up as quickly as possible, has grown from 1,290 in December 2021 to 1,803.

Zap-Map says this shows that the ultra-rapid charging roll-out is more than keeping pace with the increase in EV drivers, which has grown 29% in the first half of 2022.

The growth in ultra-rapid charge points is largely due to networks such as MFG EV Power, InstaVolt and Gridserve Electric Highway, which are rolling out high-speed charging hubs of at least six devices across the country, mainly on motorways and trunk roads.

The total number of charging devices across the UK has grown by almost 15% since the end of December (from 28,458 to 32,663), though the bulk of charging devices (18,461) are what Zap-Map calls “fast” chargers – mainly 7-22kW

devices suitable for overnight onstreet charging in several hours.

Of the 4,205 new devices installed this year, 1,662 of them are on-street chargers, including “slow chargers” that are no faster than a typical domestic charger (6kW). The number of on-street chargers has increased by just under 19% in 2022 so far, growing from 8,842 at the end of 2021 to 10,504 at the end of June ’22.

A combination of networks, including char.gy and Connected Kerb, has been driving the growth of on-street chargers, though Ubitricity – which predominantly fits slow devices into lampposts – has

installed 981 chargers so far this year, the most of any network.

Moreover, of the 4,205 new devices installed in the first six months of 2022, almost half – 49% – were installed by just five networks. After Ubitricity, Pod Point has installed 649 devices of varying speeds. In third place, rapid charging network InstaVolt has installed 166 chargers, while Zap-Pay partner char.gy and destination charging provider VendElectric have installed 145 and 126 respectively.

While EV charging networks have been getting chargers up and running across the UK, the area that has seen

Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub opens in Oxford Europe’s biggest and most powerful EV charging hub has been opened in Oxford. Energy Superhub Oxford will initially provide fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles, but this could be extended to charge 400 cars at a time.

The hub, situated at Oxford’s Redbridge Park and Ride car park, has been developed by Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, alongside partners Oxford City Council, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers and Wenea.

It will form part of a nationwide network of Energy Superhubs being developed by Pivot Power at a cost of £41 million.

These combine storage batteries and power

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infrastructure for EV charging. Pivot Power plans to deploy up to 40 Energy Superhubs across the UK, with the next two projects already underway in Coventry and Sandwell near Birmingham. Once complete, the network could provide almost 10% of the energy storage that the UK is predicted to require by 2035.

Transport Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison MP said: “Both the Government and industry, working together, are investing billions in projects like this to

the highest rate of growth so far this year is the north-east. Indeed, the number of charging devices in the North East has grown by 21% in the first six months of 2022, increasing from 897 at the end of 2021 to 1,085 in June.

Despite this, Greater London has seen the highest number of devices installed this year, increasing from 9,160 devices at the end of 2021 to 10,865 at the end of June – an increase of more than 18%. The East of England has also seen significant growth, with 1,775 devices in the ground at the end of 2021, and 2,097 by the end of June – an increase of 18%.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO of Zap-Map, said: “We know there are a variety of use cases for electric vehicle chargers, more so than with a petrol or diesel vehicle, so it’s really encouraging to see the UK’s charging infrastructure showing growth in a number of different areas.”

She added: “The 40% increase in the number of ultra-rapid chargers is clearly the headline figure so far in 2022. These types of chargers make longer journeys far easier, so the big increase should really mean we see an end to ‘range anxiety’.”

help provide the infrastructure to support the UK’s electric revolution and soaring EV sales.”

Fastned, the European EV rapid charging company, has initially installed ten charging bays at the Superhub with 300kW of power available, capable of adding 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes for hundreds of EVs per day.

Wenea, one of the largest EV charging services providers in Europe, has deployed twenty 7-22 kW slow charging bays for people to use while visiting Oxford via the park and ride. A further twelve 250 kW Tesla Superchargers will be available for Tesla owners.

Unlike any other UK charging hub, the site is directly connected to National Grid’s high voltage transmission network via a 4-mile underground cable, which will deliver 10MW of power to charge hundreds of EVs quickly and simultaneously without putting additional strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly upgrades.

JULY 2022

news

Gridserve launches test drives at its Electric Forecourt sites

Gridserve is launching an EV test drive programme based at its first two Electric Forecourt charging hubs in Braintree and Norwich.

The scheme, run by Gridserve’s leasing division, lets drivers experience electric vehicles from multiple brands, get impartial advice, find out more about charging solutions and explore leasing offers. This one-stop solution means they don’t have to visit multiple car showrooms to test drive the latest cars. With a number of cars available at the Gridserve sites, back-to-back test drives are possible.

The test drives are bookable online at www.gridserve.com/test-drive Available cars include Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, Polestar 2, Mercedes EQB and Nissan Leaf.

Robert Buckland, Gridserve Car Leasing sales and operations director, said: “Our new test drive programme gives customers the chance to select vehicles and experience their very own electric car group test.”

–Mark Bursa

Gridserve installs 350kW-capable charge hubs at Moto Severn View and Heston Mark Bursa Gridserve has installed 17 new electric vehicle chargers at two of the busiest Moto motorway service areas, Severn View and Heston.

The launches bring the total of new Gridserve ultra-fast chargers to be fitted at Moto service areas this year to 53, across six sites. The chargers are capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.

Six of the new charge points are now open at Moto Severn View and 11 at Moto Heston (pictured), a very popular charging location as it is very close to Heathrow Airport. Other Moto areas to receive Gridserve’s 350kW fastest chargers include Rugby, Swansea, Exeter, Thurrock, and

JULY 2022

Burton-in-Kendal.

All Gridserve Electric Super Hubs at Moto locations have been designed to feature both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, accept contactless payments and provide at least one extra-wide accessible charging bay

for every six EV charging spaces.

Real-time status updates are shared with most popular EV charging maps, including Zap-Map. Moto Chief Executive, Ken McMeikan said: “As the largest UK Motorway services operator, Moto

is setting out to transform the EV charging experience for motorists on motorways with the roll-out of ultra-rapid charging hubs at all of our sites over the coming 12 months.

Alongside our partners at Gridserve, this roll-out is allowing us to bring significant upgrades in power and charging facilities at our sites.”

Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, said: “Gridserve is continuing its multi-million-pound investment in the Gridserve Electric Highway charging network. We’re building a robust, dependable, nationwide charging network so that anyone, anywhere, can feel confident about driving any type of electric vehicle and have a great charging experience.

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Dp

Delivery Point

news analysis

Mark Bursa

The well-publicised Uber Leaks shine a spotlight on malpractice at the ride-hailing giant from 2013-17. But Uber claims it has changed more than its management since then. Mark Bursa looks at the evidence.

Change management T

he “Uber Files” revelations about the ride-hailing market leader are

perhaps unsurprising. The company’s behaviour under founder Travis Kalanick was widely reported, especially when Kalanick was removed from the business.

And the attempts in 2015 by the Cameron government to pressurise then-London mayor Boris Johnson into giving Uber an easy ride (and to cover up any lobbying meetings) were extensively covered in these pages. Johnson actually won that bout of Bullingdon Club willy-waving, which resulted in resignations at TfL and Uber.

Subsequently Uber lost its London licence and has had to fight hard to regain it. Though by that stage it was so well established in the capital it was perhaps too big to fail.

Uber’s response to the Uber Files leak has been predictable. The leak saw 83,000 internal emails from 2013-17 released to The Guardian by former Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann, who left the company in 2016.

Uber immediately sought to distancing itself from the actions of its pre-2017 management, claiming that under Kalanick’s replacement Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber is “a different company”.

In a statement, Uber said: “When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.” The statement continued: “There has been no shortage of reporting on Uber’s mistakes prior to 2017. Thousands of stories have been published, multiple books have been written – there’s even been a TV series.”

There is plenty of truth in this argument.

Professional Driver has covered Uber’s rise since 2012, and relations were, for many years, less than amicable. In particular, Uber’s then-PR representatives did not take well our reporting of Uber’s automated system implementing surge pricing during terrorist attacks in London.

16

Since Khosrowshahi’s arrival, and in particular since the arrival of now-departed Jamie Heywood as European chief, relations with the company became much more businesslike, especially when Uber acquired dispatch systems provider Autocab.

This led to the implementation of major changes to the way Uber operates outside London, linking via Autocab’s iGo network to local taxi firms under the Uber Local Cab scheme. Indeed, Uber has not opened up a direct operation in any UK town since 2017, with all expansion coming from Local Cab – including in major cities such as Manchester, where local taxi firms compete with Uber’s existing operations for Uber jobs. Satisfaction with the deal is high among those taxi firms that have signed up for Local Cab.

Uber whistleblower and former lobbyist Mark MacGann

So in the way it operates outside London, Uber’s UK operations have undoubtedly undergone a massive change of direction.

Interviewed by Professional Driver in 2020, Heywood admitted that, if the company were starting afresh, it would have taken this route from the start.

In London, though, there’s no likelihood of a switch to a “Local Cab” type of service.

The numbers are not there, and Uber’s big city business model is well established.

There has been a softer and less confrontational approach to dealing with the regulator – Uber realised it needed fewer enemies as it battled TfL to get its licence back. Having lost the licence following multiple breaches of security, including drivers using false IDs and numerous complaints of assaults on passengers, it has had no choice but to tighten up safety standards and improve its relations with drivers.

Problems remain, however. Despite broadly accepting the High Court’s ruling regarding its drivers’ “worker” status”, more militant trades unions such as the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ACDU) have continued to take action against Uber, including a strike last week over the fact that Uber does not consider drivers’ waiting time as being “on the job”, despite the court ruling that should be the case. ACDU claims this is costing drivers 40% of their earnings.

In a statement, ACDU said: “Uber has failed to comply with the Supreme Court and lower court rulings to pay drivers at least the minimum wage after costs for all working time from log on to log off.”

In response, Uber dismissed the protest as representing only a vocal minority of drivers. A spokesperson said: “The ADCU represents a tiny proportion of active drivers on Uber. For over a year now, GMB Union has served as the voice of drivers in the UK following our historic recognition agreement which helped secure new worker

JULY 2022

news analysis

protections including holiday pay and access to a pension plan.”

The spokesperson added: “With demand up following the pandemic, Uber drivers are earning more than ever — in the first quarter of 2022, they earned on average £29.72 an hour, including holiday pay, when actively engaged on the app.”

So do the “Uber Leaks” tell us anything we didn’t already know? Much of the detail within the leaked documents relate to Uber operations in other countries rather than the UK. Much relates to lobbying in order to get a better deal for “gig economy” companies, with new revelations from places as far afield as France, the Netherlands, Finland and India.

This lobbying often went to the heart of government, including French president Emmanuel Macron, who in 2016 was economy minister, and who is now accused by rivals of being “a lobbyist at the service of foreign private economic interests,” and “an ideologue for deregulation, for globalisation,” according to far-right MP Sebastien Chenu.

According to the reports, Macron devised a “secret deal” under which he helped Uber work around legislation introduced in 2014, which sought to regulate app-based ridehailing services.

French newspaper Le Monde described Macron as “more than a supporter, almost a partner” for Uber, claiming 17 meetings were held by him or his staff with company executives. Macron has defended his stance, saying he would “do it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow”.

In India, one of the most serious accusations is that Uber used a so-called “kill switch” to cut access to company data during raids by the authorities. The lobbying was relentless. Even US president Joe Biden, then a mere US Senator and a known gig economy fan, was pressurised

JULY 2022

[from left] Dara Khosrowshahi and Uber founder Travis Kalanick

by Uber to praise Kalanick at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

We know what happened in the UK, so the revelations of fierce lobbying are no surprise. When the story broke in 2017, we reported on allegations that in 2015 both then-Prime Minister David Cameron and then-chancellor George Osborne had put pressure on Boris Johnson, serving as London Mayor at the time, over proposed tough regulations against the private hire sector, which would have limited Uber’s growth. Most of the restrictions were dropped.

And it was also alleged that former business secretary Sajid Javid’s office attempted to cover up attempts by the Cameron Government to pressure former London Mayor Boris Johnson to drop proposed tighter private hire rules.

Javid’s office helped organise a “lobbying” meeting in Westminster with Johnson in December 2015. Javid’s staff at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had also allegedly lobbied the Competition and Markets Authority to “lay off Uber”.

Apart from the Lobbying issues, much of the content of the leaks deals with the corporate culture under Kalanick, including evidence that drivers in France were wilfully put in danger by being sent to attend protests against the company – which resulted in Uber cars being burned by angry taxi drivers.

Internal memos released as part of the Uber leaks show how Kalanick dismissed concerns from other executives that sending Uber drivers to a protest in France put them at risk of violence from angry opponents in the taxi industry. “I think it’s worth it,” Kalanick replied. “Violence guarantees success.”

Again, revelations about Kalanick’s approach to the business are nothing new.

When he was forced out of the company in 2017, there were considerable revelations about the “frat boy culture” within the company.

As well as a string of allegations of sexism and sexual harassment in its US offices, Uber under Kalanick faced a high-profile lawsuit from Google, alleging Uber stole intellectual property relating to autonomous cars.

And up to 200,000 US users binned the Uber app after Kalanick became part of a business advisory group for Donald Trump.

Outraged users on America’s East and West coast shared the #DeleteUber hashtag, forcing Kalanick to step down from Trump’s panel.

The final straw was when footage emerged from an in-cab camera, showing Kalanick being confronted by driver Fawzi Kamel, but dismissing the driver’s concerns as “bullshit”.

In an exchange, Kamel told Kalanick he lost $97,000 due to the company’s decision to change its business model from a chauffeur service to a cheap taxi app. “I’m bankrupt because of you,” Kamel said. Before storming out of the cab, Kalanick belittled the driver’s concerns, saying: “Some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own shit. They blame everything in their life on somebody else.” Kalanick left the business shortly afterwards.

In its response to the leaks, Uber admits its behaviour under Kalanick was unacceptable. “We have not and will not make excuses for past behaviour that is clearly not in line with our present values,” it said. “Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what we’ve done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come.”

Unless a second wave of leaks emerges covering 2017-22, the jury remains out.

17

news analysis: DfT 2022 data

Numbers game The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the taxi and private hire industry, and while new DfT data shows signs of recovery, the shortage of drivers remains a major issue Mark Bursa

T

he total number of licensed taxi and private hire vehicles in

England increased slightly between 2021 and 2022, though the number of licensed drivers continued to fall, according to new figures released by the Department for Transport.

Vehicle numbers tumbled during the Covid-19 crisis from an pre-pandemic all-time high of 298,600 at the start of 2020 to 251,100 in 2021. But the 2022 survey shows a slight revival to 260,700, though this is still almost 40,000 down on 2020.

And despite an increase in vehicles, driver numbers continue to fall. There were 330,300 driver licences in 2022, a decrease of 3.4% compared to 2021’s 342,100 and almost 45,000 down on prepandemic levels of 264,700 in 2020. The situation could be worse in real terms, as the data includes licenses of drivers who may have stopped driving during the pandemic but whose licenses have not yet expired.

The data also shows long-term growth in the sector compared to 2005, when there were 184,500 licensed vehicles and 242,100 licensed drivers.

Of the 260,700 licensed taxis and PHVs in England in 2022, just under a quarter (58,000) were taxis. The total number of licensed vehicles increased by 3.8% between 2021 and 2022, driven by a 5.1% increase in PHV numbers.

The number of taxis fell by 0.6% over the same period, though numbers on London black cabs

18

increased by 9.0%, a sign of post-pandemic revival.

During 2020, large numbers of older black cabs were taken off the road and many have not returned to service.

Outside London, taxi numbers in England fell by 3.4%, while PHV numbers rose at a greater rate than in London. Of the 202,700 licensed PHVs there was a larger increase in England outside London compared to London, 6.0% and 3.8% respectively.

Licensing authorities (outside London) are able to impose limits on the numbers of taxis licensed to operate within their area. However, they are unable to impose such limits on PHVs. In 2022 74 licensing authorities (25% of licensing authorities with licensed taxis) applied a limit on the numbers of licensed taxis, with a further 10 setting limits either for some of the areas they covered, or some vehicle types. These figures have been broadly similar over the last couple of years.

In England as a whole, licensed vehicle numbers increased by 3.8% between 2021 and 2022. But there was considerable variation between regions, however, with some regions seeing small falls in numbers, while others saw large rises. The number

of licensed vehicles in the West Midlands increased by 17.2% between 2021 and 2022, for example, while the number in the East Midlands fell by 2.3%.

LICENSED TAXI AND PHV VEHICLES PER 1,000 PEOPLE In 2022, there were on average 4.6 licensed taxi and PHV vehicles per 1,000 people in England, an increase from 4.4 in 2021. The number of licensed vehicles per 1,000 people generally decreases as areas become more rural. In London, there were 10.6 vehicles per 1,000 people, compared with 1.9 in areas that were largely rural. Several rural areas had less than 1 licensed taxi per 1,000 people.

Wolverhampton had the highest number of licensed vehicles per 1,000 population, with 49.5, though this figure is distorted by the fact that many Wolverhampton-licensed drivers and vehicles operate in other cities, as it is easier and cheaper to obtain a Wolverhampton licence than in many other places.

LICENSED DRIVER NUMBERS Toe total of 330,300 licensed drivers in England was an 11,800 drop (3.4%) on 2021. Of the total, 65% were PHV-only licences, 12% were taxi-only licences and 22% were dual taxi and PHV licences.

Decreases were seen in the total number of driver licences across most regions, but not all. The South East saw the largest fall in driver licences, at 7.0%,

JULY 2022

news analysis: DfT 2022 data while the West Midlands saw the largest increase, at 4.5% – again, a factor of Wolverhampton licensing.

A more accurate picture of driver numbers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a large study of the employment circumstances of the UK population, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This uses something called the Standard Occupational Classification system (SOC 2020) to record numbers of “taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs” The ONS data has tracked the number of “taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs” in England between 2009 and 2022. The number of taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs fell between 2009 and 2013, from around 202,000 to 164,000. This number then increased to a peak of around 214,000 in 2019. The 2020 number fell to 171,000, then tumbled to 119,000 in 2021. The 2022 data shows a 7% increase to 127,000, though this is still 26% lower than 2020 levels.

policies in place as at March 31, 2022 due to transitional arrangements following the creation of the new unitary authorities.

There were also three authorities that did not have any taxis licensed as at March 31, 2022, and therefore did not provide responses to the questions about safeguarding policies for taxi drivers.

LICENSED PHV OPERATORS

NATIONAL REGISTER OF REVOCATIONS AND REFUSALS (NR3)

The number of licensed PHV operators in England decreased by 5.7% to 14,200 from the previous year, and 13.8% lower than the peak in PHV operators at 16,500 in 2009. The fall was greatest in London, where the number of PHV operators declined by 12.3% to 1,700 operators between 2021 and 2022 as many smaller operators exited the business.

Outside London, the decrease was 4.7% to 12,500 operators in England, partly due to business closures and partly due to consolidation as companies merged or were taken over. This year we have seen a number of regional players including Take Me and DG Cars making multiple acquisitions.

In the year ending March 31, 2022, 1,900 applications were made by new PHV operators (either new companies, or existing operators not already licensed by that licensing authority).

ACCESSIBILITY In England, 14% of all licensed vehicles were wheelchair accessible in 2022. In total, 55% of all taxis were wheelchair accessible while only 2% of PHVs were wheelchair accessible. This is similar to the proportions in 2021.

In London, all 14,600 taxis were wheelchair accessible as required by Transport for London’s ‘Conditions for Fitness’ taxi licensing policy. In the rest of England outside London, only 40% of taxis were wheelchair accessible.

LICENSING AUTHORITIES There were 276 taxi and PHV licensing authorities in England as at March 31, 2022. However, for the 2022 survey, responses were received separately from the seven non-Metropolitan districts that make up the two unitary authorities of West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire, which were formed on April 1, 2021. This was because these districts still had different licensing

JULY 2022

IN-CAB CCTV Similar to the previous year, 15 authorities (5%) had a requirement for all licensed taxis to have CCTV fitted and 14 (5%) had a requirement for all licensed PHVs to have CCTV fitted. Of the authorities with the CCTV requirement, 11 had a requirement for the CCTV to have the facility to record audio in taxis, and 12 had this requirement for PHVs. Almost all of the authorities without the CCTV requirement did allow licensed vehicles to have CCTV fitted. Only three authorities did not allow licensed taxis or PHVs to have CCTV fitted.

As at March 31, 2022, 67% of authorities had submitted data to NR3, and 69% used NR3 when making licensing decisions. These both represented a large increase from 31 March 2021, when the equivalent figures were 48% and 50%.

DRIVER DEMOGRAPHICS The majority of drivers were male (97%) in 2022.

This proportion has been higher than 90% for all of the last 10 years.

Similar to last year, the average age of a driver was 48 years old, with 17% of drivers being aged under 40. Those aged 60 or over made up 16% of drivers. There has been a change in the age profile of drivers over the past 10 years, with a slightly smaller proportion of younger drivers and a larger proportion of drivers over the age of 40.

The two main ethnic groups of drivers were White and Asian or Asian British in 2022, making up 41% and 42% of drivers respectively. This compares to 63% and 29% respectively in 2010.

There was an increase in the proportion of non-UK nationals working as drivers in England, rising from 13% in 2010 to 23% in 2022.

The proportion of self-employed drivers (90%) increased in 2022 to its highest level in the last ten years. In 2010 this figure was 76%.

FUEL TYPE AND AGE OF TAXIS AND PHVS, BY REGION In 2022, the survey attempts to match the taxi and PHV centralised database with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) vehicle database.

This allows the taxi or PHV licensing status of vehicles to be matched with vehicle characteristics (such as date of first registration and fuel type).

The data is not 100% reliable due to the likelihood

of administrative errors, and it claims to represent 90% of the vehicle fleet.

As of March 31, 2022, for the taxi fleet, the most common fuel types were diesel (79%), rangeextender electric (10%) and hybrid electric (6%).

0.7% of the fleet were battery electric vehicles.

Outside London, 86% of taxis ran on diesel. In London the equivalent figure was lower at 62%. This is mainly because London has a relatively large proportion of range-extender electric taxis (36%), whereas these are not common outside London.

For the PHV fleet, the most common fuel types were diesel (51%), hybrid electric (35%) and petrol (5%), with 5% of the fleet also being battery electric.

The proportion of PHVs that were diesel was lower in London (32%) than England outside London (65%). London had a correspondingly higher proportion of hybrid electric PHVs (47% vs 26% in the rest of England).

The taxi and PHV fleet has a different mix of fuel types compared with the overall car fleet.

DfT vehicle licensing statistics show that as at December 31, 2021, 59% of licensed cars in Great Britain were petrol, 36% were diesel and 3% were hybrid electric. In other words, among taxis and PHVs, diesel and hybrid electric vehicles were more common than for the car fleet as a whole, while petrol vehicles were less common. A higher proportion of taxis (11%) and PHVs (5%) were either battery electric or range-extender electric than for cars as a whole (1%).

The most common PHV models were: n Toyota Prius (21%) n Toyota Auris (7%) n Mercedes E class (6%) n Skoda Octavia (6%)

VEHICLE AGE For the taxi fleet, 39% of taxis were between 6 and 10 years old, with 18% aged 10 to 13 years old and 11% aged 13 years and over. The PHV fleet was generally slightly younger, with 37% of vehicles under 6 years old (compared with 31% for taxis), and a smaller proportion of vehicles aged 10 years and over.

The average age of a taxi in England as at 31 March 2022 was 7.4 years, whereas the average age of a PHV was 6.2 years. These figures were both lower than for cars, with DfT vehicle licensing statistics showing that as at December 31, 2021, the average age of car in Great Britain was 8.8 years. Around 36% of cars were 10 or more years old, compared with 29% of taxis and 15% of PHVs. This appears consistent with the higher mileage that most taxis and PHVs are likely to do.

There were some noticeable differences in the age of the taxi and PHV fleet by region. While the average age of a taxi was 6.0 years in London, it was 9.0 years in the North-West and the West Midlands.

In those regions nearly half of the taxi fleet was over 10 years old. Similar regional variations existed for the PHV fleet.

19

car of the year: shortlist 2022

The Fab 50!

Provisional shortlist announced for Professional Driver Car of the Year judging days Mark Bursa

H

ere’s our fabulous 50 – the cars we’ll have available for you to test on our Professional Driver Car of the Year judging days on August 23 and 24.

We might have a couple more to add as manufacturers scramble to find stock – but there’s plenty here for you to enjoy – including a number of debuts, including Mercedes-Benz EQE, Kia Niro electric, Toyota’s electric BZ4X, Cupra Born and Genesis GV60 and G80.

The judging days take place at Epsom Racecourse, just 10

20

minutes’ drive from the M25, junction 8 or 9. If you are using satnav, please key in the postcode KT18 5LQ. If you’d like to be our guest on either or both of the dates, please head over to our website and register online to book your place. https://www.prodrivermags.com/ car-of-the-year-home/ The judging will start at 9.30am and will finish at 5.00pm on both days. You’ll get to drive the cars on a 20-minute road route, and we’ll ask you to score the cars on a 17-point questionnaire.

JULY 2022

car of the year: shortlist 2022

The shortlist Here’s the provisional list of cars in all our six categories.

Our overall Car of the Year will be chosen from the six category winners. We look forward to welcoming you next month!

chauffeur cars

Audi A8L Mercedes-Benz S380eL Mercedes-Benz EQS

phev phev electric

executive cars BMW 530e BMW i4 DS9 Genesis G80 Genesis GV60 Lexus ES300h Mercedes-Benz EQE Tesla 3

phev electric phev electric electric hybrid electric electric

luxury suvs Audi e-tron BMW iX Genesis GV70 Lexus UX300e Mercedes-Benz EQC Tesla Y

electric electric electric electric electric electric

mpvs Citroen e-Space Tourer Mercedes-Benz EQV Vauxhall Vivaro Life Vauxhall Combo e-life Volkswagen Multivan

electric electric electric electric phev

private hire car Citroen e-C4 Cupra Born DS4 E-Tense Ford Mustang Mach-e Hyundai Ioniq5 Hyundai Kona Kia EV6 Kia Niro Kia Sportage MG HS MG ZS Peugeot 308 Hybrid4 Peugeot 508 Hybrid4 Skoda Enyaq Suzuki Across Toyota BZ4X Toyota Mirai Toyota RAV 4 Volkswagen ID.4 Volkswagen ID.3 Volvo XC40 Recharge estate car BMW 530e Touring MG5 Skoda Octavia iV Skoda Superb iV Suzuki Swace Volkswagen Arteon Volvo V90

electric electric phev electric electric electric electric electric phev phev electric phev phev electric phev electric hydrogen fuel cell phev electric electric electric phev* electric** phev** phev** hybrid** phev* phev* *Also eligible for Executive Car category **Also eligible for Private Hire Car category

JULY 2022

21

ID

twin test

Volkswagen ID.3 Max Pro Performance 58kWh 204PS

Parade

22

JULY 2022

Volkswagen ID.4 Family Pro Performance 77kWh 204PS

twin test

T

HE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION IS happening, but which manufacturers are in the game? Tesla of course is leading the way, and the Korean duo of Hyundai and Kia now offer multiple EVs in their range.

But Volkswagen has made probably the biggest and most deliberate play in the EV market, setting up a separate sub-brand called ID and designing a very distinct range of electric cars around it. continued on next page Mark Bursa

JULY 2022

23

twin test

Volkswagen ID.3 Max Pro Performance 58kWh 204PS

VW ID.3 Max Pro Performance 58kWh 204PS price as tested insurance group battery warranty ved

£43,185 30E 8 years/100,000 miles A

performance powertrain

Electric motor, Li-ion single-speed auto, RWD

battery capacity

58kWh

power

204PS

torque

310Nm

top speed

99mph

0-62mph

7.3secs

ac charging time

9hr 30min (to 100%, 7.2kW)

dc charging time

35min (to 80%, 100kW)

consumption

4.2 miles/kWh [wltp]

co2 emissions range

0kg/km 258 miles [wltp]

dimensions loadspace

385 litres

length

4,261mm

width

2,070mm

height

1,568mm

wheelbase

2,770mm

24

continued from previous page Indeed, when VW revealed the ID concept, it talked of the lead-off car, the ID.3, as being the third milestone car in VW history after the Beetle and the Golf.

Since then, of course, the world has been through a turbulent time, and a combination of Covid and supply chain issues surrounding electronic components have meant the ID launch has been slower than hoped.

But nevertheless, the ID.3 is here and on sale, as is its slightly larger sibling, the ID.4. And both cars are gaining traction within the private hire fleets. Addison Lee has chosen the ID.4 as its mainstream Galaxy/Sharan replacement, and has ordered several thousand of the car – it currently has in excess of 400 on strength.

London rival Green Tomato Cars has chosen the smaller ID.3 as its mainstay, and the company believes it will become as recognisable in time as the hybrid Toyota Prius, the use of which as a PHV was pioneered by Green Tomato Cars.

So what are the key differences between the ID.3 and ID.4? And which of the two cars is better for private hire or taxi use?

Firstly, the two cars share a platform, called MEB. It’s VW’s modular electric platform, allowing different body styles and shapes to be built on

to the same basic running gear. By 2029, the VW Group aims to sell 20 million vehicles built on this new platform.

There are far fewer moving parts in an EV compared to an internal combustion-engined car, so the basic ID structure is simpler, with batteries below a flat floor, with the electric motor driving the rear wheels, hence the taller stance of many EVs. As well as the basic underpinings, there are a lot of common components too. Stepping out of an ID.3 and into an ID.4 is not a culture shock – much of the interior is familiar, including the digital displays. And indeed, the ride and handling isn’t markedly different either.

For all their similarities, the cars occupy different spots within the VW line-up. Under the ID brand, there are no electrified versions of traditional VW models – no electric Golf, for example. Instead, ID.3 occupies the place in the range where the Golf would sit – a five-seater family hatchback.

It feels like a larger car than even the latest Golf, but that’s partially due to the taler stance and bigger wheels, which the battery pack dictates.

ID.4 is a bigger vehicle. Despite sharing the same wheelbase, it’s longer, at 4,584mm as opposed to the ID.3’s 4,251mm, with much more rear overhang, which translates into a bigger and

JULY 2022

twin test

Volkswagen ID.4 Family Pro Performance 77kWh 204PS

more practical boot. The styling is different too, with some SUV touches, including plastic cladding on the lower parts of the body.

Essentially it’s a “crossover” with no equivalent in the ICE range. In terms of price and size, it’s perhaps comparable to a Tiguan, but it’s very different in terms of styling.

Both cars look distinctively “EV-ish”, with no radiator grilles. ID.3 looks more minimal, with a sloping front featuring an illuminated Volkswagen badge in the middle of a narrow trim line which on some models also incorporates a full-width light bar.

ID.3 certainly looks unmistakeably like an EV, but ID.4 is a little more conventional, with less of a one-box body and a more upright front end.

Like the ID.3, it doesn’t have a grille, but shorter A-pillars give it a longer bonnet, with low-mounted cooling vents below the badge. The cars have a clear family identity, but are designed to appeal to different audiences.

From the driver’s seat, the cars certainly feel and look very similar. The influence of Tesla on minimal interiors for EVs is clear – there’s not a lot in the way of switchgear. A central touch-screen incorporates satnav, infotainment system and climate controls. It’s a little fiddly to use, though steering wheel buttons are more user-friendly.

The small digital driver panel is clear and well

JULY 2022

laid-out, displaying details of range and satnav instruictions. To the right of this is attached the drive selector, a simple forward-reversepark setup that is operational without taking your hands off the steering wheel, and moves the “gearshift” well away from the centre console, which instead includes lots of cupholders and storage space.

Despite the familiar features being in roughly the same place, the interiors are actually quite different, with different dash and door panels, different vents and some items, such as the warning lights panel, in a different place.

In the rear, the ID.4. feels the more spacious car.

There’s more legroom, and both cars have plenty of headroom even for tall passengers. The cars are comfortable with two in the back, but are big enough to accommodate three.

The biggest advantage of the ID.4 over the ID.3 is the boot space. The ID.4 has 543 litres whereas the ID.3 has just 385 litres. In practical terms, it means our two standard test cases can only just be squeezed in to the ID.3. and the boot floor is not long enough to put the case inside lengthwise – as you can see from the photos. That’s not a problem with the ID.4.

So if you’re likely to use the car for airport runs continued on next page

VW ID.4 Family Pro Performance 77kWh 204PS price as tested

£56,620 30P

insurance group

8 years/100,000 miles

battery warranty

A

ved

performance powertrain

Electric motor, Li-ion single-speed auto, RWD

battery capacity

77kWh

power

204PS

torque

310Nm

top speed

99mph

0-62mph

8.6secs

ac charging time

12hr 40min (to 100%, 7.2kW)

dc charging time

38min (to 80%, 125kW)

consumption

3.9 miles/kWh [wltp]

co2 emissions range

0kg/km 314 miles [wltp]

dimensions loadspace

543 litres

length

4,584mm

width

2,108mm

height

1,640mm

wheelbase

2,770mm

25

twin test

Volkswagen ID.3 Max Pro Performance 58kWh 204PS

verdict

T

here’s much to like about vw’s initial ev offerings. they’re roomy, practical,

have good range and you can expect they will be reliable. On the downside, they’re not cheap – extras took our test cars up to £43,185 for the ID.3 and a whopping £56,620 on the ID.4.

The ID.3 and ID.4 share a lot of componentry – mechanically, they’re pretty much the same, with different bodies. They’re pleasant to drive without being over-quirky (or over-fast). The ID.4 is more expensive, but it’s bigger, especially in the rear and the boot, which matters greatly in our world.

Given that a lot of vehicles are acquired on lease or lease-purchase, the price differential between the two cars should be minimised to a few pounds per month – and that favours the ID.4.

Your problem may be availability. Car supply is in turmoil at the moment – not just microchips, but also items such as wiring looms, which were sourced in large numbers from war-torn Ukraine.

So it may be a case of seeing what’s available and taking it, especially if you’re London-based and want to avoid the C-charge.

Whichever car you choose, we’d recommend you spend a little more on the bigger battery pack.

Avoid the 45kWh pack, and aim for the biggest 77kWh one, though the middle-ground 58kWh is probably good enough if you can access an overnight charge easily enough – which we know is a problem for drivers living in flats or terraced houses without a drive.

More manufacturers are entering the market with cars in this basic sector – Renault and Nissan, for example. And VW Group brands Skoda (Enyaq) and Cupra (Born) have launched cars that use the same basic platform and powertrains as the ID models.

Hopefully by 2023, supplies will be more normal again, and your buying decisions will be informed by more than a desperate search for a car!

26

continued from previous page and travel business where your passengers have luggage, we’d definitley go ID.4. As an urban taxi, the lower price of the ID.3 swings the deal in its favour.

Our ID.4 had a higher trim level, including twotone leather seats, bringing the price up to a shade under £47,000. Indeed, a whole range of trim options are available on both models. ID.3 trims include – on paper - Life, Style, Family, Max, Tour, Business and Tech. Perhaps more importantly, there is a range of electric drivetrains too, with different power outputs and, crucially, range, including Pro, Pro Performance, Pure Performance and Pro S. But availability is rather hit or miss at the moment. Our test car had Max trim and Pro powertrain, which brings the price under £39,000 and offers a decent 258 miles of range between charges via a 58kWh battery. The electric motor offers 204PS, so it’s no slouch, without feeling overpowered.

ID.4 trims are the same, apart from a rangetopping sporty GTX model. Our test car had Family trim and Pro Performance trim, which offers a bigger 77kWh battery and gives greater range of 314 miles – a useful premium over

JULY 2022

Volkswagen ID.4 Family Pro Performance 77kWh 204PS

twin test

Pro and something we’d recommend.

There’s an even smaller 45kWh battery under the Pure engine level, but with only 217 miles of range (213 miles on ID.4), this is really aimed at the second-car private market. We’d recommend the biggest battery you can afford.

It’s worth taking a good look at the trim packs to see what might be useful. The entry level Life trim is petty good, with a 10in infotainment screen and air conditioning, as well as steel wheels rather than alloys – which might save you some money in wheel repairs on a hard-worked PHV. The various packs add features such as keyless entry, dual-zone air conditioning and panoramic sunroofs, as well as alloys in varying sizes.

On the road, the cars feel exactly how you’d expect an electric VW to feel. Quiet, well screwedtogether with no rattles and squeaks. The heavy battery means the ride can be a little bumpy over sleeping policemen, but flat cornering and a stable feel on motorways comes with the territory.

Both cars offer a slightly taller stance with a good road view. The ID.4 does feel like it has a little more presence, but the general drive performance is very similar. You can use the steering wheel paddles to intensify the regenerative braking and increase your range, but at the expense of smoothness.

JULY 2022

27

running report

Paul Webb

I

Hot wheels

got a new chauffeuring job in July.

No, I haven’t left Professional Driver.

And no, I’m not getting paid for it. I’ve been spending the month chauffeuring various members of my family around. On demand.

That means now.

I do it willingly, of course. Even in the hottest month since British weather records began. And of course, it gives me a great chance to put the Mazda6 through some long drives, City drives and back road trips.

In particular, my daughter had university interviews (no idea where her brains come from!) so off we went to Bristol, Britain’s most confusing city. Thankfully, the mad heat was kept in check through a combination of climate control and ventilated seats. This meant I didn’t arrive at my destination a sweaty angry mess!

This is a decent run, 170 miles each way, so it was a good opportunity to stretch the Mazda 6’s legs down the M4. Every time I drive the car I discover more of the great features – such as the super-bright LED headlights, great for the last leg of the journey through dark forests in Kent, where you need to have good vision in case a rather large deer decides to take a stroll across the carriageway.

28

Mazda6 Saloon 2.5 194ps GT Sport Auto

On the motorway, the assistance features such as lane-keep assist, blind spot monitor and adaptive cruise control make the drive so much more relaxing. It’s not until you have these features that you realise how much you needed them.

The 6 is most at home on the motorway.

Mazda6 Saloon 2.5 GT Sport £33,720

price

I

ved band

36 months /

warranty

60,000 miles

performance engine

2,488cc 4-cyl, 16v petrol

transmission

6-speed auto, FWD

power

194PS at 6,000rpm

torque

258Nm at 4,000rpm

combined fuel economy

38.2mpg

co2 emissions

167g/km

dimensions length

4,870mm

width

1,840mm

height

1,450mm

wheelbase

2,830mm

loadspace

480 litres

It’s quiet and responsive, and feels like a bigger car than an upper-medium saloon.

All my (non-paying) passengers found the seats very comfortable and supportive.

Our test car has a head-up display which is much-needed these days with the amount of average speed cameras and temporary speed restrictions. The sat-nav system was more impressive, with speed camera alerts and live traffic updates Sadly, it doesn’t remind me to pay the Dartford tunnel crossing the next day. Oops!

At one point, the heat became so bad I began using the car as an office which was far more enjoyable than the tiny little cupboard my family have allotted me at home.

The negatives from the last month boiled down to the fact that the boot only unclicks when you press the key instead of opening fully and the DAB radio needs to be more powerful so that I don’t miss the crucial ball being bowled during the cricket commentary.

This is definitely a car that would grace any private hire fleet it has a nice presence, good boot space and will comfortably seat 4 passengers.

And the 39mpg that I am getting is slightly more than the brochure said it would be – result! Mazda says you should feel at one with the car, and increasingly, that’s the case.

JULY 2022

Enter now for 2022’s

!

S D R A W A I S Q

The 2022 Professional Driver QSi Awards are now open for entries from all operators and drivers in the industry.

Company in the UK. We invite them to submit entries – or nominate other companies.

And we’ll reveal the winners at our We’ve got 10 categories: there’s something famous Professional Driver QSi Awards night on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at the for everyone – from thousand-car fleets to Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales. It’s the owner-drivers, including special awards for best party in the industry and a great way to environmental achievements, marketing celebrate your achievements. excellence, community service and business diversification.

ENTER THE 2022 QSI AWARDS AT: The Professional Driver QSi Awards are open to every private hire, chauffeur and taxi

https://www.prodrivermags.com/ qsi-awards-home/

the knowledge

T

Building trust in an age of integrity

to the council, to politicians and to the local press.

But a word of caution – anyone can see through few months in Downing Street and the unedifying few days of the end of the Johnson opportunists – throw a few bob at a worthy cause, premiership won’t be limited to Westminster. make a lot of noise and then demand an avalanche of The ripples will be felt across the country and our benefits and favours. culture will be influenced significantly at least for a while.

No, what I am talking about here is well planned, People will demand and expect more from the institutions sustainable investment in the community. By that they interact with, those that they spend money with investment I am not just talking about money although and those that have an effect on their community and clearly some is always needed and welcomed. What Dr Michael Galvin about doing what some of the major corporates do, their life.

Smarter and higher-integrity institutions and giving your staff or drivers some time to do something https://mobility businesses will already have clear policies and good good for the local community? serviceslimited practice in place in respect of the environment, diversity, A portfolio of small but meaningful community .com inclusivity, equality, honesty and transparency, and activities with appropriate exposure, maybe a page they won’t have missed an opportunity to highlight this to their on your website, will not only help your business but also the stakeholders. community you serve.

Those that don’t will be well advised to start and quickly, and The environment has suffered from “greenwash”, political those that may practice all of these virtues but say nothing about grandstanding and bluntly a lot of whingeing from this industry. them may be well advised to ensure that their consumers know that Cleaning up the air in cities and doing all we can to reduce the they do. impact of our businesses on our communities is clearly something So what has this to do with little old me running my cab company that we will be expected to do far more about as we move into a more you might well ask? Well, quite a lot actually. Businesses large and demanding culture which looks to businesses and institutions to do small can be contributors to their local community or takers. Any much more. business that does not set out to be loved by its customers is going This approach could be a three-way partnership between to find success harder to find and difficult to maintain. customer, driver and operator. The customer might pay a bit Consumers make buying decisions based on many things but all of more; the driver is helped to purchase an electric vehicle; and the us have an emotional aspect to our decision-making. We might buy operators organise themselves to manage the additional income to because we like the person who works there/runs it, because when route it to drivers. And importantly, the operators influence the local we had a problem, they fixed it or because they are simply good eggs. council, MP and government agencies to provide a reliable, costPrice is but one ingredient: it may represent 99% of some people’s effective and adequate charging infrastructure. But this needs to be decision making but it will be much lower in many cases. If you can’t sustainable and fair in order to work. win on price, and given cabs are not a commodity it’s unlikely that Businesses can never operate in isolation from their communities. you will, then what else is there in your arsenal? Well clearly there is Any business is an important part of the community it operates service, there is reliability but there is also brand. within. Taking time out to consider what we do for the community, So what do I mean by brand? I am not talking snazzy logos, easy can we give our time, expertise, money and lend our brand to to remember phone numbers or even sexy websites. No, it is what activities that help others? Can we take our staff, drivers and underpins your brand, your name and your customers with us on the journey? Can we identity that is really powerful. Do you stand taller when we speak to stakeholders have, and is your team aware of, your brand whose support we need as a result? values?

The public has been bruised and If you screw up do you pull out all of largely lost their trust in politicians the stops to try and it make it up to the through a lack of integrity, empty rhetoric customer or shrug your shoulders? If your and arrogance. As our communities customer needs additional help are you seek reassurance of integrity in their bothered? If your customer needs advice, institutions and the businesses they has a special event, or whatever, do you or interact with, and communities seek your team provide the help needed or is it all role models, is yours going to be viewed too much bother? positively or negatively? Do you put back What about the local community? How as well as take? A brand is not just a involved are you? Do you feel it is someone sticker on the side of your cars. else’s problem? Businesses that are good citizens gain access. They gain access n w ww.mobilityserviceslimited.com he impact of the events of the last

“If you can’t win on price, and given cabs are not a commodity it’s unlikely that you will, then what else is there in your arsenal?

Well clearly there is service, there is reliability but there is also brand....”

30

JULY 2022

the advisor

Y

Clarity on the way over VAT? ou will have to forgive me

we have seen a number of factors affecting demand on our services and our available resource to manage that demand – so some customers have continued to experience issues using our services,” My view is that we stepped up, big time, during and after The Pandemic to make sure clients got their information for grants and were able to get their tax returns done to claim what was needed. Maybe HMRC could do the same?

for the lack of “big issues” in this month’s column. The lack, by the way, is in the accounting and tax sector, not passenger transport. It is a little of the silly season press-wise in my profession.

No more news on Making Tax Digital, although it is still on its inevitable little way.

Gary Jacobs Although our work on helping drivers through the tax checks is still keeping us terribly busy, I Gary Jacobs fear we have already lost drivers who just didn’t runs Eazitax, an want to go through the perceived rigmarole and accountancy firm PROBLEMS WITH R&D certainly weren’t helped by their operators. specialising in TAX RELIEF SCHEME Information and support are the key to help the taxi and private I have had quite a lot of contact from limited the unregistered drivers leave private hire to hire business company clients asking why I haven’t deliver that food or parcels. Big thumbs-up for automatically put them in for the research and eazitax.co.uk those that took the time to spread the love and development tax relief scheme. The common the word to their drivers (you know who you thought is that company that builds ‘a thing’ are) and you will benefit from the mutual trust such as training or putting two pieces of that you create. software together can get in on the act.

The VAT on fares discussions seem to have And here is why, I have (occasionally) let died down for a while, thanks to industry leader them down. HMRC responded to concerns Steve Wright of the LPHCA who has heard my about the rising tide of error and abuse within its £9.5bn opinion on what is going to happen with VAT and actually R&D tax relief schemes with new controls and conditions asked someone from the relevant government department their opinion. More about that later in the year as we seek to set out in draft Finance Bill clauses.

The scale of the problem HMRC is facing with fraud and clarify directly and initiate consultation for the trade. error in the R&D tax credits system was laid bare in the SELF-ASSESSMENT DELAYS auditor’s report on HMRC’s 2021Many drivers are still waiting for 22 annual accounts. According to the self-assessment returns from the National Audit Office (NAO), HMRC 2020-21 tax year to be processed. estimated the level of error and fraud We have found that even after we relating to R&D tax reliefs at £469m for submit, there can be waiting times of the year, up from £336m in 2020-21.

“Many drivers 12 weeks before HMRC does its bit.

Spending on the SME side of the That means that in practical terms it is R&D incentive scheme totalled £5.9bn are still waiting for putting pressure on us and our clients, for the year and also accounted for the self-assessment returns especially if you are waiting for rebates lion’s share of the outgoings, which or a finished return for working tax were up £510m on the previous year. from the 2020-21 tax credits, and so on.

The estimated overall percentage year to be processed.

Some 2020-21 returns which are still fraud and error rate was 4.9% in not processed were actually submitted 2021-22 compared to 3.6% in 2020We have found that last year. Also, many refunds for last 21. HMRC’s Fraud Investigation even after we submit, year are still showing as ‘no liability’ on Service (FIS) reported that the value people’s digital HMRC accounts. of cases confirmed as fraudulent rose there can be waiting HMRC was quoted in the trade press £11.2m in 2020–21 to £26.9m in times of 12 weeks before from as saying: “The first quarter of the tax 2021–22. Thanks to John Stokdyk of year is always our busiest period and HMRC does its bit....”

AccountingWeb for this information.

JULY 2022

31

the negotiator

A sorry state of affairs

“W

When a driver is contacted, I believe, by an algorithm based HY HAS TRANSPORT FOR LONDON taken on the human resources function upon the score given to the complaint by the company’s of multi-billion dollar companies?” software, their answers are rarely believed. I am tempted to I was asked this by Wayne, normally think that the decision to terminate the contract is also made a mild-mannered driver for one of the ride hailing operators. Wayne automatically. Why do I say this? was spitting teeth as he spoke to me, after some battle, about If decision were to be made by humans, then these receiving information that he had been refused the renewal of companies’ finances would be put in a tailspin as they would his private hire licence by Transport for London (TfL). And after have to spend eye-watering sums on huge numbers of staff reading the correspondence I have no option but to agree with him. merely to filter and deal with these claims.

The background to this sorry state of affairs is as follows. Wayne, I have seen no evidence in the more than 80 cases I have Kwabena a “cockney” speaker of Jamaican descent, had lived in London dealt with where reasonable evidence has been furnished by for most of his life after coming to the UK in the 1970s to join his the claimants either as statements or other information.

Dennot Nyack parents. He had worked as a professional driver for more than 30 So, if the business model would be upset by having proper The union view years and had worked for a ride-hailing company for five. investigations of complaints then complaints teams cannot be from our GMB During that time a number of queries had been raised by staffed adequately. The problem is solved by them terminating representative passengers. When these were passed to him he answered them as the driver’s contract and passing the matter onto TfL. fully as possible and assumed that the matter was closed. He was Poor old TfL does not have the capacity to examine these highly regarded by his passengers, as illustrated by his star rating cases tossed over to them properly. Therefore they cannot of over 97%. adequately investigate the merits of these cases, and should not do so. It is not So, it came as a surprise to him when his company terminated his appointment, their job. Their role is to regulate. This means, to me, that they should receive followed a few days later by a letter from TfL stating that they would not renew his properly put-together reports along with evidence that enables them to make a licence. Wayne showed me the letter. This contained one major allegation followed competent and reasonable decision. by, what I assumed TfL meant to be, supporting accusations stretching over several Further, their decision should not be based on an answer provided by a driver years. After many meetings with Wayne I was able to compose a letter to TfL that stems from an unsupported claim made by an unidentified person on a date challenging them to establish the claims made in their letter. and time that is unspecified.

Within a few hours TfL had replied to Wayne, but not to me, informing him that his One of these claims made against Wayne by a passenger was that he had license would be renewed. However, contained within the letter were what appeared asked them to perform a sex act on him. His company had asked him about this, to be veiled threats effectively stating that he should behave himself. having failed to supply any evidence. He denied it and the company kept him on.

You might be saying, “Keep your hair on! It’s their job to make sure that all But here was the same allegation being restated via TfL. Wayne denied this and I licenced drivers are the full ticket”. The union and I agree. We definitely do not want communicated this denial to TfL. Along with this denial and the other responses made to TfL by him the result unqualified, bad, incompetent or dangerous drivers on our road. Not only for the was that within a few hours they rescinded their decision and decided to renew danger they pose to road users but also it would not be a good advert for the union. his licence.

In Wayne’s case a number of allegations had been made against him by TfL is not any the wiser as to whether Wayne has committed such an act passengers. These were copied to him for a response. He responded and was allowed or worse. You have to ask yourself if this was a sufficient examination for very to continue to work. Following a claim, made this time by his employer, this and all serious complaint. I doubt it. I believe that the poor officer who had to deal with previous comments were then passed on to TfL at some date, unknown to Wayne. this matter probably had a very heavy workload and did not have time to wrangle TfL declined to renew Wayne’s licence and then informed him of their decision. the issue with a driver’s trade union.

They took these steps, having made no examination of the claims, had no evidence Other regulators use a more formal approach. In the examples I have seen, submitted to them and, apparently, had no forensic thought. It appears TfL’s view a robust and thorough approach is taken with face-to-face interviews by the is that the allegations made amounts to the evidence needed to act. It was only regulator with the driver and exchanges and submissions of documents, having following their decision that they wrote to Wayne, requesting his comments. received the complaint from the operator.

Some of the allegations relied on by TfL in coming to their decision were those Some might say that the workload placed on TfL by my proposals would that Wayne had answered previously to his operator. These must not have been overload them, prove to be costly and take too much time. That may be so but sufficient to dismiss Wayne, for he was kept on as a driver, yet here TfL were relying such investigations should not be done by TfL but by the operator. on them to refuse Wayne a licence.

The Council tax payments of London and the taxes of UK citizens should not Had Wayne been refused his licence his only hope was to have appealed this be used by TfL to act as the outsourced arm of these financial behemoths. They refusal before the local magistrates court. This would have cost him more than should do it themselves. £2,000 to bring a case.

What is going on? Passengers of Bolt, Ola, Uber and other ride hailing companies —Kwabena Dennot Nyack can and do make claims against drivers. It is so much easier to do so now in the age of the internet than previously. Complaints can even be made during the journey.

The subject matter of these complaints range from the quality of driving, route n Dennot is a AGM trade union member and was a former taken, hygiene of the driver and many other things. I have dealt with a case where representative of the GMB’s professional drivers. He is also an the driver was reported to the police for failing to play music. Some of these author and broadcaster with a strong knowledge of the private complainants are true and others are patently false. Then there are some complaints hire industry and an equality and diversity specialist. email: that are in-between. These require more information from the passenger and the dennotnyack@yahoo.com driver. mobile: +44 0740 625 276

32

JULY 2022

the insider

Don’t bite the hand that feeds

T

HIS MONTH WILL FEATURE AS THE one, the original, vehicle, leaving the second driver defining moment in my Insider column free to make his way directly back to Wimbledon writing career. This issue, I’m sure, will having stood his mate Clarence down. catapult me amongst the literary greats, Now, I fully accept that I have two drivers to pay alongside Dickens, Keats and, of course, Katie Price. for this transfer but when the fleeing driver called How can I be sure of this? Well, because I have been me later to ask if he could have an extra twenty quid jilted. Let down by many that have been closest to me to cover Clarence’s inconvenience I lost my head, over the years and, with precedent set in the form of and the second word was “off”. Cheeky, greedy some of the best writings – books, albums or even jokes bugger.

Kevin Willis – were made by artists who had suffered the same With visitor numbers at an unprecedented high heart-rending fate, I fully expect to be raking in millions this is absolutely the right time to set prices to where very soon. Hear me out. they should be. Forget the woes of the railways and Everyday problems airlines, our industry hasn’t seen a wage rise in 25 Adele rose to stardom when passionately pouring her from the operator’s years but, to call on another well-trodden phrase, heart out in her recording of 21, as she crooned over some bloke who had binned her off. More recently Olivia “do not bite the hand that feeds us”. point of view...

Rodrigues and Ashe (check out Ashlyn the album, This now, I’ll admit, has started to sound like an stunning work) lament getting dumped and losing the operator bemoaning his lot with some of you even love of their life, even though they both appear to be about 14 years looking at this page assuming that I might like to consider paying old. higher rates for covering my work or adopt quicker payment terms Then take the comedian Sarah Millican! My Geordie compatriot in order to achieve driver loyalty. was at her funniest best when moaning about her failed marriage Firstly, my rates are as good as any in my field and if a driver and, subsequently, isn’t half as funny now she is lucky in love and needs his/her invoice settling the same day, tell me, and it is done. talking about cats.

The fact is that if I, or any company, offers you £100 to go from A Just to clarify, especially to the ladies out there, this piece of red to B then you have a business decision to make. It is simple: either hot tail has not been abandoned by his wife. I’m not available on take the job or refuse for whatever or no reason at all. the open market searching for like-minded singletons looking for Fine! But do not take the job and then “back it” when offered an “fun, maybe more”. It is not love that has jilted me, left me standing extra tenner elsewhere. Most of you consider yourself better than frustrated and alone, but business.

Uber drivers so prove it by not surge pricing and cancelling jobs As an operator, my business has recently struggled to find enough when another, seemingly better offer pings on to your smartphone. quality drivers to cover the insanely busy period we have had and Inadvertently, we have created a false economy, because continue to wade through. As discussed a couple of months back, a companies are having to distribute work and take no profit, or even dearth of new drivers coming into the industry alongside thousands run the job at a loss just to get their work covered, which isn’t leaving or retiring coupled with a lack of new or secondhand healthy for their long-term future. vehicles available meant we hit a perfect storm when more work Unfortunately, I know some drivers don’t believe operators came in than the industry had drivers. should make any profit from sub-contractors because they don’t Finding new blood is difficult enough, but the real kick in the understand that we are the ones who get on aeroplanes in January nuts for me came when guys I have known for years started to jilt and February to fly to the States to stay in crummy three-star hotels me. One driver ‘backed’ a three-day tour of the Cotswolds when in order to tramp around mind-numbingly dull trade shows in the offered slightly more money from another company. He didn’t even hope of securing work that they then dole out to others. grant me the courtesy of allowing me to match the offer (which I But that credit card bill needs to be paid somehow and this way wouldn’t have done on principle) as he glibly turned down my job, the work helps us all. Okay, maybe I will fall short of matching with us both knowing I was going to struggle like hell to fulfil the Adele’s gift of making material fit for raking in the royalties but you obligation. must believe me when I say this isn’t one complaining operator Another seasoned ‘professional’ took a late notice Heathrow lucky enough to have access to a magazine column. I have spoken transfer from us, after an agent informed me the party of seven to dozens of guys, up and down the country, all telling the same might have too much luggage for one V class. story.

My suspicions became raised when the driver called to say the All that is asked of any provider is integrity and professionalism. clients hadn’t appeared yet and could I call them? I checked the Be true to your word. If not, I sincerely hope that the short-sighted, clock. “It has only been down 45 minutes mate, no need to panic short-term greed is invested wisely, because suppliers will not forget yet.” It then turned out that he had to be back at Wimbledon to pick those who shafted them when the quiet times inevitably come. up his own clients in a couple of hours, something he conveniently Still an Uber mentality means you can always use that same forgot to tell me when accepting the job. phone to stick their app on and get back on to the virtual rank.

In his defence he managed to find a colleague, lets call him n Kevin Willis runs Chirton Grange, Clarence, to come and take over from him. When the client did contact@chirtongrange.co.uk – 07725467263 appear we managed to get all passengers and their luggage into

JULY 2022

33

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