TaxiPoint June 2022 Edition 38 by TaxiPoint

The UK’s #1 Taxi News Source Over 3.6

Edition 38 | JUNE 2022

million magazine reads and counting... Image credits: LEVC

HOTEL TAXI DEMAND THE PHV SQUEEZE ROYAL ASSENT DIESEL VERSUS ELECTRIC AND MUCH MORE... JUNE 2022 - Edition 38

EDITORIAL

TaxiPoint Chief Editor: Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Publishing & Advertising Manager: Lindsey Richardson Visit us online at: www.taxi-point.co.uk Back in June 2017 TaxiPoint began its journey. Starting from scratch I recruited two London cabbies, Michael Murphy and Steve Kenton to join the project and build something unique and needed within the taxi industry. We set out to establish a UK taxi industry news platform that would be engaging and create specialist content relating to the sector... Definitely no copying and pasting from non-trade journalists! It has always been about researched impartial digital news reports delivered direct to the industry and available on mainstream news aggregators, and it has made TaxiPoint extremely popular, very quickly.

Write to us at: contact@taxi-point.co.uk Advertising enquiries at: advertising@taxi-point.co.uk The publishers reserve the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisers must comply with the British Code of Advertising practice.

Fast forward to today and in May 2022 we had over 85,000 readers log onto TaxiPoint. Of those, at least 28,000 were regular readers. We also have 10,000’s of readers tuning into what you are reading now; our successful monthly digital magazine.

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

The team has changed along the way and that leads me on to massive thank you and a sad goodbye to one of the original members, Michael Murphy, who has decided to hang up his iPad Pro to concentrate on other ventures. Mike has played a huge part in the growth and success of TaxiPoint over the 5-years and we all wish him the very best.

Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

All written and image rights are reserved by the author as displayed.

Over the last few weeks we have made changes to our website to improve the user experience and provide the most comprehensive user data options available. We also have more plans in the pipeline to improve the service further, engage more industry workers and deliver more content that matters to you. Be lucky,

Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Chief-Editor and Founder

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VEHICLE Image credit: LEVC

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) unveiled three platinum electric TX taxis, which appeared in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 5 June.

company has recently celebrated 7,000 global sales of the electric TX taxi and these cabs now make up more than a third of those operating in London.

Since launching in 2018, the TX has provided The Pageant saw the Mall in central London sustainable transport throughout the world. Over the completely transformed, with thousands of last four years, the TX has travelled more than 418 performers coming together to celebrate 70-years of million miles globally and prevented 127,000 tonnes Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The three bespoke electric of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere. TX taxis delivered a host of VIPs to their seats ahead The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant was televised of the start of the show. globally on Sunday 5 June. LEVC said they are ‘proud to be part of the Pageant as the producers of the iconic London black cab’. The

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LICENSING

The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022 (the act) received Royal Assent on 31 March 2022. Guidance has now been issued to licensing authorities across England which they must have regard to.

chosen not to renew or revoked a taxi or PHV driver’s licence based wholly or in part on information relating to the driver concerning safeguarding or road safety.

Before a licensing authority in England decides whether to grant or The 2 main aspects of the act include: renew a driver licence, it must search 1. From 31 May 2022, if any licensing the database for any entry relating to authority in England has information the applicant. about a taxi or PHV driver licensed by If there is a relevant entry, the another authority that is relevant to authority must contact the recording safeguarding or road safety concerns authority to request the relevant in its area, it must share that information. The decision-making information with the authority that licensing authority must then have issued that driver’s licence. regard to the information provided when making their decision. Any licensing authority provided with such information by another What counts as authority must consider whether to safeguarding and road suspend or revoke the driver’s licence safety concerns? and inform the authority that shared The act constitutes a safeguarding the information of its decision. and road safety concern as 2. The act will require licensing information that indicates the authorities in England to input, into a person: central database, instances where the authority has refused, suspended,

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LICENSING •

committed a sexual offence (regardless of whether the person was charged with, prosecuted for or convicted of the offence)

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harassed another person

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caused physical or psychological harm to another person (regardless of whether the person was charged with, prosecuted for or convicted of the offence)

•

committed an offence that involves a risk of causing physical or psychological harm to another person

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committed an offence under section 165, 168 or 170 of the Equality Act 2010 (regardless of whether the person was charged with, prosecuted for or convicted of the offence)

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did anything that constitutes unlawful discrimination or victimisation against another person for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010

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threatened, abused or insulted another person

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poses a risk to road safety while driving

•

may be unsuitable to hold a taxi or PHV driver’s licence for other reasons related to the safeguarding of passengers or road safety.

Interestingly, even an attempt to or conspiracy to commit the above offences also constitutes a valid safeguarding or road safety concern.

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FEATURE

Demand for taxi services is currently extremely high, whether it be on the ranks, on the street or via booking apps. However, the supply of cabs will likely be low for some time which for now means the cabbie gets to choose who they service and why.

three big points of contention; the cost, the risk of cancellation and past experiences.

Some booking apps are heavily incentivising cabbies to run those dead-miles and service customers requesting cabs via their mobile devices. While it has arguably had some impact there is one section of customers seemingly struggling to grab a cab when required; that being hotel staff.

A digital hail will cost drivers usually upwards of 15% of their fares, plus there’s the cost of the payment processing to contend with if the passenger pays with a card.

Why would hotels struggle to find a taxi?

Risk of cancellation

The cost

Pre-pandemic there was a gradual move to digital hailing systems rather than the age old tried and Given the choice, the most cost-effective way for a tested means of a taxi rank. Whilst a hail from licensed taxi driver to work is via the street or rank within the hotel lobby might have saved concierge hail. There’s no lost run-in time, there’s no fees to time and effort when demand for taxis was low, that method is now less successful given the highthe app booking platform and less dead-mileage demand and more efficient earning potential. on fuel.

Drivers are essentially being asked to give up around 20% of their metered rate at a time of high demand. The maths does not stack up.

When demand is high, taxi drivers do not need to There are a multitude of complex reasons, and it take risks. Trusting a pre-booked customer to does vary from hotel to hotel. Ultimately there are either appear on time, or arrive at all, means the

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FEATURE driver takes the risk of their turnover taking a dent. Essentially dead time for a no show. Taxi drivers want to be efficient at their job. Hailing a taxi down when the passenger is not ready to leave the hotel, or worse still is in their room, means dead time and risk of a no show. Sadly, there is also a growing trend of hotel door staff booking cabs via an app, but taking the first cab that appears in the meantime. The cab driver on the receiving end still running in to service the hotel is then told the passenger has already left and receives no cancellation fee and a lasting bitter experience.

Another cabbie, Gavin Briner, was however more positive and suggested that taxi drivers treat the change in fortunes as an opportunity. Gavin said: “The black cab industry is at a pinnacle moment. We are winning lots of work back and we need to stay like this so that the Kipper is a distant memory. “These hotel customers are from all over the world. It’s great PR for the trade so why let them down when they want a Black Cab?

“Lots of customers use different modes of transport. Who cares about other costs and competition? “No good being negative saying this one’s done this and this one’s done that, just take the job whatever it is when your lights on. Don’t give anyone an excuse to change from London’s finest form of transport.”

What is the solution?

Past experiences This leads nicely on from the last point. If a taxi driver has been treated unfairly by a hotel in the past, why would anyone go out of their way and take the risk again unless they were hailed down outside the hotel?

The return of airport journeys at metered rates being offered to black cabs would see some trust renewed, but for some cabbies, years of bad experiences will be hard to shake quickly.

Having passengers ready For some cabbies even a flag down from door staff to board the taxi will directly outside isn’t enough to warrant servicing improve everyone’s experience, and making the hotel on the back of previous experiences. sure taxis booked are One cabbie said: “Back in my day (in London) you fulfilled and occupied knew all the bent hotels. You knew if they were with passengers, will go franticly trying to wave you down with passengers a long way to garner a on the kerb, they were only going 50 or 60 yards. more long-term positive “Anyone going to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow experience for all. they would call a car and take a back hander and give licensed taxi drivers the crumbs. “I would drive straight past.”

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FUEL CRISIS

Fuel costs are spiralling, and experts are warning that even bigger spikes are set to emerge in the coming weeks and months. What does this mean to the average taxi driver?

modelled a few different scenarios and will explain the workings out as we go. Some drivers will work the LEVC cab completely off the electric charge, some a mix of electric and petrol, and there might In February, at the start of the even be a few mavericks out there who solely use the pump price crisis, TaxiPoint petrol range extender. analysed the impact felt by taxi drivers by comparing the Let’s start with some cost of diesel against that of of the vital facts… electric taxi fuel costs. In this The diesel LTC TX4 taxi edition we look at how those manages 33.2 miles per costs have increased over a gallon (mpg) at best. The four-month period and what LEVC TX running solely off the spike in price means for petrol will manage 36.7mpg. cabbies across the UK. To travel 150 miles in the TX4 We are looking at two of the you’ll need 4.52 gallons of UK’s most popular cabs; the fuel and in the TX (without diesel TX4 and the electric the use of electricity) you’ll LEVC TX. need 4.09 gallons of petrol. Taxi drivers all work in different ways, so we’ve

In February, fuel prices stood at £1.50 per litre when filling

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FUEL CRISIS up from the black pump, and £1.45 per litre from the green pump. Despite a 5p fuel duty tax cut that has . now leapt further to an eye-watering £1.68 for petrol and £1.81 for diesel. Based on these stats and prices, the TX4 uses 20.55 litres to travel 150 miles per shift now costing £37.20 a go. That is a whopping rise of £6.38 per shift since February 2022. The TX uses 18.58 litres over the same distance costing £31.21 per shift. That’s a £4.99 daily difference in diesel and petrol alone, without even bringing electric into the equation. A saving equating to £1,438 over 40,000 miles.

Now let’s bring the electricity into the mix... Since huge energy price rises hit, it now costs on average around 28p per kWh to charge from home. Some will find better deals, some will be on worse tariffs, but this is a good ball-park figure to work from. The LEVC TX has a 31kWh battery with approximately 28kWh usable. That would mean a home charge costs £7.84 per full charge. Using a public rapid-chargepoint costs more, currently on average £9 per full charge. With these figures we can now work out the cost per mile for both the TX and TX4. As a LEVC TX owner myself, I know first-hand the electric range can fluctuate. It mainly depends on the temperature, but also other factors such as driving style and where you’re driving (i.e. fast motorway speeds) can impact

the range too. That said, a middle of the road average of 55-miles per full charge is a conservative estimate. With all this in mind we can now work out what it costs per mile for pure electric driving (both on home charge pricing and on the street), running on the petrol range-extender and on the TX4 diesel engine. LEVC TX (Pure Electric Home Charge) 14.25p per mile LEVC TX (Pure Electric Public Chargepoint) 16.36p per mile LEVC TX (Petrol Range-Extender) 20.81p per mile

LTC TX4 (Diesel) 24.80p per mile. The table on the next page breaks down five scenarios based on a 150-mile daily shift, working 5-days a week, 28-days in a month, and 48-weeks worked over the year. What can we learn? As you would expect, there are big savings to be had from the LEVC TX, but with the rising cost of electric these cabbies haven’t dodged the energy price spikes either. Cabbies charging at home just once per shift could be saving around £2,300 per year on fuel costs compared to their diesel driving colleagues. Over the five-year traditional lease period, a driver could see savings amounting to over £11,500. For drivers who also use the public charging network during a break in their shift, they can expect even greater savings. Annual savings of nearly £3,000 are calculated.

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FUEL CRISIS JUNE 2022 LTC TX4 (Diesel) LEVC TX (Petrol range-extender only) LEVC TX (1 EV Home charge then petrol range-extender) LEVC TX (1 EV home charge, 1 EV public charge, then petrol rangeextender) LEVC TX (1 EV home charge, 2 EV public charges)

Daily £37.20 £31.21 £27.61

Weekly Monthly Annual 5 Years £186.00 £744.00 £8,928.00 £44,640.00 £156.05 £624.20 £7,490.40 £37,452.00 £138.05 £552.20 £6,626.40 £33,132.00

£25.16 £23.38

£125.80 £116.90

FEBRUARY 2022 LTC TX4 (Diesel) LEVC TX (Petrol range-extender only) LEVC TX (1 EV Home charge then petrol range-extender) LEVC TX (1 EV home charge, 1 EV public charge, then petrol rangeextender) LEVC TX (1 EV home charge, 2 EV public charges)

Daily £30.82 £26.94 £21.26

Weekly Monthly Annual 5 Years £154.10 £616.40 £7,396.80 £36,984.00 £134.70 £538.80 £6,465.60 £32,328.00 £106.30 £425.20 £5,102.40 £25,512.00

£17.89 £15.43

£89.45 £77.15

Over the last four-month period diesel cab drivers have seen their fuel bills rise by around £130 per month. That means a further £1,500 out of pocket over the course of a year. For LEVC TX drivers who charge at home and then run petrol, the costs have risen too by a similar £127 per month.

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£503.20 £6,038.40 £30,192.00 £467.60 £5,611.20 £28,056.00

£357.80 £4,293.60 £21,468.00 £308.60 £3,703.20 £18,516.00

Interestingly where costs are rising most quickly is for drivers that use public chargepoints. A cabbie wishing to use pure electric throughout their 150-mile shift have seen their bill rocket by £159 per month. So, in summary, if you’re a full-time or high-mileage driver, electric fuel still seems to be the way to go both in the short and long-term.

INSIGHT

ARTICLE BY: PERRY RICHARDSON TAXIPOINT FOUNDER

A new think tank report which called for the Knowledge of London (KOL) to be scrapped and minicabs to be allowed to pick up the public from the streets plying-for-hire caused a brief kerfuffle throughout the media and industry. The new report called ‘A Fare Shake: Reforming Taxis for the 21st Century’, was published by the Adam Smith Institute (ASI). It argued that the Government should move to overhaul current taxi legislation, creating a more ‘dynamic sector’ to better serve the requirements of the public. In short, the report recommended SIX key policies. These included:

- Remove duplication and regressive licensing by creating a single, standard licensing regime, enforced by a national licencing authority. - Abolish the KOL tests which the report says have become unnecessary due to GPS and digital maps.

- Permit minicabs to be hailed from the pavement and allow all licenced operators to use bus lanes. - Support more Paratransit Light Vehicles. These are higher capacity vehicles which run regular services along high-demand routes and which can be summoned by a customer. - Allow drivers to claim the cost of passenger-facing CCTV back against tax and encourage the use of online safety kits to improve standards of safety.

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INSIGHT - Offer incentives for taxi and PHV drivers to switch to greener vehicles. Maxwell Marlow, report author and Development and Research Officer at the Adam Smith Institute, said: “Britain operates critical services on last millennium’s laws. It’s time to put the brakes on special interests, who inflate costs and gate-keep with the antiquated and defunct ‘Knowledge’, and give consumers more choice. “We need to simplify our licensing system, making it more fair and transparent, whilst ensuring that our fleets are greener, safer, and more efficient than before. The report contains a myriad of policies to give Britons the freedom to travel that they deserve, turbocharge the economy and relieve the cost-of-living crisis for many along the way.”

“Rather cleverly, their press releases referenced ‘scrapping the Knowledge’ which secured them some great media coverage. I then spent the day doing interviews, countering the ASI’s calls for a race to the bottom and championing the KOL, our safety record, green credentials, and professionalism. “The report is going nowhere.”

Point by point So, was the whole report a waste of time? Largely yes, but there were some talking points that are currently in the process of change or are still hotly contested. Here we’ll go through some of those in more detail.

‘Remove duplication and regressive licensing by creating a single, standard licensing regime, enforced by a national licencing authority.’

The taxi and PHV sector has long argued for better and more up to date Best Practice Guidance. That ball is however rolling after the Given the media attention with headlines about scrapping the KOL, Government opened up a 12-week many within the taxi industry have consultation to update guidance had to go through all the reasons supplied to local authorities to better cope with new digital ways why two tier-licensing works. of working following the boom in Steve McNamara, LTDA General ride-hailing services. Secretary, said in TAXI Newspaper: The Department for Transport “It goes without saying that the last thing any of the big apps want (DfT) first issued best practice guidance to licensing authorities in is any more rules, regs’ or 2006 and this was refreshed in requirements and are doing all they can to bring political pressure 2010.

So, what was the response?

and gain support from politicians of all parties and locations.

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INSIGHT It is recognised that much has changed in the industry and the time has come to update the guidance to ensure it reflects new ways of working, new technology and feedback from interested parties. Over 270 licensing authorities follow these guidelines. Changes around window tinting, taxi identification, vehicle age limits, enhanced driving tests and ending topographical tests for PHV drivers are all likely to feature heavily throughout the consolation.

‘Abolish the KOL tests which the report says has become unnecessary due to GPS and digital maps.’ The report focuses heavily on London with regards to scrapping the topographical testing, but this argument could transfer to any licensing authority.

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Any taxi driver will tell you, myself included, that the KOL is vital if you want to provide the very best service to passengers that you can. Surely there are few jobs in the world where having less knowledge in your profession is better for the customer after all. GPS is a fantastic tool if you don’t know a city. It will get you from A-B in some form or another. Will it however take you the best route? Will the journey be safer with a driver constantly checking a small screen rather than the road ahead? GPS serves a purpose when looking for road closures, but very rarely does it provide the quickest journey in the experience of London cabbies where there are multiple road options available. If you’re heading east to west through a city, then it’s likely that everyone following a sat-nav doing that same journey is looking at that exact same route as you

INSIGHT are. If everyone is on that same route… how is it ever going to be the quickest?

‘Permit minicabs to be hailed from the pavement and allow all licenced operators to Knowing a city inside out, can mean taxi drivers can use bus lanes.’ react instinctively. Something technology has yet to A minicab must be pre-booked so they can prepare achieve. for the journey. That might involve looking at a map When picking up passengers who hail taxis down it’s to work out a route, calling ahead to arrange a safe also important that you pick up and go. Spending pick-up area or offering a price based on the route time keying in the destination on a sat-nav whilst they plan to use. traffic forms behind isn’t progressive, is it? What if With advanced knowledge of the area, taxi drivers the internet connection is slow or non-existent, are trained and ready to be hailed down, know the what does the driver do then with no road destination straight away and are off within knowledge? seconds. The public are guaranteed an expected London and other licensing authorities that hold level of service based on the strict standards put on detailed topographical tests should be proud of the taxi drivers and the vehicles they drive. level of professionalism and knowledge their drivers All taxis in the capital are wheelchair accessible offer visitors and residents. Dumbing down is not vehicles (WAV). This requires curb side access to use progressive. the ramps and onboard those with disabilities safely. There could be a glimmer of an argument

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INSIGHT that minicab WAVs could also be afforded similar access, but due to the pre-booking nature of their work operators can communicate prior to pick-up where a safe location away from bus lanes might be. It’s also worth noting that due to the cost of the vehicles only 1% of PHV in the capital are registered as WAVs.

the use of online safety kits to improve standards of safety.’ After a recent consultation in 2021 it was decided that taxi and minicab owners can choose whether to install in-vehicle CCTV in their vehicles.

In-vehicle CCTV does not include external/road facing cameras such as dashcams. Research from ‘Support more Paratransit Light Vehicles. 2021 shows that in London, less than 10% of taxi These are higher capacity vehicles which run and PHV drivers have in-vehicle CCTV installed in regular services along high-demand routes their vehicle.

and which can be summoned by a customer.’ This is a slightly odd inclusion within the report. These on-demand bus services are neither a taxi or PHV and have been trialled extensively already in London and across the country. Sadly demand for these services have been low and many pulled. In 2018 Transport for London (TfL) helped fund and promote the GoSutton 'on-demand' bus trial for 12months. Using mobile and predictive technology, GoSutton aimed to find out whether flexible demand responsive transport services can play a role in boosting public transport use. A year later the service was scrapped.

CCTV remains a choice as to whether individuals invest in the equipment. This can already be claimed as a business expense.

‘Offer incentives for taxi and PHV drivers to switch to greener vehicles.’ The Department for Transport (DfT) recently reaffirmed their Electric Vehicle (EV) support by detailing the different grants available to help motorists, businesses and taxi drivers shift to EV.

Taxi drivers can still claim up to £7,500 off the purchase price of a new electric taxi, and there’s also a plug-in car grant of £2,500 towards eligible ‘Allow drivers to claim the cost of passenger- cars costing less than £35,000.

facing CCTV back against tax and encourage

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CHANGING INDUSTRY

Private hire operators from across England held an What exactly is the latest Uber court ‘URGENT’ private hire industry webinar to discuss the case about? implications of an Uber and Sefton Council court case that could drastically impact the taxi and private hire Essentially Uber are seeking High Court Declaration sector. on model lawfulness in the ‘provinces’ after the London court case result. The emergency webinar took place on Thursday 19 May and discussed the upcoming court case which focuses on operators paying VAT.

Sefton Council sent out a notice to the attention of interested parties that describes the legal action If ride-hailing giants Uber are successful, the changes below: could force contractual arrangements with drivers High Court Declaration Proceedings concerning the and make all operators the principal for VAT on fares. obligations of private hire vehicle operators licensed This is likely to force the price of journeys up and under Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous squeeze minicab drivers further as operators try to Provisions) Act 1976 remain competitive. In Uber London Limited v. Transport for London and Uber have long argued that all other private hire others [2021] EWHC 3290 (Admin) the Divisional operators should follow their lead by making changes Court made the following declaration: to their business models. Earlier this year Uber made In order to operate lawfully under the Private Hire big changes which included paying VAT on all UK Vehicles (London) Act 1998 a licensed operator who journeys following a similar court case in London. accepts a booking from a passenger is required to If Uber win their court case with Sefton Council, ALL enter as principal into a contractual obligation with licensing authorities outside of London could then be the passenger to provide the journey which is the forced to follow suit to create a fairer playing field for subject of the booking. operators to work under the same rules.

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CHANGING INDUSTRY Uber Britannia Limited (“UBL”) is licensed by the Council as a private hire vehicle (“PHV”) operator under the provisions of Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, which the Council has adopted to apply in its area. UBL has commenced proceedings against the Council under Part 8 of the Civil Procedure Rules seeking the following declaration from the High Court: In order to operate lawfully under Part II Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, a licensed operator who accepts a booking from a passenger is required to enter as principal into a contractual obligation with the passenger to provide the journey which is the subject of the booking.

Will this affect licensed taxi drivers?

deemed as workers and can continue under their current self-employed status. Most self-employed taxi drivers work under the £85,000 VAT threshold so VAT is unaccounted for. One of the positives for Hackney Carriage drivers is that should all PHV operators be accountable for VAT, their own prices are likely to become very competitive, very quickly. Around 45% of the fare paid by PHV customers could be swallowed up by VAT and operator charges alone. Vehicle costs and rising fuel bills means only a fraction of the fare remains for the driver. Low pay remains a huge issue for the sector as it continues to look for new ways to recruit drivers to meet demand.

ARTICLE BY: PERRY RICHARDSON

Because taxi drivers can ply-for-hire, and do not require TAXIPOINT FOUNDER an operator to receive pre-booked work, they are not

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EV Image credit: LEVC

Electric taxi wireless charging trials began in Germany with new inductive charging pads installed in the city of Cologne. As part of the trial called TALAKO, INTIS have supplied several LEVC TX taxis retrofitted with wireless charging technology. There will also be a total of six charging stations set in key locations in central Cologne. The first two wireless charging stations were set up on behalf of RheinEnergie AG on 20 May and will continue to be operated after the end of the project in September. Four further charging stations are set to go live soon.

Image credit: TALAKO

The project will provide wireless charging of electric cabs in the power range up to 22kW. The roadside charging pads will be able to withstand stress cause by heavy trucks weighing up to 40 tonnes on a dayto-day basis. A prototype has been in testing since mid-2020 and the latest trial will help determine whether the technology will be included in international standardisation of wireless charging for stationary charging units.

Image credit: TALAKO

Ascan Egerer, Councillor for Mobility of the City of Cologne, said: “I am delighted that the first installation of this kind is going into operation in Cologne. This is the right step to promote climatefriendly mobility. Here, we as a municipality are called upon to test and promote such innovative technologies as a contribution to air pollution control and climate neutrality.”

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TRADE QUESTIONS Image credit: LEVC

with booking a cab. Just 31% thought taxi drivers should pay the fees from the metered amount. Street work and taxi rank demand is rocketing which provides drivers with the full fare as revenue. The immediate nature of the hail also reduces high fuel costs and negates dead-mileage travelling to pickups. The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has also received enquires about the rules around customers paying booking fees, rather than the driver. Image credit: TALAKO Image credit: TWITTER

Nearly 70% of taxi drivers now feel the PASSENGER should pay commission fees for taxi app bookings rather than drivers.

Lloyd Baldwin, LTDA Executive SO, said in TAXI Newspaper: “I’ve taken several calls lately from members enquiring if they can add £2 extras when accepting a job from an app company.

Demand for taxi services has reached new highs due to a plethora of reasons. A shortage of private hire drivers, pent up demand and even shortages of taxi vehicles themselves have kept taxi drivers busy throughout 2022.

“I think this goes back to the days when some of us were on radio circuits. I myself was on Dial a Cab and when someone called them ordering a cab and they wanted to pay for the cab in cash (remember that), it meant that because the person ordering did not have Users of taxi-hailing apps have struggled to secure a an account with Dial a Cab, they did not get a booking taxi as a result. With demand high, cabbies have been fee. able to choose how they receive job offers. “So, to get some income from the booking Dial a Cab charged the driver £2 per cash job and took it from Taxi drivers are charged between 10-20% of the the credit work for that week. This was then passed metered fare to accept bookings. They may also be on to the customer by the cabbie with him or her subjected to card payment fees on top of those adding £2 on the extras. booking fees. “We have enquired about the legality of this with TfL According to 662 TaxiPoint readers polled, 69% thought the customer should pay the fees associated who came back advising drivers to look in the terms Image credit: TALAKO and conditions of which ever app they use.”

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TRADE QUESTIONS Image credit: LEVC

Taxi drivers across the UK were divided in their opinion as to whether ALL licensed taxis should be Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs). In England, 54% of all taxis were wheelchair accessible in 2021 while just 2% of Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) were wheelchair accessible. This is similar to the proportions in 2020.

TaxiPoint asked UK readers whether all Hackney Carriage taxis in the UK should be WAVs. The responses were divided based largely on experience and location of working.

George Bathgate, an Edinburgh taxi driver, said yes to all taxis being WAVs. George said: “It keeps it fair across the board. I think it was back in the 90s all the black cab Hackney taxis had to be converted or Outside London 15% of all licensed vehicles were wheelchair accessible in England. However all 13,400 replaced. It resulted in many a good taxi being put London taxis were wheelchair accessible as required off the road as it was mandatory. by Transport for London’s ‘Conditions for Fitness’ “I had to change my fx4 to a fairway in Edinburgh. taxi licensing policy. We all thought it was over the top due to the amount of wheelchair passengers we got. No joy either, do it In England outside London 14% of all licensed or we will put you off the road. vehicles were wheelchair accessible. However this varies by area and vehicle type: 81% of taxis in metropolitan areas were wheelchair accessible areas. When looking at PHVs, only 1% of licensed vehicles in London were wheelchair accessible, but this increased to 9% in rural areas.

“Those were the days before the buses were able to take them.” Brian Coleman, a London cabbie, said: “Disabled people are still human beings, no licensed taxi should be a saloon car. As a London licensed taxi driver of 45 years, I’ve never had elderly passengers complain.”

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TRADE QUESTIONS Mick Elliott from Gateshead made a case for both sides of the argument. Mick said: “I don't think they all need to be WAVs, but for those of us who are I think we should be entitled to something from either the council or government as an incentive. “On a like for like car to be converted the owner will pay a huge sum of money extra for the conversion.”

‘Other wheelchair users may be able to transfer onto the seat of a car, with or without assistance, with the wheelchair stored in the vehicle’s boot during the journey. For such passengers, and for some ambulant disabled people, for whom high steps and large open spaces may be difficult to negotiate, traditional WAVs may be challenging to access.'

Cabbies against the idea said some elderly customers struggle to get in and out of a WAV and prefer a car. There were also concerns around the affordability of WAVs. Angela Davies said: “In a small town we don't have that many wheelchair passengers and now because taxis have to be wheelchair accessible you can't get a taxi anymore at night. Drivers quit when they changed over because they can't afford one.”

Image credit: DYNAMO

The guidance adds: ‘A truly inclusive transport system is one where a mixed fleet is available, where wheelchair users can travel as easily as anybody else, and this means ensuring that there are sufficient suitable vehicles to serve their needs. Though for “The number of permanent wheelchairs are quite low some passengers, particularly ambulant disabled and don’t constitute every Hackney driver using a people whose ability to walk is impaired, the high WAV.” steps and large floor areas of traditional WAVs can Daniel Langwost said: “Not everyone wants to sit in a constrain their access. WAV especially for airport runs. These London cabs ‘Licensing authorities should assess the demand for are the most uncomfortable cars I have been told by WAVs within their jurisdiction at least every three many of my customers.” years and take appropriate steps to ensure that the Disabled access to taxis and PHV supply of suitably accessible vehicles meets the demand for them.’ services are likely to come under Robert Bate said: “Not all Hackneys need to be WAVs. I work late night shifts and on the very rare occasion have had folding wheelchairs, which can easily stowed safely in the boot.

scrutiny soon. In new proposed government Taxi and PHV Best Practice Guidance it is noted: ‘For some passengers in wheelchairs, only vehicles which enable them to board, alight from and travel whilst remaining in their wheelchair are accessible and it is important that sufficient vehicles of this category are available to provide an acceptable service.

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A further Bill which would prevent taxi drivers from refusing disabled passengers has also recently been cleared in the Commons. The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill aims to address inconsistencies in the Equality Act to ensure all disabled people are afforded protection from discrimination.

FEATURE

ARTICLE BY:

The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards have changed the way licensing authorities carry out criminality checks. Under the new guidance, drivers should sign up for the DBS Update Service. This allows licensing authorities to criminal record checks every 6 months, rather than just at the point of licensing. For most drivers, this hasn’t been a problem. But due to rules that came into effect last year, some drivers have been unable to register.

What's changed? Late 2020 saw the rules around what is shown on a DBS Certificate change. These rules are commonly referred to as ‘filtering’ rules. Filtering is when information that isn’t relevant anymore will be excluded from the DBS Certificate when it is issued.

on a record. Each conviction is now assessed on its relevance to the job role in question. Whilst this is good news for some, it has problems. At the moment, the DBS’s system cannot automatically generate certificates where the new filtering rules apply. Certificates with information that needs to be filtered must be raised manually.

Manual DBS Certificates and the Update Service The problem for drivers is that manually issued DBS Certificates can’t be registered to the DBS Update Service. But the new statutory standards mean that they are still obligated to undergo criminality checks every 6 months.

Understandably, this has caused a lot of anger in the affected group. Some The changes to filtering rules means that a drivers are having to complete new DBS lot of things that used to be disclosed are Checks every 6-months at their own no longer included on a DBS expense. An unfair financial burden. Certificate. Youth reprimands, warnings, An Update Service subscription costs or cautions are no longer £13 a year. Including the cost of the DBS disclosed. Convictions are also no longer Check itself, a driver can expect to pay disclosed automatically based solely on the fact there is more than one conviction between £77 - £100, over the course of

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FEATURE a licence period. But as long as the subscription continues to be paid, in theory, drivers will never need to have a new DBS Check carried out.

(not the Registered Bodies administration fee) upon request where a manual certificate is issued.

“This approach will meet the requirements Drivers with manual certificates have been of the Department for Transport guidance forced to pay for a DBS Check (£38 + and DBS is currently engaging directly with Admin) every 6 months. Over three years, the taxi sector and relevant Registered these drivers will be forced to pay a Bodies on this matter, with the Home minimum of around £280 for fresh DBS Office stakeholder group engaging directly Checks. with the Department for Transport. Thankfully, things are about to change. Due to lobbying from Wolverhampton Council, the affected drivers can now recoup their expenses.

“In the meantime, I can assure you that DBS continues to work on a full resolution to the current system limitations so that the requirement to issue manual certificates for filtering purposes will Changes are incoming cease. We currently expect the resolution Councillor Phil Page, from Wolverhampton to be in place by quarter 3 of 2023.” Council, has secured refunds for drivers Councillor Page, welcomed the news: who are issued with manual certificates. In “In a time where there cost of living is a letter to Home Secretary and the DBS, Councillor Page highlighted the significant rising, this is extremely welcome news that will benefit hackney carriage and private and unfair financial burden faced by hire drivers across the entire country. drivers. “There is a shortage of licensed drivers The DBS responded, confirming that refunds were going to be made available available to safely transport people, for these drivers. Eric Robinson, CEO of the particularly those contributing to the night -time economy, and the trade does not DBS, advised Councillor Page: need any more barriers to entry. “I am pleased to inform you that DBS has recently agreed to refund the DBS fee for “This is a fantastic result and I will continue to work tirelessly to help support those hackney carriage and private hire the private hire trade.” drivers that receive manual certificates going forward, ensuring that those drivers Considering the financial impact of the are not out of pocket as a result of the past two years, this news will be a massive requirement to obtain checks every 6 relief for those drivers who have been months. affected. If you’re a driver who has been issued a manual certificate and want more “To summarise, this will enable licensing authorities to submit new DBS applications information, you should contact your every 6 months as per the Statutory Taxi & licensing authority or the DBS directly on 0300 0200 190. Private Hire Vehicle Standards for those drivers unable to join the Update Service. DBS will process the new application as normal, but will refund the application fee

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HEALTH

The UK’s leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, is reminding motorists they shouldn’t just be checking their tyres, brakes and oil levels before getting behind the wheel, but also checking in on themselves and others.

Richard Gladman, Head of Driving and Riding Standards at IAM RoadSmart, commented: “Life can be a hard road, and sometimes we need time to put the brakes on and take some time for ourselves. We are living in extraordinary times where the need for mental health support services is definitely on the Taxi drivers have been through a torrid two-year increase. It’s therefore essential that we recognise period caused mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic. A lack of work since restrictions first hit in the struggles many of us face during such challenging March 2020 saw drivers financially worry about their times and do all we can to help each other.” futures or work longer shifts for much less money. Richard also offered some words of advice to those Whilst demand has now returned, the financial scars who find themselves feeling stressed or anxious behind the wheel: “Sometimes, driving can worsen for some remain and long hours behind the wheel are necessary to claw back months of lost revenue. any feelings of anxiety, which can lead to driving The return to ‘normal life’ has also left some people becoming an unpleasant, and even unsafe experience. To mitigate these risks, drivers should more anxious than pre-pandemic. ensure they get plenty of rest before long drives, The month of May recently brought about Mental carefully plan their journeys and remove any Health Awareness Week, and IAM RoadSmart were distractions.” keen for all drivers to look after themselves just as much as the vehicles they drive.

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UK TAXI NEWS

Image credit: LEVC

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) marked the major milestone of 7,000 global sales of its worldfamous TX – the world’s most advanced electric taxi. In recognition of the black cab’s iconic status in the capital, LEVC gave Londoners the chance to hail a ride for free in the last week of May.

and Cairo to Tokyo; it truly is a vehicle for everyone, everywhere. “As the iconic “black cab” is an integral part of the London landscape, we wanted to mark 7,000 global sales of our TX in the capital. As the British population will also be celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s reign of 70 years, we felt it was appropriate to bring a classic British street party theme to our three celebration cabs.

Since launching in 2018, the TX has provided sustainable transport to both owners and passengers in more than 20 countries. Over the last four years, LEVC’s electric TX taxi has travelled more than 418 “The black cab has been a familiar sight on city streets million miles globally and prevented 127,000 tonnes of for more than a hundred years and today’s TX has CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere. never been more fit for purpose. Offering unrivalled accessibility, capable of zero emissions and eliminating Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC, said: “LEVC is proud to have sold 7,000 electric TX taxis across the globe. The range anxiety, the TX is the ideal choice for both cabiconic black cab can now be seen from Paris to Madrid drivers and passengers in any city.”

Image credit: LEVC

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UK TAXI NEWS

Glasgow taxi drivers celebrated the city’s first TX4 Euro 6 black cab after a long-awaited RETROFIT was completed. More black cabs are expected to be converted soon as kits now become readily available to cabbies. Aside from buying a new Zero-Emission Capable (ZEC) taxi, retrofitting existing cabs to meet Euro 6 compliance standards is seen as one way to eliminate daily charges and future proofing a driver’s taxi. A Unite Glasgow Cab Section spokesperson said: “It’s been a long time coming, but the retrofit for Euro 5 TX4’s, taking them to Euro 6 specifications, has finally arrived.”

Image credit: GLASGOW TAXI SECTION

JUNE 2022 - Edition 38 Image credit: LEVC

UK TAXI NEWS

“We will modernise the laws” around the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) sector, says Transport Minister. Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Department for Transport (DfT) Minister, addressed the House of Lords as part of a Queen’s Speech debate at the House of Lords on Wednesday 11 May. In the speech the minister detailed the Government’s transport plans for its network and new legislation put forward affecting the public and transport workers. As part of the long speech, Baroness Vere of Norbiton said: “Technology has also led to changes in how the taxi and private hire vehicle industry works—for example, through booking apps available on mobile phones. We will modernise the law to ensure that the same minimum standards are met by drivers across England to gain or retain a taxi or private hire vehicle licence, and we will enhance licensing authorities’ existing compliance and enforcement powers. “These changes will create a level playing field and make journeys safer for all passengers.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has launched an initiative with Edinburgh’s Central Taxis to equip its taxi drivers with the life-saving drug Naloxone, which temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Central Taxis is the largest taxi operator in Edinburgh, and their drivers have all been approached to carry out the necessary training and to carry naloxone in their cabs. Already, 36 drivers have signed up to complete the training. Recognising the signs and symptoms of overdose and the administration of naloxone can mean the difference between life and death. Naloxone is vital in reversing the life threatening effects of opioid overdose and can buy precious time while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Taxi drivers cover large areas in the region, and serve different communities on a daily basis, and so they are often likely to encounter an overdose before an ambulance is called. This initiative is part of a wider campaign, Stop the Deaths, launched by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Drugs Forum, which seeks to reduce stigma and raise public awareness of how to recognise and intervene when someone has a drug overdose.

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UK TAXI NEWS The average price of charging an electric car on a pay-as-you go, non-subscription basis at a publicly accessible rapid charger in Great Britain has risen sharply by 21% to 44.55p per kilowatt hour (kWh) since September, figures analysed by the RAC’s new Charge Watch initiative in association with the national FairCharge campaign show. The 7.81p per kWh increase, from 36.74p at the end of last summer, means that the average cost to complete an 80% rapid charge of a typical familysized electric car with a 64kWh battery has increased by £4 over this period, from £18.81 to £22.81 now (cars revert to slower charging speeds beyond 80% to preserve battery health). In stark contrast, the cost of filling a 55-litre family car from empty to 80% has increased by a huge £14.54 since last September, from £59.67 to £74.21.

Fuel prices continue to climb to record highs, with more ‘pain’ in store for motorists at the fuel pump expected soon according to data.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy reported the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts was 167.7p on 23 May. That was up from 165.1p a week earlier. The average price of diesel on the same day was 181.14p per litre, up from 179.7p last week. Chancellor Rishi Sunak implemented a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty on 23 March, two days after average prices were 166.8p per litre for petrol and 180.3p per litre for diesel. However, the Treasury still takes 48% of the price of petrol in taxation. For diesel the figure is 46%.

JUNE 2022 - Edition 38 Image credit: LEVC

GLOBAL NEWS

Ride-hailing firm Uber have moved a step closer to making ALL licensed taxis available on its platform by 2025 by signing a deal with Italy’s largest taxi dispatcher.

people taking a taxi on the Uber platform go on to use other of its mobility products, the company said in February.

Uber signed an agreement with IT Taxi who boast over 12,000 taxi drivers working within its fleet. All drivers will now have access to the Uber platform making it available in over 80 new cities.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, said: "This is a truly historic deal in one of our most strategically important markets globally.

According to Reuters, Andrew Macdonald, Uber's senior After its surprising move to partner with New York City's vice president of mobility, said: "When we look at the famous yellow taxi industry, the ride-hailing firm are next five years, we just don't see a world in which taxis now focusing on existing taxi markets around the world and Uber exist separately. There's too much to gain for to help solve coverage and availability issues. both sides."

The new deal in Italy is set to start in June. Uber have already managed to include taxis in Spain, Germany, Austria, Turkey, South Korea, Hong Kong and Colombia. According to sources, around thirty-five percent of

"We strongly believe taxis and Uber are better together, and we're committed to making this a partnership of trust and cooperation long into the future."

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Image credit: ComfortDelGro

GLOBAL NEWS

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued the first Phase I Driverless Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Passenger Service Deployment permit in California to Cruise LLC to allow for passenger service in its AVs without a driver present in the vehicle. With this permit, Cruise may offer passenger service to the general public in its fleet of 30 all-electric AVs without a safety driver present on select streets in San Francisco at maximum speed of 30 mph, from the hours of 10pm to 6 am daily when weather conditions do not include heavy rain, heavy fog, heavy smoke, hail, sleet, or snow.

Taxi passengers in Saudi Arabia must now be offered FREE taxi trips if the driver fails to start the taximeter at the beginning of or during the journey of a cab ride, say sources. According to the Saudi Gazette, Transport General Authority (TGA) has said all cabbies must use the meter on board cabs and passengers will be able to submit complaints should the driver fail to do so.

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TRAINING

ACCOUNTANTS

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CLAIMS

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The FixiCover Driver Shield is an in-car partition that separates drivers from their passengers and serves as a sneeze guard. Find out more here.

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