The UK’s Premier Taxi Publication
Edition 9 | Jan 2020
Over 30,000 digimag reads each month!
Should the taxi industry LEAVE TfL?
OUTSIDE REGULATION EXCLUSIVE article from Andrew Boff AM
DRIVER FATIGUE AIRPORT RANKS LOST & FOUND
What can I do to improve my EV VEHICLES | APPS | LICENSING | CROSS -BORDER | POLITICS | AND MORE... mileage this winter? www.taxi-point.co.uk
Content and Editorial
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January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 3
p20 TaxiPoint Chief Editor:
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Perry Richardson
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TaxiPoint Editor: Michael Murphy TaxiPoint Publishing & Advertising Manager: Lindsey Richardson
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TaxiPoint is the UK’s leading taxi industry publication featuring on multiple digital platforms. Since going live in June 2017, TaxiPoint has become the only industry news source in the world to have been accepted onto mainstream media news platforms Google News, Apple News and Bing/Microsoft News. In 2019 the TaxiPoint website had over 500,000 different users, of which over 116,000 were returning readers. Over 1.4million page views, up by over 500,000 from the previous year, provides further proof of the digital move drivers are making to stay up to date. Our professional and responsible approach to trade journalism has generated a growing UK network of sources. From licensing authorities, industry stakeholders, politicians and of course noteworthy drivers, the content across our site, app, social media, mainstream media news aggregators, subscription email and digital magazine is extensive.
2020 provides further opportunity to grow our readership and standing within the industry by delivering our high quality services across the UK.
Advertising enquires 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. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.
All written and image rights are reserved by the author as displayed. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Copyright brand TaxiPoint 2020. Creative Common image licenses displayed where applicable.
Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Chief-Editor and Licensed Taxi Driver
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Guest Writer
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 5
The taxi industry should be regulated OUTSIDE of TfL, says Assembly Member Boff Article written by: Andrew Boff Conservative London Assembly Member
It is not an outrageous statement to suggest that Transport for London (TfL) is a large and unwieldy organisation. Whilst there are clearly some very good people at TfL they are hamstrung by an organisational structure that expects too many balls to be kept in the air at any one time, whilst requiring too many conflicting aims to be satisfied. There is a desperate need for reform, but seemingly no political desire to carry this out.
“Instead of a weak department within TfL, we need a new and separate authority.”
Currently TfL runs, maintains or has some degree of responsibility for: London Buses, the London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), the London Overground, TfL Rail, London Trams, London’s Red Routes, 8 piers on the Thames, London Dial-a-Ride, Victoria Coach Station, cycling and walking in London, the Emirates Air Line (aka the Cable Car) and the licensing of taxis and private hire. This means that TfL runs services, contracts out services, seeks to encourage motorists to use its services and seeks to encourage those using its services to walk or cycle instead.
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Guest Writer
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 6
In licensing the taxi and private hire industries, TfL is responsible for a direct competitor to the London Underground and London’s buses. If you speak to virtually anyone in either industry you will quickly find huge criticisms of TfL Taxi and Private Hire (TfLTPH) – the licensing authority. Under TfLTPH there are drivers who should not have permits, consistent weakness on preventing hailing of private hire vehicles and a lack of clarity on the rules. We’ve also seen massively increased private hire operator fees, with some operators seeing a 12,000% increase in their annual payments. We’ve also seen the Mayor force through the removal of the Congestion Charge exemption for private hire vehicles even though the report TfL commissioned confirmed this would do nothing to reduce traffic in Central London. It is time for London to do things differently.
to help ensure that the public is safe and the rules are being followed, this seems like a bizarre decision. There is certainly a role for the Mayor in making clear the licensing regulations that he or she wishes to see in place. Having done so, whoever is Mayor needs to step back and enable the new regulatory authority to police those regulations in as straightforward and transparent a way as possible. The status quo is not working. It’s time to start again.
Instead of a weak department within TfL, we need a new and separate authority. We need greater clarity about its purpose and what a successful authority should look like. The body should be openly scrutinised by the London Assembly, on behalf of Londoners, but also by the industry – with taxi drivers, private hire drivers, operators and trade bodies all having the opportunity to question their licensing authority. Being genuinely answerable to Londoners and the industry is the only way that genuine reform can be achieved. This begs the question ‘What should that reform look like?’ Here there will be inevitable differences of opinion. There are those who would argue that, for example, Uber has been allowed to get away with far too much problematic behaviour under the current regime. Equally there are others who would strongly maintain that the problem is the regulations themselves with Uber asked to meet criteria that others have not had to reach. Furthermore, when a different operator asked for a list of such drivers so they could cross check them against their own, the request was refused. When the aim is – or should be –
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LCC Feature
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 8
Taxi, take me to the future! A look at what lies ahead for Liverpool’s taxi trade in 2020 Kevin Johnson is Liverpool Council’s City Manager and responsible for taxi licensing. Here’s an exclusive insight into where he sees the industry heading in 2020 and beyond.
Image: Greater London Authority
If 20 years ago you’d have said to your cabbie; soon you’ll be driving around in electric cars, you’d probably have been met with a healthy degree of scepticism. You might have got the old suspicious glance through the rearview mirror and hushed tones of; ‘I’ve got a right one here’, from the driver as his fingers spidered across the dashboard to make sure all the door locks Last summer we held a Taxi Licensing Awareness Day were engaged. in Liverpool. It was a chance for drivers and operators How things have changed… to meet our team and to get to know each other. The event drew in close on 1,000 people from all over the Admittedly we don’t have an army of lightningNorth West and beyond. powered cabs silent zipping around the place like supersized Scaletrix just yet, but the numbers are growing.
As part of the day, we had some electric and hybrid cabs on display and the response from the trade was staggering.
One supplier we worked with reported that they had received more than 600 orders for electric vehicles in the days after our event. Coincidence? I think not. Image: LCC (Twitter)
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LCC Feature
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 10
Speak with a cabbie or taxi driver who has taken the plunge and ‘gone electric’ and you’d be forgiven for thinking that they’d just achieved nirvana.
Competition can be fierce but we believe that Liverpool drivers can offer added-value to any journey by simply being better than the rest.
These guys are doing ‘London and back on one charge’ We recently introduced a new rule that means all of while most people are still filling their tanks with our Hackney carriages must now take debit and credit liquified dinosaur. card contactless payments. We asked the trade about the move beforehand and they were overwhelmingly in favour of it. In an increasingly cashless society, it’s keeping our drivers moving with the times.
We want to build on this during 2020 by creating a ‘gold standard’ for the city’s drivers. This means we will be inviting drivers licensing their vehicles Image: LEVC in the city to have extra training in areas like first-aid, customer safety and But it’s not just about fuel economy and the novelty of local knowledge. plugging your car into the mains because clearing the We even want to link up with the city’s tourist trade so air is big on the agenda in our city. our drivers can point out sites of special interest and Liverpool City Council has declared a climate change information about the city’s history like how old the emergency and has vowed to make our city a net-zero Anglican Cathedral is or what the Liver Birds names carbon area by 2030. are (Bella and Bertie by the way). From what we have seen so far, taxi and private hire drivers in our city will continue to spearhead this green revolution during the year ahead. We will see more electric cabs, more hybrid vehicles and hopefully, we can all start to breathe a little more easily.
Why are we doing this? Simple, because it matters.
In 2008 Liverpool was crowned European Capital of Culture. The accolade was worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the city and helped to cement our status as a global destination. Its impact is still being felt
You can see that Liverpool’s taxi trade really believes in moving with the times, which is why we are working to make it as easy as we can for the travelling public to catch a cab in Liverpool. Improving the ‘customer experience’ is a priority for us. Deregulation and the fact that Liverpool has a lot going on means the city is often inundated with drivers from outside the area looking for fares. Image: LCC (Twitter)
Image: Pixabay
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LCC Feature
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 11
today in the city’s economy and tourism. In the run-up to the decision being made, the judges toured the city extensively, often by cab. Legend has it that they were so impressed with the passion and enthusiasm of our taxi drivers it may have helped along the way to the city’s victory. That’s why it matters. In terms of passenger safety, we have just introduced a new policy that means our drivers will have to take part in mandatory random drugs tests. We know the vast majority of our drivers act responsibly but we’re ready to take action against those who don’t.
We are also looking into ways that we can fit as many of our Hackney cabs as possible with life-saving defibrillators.
Our drivers are not just for the end of a night out, they provide a real community service. They do the school run for vulnerable families, the shopping trips for older people and those with mobility issues, they help drive the city economy by getting people to their business meetings and most importantly they get people where they need to go to in safety. So if you find yourself in a Liverpool cab in 2020, you can expect a safe journey through our wonderful city, with a friendly driver, who might just tell you a few interesting things along the way…just don’t get them started on the football!
In Liverpool, we are lucky to have a vibrant and dynamic taxi and private hire trade that plays a really important role in the life of our city. Image credit: LCC
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Charity
May 2019 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 20
Licensing
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 13
K11 UBR: TfL launch ‘urgent investigation’ into ‘offensive’ taxi number plate The London's taxi and private hire licensing authority Transport for London (TfL) have launched an urgent investigation into an alleged offensive number plate on a London black taxi.
conducting an urgent investigation.”
The London cab with a number plate which reads K11 UBR has been spotted driving around the capital by a number of other drivers and pedestrians.
Tens of thousands of drivers have joined Uber in the city since the ride-sharing firm launched in 2012 and taxi drivers have since stressed that the influx of so many drivers has had a major impact on their work load.
Graham Robinson, TfL’s General Manager of Taxi and Private Hire, told TaxiPoint: “Having been made aware of this number plate we are now
It's safe to say that there's no love lost between London's iconic taxi drivers and those who work on the Uber platform.
Image: LEVC
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Feature
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 14
LOST & FOUND Taxi drivers have a lot of different things to take into consideration on a day-to-day basis; who’s going to be getting into my vehicle, will I get paid, will this fuel last me?! But how about deliberating the question ‘I wonder what will be left in my cab today?’
You may be surprised (or not) to find out that some of the most whacky, ridiculous things are left behind by taxi passengers. Here’s a look at some of our favourite items forgotten about in the back of a taxi…
to devouring an entire meal left by a passenger during his night shift. Another driver explained how a female passenger left the meal in the taxi whilst collecting money from her house to pay for the fare. Returning without money and confessing to not having any means of payment, the taxi driver drove off with the freshly cooked Chinese meal and gave it to the next homeless person they saw - now that’s a lovely gesture. A Rolex Watch Now this would test the honesty of many. One driver had a handbag left in the back of his taxi which contained a Rolex which was valued at a whopping £25,000. The driver handed it in and it was eventually claimed by its rightful owner.
A Wooden Leg
The driver confirmed he got a “nice little reward”, Now I’m no expert on the human anatomy, but one although he never told us what it was, leaving us all may wonder how a one-legged person managed to exit wondering. a taxi? Were they worse for wear? We know we can all A Frozen Turkey be a little forgetful when we’ve had a few too many, so Seeing as we’ve just enjoyed Christmas, why not give let’s go with the view that this passenger was a little the bird of choice a mention! One taxi driver explained leg-less. how he had a frozen turkey left in the back of his Chinese Takeaways vehicle but wasn’t made aware of it until three hours This tasty forgotten dish later after a number of came up on a couple of fares had come and occasions, leaving my gone. brain fried and wondering Let’s take a minute to who could forget such an think about that; you appetising meal? enter a taxi, you see a One taxi driver confessed
turkey sitting there on
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Feature
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 15
the floor, you consider this to be normal practice, so you say nothing... ok! Maybe it was just one of those nights where everyone was flying around too busy to notice.
A puddle of urine - Triple Yuck
Toys - Of the adult kind
As a taxi driver myself, I’ve had a few strange items left in my cab, but the most memorable thing that comes to mind is a person. Yes, that’s correct, I had a person left in my taxi by a group of men who were so drunk they literally left one of their friends lying on the floor of my TX.
One taxi driver confessed to finding a bag full of “bondage gear” and “adult toys” in the back of his cab. Two things stood out to us about this story; 1) The driver said he knew the passenger… Oh dear, how embarrassing!
A pair of dirty knickers - Yucksy’yuck
A used condom - Yucker’D’yuck
The problem was, I never realised until I stopped to pick up my next fare and they rather calmly said to me: “Erm, do you realise you have a drunk sleeping man on the floor in the back here?”
That night ended early after having to wait for the police to arrive and assist the man out of the vehicle 2) The driver never explained what he did with the and take him to sober up. So now before driving off bag... I suppose that’s a good thing, right?! after any drop-off, I always check the There have been a number of other things left in the back of my cab thoroughly for all of back of taxis which also deserve honourable mentions, the above. I’ve not had a freshly including; cooked Chinese meal left yet, but one can still hope, right?! Nail clippings - Yuck False teeth - Double Yuck
Michael Murphy
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Enforcement
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 17
SIX private hire drivers reported for ‘plying for hire’ in Liverpool in lead up to Christmas Enforcement officers cracked down on SIX private hire drivers illegally plying for hire in Liverpool’s city centre in the lead up to Christmas. The multiple minicab drivers who were picking up fares without prior bookings were reported on Friday 21 December. During the ongoing Liverpool City Council (LCC) enforcement operation, officers also diverted their attentions to non-taxi vehicles parked on taxi ranks. Officers out on Thursday 20 December issued Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) to vehicles parked on taxi ranks located in Liverpool’s Lark Lane and city centre. In photos posted on social media by LCC, they show multiple cars parked on the ranks displaying the distinctive yellow FPN’s issued. The motorists parking on the taxi ranks must now fork out £70 for the misdemeanour, with all fines payable within 28 days of the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) being issued. However, if motorists paid within 14 days the council will have reduced the fine by 50% to £35 respectively. Licensing officers from LCC issued a total of 1,178 PCNs in 2018.
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Exclusive
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 18
London Mayor urged to push for NATIONAL taxi and minicab rules around hours worked to reduce...
FATIGUE The London Mayor has been urged to push for national legislation around the number of hours drivers will be able to work in the taxi and private hire industry to reduce the effects of fatigue. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, recently distanced himself from researching the levels of fatigue in the private hire industry, but did acknowledge there is likely to be a problem in the capital at this month's Mayor’s Question Time.
This comes following a recent damning report into the high levels of fatigue facing bus drivers in the capital, and similar concerns from the London Assembly have now emerged surrounding the fatigue levels of minicab drivers.
that 21% of bus driver respondents had to fight sleepiness two to three times a week. The research also found that 17% of bus drivers admitted to falling asleep at least once whilst at the wheel. Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, asked the London Mayor whether similar research would also be conducted in both the taxi and private hire industries working in the capital.
The London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, failed to support the idea of extending the research, explaining that the relationship between private hire operators and TfL was very different to that of the relationship shared by the regulator and the bus companies.
Research into fatigue would however most likely be Khan did however acknowledge that there was likely to conducted in both taxi and private hire industries if the be a problem with fatigue and the 100,000 plus private study was to be given the go ahead. hire drivers working on London’s roads. In a recent Transport for London (TfL) report, which In a follow up letter sent to the London Mayor, AM included a survey by Loughborough University, it found
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Exclusive
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 19
Pidgeon wrote: 'While I accept that undertaking such research might not be as straightforward as the research into fatigue facing bus drivers, there is no reason why such research cannot be commissioned by TfL. It would not be a necessary requirement for any research to have the active co-operation of any companies representing private hire drivers.
research in any way mirror the research findings from Loughborough University on bus driver fatigue, it would provide vital evidence to support the case for higher standards in the industry. Despite your refusal today to consider ensuring such research is undertaken I would ask you to reconsider your position.'
'However, I believe undertaking research on the level of fatigue facing both taxi and private hire drivers would play a vital role in ensuring the successful passage of new legislation. If the results from such
The union is demanding that London bus operators and Transport for London (TfL) take decisive action to tackle chronic levels of fatigue being experienced by bus drivers.
On the back of the research, Unite Union are now 'I accept that to effectively manage the hours operated warning that London could face gridlock if exhausted by private hire drivers will need changes to national bus drivers take industrial action later this year. legislation relating to the regulation of the taxi and Unite will begin a consultative ballot of over 20,000 private industry. I very much welcome all your efforts members employed as London bus drivers later this to persuade national government for a new legislative month and, provided a yes vote is secured, a full regime. industrial action ballot will then follow.
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EV Range
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 20
What can I do to improve my EV mileage when it’s...
It’s most likely that cabbies driving the new electric cabs, which are becoming more and more prominent all around the UK, will see a decrease in the number of miles achieved on a full charge when it’s cold.
As well as the driving style and conditions, the type of usage also influences the extent to which cold weather can affect the overall efficiency. Every time the vehicle is switched off, the battery cools and must But it’s not just electric vehicles that feel the affects of then be warmed back up, reducing the range dramatically. Fortunately, most taxis are on the go all the outside temperature. The efficiency of all vehicles, day, ensuring the residual heat in the battery is even petrol and diesel ones, are all effected and this isn’t just limited to the additional drain of features like maintained. headlights and heaters. How does temperature affect charging times and is there a best time to charge? However, the cold does impact electric vehicles in particular because battery cells relying on a series of chemical reactions, which occur best at around room temperature. It’s the cold winter weather that can slow these reactions down.
The temperature of the battery also influences the speed at which electrical charge can be restored. When the outside temperatures drop, it’s necessary for the on-board battery management systems to restrict the flow of charge into the battery Let’s take the LEVC TX taxi as an example. This cab circulates coolant to maintain the battery pack at the to prevent potential damage to the cells. The extent to most efficient temperature, maintaining efficiency and which this occurs depends on factors such as the temperature of the battery pack, the state of charge preventing any degradation of the cells. The sideand the power delivered by the charge post. As a effect is that these systems require energy to power rough guide, it’s realistic to expect a decrease them.
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EV Range
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 21
in charging speed of up to 30% when comparing a warm summer’s day to a freezing winter one.
internal combustion process, which can be used by the systems on-board to warm up the battery and It’s also worth trying to charge your battery during, or cabin. Your taxi will be nice and warm, and lost miles at the end of, a shift when the battery is at operating from your electric power source is a thing of the past! temperature to speed up charge times. Because there’s no source of hot air under the bonnet How can I best use the heating on my EV vehicle and like in an internal combustion engine vehicle, the cabin heat must be generated electrically, and this what’s the most effective heating method? uses energy from the drive battery. Instead of heating When charging, whether overnight at home or onthe air in the cabin, it’s much more effective to switch street, think about setting a pre-conditioning timer to on your heated seat to maintain a comfortable pre-warm the cabin using the mains electricity. This temperature. means energy isn’t taken from your battery to do the If you do prefer to maintain the temperature same job after you’ve driven away. throughout the cabin, recirculate the air so you’re not Another tip is when starting from cold, particularly if constantly drawing in cold air from outside and reduce the pre-conditioning feature hasn’t been used, it’s the fan speed. If there are no passengers on board, it’s possible to operate in ‘Save’ mode for a few also possible to turn down or switch off the rear minutes. This runs the petrol range-extender to heating zone from the central touchscreen. maintain the charge in the battery, but has the useful side effect of generating heat as a by-product of the
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Airports
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 22
Sydney Airport drops ‘Fare’s Fair’ short journey ranking system Article by Australia’s leading taxi news source: As of 3 December the taxi short fare system that was for customers. operational at Sydney Airport is no longer. All Taxis are The decommissioning of the Sydney Airport short fare now required to pick up fares through the normal system will be beneficial to drivers and passengers. process in the Taxi pick up bays at the airport. Moreover, the funds saved from the decommissioning Once passengers have been dropped at their desired are planned to be redirected by Sydney Airport to location, Taxis that return to the airport to pick up enhance the look and feel of Taxi ranks, improve the another fare will do so by joining the end of the Taxi efficiency of Taxi feeders and refreshing Taxi toilet queue in the Taxi holding bay at T1 International and facilities. T2 and T3 Domestic, regardless of the distance of their previous fare. Taxi drivers in Sydney, however, will still The NSW Taxi Council encourages Taxi drivers in NSW to continue to pick up fares from wherever suits their continue to have exclusive access to Taxi ranks at needs best. Sydney Airport. Sydney Airport engaged on an ongoing basis with the Remember, it is illegal to refuse to transport fare paying passengers. NSW Taxi Council and all relevant operators and stakeholders of the NSW Taxi Industry to understand challenges of the current system. Post continuous consultations and engagements with stakeholders of the industry and responses of around 700 drivers to a survey conducted by Sydney Airport, it was identified that the current system provided a negative experience amongst Taxi drivers and customers.
The old decommissioned short fare system allowed Taxi drivers to return to the front of the queue and effectively ‘queue jump’ drivers who had been patiently waiting. This pattern recurred, leaving some drivers unable to reach the start of the queue for considerable periods of time.
Sydney Airport continues to be a very important precinct to the NSW Taxi Industry and is an excellent source of work for Taxi Drivers in Sydney, as more and more people from all over the world increasingly travel into and out of Australia from Sydney Airport every year.
Moreover, Taxi drivers wanting to return to the start of the queue quickly, often dropped passengers within the geofence far short of their preferred location, leading to an overall poor and undesirable experience
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Airports
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 23
How and where does ‘Fare’s Fair’ work in UK airports? Many of the UK's largest airports also adopt a similar policy, meaning taxi drivers have to re-join the back of the queue regardless of the length of job they have just completed.
Drivers who agree to a "fare’s fair" - fixed prices to set destinations - are also permitted to return back to the terminal without having to join the back of the feeder park.
East Midlands Airport and Edinburgh Airport are two of Allowing drivers the opportunity to return straight to a those that use this system. terminal makes a shorter journey less of a disappointment. The one UK airport which still adopts a system which allows drivers to return straight to a terminal, rather than the back of the queue in the feeder park, is Heathrow. Heathrow is London’s biggest rank, with up to 500 taxis working the site at any one time.
Choosing to rank any airport is a gamble as the waiting time will most often run into several hours, so landing a short trip can feel somewhat of a waste of time. Knowing that you have a chance of returning and If you are one of the drivers that has spent a fair bit of picking up another fare without queuing in the feeder time queuing for a job and then land "a local", you will park can act as a blow softener. be given the chance to re-join any terminal of your The worry surrounding any airport that doesn't offer choice, rather than the back of the feeder park, but this opportunity is that drivers may be more likely to only if you return within an hour of your departure. cherry pick jobs and refuse to accept the local work. Any driver wishing to queue jump this way must have This can of course become detrimental to the trade. his airport tag read before he leaves the terminal to ensure the time of his journey is logged for re-entry.
Either way, working the airports will always be considered a gamble, and like all forms of gambling, you win some and you lose some.
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Licensing
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 24
Minicab drivers could have grounds to appeal ‘fraudulently’ revoked licences says legal expert
Drivers who obtained fraudulent minicab licences, later revoked by London’s regulator, could have grounds to appeal according to an industry legal expert.
BTEC qualifications.
Researchers on the show were seen to buy qualifications at one east London college, Vista Training Solutions, which included BTecs, for fees of £500.
applications.
TfL have since revoked 143 private hire licences from drivers who received the BTEC accreditation via Vista Training Solutions. A further 209 private hire licence In November 2019, the BBC aired an investigation into applications were rejected where drivers obtained private hire vehicle drivers in London fraudulently their qualifications via the east London based college. obtaining licences. The programme, Inside Out, However according to Stephen McCaffrey, a regulatory revealed hundreds of minicab drivers working defence barrister specialising in taxi and private hire fraudulently after purchasing the required licensing law, appeals and defence, the minicab drivers qualifications to become a private hire driver. could have grounds to appeal the revoked licences and Stephen McCaffrey wrote via the Taxi Defence Barrister blog: “The first thing to say is that it is ultimately for a court of law to decide what is, and is Transport for London (TfL) conducted an urgent review not, lawful and that will be the case here too. Unless a into the claims made against colleges offering the judicial review is brought to challenge
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Licensing
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 25
the decision to issue a blanket revocation, it will come regulatory and legal functions. Due to the numbers down to individual appeal cases. involved, it may be that TfL has taken the view that it may be less costly to deal with individual appeal “It is a fundamental principle of UK law however that cases.” everybody must have a fair hearing. This means that each case should be determined on its individual merits. To this extent there are strong arguments in favour of TfL’s blanket decision being potentially unlawful. “For example, it may very well be that only a small proportion of drivers actually paid for their qualification and that others obtained it legitimately. In these circumstances, TfL’s decision would be wrong. This is only one example of relevant matters that should have been taken into account. “The fact that it has not may be indicative of TfL’s failure and/or unwillingness to properly discharge its
Image: Stephen McCaffrey
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Shocking Footage!
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 26
U-turn madness! Shocking minicab manoeuvre miraculously misses passing traffic
Jaw dropping footage was shared on social media showing a private hire cab performing a shocking Uturn, resulting in a very near miss for one member of the travelling public.
Seconds later, the minicab moves slightly left on the slip road, before swinging out wildly across the road in front of oncoming traffic. Mr Davies was forced to perform an emergency stop and managed to miraculously avoid colliding with the minicab.
The dashcam video was posted on Facebook by Mark Davies, who was travelling in his company van along an The private hire vehicle continued the U-turn overpass after emerging from the Queensway Tunnel in manoeuvre and travelled off in the opposite direction Birkenhead. over the flyover.
As Mr Davies’ vehicle was seen approaching the end of Mark Davies said on his Facebook post thread: “Only the flyover, a black private hire vehicle appears on the reason there wasn’t a crash is I’m an experienced slip road approaching the end of the overpass. driver/motorcyclist. More than an error of judgement pal”
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Cardiff
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 27
DVSA find ‘fist sized hole’ in body of Cardiff taxi stuffed with newspaper hiding MOT secret The DVSA found a defective taxi in Cardiff with a hole the size of a fist during an enforcement operation.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) who work to protect the public from unsafe drivers and vehicles discovered the problem in the lead up to Christmas. Upon inspecting the hackney licensed vehicle, “a fist sized hole” was found in the body of the structure stuffed with newspaper in an attempted to disguise the defect.
Images: DVSA Enforcement
The DVSA Enforcement team also raised concerns over the MOT testing centre as the newspaper used to fill the hole was dated two days BEFORE the vehicle's last MOT corrosion failure.
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Vehicles
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 28
Taxi manufacturers LEVC celebrate record vehicle sales in 2019 Image: LEVC
The British taxi manufacturer London Electric Vehicle driving around the world 3,815 times, fossil fuel Company (LEVC) are celebrating a record year for usage has been cut significantly, by 17.5 million litres sales with over 2,500 vehicle sold in 2019. compared to the previous diesel taxi and saving Sales more than doubled in comparison to the firm's drivers more than £17 million in running costs. debut year in 2018, helped by a significant rise from taxi and ride sharing shuttle services, with 2,507 electric TX models sold. LEVC will aim to continue its strategic objective of being the leading green commercial mobility provider and plan to further grow its range later this year with the launch of a new electric van. Introduced to the market at the start of 2018, the world’s most advanced electric taxi has proven popular with drivers and fleet owners with its eCity technology, which combines 80 miles (128km) of zero -emissions pure electric range with the flexibility of a total electrically driven range of 377 miles (600km), made possible thanks to the on-board rangeextender. Over 3,800 TX electric taxis have now been sold since launch, making a significant international contribution to improving air quality. So far, 30 thousand tonnes of CO2 has been prevented from entering the atmosphere – the same as 1,785 return flights from London to Melbourne. While travelling a combined distance of 95 million miles, the same as
Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC, said: “Our TX has been a huge success with drivers and passengers alike; the fact that we have more than doubled sales to 2,507 vehicles this year is testament to that. The TX provides the perfect solution to the growing demand for green mobility solutions in cities across the world, and we rapidly continue to grow our export business to introduce TX taxi and TX shuttle to more new markets. Image: LEVC
“We will also grow our product range in 2020, with the launch of a new electric van. This exciting new model will enable the commercial vehicle sector to also benefit from the successful TX combination of eCity technology, unrivalled turning circle capability and renowned durability.”
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Podcast
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Image: LEVC
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Global Uber
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Around the World Uber Technologies Inc. are no strangers to controversy, debate and court dates, but Christmas sets fares and collects the fare. 2019 may have been particularly uncomfortable for its "It is only in small print, that is, illegible from a view biggest investors. that is usually distant from the poster, that it is Following the announcement that the ride-sharing app pointed out that the trips are not carried out by were not to be granted a new operating licence in yourself. London, one of their biggest markets in the world, "With these approaches, Uber cannot be a mere shares plummeted and created a wave of panic on the intermediary - and the court confirmed this. stock market. "This judgement is itself important for citizens who But their problems weren't just restricted to London never drive a taxi: In contrast to large international and the UK, they also faced uncertainty further afield. corporations, the German taxi and rental car market pays over two billion euros in taxes, levies and social insurance annually. "Uber uses the infrastructure without paying taxes itself and is pushing for minimum wages and social security contributions."
On 19 December 2019, the Frankfurt Regional Court ruled against Uber's business model operating in Germany, adding to the firm's building regulatory concerns.
Uber can now appeal to the Higher Regional Court, and if necessary, have the legal position assessed later by the Federal Court of Justice. Uber continues to operate in Germany for the time being.
The court ruled that Uber are not allowed to arrange trips in Germany because the Amsterdam based company, Uber BV, do not hold a traffic permit for car rental traffic in the country. The result was supported by local taxi drivers and competing firms.
Dieter Schlenker, Chairman of the Taxi Deutschland A day after the Germany decision, the Silicon Valley Cooperative, said: "We are happy that we were right giants faced their next blow, when a judge ruled the today. Once again it was judicially determined that the company violated Colombian competition rules. same law applies to small and large companies. The latest ban meant Uber would have to cease "Uber has no authorisation for passenger trading with immediate effect. transportation in Germany. However, the company
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Global Uber
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 31
Following a lawsuit filed against Uber by COTECH SA, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) said the app based private hire company had breached market rules. Once again Uber confirmed they will appeal the decision, which they have since done.
New York City attempted to implement a new rule limiting how much time drivers for ride-sharing services can spend cruising streets in Manhattan whilst empty and waiting for the next job to be allocated to them. The cruising cap was introduced in August by New York City; an attempt to reduce the ever-increasing congestion caused by ride-sharing vehicles, which make up a third of peak-time traffic. Uber filed a lawsuit against the implementation of the cruising cap in September and have welcomed the judge's decision to squash the rule which was set to come into place in February 2020.
However, December wasn't a complete mauling for the controversial tech firm. A New York City have said that it may now be their turn judge ruled in favour of both Uber to launch an appeal against the decision. and their biggest US rival, Lyft, in a lawsuit against New York City.
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New Year: NEW YOU Glenn Shelford Fat loss expert Happy New Year! This might sound a bit cliché, but it’s that time of year once again to have a go at getting fit. I say have a go, as most people that either contact me, join a gym or go back to weight loss clubs, are back to “normal” by about mid-February. Just look no further than how much money is wasted on gym memberships each year. It’s like trying to put a “Peppa Pig” plaster on a severed leg!
So what does work? Well I kind of gave you a hint earlier when I used the word “normal”. The quicker you can make something normal, and a part of what you do, the faster it can become WHO YOU ARE.
something that’ll get you smiling by the end of it. It doesn’t even have to be right away after. Just set in place something like the following: •
And then you won’t have to stick to it, suffer, or bite the bullet.
When you get home from work, drop your stuff off and do a couple of laps around the block
•
So how can we make that happen? There’s a few things that need to be in place:
Count your calories from the previous day on the way into work
•
Leave an empty water glass by the kettle and fill it, and drink it, every time you make a coffee.
•
Make it rewardable
•
Make it visible
•
Make it ALARMING
•
Make it so small that it’s impossible to NOT do
Rewardable We like to think we’re these complex creatures with our own unique needs. Which to some degree is true. But you’ll still smile when you get a compliment and frown when you get a parking ticket even when it’s your fault. So why not USE that to your advantage and make it
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The reward part would be something as simple as Small enjoying the coffee after you’ve done it. It can be It can’t be anything hard, but also it can’t lead to anything, as long as it doesn’t negate the effects of the nowhere. A typical example would be leaving your first habit you’re trying to work! trainers and gym stuff in your work bag every evening Visible VS. going out for an hour run every night. Only one of those habits will lead to a greater possibility of making By checking it off on a calendar, or the family’s “this week’s dinners” board in the kitchen, you can keep it it stick… and it’s probably not the one you’re thinking at the forefront of your thoughts. A LOT of stuff will be of. distracting you this time of year, and that’s why you have to make it as easy as possible to stick with and think of. Here's a list of things I’ve suggested to clients to help make it more visible – post it notes, printed posters with motivational slogans, healthy snacks in work bags, calendars to check off exercise days, multivitamins by the kettle, leaving fruit in places you would usually sit and snack.
Alarming
By the pressure ONLY being on you to leave your gym stuff in your bag, it makes it easier for you to go there in the first place. Whereas if you set yourself a target of an hour each night, even a smaller amount, you won’t always feel like it and will eventually skip a few times. Remember here, it’s about doing something EVERY day, not just when you feel like it. Small habits that lead into bigger ones are the corner stone for what most people miss, yet are the exact things that will make this either stick for you, or NOT stick this January.
All you need to know on this one, is from the device you’re probably reading this on… your smart phone. If you’d like to talk about any of these specifics, feel They’ve ALL got apps and calendars to set alarms for free to email me at glenn@gfitpt.com and I’ll be happy yourself, so get setting some about your new habit(s). to answer any questions! It must be set for some point where you know you’ll be at the same time, the same place each day. Next month, I’ll be offering a FREE 20 minute fat loss plan session for three lucky readers. As I’ll need some case studies to use to help others reading this, you could get:
Glenn@gfitpt.com
•
A complete roadmap for your schedule and lifestyle on the fastest ways for you to burn fat
•
Positive support and accountability to make sure you stick to it
•
Portion sizes SORTED, with a handheld way to make sure you never over -eat again
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Charity
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TaxiPoint in 2019
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TaxiPoint Website 503,136 different website readers in 2019. Year on year growth more than doubled, up from 220,183 in 2018. 116,936 different returning website readers. Returning readers grew by 47% in 2019, compared to 62,206 in 2018. 1,426,664 website page views in 2019. Up over 500,000 on previous year (879,238 in 2018).
Mainstream Media Platforms Accepted onto Apple News. A further 170,348 different readers recorded, viewing a total of 375,478 article pages. 9.9million Google impressions. Mainstream media news indexing. Google Discovery indexing. Accepted onto Microsoft News. Mainstream media news indexing started December 2019.
Monthly DigiMag Launched May 2019. TaxiPoint provides the industry’s first interactive monthly UK Digital Magazine. Over 1.1million issue impressions in 2019. Targeted reader advertising. 269,566 TaxiPoint DigiMag reads in 2019. Over 30,000 reads each edition since August 2019.
Social Media
Over 7,400 followers on Facebook. TaxiPoint is the most engaging and original industry news source on Facebook. Over 65,000 returning readers engaged with TaxiPoint in 2019.
4,000 followers on Twitter. Tweet impressions between 200,000-280,000 each month in 2019. Over 8,000 returning readers engaged in 2019.
Charging
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 36
Images: VolksWagen
Volkswagen robots that can charge electric vehicles without human intervention revealed Automotive giants Volkswagen have provided a glimpse into the future, in which the search for charging stations for electric cars could come to an end.
After the robot is started via an app or V2X communication, it drives itself to the vehicle that needs charging and communicates with it.
From opening the charging socket flap to connecting Volkswagen Group Components’ mobile charging the plug to decoupling – the entire charging process robot, which is completely autonomous, takes over the occurs without any human interaction. task of charging your vehicle's battery. The mobile robot brings a trailer in the form of a
mobile energy storage device to the vehicle and connects them; it then uses this energy storage device to charge the battery of the electric vehicle. The mobile energy storage device stays with the vehicle during the whole charging process. The robot, in the meantime, charges other electric vehicles. Once the charging service is complete, the robot collects the energy storage device and brings it back to the charging station. Image: VolksWagon
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Charging
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“The mobile charging robot will spark a revolution when it comes to charging in different parking facilities, such as multistorey car parks, parking spaces and underground car parks because we bring the charging infrastructure to the car and not the other way around.
When called via app or V2X communication, it brings the energy storage device to the electric vehicle and connects them both autonomously. With its integrated charging electronics, the energy storage device allows for DC quick charging with up to 50 kWh on the vehicle.
"With this, we are making almost every car park electric, without any complex individual infrastructural measures,” summarises Mark Möller, Head of Development at Volkswagen Group Components. “It’s a visionary prototype, which can be made into reality quite quickly, if the general conditions are right,” Möller continues.
The robot, which can drive autonomously, is fitted with cameras, laser scanners and ultrasonic sensors. The combination of these systems not only allows the robot to carry out the charging process completely autonomously but also to move around freely in the parking area, to recognise possible obstacles and to react to these.
Volkswagen Group Components is researching different approaches to the assembly of charging infrastructure and has already developed several successful products.
Depending on the size of the parking area or the underground car park, several charging robots can be employed simultaneously so that several vehicles can be attended to.
The flexible quick charging station and DC wall boxes are already part of a future charging family. They say customeroriented, intelligent and flexible approaches to charging are at the centre of the research.
Image: VolksWagon
The company is installing a total of 36,000 charging Autonomous, compact and flexible, the charging robot points throughout Europe by 2025. A large proportion prototype consists of a compact, self-driving robot as of these will be publicly available. well as flexible and agile energy storage devices, also Volkswagen is also launching its own wallbox for home known as battery wagons. charging called the ID.Charger. And as a co-founder of When fully charged, these are equipped with an energy content of around 25 kWh each. A charging robot can move several battery wagons at the same time.
the IONITY joint venture, Volkswagen participates in installing 400 fast-charging parks on major European highways. Medium-term, they say charging an EV is to become as easy as charging a smartphone.
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Ride-Hailing
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk | 39
Uber and Hyundai announce AIRHAILING partnership Uber and Hyundai Motor Company have announced a new partnership to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial ride share network, and unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at the CES. In this partnership, Hyundai will produce and deploy the air vehicles, and Uber will provide airspace support services, connections to ground transportation, and customer interfaces through an aerial ride share network. Both parties are collaborating on infrastructure concepts to support take-off and landing for this new class of vehicles.
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Image credits: Hyundai
EV Charging
January 2020 | www.taxi-point.co.uk |40
What 2020 and the rise of the EV will mean for taxi drivers Image: Dynamo Taxi
Article written by Kevin Pugh, UK & Eire Country Manager at leading international EV rapid charge device manufacturer There is plenty of evidence pointing to 2020 being the year of the Electric Vehicle (EV), but what might be in store for taxi firms and their drivers in 2020? Shifting the re-fuelling experience beyond the service station The advantage of EV charging is that we no longer need to look at infrastructure in a linear fashion: it’s zero-emissions, with minimal footprint, and can be placed indoors or outside. In 2020, taxi drivers’ “range anxiety” concerns will be lessened as more and more chargers - including 50kW DC rapid chargers - are installed beyond the petrol station forecourt in places such as pubs, restaurants, within the community on streetlights and at dedicated rapid charging hubs. High-power charging to hit the highways of Britain For taxi firms and their drivers, maximising the time spent serving customers directly impacts earning potential. Therefore, the ability to charge their EV vehicles quickly will become even more important.
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EV Charging
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Thankfully, the emergence of higher power, 100kW+ DC chargers, which can add between 64 and 220 miles to the range of an EV in just 10 minutes of charging, is here and we’re seeing them rolled out in huge numbers across Europe - particularly 350kW chargers, which are part of the world’s fastest and largest charging network, Ionity.
infrastructure.
In 2020, we will begin to see an increase in the transformation (and monetisation) of parking spaces at retail and leisure outlets, and at transport hubs, into EV charging destinations - including the creation of future fuel hubs. To make this happen, the only things that are needed are a suitably designed charger, We believe many charge point operators will chose to capable of charging EVs in a time appropriate to the install 100+kW charging option, with some looking to destination or business offer, and a credible electrical future-proof their infrastructure by installing the specialist who can support the business. Then those higher-powered, 350kW-“ready” chargers – even parking spots become money-makers for the business, though most cars currently available cannot utilise the as well as becoming an attraction for drivers. This is full charge rate of the 350kW chargers. already happening in some parts of the UK, and in other parts of the world. As EV uptake increases in Parking spaces to morph into charging hotspots 2020, we will begin to see these chargers increasingly In our cities and suburbs there is an off-street parking at shopping centre car parks across the nation. shortage, which means that many EV taxi drivers without the ability to charge their vehicle at home will need access to a publicly available charging
www.tritium.com.au
Rapid chargers coming to Kent to encourage taxi and private hire drivers to switch to electric New electric charging points for taxi and private hire vehicles will be installed across the county by Kent County Council (KCC). KCC has been awarded £180,000 from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to install eight rapid chargers.
Michael Payne said: “Air quality is a major concern for Kent and taxis contribute a significant amount of carbon dioxide.
“As we are committed to helping business shift towards electric vehicles, I’m delighted that this Kent County Council will be working with district and funding has been awarded, giving KCC another borough councils which are responsible for the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles in their area. opportunity to act. The chargers will be for use by taxis and private hire “I hope that as the lack of charging infrastructure in the vehicles and will be installed in Canterbury, Maidstone, county is addressed, it will allow our local district Sevenoaks, Swale, Tunbridge Wells and Thanet. authorities to have confidence to implement regulations and incentives to encourage the use of KCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport electric vehicles.”
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Charity
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Charity
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