LETTER TO THE MAYOR OF LONDON

PREVENTION AND CURE

Dear Mayor Khan,
I acknowledge that you are a busy man, but feel I must impose upon your for one moment, about a subject that I know is close to your heart.

Proud father, Sadiq Khan and family

'Dads Defending Daughters' will stage a static protest at Parliament Square, on Friday 24th June 2016.
This protest is not about you. It is about the state in which your predecessor left London.

Symptoms: Rape and sexual assault.
Our protest will be to highlight the symptoms of a poorly run and corrupt Transport for London and Department for Transport.
Those symptoms are the unacceptable level of rape and sexual assault in TfL licensed Private Hire minicabs.

Cause: Corrupt and unscrupulous officials.
TfL have lowered the standard of Private Hire to an unregulated, 'pay your money, no questions asked' free for all, to accommodate a powerfully backed, tax dodging, foreign company who are prepared to employ the unemployable.
DfT refuse to acknowledge the elephant in the room, due to pressure from the likes of Sajid Javid, Baroness Kramer, 'Government' Sachs, David Cameron, George Osborne, bought and paid for MPs and lobbyists; all putting profit and employment figures ahead of your travelling public's safety.
These power orientated people view the public as consumers, not as human beings.

Cure: Mayor's office.
I understand that the EU Referendum is tomorrow. Therefore I do not expect a prompt reply.
Deputy Mayor for Transport, Valerie Shawcross and you have done more in five weeks, than Boris Johnson did in eight years.
You have finally started the engine. Boris never even opened the garage door.

Prevention: Three points to put into force:
No onscreen app location of cabs.
This invites young people to approach a driver, they have seen onscreen, for cash. A common occurrence, suiting both parties.
Leaving no secure proof of journey, and open to the dangers of predators and mistaken identity.

A minimum of five years residency for any PH or Taxi applicant.
No more letters of good conduct from foreign countries or sponsors.
The licensing authority should be able to DBS from a United Kingdom record system.
No one should be left in charge of vulnerable people without an enhanced background check.

The banning of blacked out, obscured and tinted windows.
No one can see if a vulnerable person is in distress.
These are a dangerous and non essential extra, and could be the difference between rape and rescue.

I know you are determined to put forward the capping of Private Hire vehicles.
We Londoners welcome this, for many reasons.
And we do not expect anything to change overnight.
But the regulations that are already in place must be tightened up immediately and enforced correctly.

Please ask yourself these two simple questions:

1. Would I feel at ease knowing one of my daughters is travelling in a TfL licensed minicab, under such unregulated circumstances?

2. What would I do, as a Dad Defending his Daughters, to make it safer for my children to get home in a minicab?

Hopefully, after the EU Referendum, you can reflect upon this letter, and our concerns.
You have done brilliantly to get to where you are from such humble origins; to become Sadiq Khan - Mayor of London.
But we Londoners expect more from one of our own.

Yours faithfully,
Leonard H. Etheridge.

THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD

Paul Sweeney of 'London Taxis' asks Lenny Etheridge,
WHO ARE DADS DEFENDING DAUGHTERS?

Paul Sweeney

"Dads Defending Daughters came to life through three Licensed London Taxi Driving Grandfathers; Danny Hussey, Sean Pier and Lenny Etheridge, who have six daughters.
Their concern was for the welfare of their daughters travelling in minicabs.

"A unified cab drivers' fight against a government supported conglomerate, brought to light the dangers of an intentionally deregulated system, where a corrupt regulator turned a blind eye to rape and sexual and assault to appease rich investors and greedy politicians.
Thus the sleeping giant of Dads Defending Daughters was woken.
We are parents first - taxi drivers second.

"The epitome of who we are can be summed up in recent events.
We planned an unofficial protest in Parliament Square, for Friday 17th June 2016.
The idea was to have one hundred placard waiving, noisy cab drivers to stand around all four sides of the Square, to get our message seen.
We knew there would be no MPs and very few Lords about on a Friday afternoon. The Square was chosen for its busy location, so passing traffic and pedestrians would have time to read our banners.
We were not interested in educating MPs, who are fully aware of the rapes and sexual assaults being allowed to continue in the name of consumerism.
Ask any MP to acknowledge the elephant in the room, and they will make their excuses and leave.
So no, we are not concerned about self interested politicians with no backbone, who would rather tow the party line, than protect the masses.
Then came the tragic news that Labour MP Jo Cox had died.
So with sincere respect, we called off our protest.
After all, Jo Cox is a daughter too.

"DDD is not just about dads or daughters. It is about sons, husbands, wives, mothers, people without a voice, people unaware of the way they have been sold, put in danger, treated as acceptable collateral damage, so powerful men and women can become even more bloated.
We are not just about boisterous protests. We aim to name and shame politicians, lobbyists, investors, journalists, anyone who deals in misery for profit.

"DDD believes passionately in Union and Org unity.
We despair at the petty squabbling and jostling for position of one group or another.
All the Orgs and Unions have been of assistance to us; the LTDA, UCG, RMT, LCDC and Unite, have all played their part.
We are a cross-org group of about one hundred proactive, 'demo at the drop of a hat' members. With a contingent of around five hundred like-minded affiliated members we can call upon in a crisis.
Our initial inspiration came from groups like the Mayfair Mob, Shoreditch Mob and Flash Demo.

"The Dads Defending Daughters fight is a righteous one.
I truly believe To thine own self be true. Thou canst not then be false to any man."

THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD

by Rudyard Kipling

I keep six honest serving-men

  (They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

  And How and Where and Who.

I send them over land and sea,

  I send them east and west;

But after they have worked for me,

  I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,

  For I am busy then,

As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,

  For they are hungry men.

But different folk have different views;

  I know a person small

She keeps ten million serving-men,

  Who get no rest at all!

She sends em abroad on her own affairs,

  From the second she opens her eyes

One million Hows, Two million Wheres,

  And seven million Whys!

LETTER TO NIGEL

RAPE CAPITAL OF EUROPE

Dear Mr Farage,
I understand why the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan does not want to publicly acknowledge that Minicab/PH/Uber rape and sexual assault statistics are soaring through the roof in London.
He is openly pro EU, and may find it uncomfortable to explain why, on his watch, he is still allowing this to go unchecked.
What powers Mayor Khan actually has, escapes me.
But unlike Boris the Liar, the Mayor has no allegiance to a Tory government. So he should name and shame the culprits; be it the Department for Transportation, Sajid Javid or whoever stands in the way of reforming Transport for London and proper regulation of the Taxi and PH trade. And stop those accommodating a tax avoiding American company, to the detriment of Londoners and the safety of our guests.

We know the Mayor is failing in his duty to inform the public.
But that duty is also yours and mine.
So what I cannot understand is why you, a Brexit campaigner, who cites the Cologne disgrace, at the drop of any hat, refuses to mention the rape capital of Europe; our very own London.
Do you condone the authorities' silence and disinformation?
Is this not the attitude of the BBC and the authorities of Rochdale?
This is not only happening in London. It is happening all over this God forsaken country?

Are you going to acknowledge that London has become the most dangerous capital city in Europe for lone females, due to a Prime Minister who favours finding employment for the unemployable over the safety of the very public his Government are supposed to serve?
I believe it is time you gave Cologne a rest, and mentioned the rotten state of London.

Kind regards,
Leonard Howard Etheridge.

FOR TFL, SEE FIFA

MY ENEMY'S ENEMY

Next week most proactive, concerned Taxi drivers will be taking part in a demonstration.
A demonstration called by the United Cabbies Group.
They are calling for the removal of Leon Daniels.

No one believes the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan will see our protest and sack Daniels. It does not happen like that.
Khan will most likely decide he will not be dictated to, on whom he hires and fires, by a bunch of militant cabbies.
But like most protests, it is a statement.

To be honest, Khan will probably be unaware of our or any protest, unless he happens by.
The media no longer cover anything detrimental or damaging to the government.
One hundred and twenty five thousand 'Anti Austerity' marchers protested in London two months back. Not a flicker anywhere about it.
For real news, we have to rely upon foreign media outlets.

Taxi drivers are demonstrating because TfL is a corrupt and inept authority, who are deregulating the Taxi trade by means of starvation.
Leon Daniels has been caught lying to the toothless Greater London Authority on numerous occasions.
What have they done about it?

We Londoners are calling for an independent Public Enquiry.
Daniels is the Sepp Blatter of TfL. Transport for London needs to be cleared out, FIFA style.
How can we ask for a fair crack of the whip, from a man who will do everything in his power to cover up his culpability?
Garrett Emmerson will be just as evasive and opaque.

Unfortunately the spineless trade organisations and unions are more concerned with placating our new Mayor, than serving their members.
Hiding behind weak arguments, they chose not to represent their members on this demo.
This infighting does more harm to our trade than has ever been achieved against our enemies.
What has this trade come to when the members are not asked, but told what to do?
Are members merely cash-cows, whose sole aim is to financially prop up their organisation?
Is it not time you had a say in which direction you take?
Maybe your organisation is relying upon your apathy?
Think long and hard about the fifteen or twenty pounds you pay them every month. What have they achieved so far?
What are they doing, in your name?

A TIME FOR UNITY

TIME FOR THE TAIL TO WAG THE DOG.

Last week I wrote how my friend Danny Hussey, had to call in the help of his Union, after being told he had to stop working and wait of eighteen weeks for his License, after TfL had cocked up.
Thankfully the RMT stepped in and saved the day.
But he left a TfLTPH Licensing Office full of taxi drivers in the same sinking boat, trying to get their licenses, so they can go to work and look after their families.

Danny had his DBS. In fact he had two years left on his DBS. But was forced to apply and pay again for another one.
Let us not forget, we are Licensed Taxi Drivers; renewing our Bill does not mean we cease to be Taxi drivers. It is just a fee -we still have the Knowledge, passed the advanced driving test, and deemed medically fit.
If any of us got into any serious trouble, the police would have already informed TfL.

Disgraceful letter from TfLTPH

So why are our Orgs/Unions refusing to demo on the 8th June?
Are they pleased with TfL's performance?
Are they so scared of upsetting the new Mayor, that they would sacrifice their members to the corrupt dealings of TfL, in order to ensure they have a place at his table?
Is the Mayor so intolerant and vindictive, that the Orgs/Unions have to cower in his presence?
I listened to a lot of crap about Sadiq Khan during the Mayoral election; none of the lies and criticisms levied against him claimed he was an ogre.

What is your Org or Union doing about the fact that Private Hire are being allowed to work, even when their DBS has not been cleared?
What direct action are they taking?
Do not let them fob you off with news about other stuff they are 'looking into'. They can whistle and ride; ask ... no, demand that they do something about this situation now!

Whilst some of us will be protesting on the 8th June against a tyrannical, anti Taxi regime at Windsor House, our Orgs and Unions will be playing petty tit-for-tat politics with each other, as Rome burns.

If your Org or Union 'told' you not to attend the demo, they are not democratic, but dictatorial.
I will not let an Org or Union decide for me. I am a freethinking adult, who will decide for myself. I am a Taxi driver first and foremost.
You will always have my support. And I will always have your back.

CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP

CAN'T DEMO BECAUSE OF YOUR MORTGAGE?

HOW WILL YOU PAY, WITH NO JOB?

There is a UCG demo on 8th June, between 2pm and 4pm, Victoria Street and Windsor House.

It is a protest to highlight the corrupt state of Transport for London to a wider audience; with a call for Leon Daniels to go.

It is not aimed at the new Mayor. How could it be? His seat is not yet warm.

I am not a UCG member.

I understand the insignificance of replacing one corrupt official with another.

But the public, whose support we want, need to be informed of our struggle.

The whole of TfL needs to be reviewed.

London needs a Public Enquiry, looking into TfL's unhealthy relationship with rich disruptive organisations, from management level up to Johnson, Osborne and Cameron.

My union, the RMT do not support the demo. They also believe that Daniels will not be sacked, but promoted; re Hendy.

I personally do not care if Daniels is beatified.

This is not a tit for tat vendetta against Daniels. It is a public statement that we believe Leon Daniels is not fit to serve in his existing position.

Officially the RMT feels it deflects from real issues.

I believe this is an issue that needs public airing.

The LTDA do everything to undermine the UCG and any other trade organisation.

They did the same last time out, with an 'all fur coat and no knickers' lobby come photo opportunity at Parliament, the day before a demo.

The LTDA and TfL are too cosy. So cosy in fact it is hard to discern one from the other.

The LTDA boast about their relationship with MPs and officials. Look where that got us.

We are in this state because of the LTDA's cosy, ineffectual relationship with MPs and officials.

The LTDA are poodles.

Unite are more like a political party than a union. I am still waiting for that grand conjuring trick they and Tom Watson promised us, a year ago.

Luckily I did not hold my breath.

This lack of urgency, and my feeling that the Taxi Branch seemed to be of no real significance to the largest union in the land, were my main reasons for leaving.

The LCDC are more a taxi newspaper than a taxi movement.

They released embarrassing emails between Daniels and Jo Bertrum, showing collusion between TfLTPH and Uber. But the readership of The Badge are only cab drivers.

It is the public who need to be informed.

The LCDC supply the bullets for others to fire, but are nowhere to be seen, for fear of upsetting the new Mayor or anyone else they might photobomb to raise their profile.

A refusal to 'out' Daniels in public, by Orgs who refused to sit at the same table as him, smacks of grandstanding.

This demo will not inconvenience the public too much. It is occurring during a convenient time the Metropolitan Police agreed was not overly disruptive.

TfL hierarchy must be rolling in the aisles watching this division.

Whenever we need to show unity, an enemy within throws a spanner.

If we die, it will be due to Machiavellian ambition and driver apathy.

I for one will be on that demo calling for Daniels's head. And why not? He conspired to take ours.

I will also be calling for a public enquiry, and highlighting how the rape and sexual assault of vulnerable Londoners, by TfL Licensed Private Hire drivers, has gone through the roof, on Daniels's watch.

So if you need an excuse not to attend, you can always use that old chestnut "My Org told me not to.", that is your perogative, your conscience.

If you work during the demo, any Taxi demo, then you are crossing a picket line. And you know what that makes you.

LOST IN TRANSIT

THE BUCK STOPS HERE

Early last week one of my best friends, Danny Hussey, was swooped on by around ten Compliance Officers, in Tooley Street.

They claimed his Cab Driver License was over a year out of date.

Although my mate had received his DBS in March 2015, his Cab License refused to turn up, even though his wife sent four written requests.

To be fair to all parties concerned, he had moved address.

It seemed obvious that my friend had filled in all the correct forms and sent them to the correct address, with all the correct details, because he had been issued with a DBS.

But according to Transport for London, "You will have to go through the whole process again. Including a new medical and new DBS.

Believe me I am not one hundred, but two hundred percent sure you are looking at, at least eighteen weeks before you can work again."

Who can afford four or five months out of work?

TfL were unwilling to accept any responsibility for this cock-up.

And Danny was told he had to stop work immediately.

I rallied the troops and was preparing for a mass demo outside Palestra House everyday until Danny's license was reissued.

After all, the license is just a fee. Danny was still a legitimate Taxi Driver; considering he has passed the Knowledge, passed his advanced driving test, passed his medical, and still had two years left on his current DBS. We felt he was being treated harshly.

Surely, we thought, TfL could give him a temporary license/cover note?

But it seems red tape in Palestra House is made of the unbreakable and unimaginative kind, when it is applied to Taxis.

Luckily Danny is a member of a union. He contacted the RMT, and they started negotiating on his behalf immediately.

More and more it looked like TfL were not going to budge.

More and more it looked like a long drawn out war of daily demonstrations on the horizon.

Why do TfL assume that every Taxi driver is up to no good?

No one, it seems, is given the benefit of the doubt from Palestra House - even those like Danny, with an unblemished record.

To cut a long story short, the RMT negotiated a temporary license for Danny, with the proviso that he also renews his DBS. Don't ask me why.

At least they accepted his medial certificate was still valid.

Post negotiations, this story takes a different turn; highlighting the human side of TfL.

Danny is dyslexic. So when he arrived at the TfLTPH licensing office the next day, he was met by a friendly and extremely patient TfL officer, named Minette. She helped Danny through the whole process.

Other members of staff, like Jessie, went out of their way to make Danny feel relaxed, and defused a potentially stressful situation.

Danny told me of the chaos he witnessed, where drivers in similar situations to his, obviously burdened by financial hardship, were pleading with staff for their licenses, so they could just simply go to work.

I will not betray details, but suffice to say Danny wished he had some spare cash to give one particular driver, whose story was heartbreaking.

This is the day to day routine for counter staff at TfLTPH; dealing with drivers under extreme stress, caused by inept clerks and inconsiderate bosses, who delegate the sharp end of the stick down to them.

Danny could not speak highly enough of Lewis Norton, Branch Secretary of the RMT, for turning eighteen weeks into two days.

I refuse to compromise this story by promoting one Union or Org above another. Needless to say, if you do not belong to any Union or Org, get your head out of the sand and your finger out of your arse, and join one now, before you are forced to take a long and unexpected holiday.

You do not want to find yourself up against a stubborn and unaccountable TfL, without some form of backing.

Be lucky.

Footnote from Taxi Leaks editor: 

There is no need for any driver to lose work under these conditions:

 a) You have your DBS back and it's clear.

 b) You have completed and submitted your application:

See Transport Act 1985 section 17 (7)

These are the words of Leon Daniels, who was speaking on behalf of Sir Peter Hendy, appertaining to the Transport Act.  

"Where we are provided with a complete application, including the results of the DBS check and any other necessary information, but have not yet made a licensing decision before the old one expires, the existing licence will remain in force until a decision is made in accordance with section 17(7). In these circumstances, a driver will not be issued with, nor require, a temporary licence pending a decision being made on their application. 

Please note that contrary to the comment in your email, section 17 of the Transport Act 1985 only applies to London taxi driver and vehicle licences, not London private hire vehicle driver licences.

Kind regards

Leon Daniels | Managing Director  

Transport for London | Surface Transport | Palestra |

11th Floor - Zone R4| 197 Blackfriars Road|Southwark|SE1 8NJ".

If you are sending your application off using the postal system, send it recorded delivery. 

Any driver who had lost work after being told they can't, after receiving a clear DBS and having presented a completed application form, should seek compensation from TfL for loss of earnings. In these extreme cases it's not the drivers fault, so TfL should reimburse the driver for work he/she could have undertaken while unlawfully denied the right to work.

Jim Thomas, Taxi Leaks.