Barnet Cyclist

T h e B a r n e t C y c l i s t
the Barnet Group of the London Cycling Campaign
Affiliated to the Cyclists Touring Club

When is a cab driver not a cab driver?

The head of Addison Lee cab firm is advising his drivers to break the law and use bus lanes. He says his drivers ought to have the same benefits as black-cab drivers and buses. So, what's the difference? Registered Hackney Carriage drivers have to 'do the knowledge' - a test to show they understand how to get from A to B using a decent route. The cabs are checked and any defect can result in the cab being taken off the road. 'Black' cabs have a steering set-up to enable the vehicle to be more agile on London's streets.

Addison Lee are basically Sat-Nav controlled mini-cab drivers. Anyone can apply for a mini-cab license; there is no check other than a criminal one. You get a TfL sticker for the window and off you go. You can register any vehicle as a mini-cab, even a Ferrari. The sight of a black Previa usually brings the sight of a driver hell-bent on getting from A to B in the quickest time possible and sod anything that is in the way - especially cyclists. The sight of a vehicle with 'Addison Lee' on the back window is frequently accompanied by the sight of a vehcle running red lights, tail-gaiting other drivers, carving up other drivers and generally not giving a toss about anyone else on the road.

Along with all this is the assumption that school-run buses are allowed to use bus lanes along with private ambulances etc. - they are not: check out the Highway Code or RTA on Bus lanes. "In some areas where taxis are permitted to use bus lanes there has been pressure from operators of cars available for private hire, most of which are indistinguishable from private cars, to be provided with the same priority; use of bus lanes by these vehicles is not recommended." The man behind this, John Griffin, is a £250,000 donor to the Conservatives. He has 3,500 drivers on his books.

(from The Guardian) "The taxi war also places London mayor Boris Johnson in an awkward position. He chairs TfL, which has gone on the attack against Addison Lee, from which Johnson accepted a £25,000 campaign donation that helped him win office in 2008. The mayor's spokesman said he was unable to comment on the Addison Lee campaign."

"Tom Lanigan, 60, who drove for Addison Lee until last autumn and is now driving a black cab, said that car hire, rent of an onboard computer, cleaning and insurance, all from Addison Lee companies, costs drivers up to £350 a week. A points-based incentive system means the more jobs drivers take, the less they have to pay the company."

"You are looking at a good 12-hour day, six days a week to make a decent living," he said. "You earn £150 to £200 a shift, but out of that you need to pay Addison Lee expenses, which used to average £60 to £80 a week, and fuel which can be £200 a week."

Addison Lee's strengths included the high standard of their vehicles and its easy-to-use door-to-door service, but he said complaints about drivers' reliance on sat navs were sometimes fair. "No one tests your driving skills and you are being let loose on the British public. A lot of the drivers rely solely on sat nav and if they go wrong, they go wrong."

*Barnet Cyclists Committee*		Click here for your 2012 Planner (pdf)
All contributions, letters, cuttings, cartoons, etc. for the next newsletter to be sent to The Editor, 106 Long Lane, Finchley, N3 2HX, or e-mail to wunohsix@btinternet.com.
You can also contact us by e-mail at info@BarnetLCC.org Our campaign group is at www.barnetlcc.com and see our discussion group at groups.google.co.uk/group/bcnz
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