If Uber are circumventing the law, and if TFL have failed - with intent- in their duty to enforce laws parliament have deemed fit to keep in place, then why are we doing things by the book.
I believe we are afforded a unique opportunity, albeit finite, to organise ourselves outside of the usual prescribed parameters of doing things.
The eternal wait for a High Court decision to determine the meaning of a taxi meter is a stalling tactic of which will be of little consequence.
• If the judge rules in our favour, Uber (and others) will make a couple of minor alterations, allowing them to continue.
• If The decision goes against us it will be disastrous, not least because we have allowed the High Court to determine our destiny.
In the first instance, The trade should issue a statement that we no longer recognise Peter Hendy as regulator or arbiter of the licensed taxi trade.
In the first instance, The trade should issue a statement that we no longer recognise Peter Hendy as regulator or arbiter of the licensed taxi trade.
He is an appointed official therefore is operating without advocacy, and we cannot align ourselves with a regulator that does not work in the interests of the trade. He has overseen the utter decimation to the potential earnings of sole traders who are forced to meet the inflated running costs of a TFL authorised vehicle.
The well-being of the licensed taxi industry is synonymous with the well-being and safety of the travelling public, he has therefore, unequivocally, failed on both accounts.
But most of all, the tried and tested formulas of dealing with Trade disputes, or changes to prevailing standards, no longer apply.
Silicone Valley has changed the rules entirely.
Effectively, an off shore company has walked in to Britain and been allowed to run roughshod through UK legislation. By allowing them to operate, TfL has set a precedent that big dollar corporations can dictate UK policy. No one, no matter what industry you are in, should welcome that, and it's crucial to convey the magnitude of that to the public.
The only way I can see it working is if we are a bigger disrupter than the disruptors. I believe if we could galvanise support from 5000 members and bring London's economy to a grinding halt, every day for a week, or even more, we will then call the shots and Uber's operation will be shut down or tailored to our terms.
Furthermore, it will also deem us as a mighty force to be reckoned with and will discourage future 'viral' infiltrations into the trade.
But we need the numbers, and we need the impetus!
Sean Day.
