My friend then rang the City Police to ask what their stance is, on minicab touting.
The Taxi driver explained what he had just witnessed to the desk sargent at Bishopsgate police station, who replied:
"We are fully aware of the problem and we are doing everything in our powers to tackle this".
He added: "Touting is rife and out of control".
But it's only rife and out of control because they allow it to be. By turning a blind eye and driving off their officers are condoning this behavour.
Touts are left unhindered to illegally ply for hire and tout outside clubs bars and restaurants, while Taxis, who sometimes form rolling ranks outside venues, as guests leave, are given tickets and warnings of reporting to TfL by belligerent police officers.
After checking with TfL's website licence checker, we found this car's is not registered as a private hire vehicle.
Every job picked up by the driver booked or not, is illegal and uninsured.
Unlicensed touts are common in the City as enforcement is so poor. Blue pre-booked stickers are easy to get hold of and change hands for as little as £2 each. Taxi Leaks bought 4 stickers openly advertised on eBay a short while ago.
Although illegal plying for hire is only a reportable offence, once the driver picks up an unsuspecting passenger, he commits the act of Touting.
Touting is an arrestable offence and Police have the power to impound the vehicle which, because of the way the hiring was conducted, becomes uninsured. The driver can then be taken to a police station, where fingerprints and DNA samples can legally be recorded and checked against the national register.
We also checked River Cars LTd and found they have no license variation (satellite office) in the City of London, so the driver couldn't claim he was waiting to be given a job by a clipboard Johnny.
Ride Along:
In 2012, myself and a colleague from the United Cabbies Group (UCG), went on a Saturday night ride-along with the City Police. We started the night at the tout squad HQ control centre and were shown, state of the art surveillance equipment.
We were informed: "These cameras can pick out the logo on a drivers tie pin".
As these cameras are everywhere, we would assume they are quite aware of what's happening with PHV touts.
But it was highly apparent from this tour of duty, they mainly concentrate on Black cab misdemeanours, as drivers cherry-pick, looking for jobs going homeward bound.
Along with us for the ride, was Deputy Director of TPH, Helen Chapman.
To our complete surprise, Helen refused to report touts we found, illegally plying for hire in Queen Victoria Street. Her excuse for non action:
"If I move them on, they will just wait somewhere else".
The tout in question even had a mobile number advertising a PH operator on his bumper, which we pointed out, but Helen didn't even take his details.
We know exactly what's going on and so do TfL and th City Police, but at present, they do very little. WHY?
It's as if it's all part of an underlying agenda. Everything connected with touting and illegal plying for hire, always points back to TfL.
* TfL pay a massive lump towards CoL's tout squad budget. Why do they continue to fiancé non enforcement in the City.
* TfL also finance the Mets Cab Enforcement unit, but with only one conviction for illegal plying for hire in 14 years, does anyone really believe it's value for money?
Before we can turn this situation on its head, we need a Mayor who will act on illegally plying for hire. We need a zero tolerance policy. It worked with the sex-workers and street beggars of King's Cross. They can do it if they want. But with Boris and Hendy at the helm, we have little chance of things changing.