I recently had a tea break with a driver who told me a very worrying story. His cab had been broken into after thieves had smashed the side window and stole a few bits and pieces from the front compartment. Unfortunately, amongst their haul, they took his green badge.
He immediately reported the theft to his local police station, then contacted TfL, who sent him a cover note in the post. To his surprise, he was told not only to send back his two paper licenses, but also to return both identifiers before new ones could be dispatched.
Having seen some harrowing tweets on Twitter, my friend was extremely worried about the abuse he would get from other drivers if he works without ID's
He asked if he could hold on to the identifiers until the new ones arrived, but he recieved a definite no.
Again this is double standards from TfL who seem to be in a situation where one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. Just a short time ago were we all not sent new IDs through the post and asked to dispose the old ones ourselves?
What has changed in the short time since then?
It is obvious that TfL have no trust in any Taxi driver's word. Do they really not trust this driver to destroy the old ID's once in receipt of new items?
Surely, a more dishonest driver would have claimed the ID badges stolen with the green badge and sold them on with no fear of a comeback.
The driver concerned is now breaking the law, having photocopied his IDs which he intends to display till he receives new ones.
Again TfL have been shown to be woefully inefficient.
Drivers should be able to attend Palestra and issued with new documents, over the counter. In June 2014, we were promised a new building with counter services in Faith Lawson house, Dacre street, just behind New Scotland Yard (albeit that there was no casual parking facilities in the area).
But by October, news had emerged that TfL were going to sell off the building instead.
In a recent radio interview, ex Director or LTPH John Mason stated that TfL had disposed of counter services, as they felt they couldn't trust staff at Palestra, handling cash. In fact one employee was sacked for pocketing licence fees paid over the counter.
Incidents that over the years, have never been fully explained.
Taxi crash at Victoria:
Driver ran off, elderly American passengers had to be cut from the wreck and taken to hospital. Later transpired his bill was a fake.
Missing bills:
Over 200 blank Taxi driver licenses went missing in the move from Penton Street to Palestra. Reports that Bills were being sold in an East End Taxi garage, was never investigated or explained. Total silence from TfL.
Private Hire Roundels sold for cash:
Batches of new PH vehicle licenses from SGS were found in an envelope at a West London minicab office. No one was charged, no investigation and again, total silence from TfL.
Counterfeit operation:
Reports of an operation, set up in the basement of a pub in SW London, where metal badges, driver Bills and IDs were being produced. Nothing came of this report. Again, silence from TfL.
Woefully inadequate or utterly corrupt ?
