Time to Stand up for Taxi-cab drivers...

The LLA & TFL (no.2) bill which contains clause 19 will empower TFL and London councils enabling them to appoint pedicab ranks/bays.

The RMT and its London taxi branch will be petitioning against clause 19 and we shall continue to campaign until these objects are banned from the public highway.

If your trade body isn't petitioning against "clause 19" you will need to ask some serious questions of the people you are paying to represent you. For it is you the working taxi-cab driver that will end up ranked next to a piece of 3rd world transport not fit to be carrying passengers on the public highway and not them.

Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police have been ticketing and removing pedicabs under present legislation so we have the laws in place to deal with pedicabs that block the pavement or public highway. Time the United Trade Group spent less time slating the RMT and little more time trying to defeat a bill that will create pedicab ranks/bays on the public highway. Be under no illusion if this bill gives pedicabs ranks/bays then the private hire lobby will demand rest bays too and then see who'll be complaining that we didn't do anything to stop this from happening.

"BAN don't LICENCE shout the LTDA, well what a mess to get themselves into when they say one thing on an ad van but in reality they are prepared to allow a bill that creates ranks waltz through parliament in the hope a few parking tickets are given out by CCTV. To make matters worse this scheme is voluntary and therefore unenforceable.

NOTE the police and the councils have powers now to move pedicabs on and remove them from the public highway. This bill is a Trojan horse and it is working taxi-cab drivers who will lose out as per usual.

John Kennedy Chairman RMT London taxi branch...

PS Please note the promoters of this bill have been given plenty of opportunities to discuss this issue so that further time and public money is not wasted. It seems the present Mayor liked the support of taxi-cab drivers back in 2008 but is failing to listen to real taxi-cab drivers and instead hearing only silence from the taxi trade representative on the board of TFL...

Time to Petition...

The RMT London taxi branch will be petitioning the House of Commons after the 3rd reading of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (no.2) Bill.

We urge all London taxi-cab drivers to ensure whatever trade body or union you are in to do the same. If you are not a member of a trade union/org please do join the only union capable and willing to do the hard work that is required to defend your hard earn right to "ply for hire" here on the streets of the capital.

Westminster City Council and Transport for London have failed to discuss this issue with London' taxi-cab drivers and have instead sought to ignore those who raise this serious issue with them. In a previous hearing at the House of Commons both authorities were asked to comeback to parliament with a licensing regime, this they have failed to do.

The RMT London taxi branch opposes "clause 19" of this Bill and the LTDA leaders of the united trade group and followed by the union UNITE and the LCDC seem to be a little confused has to what campaigning for a BAN actually means or involves. If you seek a BAN of pedicabs/rickshaws from the public highway you don't allow a bill to pass through Parliament that will give pedicabs/rickshaws "RANKS" and the respectability they so desperately require.

3rd World dangerous transport has no part to play in a first world city like London.

Time for you the London taxi-cab driver to join the only union/org prepared to defend you and your trade. Join the RMT...

Why not Join us ?

RMT "No to 19"

What a pleasant change to see TAXI newspaper inform the trade that they were "hammering" the rickshaws at the Chelsea flower show.

We should praise good work when we see it done on behalf of the Taxi trade and the RMT London Taxi branch would like to congratulate the LTDA for the good work they did last week at the Chelsea flower show.

Now we would like to publicly ask the LTDA to join the RMT and its London Taxi branch and object to "clause 19" of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (no.2) Bill.

This bill and specifically "clause 19" will empower local authorities and Transport for London allowing them to appoint/create "bays/ranks" for pedicabs/rickshaws. Oh by the way still waiting to hear from Martin Low re that meeting you promised ?

If this bill which will be represented on the 10th June 2010 progresses through Parliament and becomes law in its present form you and I will be ranking next to rickshaws/pedicabs. So we at the RMT have a very simple question to ask of the LTDA (leaders not followers of the United Trade Group)...if you wish to build on the great work you did at the Chelsea flower show why will you not object to "clause 19" of this bill which will be placed before Parliament?

Remember that rickshaws;

1. offer no impact protection to passengers or riders.
2. discriminate against people in wheelchairs.
3. offer no place for assistance dogs.
4. slow other means and mode of transport and therefore negate any "green" benefit.
5. block the public highway and are a general nuisance in the West End of London.
6. rip passengers and tourists off.
7. rickshaws/pedicabs are a 3rd world method and mode of transport.

We can talk till we are blue in the face about banning rickshaws/pedicabs from the public highway but before we can even attempt to do this we must kick "clause 19" of this bill well and truly into touch. Join the only trade union/association that is prepared to do the work that is needed to protect your hard earned privilege and right to "ply for hire".

JOIN the RMT London taxi branch and save your trade and your families future. www.rmt.org.uk