Parliament is to return on the 10th of January and still the promoters of this bill have not sort to discuss/engage in any meaningful manner with regards to clause 19 which seeks to allow the Mayor/local councils the powers to appoint bays (ranks) for these dangerous objects called "pedicabs".
We read with interest the Taxi Private Hire Winter Newsletter before Christmas and was surprised to see so much information regarding advanced stop lines and the Mayor's £143 million bike hire scheme yet not a mention of the problems we in the London taxi trade face from the menace that is the pedicab.
However it was good to see that the LCDC have at last stated publicly that they will be objecting to clause 19 of this bill and let's hope all other trade organisations/union wake up and realise that to sit back and allow pedicabs ranks (bays) on the public highway will lead to the creation of bays (ranks) for private hire vehicles on the public highway.
Remember TFL have an agenda and however nice John Mason maybe over a pint/curry or maybe a plate of fish and chips he has a job to do that is dictated to him by the board of TFL and ultimately politicians who run London. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson can end this farce with regards to clause 19 by dropping it from the bill and then let us all get around the table and thrash out a sensible solution that satisfies all parties and protects our hard earned right "to ply for hire". Honestly this isn't rocket science just a great shame that those who presently sit at the "foldaway" table appear not to have the ability to be able to place sensible solutions before the people that licence our industry and run this wonderful city called London.
Place the pedicabs in the park where they belong...