It's All Been A Game Of Connection. After Our Dunkirk Moment, We Fight Them On The Streets.

Remember the Leytonstone Uber driver slasher attack?

Turned out he'd been sectioned under the mental Health act, had been on medication for mental health problems....but TfL gave him a private hire license to driver for Uber. After initial reports of the attack, subsequent news has been removed from Peres and TV news channels!

Then the story broke in the press, about Uber drivers buying fake medical pass certificates online.

Reports of an illegal immigrant Uber driver with fake documents, who ran down 11 pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum...sanitised from national media other than the headline "It wasn't a terror related attack"!!!

Then last week, after admitting in court they processed 2 million illegal jobs a week for almost 6 years (that's approx 624,000,000 jobs in total)...after the hacking of customer accounts, after using GreyBall to avoid detection from regulatory agencies, after the biggest data lost in history and after admitting they failed to pass on customer complaints of driver sexual assaults to the Police...Uber are given new 15 month licence by a judge with links to David Cameron's chumocracy!!! 

Now we're informed that an Uber driver terrorist, who wanted to be a martyr, attacks police outside Buckingham palace with Samurai sword, shouting "Allahu Akba...shoot me"......and after 19 hours of deliberation, the jury can't decide if he's guilty of an offence.

Helen chapman who covered Uber's back after finding they had been licensed illegally, then swept under the carpet the fake medical, the 13,000 fake criminal record check DBS....promoted from General Manager to Director, just before she leaves on maternity leave....

But then failure has always been rewarded by TfL. 

Look at the packages received by recent director departures....its scandalous. 

Performance related bonuses they call it....we know it as back handlers and pay offs. Some of the more recent departures should have wound up in court facing malfeasance charges. 

Has London Fallen???

TfL certainly has.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT :

The catastrophic events of the last few weeks has seen the London Taxi trade go through its Dunkirk moment. 

We must now realise that our problem will not be solved by our current trade leaders, men without a plan are not a solution but part of the problem. 

Waiting and seeing, hoping to rely on legislation laid down for our protection by parliament, was the worse strategy trade orgs could ever have employed. 

They just ignored (changed) legislation and ran roughshod over the British legal system, directed by high ranking  government officials.

Our troubles will not be solved politically, or through the court. Don't even think of compensation....it won't happen.

The unfolding events of the past few weeks have been orchestrated to climax just as we see our work levels reaching a seasonal peek. Drivers have been silenced as tourists fill the capital for Queens and Wimblebon. Followed by the arrival of our guests from the Middle East. 

But what happens in September when they all leave? 

We've just gone through one of the worste kippers the trade has ever seen. Yes there will always be the carpet brigade, the lucky few, but generally it has been awful out there. We've seen over 1,500 drivers leave the trade. 

They're taking away our streets, taking away our ranks and taking away our sole right to ply for hire. But there's one thing they can't take away from us and that's our Dunkirk spirit. The spirit to reform and fight back.

The London Taxi trade has the ability to bring this city to its knees. We can shut it down costing businesses many millions of pounds on a daily basis....it may sound futile to some, but it's all we have left. 

After Dunkirk, Churchill stood up and said "we will fight them on the beaches, we will fight them on the streets....well that's all we have left....the streets and that's where we must take this fight.

from Taxi Leaks https://ift.tt/2Kqs13J
via IFTTT https://ift.tt/2MGoFq3 https://ift.tt/12cqxIH

Winter all inclusive family holiday in Marrakech from £229pp - 7nts 4* aqua park hotel & flights

Ahoy there pirates, we have come across this great holiday in Marrakech staying in a 4* hotel with it's own aqua park. You will stay on an all inclusive board basis meaning you will receive all meals, snacks and drinks in the price. The best price is for a family of 4 and you can… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Bucket list destination: Fly from Ireland to Alaska from £466 return (fly to Dublin from £22 o/w)

Discover the incredible landscape of wild Alaska later this year with these incredibly cheap flights to Anchorage from Dublin. These wild surroundings are perfect for those Pirates looking for a holiday that is a bit different. Fantastic for nature lovers, you'll forget you're even in the USA! Don't live in Ireland? No worries, we have… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Council set to spend six hundred thousand pounds on charging points although drivers are reluctant to purchase new Electric Taxi

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2IHws4E

Although there are only two electric taxis and two electric private hire vehicles in the city, Cambridge Council have budgeted over £600,000 on twenty electric charging points to be used within the trade. There has already been two charging points installed in the city centre in a bid to entice drivers to purchase one of the new electric taxis which will set them back a whopping £60,000, but drivers have been reluctant to make the change over. The new charging points will all be in place by 2020 according to a report in Cambridge Live. Some taxi drivers have said it's ridiculous to expect Hackney Carriage licence holders to commit to such a huge expense when there are so many private hire drivers who have obtained licences from other "out of town" authorities who do not have a stringent application process in place. With more and more drivers all trying to earn a living in the same city across the U.K., it's no wonder not many taxi drivers are willing to make the £60,000 plunge into the world of the electric vehicles.

July 02, 2018 at 10:37AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Gorgeous 7nt Mykonos getaway from £318pp incl. flights & 4* chic apartment - room upgrades avail.

Mykonos is fast becoming one of the trendiest places to visit in Greece, why not see what all the fuss is about with this chic self catering getaway to the 4* Olive Mykonos Villas? This beautifully decorated accommodation is split into a range of suites, self catering apartments and private villas so you can pick… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Want to win a holiday worth £4,400? Download our NEW app & enter our 'Appy Travels' competition

Pirates, want to win a holiday of a lifetime worth £4,400 (€5,000)? Enter our new 'Appy Travels' competition to be in with a chance of just that. All you have to do is download our new HolidayPirates app (if you haven't already), log in and create a brand new travel alert called 'APP' to be… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Friday night stays at Village hotels stays from £29.50pp -incl. 2 course meal & free Prosecco

Ahoy Pirates, Village hotels have another banging sale this time you can stay on Friday nights throughout the year and you will even receive a 2 course dinner and a chilled glass of Prosecco each. Prices start from just £59 which works out at only £29.50 each based on 2 sharing, be quick though pirates… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Grab some Thai sun from £788pp - incl. flights, 7nts hotel & breakfast - solo option available

Pirates, get your dancing shoes on because we're heading out to Thailand's party capital, Patong, this winter. Give yourself and early Christmas present this year and jet off to Phuket in December to enjoy temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s. You'll be staying at the 3* Kee Resort and Spa on a bed… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

ABD: Degrading the Road Network in the City of London

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2lNWYQV

Last Friday Friday the Alliance of British Drivers attended a Transport Strategy Meeting hosted by the City of London Corporation. The Corporation covers the square mile and acts as one of the London boroughs in most respects. They are currently drawing up their 25-year Transport Strategy, are holding a number of consultation events and have done surveys. The consultation is still open so if you work, live or visit the City, make sure you respond.The meeting was hosted by Bruce McVean, Strategic Transportation Group Manager, and there were less than a dozen people attending most of whom seemed very unlike the typical City office worker who dominate the streets of London during the day, i.e. it was a very unrepresentative sample of those who might be affected by the proposed plans. The number of City residents attending also seemed minimal which is not surprising as there are so few of them.Bruce mentioned that a new “Road Danger Reduction and Active Travel Plan” was out for consultation which was news to me, but you can click here for more details.Bruce talked about the “draft outcomes” as they have clearly already come to some conclusions. Some of the evidence already obtained suggests that 60% of people think that pedestrian space is too small a share of street space and that cycling is under-prioritised. Bearing in mind that the vast majority of those surveyed or who have responded to the consultations will be pedestrians or cyclists this is perhaps not surprising. Should they not have asked a similar question of road users? Such as do you think roads are overcrowded and would you like more road space allocated to vehicles? One can guess the answer they would have obtained. Everybody wants “more” without consideration of any rational or economic allocation.Bear in mind that private cars are a vanishing species in the City. The roads are occupied mainly by buses, taxis and private hire vehicles, and goods vehicles. In fact 93% of travel in the City is already by public transport, walking and cycling. The Mayor of London’s target is 80% so the City already exceeds that, but Bruce said the Mayor would like it to be 99%! If the Mayor gets his way there would be no private cars or cabs in the City at all!Some 90% of on-street journeys in the City are already partly or completely walked – this reflects the reality of city commuting where several hundreds of thousands of people arrive at the main-line stations and walk to their office.I took the same conventional route to his meeting in the City of London Guildhall where the meeting was held from Cannon Street and walked through Bank junction. Still lots of vehicles ignoring the closure and no doubt collecting a fine as a result. Bruce suggested this closure was a major success when it does not provide any more space for pedestrians as a full redesign of the junction would have done. Neither does it fully solve the road safety problems at the junction as there are still likely conflicts between buses, cyclists and pedestrians. It looks like a proper solution is being kicked into the long grass while major damage to the road network is being implemented.Bruce indicated that there will be 90,000 more workers in the City in the next few years which may be true and will certainly put an extra load on the streets. Pedestrian space at certain locations is already very crowded (e.g. at Bank). I asked whether the Corporation knew where cyclists were coming from and who they are. It seems the Corporation do not know but are currently doing a study on that. I asked because I was sceptical whether cycling could help other than the minority of people coming from nearby boroughs and hence there may not be the growth in demand for cycling anticipated. A member of the audience suggested there might be a growth in “cargo cycles” as an alternative to LGVs.The “draft outcomes” already determined indicate that “people walking will have their needs prioritised” and that there will be “motor traffic reduction”. The latter and the change to lower emission vehicles will reduce air pollution (which is still a problem in the City which I noticed on my short walk even though the streets I walked through actually had very few vehicles on them at 2.30 pm – I just don’t understand why many people who responded to the survey felt that streets were “dominated by motor vehicles” – that’s not my experience on most City streets).The proposal is to use street space “more fairly and effectively”, and that includes the suggestion that “transformational change will be accelerated through temporary interventions and trialling projects prior to making permanent changes”. In other words more closures like Bank junction and closures perhaps of some streets at lunchtime as indicated in the aforementioned document.As I said to Bruce at the end of the meeting, the likely strategy seems to have been developed by deciding what they wanted to do and then doing a consultation based on asking the questions needed to get apparent support for it. The discussions at the previous Workshop event I attended do not seem to have been taken on board at all.It is certainly a priority to improve pedestrian space where it is currently congested (such as Bank) but that needs to be done without damaging the road network. I opposed temporary or timed closures because these create major difficulties for road users. Vehicle users should not suddenly find that their planned route is blocked and even Sat Nav devices get baffled by such timed closures.Removing vehicles altogether from the City is also not a viable suggestion. There is still a need for buses, construction traffic, goods deliveries and service operators’ vehicles. Even private cars and taxis provide a valuable service to a few people (and they are already very few – reducing them further won’t make much difference). I consider the suggestion that cargo bikes could take over LGV deliveries as a very inefficient use of labour and is unlikely to be cost effective.But you can see from this brief description of this event the way the winds are blowing. The City is following the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and other London boroughs are likely to follow suit. The road network will be degraded in the alleged interests of cyclists, pedestrians and environmental dogma.As regards the “Road Danger Reduction….” Document, the objective is zero KSIs (“Vision Zero” as it is called). A laudable if perhaps impossible objective unless all vehicles are removed and we revert to a pre-industrial age (cargo bikes are one example, perhaps rickshaws already common in the West End, and Sedan chairs will be next). But at least the Corporation have got around to working with the Police on a “Causal Factors Programme”. That involves looking at the causes of collisions and where they take place which may enable dangerous behaviours and locations to be tackled. This is similar to what other London boroughs have been doling for years. A statistical analysis approach of where, when and why accidents take place is one of the best approaches to improving road safety. That is of course different to the “driven by political gestures” approach such as the wide-area 20 mph scheme imposed on the whole of the City which has proved totally ineffective in reducing accidents. KSIs have not been falling in the City, not helped by increases in both pedestrian and cyclist numbers who are the main casualties. But one suggestion is to “research opportunities for timed closures to certain classes of traffic” which would be a retrograde step.Behavioural change is one approach being suggested. This arises from such problems as pedestrians stepping into the street without looking or under the influence of alcohol, and pedal cyclists taking unnecessary risks in their hurry to progress. The latter will be targeted by a “City Etiquette” campaign so that they take more notice of pedestrians. Education of all road users is one of the main themes, and people opening vehicle doors without looking is another problem that may be amenable to education.In summary, there are some useful ideas on the document, but it’s not likely to make major inroads into the road safety statistics unless more money is spent on road engineering. It’s not always an easy task to reconfigure roads in the City – Cheapside is a good example of what can be achieved. But schemes like Bank junction are surely ones to avoid.

July 02, 2018 at 09:02AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

"Accepting jobs on a mobile phone while driving is distracting and dangerous and must be addressed now" says Caroline Pidgeon AM

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2lLRzcT

Uber’s appeal hearing against TfL’s decision to refuse to renew its operator’s licence last September on grounds of “public safety and security.” should be underway as you read this. TfL’s concerns include Uber’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences, how drivers’ medical certificates are obtained, how criminal checks are carried out and its use of technology which allegedly helps it to evade law enforcement officials.

Yet, despite so many aspects of how Uber operates being examined, there is one aspect which has largely been neglected, and that is whether reading and interacting with apps while driving is actually safe.

It was the Sunday Times that powerfully demonstrated this issue to me in a report by Matt Rudd, who became the first journalist to go undercover as an Uber driver in Britain.

He described the very quick decision any Uber driver has to make: “Beep. The next customer flashes up. You have 10 seconds to comply.”

So, while a vehicle is moving, not only does the driver have to read a text message, but also make a decision and then respond.

If a motorist reads a text message on a hand- held mobile phone or responds to a text message they would be committing a serious driving offence that carries six penalty points and a fine of up to £1,000.

However, for some reason the same enforcement doesn’t apply to interacting with an app in a moving vehicle. Simply because the mobile phone is in a cradle does not change the fact that there are real risks of a driver being distracted if they are reading messages and having to quickly respond to them while driving.

Irrespective of the outcome of Uber’s appeal it is time that there was legal clarification on this issue. Perhaps new legislation is needed to keep up with the growth in apps being used – although arguably enforcement powers already exist – they merely need to be used.

It would also help if the Department of Transport started to take this issue seriously. To be fair to TfL, it did ask the Department for Transport to include the use of cradled technology in its “mobile phone and seat belt” survey undertaken late last year. Unfortunately, the DfT refused this modest request – yet another appalling decision by its head of department, Chris Grayling.

Driving a vehicle requires the full attention of any driver. Keeping your eyes on the road and not on your mobile phone is vital. It is time that this blatant disregard for passenger and other road users’ safety was addressed.

July 02, 2018 at 08:59AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Sleek Ibiza 4* break 3nts from £283pp - incl. flights, beach hotel & breakfast

Arrr mateys! For this Ibiza break you will be staying at the sleek 4* Barcelo Portinatx Adults Only Hotel just 20 meters from a sandy cove, offering a pool overlooking the horizon, an outdoor wellness centre next to the sea and a totally relaxing atmosphere. Breakfast is included in this holiday as well. We opted… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Stunning half board Fuerteventura winter sun from £384pp incl. flights & newly refurbished hotel

If you've got your summer holiday in the bag then look towards the winter for a sunny escape. Beat the post festive blues with a cheeky trip to the Canaries in January in the newly refurbed Ereza Mar. The 4* hotel boasts a view over the ocean from it's outdoor pool and sun terrace, making… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Epic Italy-to-Caribbean 13nt cruise from £339pp - incl. meals (just £100pp more to add drinks)

Mateys, we've discovered another barrrgain trans-Atlantic cruise that we think you'll love. Starting in Italy and sailing to the Caribbean, via France and Spain, this 13-night cruise works out at just £26 per person, per night -- the total price is £339 per person, based on 2 sharing. It departs later this year, so not… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Solo in Bilbao: Fly to Basque Country from £38 return in late Summer & Autumn

Mateys, Bilbao is a destination we don't often see deals to, so don't delay in jumping on these great value easyJet flights to Basque country, starting from as little as £37 return from a number of UK airports. As well as being an up-and-coming foodie destination, Bilbao is growing in popularity as a 'Game of… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Super cute Devonshire Shepherd's hut stay w/ hot tub: 2nts from £80pp (sleeps 4) dog friendly

Grab the crew and head out to Devon for a cute staycation in the countryside. These shepherd's huts lie near the town of Cullompton, surrounded by countryside. There are 2 huts sleeping either 2 or 4 people, both are dog friendly and have a hot tub - perfect for a relaxing 2 night break away!… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

TfL and Siemens set to deliver the next generation of urban traffic management

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2lICA3s

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Siemens Mobility Limited a 10 year contract to deliver a world leading upgrade to London's road network management system.

The cutting edge new Real Time Optimiser (RTO) system will revolutionise the current traffic light control system that has been keeping London moving for over 30 years. It will help TfL make much better use of the road space by optimising the traffic light timings to enable more people and goods to move on the capital's road network with fewer delays. When the road network is disrupted by an unplanned incident, planned work or events, TfL's 24/7 control centre will have a more sophisticated tool to help return the road network back to normal as quickly as possible.London already has an extensive network of SCOOT-controlled traffic lights, which use sensors to detect traffic and adjust the signal timings to manage queues and give buses priority if they are running late. This alone keeps traffic delay 13 per cent lower than it would otherwise be. New sensors to balance signal timings for cyclists and pedestrians are being introduced, but the current system is struggling to optimise effectively for everyone.The new RTO technology will be able to take in a range of new data sources, connect to new types of sensors and support innovation, including sharing data with connected vehicles, which could include autonomous vehicles in the future. Data generated by the system can then be used to better inform road users of current or expected road conditions to support improved journey planning.Working closely with TfL, Siemens will develop and maintain the new system, which will be pivotal in achieving TfL and the Mayor's Healthy Streets Approach for London, which aims to improve air quality, reduce congestion and make sustainable travel more appealing and accessible to everyone.The RTO contract allows for ongoing development of the system throughout the duration of the partnership to maximise its potential benefits and ensure a market-leading product. The RTO system will be made commercially available to other organisations, with TfL benefitting from future revenues. All TfL revenue from sales of the RTO system will be reinvested back into London's road network.Glynn Barton, TfL's Director of Network Management, said:'This world-leading new traffic management system will be a game-changer for us in London. It will use new data sources to better manage our road network, tackle congestion, reduce delay for people choosing healthier travel options and improve air quality. And by providing our control centre with a tool which supports more effective incident response, everyone will benefit.'Wilke Reints, Managing Director at Siemens ITS, said:'Having worked in close partnership with TfL on a wide range of traffic solutions in the past, we are absolutely delighted to have been selected to work with them on such an exciting and pioneering programme. This is a major development for London and its road users and for the traffic industry as a whole.'Given TfL's clear focus on delivering the safest and most efficient traffic network for all road users, we believe this is a unique opportunity to build a robust, reliable system that will meet the needs of one of the world's largest cities. Once RTO is successfully introduced, London will be a showcase for intelligent traffic solutions for megacities worldwide.'The current Urban Traffic Control system in London is over 30 years old and operates on out-dated technology. RTO will replace this current capability, and then build on the current optimisation technique, SCOOT. This system automatically adjusts traffic signal timings to minimise traffic delays, give priority to buses, especially when they are detected as running late, give additional time to cyclists using segregated lanes when numbers are high, and at busy pedestrian locations, extend the green pedestrian invitation to cross signal.

July 01, 2018 at 05:33PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

We love Barcelona: 4* hotel close to the sea & w/ rooftop pool from £63pppn flights from £54

Barcelona, it's a city with everything, the beach, great shopping and even greater food. So why not organise a cheapy trip this autumn? We've found this beautiful hotel near the beach that offers a comfortable, stylish stay. The Barcelona Princess is a 4* accommodation close to the water and it's own rooftop pool - you… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Sardinia holiday on La Maddalena island 7nts from £234pp - incl. flights, hotel & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! We've found this excellent value for money autumn holiday placing you on the gorgeous little island off Sardinia's northern coast La Maddalena. Home to arguably some of the best beaches in the world here you will be staying in style at top-rated 4* Excelsior right by the port! Holiday details Travel duration:… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Super last minute 5* bargain: 7nts all inclusive in Cape Verde from £679pp incl. flights & hotel

Immerse yourself in luxury without breaking the bank this summer with a last minute all inclusive bargain trip to the Cape Verde islands. Grab this deal with both hands and you could be staying at the 5* Sensimar Cabo Verde Resort which lies right on the beach this July. We also have a voucher code… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

2019 spring break to Zante: 4nts in 5* resort from £262pp incl. flights & breakfast

Isn't it about time you got a little 5* treatment Pirates? Well, you're in luck with this mini break to Zante. The Mabely Grand Hotel boasts no less than 16, yes SIXTEEN, swimming pools as well as sweeping views over the sea. You'll be able to call this plush accommodation home for 4 nights next… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT