Yes, you did read that right, Tfl have asked the Trade Orgs today for ideas on how Tfl should / could promote the KOL.
After 15 mins I could not refrain myself and told Tfl attendees that the reason the numbers for the KOL are at an all time low was solely due to Tfl allowing the PH industry to operate in our market place with None of our Costs and also more importantly NONE OF OUR TRAINING, and I told them I felt personally insulted by the meeting.
This was no more than window dressing by Tfl where they can say that they are “committed” to helping the Trade, Utter bullshit.
They talked about grants and funding to help people survive whilst undertaking the KOL, but I said if the job still had the same value as it used to have before UBER was allowed by Tfl to decimate our trade, the whole question of funding and incentives would be irrelevant.
KOL students are not bothered about gaining certificates they can hang up on the wall…. they want a job to support their family.
Tfl also asked the Orgs present if they should ask other “stakeholders” to attend the next round of meetings, these would include the apps and vehicle manufacturers… oops sorry, I meant manufacturer singular.
I must say this meeting proved to me yet again what a complete and utter joke TFL are in their handling of the Trade, and as I stated earlier, this is just a box to be ticked and no more than a window dressing exercise.
Stop charging £200 for a map test and £400 for appearances. And I see as from next April congestion charge is going to be 24/7. My 23 year old son goes out late at night in his smart car but from then he will have to pay every time he comes in it will be the same for scooters. Baring in mind most students are either unemployed doing it full time or just have part time work. And that’s apart from everything you have to buy to do with the knowledge ie school subs daily points sheets. Help must be available to help them.
Well said this once great profession has been eroded to being a just a minimum wage job. Our earnings have dropped in the last 5 years by 30+% and the cost of the vehicle we use has increased by 50%.
Would any of you waste 4 years of your life doing the hard slog for the job as it is now? I know I wouldn’t.
The sad thing is it’s easily fixed.
1. Don’t relicence Uber.
2. Cull the amount of polluting minicab’s by 50% minimum and cap them at a percentage of licensed Taxis.
3. Bring in legislation to stop cross border hiring.
4. Only taxis to be hailed by via app’s.
5. Minimum 30 minutes pre booking for minicabs.
6. All PHV and Taxi drivers to pass a vocational PSV driving test (UK driving licence must be held for 5 years minimum).
7. All PHV and Taxi drivers to sit a topographic appearance to prove an acceptable level of English spoken.
8. Reroute cycle routes like the embankment from the road to the river tow path opening up the West /East route to byepass the City. Make Torrington Place two way again and open Bank Junction to Taxis.
10. Promote the hell out of Londons gold standard professional taxi service.