Black Cab Demo Causes Central London 'Gridlock'

Parts of central London are currently gridlocked after thousands of black cab drivers took industrial action at Trafalgar Square.

Up to 12,000 black cabs have headed to the centre of the capital with the intent to cause traffic chaos.

The traditional cabbies are protesting at Transport for London's (TfL) regulation of rival cab service Uber.

The Google-backed app allows users to order a car at the touch of a button, and the fare is calculated using GPS tracking.

But traditional cabbies say this is effectively a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital.

Gridlock Central London

Full updates and vid at the link

If I was visiting London, there is no way I would get into any kind of taxi other than a Black Bomber.....go guys!

Rainbows
Jane

I like the uber app. It's just business, it's capitalism and the cabbie industry is loosing. Oh well.
It's just too bad but that's the world works.

We drive you from A to B, we know where you live, we know where you eat and we know where you work and who you see on the side.

Do not Funk with us.

a reply to: samsamm9

Hmm, so far as I have heard the problem is not the app or any app about cabs. It is the idea of unprofessional drivers doing the cab-ride in their private cars, as some kind of donation-based carsharing.

Which is of course a problem for cabbies.

a reply to: angelchemuel

Its atually a pretty big European strike today.

Over here in France not only are the cabbies on strike in all major Cities but also the train drivers.

Here is an article about what is happening right now in at least 3 countries in Europe :

Taxi drivers in at least three European countries have launched a strike to protest against mobile car-hailing services, such as Uber. A separate French train strike is expected to compound transportation woes.

Taxi drivers in London, Paris and Berlin are striking Wednesday to protest against unlicensed mobile car-hailing services, which they blame for chipping away at their client base.

The rise in unlicensed drivers and chauffeur services has shaken up the industry, with the main target of the drivers being the San Francisco-based company Uber.

Since the European arrival of Uber over the past 18 months, taxi drivers have been adamant about protecting their turf.

More here : www.dw.de...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

Oooooh....OK....thank you for that Rod!

Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: angelchemuel

Nice to see MSM ignoring the issue , They done the same a few years ago when Fire Fighters staged a sit down on the roads of London and the media IGNORED it

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Xahive is similar but isn't limited to cabs. It can be used for any purpose.

I wonder what kind of uproar it will cause once it's popular.

It's slightly funny as I'm going to presume many of these people aren't even English.

A presumption I feel comfortable to make, considering the stats for Ethnic London aha.

From what I can gather, our Cabbies have no argument with Uber, their argument is with the City for not putting the same regulations in place on the Uber registered ones. Like I said, I wouldn't trust any cabby unless he was in a Black Bomber if I was in London. Same thing if I visited New York...yellow cab or shanks pony.

Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: ScottG30

Erm....my link is to Sky news.....that was regarded as MSN last time I looked.
I had no idea about the firefighters though....so on that count you are quite correct.

I can hear Boris now.....
"Where are those water cannons I ordered!!!!"

Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: angelchemuel

I do think that we must have security at the heart of this especially for our vulnerable, young and elderly as well as our daughterfs out at night. My wife pointed out a magazine article that covered the amount of men driving taxi's, who have been prosecuted for thinking young girls should not be enjoying themselves out at night and sexually attacked them. It was a few years ago so the numberaprobably needs updating and I doubt they will go down and if this attitude spreads it will get worse.

With a traditional taxi driver, they have too much to loose once they have obtained the knowledge for the area the license covers them for and I think this should be reinstated immediately because several times I have had to show the driver where I am going because his satnav malfunctioned. Also drivers have acknowledged they were merely moonlighting for the actual firm or driver - we don't know if they have been checked out and today with kids being taken to school in taxis etc this whole business of any old driver won't do.

This is a public trust job and the cabbies pay a lot of money for their vehicles, which are checked and safe and if we want the good standard of cabbie we have in this country to stay, we shouldn't change the rules to suit other or new businesses. Can yhou imagine complaining to an international company today? What we have is fine and taxi call centres work well so even if one does use the new system, its only going to work is a car is available immediately. The current system also covers disabled cabs which are expensive investments for cabbi's and again if we want safe vehicles and drivers you can (reasonably) trust, the system needs to be considered very carfefully.

originally posted by: ObservingYou
It's slightly funny as I'm going to presume many of these people aren't even English.

A presumption I feel comfortable to make, considering the stats for Ethnic London aha.

I don't see what the problem is there?

They are making an honest living are they not?

You will see the same in any other major European city too...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

I hadn't bothered with this point about foreigners but here on the South Coast we have foreigners who are simply driving someone else's car. They could have come from anywhere with any history and I suspect that with all the cuts our local councils have had to make, they cannot afford to carry out the on-the-spot checks needed to catch rogue drivers. I have never seen an inspector checking the cabs and also if they are moonlighting do you honestly think the tax, NI and all the other expenses such as insurance and the policy covering someone driving for the registered owner should they have an accident, will be OK?

a reply to: Shiloh7

I totally agree with you.

I remember a few years ago on the Dragons Den a pitch was made for a Ladies onlly taxi firm Pink Ladies....they got turned down. Well guess what...I see them driving around here in Warrington all the time.
Pink Ladies

Women Only taxi firms
But I digress on my own thread!

As to the safety of taxis. The stringent periodic tests the Bombers have to go through to maintain their safety, and the regulations the drivers themselves have to adhere to, regardless of The Knowledge is reassuring in a big city.
Small private taxi firms in smaller towns and rural areas almost have their own independent 'regulators'....their passengers because invariably they are well known in their locale.

Cost to take a smelly taxi to the airport: $50

Cost to take a hot, smelly Super Shuttle crammed with other people whom you have to pick up along the way making your ride extra long: $28 per person

Cost to take a clean, pleasant-smelling comfortable car with bottled water and other amenities readily available: $25

The cabbies are fighting a loosing battle. They are an analog service in a digital age. That only works if you are Rolex, and cab companies could not be further from that description.

ETA: Your average Uber driver is 10x nicer than your average cab driver. Their job depends on it. I think I would like living in a world where this was the standard. Uber gets in my book.

originally posted by: ScottG30
a reply to: angelchemuel

Nice to see MSM ignoring the issue , They done the same a few years ago when Fire Fighters staged a sit down on the roads of London and the media IGNORED it

What is it you think the MSM is ignoring? It's been on the BBC all week -

www.bbc.co.uk...

For what I would have thought was obvious reasons, it's more localised media that is going to spend much time reporting on it as if you don't live in London it's hardly news of the day is it?

You know what this is? Invaluable free advertising and screen time...

This will get Uber to a lot more people now - talk about reach!

Disclaimer: Google and Uber thanks all the taxi drivers from England, France and all the countries that were present for this protest "We salute you and couldnt have done it without you - actually we could but it would take longer and it would be A LOT more expensive" - random google / uber guy.

"The Knowledge" is the world's most demanding training course for taxicab drivers, and applicants will usually need at least twelve 'appearances' (attempts at the final test), after preparation averaging 34 months, to pass the examination.

en.wikipedia.org... ge

The taxicab driver is required to be able to decide routes immediately in response to a passenger's request or traffic conditions, rather than stopping to look at a map, relying on satellite navigation or asking a controller by radio

The 320 main (standard) routes, or 'runs', through central London of the Knowledge are contained within the 'Blue Book' (officially known as the 'Guide to Learning the Knowledge of London' and which is actually pink), produced by the Public Carriage Office which regulates licensed taxis in London. In all some 25,000 streets within a six mile radius of Charing Cross are covered along with the major arterial routes through the rest of London.

A taxicab-driver must learn these routes, as well as the 'points of interest' along those routes including streets, squares, clubs, hospitals, hotels, theatres, embassies, government and public buildings, railway stations, police stations, courts, diplomatic buildings, important places of worship, cemeteries, crematoria, parks and open spaces, sports and leisure centres, places of learning, restaurants and historic buildings.

The Knowledge includes such details as the order of theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, or the names and order of the side streets and traffic signals passed on a route.