However,one that I would like to mention,is Taxi Ranks.
As I am sure you know, there is a great problem at times with the general public parking on the Ranks,especially the Queens Avenue Rank,and we do not seem to get much surport from either the police or the wardens. Is there any way in which this situation can be improved? Also, I believe there were proposals at one time for further ranks at sites such as the BRI and the Swallow etc.
Do you know if anything is happening in this respect?

Keep up the good work,
Frank Bennett

Note from Drive,
Point taken Frank. Let us hope we get more input from individuals.
I believe that Hugh Hunt (BHCA) was elected ranks site person from the Taxi Working Group. Maybe we could get a response from Hugh.
The parking on ranks issue. Derek Gratton was making similar objections recently and I think the place to start would be the traffic wardens department. They were in Nelson St.
Mike West has also done some work on the parking on Embassy Rank problem.

Regarding enforcement -- I have already contacted the relevant persons concerning this report to express my disappointment at the figures relating Hackney Carriage! Work out the percentages! I also asked for a report to be compiled concerning the disqualified driver and asked who is enforcing who! Are we to expect more revelations of sleaze? I `m told that the Metrocab can be licensed as a private hire vehicle providing it is the colour white.
Has nobody in authority ever heard of Section 48 (1) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions)Act,sub section 2?
What do you mean an enforcement update?-shouldn`t that mean enforcement cock up? Who is responsible for these decisions? I think that the agenda for the forum meeting in January is already full with contentious issues. What do you think drive?

On a lighter note! After being castigated over my efforts concerning Broad Quay, I have decided to retire whilst still in good health! I have decided to update my vehicle with a new TX 1 and require sympathetic driver/minder for night shift. Your help appreciated Drive.

Yours - Ian

At that meeting the Association of Black Cab Drivers proposed that Broad Quay should be accessed by wheelchair accessible vehicles for 24hrs and saloon taxis during night hours only.
I thought this unacceptable and divisive and said that we would oppose this proposal. We are either all in or all out of Broad Quay. I do not agree with the part in now and the other part later.

Ian appears to feel some resentment towards people like myself who will be forced out of the trade and into private hire. We will not be doing so because we want to. Many of my colleagues and I have given a life time to this trade, some of us thirty and forty years. A lifetimes work is not something you give up gladly or without a struggle. If any of my work mates who have given thirty years of service, can find a way to hang onto a saloon car, then the best of luck to them. The whole transition to wheelchair accessible vehicles could have been carried out in a much more humane way than it has been. But I wont go into all that.

I find his questioning my sincerity during my time as a trade representative very disappointing During the deregulation times, we were all fighting very hard to maintain the livelihood of our members. A lot of people put in a lot of hard work over that period. I am sorry that I was not doing things to Ian's liking. Over most of my 30 + years in this business, I have been involved in the bodies that have represented the trade. My colleagues and I have set up all of the talking shops and committees that he now has the privilege to talk at. A lot of good men, gave a lot of time trying to make things better for our members and I consider my credentials to be as good as any.

If as implied, the only association doing anything is the ABCD. What are the others doing?. As a member of the BPHCA and The Taxi Trade I may ask them.

Within a matter of years silly old gits like me, will not be a bother to the smooth running of the trade. We will have passed over to the other side ( Private Hire). With plastic bags on our roof and plates (if we bother to get one ) on bits of string.

I wish Ian luck , as he puts it , bringing the council to heel.
But I think he must remember, he is playing a team game.

I'm sorry to have gone on so much and I thank you for your time.
I hope that the web page is a success.
Many Thanks
Mike Maddock.

From: Ian Johnstone
To: abristol@taxidriver.fsnet.co.uk
Date: 04 December 1999 18:48
Dear Drive
I love the website-first time tonight. Have read the piece on Broad Quay and am in a position to enlighten you as to the position.
I am Ian Johnstone and for my sins, am secretary of the Association of Black Cab Drivers.
I would first like to point out that in July of this year we were promised by council that we would have a review of the situation, concerning our inclusion, timed to take place six months from the completion of the Broad Quay section of the project.
This was announced at the monthly meeting of the TGWU and would have given opportunity for debate around January 2000. At the Forum meeting in October of this year (the first one i attended on behalf of the association) Steve Bird, Transport Operations Manager, declared that this review would now take place six months on from the completion of the project as a whole. This would have the effect of reviewing our inclusion some time in June of next year! Strangely enough, none of the representatives that you refer to in your report challenged this in any way.
I for one was not prepared to accept this and set about devising ways to bring the council to heel. The only feasible argument that i could bring to bear at that time concerned the disabled because i knew that this would carry support from the public and could cause embarrassment to those involved. It went against the grain that council could force us to purchase cars at great expense to aid in the transportation of the disabled and then refuse to allow us access to the exact type of area these persons would wish to visit.
I set about gaining support for my argument from within council and have been heavily involved with the Disability Advisory Subcommittee and sent several statements to be read at Public Forum directed at both Planning and Licensing. I instigated a petition aimed at gathering public support on behalf of the trade as a whole with every intention of putting this forward at the next full council meeting in January along with a deposition aimed at forcing council to comply with a review.
I instigated interest amongst the media and you may have seen the article i did with the Evening Post. Points West did a piece on the difficulties experienced by those disabled wishing to access this area. This was enough to have the desired effect and a momentum has steadily built ever since. This has created opportunity for dialogue as coucil are now willing to discuss possible proposals.
It has been me at the forefront of negotiations, liasing for the trade, because it has been only our association who have tackled this problem in any shape or form.
It is easy to be critical from the sidelines but i ask, what has any one else done?
It is all very well Mr Maddox calling for trade unity. I wish he had taken that view during deregulation consultation when instead he called for persons such as myself ( in the trade 12 years and still a driver at that time ) to except the criteria for the good of the trade. Now i find that two years down the line he supports the petition for policy change so as he can update his saloon giving him the maximum amount of time possible before turning private hire! Yea, trade unity! Just like all those prepared to support that petition and now call for the same. I digress. I was given opportunity to negotiate with council and asked for inclusion of the trade as a whole at all times. This was denied. I was then asked for my views on the inclusion of wheelchair accessible vehicles and obviously took this as a start for debate. Saloon cars were not mentioned until i argued that the accessibility of the centre during busy periods was causing concern and that, despite deregulating two years ago, we were facing a problem with regard to supply of need. It was then i was able ask for the inclusion of the saloon car from 8.00pm until 6.00am. I knew this was dicrimitory but had this been supported within the trade at that time all your relevant points would have been brought to bear on our behalf by Licensing and we would all have had full access within days! These proposals, incedibly enough, had already been accepted by council but with the provisio of trade support. It was apparent this was not fully supported so i have gone straight back in and proposed that all Hackney Carriage have access during a twelve hour period beginning at 7.00am and 7.00pm. I gave argument that we should have at least the same opportunity to work alongside both buses and service vehicles and this would provide provision to form a basis from which to provide a review. This has been met with almost total support from the trade and i have told those in council that i await their decision.
That is the complete picture and i would hope you understand that i have been working extremley hard on behalf of the trade and have used any argument possible to keep dialogue open in the hope of causing the maximum amount of pressure in the search for a result.
If you wish i will gladly update you so any future information can be passed around in the hope of alleviating the rumours that persist in our trade. One thing i am sure of is that by hook or by crook i will get us into that area and i will be proud to have done so. I cannot be held responsible for what has gone before, or for the reasons why, people may not understand my unconventional methods, but i am giving only what i consider to be the best of my ability and i would remind you that i have been the only one doing so.
Keep up the web site i think it`s great.
Ian