Issue 293 - TAXI Newspaper

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6 TAXI |14 MAY 2013 www.ltda.co.uk | @TheLTDA The Massett File ISLINGTON CAUGHT IN ITS OWN TRAP RICHARD MASSETT LTDA Executive, Chairman London Cab Ranks Committee The Peoples Republic of Islington get it wrong and have to pay back fines Drayton Park width restriction Old Broad Street Regular readers of TAXI will have seen my previous articles drawing attention to the money spinning trap that Islington Council laid for drivers in Drayton Park. The Council had introduced a LTDA Policy Statement It is more essential than ever for drivers to be fully appraised of the various trade organisations’ policies. In order to clarify the LTDA’s position on the important issues facing the industry, the Association reaffirms: 1. Its determination (despite opposition from certain trade organisations) to exclude taxi drivers from any form of restriction on working hours or the compulsory fitting of tachographs in cabs. 2. Its total opposition to the proposed computerised Knowledge testing system (Quickie Knowledge), which is intended to speed up and churn out new licences. 3. Its support for a regular review of taxi usage in London in order to provide effective management of the cab fleet which will prevent the streets of London being flooded with empty cabs. 4. Its support for the introduction of ‘rest ranks’ to enable drivers to legally leave their cabs unattended whilst visiting adjacent toilet facilities. 5. Its support for a complete ban on pedicabs. 6. Its insistence on meaningful consultation with Transport for London. 7. Its support for an effective minicab enforcement team, trained to eradicate illegal touting by minicab drivers. 8. Its campaign for taxi access to all bus lanes. 9. Its insistence that taxis continue to be exempt from congestion charges. 10. Its policy to recruit, support and represent licensed taxi drivers only. If you require clarification on these or other important issues, please: Call the LTDA on 020 7286 1046 width restriction close to the Emirates Stadium that was supposed to prevent the road from being used as a rat run by lorry drivers, but the unusual design of the restriction caught out thousands POLICY of unwitting drivers who were genuinely confused and ended up having to pay a fine. Amongst over ten thousand drivers that were caught out, were a considerable number of taxi drivers, and those that contacted the LTDA for advice were told to contest the PCN’s on the grounds that the signage was not only confusing but incorrect. “WITHOUT A VALID TRAFFIC ORDER ISLINGTON COUNCIL MAY NOW HAVE TO RETURN ALL OF THE FINES IT HAS RECEIVED ” I was due to attend an adjudication hearing with a member during the first week of May, but shortly before that another motorist who had challenged his ticket, had his appeal upheld when it emerged that Islington had not even got its Traffic Order correct. So without a valid traffic order the Council may now have to return all of the fines it has received. It doesn’t have to do that automatically, but people who have paid should contact Islington to request a refund. Those with appeals outstanding should receive letters from the Council advising that their PCN’s have been cancelled. Old Broad Street Another authority that got its signage wrong is the City of London which installed very confusing signage in Old Broad to prevent general traffic from entering part of the street. In this case the Corporation had installed two sets of ‘No Motor Vehicle‘ signs in Old Broad Street. One set was placed at the junction with London Wall and the other further down, by Broad Street Avenue. The Corporation did not enforce against vehicles which passed the first set of signs, but it did against drivers who drove past the second set. It did inform the Taxi Trade about this but how anyone would know from looking at the signs I don’t know! Once again any members who contacted the LTDA were advised to appeal on the grounds of confusing signs, together with a couple of other technicalities that we thought were worth a run. A pattern then developed whereby the City would reject any Representation that was made to it, leaving the driver to appeal to PATAS if he felt so inclined. What happened next was that the City usually threw in the towel by cancelling the PCN a few days before the hearing was due. Eventually the City did start to contest some of the cases but the majority went in favour of the appellants due to the confusing nature of the signage. Now the City has changed the signage and has installed very clear ‘No Entry’ signs by Broad Street Avenue which means that if you drive through the restriction now you a very likely to have to pay a PCN, if you are unfortunate enough to get one, even if it is contested. n
More readers than the rest put together! 14 MAY 2013 | TAXI 7 NEWS Islington has now agreed to pay back the 11,000 fines Drayton Park fine refund Roads Islington Council has agreed to pay back 11,000 motoring fines which wrongly issued in Drayton Park. The borough has issued more than £1 million worth of penalty charge notices over a four-month period at a “pinch point” designed to slow down traffic on a notorious rat run for lorries. A number of LTDA members complained about the area after receiving fines for entering a restricted lane in Drayton Park, which many people said had confusing signage. But after one motorist’s successful appeal, the council was forced to admit it did not have the proper consent for the changes it made last November. Islington has now agreed to pay back the 11,000 fines, worth up to £1.4 million, if the victims send in their penalty charge notices. The restrictions have been suspended while the council seeks planning permission. Jeanette Michaels, 59, who, with the assistance of campaigner Albert Herbert, took her case to Parking and Traffic Appeals Service. It ruled that her ticket was invalid because the traffic management order was not amended in line with the new road signs. Ms Michaels’s railway worker son Barry Salter, who was with his mother when the fine was issued, said: “If I had to use one word to summarise Islington council’s performance, it would be incompetence.” Highbury Liberal Democrat councillor Julie Horten said: “Islington’s incompetence has cost up to £1 million and drivers should now be refunded automatically. Why should they have to appeal when it has now been proven that this width restriction has been a disaster from day one?” The council said that it was unable to make automatic refunds as it does not hold the information of motorists fined. A spokesman said: “We are very sorry for the confusion. If drivers believe they have been issued with an incorrect penalty charge notice they should get in touch with us and we will refund any incorrect tickets.” The council said the lorry banning width restriction in Drayton Park was put in at the request of residents and has led to a fall in HGVs using the road from 2,000 per week to 100. Islington made the ninth largest surplus of the 33 boroughs on parking, with a 2011 profit of £5.6 million, according to RAC figures. 0207 446 7678 Volunteer drivers wanted Taxi drivers are needed to help take 300 youngsters on their annual trip to Southend. London Taxi-drivers’ Fund for Underprivileged Children hopes the ‘legendary’ trip will be extra special because it is marking its 85th year. The cabs set off for a fun-packed day on Thursday, June 27. Charity spokesman Raymond Levy said: “As well as giving a great deal of pleasure to so many children, we promise you will have a fun-filled day out.” There is a prize of £150 or an engine service and MOT for the best decorated taxi. To volunteer contact Steve Bell on 07811 508772 or visit the website at www.ltfuc.org.uk
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Issue 293 - TAXI Newspaper

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