Call Sign April 13

Call Sign April 2013 Page 28MailshotEither write to Call Sign atDial-a-Cab Houseor email us atcallsignmag@aol.comEOBD lightHi all at Call SignIn response to Alasdair Kay’s (C47) letterin the January Call Sign regarding hisEOBD light constantly coming on. I had theproblem with lights coming on for severalyears and like Alasdair changed many parts.Then one day I changed my air intakemeter, which is the round coke can shapedunit behind the air filter. It's not cheap sotry and change it with a mate first. If thelight stops coming on then it’s job done!It’s easy to change over, just couple ofjubilee clips. I hope this helps anyone whohas the same problem.Rodney Green (G49)Thanks for that Rodney. Alasdair’sEOBD light kept coming on and thenwent off after around 2 hours if hestopped, took a break and then restarted.He had a valve and a vacuum pipereplaced and still the light came on thefollowing day! We have passed Rodney’sdetails over to Alasdair and hope for thebest ...EdLong time for IvorHello AlanThere was a mistake regarding drivers fromour Pentonville Road days in the BillTyzack (C06) article (March Call Sign). Ijoined the Society in December 1960 as A96and remember when we had to go downstairsto get our credits. That was also whenI first did dispatching and I still rememberdispatching my first job - Piccadilly toHeathrow (or London Airport as it was stillcalled).Sorry to have to correct you, but the articlewas incorrect in claiming that AlanLewis (A44) and Bill have been at ODRTSlonger than me. I even remember going tothe cafe across the road which another driver,Alan Boca, owned and where BonnieMartyn and the-then Board would oftenhold their meetings!Ivor Belkin (C97)So as I was saying about drivers neverforgetting! Ivor did indeed arrive in 1960but a short break in 1970 means that therecords show his arrival as the latter ofthe two dates. Founder ChairmanBonnie Martyn once told Call Sign thatwithout the Boca brothers – Alan (ex-B99, real name Aldo) and John (ex-A64,real name Adolfo Giovanni Bruno Boca)- half of the early ODRTS Board meetingscould never have taken place! TheSociety operated from tiny premises onthe corner of Pentonville Road andAffleck Street. Never mind today’sItalian eateries, in the late 1950s Johnand Alan together with their Italian parentsran the cafe on the opposite side tothe ODRTS building where a single dispatchersitting in the window withtongue hanging out, would watch as driverspopped in for their cuppas with noworries about traffic wardens! Thecramped Boardroom meant it was easierto meet in the café! In those days it wascalled the Welcome Café and the Bocafamily sold it to the council in 1963when it became a block of flats. Alandied in 2003 and John in 2011 ...EdGuess who?Hi AlIn the March Call Sign, there was an articleabout a cheap overhaul for Tom Burns(R98). At the end of it, Tom asks if anyonecan remember the identity of a dispatcherwho, if he couldn’t cover a trip, wouldentice drivers with the promise of a BluePeter badge! I believe that was WarnerHarris, sometimes known as the bombercommander! Not sure if he actually had anyreal Blue Peter badges though!David Marks (R22)Hi AlI'm sure I'm not the only one who remembersthat Warner Harris was the despatcherwho promised "Blue Peter” badges...Geoff Levene (W32)Blimey, I’d hate owing anyone moneyon this circuit with their memories! ...EdSGS and overhauls...Hi AlI read the article about Tom Burns (R98)delight at paying only £530 for his overhaulwith a certain amount of surprise (MarchCall Sign). Ever since SGS were awardedthe contract to test cabs, I have not had onesingle overhaul and none of my cabs -including two six year olds - have ever beenfailed. Overhauls today are a completewaste of time and money. As long as thevehicle is serviced properly at the correctintervals and kept in good order, why handover your hard earned money for a needlessoverhaul? I think giving the testing toSGS was one of the best things to happento the cab trade in recent years. It is also ashame that it’s coming to an end becausethis ridiculous new system of two MOTsand a visit to NSL will end up costing theowner driver even more money. And no, Ido not have shares in SGS, just a lot of faithin their ability.Ken Aisthorpe (ex-T49)NSL and overhauls…Hi AlFollowing on from Tom Burns (R98) articlein the March Call Sign, I was one of thefirst drivers to have my cab passed by NSLwho have now taken over from SGS. I haveto say that the experience was extremelypositive and that if it is a sign of things tocome, then this partnership could be excellentnews for the taxi business.I had taken my Vito in for the now compulsoryMOT visit prior to its booked trip toNSL at Staples Corner – one of six passingstations now available. As this system hasonly just begun, there was just the oneMOT prior to the passing station visit. Itwill normally be two per year with the secondone no more than 14 days before yourappointment. Fewer than 14 days is fine –more could pose problems!The MOT cost me £40 and my Vitopassed with no problems. However I hadsome reservations about my trip to NSL thefollowing week, after all, they were the newkids on the block and might have beenlooking to make their mark. Well they certainlydid that, but not in the way I hadfeared because they could not have beennicer. My only preparation for the visit wasto get an engine wash (£20).I got there at 8.15 am and after handingin the cab’s plates, I was told to get myselfa tea or coffee and relax in the waiting areawith its television and reading material. Itook a quick peep around and the placewas just huge – almost comparible to an aircrafthangar! Some 35 minutes later, I wascalled and told that my cab was ready todrive away having been passed!The driver behind me had a problem inthat he had left a piece of paperwork athome. Unlike the experience that someapparently had with SGS, NSL tried to behelpful and told him that if the cab passed,then he could bring in the missing paperworklater that day. They said they couldn’taccept emailed versions but compared toSGS where you would have had to makeanother appointment, I’d say that’s prettygood! I was also told that if a cab failed onsomething small, then there would usuallybe no charge for it to be re-presented, howeverif there was a third visit then a chargewould be made.Tom Burns overhaul cost him £530 and Iassume he had to pay licensing charges ontop. So if he was pleased, I have to say thatI am thrilled that my cab passed with a £20engine wash, £40 MOT and the £152 passingcharge. Of course, you have to makesure your cab is in good order and minealways is.Jonathan Raymond (S39)Well, there are two opposite views. CallSign columnist Stephen Berndes (R14)also gives his view inside this issue. Inthe meantime, Call Sign was offered theopportunity to ask any questions toLTPH Director John Mason and NSL CEO