On 1st June I surrendered my cab licence, posting it to Transport for London in Sheffield via Royal Mail’s tracking service, who later confirmed that the documents had been received. Now here we are a full 12 weeks later, and not even an acknowledgement, let alone a letter similar to the one my friend received thanking him for his service, and a cheque for the balance of the unused licence fee. But that was before Khan’s London. Would anyone at TfL like to give me an indication as to whether I’m still a London cabbie, or have I been added to the dozen or so who weekly also give up driving in London behind the wheel of a black cab?

The expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has had a limited impact on pollution in the new areas, a report says.

Transport for London (TfL) found NO CHANGE in levels of pollutants since ULEZ expanded to the North and South Circular roads in October 2021.

More lies and fake statistics from Mayor Khan:

• Sadiq Khan said ULEZ’s expansion was making an “incredible difference”.

• Sadiq Khan said: “I’m proud of the progress we have made in making our city’s air cleaner for millions of Londoners”.

• “We must now capitalise on this success, which is why I’m consulting on expanding the ULEZ London-wide to extend the benefits of clean air to all Londoners.”

The statistics just don’t support Khan’s claim. But Khan now wants to spend another £200m of TfL’s budget on the new expansion of the scheme. (Then it’s back off to the government with the begging bowl).

Drivers of the most polluting cars have been charged a levy to drive into central London since 2017. To make it more dramatic, the scheme was known as the Toxicity Charge when it was first introduced. The daily levy is currently set at £12.50 to drive within the North and South Circular roads.

The report says, in the first six months of the expanded area, the levels of nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 (tiny particles which can lodge in the lungs and even pass into the bloodstream) have remained constant in both central and inner London ULEZ zones.

Other figures within the TfL report showed that 94 per cent of vehicles entering the ULEZ were compliant with the emissions rules.

Source: BBC online

Transport for London’s latest Taxi and Private Hire Driver Policy includes new policies on how TfL will treat licensed drivers and prospective licensees who receive penalty points and convictions for driving offences.

Under these draconian new rules, drivers who receive convictions for certain offences such as using a mobile phone or who tot up 12 penalty points on their DVLA driving licence will be at risk of having their TfL taxi licence revoked.

A ‘Major’ driving offence is defined as any single offence that results in 6 points. This could mean that a driver who was convicted of any offence and got 6 points and was then unlucky enough to get another offence for 6 points five years later, and long after the points had vanished from his DVLA licence, would lose his cab bill and not be able to get it back for 7 years!

.

The new Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022, which came into force on 28 June, is the most significant change to taxi accessibility legislation since the Equality Act was introduced 12 years ago. Let’s hope TfL support the disabled if they’re refused to be taken by PH vehicles and cabs.

Under Boris Johnson:

Falling crime rates, the Olympics successfully delivered, and a booming economy.

Under Sadiq Khan:

The Metropolitan Police is on special measures, record levels of teens dying due to knife crime, lowest take up for years of The Knowledge and TfL is being run into the ground, virtually bankrupt.