A few weeks ago, drivers started reporting sightings of private hire vehicles, sporting liveries for a certain Russian Cable News Channel.
The sighting were passed on via Twitter to TfLTPH, who confirmed that the full vehicle livery seen in the images, in some cases covering the rear TfL roundel, was not authorised and should be removed by the owner. TfLTPH said the information would be passed to compliance and on street enforcement, for them to deal with the matter.
Not forgetting....Addison Lee took absolutely no notice of TfL compliance/enforcement, when told their Rugby World Cup livery was illegal, they carried on and saw their contract through.
When asked if any action had been taken against Addison Lee, TfLTPH confirmed that no action was taken.
Sighting continue on a daily basis
It now seems that compliance/enforcement have not dealt with this issue and it now appears we have another advertiser, taking no notice of TfL....why should they, as no action was taken in the past with Addison Lee!
Recently, Taxi drivers were warned at ranks, that their Taxis could have their TfL licence revoked if they left a certain copy of a trade publication in the back window. N one incident caught on camera, a TfL CO removed the publication from the vehicle, while her colleague was talking to the driver.
TfL PCOs were insisting drivers removed copies of the Taxi paper from view, with some COs saying the paper was being used as unauthorised signage, while others stated the paper constituted unauthorised advertising.
Is this more proof of TfLTPH's bias against the licensed Taxi trade?
At present, TfL appear to wait until they have a complaint against an individual PH vehicle carrying the livery before they take action. They then inform the person complaining that the vehicles owner will be contacted by compliance and told to remove the livery. Going on the abundance of sightings (often the same vehicles already reported), this doesn't appear to be happening.
We asked TfL TPH if the legislation had been changed recently to allow full liveries on PHV's, and this was the reply they gave us...
A Tip, For TfLs Head Of Compliance And On-Street Enforcement, Siwan Hayward And TfL General Manager Helen Chapman.....
Surely (if TfLTPH compliance is serious), it would make more sense to contact the company supplying the wraps/stickers, inform them that the work they are carrying out on London minicabs is in breach of current legislation and ask for a complete list of PHVs already supplied with front, side and rear strikers. Then every owner/driver can be notified in just a few days.
• Their European base is at the White Collar Factory, 1 Old Street Yard, London EC1Y8AF.
• Their contact number is +442039481106
• And their email address is info@stickerride.com.
This way, every vehicle in contravention of the PHV act 1998, can be notified within days and all illegal adverts removed.
Even the Met police are now stopping non-compliant PHVs.
In this security conscious climate, the Met have more important issues to deal with, without doing TfLTPH compliance's job for them.
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