In our darkest moments, around 2015/16, many predicted our demise. The most pessimistic gave us two years. Some jumped ship and left the trade. The majority of our brethren, apathethically struggled on, heads in the sand, hoping for the best, expecting the worst, as the clock ticked down.
The orgs struggled to get a grip, because what had befallen the trade was off the scale, regards corruption/ collusion/ ineptitude/ from government/ TfL/ plus media/press negligence.
Approx two decades ago Richard Branson with Jamie Borwick, (then head of Manganese Bronze, parent company of London Taxis International) were travelling in JB's chauffeured Black Cab.
RB had accepted a lift home from JB after a function.
Wasn't long before conversation got round to the cab trade. Richard admitted to Jamie, that he (Virgin) had looked at getting into the London Taxi trade. But concluded, on a corporate level it couldn't work or 'ever' make money. 'Wise Man'.
A generation on it seem others too should've properly thought it through. Perhaps thousands upon thousands of people (Worldwide) could've been spared huge suffering.
From Cabbies/ PH/ unsuspecting members of the public, bankruptcies, house repossessions, evictions, fatal RTA's, molestations, rapes, even suicides and murders.
All for a failing 'greed venture'!
A Taxi driver is a small business, equivalent to a shop on wheels. Transaction's solely between drivers and passengers. Win, Win.
As has been proved with 'greed ventues', Everybody's losing. Some their lives.
But over the last couple of years 'fighting back', what the trade has lacked in quantity, it's certainly made up for in quality.
It has been my honour and privilege to have been in the trenches with at various times (in no particular order):
TAXI LEAKS, LONDON TAXI RADIO incorporating CABCHAT, MAYFAIR MOB, DADS DEFENDING DAUGHTERS, LONDON TAXI PR. TAXIAPP, DIAL A CAB, ITA.
All absolute heroes because they've deffended this trade to the hilt. Often being hit in the pocket, and most self sacrificing of all, on occasions putting their trade before family commitments.
Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous 2018.
To government/TfL/ disruptors...MIND YOUR 'JUGULAR' COS WE'RE COMING FOR YOU.
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