Press Release from the NTA For immediate release and publication
National Taxi Association goes GREEN!
The NTA have tied up a deal with the worlds only ISO certified fuel additive – MotorSilk™
Their members can now save money on fuel whilst also reducing their carbon footprint!
There are around 250,000 taxis in the UK so the associations aim is for
£125M in fuel saving and 750,000 tonnes Co2e
MotorSilk™ is the only fuel additive and engine treatment that is recognised by ISO and the Kyoto Accord because it does what is claimed and reduces fuel consumption by 10-15% plus it reduces harmful gas emissions by a similar amount.
The Chairman of the NTA, Paul Brent has been involved with trialling MotorSilk™ and reports ‘After a lifetime in the automotive industry I was aware that at some time major and verifiable advances in lubrication technology would come along and it has’
‘I was sceptical of the extent of the claims to start with but amazed by the results that I have now obtained – MotorSilk™ really does work’
Andrew Hind Sales Director of Trading Resources the UK distributor of MotorSilk™ added ‘We are delighted to offer this opportunity for individual taxi operators and owners to save money in these hard times whilst permitting the National Taxi Association to lead by example and dramatically reduce its member’s carbon footprint.’
The NTA believe that their members will save an average of £500 net per vehicle per year! On top of this they will reduce each vehicles carbon emissions by around 3 tonnes of Co2 and can rightfully be proud of being a leading UK Association in meeting its CSR targets.
For Further Information contact:
Paul Brent Chairman NTA 0161 748 8112
Press enquires [email protected]
Rod Stevens Managing Director Trading Resources 07966 464942
Andrew Hind Sales Director Trading Resources 07854 855043
Worth exploring
Taxi driver Adnan Latif, who drove Gary Willerton to Thorpe Wood Police Station after he refused to pay his fare and smashed up the back of his taxi
A Peterborough cab driver has told how he feared for his life when a drunken yob threatened to kill him in a late night row over a £6 fare.
But the brave taxi driver kept his cool, and refusing to unlock the doors, drove straight to a police station where the thug was arrested.
Cabbie Adnan Latif (20) said he feared for his life when Gary Willerton (27) of Sheepwalk, Paston, smashed the rear passenger window of his taxi and then threatened to kill him.
However, rather than let violent Willerton out of the cab, Mr Latif calmly drove to Thorpe Wood Police Station where Willerton was arrested.
Willerton denied causing criminal damage and using threatening words and behaviour during the incident in November last year.
But on Monday he was jailed for six months at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty at a trial last month.
Afterwards Mr Latif, of Berkeley Road, Westwood, Peterborough said: “I remember the night well. He jumped in my taxi with another man, but when I got to his house he said he was not going to pay the £5.80 fare.
“He then smashed the rear window with his elbow, and said he would smash the rest of the windows and kill me if I did not let him out. He was with a friend, and after he smashed the window I knew he was serious about what he was threatening to do. I knew I had the safety glass between me and him, so I drove to Thorpe Wood where he was arrested.
“I am pleased that he got six months. It should make him think about what he has done.”
Defending, Richard Brown said: “Willerton does have a bad record, but most of his offending has been committed while under the influence of drink.
“Since this offence he has not been drinking to curb his offending.”
The court was told Willerton had been convicted of assault, affray and grievous bodily harm in the past.
Sentencing, chair magistrate Michael Flanagan told Willerton: “You subjected your victim to a considerable degree of distress.
He added: “It is our duty to send a message to the community that people who commit this type of offence will receive a custodial sentence.”
Taxi association supports sentence
THE jailing of Gary Willerton has been welcomed by the National Taxi Association. The association looks after the well being of blackcab drivers, and a spokesman said violence against cabbies was an increasing issue.
He said: “This is part of an ongoing and increasing problem of violence against taxi drivers, who are just doing their job to help people.
“We are getting reports from across the country every week about violence against drivers.
“Taxi drivers are in a vulnerable situation, and people who attack drivers or make their lives and jobs difficult deserve everything they get.
“This sentence will send a message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”
source: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/
Press Release from the NTA For immediate release and publication
National Taxi Association goes GREEN!
The NTA have tied up a deal with the worlds only ISO certified fuel additive – MotorSilk™
Their members can now save money on fuel whilst also reducing their carbon footprint!
There are around 250,000 taxis in the UK so the associations aim is for
£125M in fuel saving and 750,000 tonnes Co2e
MotorSilk™ is the only fuel additive and engine treatment that is recognised by ISO and the Kyoto Accord because it does what is claimed and reduces fuel consumption by 10-15% plus it reduces harmful gas emissions by a similar amount.
The Chairman of the NTA, Paul Brent has been involved with trialling MotorSilk™ and reports ‘After a lifetime in the automotive industry I was aware that at some time major and verifiable advances in lubrication technology would come along and it has’
‘I was sceptical of the extent of the claims to start with but amazed by the results that I have now obtained – MotorSilk™ really does work’
Andrew Hind Sales Director of Trading Resources the UK distributor of MotorSilk™ added ‘We are delighted to offer this opportunity for individual taxi operators and owners to save money in these hard times whilst permitting the National Taxi Association to lead by example and dramatically reduce its member’s carbon footprint.’
The NTA believe that their members will save an average of £500 net per vehicle per year! On top of this they will reduce each vehicles carbon emissions by around 3 tonnes of Co2 and can rightfully be proud of being a leading UK Association in meeting its CSR targets.
For Further Information contact:
Paul Brent Chairman NTA 0161 748 8112
Press enquires [email protected]
Rod Stevens Managing Director Trading Resources 07966 464942
Andrew Hind Sales Director Trading Resources 07854 855043
I dont know what the hell facebook is…..but the NTA are on it!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Taxi-Association/273786119909
NTA Announce individual membership for 10p per day
The NTA membership discussed individual membership at its recent AGM. Whilst the postal service may not like the advent of email, the membership of the NTA do, as a result the NTA are now able to offer membership for £36.50p per year…..£36.50 or in other words 10p per day to be a part of a national organisation.
The Hackney Carriage Trade is a profession. It goes without saying that as a profession it needs a professional body to represent its views at government and local level. It is difficult to imagine any decent solicitor not being a member of the Law Society, why should the taxi trade be any different?
With ever changing legislation at both local and national level, I would suggest a professional body for the taxi trade is more essential to our trade than any other.
NTA membership gives you the opportunity to receive consultations from government as soon as they arrive, giving your views as part of a common accord, access to taxi caselaw and advice on a local level.
Application forms are on the NTA website; www.national-taxi-association.co.uk
Individual membership is outlined within the NTA’s company rules, as a member you are entitled to one vote at the AGM and obviously inclusion on the mailing list.
The NTA articles in connection with individual membership state;
(2) Individual
Applications for membership of the company shall be considered from individual licensed taxi proprietors following vetting from one of the Company’s regional officers/committees and only if the proprietor fits the following criteria can they be accepted as members of the company;
(i) they are individual taxi proprietors who own and operate at least one licensed taxi in an area where there is no other member of the Company, or if there shall be such member or members those members consent to such taxi proprietors being admitted to membership; or
(ii) they are individual taxi proprietors in an area that has no constituted member Taxi Association;
(iii) the application has been thoroughly vetted by the appropriate regional officer.
Rt. Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State for Transport addresses the National Taxi Association
Left to Right; Paul Brent (NTA Chairman), Paul Lawry (Head of DFT Taxis & Buses Division), Ian Millership (Mouchel Ltd)
Damian Farrell (Taxifix Ltd, with microphone), Roy McMaster (one80 Ltd, nearest camera)
Brian Denby (NALEO) addresses Conference
OPEN DAY 28th October 2009 Rt. Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State for Transport
Minister Sadiq Khan
My Department, as you’ll appreciate, receives a large amount of correspondence on the subject of taxis over the years. We have had many discussions with many people all of which has raised the number of issues for us to explore in greater depth so I am delighted to be able to announce today that what the Department will be doing is running three separate demonstration schemes or trials with local authorities and these schemes or trials will explore how we can carry out what I call local demand surveys and use these to better tailor taxi provision to local demand and so be sure that the needs of disabled passengers are effectively met. These schemes or trials will give us the opportunity for the Department, for the taxi trade, for disabled people and local authorities to work closely with one another. Together we will be able to develop robust methods of quantifying what disabled people need when travelling by taxi. For example, somebody with arthritis or visual hearing impairments will have very different needs to a wheelchair user. One size does not fit all, they should not be obsessed by the one size fits all model. In turn, we can all see how best to ensure sufficient numbers of vehicles can be made available to disabled people to travel as and when they wish and to help develop drivers’ skills. We also recognise that we must help drivers establish business cases for purchasing accessible vehicles.
Now, this methodology and guidance can then be shared with all local authorities so they too can make informed decisions, and they need to be informed decisions, on how to improve availability of suitable taxi services for disabled people in their area and link taxi provision into the local transport planning system. These pilots would also enable us to look at how to improve drivers’ skills and how to enforce them as well under the new duties, Paul referred to this when I was having a coffee with him this morning, contained in Section 36 of the Disability Discrimination Act. We need to embed the skills and behaviours needed to assist disabled people and so provide a service that genuinely meets the varied needs for accessible vehicles. The responses to our consultation showed clear and positive support to commencing these duties and we need to respond to the responses of the consultation so I intend to use the opportunity presented by the passage through Parliament of the Equality Bill to make regulations that bring these into duties and Paul will talk more about this later on but before that happens there will be further consultation about the form of those duties.
Now Paul touched upon this this morning when we had a coffee and I know that you are wondering how we intend to take forward the regulatory options that will mandate the technical aspects of the vehicle and I know it’s a huge cost and a huge burden to many of you.
The consultation process showed very little support in regulating in respect of what an accessible vehicle and what an accessible taxi should be and I need to respond to that so I will not be making regulations that mandate that taxis be of a specified standard. I understand that there are some in other sectors who will be disappointed by this but the demonstration schemes will allow us to quantify what it is that disabled people need. We need to find solutions that are not only equitable for people who use taxis but importantly don’t disproportionately put burdens on you that you can’t meet. On more local issues, you know the Department’s view is that local authorities know best how to regulate taxis in their own areas and that the trade itself knows how best to deliver efficient services. I want to see more and more local authorities taking on a responsibility.
The last thing I want to talk about in relation to policy is in relation to the Best Practice Guidance. Those of you who have been in the trade for a while will know that the Best Practice Guidance was first published in 2006 and we issue this to local licensing authorities to help them use their powers to best effect. Now, we have been consulting on the Guidance which is now three years old and I am grateful for the NTA’s comprehensive response to the consultation exercise which affirmed the value of us issuing guidance to local authorities. I hope to, within the next month or so, have a revised Guidance and I have taken on board much of what you have said in response to the consultation process.
The final thing I will say is this, there is provision for the taxi trade to go to other areas and be more flexible in the service they provide and the Best Practice Consultation focussed on the forthcoming change which allowed private hire vehicles to provide local bus services. I do want to stress that the provisions are open to the entire taxi trade and I would urge you and your members to consider carefully how you might make use of those opportunities to create new markets. Let me give you a couple of examples. Taxi buses, owners of licensed taxis can get a special public service vehicle operator’s licence and register a service with the Traffic Commissioner. An example of potentially new markets that you can look into. There are also the taxi sharing schemes. These have the potential to benefit both the trade and the public and Paul will be here later on to give you all the details and also make sure that the DfT’s website has more details and also the booklet that explains how you can develop these niche markets. Both these schemes can entice more people to use taxi services and create more trade and more work for your sector but can I just end by saying this. I appreciate that most drivers are self employed and that is why we do not want to put unnecessary burdens and put you out of business as a consequence. When I was speaking to Paul earlier we talked about the concerns that some of you may have about the Working Time Directive and, just to avoid any doubt, this does not apply to you and there are no plans at all for this to apply to you as well, you can rest assured.
The important thing for me as a Government Minister, is to work closely with you. The idea that I can impose solutions on you that will work or I can put down edicts and pass regulations that will work is folly. If the taxi trade which, as I said, is an important part of the public transport family is to continue to be a success if you are to come out of the recession in a strengthened position I need to work with you. I am pleased that my senior official was there yesterday. I am pleased I was able to come today to show you the respect that I think that you deserve. Paul will be here for the rest of the duration of your conference and we will be taking on board some of the points that you raise. I see a healthy future for the taxi trade. I see us continuing to work closely with the NTA. I think any Minister worth his or her salt will be working with you and I look forward to a future for the taxi service that is prosperous. I know these are difficult times and there are some of you who have been through previous recessions and have not seen it as bad as you have seen it recently. I expect you to come through these difficult times and I expect to see the Government working side by side with you to make sure you continue to meet the needs of a diverse population that we have, so thank you for allowing me to come here this morning, Paul. I am jumping on a bus and not a taxi to go to Brighton in a little while where I am doing a talk to Passenger Focus. As you know, a big priority of ours is to make sure our buses are more accessible as well to the general population, so apologies for not staying for the rest of the conference but, as I said, Paul will be here, all the tough questions please ask Paul. You can always ask me the easy ones. Have a good day. Thank you very much.
The document link summarising consultation responses is available below.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/consulttaxis/responsesreport.pdf
