For the past 7 years the minicab industry in Greater London has worked under a licensing authority ostensibly run by Transport for London which is ultimately the charge of the Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson. There was definitely a need for an authority to take charge of what was an entirely unregulated industry. Over the years minicabs have suffered a very bad reputation, not always deserved, for poorly maintained cars, not entirely user friendly drivers and of course overcharging. The Black Taxi boys and girls who do the Knowledge and then pay upwards of £36,000 for their vehicle really had a problem with us. So licensing was a good thing.
Interline was particularly pleased to see it introduced. Interline held a block insurance policy so we knew all our drivers were insured and because we looked after a number of private schools in Harrow and drove children regulalrly we carried out a Criminal Record Check on all new drivers. We own our own building at the foot of Harow on the Hill with all the neccesary insurances in place so for Interline as a company it was a case of filling out the paperwork proving our documentation was in order and paying the licensing fee. As a result we were granted one of the first Operators Licence's. Around about that time it made more sense for the driver to insure himself as an individual so all that had to be arranged. He had to apply for his own Public Carriage Office licence but because this was all done in one go with maybe 40,000 drivers applying at the same time, some drivers paid their licence fee but didn't actually see a full licence for 2 years, all the time operating on a temporary licence.
The minicab also had to be licensed. This requires a fresh MOT and a visit to a licensing station to check for dents and scrapes. But now the EU has become involved and they are insisting that all licensed private hire vehicles fall under certain emission rules. It's all a bit complicated but essentially a minicab will not be licensed if it is more than 5 years old. Cars less than 5 years old meet the required emission levels.
All of this means that over the next 12 months the public should see an improvement in the quality of their minicabs.
So next time you get a minicab from Harrow to Pinner or an MPV to Heathrow or Gatwick rember your driver has not just satrted his engine and come to work. He has gone to a lot of effort and expense to ensure his vehicle is roadworthy, insured and better for the enviroment.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Running a minicab company
Anyone can offer a minicab service. You have to get an operators licence from Transport for London but after that you are on your own. How hard can it be? You find an office, pick up a memorable telephone number, employ a few drivers and wait for the phone to ring. When it does ring, you take a few details and then send a car on time and the driver drives the customer from A to B. Easy!!!
Except of course it isn't so straightforward. The operators licence is not easy to come by. It costs over £3000 for a start. For Interline to operate in Harrow the owners of the company had to have a CRB check and a check was made on their previous business dealings. Then they confirm your building complys with any number of health and safety criteria. You have to carry Public Liability insurance with £10,000,000 worth of cover.
The telephone number? Well ok that is easy. But you do want to get the right number. Something that still comes into peoples minds when they have had a few drinks. It needs to roll off the tongue, be easy to remember but not have too many digits the same. 711 1111 for example looks ok to begin with but then people aren't sure if they have dialled 5 1's or 7. That's why I like our number 020 8864 7888 Just the right mix.
Then how do you advertise. I have talked about this on previous blogs. Putting your card through peoples doors is the most popular. How do you know if it has been done properly unless you do it yourself. A website? We are pleased with ours http://www.interlineonline.com/ and it gets lots of hits but you are never sure how much of that transfers into bookings. When we first created our site my boss and I concluded that 25% of our hits were either he or I checking to see if the site was still there!!
When you recruit drivers firstly you must check their legality. As many are from overseas you have to make sure they have permission to work in the UK. You then have to ensure all their paperwork is correct. They are licensed, so is their car, they have to have a specific insurance and you must have on file all their documentation.
In truth all of that is formalities, procedures that have to be adhered to. Getting your company in the publics mind.The real battle, and please excuse the management speak here, is to have everyone singing from the same song sheet. Drivers and office staff understanding how you want the business to operate.
Interline operates with the policy, leave someone with no taste rather than a bad taste, in other words if someone wants a car within 10 minutes and you know your car will take fifteen minutes then don't take the booking. That way you are not remembered as the company that screwed up. We spend a lot of time checking our drivers are dressed properly, that their cars are clean and tidy. We work hard to ensure they charge the right price and know where they are going. We also try to make staff realise that we may be playing a significant part in someones day. Ok the bulk of the time you are getting a lift into Pinner to do some shopping or a minicab to Watford or the West End for a night out so a couple of minutes either way is not the end of the world. There are other times however when being punctual and professional is all important. The Eurostar from St Pancras won't wait for you because your minicab driver was late. Check in queues at Heathrow and Gatwick get longer the nearer you get to flight time so you can not be delayed. We also provide a courier service and companies are given deadlines for tenders which cannot be extended because the courier didn't know the quickest way to Soho or Canary Wharf.
What I am trying to say is yes anyone can set up a cab firm. Fill in a few forms, pay your money and of you go. Doing it properly, well that's another thing altogether.
Obviously I am going to tell you that Interline gets it right. I can only suggest you try us to see if I am correct.
If you do try us and think we are getting it right then please let me know. Equally if you think we are getting it wrong then let me know also.
Kind Regards
Chris
Except of course it isn't so straightforward. The operators licence is not easy to come by. It costs over £3000 for a start. For Interline to operate in Harrow the owners of the company had to have a CRB check and a check was made on their previous business dealings. Then they confirm your building complys with any number of health and safety criteria. You have to carry Public Liability insurance with £10,000,000 worth of cover.
The telephone number? Well ok that is easy. But you do want to get the right number. Something that still comes into peoples minds when they have had a few drinks. It needs to roll off the tongue, be easy to remember but not have too many digits the same. 711 1111 for example looks ok to begin with but then people aren't sure if they have dialled 5 1's or 7. That's why I like our number 020 8864 7888 Just the right mix.
Then how do you advertise. I have talked about this on previous blogs. Putting your card through peoples doors is the most popular. How do you know if it has been done properly unless you do it yourself. A website? We are pleased with ours http://www.interlineonline.com/ and it gets lots of hits but you are never sure how much of that transfers into bookings. When we first created our site my boss and I concluded that 25% of our hits were either he or I checking to see if the site was still there!!
When you recruit drivers firstly you must check their legality. As many are from overseas you have to make sure they have permission to work in the UK. You then have to ensure all their paperwork is correct. They are licensed, so is their car, they have to have a specific insurance and you must have on file all their documentation.
In truth all of that is formalities, procedures that have to be adhered to. Getting your company in the publics mind.The real battle, and please excuse the management speak here, is to have everyone singing from the same song sheet. Drivers and office staff understanding how you want the business to operate.
Interline operates with the policy, leave someone with no taste rather than a bad taste, in other words if someone wants a car within 10 minutes and you know your car will take fifteen minutes then don't take the booking. That way you are not remembered as the company that screwed up. We spend a lot of time checking our drivers are dressed properly, that their cars are clean and tidy. We work hard to ensure they charge the right price and know where they are going. We also try to make staff realise that we may be playing a significant part in someones day. Ok the bulk of the time you are getting a lift into Pinner to do some shopping or a minicab to Watford or the West End for a night out so a couple of minutes either way is not the end of the world. There are other times however when being punctual and professional is all important. The Eurostar from St Pancras won't wait for you because your minicab driver was late. Check in queues at Heathrow and Gatwick get longer the nearer you get to flight time so you can not be delayed. We also provide a courier service and companies are given deadlines for tenders which cannot be extended because the courier didn't know the quickest way to Soho or Canary Wharf.
What I am trying to say is yes anyone can set up a cab firm. Fill in a few forms, pay your money and of you go. Doing it properly, well that's another thing altogether.
Obviously I am going to tell you that Interline gets it right. I can only suggest you try us to see if I am correct.
If you do try us and think we are getting it right then please let me know. Equally if you think we are getting it wrong then let me know also.
Kind Regards
Chris
Monday, 11 April 2011
Not just Harrow!
Working, as I do, in our offices on a Friday and Saturday night, I am always surprised by the amount of people who talk about being bored with Harrow. As if to suggest there is nowhere else to go!!! I have lived in Harrow since I was 5 years old so from the age of 18 Harrow was one of the places I came to at night. Back then there were only two or three pubs. Where Golds Gym is now used to be a cinema and it had a bar upstairs. The Royal Oak was where it has always been, The Junction pub was a Beefeater restaurant and where Burger King used to be was a pub the name of which I can't remember. Then in the late Eighties a wine bar (wine and cocktail bars were very big in the Eighties) called Mirrarbeaus opened just next to the Post Office in College Road. Mirrarbeaus was very popular and gradually a pattern formed. Back then there were no late licences available and pubs and bars closed at 11pm so it was Mirrabeaus until 11 and then jump in a mini cab and go to Middlesex and Harts Country Club which was in Old Redding Harrow Weald. But, and here is my point, that was only one night,usually the Friday and on the Saturday night we would go further afield. Having failed with all the woman in Harrow, I spread my wings and managed to fail with all the women within the M25. I used to like Richmond and Kingston. A friend of mine always wanted to go to Skindles in Maidenhead and another friend always wanted to go into town. Covent Garden was a favourite place. In particular a cocktail bar called Rumours, there was also a restaurant bar in Cavendish Square I think called the Telephone Exchange. Each of the tables had a telephone and if you fancied someone on table 6 you could dial table 6 and try to chat them up. My phone was always broken or at least I think it was!! Back then getting home from London was not easy. Mobile phones had just been intoduced but they were the size of a brick and none of us could have afforded one, so you had to find a phone box that worked and then find a minicab company that was open. What we used to do was walk down to Marble Arch and try and get a black cab. Sometimes you would wait an hour before one of them took pity on you. Other times you would start walking down the Bayswater Road hoping to find a cab at one of the green huts that the black cab guys used to use. If you had no luck then keeping walking to Shepherds Bush because a few black cabs who hang around near the BBC. Very often by the the time you got to Shepherds Bush you had got your second wind. Grab a coffee and a bacon roll from the all night burger van and just carry on walking back to Pinner. And you trying telling the young people of today that and they won't believe you, they won't believe you. Nowadays of course it is very different. Interline is open 24/7 and have cars in and out of London all night. Book a car in advance and we will be waiting outside when it is time to come home. You don't even need to be that far afield. Ring us from Uxbridge, Watford or Ealing. Of course it would be best to prearrange your minicab and better still if we arrange to take you into London then you can agree a meeting point with your driver and you know who to look for when you come out. Give us a call when you are in town and we can usually be with you in 45 minutes or less. Same with Richmond and Kingston. Put our number 020 8864 7888 in your mobile and give us a call wherever you are. We will always give an honest response time and a price we will stick too. If there is a crowd of you we can send an MPV or 2/3 cars. Definitely something I would have appreciated back in the day stood in the pouring rain, 3 in the morning at Marble Arch.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Staying safe
You’ve had a good night out in Harrow. Met the girls in O’Neills, had a bit of a dance. Can’t believe Natalie got off with that bloke from Pinner. Walked up to Trinity, the queue wasn’t too bad. Only waited 10 minutes to get in. In there for about an hour then came out and straight into the kebab shop. How can Hayley have burger sauce, garlic sauce and mayonnaise on her chips? Came out and there was a minicab parked right outside. Driver says four drops in Pinner will be £20. Seems a bit excessive but your feet hurt and you want to get home. Driver thinks he is some kind of rap star. He has got his hood up and playing his music really loud. Still, the other girls have been dropped off and now there is only you in the car. You will be home safe and sound and under the duvet within 10 minutes.
Or will you? What do you know about the “minicab” and the driver? Is he actually a minicab driver?
Does he have a large green disc on the windscreen of his car? There should be one there by law.
It shows the registration number of the vehicle and the date the license expires.
Is he wearing his driver ID badge? He risks a £1000 fine by not wearing it, so if you had one you would wear it, wouldn’t you? It shows his photograph, his Public Carriage Office license number and the date that it expires. You can confirm these details with our office or go online at www.tfl.gov.uk
It is illegal for a minicab to just pick you up off the street. Your “minicab driver” has already broken the law. You must telephone a minicab company and make your booking. If the journey is not recorded by the company the vehicle is not insured and if you have an accident you will not be able to claim a penny. What company does he work for? Who are you going to call if Hayley has left her mobile in the car? Is there any sign of him being a minicab driver? A radio or one of those things that looks like sat nav on the dashboard
Why is he driving with his hood up? Could you say what he looked like? ARE YOU SAFE?
Put our number 020 8869 1000 in your mobile. Get all the girls to put it in their mobile. When you come out of the kebab shop call us. We will send you a fully licensed, fully insured driver. No hood up, no loud music. We will tell you the colour and registration of the minicab even the driver’s name. When you see the car, ask the driver who he has come to collect and where he is going to take them. If he does not know DO NOT get in the car. Harrow, like most towns, has a huge problem with illegal minicabs. Hopefully they are only trying to earn a few extra pounds but they are still putting your safety at risk. However what if he has more evil intentions?
Or will you? What do you know about the “minicab” and the driver? Is he actually a minicab driver?
Does he have a large green disc on the windscreen of his car? There should be one there by law.
It shows the registration number of the vehicle and the date the license expires.
Is he wearing his driver ID badge? He risks a £1000 fine by not wearing it, so if you had one you would wear it, wouldn’t you? It shows his photograph, his Public Carriage Office license number and the date that it expires. You can confirm these details with our office or go online at www.tfl.gov.uk
It is illegal for a minicab to just pick you up off the street. Your “minicab driver” has already broken the law. You must telephone a minicab company and make your booking. If the journey is not recorded by the company the vehicle is not insured and if you have an accident you will not be able to claim a penny. What company does he work for? Who are you going to call if Hayley has left her mobile in the car? Is there any sign of him being a minicab driver? A radio or one of those things that looks like sat nav on the dashboard
Why is he driving with his hood up? Could you say what he looked like? ARE YOU SAFE?
Put our number 020 8869 1000 in your mobile. Get all the girls to put it in their mobile. When you come out of the kebab shop call us. We will send you a fully licensed, fully insured driver. No hood up, no loud music. We will tell you the colour and registration of the minicab even the driver’s name. When you see the car, ask the driver who he has come to collect and where he is going to take them. If he does not know DO NOT get in the car. Harrow, like most towns, has a huge problem with illegal minicabs. Hopefully they are only trying to earn a few extra pounds but they are still putting your safety at risk. However what if he has more evil intentions?
Friday, 17 September 2010
Avoiding the Blagger
I have used this blog on many occasions to warn about the danger of illegal minicabs. A walk through Harrow town centre in the early hours of a Friday or Saturday morning makes it clear that people still do not understand the danger of getting in an unlicensed minicab. I know that when you are out for the evening in Harrow or Watford enjoying yourself, making sure you get in a licensed minicab may not seem that important but, believe me it is.
Ok so if you get in a minicab, licensed or not, your driver is a stranger to you, but if you have ordered your car from Interline or any other licensed minicab operator then we know all about him. We know his address and his car details. We have, in our office, his Public Carriage Office licence, his insurance and his vehicles MOT certificate. We know he has passed what is called an advanced check by the Criminal Record Bureau. He has a tariff which tells him what he must charge for the journey. He has passed a test to show that he knows his way around. In short he is answerable to the authorities. He is instantly traceable. If you have a problem you can contact our office and we can speak to the driver. If you leave something in his car then it can be recovered. You can get in an Interline minicab in Harrow, Pinner, Wealdstone or Kenton. You can go to Tesco for your shopping or to Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. We can meet you at St Pancras or Waterloo or just take you to The Orchard in Ruislip to meet Mum and Dad for lunch. Whatever we do it is recorded. We know the time you booked and what car we sent you.
Now go back to the illegal minicab. Is the car insured? Well if you get it in it without having booked the car with Interline then you are not insured. Is the car safe? The illegal minicab driver, we call them blaggers, is already breaking the law doing what he is doing. Do you think he is going to worry about brake pads and bald tyres? Particularly when, if he does get caught, they will crush his car. Why look after it? If someone will drive you without any consideration for your safety, what else are they capable of? He can wait until there is one person left in the car and then do pretty much whatever he wants. He is untraceable. If you are lucky he may just rob you. If you are a girl alone then anything he could happen.
Still going to get in the first car you see outside the pub tonight?
Put our number 020 8864 7888 in your mobile. When you are ready to go home from Harrow, Kenton, Pinner or anywhere else in the Interline catchment area call us and we will send you a fully licensed minicab. We will tell you what car it is, the colour and the registration. Tell us where you are going and we will give you a price. Your journey will be safe and insured. Peace of mind and all for the sake of a telephone call
Ok so if you get in a minicab, licensed or not, your driver is a stranger to you, but if you have ordered your car from Interline or any other licensed minicab operator then we know all about him. We know his address and his car details. We have, in our office, his Public Carriage Office licence, his insurance and his vehicles MOT certificate. We know he has passed what is called an advanced check by the Criminal Record Bureau. He has a tariff which tells him what he must charge for the journey. He has passed a test to show that he knows his way around. In short he is answerable to the authorities. He is instantly traceable. If you have a problem you can contact our office and we can speak to the driver. If you leave something in his car then it can be recovered. You can get in an Interline minicab in Harrow, Pinner, Wealdstone or Kenton. You can go to Tesco for your shopping or to Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. We can meet you at St Pancras or Waterloo or just take you to The Orchard in Ruislip to meet Mum and Dad for lunch. Whatever we do it is recorded. We know the time you booked and what car we sent you.
Now go back to the illegal minicab. Is the car insured? Well if you get it in it without having booked the car with Interline then you are not insured. Is the car safe? The illegal minicab driver, we call them blaggers, is already breaking the law doing what he is doing. Do you think he is going to worry about brake pads and bald tyres? Particularly when, if he does get caught, they will crush his car. Why look after it? If someone will drive you without any consideration for your safety, what else are they capable of? He can wait until there is one person left in the car and then do pretty much whatever he wants. He is untraceable. If you are lucky he may just rob you. If you are a girl alone then anything he could happen.
Still going to get in the first car you see outside the pub tonight?
Put our number 020 8864 7888 in your mobile. When you are ready to go home from Harrow, Kenton, Pinner or anywhere else in the Interline catchment area call us and we will send you a fully licensed minicab. We will tell you what car it is, the colour and the registration. Tell us where you are going and we will give you a price. Your journey will be safe and insured. Peace of mind and all for the sake of a telephone call
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Summer Holidays
My last blog talked about the summer of sport and how Murray would triumph at Wimbledon and Rooney would help England to win the World Cup. Well, Murray made the semi finals and as he is ranked No 4 in the world, I guess he confirmed his ranking. As for the World Cup, well the less said about that the better.
As I write the newspapers are full of pictures of footballers and their WAG's on the back of amazing yachts in the South of France or lying around, what appears to be the same, hotel pool in Sardinia. Except for Christiano Ronaldo who is pictured with a baby but not a WAG. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
So the footballing fraternity are on their holidays and whilst the rest of us may not be heading down to St. Tropez many will be soon be making their own holiday travel arrangements. If you live in Pinner, Hatch End, Ruislip or anywhere else within the Interline catchment area we can supply estate cars and MPV's to take you to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. Our offices in Harrow are open 24/7 and so no matter how early your start we can have a minicab ready to take you to the airport and the same driver waiting at the information desk of the terminal on your return.
If you live in North Harrow, Kenton, Wealdstone or Kingsbury and want to take the kids for a flight on the London Eye or to the Natural History Musuem let us worry about the congestion charge and parking tickets. We will drop you right outside the door and be there to bring you home when the children have had enough sweets and ice cream and you've just had enough!
Call our offices 0844 567 3893 for a quote or to make a booking. Being on holiday or just out for the day can be great fun, getting there may be a little more stressful. A quick call to Interline will put your mind at rest and allow your break to start and end smoothly.
As I write the newspapers are full of pictures of footballers and their WAG's on the back of amazing yachts in the South of France or lying around, what appears to be the same, hotel pool in Sardinia. Except for Christiano Ronaldo who is pictured with a baby but not a WAG. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
So the footballing fraternity are on their holidays and whilst the rest of us may not be heading down to St. Tropez many will be soon be making their own holiday travel arrangements. If you live in Pinner, Hatch End, Ruislip or anywhere else within the Interline catchment area we can supply estate cars and MPV's to take you to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. Our offices in Harrow are open 24/7 and so no matter how early your start we can have a minicab ready to take you to the airport and the same driver waiting at the information desk of the terminal on your return.
If you live in North Harrow, Kenton, Wealdstone or Kingsbury and want to take the kids for a flight on the London Eye or to the Natural History Musuem let us worry about the congestion charge and parking tickets. We will drop you right outside the door and be there to bring you home when the children have had enough sweets and ice cream and you've just had enough!
Call our offices 0844 567 3893 for a quote or to make a booking. Being on holiday or just out for the day can be great fun, getting there may be a little more stressful. A quick call to Interline will put your mind at rest and allow your break to start and end smoothly.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Summer of Sport
Although it is now the 12th of May and people are still wearing scarves to work, what passes for an English summer these days will soon be upon us and for a lot of us there is a chance to enjoy some form of sporting activity.
In my case that normally means putting my feet up in front of the TV to watch a Test match or a bit of Wimbledon. Occasionally my wife will join me but as soon as I try to explain the vagaries of the LBW law she tends to disappear back into the garden.
For those of you wishing to attend these events Interline can provide transport to and from the stadium or racetrack. Five days of racing at Goodwood or Ascot is always a popular choice for friends and work colleagues and Interline can provide chauffeur driven Mercedes E and S Class along with the Viano MPV. If you plan to spend a day at a Test match or one day international an Interline car can help you arrive on time and be there to meet you at close of play.
A day at Wimbledon really takes on a new dimension with an S Class Mercedes on your doorstep first thing in the morning to whisk you down to SW19.
Then of course there is the World Cup. Now, try as I might, I don't think I can convince you to take a cab to South Africa but I am sure there will be a few World Cup parties, particularly if England do well. Alcohol may well be consumed and a taxi will be required. Take the opportunity now to put our number 0844 567 3893 in to your mobile phone and whether you are celebrating Gerard's last minute winner, Maradona being sent to the stands (it must happen) or ,best of all ,Germany crashing out on penalties, you can have an Interline minicab waiting to take you home.
Many of the pubs in Harrow, Pinner, Kingsbury and Kenton will of course being showing the games live and our offices at the top of Peterborough Road Harrow are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week so even after extra time and penalties one of our taxis can be called upon to get you home.
So let us hope for a great summer of sport with England winning the Test Series, Lee Westwood coming out on top at the Open, Murray triumphing at Wimbledon and Ferdinand lifting the World Cup.
Not much to ask for is it?
In my case that normally means putting my feet up in front of the TV to watch a Test match or a bit of Wimbledon. Occasionally my wife will join me but as soon as I try to explain the vagaries of the LBW law she tends to disappear back into the garden.
For those of you wishing to attend these events Interline can provide transport to and from the stadium or racetrack. Five days of racing at Goodwood or Ascot is always a popular choice for friends and work colleagues and Interline can provide chauffeur driven Mercedes E and S Class along with the Viano MPV. If you plan to spend a day at a Test match or one day international an Interline car can help you arrive on time and be there to meet you at close of play.
A day at Wimbledon really takes on a new dimension with an S Class Mercedes on your doorstep first thing in the morning to whisk you down to SW19.
Then of course there is the World Cup. Now, try as I might, I don't think I can convince you to take a cab to South Africa but I am sure there will be a few World Cup parties, particularly if England do well. Alcohol may well be consumed and a taxi will be required. Take the opportunity now to put our number 0844 567 3893 in to your mobile phone and whether you are celebrating Gerard's last minute winner, Maradona being sent to the stands (it must happen) or ,best of all ,Germany crashing out on penalties, you can have an Interline minicab waiting to take you home.
Many of the pubs in Harrow, Pinner, Kingsbury and Kenton will of course being showing the games live and our offices at the top of Peterborough Road Harrow are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week so even after extra time and penalties one of our taxis can be called upon to get you home.
So let us hope for a great summer of sport with England winning the Test Series, Lee Westwood coming out on top at the Open, Murray triumphing at Wimbledon and Ferdinand lifting the World Cup.
Not much to ask for is it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)