Transport for London (TfL) has in the last four years registered another 40,000 mini cabs to drive around London allowing them to ply for hire using smart phone technology.

Under existing legislation only London taxis can show availability, but mini cabs are circumventing the law by using taxi apps making them available for immediate hire.

This is plying for hire which London mayor Boris Johnson admits is breaking the law. But he fails to push for legislation change to protect the Hackney carriage trade in London.

Pre-booked fares

Mini cabs licensed under the 1998 private hire act are only allowed to take pre-booked fares which means having an office and a land line for a customer to call.

We know that David Cameron, George Osborne and Boris Johnson have an unhealthy relationship with taxi app Uber and are constantly lobbying for them by telling the regulator TfL to leave them alone.

Boris Johnson's 'super cycle highway' has also affected taxi drivers. The taxi trade is not against cyclist safety but in my opinion a five year old with an etch-a-sketch could have designed and implemented the works better.

TfL sent out surveys and consulted with the public and drivers but no results from these were released.

My first port of call in the mornings is Waterloo which, living in Wapping, should take about 15 minutes but the same journey is now taking 45 minutes to an hour.

We will fight to the end just like the dockers and the miners did but know that we are not in the Tory government's thoughts and there has been a long term plan to deregulate.

Boris Johnson received a text from Osborne on the day of the mayoral question time lobbying for Uber and when asked about it he said: "I don't deny it!"

So there you have it the Tory party telling the Greater London Authority and TfL they will leave Uber alone.

We have a taxi protest on 10 February at Whitehall from 2pm to 4.30pm to demonstrate our disgust at this unhealthy cover up by Cameron, Osborne and Johnson. Please support us.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.