I've just sent John Griffin this..
Dear Mr Griffin,
I have been a customer of Addison Lee for many years now and I have always been very happy with the service the company has provided me with. I even used the company to transport all of my wedding guests to my wedding reception in 2010.
I have also been incredibly impressed with the conduct of your drivers with regard to my one year old daughter and her safety in the cars.
In the past I have recommended Addison Lee to all of my friends and family and I received positive feedback from them also.
After reading what you said last week with regard to cyclists (of which I am one) and bus lanes then I have to admit that I am disgusted with your comments. They were irresponsible and quite frankly dangerous.
You said
“This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles, these cyclists are throwing themselves on to some of the most congested spaces in the world.”
We are not“throwing” ourselves onto the roads. We are using them just as motorists are and let me remind you that it was cyclists who used the roads first. Cyclists were the first group in a generation to use roads and were the first to push for high-quality sealed surfaces and were the first to lobby for national funding and leadership for roads. Without cyclists, motorists wouldn't have hit the ground running when it came to places to drive their new form of transport.
“They leap on to a vehicle which offers them no protection except a padded plastic hat. Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a pothole or a brain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss.”
Can I point out rule 213 in the Highway Code?
“Cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may need to make.”
Quite frankly it’s the driver’s responsibility. Drivers kill cyclists. That’s why they should be asked to give them plenty of room.
How many drivers were killed last year due to cyclists on the road?
Zero.
“The fact is he just didn't see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is, the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall increase in accidents involving cyclists.”
Department for Transport figures from 2009 showed that police found drivers solely responsible in about 60%-75% of all road accidents, and riders solely at fault 17%-25% of the time.
You say that
“The rest of us occupying this road space have had to undergo extensive training. We are sitting inside a protected space with impact bars and air bags and paying extortionate amounts of taxes on our vehicle purchase, parking, servicing, insurance and road tax, It is time for us to say to cyclists, 'You want to join our gang, get trained and pay up”
Road Tax?
Really?
I pay road tax because I am a taxpayer in this country. Motorists pay a vehicle excise duty which is based on emissions. If cyclists WERE liable for it we would pay £0. It’s quite simple, how you haven’t yet managed to grasp this simple piece of legislation baffles me.
I’m surprised at your apparent lack of knowledge on this subject and am slightly worried at your obvious lack of understanding of the Highway Code.
Motor vehicle users must undergo thorough training because due to cases of poor driving. Hundreds of thousands of people are killed and injured each year. Cyclists do not represent such a risk and, more to the point, are, by choosing to cycle, reducing congestion and the burden of public health linked to physical inactivity and air pollution.
You have also said to your drivers that they should use bus lanes making it more dangerous on the roads for cyclists now.
Thanks.
We now don’t know if an Addison Lee vehicle will come on to a bus lane or not.
The reason“Black Cabs” are allowed to use the bus lanes is simply that they ply for business on the roads unlike minicabs. At some point they need to get to a pavement for their trade.
I see what you are doing here, trying to make the Addison Lee customer feel as though you want them to get to their destination quicker and doing something about it in the process. I think this is a cheap publicity stunt which will cost you in the long run.
Your comments were irresponsible to say the least and as I’ve said before, dangerous.
I for one will never use Addison Lee again and I’ve spoken to a lot of my cyclist friends who won’t also.
You obviously haven’t factored in that cyclists also use Addison Lee but after what you have said to make the roads a more dangerous place for us I imagine that they won’t be using Addison Lee anymore.
I will tell all of those friends I recommended Addison Lee to and inform them of your comments.
Also, just to add, if I’m injured in a collision with an Addison Lee driver that isn’t my fault then I will hold you personally responsible.
Regards,
Steve Casey
