David Kurten: In your answer to my question MQ2020/1052, you stated that during the period 2014 to 2019, 9,473 people had non-crime hate incidents recorded against them by the Metropolitan Police Service. How do you expect Londoners to trust or have any credibility in these figures, when the case of Harry Miller revealed that people expressing opinions within the law are been criminalised by having...
David Kurten: In the MailOnline article ‘Police log 120,000 ‘hate reports’ – but not ONE is a crime’, 13 February 2021, Harry Miller a former police officer and co-founder of the Fair Cop campaign group said: “Non-crime hate incident reports do not appear to have any usefulness as a crime prevention tool, but what they do have is a chilling effect on free speech because they make people...
David Kurten: What is your future plan for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles, given, in my view, the poor outcomes from your policies over the last five years?
David Kurten: Uber maintained for a long period of time that the acceptance of private hire bookings by a licensed London PHV Operator acting as agent for drivers would comply with the regulatory regime. Given the recent Appeal Court ruling that Uber drivers are employees, does the mayor believe that Uber have been operating in London outside of the PHV regulatory regime since TfL granted them an Operator...
David Kurten: Are you aware that less than 0.5% (half a percent) of all private hire vehicles are wheelchair accessible (and most of those are school run mini buses)? What will you do to see that London’s ageing and disabled population can get around if there are no purpose built wheelchair accessible taxis in the future, because they’ve been priced out of the market?
David Kurten: With reference to your answer to my question MQ2020/1050, it concerns me that non-crime hate incidents are criminalising people for expressing their opinions within the law and this was not recognised in your answer. For instance, Harry Miller, that Mr Justice Julian Knowles concluded his tweets were: “lawful and that there was not the slightest risk that he would commit a criminal...
David Kurten: According to answers to Mayor’s Questions MQ 2019/4137 and MQ 2020/1644, approximately 23,000 Metropolitan Police Service officers and staff have been given unconscious bias training1. 2How much did this cost? 1 https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2019/4137 2 https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2020/1644
David Kurten: According to Daily Telegraph article ‘Low traffic neighbourhoods could become crime 'hot spots', police warn’ on 19 December 2020: “The Metropolitan Police Service has written to councils expressing “concerns” that street closures introduced to create low traffic neighbourhoods could slow 999 response times and even encourage criminals to favour those areas because they can more...
David Kurten: What is the current anticipated opening date for Crossrail?
David Kurten: What will you do to rebuild the taxi trade and reverse the declining numbers of black cabs in London seen over the last five years?
David Kurten: Given that the black cab taxi fleet has now shrunk to less than 14,000 vehicles and many drivers are struggling to earn a living, let alone buy a new electric wheelchair accessible taxi for more than £60,000, do you think the black cab has a future in London?
David Kurten: Since you came to office in 2016, how many employees in a) City Hall b) London Fire Brigade, and c) Transport for London has been given unconscious bias training. How much did this cost?
David Kurten: According to a Daily Telegraph article ‘Road closures lower teacher morale and affect the quality of education’ on 23 January 2021, teachers who drive to work due to having heavy bags of schoolwork, or moving between sites, have their journeys dramatically increased as a result of pop-up cycle lanes, road closures causing bottlenecks and gridlock on main roads1. One head of an Academy...
David Kurten: TfL’s Streetspace for London programme has reduced arterial road space for motorised vehicles. The extensive rollout of so-called Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) has displaced traffic into surrounding and arterial roads. As a result of these two measures implemented in 2020, traffic gridlock has become a regular feature on many roads. Countless videos show stranded police cars, ambulances...
David Kurten: As you will be aware, the London Risk Register provides a summary of the main risks affecting Greater London. The last online version published in February 2020 was prior to TfL’s Streetspace for London programme and the extensive roll out of so-called Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN)1. As these are contributing, causing traffic gridlock and thus hindering and possibly delaying emergency...
David Kurten: Since Uber London were granted a Private Hire operator’s licence at Westminster Magistrates Court, 16 drivers have been revoked for alleged fraudulent login offences. Is the Mayor confident all instances have been identified and there is no continued widespread problem?
David Kurten: The Government’s Equalities Office ‘Unconscious bias and diversity training – what the evidence says’ report published 15 December 2020, concluded that there: “is currently no evidence that this training changes behaviour in the long term or improves workplace equality in terms of representation of women, ethnic minorities or other minority groups”. It also states that there is...
David Kurten: Responding to a legal challenge by Licensed Taxi Driver Association (LTDA) and United Trade Action Group (UTAG) the High Court, on 20 January 2021, ruled that the Mayor’s Streetspace Plan, Interim Guidance to Boroughs and A10 Bishopsgate Traffic Order that effectively excludes licensed taxis, were unlawful. The judgement noted the following: “decision-making processes for the Plan,...
David Kurten: TfL’s Streetspace for London programme has reduced arterial road space for motorised vehicles. The extensive rollout of so-called Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) has displaced traffic into surrounding and arterial roads. As a result of these two measures implemented in 2020, traffic gridlock has become a regular feature on many roads. Countless videos show stranded police cars, ambulances...
David Kurten: How many fines, warnings and other sanctions have been given out to i) black cab drivers, ii) private hire vehicle drivers, by TfL Compliance Officers for not wearing a face mask since 1st April 2020?