Rossendale 901.

Rossendale 901, photographed cruising Hulme, Manchester. This vehicle was licensed on or about 21 October.

Rossendale 846, working on Lynch PH, Swinton, Salford. This vehicle was leaving Manchester Royal Infirmary with work in. This vehicle was first registered around 30 September.

A quick sum suggest Rossendale issued 55 extra plates in the 15 working days between these vehicles.

East Grinstead.

A MUSLIM taxi driver refused to give a lift to a disabled woman's dog – because he thought it broke the rules of Ramadan.

The cabbie told the woman to use the cab parked behind his as he thought he was barred from carrying the dog for religious reasons.

He was later issued with 12 penalty points following the incident, which happened in August 2013.
The driver, who we can only identify from the name used in council papers as K, was so confused by the incident he contacted his Imam to ask for advice on what he should have done.

He was told by the Imam that he should have given the woman and her dog a lift – as he could have atoned for any breach of Ramadan's rules after the event.

Wealden District Council's licensing sub-committee discussed the matter on October 2, and considered whether K was still considered a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence.

Councillors stressed taxi drivers could not refuse to carry a disabled passenger or any assistance animal unless they were medically exempt from doing so under the Equalities Act.

And they added that next time he should consider whether working during Ramadan was a good idea.

The committee eventually decided it was clear that K had sought religious direction on the matter, and that he was now fully aware of his duties as a licensed driver and that he should not lose his job as a result of the incident.

Dave Stitchman, owner of East Grinstead's King Of The Road Cars taxi firm, said he would have respected the driver's religious beliefs.

He said: "I have not ever had a Muslim driver at the firm but we once had a Turkish man who just didn't turn up on his first day. Personally I would have tried to resolve the situation quickly to help both the taxi driver and the client.

"I'm not too sure what the rules of Ramadan are so I would have a quick look on the internet and tell the driver what he can and can't do. I would explain the situation to the client and be honest and up front about the reason why the driver feels the way he does."

Comment; With decent trade representation a saloon car driver can get away with this.
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New York.

Nissan's competitors no doubt find it gleeful that just three weeks before the launch of its New York City yellow taxi, the city welched on the deal.

Nissan had envisioned $1 billion in sales from its New York taxi contract. And it might or might not still see that. Nissan dealers have begun selling the taxi there anyway.

But wipe that competitive glee off your faces.

What New York did to Nissan says nothing about Nissan, and way too much about government contracts in the present era. There are certainly other automakers, auto dealers and auto services companies jockeying for a shot at government business somewhere right now.

A few years ago, as an image-building idea for the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city officials formulated a colorfully ambitious "Taxi of Tomorrow" plan. They asked for one standard taxi that would float in yellow fleets across the city like a tourist attraction. It would have to be state of the art, environmental and designed as in taxis of old to be roomy and comfortable.

To offset the expense of creating a low-volume vehicle, the city made the deal exclusive -- all new cab purchases for 10 years would have to be this one Taxi of Tomorrow.

Narrowing the field

The city invited all comers. It narrowed down the candidates to three -- Nissan, Ford and a little-known Turkish company. Public hearings were held to consider the options. Two years ago, the city selected Nissan and its compact commercial van, the NV200.

It would sell only in the low thousands for the next decade, but Nissan assured the public the deal would pencil out and serve as a profit center.

Nissan invested to design the vehicle to meet New York's wishes. It invested to manufacture the taxi in North America. There were r&d costs, marketing costs, corporate costs -- this stuff doesn't just happen by itself.

I was in Manhattan this summer and chatting with my cab driver about the Nissan taxi deal that was still scheduled to go into effect in late October. He was from Somalia and we were riding in a cramped Ford Escape that had been retrofitted as a taxi.

He was very aware of the Nissan Taxi of Tomorrow, and like most cab drivers, opinionated about it in diverse directions.

He said it just wasn't right to require people to buy a single vehicle and not give them a choice in the matter. Nonetheless, he told me, he had seen the Nissan taxi and really liked it. He wanted one, even though it just wasn't right that he didn't have a choice.

Political grumbles

The city's political forces have grumbled about it from the get-go. There was this complaint and that complaint. The NV200 would cost too much. But what was cheaper? It didn't meet the city's requirement because it wasn't available as a hybrid -- even though a hybrid version is planned. It didn't meet the city's contract because it was not wheelchair accessible, even though Nissan revealed a plan with Indiana accessibility company Braun Corp. to make the necessary conversions.

This taxi trade group and that owner's association challenged it in court. And in October -- scant days before the Nissan taxi was to launch -- a local court ruled the entire plan invalid.

In the final hammer blow, the court stepped over the hybrid complaint and the wheelchair issue and the other grumblings. It simply ruled that the city agency that had signed the contract with Nissan was not authorized to do so.

Years of planning have gone by while all of this cooked in public. And in the course of three years, no government leader, no attorney for the city, no thoughtful committee of retired judges stepped forward to resolve the legal questions to avert the crash, even though a well-meaning vendor was spending a fortune to comply with its publicly awarded contract.

Nobody was stealing anything. Nobody was sneaking through dark hallways with bags of cash. Nothing about the taxi deal was secret.

Nissan is acting all gracious about this nasty surprise -- the way you might behave if you showed up for a dinner invitation in black tie and tails, presented your invitation, and had the butler slam the door in your face.

What would Fred Astaire do? Sing, probably. Or go get a pastrami on rye somewhere.

Nissan has simply put the taxi on sale anyway, without the benefit of the city's contract, to let the market move forward as it pleases. There is not a lot of singing and dancing about it. My Somalian cabbie can now go buy one if he pleases, now that he has a choice. But the underpinnings of Nissan's contract -- the numbers and assumptions that motivated Nissan to bring him a new taxi in the first place -- have been snatched from the automaker's pockets.

This was a classic New York mugging.

The standard warning to tourists rings true for other hopeful city vendors: Keep your hand on your billfold and be careful whom you talk to.
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Eire Update.

Drivers sue State over ‘disastrous’ liberalisation of taxi licensing regime

Test cases brought to High Court over claims move breached constitutional rights

Many taxi drivers suffered a "financially disastrous overnight catastrophe" as a result of the unlawful, unreasonable and unfair liberalisation of the taxi licensing regime in 2000 and are entitled to damages, the High Court has been told.

Drivers who bought licences from other licence holders for up to £100,000 had their constitutional rights to property, equal treatment and to earn a livelihood breached when their value was wiped out overnight in 2000, Michael Collins SC said.

Some drivers bought licences as late as August 2000; by November, licences could be acquired for about £5,000.

Counsel was opening actions by three taxi drivers – Alphonsus Muldoon, Vincent Malone and Thomas Kelly – which are regarded as test cases for actions by some 1,200 other drivers arising from liberalisation of the licensing regime.

The case of Dublin-based Mr Muldoon, the first being opened, is against the Minister for Environment and Local Government, the State and Dublin City Council.

Mr Muldoon (66) bought a licence from another driver for £80,000 in 1998, plus a £3,000 licence fee. He claims the new regulations deprived him of an anticipated substantial asset he aimed to use for pension purposes.

He paid for it with his £40,000 life savings and by remortgaging his home for the other £40,000. While he was later paid €13,000 compensation under the Taxi Hardship Scheme, that did not compensate him for the loss, he claims.

As a result of the new licensing regime, he was unable to meet mortgage repayments over certain periods, his earning capacity and health were affected and he has been unable to provide for a pension.

The court heard no new licences were issued in Dublin over a 10-year period from 1978 beyond the approved number of 1,800. During the 1990s, approval was given for some extra licences. Mr Muldoon claims, when he sought to enter the trade in 1994, he was told he would have to buy a licence from an existing licence holder.

The actions, being heard by Mr Justice Michael Peart, are expected to run for several weeks. The judge will decide the issue of liability first. The defendants deny any liability

Eire, High Court test case begins.

MORE than 1,000 taxi drivers are suing the Government over claims their property rights were breached when the industry was de-regulated.

This morning the High Court will begin hearing three test cases by taxi drivers.

The drivers bought a licence valued at IR£80,000 – close to €100,000 – before deregulation in November 2000.

Some 1,200 legal actions are awaiting the outcome of the legal proceedings.

The taxi drivers are suing the Minister for the Environment and the Attorney General – as well as Dublin City Council and Ennis Town Council.

The drivers allege that deregulation breached their property rights under the Constitution.

They have also claimed that the Government, which is defending the test cases, breached EU competition laws when the industry was liberalised.

Regulations introduced in late 2000, following a High Court action, provided that any suitably qualified person could obtain a licence, effectively liberalising the market.

Taxi drivers say the "overnight" deregulation scheme wiped out the value of their licences.

They claim a scheme to compensate past and future losses was inadequate.

The legal actions were first lodged in 2002.

After deregulation, arrangements were put in place for the introduction of a scheme of refunds by certain local authorities – primarily Dublin Corporation, now Dublin City Council – in relation to taxi licence fees.

The Finance Act 2001 also included additional "mitigating" measures, providing for a new scheme of capital allowances for expenditure incurred on the cost of taxi licences acquired on or before November 21, 2000.

There were 32,346 active taxi licences in the Irish market last August according to the National Transport Authority (NTA).

I think we can expect a raft of these cases next year in the U.K.

East Sussex.

 Taxi driver narrowly escapes with life after huge tree falls on his cab

Police in East Sussex post a picture of the stricken cab on Twitter before revealing that one of their own patrol cars had been hit by a tree, minutes later

A taxi driver has narrowly escaped with his life after his car was crushed by a huge tree.
A picture of the badly damaged cab was posted on Twitter by Road Police East Sussex.
It shows the tree splayed across the vehicle in the middle of the road near Eastbourne.

Just minutes later Sussex Police tweeted that one of their own cars had been struck by a fallen tree.
The Tweet read: "And it happens to us! Police car damaged by falling tree on B2104 Mayfield Flat. Blocked road and brought BT cable down."

Another man in Sussex posted a picture of a "men at work" sign that had been blown into the middle of the street.

The storm, which is reportedly toppling trees and power lines, is moving in a northeasterly direction at around 45mph, according to the BBC.

It brought down power cables across the south, causing electricity cuts in some areas.
Kieran Hewitt in East Sussex, posted: "2nd power cut in the last 45 mins. Heavy rain and winds rising in Maresfield."

Stoke. PH car kills pedestrian.

Police have appealed for witnesses to a fatal road crash in Stoke-on-Trent early today.

A man in his twenties, believed to live locally, died after he was involved in a collision with a taxi in High Street, Sandyford, at around 4.15am.

Police said a man was driving the car that hit the pedestrian. It was a Toyota Avensis private hire car carrying passengers home following a night out.

Paramedics attended the incident near Tunstall but nothing could be done to save the man's life and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Crews arrived to

find a man and a car that had been in collision. The pedestrian, a man,

had suffered serious injuries and was in traumatic cardiac arrest.

"Unfortunately it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

PC Paul Hargreaves, from the collision investigation unit, said "We are keen to speak to anyone who was on their way home in the Tunstall and Sandyford areas at around 4am this morning.

"We have completed a very detailed examination of the scene and we have seized the car involved for further examination.

"Specially trained family liaison officers are working to inform the family of the man, and we understand he lived not far from the location of the collision. I urge anyone with information to contact us a soon as possible."

A male driver has been arrested in connection with the incident.

The road remained closed until midday to allow for the examination of the scene and recovery of the evidence.
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Bournemouth

A taxi driver who has spent 50 years behind the wheel of a cab has just clocked up 500,000 miles.

Mike Joy collected his first fare in 1963. But despite reaching retirement age 11 years ago, he's determined to carry on driving.

"It's nice to get up in the morning and not know where you will go in the day," he says. "One minute you could be in Bournemouth [his hometown] and the next you are half way up the country."

During his life on the road, Mike has seen the price of fairs rise from as little as one shilling six pence per mile to £4.12.

Famous passengers have included Tom Jones, Jim Davidson and Lionel Blair. "They all liked to chat to me as we drove along," Mike reveals. "When Tom Jones was touring in Bournemouth I used to take him to a nightclub with show girls."

Throughout his career he's driven a Morris Oxford, Austen Cambridge, Vauxhall Eelox, Austen Montego, a London taxi TX1 and now uses a yellow London taxi TX4.

"It was busier in the old days when you did six hours without switching your engine off," he reflects. "But nowadays you spend a lot of time waiting about. You aren't exactly rushed off your feet."

Mike hopes the day he collects his last fare is still some way off. "As long as I pass my medical every year I will continue to drive until I can't anymore," he says.
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Swansea, scruffy barstewards.

A CALL has gone out for a code of conduct and dress code to be introduced for taxi drivers - to stop them looking like "a collection of tramp/scarecrow look-a-likes".

Swansea resident Kelvin Hughes raised the issue after what he said was a bad experience with a cab in the city.

But cabbies and Swansea Council had defended taxi drivers in the county.
Mr Hughes said: “On crutches I caught a taxi: did the driver get off his backside to help? Of course not.

“People, tourists or business people arrive in Swansea for the first time and what do they see? A collection of tramp/scarecrow look-a-likes purporting to be taxi drivers.”
In the light of Swansea Bay’s bid to become the City of Culture in 2017, Mr Hughes called for a code of conduct and a dress code to smarten-up the image of taxi drivers.

But registered cabbies have rejected the accusation of slovenliness.

One driver, Andrew Bennett of Gorseinon's Phoenix Cabs, said helping people was part of the job.
Mr Bennett, who has been a taxi driver for 18 years, said: “I always make sure I look presentable as it provides people with a good opinion. I wear a polo shirt with my firm's name on it.
"Our job is dealing with the public and helping people is part and parcel of our job. If someone is struggling we make sure we help them."

He added: "A lot comes down to the driver’s personality – it’s in my nature to help someone out if they need assistance.”

A spokeswoman for Swansea Council said there were safeguards in place, and that the byelaws covering hackney carriages stated that drivers "must be suitably attired in suitable clean clothing" and their cabs must been clean, inside and out.

Wirral.

Former teacher beat up taxi driver in drunken frenzy

John Randall, 36, repeatedly punched taxi driver fracturing his eye socket

An emergency 999 operator listened to a taxi driver’s screams as he was beaten up by a drunken passenger.

James Furlong picked up ex-teacher John Randall in Bromborough Village, Wirral , at 7.15pm on April 4 and Randall, clutching a Chinese takeaway, asked him to take him to Little Sutton.

Kim Egerton, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Randall was drunk and his speech was slurred so Mr Furlong asked him for £10 in advance.

As they were driving along the A41 Randall began waving his arms around and making “whooping noises”.

She said his “attitude changed” and he started asking what the driver’s name was but when Mr Furlong, 44, wouldn’t say he told him: “I will find out who you are.”

She said he stopped the taxi, gave him his £10 back and told him to get out but he wouldn’t so he called 999.

Randall then started shouting abuse at him, saying he was going to “f*** him”.

Ms Egerton, said: “Mr Furlong pointed out the operator would be able to hear him but that didn’t stop him.”

Randall, 36, then punched him repeatedly in the face and ran off, leaving his takeaway behind and Mr Furlong with a fractured eye socket.

He was arrested a month later after being identified by CCTV from the takeaway but said it the driver who was the aggressor and had given him a split lip.

Randall, of Chester Road, Ellesmere Port, later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Keith Sutton, defending, said: “He had difficulty coming to terms with the fact that he had acted so out of character. Once he heard the evidence it was very clear what he had done and he abandoned his poor recollection.”

He said he was disgusted with his behaviour and expressed his sincere apologies.

Randall had previously worked as a teacher and was considering going back into the job but Mr Sutton accepted his conviction made that “problematic”.

Judge Brian Lewis, jailed Randall for eight months, saying: “The 999 operator heard you threatening the complainant in abusive and obscene language. He heard Mr Furlong’s screams when he was being hit.

“Mr Furlong was subjected to a quite disgraceful, unprovoked and sustained attack. The sentence must therefore be imprisonment.”
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Liverpool Wi-Fi

Council bosses in Liverpool are to decide whether or not to roll out mobile WiFi in the city's black cabs.

A meeting of the licensing committee is taking place today (Thurs) where the decision will be made.

The technology to fit the Hackney cabs with WiFi has been pioneered by 'Ubiquitous' - a company in London which has already seen success in other cities around the UK.

Marketing Director, Sarah Prideman, said: "We're now in a world where people expect to be able to be online everywhere. One of the frustrations about being in a busy city is that it's actually quite hard to find a stable connection.

"You can get it in restaurants, and shops, but when you're actually transiting around the city it is difficult to get connected.

"One of the things we asked people - and we asked thousands - was are you likely to look for a taxi that has this service, and overwhelmingly they said yes. So, I do think it will be a positive thing and I do thing it'll be a positive thing for drivers if they have a sign in their window that says they offer WiFi."
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Bedford.

Travel Safer taxi passenger app launched by Bedford man

The app "provides accountability" to both passengers and drivers

A man whose friend was sexually assaulted by an unlicensed cab driver has developed a mobile phone app to track the route of taxis and minicabs.

Anthony Price, from Bedford, says his free Travel Safer app allows the user to record the registration number of the vehicle they are getting into.

Their journey is then traceable and can also be followed on social media.

Bedfordshire Police said they welcomed safety initiatives but warned people to be careful what they share online.

Mr Price said in 2005 a friend had unknowingly got into an unlicensed vehicle in Peterborough and was sexually assaulted.

She was not able to get the registration details after the attack and the offender was never traced.

'Privacy policy'
"We thought there must be a way to prevent it happening again but at that time the technology didn't exist," he said.

"As soon as technology allowed, we went to the drawing board; now phones have got GPS it's a lot easier to track [people]."

The app captures the user's time and location of check-in and posts the vehicle details to the user's Facebook timeline.

All the passenger's social media "friends" can see where they are so Mr Price said the app was subject to "the person's own privacy policy".

"They can opt out of it being posted on social media, but the journey is still traceable," he said.

"Not only does [it] give friends and family reassurance their loved one is traceable, it provides accountability to both passengers and drivers of taxi or private-hire vehicles," he said.

Mr Price said any profits made from a "pro" version of the app, which allows passengers to check out of a vehicle and add an image, would go to rape victim charities.

Grandmother with dementia sent to wrong address from hospital in taxi half-naked

A DEMENTIA-stricken grandmother was sent home from hospital in a taxi – naked but for a flimsy bed gown.

Bungling medical staff also gave the driver the wrong address for 76-year-old Sylvia Dawson, who was alone.

She could not tell him where she lived and the driver frantically tried to locate her husband Terry, 80.

Mrs Dawson finally arrived distressed at her front door in a rainstorm, clutching the plastic bag of clothes staff at the Carlisle hospital had not bothered to dress her in.

Yesterday health chiefs at North Cumbria NHS Trust apologised “wholeheartedly” for the mother-of-three’s treatment after a fall.

Tragically, within two days of her ordeal, Sylvia’s condition deteriorated and she is now in residential care, unlikely to return home to Appleby.

Mr Dawson was disillusioned and shattered” by his wife’s treatment.

“It is beyond belief,” he said.

“I can’t imagine what staff were thinking when they put her into that taxi, undressed, when it was very cold, pouring with rain and blowing half a gale. She was clearly distressed and stark naked save for a hospital gown and light wrap.”

He added: “It was the sheer callousness of the way they sent her home, shipping her off in the nearest cattle wagon they could find.”

In August, Mrs Dawson, a former office manager who has eight grand­children, was assessed by carers and a psychologist and was unable to answer the simplest of cognitive questions.

Mr Dawson said it should have been “obvious to anyone at A&E” that his wife would not know her correct address.

Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, failed to update medical records and sent Sylvia to a former address after treating her head wound.

It was only because she had kept the same telephone number that the cab driver finally located her house.

Mr Dawson has also complained to the Care Quality Commission which is already investigating the NHS trust after it featured in the Keogh Review and was put into special measures.

The trust said: “The circumstances around Mrs Dawson’s discharge are clearly unacceptable and do not meet the high standards of safe and compassionate care that we aim to provide.”

An investigation has begun.
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Swindon

TAXI driver Will Russell has described the moment a minicab hit his vehicle and flipped onto its roof.

Will, 40, a self-employed driver from Lambourn, was standing next to his Peugeot Expert people carrier waiting to collect a passenger at the train station on Saturday when the incident happened.

Two taxis owned by Cross Street Radio Cars were involved in the crash on Station Road at around 9.30pm. One of the taxis, a Ford Mondeo, upturned onto its roof after driving into a Vauxhall Vectra taxi and Will’s people carrier.

“It was all a bit of a blur because I was standing next to my vehicle as it happened,” he said. “I was on the phone when the Mondeo came round the corner. The next thing I knew I heard a massive bang and my vehicle was thrown 10 feet down the road.

“The red Vectra had been parked just past the traffic lights. I spoke to the driver afterwards and he said it all happened in slow motion for him.

“When the Vectra driver saw me standing next to my car he thought I was a gonner. Luckily it did not hit me. Two minutes earlier I had been standing at the rear of the car and it could have been a very different story. I think there must have been a guardian angel looking after me.”

Reports that the Mondeo was speeding have not been proven, and Cross Street Radio Cars has stated unequivocally the Mondeo had not been travelling over the speed limit.

“There were between 50 and 100 people there at the time around the pubs, and it could have been a lot worse had he gone into some people at the station,” said Will, who is unable to continue his business because he says his car will be written off.

“My car is undriveable now and I am waiting for a replacement from my insurance company. The rear axle is snapped and part of the rear is caved in. I work for myself so I can’t carry on with my business.”

A spokesman for Cross Street Radio Cars said: “Reports of speeding are wide of the mark. We have a system which tracks our drivers and runs off a GPS.

“It gives a figure accurate to within half-a-mile an hour. The speed limit in this street was 30 miles per hour and our machinery shows the car was on 30 miles per hour.

“The worst case scenario is he was driving at 30.5 miles an hour.”

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “Even though we have spoken to witnesses, we would ask anyone else who may have information to contact us immediately.”

DETROIT -- The Ford Transit Connect Taxi is going global as the automaker announced that it would begin selling the vehicles in Hong Kong in early 2014.

New Transit Connect vehicles sold in Hong Kong, will come equipped with a Ford-engineered, liquefied petroleum gas fuel system to make use of the well-established LPG infrastructure in the country. This feature is an option on the models sold in the United States.

"Since 2010, Transit Connect models sold have had the option to be upfitted with a fuel system that can run on compressed natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas" Ford truck communications manager Mike Levine said.

In the United States, the 2014 model is available with a $300 factory-installed engine prep package that enables the vehicle to withstand the demands of CNG/LPG fuel.

The vehicles, expected to go on sale in early 2014, come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine combined with a six-speed automatic transmission. And by modifying the vehicles to run on CNG/LPG at the factory, or at a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier, the upgrades will not affect the factory-set calibrations.

"(The) Ford Transit Connect Taxi has proven itself in taxi fleets across the U.S.," Raj Nair, group vice president said in a statement. "Now, we are building on that success, offering the vehicle for sale in even more markets, including global cities like Hong Kong."

The 2014 Transit Connect Taxi has decreased height to give taxi companies more clearance to place advertisements on the roof. The floor has been lowered to improve access. The taxi can be made wheelchair accessible through the Qualified Vehicle Modifier program.

The 2014 model also is longer than its predecessor, allowing for seating for five and increased cargo space. The extra interior space can be used to haul more luggage or to hold the CNG/LPG tank if the vehicle is converted from gasoline.

"We're leveraging our longtime leadership and expertise in the North American taxi market to ensure the Transit Connect Taxi exceeds the expectations of taxi operators and their passengers," Tim Stoehr, commercial truck marketing manager for Ford, said in a statement. "Transit Connect Taxi has been popular in major metropolitan cities since it debuted in 2010, and it has only gotten better."

According to Ford, it owns nearly 60 percent of the taxi market and in 2012, 55 percent of Transit Connect sales were to fleets.

In addition to the new Transit Connect Taxi being launched globally, Ford is planning on bringing the Connect Wagon stateside from Europe by early 2014. A move which Ford hopes will pay off for them.

"We believe there's an opportunity. The Transit Connect Wagon is virtually the same size as seven-passenger minivans were when they were introduced during the 1980s," Levine said. "Since then, they've gotten too big, too expensive and consume too much fuel."

The Transit Connect Wagon is a seven-passenger people hauler, and according to Levine, is expected to get more than 30 mpg, 5 mpg more than the Toyota Sienna on the highway.

New York.

Never mind nickel-and-diming. The city is now stooping to nickel-and-pennying.

This week, The Post reported how the city’s taxi drivers are now being charged a new tax of 6 cents — i.e., a nickel and a penny — per ride. The hidden add-on is supposed to go toward programs that help cabbies figure out ObamaCare (good luck with that one) and for disability insurance “over and above” what medallion owners must already provide.

Six cents a ride may not sound like much. But for drivers who handle more than 100 fares a week (many get more), it adds up to a new $300-plus annual tax.

Cab drivers are right to be livid, particularly given that some of them thought the money would be used to pay for actual health insurance — not instructions on how to buy it.

But cab riders should also be fuming, because the ObamaCare surcharge was OK’d by the city last year as part of a fare increase that New Yorkers pay each time they get into a cab.

It’s government-creep in action: Riders foot the tab for a fare hike that includes a hidden tax to pay for government-mandated services to help drivers figure out a law that’s too complicated for them to understand but nonetheless requires them to buy insurance they don’t necessarily want or need.

And the president wonders why ObamaCare remains unpopular?
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West Midlands

A two-year-old girl needed hospital treatment after suffering a serious head injury when a brick was thrown through a taxi window.

The child and her mother were in a cab at around 9.30pm in Wednesbury, the West Midlands, when there was a loud smash.

The little girl began to cry and her 26-year-old mother discovered she had suffered a deep gash to the back of her head and was bleeding heavily.

The taxi driver pulled over and discovered part of a house brick had been through through the rear window which had shattered.

The child was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she needed stitches and was kept in for observation.

The attack happened on Tuesday, October 8.

Detective Constable Debbie Hickinbottom said: "Fortunately the child was not permanently harmed and she has made a speedy recovery. However the incident has left her mother deeply shaken.

"We are checking local buildings for CCTV, but meanwhile we are hoping that a member of the public may have witnessed something which will lead us to the culprit."
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Dudley

A TAXI crackdown between police and Dudley Council is being planned in the run-up to Christmas to improve customer safety.

Council licensing enforcement officers and cops will be hitting the streets on covert operations to ensure hackney carriage and private hire vehicle drivers are operating within the rules of their licences.

The planned pre-Christmas operations follow a successful operation held on October 11 in the Stourbridge and Lye areas where around 20 vehicles were checked.

The checks ensure private hire drivers are only taking pre-booked customers and not collecting people who hail them down without making a reservation.

Hackney carriages will also be checked to ensure they are running their meters appropriately from the start of all journeys.

In the October operation all eight hackney carriages checked used their meter appropriately.

Only one of 12 private hire vehicles inspected collected passengers without a reservation - the driver of which is currently the subject of an investigation before any action is taken by the authority.

Councillor Richard Body, chairman of the taxis committee, said: “The hugely successful operation this month showed the vast majority of taxi drivers are obeying the rules of their licence which is very pleasing and reassuring for customers. “We will be looking to carry out similar operations in the run-up to the busy Christmas period to help maintain these high standards and enhance the safety of the public.”
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A TORBAY taxi driver appeared in court on Friday charged with sexually assaulting two female passengers.
Brian Timms, 61, of Arden Drive in Torquay, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Paignton.

Timms was not required to enter a plea during the short hearing before Judge Erik Salomonsen at Exeter Crown Court.
A plea hearing will take place at the same court on January 31.


A provisional trial date was set for July 7 next year.
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New York (2)

Hail a yellow cab in New York City today, and you could be stepping into a dog's breakfast of vehicles, ranging from a cavernous Toyota (TM) Sienna minivan to a claustrophobic Ford Escape crossover. After climbing into the rear seat, you may find yourself nostalgic for a yellow Crown Victoria, an obsolete sedan that had been in production for 20 years when Ford (F, Fortune 500) discontinued it in 2011. But chances are you won't be sliding your fanny into very many Nissan NV200s, the one-time "taxi of tomorrow" that now has only a slim chance of becoming a taxi of today.

The Nissan cab, which was supposed to replace nearly all of the 16 different models currently certified as New York City taxi-worthy, found itself detoured by a combination of technical shortcomings, city hall bumbling, and plain old political hardball. For Nissan, the failure of the NV200 to take over the entire fleet represents a financial loss of $50 million, a missed marketing opportunity, and a very public embarrassment.

What became the plan's knockout punch was thrown in October when a state Supreme Court judge made a third adverse ruling preventing the city from going ahead with the plan. The Bloomberg Administration said it planned an immediate appeal, but with Mayor Bloomberg due to leave office on Dec. 31, little time is left to go forward, and neither of the two candidates expected to succeed him in 2014 favors the project.

Opposition was vocal. "The so-called Taxi of Tomorrow is a misnomer," Ethan Gerber, executive director of the Greater New York Taxi Association, which represents fleet owners, told Capital New York. "There is nothing 'tomorrow' about it. Let's call it Taxi of Yesterday. It is not accessible. It is not clean-air. It is a non-accessible, non-hybrid, non-clean air, old-fashioned combustion engine."


http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/18/autos/nissan-taxi-nyc.fortune/index.html?section=magazines_fortune&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmagazines_fortune+%28Fortune+Magazine%29

Chinese Propaganda

After yesterdays debate in Coventry, where the Local hackney trade are trying to bin the condition that they must use locally assembled TX vehicles, LTC are fighting back with more press statements.

Here is one posted on Youtube.

The Chinese spokesman states with conviction, that the Chinese built TX and the Coventry TX are built to the same standard.

I  agree with him without reservation. They are both crap. The whole UK trade know it, that's why they cannot sell any, here in the UK.

The Chinese only copy and build crap, end of story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbqwkAgrMD8&feature=youtu.be&a

Windsor

Windsor 'horrific' fake taxi rapist Anshul Sharma jailed

Sharma told the victim he had a taxi that could take her to the train station
A man who carried out a "horrific" rape on a woman inside a car that she thought was a taxi has been jailed for five years.

Anshul Sharma, of Hencroft Street South, Slough, attacked the 19-year-old in the back of a car being driven through Windsor by his friend in May.

Det Insp Andy Howard called it "the most terrifying 10 minutes of [the victim's] life".

Sharma pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday.

Police said he approached the victim in William Street after he heard her telling a friend she needed a lift.

He told her he had a taxi and that he could take her to the train station.

But when she got into the back of the car with him he tried to kiss her, and when she tried to get the vehicle to stop she was locked in.

Sharma then pulled her on to his lap and raped her, the court heard.

'Element of planning'
The woman, who is now 20, "struggled violently" and was able to make the car stop by reaching for the driver's door, unlocking the car and enabling her to flee.

Sharma was arrested by police two nights later when he was in William Street again.

Det Insp Andy Howard, who was the investigating officer for Thames Valley Police, said: "This was a horrific attack on a young woman who was enjoying a normal night out with friends.

"At the time Sharma approached her she was trying to arrange a lift from a friend but the friend did not know Windsor and was unable to find her.

"It is clear from CCTV footage that Sharma realised the victim was on her own and purposefully pursued her, trying to engage her in conversation.

"It is also clear that the only reason the victim got into the car was because she believed it was a taxi.

"The offence of rape is always very serious but this incident presented a number of aggravating features: an element of planning, deceit regarding the taxi, the victim being unable to get out of the car and the vulnerability of the victim.

"It is also very concerning that when Sharma was arrested two nights later he was in the same location in Windsor at the same time of night.

"I firmly believe that he was there with the intention of targeting other vulnerable females."

Sharma is in the UK on an expired student visa and is due to be deported at the end of his sentence.

His friend, who was driving the car, was arrested but later released without any further action.


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Walsall Idiot.

Taxi straight to jail please - dopey thief who robbed cabbie at knifepoint ordered pick-up to OWN house

Jamie O’Neill, 27, even used his own phone in his half-baked crime, making it easy for police to nab him

A dopey thief called a cab so he could rob the driver at knifepoint, but ordered it to pick him up at his house.

Jamie O’Neill, 27, even used his own phone in his half-baked crime, making it easy for police to nab him.

And he walked back into his home after stealing the driver’s £240 phone - just 10 yards from the crime scene.

O’Neill, of Walsall, was given four years at Wolverhampton crown court.

The victim - named only as Mr Ahmed in court - raised the alarm over his taxi radio and police rushed to the scene.

And after the bemused driver simply pointed out the house which O’Neill had gone back into he was promptly arrested shortly after.

Even his defence lawyer, admitted: “It defies all logic. On the level of stupidity, it’s right up there.”

Judge Robin Onions described the crime as ‘bizarre’.

He said: “Only you will know what was going through your mind."

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Bristol.

A TAXI driver sexually assaulted a Bristol university student in his cab – which led to his conviction for the grooming of under-age girls.

Easton Williams, 72, invited his drunk victim into the front seat on the way back from a club before ripping her tights in an attempt to touch her.

Earlier this year Williams, 72, of Ashley Road, St Paul's, faced 22 charges relating to the grooming of girls from the age of ten between 1992 and 2002, but the trail collapsed over allegations of collusion between witnesses.

But he was hauled before a judge for a second time after police took into account his more recent attack on the student returning from Oceana night club.

On this occasion, Williams pleaded guilty to 20 offences and was jailed for six and a half years at Bristol Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Carol Hagen tied together his "opportunist" attack in his cab with his grooming which "permanently damaged" the lives of his younger victims.Williams pleaded guilty to 17 counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency between 1992 and 2002 as well as the sexual assault in 2011.

The court heard how Williams befriended four young girls by offering them money and grooming them until they would agree to play drinking games.

"The children say the defendant acted in a sexually inappropriate manner," said prosecutor Donald Tait. "He would regularly say he would 'break them in'."

He added that one victim, aged 14 or 15 at the time, described the defendant as being "generous with money – it was money for nothing at first but as time progressed he would expect something in return".Another 15-year-old victim recalled the defendant playing games with the group of youngsters.

Mr Tait said: "After plying them with alcohol and cannabis he would involve them in competitions of who could drink and smoke the most, for obvious reasons."

As the girls grew older Williams attempted to keep a lid on the sexual encounters by paying his victims off.
The court heard that relationships developed where the girls would end up blackmailing him.
Williams' final victim was a regular customer in his cab whom he picked up on a night out at city centre club Oceana.

In court, he pleaded guilty to assaulting her in January 2011.After consulting with her boyfriend, the 22-year-old victim finally reported the incident later that year and the delay allowed Williams' first trial to go ahead without the charges.

Laurie-Anne Power, defending, said Williams should be given credit for finally pleading guilty – something that would bring closure to the case for the long-suffering victims.In sentencing, Judge Hagen said that Williams had corrupted the young girls he assaulted and "destroyed their childhood and adolescence".
She added: "What you did permanently damaged their lives."

Law Commission Update.

The Law Commission Draft bill has been put back to April 2014.

They have got writers cramp. The good news is that because of the Parliamentary process, it is in the 'long grass'. That means as April 2014 starts the 'Hustings' (last year of the current Parliament) the whole matter is likely to get dropped.

Lets hope so.

http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/areas/taxi-and-private-hire-services.htm

Coventry taxi drivers 'could stop using city-built cabs'

Plans to relax the rules on the types of vehicles allowed to be driven by Coventry taxi drivers are considered.

The city council is consulting on the proposals, ahead of a decision in December.

All taxis licensed to use ranks in Coventry have to be hackney carriages, made by the city's London Taxi Company (LTC), to meet the council's wheelchair accessibility and turning circle rules.

Taxi drivers have said the current rules create an expensive monopoly.

Coventry hackney carriage driver Arulampalam Murguganantham said: "I will definitely change to a Peugeot or Citroen if we can.

"We need seven-seaters and the finance and insurance costs on new black cabs are just not acceptable."

Black cab driver Hashmat Zarie said: "It's a monopoly at the moment.

"If the black cab was as efficient and cost the same as others like the Nissan then we would prefer the black cab.

"We like supporting local jobs but you've got to think of your own pocket first."

Peter Johansen, from LTC, based on the Holyhead Road, agreed the vehicle is expensive, with current models costing £36,000, but said "very affordable" four-year schemes cost drivers £135 a week.
Ours is the only purpose-built vehicle in the world.

"We are the best vehicle for wheelchair users, with the highest head room, hearing loops for the hearing impaired, swivel seats for those without wheelchairs. We are fully accessible."

LTC (previously known as LTI) went into administration in October 2012 and was bought by Chinese firm Geely five months later.

Full-scale production of black cabs in Coventry restarted last month, after 99 of its 176 employees lost their jobs.

A council spokesperson said disabled access was a priority and taxi vehicle manufacturers, vehicle converters, organisations representing disabled people and the Coventry taxi trade were being consulted.

A full report will be considered by councillor Rachel Lancaster, the cabinet member responsible for taxi licensing, on 10 December.

Bryan Rowland from the National Private hire Association was interviewed on this matter.

The interview can be heard here.;
http://chirb.it/81OvnN

Milton Keynes.

Several city taxi drivers were caught driving illegally after a crackdown involving Milton Keynes Council and Thames Valley Police.

The operation, carried out over the weekend of October 5 and 6, saw 10 private hire vehicle drivers caught allegedly plying for hire in and around the city centre.

The drivers will now be dealt with according to their respective licensing authority policy, which could see them appear at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court.

The operation was carried out as part of an ongoing campaign to promote safety, protect the public and educate private hire and taxi drivers, said a spokesman for Milton Keynes Council.

The council and Thames Valley Police were growing more concerned over members of the public using private hire vehicles without booking before hand.

As private hire vehicles they are not allowed to pick up fares on the street and can only drive those who have pre-booked, unlike Hackney Carriage drivers.

This is because an accident would see insurance claims nullified for drivers and passengers.

Karen Ford, head of the council’s regulatory unit, said: “The council promotes a fair trading environment so when a driver has not paid for a Hackney licence, but still picks up fares straight off the street this is unfair to those Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers who are operating lawfully.

Police superintendent, Barry Halliday, said: “These types of joint robust operations are focused on keeping people safe, nothing more.”

Newcastle striker Loic Remy has found his touch in front of goal in recent weeks, but he was off-target close to the club's St James' Park stadium on Saturday night.

According to a report in The Sun, the French striker pulled out on a taxi in his Audi R8 and smashed into the vehicle.

The taxi driver, Andrew Watson, told the newspaper that Remy was injured in the accident.

"The car turned right in front of me and all I could do was slam my brakes on but we hit it. My passengers were thrown forward off the seat and were all hurt. I hit my head. He (Remy) was on his phone limping about. He’d hurt his left leg."

The Cab driver reckons the E7 is a write off.. 

For £20 it would get passed here in Manchester.

Tyneside.

Blueline Taxis has unveiled ambitious plans to create hundreds of new jobs on Tyneside, coupled with a unique driver earnings guarantee to ensure a living wage for all drivers.

The family-run taxi company, which has expanded its fleet to more than 600 cars in recent years, is recruiting across all parts of its business, looking for drivers, mechanics and call centre staff at its Wallsend headquarters.

Blueline has continued to expand right through the recession and, as the region’s economy returns to growth, the company is now seeing a rapid increase in bookings from business and leisure customers.

This growth in demand has led to further investment with more vehicles and new staff.

Ian Shanks, owner and managing director of Blueline, said: “We’re putting our money where our mouth is, creating jobs with guaranteed earnings for hard-working people in the North East.

"With all the coverage in the press about zero-hours contracts, we are offering a guarantee that take-home pay for our drivers will never drop below £350 per week, which equates to a salary of just under £23,000 a year.

“This commitment to our employees will sit alongside our continued investment in new vehicles and the latest technology, ensuring we are able to deliver the highest quality service at the lowest possible price to our customers.“

All drivers and call centre staff will receive full training at Blueline’s bespoke training academy, where all new recruits are provided with the skills and knowledge required to drive taxis and deal with customers. Drivers require a driving license and mechanics must have a Level 3 qualification.

Mr Shanks: “While all drivers will have a minimum take home wage packet of £350 per week, they will have the opportunity to earn much more, particularly during the busy festive season.


“Working with Blueline offers genuine prospects for advancement and personal development as we continue our ambitious expansion plans.“
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October 14, 2013 06:01 CET
PARIS (Bloomberg) 

The French government will limit minicab services after protests from taxi drivers and will add more taxi licenses in Paris to satisfy residents of the nation's capital who say they can never find a cab.

Minicabs, or car services provided by unmarked vehicles, will have to wait 15 minutes between receiving a reservation and picking up a client, and the ban on them being hailed on the street will be reinforced, Interior Minister Manuel Valls and Commerce Minister Sylvia Pinel said in a joint statement.

The 15-minute delay won't apply to tourist hotels and to professional trade fairs.

An additional 1,000 taxi licenses will be added for the Paris region, on the condition they are prepared to work evenings and weekends, Valls and Pinel said in the statement.

There are 17,357 taxis in the Paris region, according to the Paris Police's Web site, compared with 32,000 in 1937 when the government first began limiting the number of licenses.

Valls and Pinel also said the government will attempt to count the number of minicabs, for which there are no verifiable statistics. A 2010 law on tourism services opened the way for minicabs, and 323 companies have been registered in Paris alone,

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Norwich

Courtesy Taxis welcomed in the cameras for a fly-on-the-wall documentary showcasing the 24-7 demands of running the city’s biggest taxi firm – including dealing with kicking-out time at its Prince of Wales Road offices.

Owner Mark Streeter said the one-hour programme encapsulated the daily life of a taxi driver – from the genteel daytime clientele through to “the night-time manoeuvres”.

“We see the full spectrum – as drivers we see the nicest and we see the nastiest,” said Mr Streeter, 45, who bought the company eight years ago.

And despite much of the action centring on the intoxicated antics of Courtesy’s customers in the wee small hours, Mr Streeter insisted the programme was positive for the city.

“I’m Norwich born and bred and I love Norwich, so I’m glad that it shows it as a nice, vibrant, lively city with everyone enjoying themselves.

“Yes, you’ve got people falling around and being drunk, but it’s all in good taste, and it’s very funny.

“It will show the varied customers that we have at Courtesy Taxis, from lovely silver-haired ladies getting their hair done, to transvestites, to a bunch of lads who have no shame.”

Much of the action centres around Courtesy’s 50-seat waiting area, complete with door staff and taxi marshalls, which can become a venue in its own right on a Friday or Saturday night.

“After a night out, what you want is a cab and a kebab, and our waiting area is a safe place for people to get their taxi home,” said Mr Streeter.

“We often have people in there at 7am on a Sunday after a night out, as it’s a meeting point for people.

“It’s a 24-7 operation, and we never close. You could have your Christmas dinner there if you wanted.”

Mr Streeter, who lives in Hevingham, said he hoped the one-off show could lead to follow-ups if it proves popular.

Up All Night: The Minicab Office airs on Thursday, October 24 at 10pm on Channel 4.

Black Cab driver's receive illegal state aid ??

Part of minicab operator Addison Lee’s legal battle to win the same rights to use bus lanes as London’s iconic black taxis is heading for the European Court of Justice after the British court asked for a ruling on European anti-competition law.

The court has requested a European ruling on whether “making a bus lane on a public road available to black cabs but not minicabs, during the hours of operation of that bus lane, involves the use of ‘State resources’ of Article 107 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union”.

This is the section of the European Treaty originally intended to stop member nations from illegally supporting their major industries to give them advantages over other nations It was used to force RBS to sell hundreds of bank branches as a condition of its huge state bail-out during the financial crisis.
The ruling could ultimately mean the right to use London’s roads could be decided across the Channel in the Luxembourg-based court.
Addison Lee, through its subsidiary Eventech, has been fighting with Transport for London (TfL) for several years to win equal rights to black cabs. In April the battle reached the Court of Appeal with a ruling now awaited.
However, only in recent weeks have documents been officially released which revealed the court wanted a European decision on state aid.
A spokesman for Addison Lee said: “We are pleased that the matter has been referred to the European Courts as we believe that the current legislation is a breach of the EU and UK law. You can’t discriminate between two types of taxis and we are pleased to have the opportunity to continue the fight against this injustice.”
TfL was unavailable for comment.

Bath

A Bath taxi driver has had to pay up more than £600 after ignoring a no right turn sign outside Bath Spa station and then arguing with the police officer who tried to stop him.
Ian Holwill, 47, was filmed by PC Prav Tailor, who was wearing a body worn video camera, trying to turn right out of the station back in April.

The recording shows a Blue Skoda Octavia taxi indicating to turn right as it was leaving the station front.
PC Tailor instructed Holwill to drive straight along Dorchester Street and not to turn right but he began to remonstrate and shout at the officer before accelerating, narrowly missing a cyclist to his left and then stopping to perform a u-turn in the middle of the road a few metres along Dorchester Street.


Again PC Tailor approached the vehicle and challenged the driver, instructing him to calm down and also informing him that the incident was being filmed.
He also noticed that a passenger was in the taxi at the time.
PC Tailor, a British Transport Police officer, informed Holwill that he had failed to go straight ahead when instructed and that his driving was dangerous.
He also noted that the driver was now blocking the road and that he would be spoken to by police at a later date.
Holwill was sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution and submitted a letter to the courts explaining his version of the events, challenging the validity of the British Transport Police officer’s authority to deal with this incident.

Holwill was found guilty of failing to conform to a traffic sign during a hearing at Bath Magistrates’ Court.
He was fined £180 and fined a further £180 for failing to obey an instruction given by a police officer.
He was also told to pay court costs of £250 and a £20 victim surcharge, and his driving licence was endorsed with three penalty points.
PC Tailor said: “The fine and penalty points show how seriously the courts have taken this blatant breach of road traffic regulations.
“The signs are there for a reason and for the safety of all road users and pedestrians. Holwill clearly believed he could ignore the no right turn and do as he wished, putting others in danger.
“I hope this will serve as a warning to any other road users who believe they have the right to ignore the road traffic signs outside Bath Spa station that, if caught, the courts will not take the matter lightly.”


 http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Video-Bath-taxi-driver-s-station-row-policeman/story-19908482-detail/story.html#ixzz2hIVcyk9w 

Whitby.

A police inspection of Whitby’s taxi rank found 20% of drivers were committing offences from failing to wear identification badges to having vehicle defects.

The operation was carried out on Friday 27 September with the police, county and borough councils.

26 vehicles were inspected and while two thirds were given a clean bill of health, four received defect notices for worn tyres and minor issues with steering and exhaust systems.

Driver documentation was also inspected and 20% of drivers were found to be committing offences either for failing to wear their badge and/or failing to display their photographic I.D, one was taken to task for having no door signage on his private hire vehicle, failing to wear his badge and also having no photographic ID on display.

Warnings were also issued for dirty cars and the prosecutable offence of permitting a private hire vehicle to be parked on a hackney carriage rank.

Police officers confirmed that whilst some fixed penalty notices could also have been issued, repair notices were used on this occasion instead.

Coun Brian Watson, chairman of the borough council’s, said: “We take the safety of the travelling public very seriously and it is important that licensed drivers adhere to the law with regard to vehicle maintenance, tax and insurance to ensure the safety of all road users.”

“We shall be organising more snap inspections in the near future and taking firm action where vehicles are found not to be fully roadworthy. The same shall apply to drivers who are non-complaint, particularly where they fail to display the mandatory photographic ID notices or fail to wear ID badges.”

Miami .

More Than 100 Cab Drivers Protest Reforms of South Florida Taxi Cab Industry

Heeding complaints from the tourism industry and feeling the heat from major event organizers the commission, with plenty of encouragement from Mayor Carlos Gimenez, have laid out a path toward improvement.

More than 100 cabbies and cab company owners swarmed into Miami-Dade County Hall as the county commission launched a reform of the South Florida taxi cab industry.

Heeding complaints from the tourism industry and feeling the heat from major event organizers the commission, with plenty of encouragement from Mayor Carlos Gimenez, have laid out a path toward improvement.

Under discussion: expansion of town car service which will answer the call for higher end transportation demanded by event attendees.

One such service called Uber provides an app for cell phones. Members merely hit the app and a car driven by an owner/driver picks them up.

That one has local cabbie and cab owners chewing nails. The commissioners want cabs that serve the airport and the port to be equipped with credit card machines, to be later model cabs, and drivers who are well-dressed.

Speaking about the state of the local cab industry County Commissioner Audrey Edmundson said: "They have allowed their domination to benefit themselves with outdated cars. Poor service has become the rule rather than the exception."

The app town car service is of high concern to taxi company owners and independent drivers that paid in some cases more that 100-thousand dollars for a permit to drive in the county.

They say the town car services will allow anyone who has a vehicle that passes county inspection will be allowed to pick up passengers.

Cab owner Frank Hernandez says,"Can you imagine if they put thousands of these vehicles on the road? No one will make money."

The cab industry reform legislation will go through additional public hearings before a final vote.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/More-Than-100-Cab-Drivers-Protest-Reforms-of-South-Florida-Taxi-Cab-Industry-225102972.html?

London Taxi Drivers Anger Over Licence Delays.

Posters of the home secretary are being used by taxi drivers campaigning against delays in background checks.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said certificates proving safeguarding checks take up to 10 weeks to arrive.

It wants the Home Office to send certificates directly to Transport for London (TfL) so drivers can be licensed quicker.

A Home Office spokesman said the procedure was a matter for the body which performs the safeguarding checks.

Protest posters featuring Theresa May will appear on black cabs in London as well as on advertising vans and in newspapers.

'Angry and frustrated'

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said he had written to the home secretary and other civil servants to ask to remove the "red tape", but to no avail.

He said: "There are currently upwards of 200 drivers out of work, unable to pay their mortgages, rent and feed their families.

"Our members are angry and frustrated at the intransigence of the Home Office and this campaign is aimed at venting that anger towards the one person who could solve the problem quickly and easily but refuses to do so."

But the Home Office spokesman said: "The decision to not renew taxi licences pending the result of checks has been made by taxi licensing authorities - not the Home Office."

'Quicker and easier'

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) replaced the Criminal Records Bureau and Independent Safeguarding Authority in December 2012, and it sends a certificate listing the results to the applicant instead of the employer once the safeguarding checks are done.

If asked, the cab driver then has to provide the certificate to the employer before getting a licence.

Mr McNamara said adding an option on the application form of sending the criminal record check certificate straight to the licensing authority would mean a licence to operate could be issued while the actual certificate arrives.

Helen Chapman, TfL's manager in charge of taxis and private hire, said: "This new system is causing delays for drivers, and we share their frustrations."

She said the Mayor of London had raised the issue with the Home Office, and transport commissioner Sir Peter Hendy would be meeting with the government shortly to try to resolve it.

The Home Office said: "Three quarters of Disclosure and Barring Service certificates are issued within 14 days and the changes we introduced in June have made the system quicker and easier to use.

"Certificates can now be reused for the first time - eliminating unnecessary repeated checks - and they remain vital in helping employers make informed safeguarding decisions."

source= Taxileaks.blogspot.

F*ckin Unbelievable.

Look what will be happening, by next April, by my estimation. When the draft Law Comm bill is enacted.

Cornwall Hackney Carriage, working as  a PH vehicle on Wythenshawe/Club Cars. Manchester..

Not a good changeover that, travelling 700 miles round trip.

Whats more the driver has no license. The vehicle is registered to his Brother in Law, who lives in Cornwall.

This will be sent to Manchester Licensing, but, they will do nothing, why should they, they get paid for nothing, why rock the boat.

     Taken in Longsight 16.30 hrs 8 Oct

Further to questions on this post, let me make things clear, this vehicle is NOT insured. Apart from the fact the driver has no hack driver's license the following document makes the insurance implications quite clear.

 Uberrima fides (sometimes seen in its genitive form uberrimae fidei) is a Latin phrase meaning "utmost good faith" (literally, "most abundant faith"). It is the name of a legal doctrine which governs insurance contracts. This means that all parties to an insurance contract must deal in good faith, making a full declaration of all material facts in the insurance proposal. This contrasts with the legal doctrine caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).

Thus the insured must reveal the exact nature and potential of the risks that he transfers to the insurer, while at the same time the insurer must make sure that the potential contract fits the needs of, and benefits, the assured.

A higher duty is expected from parties to an insurance contract than from parties to most other contracts in order to ensure the disclosure of all material facts so that the contract may accurately reflect the actual risk being undertaken. The principles underlying this rule were stated by Lord Mansfield in the leading and often quoted case of Carter v Boehm(1766) 97 ER 1162, 1164,

"Insurance is a contract of speculation... The special facts, upon which the contingent chance is to be computed, lie most commonly in the knowledge of the insured only: the under-writer trusts to his representation, and proceeds upon confidence that he does not keep back any circumstances in his knowledge, to mislead the under-writer into a belief that the circumstance does not exist... Good faith forbids either party by concealing what he privately knows, to draw the other into a bargain from his ignorance of that fact, and his believing the contrary.[1]

Newcastle

Up to 150 new jobs could be created as a Newcastle taxi firm launches a recruitment drive.

In the run-up to Christmas, Budget Taxis will be starting its own training school, employing senior drivers to pass on their knowledge both in a classroom at its Hadrian Road premises and through one-to-one on-the-road practice.

Budget has already bought 10 new vehicles for the first batch of new recruits, and, in the long-term, wants to take on as many as 150 more drivers.

All those who pass Newcastle City Council’s driver test at the end will then be guaranteed a job.

David Singh, a consultant who masterminded the plans for the firm, said: “The company has grown so much, so I thought, ‘Why not provide some new opportunities?’.

“I wanted to keep this work in the North East and to take some people off the dole.

“It won’t cost them anything; we will pay for them to get through the test and give them a vehicle for use if they don’t have one.

“This is open to everyone who enjoys driving.”

The world of taxi firms is relatively new to Singh, who founded and ran a range of retail stores for 35 years before taking on a job as a taxi driver himself.

About a year ago, he joined the ranks of Noda Taxis and helped created Budget as a cut-price spin-off with a focus on account work.

“Ideas are always running through my brain and I thought I could take this company places,” he said.

Now, the firm’s operations room borders on “futuristic”, with everything computerised and featuring state-of-the art satellite navigation technology.

To launch the recruitment campaign, Singh had a run-down van refurbished and painted with a eye-catching advertisement that will be seen around the city in the coming weeks.

Vehicles used by the new drivers, meanwhile, will be serviced by the company, and repaired if necessary.

All the drivers will have to pay for, in fact, is the petrol they use.

“We have in the region of 280 drivers as it is and work is solid - we’ve won a lot of new contracts,” Singh added.

“The new drivers can make good money.

“Our city has got a very good nightlife and people who travel here from places like London enjoy it.

“It’s a good time to get involved, as its in the run-up to Christmas.

“It depends on each person how long it takes to qualify, but it can be done fairly quickly.”

Budget, which has swipe card machines in its cars, bases itself on the concept of “superior service at budget prices”. It claims to offer up to a 45% reduction over cabs on the rank and operates throughout Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Sunderland and South Tyneside and Northumberland.
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Paris

Taxi wars have erupted in Paris as the monopoly long enjoyed by the French capital's notoriously protectionist cabbies is being challenged by a new breed of bookable minicabs.

Parisian taxi drivers get a bad press for being rude, playing loud music, almost never accepting credit cards and turning up for a booked ride with €10 already on the meter. They are also notoriously hard to find.

Standing in a long queue at a taxi rank outside the Opera Garnier, one irate Parisian watched a string of cabs with the red "taken" light on their roof drive past, and exclaimed: "Taxis, taxis all around, but where's one when you need one."

Martin Pietz, a German Paris-based photographer, said: "One or two drops of rain and there are no taxis at all. When you do stop one, they can be very rude and if it it's not on their way home or to lunch they often say: 'Take another one, I'm busy.'

With just 18,000 vehicles, Paris' taxi fleet has remained virtually unchanged since the 1950s, while London's has swelled to around 23,000 black cabs and 40,000 minicabs.

Despite the clear dearth, Paris' powerful taxi lobby has successfully fought off repeated attempts to deregulate the industry and bring in minicabs - usually by bringing the capital's main ring road to a total halt.

Charles de Gaulle threw in the towel in 1958 after a two-day strike. Right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy capitulated in 2008 after a drivers staged a three-day "operation escargot".

Now, however, the undisputed reign of "le taxi parisien" is under threat due to a recent change to the law liberalising so-called "tourist vehicles with chauffeurs", or VTCs - the French equivalent of minicabs.

Yan Hascoët, the 29-year old CEO of Chauffeur-Prive, started with 20 cars 18 months ago and business is booming. He now has a fleet of 320 vehicles, a client base of 15,000 and is seeing 15 per cent week on week growth.

"Our drivers are dressed in a suit and red tie, they open the door, make you feel at home in the car, doesn't blast their own music and don't talk unless talked to – just basic service which is hard to find in France," he told the Daily Telegraph.

VTCs work on reservations and cannot be hailed in the street. But the advent of smart phone applications using global positioning means cars can turn up almost at once, enraging taxi unions which accuse them of bending the rules.

"We have to pay 240,000 euros for a new taxi licence, and have a strict area where can work, while they pay just 100 euros to work where they want and can do what they like," said Jean-Michel Rebours, Defence of Paris Taxis Union, UDIP.

To stop this, taxi unions are calling for on the government to impose a 15-minute delay between when a customer books a minicab and its arrival.

Minicab companies say the 15 minute rule is an attempt to kill off competition. "How can we tell our customers to wait another eight minutes when their car has already arrived?" said Mr Hascoet.
With a decision expected in the coming weeks, experts said the taxi lobby will pull out all the stops to get its way.

"The French government is frightened of Paris' taxi drivers, and has a similar relationship with them as French farmers as they protect the big players," said Richard Derbera, author of "Where are taxis going?" and member of the City on the Move institute.


"Almost 20 years ago I said to myself, this is ridiculous, there's no way we can go on like this in Paris. But we have," he added. "France will be the last to change."
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Rochdale.

Untidy taxi drivers could have penalty points slapped on their operator's licence.

Town hall bosses in Rochdale want to start dishing out points to drivers for a range of infringements - including dressing untidily, smoking, urinating in the street and refusing to take guide dogs.

The drive is part of a tough new crackdown on the industry in the wake of last year's grooming scandal when five taxi drivers from the town were convicted of being part of a nine-strong paedophile ring which raped and abused vulnerable young girls.

Under the proposed measures if a driver amasses 12 points in a single year, they will be hauled before the council's licensing panel who will decide if they are fit to carry on working.

The points systems will apply to both private hire and black cabs. Stephen Campbell, who runs Heywood-based taxi firm Car 2000, welcomed the move.

He said: "As an owner it will help me when I take on new drivers as I'll know if they've got a clean record or not and it will also focus the drivers' minds to ensure they adhere to the standards they should.

"Oldham council run a similar scheme where cars carry star ratings on their doors so passengers know which firms are reputable.

"If we could integrate this new scheme in a similar way to Oldham by allowing passengers to see how many penalty points a particular driver had it would help them make a better choice about how they choose to hire."

Under the scheme, which the council is planning to put out for consultation before deciding whether to introduce it, infringements including smoking and failing to issue a receipt will attract three points.

More serious offences, such as using a mobile while driving and urinating in public will attract a six-point fine while 12 points will be handed down to those who refuse to take an assistance dog with good reason or drive while under the influence of drugs.

Mark Widdup, the council's director of economy and environment, said the move would improve standards and safety for passengers and drivers.

He added: "The penalty points scheme is designed to identify drivers, vehicle proprietors or operators who repeatedly behave in a manner, which if taken as a whole, indicates that they are not fit and proper to hold a licence.

"It is a means by which officers can identify and record low level activity of an unacceptable nature.

The scheme will act as a record of a licenced individual's behaviour and conduct, and will offer guidance as to whether a person is fit and proper to hold the relevant licence."

Nine men were jailed for 77 years in May 2012 for a string of sexual abuse against youngsters.

Five of those convicted were private hire drivers who drove their young victims around in their licenced cabs.