LONDON
How safe are London's Minicabs ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA6ohm_jKlA&feature=youtu.be
Friday 31 October 2014
Thursday 30 October 2014
Manchester Licence fee's.
On Thursday 30 October, I met with Solicitors 'ParryWelchLacey' at their Liverpool Offices.
They have offered to represent us, and the P.H drivers on a 'Pro Bono' basis to recover the overcharge on driver renewals which has been taking place, here in Manchester.
To start this process we need some information from all you drivers interested, please send the following details to
acnedriver@gmail.com
if you are interested in having some of your money back.
We need a 100 by Monday 3 Nov. the information required is as follows.
Your Name;
Address :
Date of birth.
Badge No;
Estimated of when first Licensed; ie. 1990
Last time renewed; i.e. Jan 14.
Contact number.
If your licence has expired because of age/illness etc, please still give us last renewal date , because you still qualify
On Thursday 30 October, I met with Solicitors 'ParryWelchLacey' at their Liverpool Offices.
They have offered to represent us, and the P.H drivers on a 'Pro Bono' basis to recover the overcharge on driver renewals which has been taking place, here in Manchester.
To start this process we need some information from all you drivers interested, please send the following details to
acnedriver@gmail.com
if you are interested in having some of your money back.
We need a 100 by Monday 3 Nov. the information required is as follows.
Your Name;
Address :
Date of birth.
Badge No;
Estimated of when first Licensed; ie. 1990
Last time renewed; i.e. Jan 14.
Contact number.
If your licence has expired because of age/illness etc, please still give us last renewal date , because you still qualify
Wednesday 29 October 2014
MERCATUS ON POLICY
Regulation of Platform Markets in Transportation
Stewart Dompe and Adam C. Smith
The development of communication networks along with the rapidly expanding use of smartphones has resulted in unexpected innovations, revolutionizing taxicab and transportation services.
Two new firms, Uber and Lyft, offer a particularly novel transportation service by providing car-share and taxi services via cell phone applications and GPS. Users needing rides simply push buttons on their phones, and within minutes, vehicles arrive at their locations.
This platform market would seem to be a boon to both customers and providers. But, as novel services, Uber and Lyft are competing with established taxicab companies, who resist these newcomers. In cities such as Chicago, Houston, Seattle, and Boston, local taxi companies are suing and submitting regulatory complaints in attempts to shut down these would-be competitors.
These threatened taxicab firms are spending scarce resources on contesting wealth instead of creating it, or rent-seeking.The goal of rent-seeking is to create higher profits by lobbying politicians to impose costly regulatory burdens, such as licensure, safety prescriptions, and price controls, on their new competitors. This is how entrenched interest groups, citing something like public safety, use government to protect their privileges and stifle market innovations.
http://mercatus.org/sites/default/files/Dompe-Smith-Platform-Markets-MOP.pdf
Monday 27 October 2014
A man has been charged with false imprisonment and robbery after two girls were held in an unlicensed taxi and threatened.
David Austin, 28, from Salford, was arrested after two girls got into a vehicle on Bloom Street, in Manchester city centre, in the early hours of Saturday (October 25).
Police say the pair were held in the car and a man, who had claimed it was a taxi, threatened to kill them.
They were able to escape and then rang 999.
Officers have since warned people not to use unlicensed taxis, especially late at night.
Mr Austin, of Earlesdon Crescent, Little Hulton, Salford, was later charged with two counts of false imprisonment, robbery, possession of a Class A substance and taking without consent.
He was remanded in custody and will appear before a judge at Manchester Crown Court on November 10.
A GMP spokesman said: “Police are warning the public not to use unlicensed taxis, particularly at night.”
Man, 28, charged after two girls held in a taxi and threatened in Manchester city centre
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/man-28-charged-after-two-8005962
David Austin, 28, from Salford, was arrested after two girls got into a vehicle on Bloom Street, in Manchester city centre, in the early hours of Saturday (October 25).
Police say the pair were held in the car and a man, who had claimed it was a taxi, threatened to kill them.
They were able to escape and then rang 999.
Officers have since warned people not to use unlicensed taxis, especially late at night.
Mr Austin, of Earlesdon Crescent, Little Hulton, Salford, was later charged with two counts of false imprisonment, robbery, possession of a Class A substance and taking without consent.
He was remanded in custody and will appear before a judge at Manchester Crown Court on November 10.
A GMP spokesman said: “Police are warning the public not to use unlicensed taxis, particularly at night.”
Man, 28, charged after two girls held in a taxi and threatened in Manchester city centre
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/man-28-charged-after-two-8005962
Friday 24 October 2014
Thursday 23 October 2014
A new taxi app has launched in Leeds, enabling customers to book journeys with their smartphone.
Hailo, which operates in 17 cities worldwide, today launched its first service in Yorkshire.
Leeds is the fourth UK city to be rolled out by the company, which was founded in London in 2011.
Today (October 23) saw its service also launch in Liverpool, in addition to its existing London and Manchester businesses.
It comes days after The Yorkshire Post revealed controversial car hire firm Uber had applied for a private hire operator licence from Leeds City Council.
Uber has previously faced backlash from taxi firms and regulators, with London cab drivers staging a protest earlier this year.
Hailo’s service allows licensed Hackney carriage drivers to join and accept bookings and payments via smartphones.
The app’s Pay with Hailo feature enables passengers to pay via their smartphone regardless of how they booked their journey.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/hailo-launches-taxi-app-in-leeds-1-6913649
Hailo, which operates in 17 cities worldwide, today launched its first service in Yorkshire.
Leeds is the fourth UK city to be rolled out by the company, which was founded in London in 2011.
Today (October 23) saw its service also launch in Liverpool, in addition to its existing London and Manchester businesses.
It comes days after The Yorkshire Post revealed controversial car hire firm Uber had applied for a private hire operator licence from Leeds City Council.
Uber has previously faced backlash from taxi firms and regulators, with London cab drivers staging a protest earlier this year.
Hailo’s service allows licensed Hackney carriage drivers to join and accept bookings and payments via smartphones.
The app’s Pay with Hailo feature enables passengers to pay via their smartphone regardless of how they booked their journey.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/hailo-launches-taxi-app-in-leeds-1-6913649
Wednesday 22 October 2014
It's official, Amsterdam Airport "Schiphol" itself with a fleet of 167 Tesla Model S, which will link the airport to the centre of Amsterdam.
The purpose of this initiative is above all to reduce the carbon footprint of the fleet and make Amsterdam airport one of the cleanest and efficient in the world!
Set up in June this year, the service is operated by 3 Taxi companies: «Zorgvervoer Central Netherlands BV (ZCN), Koning BV and Bergisch Willemsen, Book & Hoff Frissen BV (BBF)"who will roll in Tesla Model S for 4 years. These taxis will be recognizable by their blue or white colour. In order to improve their autonomy (390 km) performances have voluntarily restricted with a speed limit of 130 Km/h.
"The new electric Tesla 100% fleet will allow passengers to continue their journey from Schiphol to Amsterdam in total comfort. At Schiphol, high quality transport and environmental awareness go hand in hand. This represents a crucial step in our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and become one of the three most durable airports in the world,"said Jos Nijhuis, Schiphol group president.
During their journey, passengers can take advantage of 4G, the minimum amount of the race is €25
Translated from:
http://www.avem.fr/actualite-167-taxis-tesla-s-pour-l-aeroport-d-amsterdam-5377.html
Tuesday 21 October 2014
A BOMB scare in central London today saw a taxi cab destroyed by police after being left unattended near one of the capital's most iconic buildings.
The silver Hackney Cab was found parked outside the 'Gherkin' on St Mary Axe in the City of London at about seven o'clock this morning.
A cordon was erected during the alert, with a number of roads in the heart of the City closed at the beginning of rush hour.
Witnesses said a small controlled explosion took place in the taxi, and it has been reported the explosion smashed the windows of the nearby Slug and Lettuce pub.
City of London Police confirmed officers were called at about 7am, with the taxi "removed" by the force and the cordon lifted after about an hour.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/525658/Bomb-scare-near-Gherkin?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-uk-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+UK+Feed%29
---------------------------------------
TEESIDE
A man who lied about his identity was recognised by the taxi driver he crashed into - after ordering a cab to his house.
Corey Alison had driven into the back of a taxi on Low Grange Avenue, in Billingham, on August 5, 2013.
The 18-year-old - who has 16 convictions for 31 offences, including driving matters, as a youth - gave false details to the taxi driver, and drove away from the scene in a green Peugeot 307.
When the taxi driver went to the address he was given, he realised he had been duped.
But more than six months later, prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court today, Alison ordered a taxi and the same driver turned up.
The cabbie recognised Alison and notified police.
An identity parade was carried out on April 25 this year, and Alison, of Norton Road, Stockton, was arrested.
Mitigating for Alison, who had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving false details after an accident, Duncan McReddie said: “He has a very regrettable record, but what I would say is that, although it sounds like a cliche, he has turned a corner.
“A report from the housing association where he and his partner are looking for a property has used the word 'excellent'.
"He has matured since the incident and now has steady employment.
"For a man of his background, that his significant.”
Judge Michael Taylor sentenced Alison to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
“This clearly passes the limit for a custodial sentence, and the courts take attempts to pervert the course of justice very seriously," he said.
“But as I have heard, you have found employment and it is the first time you have held down a job.
"For this reason, I can suspend your sentence.”
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/driver-gave-false-details-after-7972534?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic in Preston city centre has ground to a halt because of a protest by taxi drivers.
The spontaneous protest, blocking Fishergate, is thought to have begun after a cabbie was ticketed for illegal parking.
It comes hours after county council bosses celebrated the completion of the £3.4m Fishergate Central Gateway Project with lowered curbs and wider footpaths - and vowed to get tough on motorists flouting pakring rules.
Mark Selley of the Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said taxi drivers were increasingly frustrated about the lack of spaces available to them.
He said: “There are 120 licences for taxis and there’s not enough spaces for them now that work is being carried out on the front of the railway station and the rank has closed in Charnley Street.
“I think the railway companies and the County Council have an obligation to make sure there’s enough spaces to cater for everyone who has a license, so people aren’t having to park illegally.
“I think what has happened today is that a driver has been ticketed by the station, and they believe the warden has ignored other illegally parked members of the public to target him.”
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/taxi-drivers-protest-causes-city-centre-gridlock-1-6907874
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The silver Hackney Cab was found parked outside the 'Gherkin' on St Mary Axe in the City of London at about seven o'clock this morning.
A cordon was erected during the alert, with a number of roads in the heart of the City closed at the beginning of rush hour.
Witnesses said a small controlled explosion took place in the taxi, and it has been reported the explosion smashed the windows of the nearby Slug and Lettuce pub.
City of London Police confirmed officers were called at about 7am, with the taxi "removed" by the force and the cordon lifted after about an hour.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/525658/Bomb-scare-near-Gherkin?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-uk-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+UK+Feed%29
---------------------------------------
TEESIDE
A man who lied about his identity was recognised by the taxi driver he crashed into - after ordering a cab to his house.
Corey Alison had driven into the back of a taxi on Low Grange Avenue, in Billingham, on August 5, 2013.
The 18-year-old - who has 16 convictions for 31 offences, including driving matters, as a youth - gave false details to the taxi driver, and drove away from the scene in a green Peugeot 307.
When the taxi driver went to the address he was given, he realised he had been duped.
But more than six months later, prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court today, Alison ordered a taxi and the same driver turned up.
The cabbie recognised Alison and notified police.
An identity parade was carried out on April 25 this year, and Alison, of Norton Road, Stockton, was arrested.
Mitigating for Alison, who had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving false details after an accident, Duncan McReddie said: “He has a very regrettable record, but what I would say is that, although it sounds like a cliche, he has turned a corner.
“A report from the housing association where he and his partner are looking for a property has used the word 'excellent'.
"He has matured since the incident and now has steady employment.
"For a man of his background, that his significant.”
Judge Michael Taylor sentenced Alison to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
“This clearly passes the limit for a custodial sentence, and the courts take attempts to pervert the course of justice very seriously," he said.
“But as I have heard, you have found employment and it is the first time you have held down a job.
"For this reason, I can suspend your sentence.”
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/driver-gave-false-details-after-7972534?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic in Preston city centre has ground to a halt because of a protest by taxi drivers.
The spontaneous protest, blocking Fishergate, is thought to have begun after a cabbie was ticketed for illegal parking.
It comes hours after county council bosses celebrated the completion of the £3.4m Fishergate Central Gateway Project with lowered curbs and wider footpaths - and vowed to get tough on motorists flouting pakring rules.
Mark Selley of the Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said taxi drivers were increasingly frustrated about the lack of spaces available to them.
He said: “There are 120 licences for taxis and there’s not enough spaces for them now that work is being carried out on the front of the railway station and the rank has closed in Charnley Street.
“I think the railway companies and the County Council have an obligation to make sure there’s enough spaces to cater for everyone who has a license, so people aren’t having to park illegally.
“I think what has happened today is that a driver has been ticketed by the station, and they believe the warden has ignored other illegally parked members of the public to target him.”
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/taxi-drivers-protest-causes-city-centre-gridlock-1-6907874
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Monday 20 October 2014
I know the press are sh*t, but. Wednesday is the 22nd.
----------------------------------
The House of Lords will debate loosening the rules of taxi regulations next week.
On Wednesday (October 21) peers will consider a government bill to have fewer checks on cabbies and private hire drivers.
Taxi licence holders currently get checked every year, but the new rules would mean they are only reviewed every three years.
The Deregulation Bill and taxi amendments were voted on by MPs on June 23.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/crime/parliament-debate-weaker-taxi-laws-next-week-1-6357521
----------------------------------
The House of Lords will debate loosening the rules of taxi regulations next week.
On Wednesday (October 21) peers will consider a government bill to have fewer checks on cabbies and private hire drivers.
Taxi licence holders currently get checked every year, but the new rules would mean they are only reviewed every three years.
The Deregulation Bill and taxi amendments were voted on by MPs on June 23.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/crime/parliament-debate-weaker-taxi-laws-next-week-1-6357521
Sunday 19 October 2014
This week in the Lords.
Starting Tuesday 21 and continuing for five session's up until November 6.
The Deregulation bill.
Clause 10 has already been dropped and two Lords have indicated a motion to remove clauses 11 and 12.
1. Baron Davies of Oldham (Labour)
2. The Bishop of Truro (GodSquad, Cloud based.)
Starting Tuesday 21 and continuing for five session's up until November 6.
The Deregulation bill.
Clause 10 has already been dropped and two Lords have indicated a motion to remove clauses 11 and 12.
1. Baron Davies of Oldham (Labour)
2. The Bishop of Truro (GodSquad, Cloud based.)
Wednesday 15 October 2014
A Liverpool taxi firm director who also has a licence that allows his vehicles to compete with bus operators is claiming officials from bus giant Arriva and Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) tried to disrupt his service during an incident last Friday.
Tony Mullane runs A&J Taxis and since May 2011 has been using his fleet of vehicles to ferry passengers to Anfield from the city centre for Liverpool FC home games for £2 each.
Using more than 10 black cabs he claims that he can carry between 400 and 500 people each matchday. In January this year he started a similar service between Skelhorne Street in Liverpool city centre and LJLA.
Mr Mullane claims larger bus operators are unhappy with the competition. In August he appeared before a traffic commissioner and was accused of illegally “touting” for passengers. However, the commissioner ruled he was entitled to actively seek out passengers.
On Friday last week he walked over to the bus stop at LJLA, where he has a timetable displayed, and met two Wirral residents who he agreed to take to Lime Street station.
As he accompanied them to his vehicle he claims an official from Arriva shouted at him to stop. This man was then joined by an airport official who Mr Mullane insists was also hostile to him. Mr Mullane told ECHO Business: “The man from the airport said to me ‘don’t come back – you won’t be doing that again’.
“We are allowed to engage with the public to let them know about the service that we offer and when we do that we are not breaking the law – and the airport should be aware of that.”
Arriva spokesman Derek Bowes said: “We refute the allegation of aggressive action by one of our inspectors. We believe that our employee took the correct action in speaking to the taxi driver and reporting the matter to the officials at the airport, who are now investigating the full circumstances of the incident.”
And a spokesman for LJLA added: “We are aware of an altercation between the operator of the Taxi A1 service, an Arriva employee and an employee of a contractor working on behalf of the airport company and this is currently being investigated.
"The Taxi A1 service continues to be permitted to operate at the airport, however the exact operational procedures for this service on site are yet to be agreed, which we will subsequently be seeking to clarify with the operator.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/taxi-bus-operator-clashes-arriva-7935478
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIRMINGHAM
A new pollution-busting project will see the city council work with taxi operators to convert up to 80 Hackney Carriage cabs to run on Liquid Propane Gas (LPG).
Funding of £500,000 from the Government’s Clean Vehicle Technology fund has been secured for the scheme – overwhelmingly supported at a meeting of Hackney Carriage drivers, operators and the RMT union.
It is hoped the converted vehicles will help the council’s effort to reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions, which have been reported to be above EU target levels in certain hotspots across the city.
The Birmingham Air Quality Management Area action plan focuses on Broad Steet, Navigation Street and New Street Station – all areas where taxis frequently operate.
Cllr Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for a Green, Smart and Sustainable City, said: “This is a great boost for the council’s ambition to promote the uptake of low and zero carbon vehicles.
“We know there are some hotspots that need to be addressed, but these cabs will act as a showcase for cleaner technologies which could be used on a much wider basis.
“Many visitors, residents and those working in Birmingham pass through the hotspot areas, so it is only right to do everything we can to protect them from pollution that is known to be a contributory factor in hundreds of premature deaths every year.
“I hope the fact that so many cabs will be converted will act as inspiration to other fleet operators to consider making a similar investment into their vehicles. We will also continue exploring all other avenues as part of the effort to tackle the challenges we face on emissions.”
The scheme will be marketed through the council’s existing licensing networks with the taxi community. The focus is on 300 older vehicles in hotspot areas.
It is expected that the 80 selected vehicles will all be fitted with the LPG technology by the end of March 2015.
http://birminghamnewsroom.com/2014/10/pollution-busting-taxi-scheme-announced/?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UBER, LONDON
Taxi service Uber's tax affairs have been referred to HMRC by London's taxi and minicab regulator Transport for London (TfL).
The move follows a complaint from senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge that Uber was "opting out of the UK tax regime".
London mayor and TfL chair Boris Johnson said TfL had no powers over where a company pays tax.
The app's Dutch operating firm, Uber BV, does not pay tax in the UK.
"TfL has raised this issue to the appropriate body, the HMRC, for them to consider," Mr Johnson wrote in a letter to Ms Hodge.
Ms Hodge said she was "pleased".
"I hope that HMRC will carry out a rigorous and thorough investigation to ensure that Uber is paying an appropriate level of tax in the UK, rather than constructing artificial structures to get out of paying its fair share," she said.
An Uber spokesman said it complied with all applicable tax laws and "pays taxes in all jurisdictions, such as corporate income tax, payroll tax, sales and use tax and VAT".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29632646
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
Tony Mullane runs A&J Taxis and since May 2011 has been using his fleet of vehicles to ferry passengers to Anfield from the city centre for Liverpool FC home games for £2 each.
Using more than 10 black cabs he claims that he can carry between 400 and 500 people each matchday. In January this year he started a similar service between Skelhorne Street in Liverpool city centre and LJLA.
Mr Mullane claims larger bus operators are unhappy with the competition. In August he appeared before a traffic commissioner and was accused of illegally “touting” for passengers. However, the commissioner ruled he was entitled to actively seek out passengers.
On Friday last week he walked over to the bus stop at LJLA, where he has a timetable displayed, and met two Wirral residents who he agreed to take to Lime Street station.
As he accompanied them to his vehicle he claims an official from Arriva shouted at him to stop. This man was then joined by an airport official who Mr Mullane insists was also hostile to him. Mr Mullane told ECHO Business: “The man from the airport said to me ‘don’t come back – you won’t be doing that again’.
“We are allowed to engage with the public to let them know about the service that we offer and when we do that we are not breaking the law – and the airport should be aware of that.”
Arriva spokesman Derek Bowes said: “We refute the allegation of aggressive action by one of our inspectors. We believe that our employee took the correct action in speaking to the taxi driver and reporting the matter to the officials at the airport, who are now investigating the full circumstances of the incident.”
And a spokesman for LJLA added: “We are aware of an altercation between the operator of the Taxi A1 service, an Arriva employee and an employee of a contractor working on behalf of the airport company and this is currently being investigated.
"The Taxi A1 service continues to be permitted to operate at the airport, however the exact operational procedures for this service on site are yet to be agreed, which we will subsequently be seeking to clarify with the operator.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/taxi-bus-operator-clashes-arriva-7935478
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIRMINGHAM
A new pollution-busting project will see the city council work with taxi operators to convert up to 80 Hackney Carriage cabs to run on Liquid Propane Gas (LPG).
Funding of £500,000 from the Government’s Clean Vehicle Technology fund has been secured for the scheme – overwhelmingly supported at a meeting of Hackney Carriage drivers, operators and the RMT union.
It is hoped the converted vehicles will help the council’s effort to reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions, which have been reported to be above EU target levels in certain hotspots across the city.
The Birmingham Air Quality Management Area action plan focuses on Broad Steet, Navigation Street and New Street Station – all areas where taxis frequently operate.
Cllr Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for a Green, Smart and Sustainable City, said: “This is a great boost for the council’s ambition to promote the uptake of low and zero carbon vehicles.
“We know there are some hotspots that need to be addressed, but these cabs will act as a showcase for cleaner technologies which could be used on a much wider basis.
“Many visitors, residents and those working in Birmingham pass through the hotspot areas, so it is only right to do everything we can to protect them from pollution that is known to be a contributory factor in hundreds of premature deaths every year.
“I hope the fact that so many cabs will be converted will act as inspiration to other fleet operators to consider making a similar investment into their vehicles. We will also continue exploring all other avenues as part of the effort to tackle the challenges we face on emissions.”
The scheme will be marketed through the council’s existing licensing networks with the taxi community. The focus is on 300 older vehicles in hotspot areas.
It is expected that the 80 selected vehicles will all be fitted with the LPG technology by the end of March 2015.
http://birminghamnewsroom.com/2014/10/pollution-busting-taxi-scheme-announced/?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UBER, LONDON
Taxi service Uber's tax affairs have been referred to HMRC by London's taxi and minicab regulator Transport for London (TfL).
The move follows a complaint from senior Labour MP Margaret Hodge that Uber was "opting out of the UK tax regime".
London mayor and TfL chair Boris Johnson said TfL had no powers over where a company pays tax.
The app's Dutch operating firm, Uber BV, does not pay tax in the UK.
"TfL has raised this issue to the appropriate body, the HMRC, for them to consider," Mr Johnson wrote in a letter to Ms Hodge.
Ms Hodge said she was "pleased".
"I hope that HMRC will carry out a rigorous and thorough investigation to ensure that Uber is paying an appropriate level of tax in the UK, rather than constructing artificial structures to get out of paying its fair share," she said.
An Uber spokesman said it complied with all applicable tax laws and "pays taxes in all jurisdictions, such as corporate income tax, payroll tax, sales and use tax and VAT".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29632646
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
Taxi driver jailed for seven years for sex attack
Taxi driver Gurpal Singh has been jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old and stealing her SIM card.
He touched her intimately and performed a sexual act on himself in his taxi in the early hours of November 1 last year.
The 34-year-old, of Prestwood Drive in Aspley, was jailed for seven years for sexual assault by penetration and given nine months, to run consecutively, for theft.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that Singh had also stolen from other customers - taking cards from young people in his taxi.
He admitted those thefts and received nine month concurrent prison sentences on each.
Judge James Sampson told him on Wednesday, October 15, he had sexually assaulted the woman, who cannot be identified, when she was alone at night, away from home and heavily under the influence of alcohol.
“You took advantage of her vulnerability, when it was in fact your job and your duty to take her home,” she said.
“She had the right to be safe and secure in your taxi and she had the right to be able to trust you. This was a serious and significant abuse of trust.”
The woman’s taxi journey should have taken 20 minutes from Nottingham but lasted more than one hour, after Singh sexually assaulted her and pinched her phone.
The judge said he had put the victim at risk of infection and she was particularly vulnerable and entirely defenceless.
But Singh received ten percent credit for pleading guilty on the first day of his trial.
References were also put forward to the judge from his family and friends.
The judge said: “You have no previous convictions. You are a family man.
“You are thought of highly within the community.
“You have shown at least some remorse by entering a guilty plea, albeit very late in the day.”
A proceeds of crime hearing was adjourned for mention at court on February 13.
Tuesday 14 October 2014
Deregulation Bill
Twitter Traffic last night suggest Clause 10 of the Deregulation bill has been withdrawn.
Clause 10 allowed anybody to drive a Private Hire car, as long as they could prove they were not working.
However, before everybody starts getting excited, (if this is true). I forecast this event on the 17 June.
http://acnedriver.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/sprat-to-catch-mackerel.html
Clause 10 was never going to be implemented. It was NEVER intended.
It was a 'Sprat to Catch a Mackeral'
Everybody now relaxes and next week the most contentious issue, cross border hiring for P.H. cars will go through unchallenged.
We have been suckered AGAIN.
(Bloomberg) — Hailo Network Ltd., the taxi application that competes with Uber Technologies Inc., will discontinue its operations in North America and said its co- Chief Executive Officer Jay Bregman will leave the company.
Costs to market the service in North America were “astronomical” and made “profitability for any one player almost impossible,” Tom Barr, CEO and president of London-based Hailo, said in an e-mailed statement today.
Instead, the company will focus on its businesses in Europe and Asia and new products, such as a planned concierge service, Barr said. Bregman, one of the company's six founders, had spent the last 2 1/2 years in New York to ramp up the North American business, where Hailo competes with apps such as Uber, GetTaxi Inc. and Lyft Inc.
While Hailo was struggling in North America, its biggest rival has been fighting against a regulatory backlash in Europe. Uber this month changed the business model for its services in Berlin to evade a ban by German authorities, reducing the fee for its UberPop car-sharing offer to eliminate profit for drivers. Uber raised money at a $17 billion valuation in a June, making it one of the most highly valued startups in Silicon Valley.
Closely-held Hailo's North American markets include Chicago, New York, Toronto, Boston, Washington, Montreal and Atlanta.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141014/NEWS10/141019910/hailo-taxi-app-exits-north-america-amid-astronomical-costs?
Costs to market the service in North America were “astronomical” and made “profitability for any one player almost impossible,” Tom Barr, CEO and president of London-based Hailo, said in an e-mailed statement today.
Instead, the company will focus on its businesses in Europe and Asia and new products, such as a planned concierge service, Barr said. Bregman, one of the company's six founders, had spent the last 2 1/2 years in New York to ramp up the North American business, where Hailo competes with apps such as Uber, GetTaxi Inc. and Lyft Inc.
While Hailo was struggling in North America, its biggest rival has been fighting against a regulatory backlash in Europe. Uber this month changed the business model for its services in Berlin to evade a ban by German authorities, reducing the fee for its UberPop car-sharing offer to eliminate profit for drivers. Uber raised money at a $17 billion valuation in a June, making it one of the most highly valued startups in Silicon Valley.
Closely-held Hailo's North American markets include Chicago, New York, Toronto, Boston, Washington, Montreal and Atlanta.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141014/NEWS10/141019910/hailo-taxi-app-exits-north-america-amid-astronomical-costs?
Monday 13 October 2014
Taxi drivers in Guildford are preparing to strike.
Mark Rostron, secretary of the Guildford Hackney Association (GHA), said the committee has been in dialogue with Guildford Borough Council about its concerns over the past year.
However the group feels the council has not carried out its promises.
Drivers therefore agreed to take strike and protest action ‘without further notice’.
The GHA wants the council to address illegal touting and soliciting, provide additional taxi rank space and "stop overcharging for taxi licences".
“Over the last nine months we have held meetings with representatives of GHA to identify priority issues they would like to see addressed,” said Councillor Paul Spooner, responsible for licensing and governance.
“We then took action to resolve these.
“In making changes, we need to take into account the views of passengers and the general public as well as GHA, drivers who are not members of the association, private hire drivers and operators.”
Cllr Spooner says the council established a Taxi Advisory Group, completed a mystery shopper survey on touting and illegal hire, has taken action to address the concern over alleged illegal touting, completed repairs to and widening of the taxi rank in North Street and published a regular newsletter which provides updates for all taxi and private hire drivers and operators.
“In respect of additional taxi rank spaces, a great deal of work has been completed and possible additional spaces identified,” he said.
“The implementation timetable is not entirely within our control.
“We hope that additional spaces will be available during 2015.”
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/taxi-drivers-strike-over-dispute-7923454
Mark Rostron, secretary of the Guildford Hackney Association (GHA), said the committee has been in dialogue with Guildford Borough Council about its concerns over the past year.
However the group feels the council has not carried out its promises.
Drivers therefore agreed to take strike and protest action ‘without further notice’.
The GHA wants the council to address illegal touting and soliciting, provide additional taxi rank space and "stop overcharging for taxi licences".
“Over the last nine months we have held meetings with representatives of GHA to identify priority issues they would like to see addressed,” said Councillor Paul Spooner, responsible for licensing and governance.
“We then took action to resolve these.
“In making changes, we need to take into account the views of passengers and the general public as well as GHA, drivers who are not members of the association, private hire drivers and operators.”
Cllr Spooner says the council established a Taxi Advisory Group, completed a mystery shopper survey on touting and illegal hire, has taken action to address the concern over alleged illegal touting, completed repairs to and widening of the taxi rank in North Street and published a regular newsletter which provides updates for all taxi and private hire drivers and operators.
“In respect of additional taxi rank spaces, a great deal of work has been completed and possible additional spaces identified,” he said.
“The implementation timetable is not entirely within our control.
“We hope that additional spaces will be available during 2015.”
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/taxi-drivers-strike-over-dispute-7923454
Addison Lee Bluetooth advert
I said in an earlier post that I thought Addy Lee was pre-emting the Deregulation bill by advertising services.
@DerekDRoberts corrects me. Addison Lee are licensed under the 1998 Private Hire act (London). That allows them to sub contract anywhere in the Country, including Scotland.
section 5 (2) ;
I said in an earlier post that I thought Addy Lee was pre-emting the Deregulation bill by advertising services.
@DerekDRoberts corrects me. Addison Lee are licensed under the 1998 Private Hire act (London). That allows them to sub contract anywhere in the Country, including Scotland.
section 5 (2) ;
There is nothing in Manchester's Operators conditions which specifically forbids accepting bookings from London operators, so it would appear Addy Lee can indeed advertise around Manchester and other area's and sub contract to operator's licensed in that area.
No doubt Addy Lee will give the price agreed a quick "haircut" before the sub contractor gets his share.
Addison Lee, Manchester advert.
The following Bluetooth advert was picked up by a Salford P.H. driver in North Manchester at the weekend.
Addy Lee have no reason to advertise in Manchester, they have no vehicles up here to service customers, OR, do they ? ?
Are they pre empting the forthcoming Deregulation Bill which will let them sub contract around the Country. ? ?
Is it a coincidence that one week tomorrow starts the first of three days to pass the Committee stage of the Dereg bill. This bill could be law by the first Week of November.
The following Bluetooth advert was picked up by a Salford P.H. driver in North Manchester at the weekend.
Addy Lee have no reason to advertise in Manchester, they have no vehicles up here to service customers, OR, do they ? ?
Are they pre empting the forthcoming Deregulation Bill which will let them sub contract around the Country. ? ?
Is it a coincidence that one week tomorrow starts the first of three days to pass the Committee stage of the Dereg bill. This bill could be law by the first Week of November.
Sunday 12 October 2014
Dutch police arrested four drivers in Amsterdam early Sunday after they were found to be improperly using the Uber app for taxi services, posing another challenge to Uber Technologies Inc.’s efforts to expand in Europe.
The four have been released and may be fined as much as 4,200 euros ($5,300) each, Yeter Atmaca, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Environment & Infrastructure’s inspection department, said by phone today. “They were arrested and fined because it is illegal to offer these services without the right permits,” she said.
Governments and regulators in cities around the world are restricting Uber’s business on the grounds it poses safety risks and unfairly competes with licensed taxi services. Cabbies with permits that can cost 200,000 euros apiece have held protests in European cities including London, Madrid, Paris and Berlin.
“This action is unjustified and disproportional,” Uber said in an e-mailed statement today. “We remain in touch with the policy makers to familiarize them with how our technology works and the positive impact it has on mobility.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-12/dutch-police-arrest-drivers-using-uber-app-in-amsterdam.html
-------------------------------------------------
Durham Police have called the Claypath the 'Wild West' after taxi drivers scrambling for fares blocked an ambulance
Police have branded a city centre road as the ‘Wild West’ after taxis blocked an ambulance in a late night scramble for fares.
Cabbies at Durham City’s Claypath were banned from the street on Saturday as police shut down the road in the first policing move of its kind.
Their drastic decision came after taxi drivers and other motorists caused traffic jams that stopped an ambulance and police car passing through the area.
A spokesperson for Durham City police, said: “For many months now, Claypath in Durham has been like the wild west on a Friday and Saturday night with taxi drivers flouting rules and causing an obstruction and nuisance by parking without consideration for others.
“Relief officers took direct action after an ambulance and police vehicle were trapped in three deep traffic jams caused by these thoughtless drivers.”
Shutting down the road meant taxi drivers were forced to use the official taxi rank, and prevented Hackney Carriage licenced cars from picking up people on the roadside.
Anthony Hind, who has been driving taxis in Durham City centre for two years, said over the last 12 months the Claypath had become a major headache for the trade - and on Saturday night it was mayhem.
“It is like the Wild West. There’s illegal parking and people drive down and poach passengers for fares. They don’t use the taxi rank and it’s causing a nuisance.
“I don’t think the council have thought about where to put the taxi ranks and the amount of taxis they have licenced.
“It’s not fair what’s happening at the moment. We’ve all got to try and make a living. We are all doing the same job,” he said.
Durham Police issued two drivers with fixed penalty notices for causing an unnecessary obstruction with a motor vehicle with one also being reported for obstructing a police officer.
A third driver will be traced and prosecuted after he failed to comply with police instructions.
It is understood that the ambulance was on its way to an Indian restaurant on the Claypath to help a woman who had taken ill, but who has since recovered.
The police spokesperson said: “We don’t want to tar all taxi drivers with the same brush and would like to put on the record that the majority of drivers using authorised ranks are fair and law abiding people.”
Richard Ormerod, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Elvet & Gilesgate, said: “There is a taxi rank and that’s what taxi drivers should be using. I would fully expect the police to take appropriate action. You are not allowed to block a highway and the fact it hampered the work of the emergency services confirms all my worst fears. I’ve driven down Claypath when taxis were allowed to park up at night and it was chaos.
“A big worry for me too is that access to Providence Row and The Sands estate would have been blocked which is where a number of elderly residents live.”
However he disputed that there were now too many taxis operating in the city centre following licencing changes.
He said: “In the past there were too few taxis and people were waiting for long periods of time at taxi ranks, and that’s when fights start. At the end of the day it’s a market and there shouldn’t be any kind of monopoly.”
Both taxi drivers and the ambulance service have praised the police’s action on Saturday night.
Ambulance driver Graeme Mountford wrote on the police’s Facebook page: “A huge well done to the relief officer and also Durham police. It’s a nightmare for us attending to an incident on Claypath or in Millennium Square. Well done guys.”
However Anthony Hind, who works for Dunelm Taxis, said he would like to see more changes made to taxi licencing in Durham city centre.
He said: “Many of us have all said that there should be licencing authorities out and about and marshals at ranks.
“It was a good idea to shut down the road, it meant that people had to join the proper taxi ranks.
“They blocked an ambulance getting through at the end of the day and that could have had serious consequences.”
In 2011 Durham County Council changed its taxi licensing rules so that there were limitations on geographic areas where taxi drivers could work.
As long as drivers have a Durham registered plate they can pick up passengers in any part of the county.
More recently they moved a taxi rank at the Claypath to the Prince Bishops shopping centre slip road.
Durham City police’s posting on its Facebook page attracted 100 comments within just a few hours.
Benjamin Tulloch wrote: “I was out tonight (Saturday) and got a taxi home from the designated taxi rank, the driver said how impressed he was at Durham Police closing off Claypath and the positive impact it had so far on his takings and pushing people to the correct queue.”
Former taxi marshall Darren Miller, who worked at the former Claypath rank, said: “There were issues all the time with certain cowboy taxi drivers jumping queues taking business off the legitimate drivers and parking where they shouldn’t be. These marshals should be given the power to give them a ticket.”
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-street-branded-wild-west-7922087
-------------------------------------------------
Burnley
A taxi firm owner has been fined by magistrates for keeping a poor record in his operator book.
Saeed Mahmood (43), of Chapel House Road, Nelson, was fined a total of £381 at Pennine Magistrates’ Court for the offence between April 3rd and May 2nd, 2014, at his company A1 Tiger Taxis in Burnley.
Mahmood pleaded guilty on the morning of trial on Thursday having pleaded not guilty in July.
Magistrates heard that on occasions in that time period, the method of booking had not been completed, the name of the hirer had not been filled in and the name of the driver was missing.
Mr David Talbot (prosecuting) told the court that the book was not in keeping with the operator’s licence issued by Burnley Council, and that certain criteria had to be filled in to the book.
Mr Talbot said that times of bookings had been changed and were not in order and other entries were difficult to read.
He said this was “unacceptable to the council” and the issue had been brought to Mahmood’s attention and all operators in Burnley in February 2013 when a letter was sent out saying records fell short of what was required.
The firm was inspected on February 4th this year and a further letter was sent out to all operators the following day.
Mr John Rusius (defending) said Mahmood had been an operator since 2006 and that neither the name of the driver had been mentioned as an issue on inspection.
Mr Rusius said Mahmood was “somewhat disappointed” to receive a court summons and on the issue of no hirer name, said people may be reluctant to give their name or personal details.
He added that as long as the operator could read the book he saw no issue and the reason times had changed and entries were not in order in the book was because people ring up and change times and may book for the following day.
Going forward, Mr Rusius concluded that a forum had now been set up between the council and operators which he hoped would make things clearer.
http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/news/crime/taxi-firm-owner-fined-for-cutting-corners-1-6887266
The four have been released and may be fined as much as 4,200 euros ($5,300) each, Yeter Atmaca, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Environment & Infrastructure’s inspection department, said by phone today. “They were arrested and fined because it is illegal to offer these services without the right permits,” she said.
Governments and regulators in cities around the world are restricting Uber’s business on the grounds it poses safety risks and unfairly competes with licensed taxi services. Cabbies with permits that can cost 200,000 euros apiece have held protests in European cities including London, Madrid, Paris and Berlin.
“This action is unjustified and disproportional,” Uber said in an e-mailed statement today. “We remain in touch with the policy makers to familiarize them with how our technology works and the positive impact it has on mobility.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-12/dutch-police-arrest-drivers-using-uber-app-in-amsterdam.html
-------------------------------------------------
Durham Police have called the Claypath the 'Wild West' after taxi drivers scrambling for fares blocked an ambulance
Police have branded a city centre road as the ‘Wild West’ after taxis blocked an ambulance in a late night scramble for fares.
Cabbies at Durham City’s Claypath were banned from the street on Saturday as police shut down the road in the first policing move of its kind.
Their drastic decision came after taxi drivers and other motorists caused traffic jams that stopped an ambulance and police car passing through the area.
A spokesperson for Durham City police, said: “For many months now, Claypath in Durham has been like the wild west on a Friday and Saturday night with taxi drivers flouting rules and causing an obstruction and nuisance by parking without consideration for others.
“Relief officers took direct action after an ambulance and police vehicle were trapped in three deep traffic jams caused by these thoughtless drivers.”
Shutting down the road meant taxi drivers were forced to use the official taxi rank, and prevented Hackney Carriage licenced cars from picking up people on the roadside.
Anthony Hind, who has been driving taxis in Durham City centre for two years, said over the last 12 months the Claypath had become a major headache for the trade - and on Saturday night it was mayhem.
“It is like the Wild West. There’s illegal parking and people drive down and poach passengers for fares. They don’t use the taxi rank and it’s causing a nuisance.
“I don’t think the council have thought about where to put the taxi ranks and the amount of taxis they have licenced.
“It’s not fair what’s happening at the moment. We’ve all got to try and make a living. We are all doing the same job,” he said.
Durham Police issued two drivers with fixed penalty notices for causing an unnecessary obstruction with a motor vehicle with one also being reported for obstructing a police officer.
A third driver will be traced and prosecuted after he failed to comply with police instructions.
It is understood that the ambulance was on its way to an Indian restaurant on the Claypath to help a woman who had taken ill, but who has since recovered.
The police spokesperson said: “We don’t want to tar all taxi drivers with the same brush and would like to put on the record that the majority of drivers using authorised ranks are fair and law abiding people.”
Richard Ormerod, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Elvet & Gilesgate, said: “There is a taxi rank and that’s what taxi drivers should be using. I would fully expect the police to take appropriate action. You are not allowed to block a highway and the fact it hampered the work of the emergency services confirms all my worst fears. I’ve driven down Claypath when taxis were allowed to park up at night and it was chaos.
“A big worry for me too is that access to Providence Row and The Sands estate would have been blocked which is where a number of elderly residents live.”
However he disputed that there were now too many taxis operating in the city centre following licencing changes.
He said: “In the past there were too few taxis and people were waiting for long periods of time at taxi ranks, and that’s when fights start. At the end of the day it’s a market and there shouldn’t be any kind of monopoly.”
Both taxi drivers and the ambulance service have praised the police’s action on Saturday night.
Ambulance driver Graeme Mountford wrote on the police’s Facebook page: “A huge well done to the relief officer and also Durham police. It’s a nightmare for us attending to an incident on Claypath or in Millennium Square. Well done guys.”
However Anthony Hind, who works for Dunelm Taxis, said he would like to see more changes made to taxi licencing in Durham city centre.
He said: “Many of us have all said that there should be licencing authorities out and about and marshals at ranks.
“It was a good idea to shut down the road, it meant that people had to join the proper taxi ranks.
“They blocked an ambulance getting through at the end of the day and that could have had serious consequences.”
In 2011 Durham County Council changed its taxi licensing rules so that there were limitations on geographic areas where taxi drivers could work.
As long as drivers have a Durham registered plate they can pick up passengers in any part of the county.
More recently they moved a taxi rank at the Claypath to the Prince Bishops shopping centre slip road.
Durham City police’s posting on its Facebook page attracted 100 comments within just a few hours.
Benjamin Tulloch wrote: “I was out tonight (Saturday) and got a taxi home from the designated taxi rank, the driver said how impressed he was at Durham Police closing off Claypath and the positive impact it had so far on his takings and pushing people to the correct queue.”
Former taxi marshall Darren Miller, who worked at the former Claypath rank, said: “There were issues all the time with certain cowboy taxi drivers jumping queues taking business off the legitimate drivers and parking where they shouldn’t be. These marshals should be given the power to give them a ticket.”
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-street-branded-wild-west-7922087
-------------------------------------------------
Burnley
A taxi firm owner has been fined by magistrates for keeping a poor record in his operator book.
Saeed Mahmood (43), of Chapel House Road, Nelson, was fined a total of £381 at Pennine Magistrates’ Court for the offence between April 3rd and May 2nd, 2014, at his company A1 Tiger Taxis in Burnley.
Mahmood pleaded guilty on the morning of trial on Thursday having pleaded not guilty in July.
Magistrates heard that on occasions in that time period, the method of booking had not been completed, the name of the hirer had not been filled in and the name of the driver was missing.
Mr David Talbot (prosecuting) told the court that the book was not in keeping with the operator’s licence issued by Burnley Council, and that certain criteria had to be filled in to the book.
Mr Talbot said that times of bookings had been changed and were not in order and other entries were difficult to read.
He said this was “unacceptable to the council” and the issue had been brought to Mahmood’s attention and all operators in Burnley in February 2013 when a letter was sent out saying records fell short of what was required.
The firm was inspected on February 4th this year and a further letter was sent out to all operators the following day.
Mr John Rusius (defending) said Mahmood had been an operator since 2006 and that neither the name of the driver had been mentioned as an issue on inspection.
Mr Rusius said Mahmood was “somewhat disappointed” to receive a court summons and on the issue of no hirer name, said people may be reluctant to give their name or personal details.
He added that as long as the operator could read the book he saw no issue and the reason times had changed and entries were not in order in the book was because people ring up and change times and may book for the following day.
Going forward, Mr Rusius concluded that a forum had now been set up between the council and operators which he hoped would make things clearer.
http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/news/crime/taxi-firm-owner-fined-for-cutting-corners-1-6887266
Tuesday 7 October 2014
A taxi driver employed by Devon County Council allegedly groped a vulnerable teenaged girl as he took her from her supported accommodation to a special school.
Kevin Satterley took the girl from her home to a special needs school in Devon every weekday for seven weeks until she complained to carers she had been abused during the journeys.
The 18-year-old says he showed her pornographic films on a portable DVD player of adults having sex and went on to touch her breasts and private parts.
A teaching assistant at her special school had already reported concerns over Satterley’s behaviour after seeing him pat the girl on the bottom as he escorted her into his taxi, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Satterley, aged 48, of Redburn Road, Paignton, denies four offences of sexual assault by touching.
Mr Lee Bremridge, prosecuting, said the offences happened in July last year when the girl was living in semi-independent supported accommodation.
She was a student at a special needs school and Devon County Council organised and paid for a taxi to take her to and from school each day.
He said the girl sat in the front seat and the police were called in when she complained to carers that Satterley was flirting with her and touching her over her clothing during the 40 minute journeys.
He said the girl told carers he had shown her pornographic videos before touching her and police later recovered a portable DVD with an adult film from the car.
He said the girl’s condition meant her behaviour was more like that of a child of eight to 12 and vocabulary was that of a six-year-old but her outward appearance and presentation were normal.
He said:”Although she can present as a street wise teenager she is in fact a young woman who understands less than she may be given credit for and needs constant help and support.”
He passed the jury an account which she had written for carers in big childish handwriting.
It said:”It was every day and made me watch the portable DVD player. He touched me on my boobs and between my legs and every day he did not stop I asked him to stop.”
Mr Bremridge said the girl told police and carers Satterley flirted with her during the journeys and this progressed to watching DVDs and touching in the weeks before she reported it.
He said the girl’s story was supported by the discovery of the portable DVD player in the car and concerns raised by a receptionist at the school who was worried about the way he patted the girl’s bottom as they walked to the car.
Satterley denied touching the girl or showing her the DVD but said she may have seen him watching it when he was waiting to pick her up.
Mr Bremridge said: "The prosecution case is that he took advantage of his position of trust. He took advantage of her and sexually assaulted her in the way she has described.”
Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Devon-County-Council-taxi-driver-denies-abusing/story-23055704-detail/story.html?#ixzz3FUC7QSDz
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle City Council catch out taxi drivers caught working illegally in Newcastle and refusing to take customers on short journeys
Rogue taxi drivers have been caught flouting licensing laws in a council sting.
Dozens of cabbies have been caught out by officials since they launched a city wide crackdown at the beginning of summer.
Today Newcastle City Council has named its worst offenders and wants to assure residents, and particularly students, they have a firm eye on any illegal activity.
Jonathan Bryce, the council’s regulatory licencing manager, said: "These prosecutions show the council’s commitment to pursuing action against anyone who breaks the law.
"We take enforcement very seriously and our role is to ensure that the trade operates legally and to the high standards expected."
In the past few months the council has found an increasing number of Hackney Carriage taxi drivers coming to work in Newcastle whose vehicles are registered to work in Northumberland and Durham.
This means customers are at risk of being picked up in uninsured cars as the vehicle’s haven’t been checked by Newcastle City Council.
Students and residents travelling very short distances, for example from Collingwood Street to Jesmond, have also found that taxi drivers have refused to take them because of the low fares, despite it being illegal to turn down a job.
Others have been ripped off, and have complained to the council that the taxi driver has turned off the metre and instead charged their own fee, like taxi driver Arafath Habib Riyad of Swaledale Gardens, Newcastle.
"We would also like to remind the travelling public that it is an offence for a Hackney Carriage driver to refuse a fare that starts and finishes in Newcastle," said the spokesman.
"It is also an offence for such a driver not to use the fitted meter or to charge more than the legal tariff of fares displayed in the licensed vehicle."
One taxi driver prosecuted by the council, Adil Mohammed, was caught when he picked up a team of council officers in a car not legally registered to be driven in Newcastle. Following a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates Court he was fined £55 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £100.
Stuart Burns, of Benwell Grange Terrace, had carried out a number of journeys without a valid taxi licence.
The council have said that those who have declined fares of just £3 or £4 to take people home after night out in town have gone on to face fines of up to £300.
So far 700 vehicles and drivers have been stopped and checked by the licensing authority at Newcastle City Council alongside Northumbria Police to make sure that driver standards are maintained in the last year.
The council have also written to both Newcastle University and Northumbria University to advise students how to stay safe while using taxis in the city and to report any problems to the council.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rogue-taxi-drivers-named-shamed-7892376?
------------------------------------------
WARRINGTON
Police appeal over taxi sexual assault
POLICE are appealing for information after a man claiming to be a taxi driver sexually assaulted an 18-year-old passenger.
The victim and two friends were picked up by a taxi outside the Natwest bank in Warrington town centre at around 5.30am on Saturday.
The driver told one of the girls she would need to travel in the front seat with him while her friends sat in the back.
During the journey to a friend’s house in the Bewsey area, the driver asked the girl if he could go into the address and was told no.
A spokesman added: "The driver has allegedly been suggestive in his behaviour during the journey to the address, when they arrived the girl was alone in the taxi momentarily while her friends went into the house at which point it is alleged the driver has sexually assaulted her.
"At this point the girl has left the car and told her friends what has happened and the police were notified."
The driver is described as an Asian man, about 35-years-old, around 5ft 8ins tall, slim build with short dark hair and a trimmed goatee beard and wearing dark clothing.
The car is described as white and possibly a Peugot.
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11518920._/?
Kevin Satterley took the girl from her home to a special needs school in Devon every weekday for seven weeks until she complained to carers she had been abused during the journeys.
The 18-year-old says he showed her pornographic films on a portable DVD player of adults having sex and went on to touch her breasts and private parts.
A teaching assistant at her special school had already reported concerns over Satterley’s behaviour after seeing him pat the girl on the bottom as he escorted her into his taxi, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Satterley, aged 48, of Redburn Road, Paignton, denies four offences of sexual assault by touching.
Mr Lee Bremridge, prosecuting, said the offences happened in July last year when the girl was living in semi-independent supported accommodation.
She was a student at a special needs school and Devon County Council organised and paid for a taxi to take her to and from school each day.
He said the girl sat in the front seat and the police were called in when she complained to carers that Satterley was flirting with her and touching her over her clothing during the 40 minute journeys.
He said the girl told carers he had shown her pornographic videos before touching her and police later recovered a portable DVD with an adult film from the car.
He said the girl’s condition meant her behaviour was more like that of a child of eight to 12 and vocabulary was that of a six-year-old but her outward appearance and presentation were normal.
He said:”Although she can present as a street wise teenager she is in fact a young woman who understands less than she may be given credit for and needs constant help and support.”
He passed the jury an account which she had written for carers in big childish handwriting.
It said:”It was every day and made me watch the portable DVD player. He touched me on my boobs and between my legs and every day he did not stop I asked him to stop.”
Mr Bremridge said the girl told police and carers Satterley flirted with her during the journeys and this progressed to watching DVDs and touching in the weeks before she reported it.
He said the girl’s story was supported by the discovery of the portable DVD player in the car and concerns raised by a receptionist at the school who was worried about the way he patted the girl’s bottom as they walked to the car.
Satterley denied touching the girl or showing her the DVD but said she may have seen him watching it when he was waiting to pick her up.
Mr Bremridge said: "The prosecution case is that he took advantage of his position of trust. He took advantage of her and sexually assaulted her in the way she has described.”
Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Devon-County-Council-taxi-driver-denies-abusing/story-23055704-detail/story.html?#ixzz3FUC7QSDz
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle City Council catch out taxi drivers caught working illegally in Newcastle and refusing to take customers on short journeys
Rogue taxi drivers have been caught flouting licensing laws in a council sting.
Dozens of cabbies have been caught out by officials since they launched a city wide crackdown at the beginning of summer.
Today Newcastle City Council has named its worst offenders and wants to assure residents, and particularly students, they have a firm eye on any illegal activity.
Jonathan Bryce, the council’s regulatory licencing manager, said: "These prosecutions show the council’s commitment to pursuing action against anyone who breaks the law.
"We take enforcement very seriously and our role is to ensure that the trade operates legally and to the high standards expected."
In the past few months the council has found an increasing number of Hackney Carriage taxi drivers coming to work in Newcastle whose vehicles are registered to work in Northumberland and Durham.
This means customers are at risk of being picked up in uninsured cars as the vehicle’s haven’t been checked by Newcastle City Council.
Students and residents travelling very short distances, for example from Collingwood Street to Jesmond, have also found that taxi drivers have refused to take them because of the low fares, despite it being illegal to turn down a job.
Others have been ripped off, and have complained to the council that the taxi driver has turned off the metre and instead charged their own fee, like taxi driver Arafath Habib Riyad of Swaledale Gardens, Newcastle.
"We would also like to remind the travelling public that it is an offence for a Hackney Carriage driver to refuse a fare that starts and finishes in Newcastle," said the spokesman.
"It is also an offence for such a driver not to use the fitted meter or to charge more than the legal tariff of fares displayed in the licensed vehicle."
One taxi driver prosecuted by the council, Adil Mohammed, was caught when he picked up a team of council officers in a car not legally registered to be driven in Newcastle. Following a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates Court he was fined £55 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £100.
Stuart Burns, of Benwell Grange Terrace, had carried out a number of journeys without a valid taxi licence.
The council have said that those who have declined fares of just £3 or £4 to take people home after night out in town have gone on to face fines of up to £300.
So far 700 vehicles and drivers have been stopped and checked by the licensing authority at Newcastle City Council alongside Northumbria Police to make sure that driver standards are maintained in the last year.
The council have also written to both Newcastle University and Northumbria University to advise students how to stay safe while using taxis in the city and to report any problems to the council.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rogue-taxi-drivers-named-shamed-7892376?
------------------------------------------
WARRINGTON
Police appeal over taxi sexual assault
POLICE are appealing for information after a man claiming to be a taxi driver sexually assaulted an 18-year-old passenger.
The victim and two friends were picked up by a taxi outside the Natwest bank in Warrington town centre at around 5.30am on Saturday.
The driver told one of the girls she would need to travel in the front seat with him while her friends sat in the back.
During the journey to a friend’s house in the Bewsey area, the driver asked the girl if he could go into the address and was told no.
A spokesman added: "The driver has allegedly been suggestive in his behaviour during the journey to the address, when they arrived the girl was alone in the taxi momentarily while her friends went into the house at which point it is alleged the driver has sexually assaulted her.
"At this point the girl has left the car and told her friends what has happened and the police were notified."
The driver is described as an Asian man, about 35-years-old, around 5ft 8ins tall, slim build with short dark hair and a trimmed goatee beard and wearing dark clothing.
The car is described as white and possibly a Peugot.
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11518920._/?
Monday 6 October 2014
MADRID
Drivers for the ride-sharing service Uber will receive penalties of up to €18,000 (£14,000, $22,500) and could have their cars immobilised under new laws imposed by Madrid's local government.
The new measures will be seen as a significant victory for the taxi industry in Spain, which has been lobbying against Uber ever since the service launched in the country earlier this year.
It has been disputed that drivers who do not hold the proper permits are unable to use their vehicles to transport people for profit under Spanish law.
"We held a meeting in which we expressed the commitment of the community to ensure the safety of users and prevent unfair competition and we will work together with the taxi to inspect and punish pirate vehicles already operating at the airport, Uber phone or applications, " Borja Carabante, Spain's deputy minister of transport, infrastructure and housing, told 20minutos.
The fines imposed will range from €4,000 to €18,000 and will be enforced by local police. It is not yet clear how vehicles operating with Uber will be spotted by authorities when there are no physical markings that distinguish regular cars from Uber cars.
Uber currently operates in over 200 cities across 45 countries around the world and is continuing to expand internationally despite resistance from local taxi organisations and unions.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uber-drivers-spain-face-14000-fines-1468707
-----------------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
Taxi driver jailed after cocaine worth €200,000 found in boot of his car
Alan Rowe (58) agreed to transport drugs to pay off a debt to dealers
Alan Rowe developed a cocaine habit after the collapse of his marriage, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Photograph: PA Wire
Alan Rowe developed a cocaine habit after the collapse of his marriage, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
A taxi driver has been jailed for four and a half years after he admitted having over €200,000 worth of cocaine in the boot of his car.
Alan Rowe (58) of Oxmantown Road, Dublin 8 said he agreed to transport the cocaine to pay off a drugs debt. He developed a cocaine habit in his 40s after the collapse of his marriage.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Collierstown, Co Meath on January 22nd, 2009.
Garda Stephen O’Keefe told Sinead McMullen BL, prosecuting, that after a confidential tip, gardaí followed Rowe in his car and stopped him. During a search of the boot they found six blocks of cocaine wrapped in masking tape. The drugs had an estimated street value of €207,108.
Judge Martin Nolan was told that gardaí later found €58,000 worth of cannabis in his home and €6,000 worth of amphetamines at his business address on North King Street, Dublin.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/taxi-driver-jailed-after-cocaine-worth-200-000-found-in-boot-of-his-car-1.1953678
-----------------------------------------------------
OLDHAM
A taxi driver who tried to avoid a string of speeding fines by inventing another motorist has been jailed.
Mohammed Khawaja, 60, of Oldham, was sentenced to eight months by Manchester Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to five counts of perverting the course of justice and one of providing false information.
He had been caught speeding by cameras five times between June and December 2013.
But when a notice of intended prosecution was sent to Khawaja, of Chamber Road, he returned it and claimed he had sold the Ford Focus that had been caught on camera to a Mr Mohammed Saleem in June 2013.
The notice was then sent to an unoccupied house and Khawaja falsified a registration document.
His web of lies began to unravel when a family moved into the home and objected to receiving further prosecution notices.
Police found the satellite tracking system in Khawaja’s taxi proved he had been driving it after he claimed to have sold it. He was also found to be paying monthly insurance instalments on the car.
And, contrary to taxi licensing rule,s no record of the car sale could be found. The final nail in Khawaja’s coffin came when a licensing officer even saw him driving the car.
Police Constable Vaughan Sherrah-Davies said: "Khawaja went to great lengths just to avoid paying his speeding fines.
"He concocted an elaborate scheme and invented a totally fictitious person whom he claimed he had sold the offending car just to wriggle out of the offences.
"I am sure now this case has been concluded, as it is highly unlikely he will ever be able to drive a taxi again, he is wondering whether it really was worth it just to avoid getting a fine and points on his licence.
"This case demonstrates what can happen if you provide false information on notices of intended prosecution.
"Warnings are clearly placed on the front of these notices that if you provide false information or pass the notice to another person you risk a far greater fine and possibly imprisonment.
"While I would encourage people not to be tempted to provide false information just to get out of paying £60 – the key message for me is to remind people to just slow down in the first place and respect the speed limit."
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-who-invented-another-7889192?
Drivers for the ride-sharing service Uber will receive penalties of up to €18,000 (£14,000, $22,500) and could have their cars immobilised under new laws imposed by Madrid's local government.
The new measures will be seen as a significant victory for the taxi industry in Spain, which has been lobbying against Uber ever since the service launched in the country earlier this year.
It has been disputed that drivers who do not hold the proper permits are unable to use their vehicles to transport people for profit under Spanish law.
"We held a meeting in which we expressed the commitment of the community to ensure the safety of users and prevent unfair competition and we will work together with the taxi to inspect and punish pirate vehicles already operating at the airport, Uber phone or applications, " Borja Carabante, Spain's deputy minister of transport, infrastructure and housing, told 20minutos.
The fines imposed will range from €4,000 to €18,000 and will be enforced by local police. It is not yet clear how vehicles operating with Uber will be spotted by authorities when there are no physical markings that distinguish regular cars from Uber cars.
Uber currently operates in over 200 cities across 45 countries around the world and is continuing to expand internationally despite resistance from local taxi organisations and unions.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uber-drivers-spain-face-14000-fines-1468707
-----------------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
Taxi driver jailed after cocaine worth €200,000 found in boot of his car
Alan Rowe (58) agreed to transport drugs to pay off a debt to dealers
Alan Rowe developed a cocaine habit after the collapse of his marriage, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Photograph: PA Wire
Alan Rowe developed a cocaine habit after the collapse of his marriage, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
A taxi driver has been jailed for four and a half years after he admitted having over €200,000 worth of cocaine in the boot of his car.
Alan Rowe (58) of Oxmantown Road, Dublin 8 said he agreed to transport the cocaine to pay off a drugs debt. He developed a cocaine habit in his 40s after the collapse of his marriage.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Collierstown, Co Meath on January 22nd, 2009.
Garda Stephen O’Keefe told Sinead McMullen BL, prosecuting, that after a confidential tip, gardaí followed Rowe in his car and stopped him. During a search of the boot they found six blocks of cocaine wrapped in masking tape. The drugs had an estimated street value of €207,108.
Judge Martin Nolan was told that gardaí later found €58,000 worth of cannabis in his home and €6,000 worth of amphetamines at his business address on North King Street, Dublin.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/taxi-driver-jailed-after-cocaine-worth-200-000-found-in-boot-of-his-car-1.1953678
-----------------------------------------------------
OLDHAM
A taxi driver who tried to avoid a string of speeding fines by inventing another motorist has been jailed.
Mohammed Khawaja, 60, of Oldham, was sentenced to eight months by Manchester Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to five counts of perverting the course of justice and one of providing false information.
He had been caught speeding by cameras five times between June and December 2013.
But when a notice of intended prosecution was sent to Khawaja, of Chamber Road, he returned it and claimed he had sold the Ford Focus that had been caught on camera to a Mr Mohammed Saleem in June 2013.
The notice was then sent to an unoccupied house and Khawaja falsified a registration document.
His web of lies began to unravel when a family moved into the home and objected to receiving further prosecution notices.
Police found the satellite tracking system in Khawaja’s taxi proved he had been driving it after he claimed to have sold it. He was also found to be paying monthly insurance instalments on the car.
And, contrary to taxi licensing rule,s no record of the car sale could be found. The final nail in Khawaja’s coffin came when a licensing officer even saw him driving the car.
Police Constable Vaughan Sherrah-Davies said: "Khawaja went to great lengths just to avoid paying his speeding fines.
"He concocted an elaborate scheme and invented a totally fictitious person whom he claimed he had sold the offending car just to wriggle out of the offences.
"I am sure now this case has been concluded, as it is highly unlikely he will ever be able to drive a taxi again, he is wondering whether it really was worth it just to avoid getting a fine and points on his licence.
"This case demonstrates what can happen if you provide false information on notices of intended prosecution.
"Warnings are clearly placed on the front of these notices that if you provide false information or pass the notice to another person you risk a far greater fine and possibly imprisonment.
"While I would encourage people not to be tempted to provide false information just to get out of paying £60 – the key message for me is to remind people to just slow down in the first place and respect the speed limit."
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-who-invented-another-7889192?
Liverpool
A taxi driver has been arrested after a woman was seriously hurt when she was hit by his cab.
Police confirmed they are investigating the incident in Toxteth during the early hours of this morning.
Officers were called to Park Road, close to the junction with Dombey Street, at around 2.40am, following a report that a taxi and a woman had been in collision.
Patrols from the Matrix Serious Organised Crime Roads Policing Unit attended and found a 60-year-old woman with injuries to her head and pelvis.
She has been taken to hospital for treatment. Her condition is described by police as serious.
Police said the taxi driver initially stopped but is then believed to have left the scene.
A short time later, a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop following a collision and driving whilst unfit.
He has been taken to a police station to be questioned by officers.
Park Road was closed for a number of hours while collision investigators carried out work at the scene.
The road re-opened shortly after 7am.
An investigation into the incident is continuing.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/taxi-driver-arrested-after-woman-7887635
A taxi driver has been arrested after a woman was seriously hurt when she was hit by his cab.
Police confirmed they are investigating the incident in Toxteth during the early hours of this morning.
Officers were called to Park Road, close to the junction with Dombey Street, at around 2.40am, following a report that a taxi and a woman had been in collision.
Patrols from the Matrix Serious Organised Crime Roads Policing Unit attended and found a 60-year-old woman with injuries to her head and pelvis.
She has been taken to hospital for treatment. Her condition is described by police as serious.
Police said the taxi driver initially stopped but is then believed to have left the scene.
A short time later, a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop following a collision and driving whilst unfit.
He has been taken to a police station to be questioned by officers.
Park Road was closed for a number of hours while collision investigators carried out work at the scene.
The road re-opened shortly after 7am.
An investigation into the incident is continuing.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/taxi-driver-arrested-after-woman-7887635
Thursday 2 October 2014
Police ignored minicab sex attack leaving driver to strike again just 10 days later - Crime - News - London Evening Standard
Alaksur Rahman, 39, assaulted a media executive as she returned home from a party in Hoxton in June last year, the jury was told.
Police decided to take no further action against Rahman following the attack, and 10 days later he sexually assaulted a PR executive as she headed home from a night out in Shoreditch.
Rahman, of Poplar, was jailed for 30 months at Snaresbrook crown court after he admitted two charges of sexual assault. He has a previous conviction for soliciting for business as a minicab driver.
Sentencing, Judge Martin Zeidman said: “The message is this, woman have a right to be treated decently and that applies whether they are sober or drunk.
“If a drunk woman gets into your cab, as happened on both these occasions, you as a minicab driver are on trust not to take advantage of those women who are intoxicated and vulnerable.”
The court heard that Rahman assaulted the media executive after she booked the cab and shared part of the journey home with another woman.
She became uneasy when the other passenger was dropped off and she was left alone with Rahman.
He fondled her leg as she paid her fare, then put his hand on her shoulder. She pushed him away but he followed her to her front door and she began frantically ringing the bell because she could not find her door keys.
Rahman left the scene when he saw she did not live alone.
The woman described herself as “drunk” but said she was still in control, and said she was terrified by the experience.
The PR executive who was sexually assaulted by Rahman 10 days later after he drove her to a dark residential street said she felt paralysed with fear.
She screamed then sprinted towards a main road, where she called her boyfriend. In a statement, she said: “I was extremely shocked by his actions and I felt he was being opportunistic because I had been drinking heavily.
“I was scared and this was exacerbated by the fact that I couldn’t get out of the car, I was concerned I was going to be raped.”
She added: “I think the driver was extremely surprised by my aggressive reaction.’
The father-of-three, who worked for cab firm Crescent Cars, was then arrested again and charged.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-ignored-minicab-sex-attack-leaving-driver-to-strike-again-just-10-days-later-9769023.html
----------------------------------------------------
Comment; When searching this perv's name, I noticed that only one man by that name is registered on any Electoral role. That man is registered in Rochdale and is the same age.
Coincidence or did he need to leave Rochdale for some reason. ?
Alaksur Rahman, 39, assaulted a media executive as she returned home from a party in Hoxton in June last year, the jury was told.
Police decided to take no further action against Rahman following the attack, and 10 days later he sexually assaulted a PR executive as she headed home from a night out in Shoreditch.
Rahman, of Poplar, was jailed for 30 months at Snaresbrook crown court after he admitted two charges of sexual assault. He has a previous conviction for soliciting for business as a minicab driver.
Sentencing, Judge Martin Zeidman said: “The message is this, woman have a right to be treated decently and that applies whether they are sober or drunk.
“If a drunk woman gets into your cab, as happened on both these occasions, you as a minicab driver are on trust not to take advantage of those women who are intoxicated and vulnerable.”
The court heard that Rahman assaulted the media executive after she booked the cab and shared part of the journey home with another woman.
She became uneasy when the other passenger was dropped off and she was left alone with Rahman.
He fondled her leg as she paid her fare, then put his hand on her shoulder. She pushed him away but he followed her to her front door and she began frantically ringing the bell because she could not find her door keys.
Rahman left the scene when he saw she did not live alone.
The woman described herself as “drunk” but said she was still in control, and said she was terrified by the experience.
The PR executive who was sexually assaulted by Rahman 10 days later after he drove her to a dark residential street said she felt paralysed with fear.
She screamed then sprinted towards a main road, where she called her boyfriend. In a statement, she said: “I was extremely shocked by his actions and I felt he was being opportunistic because I had been drinking heavily.
“I was scared and this was exacerbated by the fact that I couldn’t get out of the car, I was concerned I was going to be raped.”
She added: “I think the driver was extremely surprised by my aggressive reaction.’
The father-of-three, who worked for cab firm Crescent Cars, was then arrested again and charged.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-ignored-minicab-sex-attack-leaving-driver-to-strike-again-just-10-days-later-9769023.html
----------------------------------------------------
Comment; When searching this perv's name, I noticed that only one man by that name is registered on any Electoral role. That man is registered in Rochdale and is the same age.
Coincidence or did he need to leave Rochdale for some reason. ?
Open letter from Ken Livingstone to the taxi trade
Dear Sirs,
I have been using my experience and knowledge of London and its transport system to help launch a new “People’s App” called Maaxi which enables Londoners to share taxis. I support the principles that stand behind Maaxi, principles that have been developed in light of the revolution that smartphones have brought to our transport industry since I left the mayor’s office.
With the introduction of GPS-enabled iPhone and Android devices, easier transport planning and door-to-door transport booking have become more than a reality – they have attracted some of the biggest and most aggressive capitalists in the world including Google and Goldman Sachs.
These new technologies should be used to improve Londoners’ daily lives by allowing them to book a taxi from the comfort of their homes or offices, increasing safety and giving more people access to taxis.
Sadly the reality is that the technology is being used to hurt passengers by increasing prices via so-called “surging” or imposing minimum fares and hurting drivers by commoditising prices and taking large commissions from taxi fares. This is wrong since Londoners and its drivers deserve better. As you know, my successor has kow-towed to the new entrants.
Whilst competition has its place, there is no place for de-regulation by stealth which hits taxi drivers who have worked for years to acquire “The Knowledge”. This is where Maaxi can help. It benefits taxi drivers by charging no commissions on their normal fares and giving them the opportunity to increase their trade through shared taxi rides which have the potential to double, triple or even quadruple the taxi business in London and cut private vehicle traffic.
This App will provide me with door-to-door transport at a fraction of the cost of a minicab, let alone a taxi, and only slightly more expense than travelling by public transport.
This is truly a “saving instead of surging” revolution, and will allow every Londoner to use black cabs. It is what technology should do for the world and I wholeheartedly support it. It will help London and I hope the taxi trade will promote Maaxi among Londoners and ensure that drivers stand behind a company that has created a “People’s App.” And in so doing stop Uber driving the black cab trade into extinction!
Sincerely,
Ken Livingstone
Dear Sirs,
I have been using my experience and knowledge of London and its transport system to help launch a new “People’s App” called Maaxi which enables Londoners to share taxis. I support the principles that stand behind Maaxi, principles that have been developed in light of the revolution that smartphones have brought to our transport industry since I left the mayor’s office.
With the introduction of GPS-enabled iPhone and Android devices, easier transport planning and door-to-door transport booking have become more than a reality – they have attracted some of the biggest and most aggressive capitalists in the world including Google and Goldman Sachs.
These new technologies should be used to improve Londoners’ daily lives by allowing them to book a taxi from the comfort of their homes or offices, increasing safety and giving more people access to taxis.
Sadly the reality is that the technology is being used to hurt passengers by increasing prices via so-called “surging” or imposing minimum fares and hurting drivers by commoditising prices and taking large commissions from taxi fares. This is wrong since Londoners and its drivers deserve better. As you know, my successor has kow-towed to the new entrants.
Whilst competition has its place, there is no place for de-regulation by stealth which hits taxi drivers who have worked for years to acquire “The Knowledge”. This is where Maaxi can help. It benefits taxi drivers by charging no commissions on their normal fares and giving them the opportunity to increase their trade through shared taxi rides which have the potential to double, triple or even quadruple the taxi business in London and cut private vehicle traffic.
This App will provide me with door-to-door transport at a fraction of the cost of a minicab, let alone a taxi, and only slightly more expense than travelling by public transport.
This is truly a “saving instead of surging” revolution, and will allow every Londoner to use black cabs. It is what technology should do for the world and I wholeheartedly support it. It will help London and I hope the taxi trade will promote Maaxi among Londoners and ensure that drivers stand behind a company that has created a “People’s App.” And in so doing stop Uber driving the black cab trade into extinction!
Sincerely,
Ken Livingstone
Wednesday 1 October 2014
MIlton Keynes
A 61-YEAR-OLD taxi driver has had his licence temporarily taken off him for thefts he did as a teenager.
Meanwhile taxi company, Cybercars, registered in Northampton but operating in Milton Keynes, is trying to cash in on the taxi licensing scandal by tweeting about his ‘more reliable’ CRB checks.
George Turner, from Coffee Hall, was shocked when his school badge, that allows him to take children to and from school, was suspended which he believed was part of Milton Keynes Council’s review into drivers.
He said: “Because of the actions of the mayor, I and other taxi drivers are now having their livelihoods taken away.
“I have a couple of traces of petty theft offences that were committed when I was a teenager over 40 years ago. And I haven’t been told when and if I will get my school badge back.”
A spokesman from the council said: “We have suspended a number of permissions for drivers who had contracts to take children to school, where evidence of a criminal record or caution has been found, and we are in the process of interviewing those drivers.
“We are looking at each individual case on its own merits, and some drivers, for example with minor offences going back many years, will continue to be allowed to drive on these contracts, until we’ve interviewed them.”
In the mean time, Cybercars owned by Clive Pinder based in Deanshanger and registered with South Northamptonshire Council, is trying to benefit from the taxi licensing review by tweeting comments like “
@MKEYNESTAXIS: warning rapist taxi drivers from Milton Keynes but not with our firm licensed by South Northants.”
http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Taxi-driver-licence-taken-away-Milton-Keynes/story-23025891-detail/story.html
--------------------------------------------------------
Eire.
Two males in their late teens have been arrested by Gardaí in relation to the assault and robbery of taxi driver John Ford in the early hours of September 19.
The teenagers are currently being detained for questioning at Mayfield and Gurranabraher Garda Stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. They can be held for up to 24 hours.
John Ford sustained serious facial injuries in the attack by two passengers in the Dublin Hill area of the city last month. His Toyota Avensis was stolen and later found crashed near Kileens.
Gardaí state that the investigation is ongoing.
http://www.eveningecho.ie/2014/10/01/arrests-taxi-driver-attack-investigation/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OLDHAM. Cabbie jailed for sex with 14-year-old girl
AN Oldham taxi driver who took advantage of a drunken underage girl has been jailed for four years.
Asif Ali’s young victim, who had been given alcohol and cigarettes, eventually managed to fight her way out of the parked car in Alexandra Park. She ran off half-clothed and shoeless but managed to flag down a passing car and was taken home, where she told police she had been raped.
The court heard the girl had been picked up late at night as she walked home from Oldham town centre, where she had been drinking with friends.
She got into a taxi around Keswick Avenue and Honeywell Lane, which shortly afterwards parked alongside a second taxi.
After a conversation between the drivers, the second man got into the car and they drove to Alexandra Park where the girl was assaulted.
Charlotte Crangle, prosecuting, said the girl’s recollections were hazy but remembered lying in the back seat with the man on top of her, and that she fought and kicked before she could wrench open the car door and run. Her underwear and a pair of earrings were found later during a police search.
Ms Crangle told the court: “It is clear that at some time during that night this man did have sex with the girl, who was vulnerable and drunk.”
Manchester Crown Court heard how Ali (41) of Fern Street, would have got away with the attack in August 2006, but for coming to the attention of the police five years later, when his DNA was matched to samples from the girl.
Ali at first denied the attack but later admitted sexual activity with a child.
Mohammed Qazi, defending, said his client’s life since being arrested had been “chaotic and difficult,” that he had separated from his wife and young children, had few job prospects and his health had suffered.
Ali will serve half his sentence in prison and he will be subject to the sexual offences prevention order.
http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/88239/cabbie-jailed-for-sex-with-14yearold-girl
A 61-YEAR-OLD taxi driver has had his licence temporarily taken off him for thefts he did as a teenager.
Meanwhile taxi company, Cybercars, registered in Northampton but operating in Milton Keynes, is trying to cash in on the taxi licensing scandal by tweeting about his ‘more reliable’ CRB checks.
George Turner, from Coffee Hall, was shocked when his school badge, that allows him to take children to and from school, was suspended which he believed was part of Milton Keynes Council’s review into drivers.
He said: “Because of the actions of the mayor, I and other taxi drivers are now having their livelihoods taken away.
“I have a couple of traces of petty theft offences that were committed when I was a teenager over 40 years ago. And I haven’t been told when and if I will get my school badge back.”
A spokesman from the council said: “We have suspended a number of permissions for drivers who had contracts to take children to school, where evidence of a criminal record or caution has been found, and we are in the process of interviewing those drivers.
“We are looking at each individual case on its own merits, and some drivers, for example with minor offences going back many years, will continue to be allowed to drive on these contracts, until we’ve interviewed them.”
In the mean time, Cybercars owned by Clive Pinder based in Deanshanger and registered with South Northamptonshire Council, is trying to benefit from the taxi licensing review by tweeting comments like “
@MKEYNESTAXIS: warning rapist taxi drivers from Milton Keynes but not with our firm licensed by South Northants.”
http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Taxi-driver-licence-taken-away-Milton-Keynes/story-23025891-detail/story.html
--------------------------------------------------------
Eire.
Two males in their late teens have been arrested by Gardaí in relation to the assault and robbery of taxi driver John Ford in the early hours of September 19.
The teenagers are currently being detained for questioning at Mayfield and Gurranabraher Garda Stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. They can be held for up to 24 hours.
John Ford sustained serious facial injuries in the attack by two passengers in the Dublin Hill area of the city last month. His Toyota Avensis was stolen and later found crashed near Kileens.
Gardaí state that the investigation is ongoing.
http://www.eveningecho.ie/2014/10/01/arrests-taxi-driver-attack-investigation/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OLDHAM. Cabbie jailed for sex with 14-year-old girl
AN Oldham taxi driver who took advantage of a drunken underage girl has been jailed for four years.
Asif Ali’s young victim, who had been given alcohol and cigarettes, eventually managed to fight her way out of the parked car in Alexandra Park. She ran off half-clothed and shoeless but managed to flag down a passing car and was taken home, where she told police she had been raped.
The court heard the girl had been picked up late at night as she walked home from Oldham town centre, where she had been drinking with friends.
She got into a taxi around Keswick Avenue and Honeywell Lane, which shortly afterwards parked alongside a second taxi.
After a conversation between the drivers, the second man got into the car and they drove to Alexandra Park where the girl was assaulted.
Charlotte Crangle, prosecuting, said the girl’s recollections were hazy but remembered lying in the back seat with the man on top of her, and that she fought and kicked before she could wrench open the car door and run. Her underwear and a pair of earrings were found later during a police search.
Ms Crangle told the court: “It is clear that at some time during that night this man did have sex with the girl, who was vulnerable and drunk.”
Manchester Crown Court heard how Ali (41) of Fern Street, would have got away with the attack in August 2006, but for coming to the attention of the police five years later, when his DNA was matched to samples from the girl.
Ali at first denied the attack but later admitted sexual activity with a child.
Mohammed Qazi, defending, said his client’s life since being arrested had been “chaotic and difficult,” that he had separated from his wife and young children, had few job prospects and his health had suffered.
Ali will serve half his sentence in prison and he will be subject to the sexual offences prevention order.
http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/88239/cabbie-jailed-for-sex-with-14yearold-girl
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