GLASGOW. Hold the F**kin Bus.
I thought all Glasgow Taxis had to be Wheelchair Access. How many wheelchairs can you get in a Skoda Octavia ? ? ?
" GLASGOW taxi driver who fled abroad to avoid a rape charge has been found guilty of the sex attack.
Arshad Mohammed, 48, raped the 19-year-old woman in his Skoda taxi after driving her to a dead-end in Neilston, East Renfrewshire, in November 2010.
He was caught after police took a DNA sample when he was detained in March and April 2011 for making sexual remarks to two 17-year-old women.
Sentence on Mohammed was deferred and he was remanded in custody.
Pakistan-born Mohammed, who holds Italian citizenship, was convicted by majority verdict following a six day trial at the High Court in Stirling.
The court heard that the rape victim had got into his 50 50 Cabs Skoda taxi in her pyjamas, with a coat on top, following an evening watching television at a friend's house.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/glasgow-taxi-driver-guilty-of-raping-passenger-202057n.122140234
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Deregulation Bill and Manchester.
It will now be allowed by law, to use Out of Town PH Vehicles on MCR Operators circuits.
The most obvious case being Uber and Arrow Cars.
Arrow cars can now use PH Vehicles from 4 districts( MCr, Leeds, East Midlands and Bristol) to take work from Manchester Airport.
Uber Cars Manchester, Salford and Stockport, have now become Uber Greater Manchester (and beyond).
It will now be allowed by law, to use Out of Town PH Vehicles on MCR Operators circuits.
The most obvious case being Uber and Arrow Cars.
Arrow cars can now use PH Vehicles from 4 districts( MCr, Leeds, East Midlands and Bristol) to take work from Manchester Airport.
Uber Cars Manchester, Salford and Stockport, have now become Uber Greater Manchester (and beyond).
Friday, 27 March 2015
AMSTERDAM—Dutch authorities on Thursday raided an office of Uber Technologies Inc. in Amsterdam following a ban on one of its main services, the latest setback for the car-hailing company in Europe.
Investigators of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate raided Uber’s office in Amsterdam’s city center, a spokeswoman for the government body said.
The investigators focused their search on Uberpop, a cheap service that was banned by a Dutch court in December because the drivers lack professional licenses required under Dutch law, the spokeswoman added.
“We want to have an idea of the total number of Uberpop drivers,” she said, without giving further details.
Uber, which is appealing the court ruling, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The raid in Amsterdam follows a wider crackdown against Uber in Europe, where it has triggered a broad backlash by upending heavily regulated taxi marketplaces.
Last week, a German court slapped a nationwide ban on the Uberpop service, while French police raided Uber’s Paris office as part of a criminal probe that could shut down Uberpop in France.
Aggression against Uberpop drivers from traditional taxi drivers has also increased, resulting in several incidents in Brussels and Amsterdam in the past weeks.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-authorities-raid-uber-office-in-amsterdam-1427377510
Uber was recently valued at more than $41 billion.
Investigators of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate raided Uber’s office in Amsterdam’s city center, a spokeswoman for the government body said.
The investigators focused their search on Uberpop, a cheap service that was banned by a Dutch court in December because the drivers lack professional licenses required under Dutch law, the spokeswoman added.
“We want to have an idea of the total number of Uberpop drivers,” she said, without giving further details.
Uber, which is appealing the court ruling, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The raid in Amsterdam follows a wider crackdown against Uber in Europe, where it has triggered a broad backlash by upending heavily regulated taxi marketplaces.
Last week, a German court slapped a nationwide ban on the Uberpop service, while French police raided Uber’s Paris office as part of a criminal probe that could shut down Uberpop in France.
Aggression against Uberpop drivers from traditional taxi drivers has also increased, resulting in several incidents in Brussels and Amsterdam in the past weeks.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-authorities-raid-uber-office-in-amsterdam-1427377510
Uber was recently valued at more than $41 billion.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Around 1,200 cabbies are using Rossendale council licences to drive outside of the Valley, it’s been revealed.
There are currently 2,412 drivers licensed by the authority. But the council has confirmed that half of these are using their licences to drive passengers in neighbouring boroughs such as Rochdale, Bradford and Manchester.
Council papers also confirm that income from licensing fees has leapt eight fold from £92,000 in 2011 to £783,000 in 2014/15.
David Lawrie, chairman of Bacup Taxi Association, said the proliferation has occurred because Rossendale has no cap on the number of licences.
He said: “Other councils have a maximum number of licences they can issue. However, if you introduce a limit here it could potentially put some of our drivers out of work.”
Earlier this year a Rochdale council report claimed that its work to protect vulnerable residents was undermined by a ‘legal loophole’, allowing Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by one authority to work in another area as a Private Hire vehicle. It claimed Rossendale council also adopted a ‘lower standard’ for its drivers in areas of language skills, area knowledge and safeguarding.
Rossendale council said it refuted various aspects of the report.
Conservative group leader Coun Darryl Smith raised concerns over the situation.
He said: “We can’t carry on the way we have been if it’s causing problems for us and neighbouring authorities. It must be very frustrating when you are focusing on safeguarding and then look at neighbouring boroughs issuing licences like confetti.”
Coun Smith said the council’s income of £783,000 from licences was “a massive amount of money.”
He added: “You’ve got to think there are people coming here because it is easy to get a licence.”
Licensing bosses last month recommended introducing a basic skills test for drivers. The assessment for Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers will establish skills, such as if drivers can give correct change or hold conversations with customers.
Licensing and enforcement manager Tracy Brzozowski told the Free Press the council would expect to see a decline in new applications if the basic skills test is approved by the full council.
She added: “Once a vehicle has been licensed as a hackney carriage by either a district council in England and Wales or by Transport for London (the Public Carriage Office) it is a hackney carriage for the duration of that licence, wherever it is currently located.”
http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/
Comment; The suggestion that Half of Rossendale drivers work outside the area is Bo**ox.
Revenues for Licenses have risen 8 fold in three and a half years, they admit.
That to me suggest that 7 out every 8 licenses work out of their area. that's not half its 87%
There are currently 2,412 drivers licensed by the authority. But the council has confirmed that half of these are using their licences to drive passengers in neighbouring boroughs such as Rochdale, Bradford and Manchester.
Council papers also confirm that income from licensing fees has leapt eight fold from £92,000 in 2011 to £783,000 in 2014/15.
David Lawrie, chairman of Bacup Taxi Association, said the proliferation has occurred because Rossendale has no cap on the number of licences.
He said: “Other councils have a maximum number of licences they can issue. However, if you introduce a limit here it could potentially put some of our drivers out of work.”
Earlier this year a Rochdale council report claimed that its work to protect vulnerable residents was undermined by a ‘legal loophole’, allowing Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by one authority to work in another area as a Private Hire vehicle. It claimed Rossendale council also adopted a ‘lower standard’ for its drivers in areas of language skills, area knowledge and safeguarding.
Rossendale council said it refuted various aspects of the report.
Conservative group leader Coun Darryl Smith raised concerns over the situation.
He said: “We can’t carry on the way we have been if it’s causing problems for us and neighbouring authorities. It must be very frustrating when you are focusing on safeguarding and then look at neighbouring boroughs issuing licences like confetti.”
Coun Smith said the council’s income of £783,000 from licences was “a massive amount of money.”
He added: “You’ve got to think there are people coming here because it is easy to get a licence.”
Licensing bosses last month recommended introducing a basic skills test for drivers. The assessment for Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers will establish skills, such as if drivers can give correct change or hold conversations with customers.
Licensing and enforcement manager Tracy Brzozowski told the Free Press the council would expect to see a decline in new applications if the basic skills test is approved by the full council.
She added: “Once a vehicle has been licensed as a hackney carriage by either a district council in England and Wales or by Transport for London (the Public Carriage Office) it is a hackney carriage for the duration of that licence, wherever it is currently located.”
http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/
Comment; The suggestion that Half of Rossendale drivers work outside the area is Bo**ox.
Revenues for Licenses have risen 8 fold in three and a half years, they admit.
That to me suggest that 7 out every 8 licenses work out of their area. that's not half its 87%
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Never believe anything you read in the Papers.
This Story was first reported in 2003, by the BBC.
http://tiny.cc/xje3vx
Today the Daily Mail online release it as , a recent Story
http://tiny.cc/mle3vx
This Story was first reported in 2003, by the BBC.
http://tiny.cc/xje3vx
Today the Daily Mail online release it as , a recent Story
http://tiny.cc/mle3vx
Is someone 'Playing' the Public and the Cab trade. ?
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Monday, 23 March 2015
(Reuters) - Brussels police on Monday arrested a taxi driver who confessed to taking part in several incidents of intimidation against drivers using the Uber ride-sharing app, in the latest controversy over the U.S. tech company in Europe.
Public prosecutors in the Belgian capital said the 35-year-old licensed cabbie, identified only as N.C., admitted to being among several colleagues who had ordered rides on the Uber app on Sunday evening and then intimidated drivers who arrived at the rendezvous. Police said four such cases have been reported, some involving the throwing of eggs or flour. An Uber driver's smartphone was stolen in one case.
No one was hurt in the four incidents. But with tensions mounting between licensed taxi firms and users of the services of California-based Uber, Brussels police called a crisis meeting with cabbies' representatives on Tuesday.
As in several other major European cities where Uber has launched its smartphone app, connecting willing drivers with passengers, regulated taxi operators in Brussels have been up in arms at what they see as unregulated, cut-price competition.
Hundreds jammed streets three weeks ago to protest a city move to consider legalising online ride-sharing services, under certain conditions, from next year - shifting from the current municipal insistence that such operations breach its rules.
Constantin Tsatsakis of the Belgian Taxi Federation condemned acts of vandalism committed by a minority, public broadcaster RTBF reported. But he said his colleagues were angry that, despite legal action by the state against Uber, police were failing to check and prosecute drivers using the app.
http://tiny.cc/9jozvx
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private hire drivers should sit knowledge test say MSPs
NEW licensing laws could see private hire taxi drivers forced to sit a "knowledge test" the same as Hackney drivers.
The Scottish Parliament licensing committee recommended that new laws being considered should include the change that would see Glasgow's 3000 private hire drivers tested on main routes and city landmarks.
The committee recommended: "The Scottish Government should consider a full review of all aspects of taxi and private car licensing and report back to the Committee within this Parliamentary term."
The report stated the principal reason for licensing taxi and private hire cars is to ensure public safety.
http://tiny.cc/doozvx
It added: "The same knowledge test should apply to all drivers, both taxi and private hire."
Glasgow City Council is not in favour of the changes which would effectively end the two tier licensing system for drivers.
It said it would lead to customers believing private hire drivers were trained to the same standard as Hackney (black cab) drivers.
Michael McDougall solicitor with Glasgow City Council expressed the authority's opposition to the move in a written response to the committee.
He said: "The Licensing Authority is concerned that the Scottish Government's proposal to require the testing of PHC drivers erodes the difference between PHC and taxi drivers."
He said a key difference was the ability to pick up street hires without knowing the destination in advance.
He added: "The Authority understands that taxi drivers are tested as they are subject to "there and then hires" and therefore do not have an opportunity to research a route.
"However, PHC drivers by the very nature of being pre-booked, have the opportunity to make investigations into how to reach a destination.
Therefore, by imposing the same requirement on PHC drivers, it creates an impression that they are trained to an equivalent standard."
Glasgow Taxis, which operates most of the city's 'black cabs' did not wish to comment on the recommendation.
Public prosecutors in the Belgian capital said the 35-year-old licensed cabbie, identified only as N.C., admitted to being among several colleagues who had ordered rides on the Uber app on Sunday evening and then intimidated drivers who arrived at the rendezvous. Police said four such cases have been reported, some involving the throwing of eggs or flour. An Uber driver's smartphone was stolen in one case.
No one was hurt in the four incidents. But with tensions mounting between licensed taxi firms and users of the services of California-based Uber, Brussels police called a crisis meeting with cabbies' representatives on Tuesday.
As in several other major European cities where Uber has launched its smartphone app, connecting willing drivers with passengers, regulated taxi operators in Brussels have been up in arms at what they see as unregulated, cut-price competition.
Hundreds jammed streets three weeks ago to protest a city move to consider legalising online ride-sharing services, under certain conditions, from next year - shifting from the current municipal insistence that such operations breach its rules.
Constantin Tsatsakis of the Belgian Taxi Federation condemned acts of vandalism committed by a minority, public broadcaster RTBF reported. But he said his colleagues were angry that, despite legal action by the state against Uber, police were failing to check and prosecute drivers using the app.
http://tiny.cc/9jozvx
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private hire drivers should sit knowledge test say MSPs
NEW licensing laws could see private hire taxi drivers forced to sit a "knowledge test" the same as Hackney drivers.
The Scottish Parliament licensing committee recommended that new laws being considered should include the change that would see Glasgow's 3000 private hire drivers tested on main routes and city landmarks.
The committee recommended: "The Scottish Government should consider a full review of all aspects of taxi and private car licensing and report back to the Committee within this Parliamentary term."
The report stated the principal reason for licensing taxi and private hire cars is to ensure public safety.
http://tiny.cc/doozvx
It added: "The same knowledge test should apply to all drivers, both taxi and private hire."
Glasgow City Council is not in favour of the changes which would effectively end the two tier licensing system for drivers.
It said it would lead to customers believing private hire drivers were trained to the same standard as Hackney (black cab) drivers.
Michael McDougall solicitor with Glasgow City Council expressed the authority's opposition to the move in a written response to the committee.
He said: "The Licensing Authority is concerned that the Scottish Government's proposal to require the testing of PHC drivers erodes the difference between PHC and taxi drivers."
He said a key difference was the ability to pick up street hires without knowing the destination in advance.
He added: "The Authority understands that taxi drivers are tested as they are subject to "there and then hires" and therefore do not have an opportunity to research a route.
"However, PHC drivers by the very nature of being pre-booked, have the opportunity to make investigations into how to reach a destination.
Therefore, by imposing the same requirement on PHC drivers, it creates an impression that they are trained to an equivalent standard."
Glasgow Taxis, which operates most of the city's 'black cabs' did not wish to comment on the recommendation.
Sunday, 22 March 2015
A TAXI driver from Birmingham who dodged fines and penalty points for speeding has been jailed for six months.
Mohammed Qayum, a Hackney Carriage driver, admitted perverting the course of justice when he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court.
A TAXI driver from Birmingham who dodged fines and penalty points for speeding has been jailed for six months.
Mohammed Qayum, a Hackney Carriage driver, admitted perverting the course of justice when he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court.
As well as being jailed he was given a 12 month disqualification from driving.
West Midlands Police say Qayum was originally clocked on the M42 doing 60mph in a 50mph zone in March 2012. His Peugeot taxi activated a temporary speed camera between junctions six and seven on the northbound carriageway and a prosecution form was sent to his Aston home.
Qayum, aged 37, returned the form a month later stating that another man had been driving at the time, and gave that person’s details and a Rugeley address. But when police tried to contact the supposed new driver, the notice was returned as having been sent to an invalid address.
The case was closed when the driver could not be traced.
After apparently getting away with his earlier misdemeanour, Qayum struck again in October 2013 when his Peugeot was captured travelling more than 20mph over the speed limit on the A38 Bristol Road in Birmingham. Despite a limit of 30mph the driver was caught travelling at 51mph on a mobile camera.
A notice was again sent to Qayum’s home on Woodridge, Aston, which he returned this time claiming that another Birmingham man was driving his cab. The alleged driver was never traced and the ticket was again cancelled.
Subsequent enquiries by officers in West Midlands Police Camera Enforcement Unit unearthed Qayum’s false reports, with officers first suspecting his crimes when they identified that the address given for the second speeding offence did not exist. The previous offence was then checked and this address was also found to have been false. Police arrested Qayum who told officers that he had paid a ‘friend of a friend’ to sort out his speeding tickets and as he had not heard anything else afterwards assumed he had gotten away with his crime − which had seen him evade six penalty points and a £200 fine.
Speaking after the sentencing, PC Jason Dooley, from the Camera Enforcement Unit, said: “While the driver’s crimes were committed out of fear for losing his livelihood, that cannot excuse the fact that he deliberately tried to evade prosecution for traffic offences.
“Perverting the course of justice is a criminal offence and the fact that Qayum has been given a prison sentence sends a clear message that such offences will not be tolerated.
“Even in cases, such as this one, when the false reports were made some time ago we continue to make enquiries so offenders should never feel that they have gotten away with it as no case is ever truly closed.”
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/taxi-driver-who-hid-points-8894587
Mohammed Qayum, a Hackney Carriage driver, admitted perverting the course of justice when he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court.
A TAXI driver from Birmingham who dodged fines and penalty points for speeding has been jailed for six months.
Mohammed Qayum, a Hackney Carriage driver, admitted perverting the course of justice when he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court.
As well as being jailed he was given a 12 month disqualification from driving.
West Midlands Police say Qayum was originally clocked on the M42 doing 60mph in a 50mph zone in March 2012. His Peugeot taxi activated a temporary speed camera between junctions six and seven on the northbound carriageway and a prosecution form was sent to his Aston home.
Qayum, aged 37, returned the form a month later stating that another man had been driving at the time, and gave that person’s details and a Rugeley address. But when police tried to contact the supposed new driver, the notice was returned as having been sent to an invalid address.
The case was closed when the driver could not be traced.
After apparently getting away with his earlier misdemeanour, Qayum struck again in October 2013 when his Peugeot was captured travelling more than 20mph over the speed limit on the A38 Bristol Road in Birmingham. Despite a limit of 30mph the driver was caught travelling at 51mph on a mobile camera.
A notice was again sent to Qayum’s home on Woodridge, Aston, which he returned this time claiming that another Birmingham man was driving his cab. The alleged driver was never traced and the ticket was again cancelled.
Subsequent enquiries by officers in West Midlands Police Camera Enforcement Unit unearthed Qayum’s false reports, with officers first suspecting his crimes when they identified that the address given for the second speeding offence did not exist. The previous offence was then checked and this address was also found to have been false. Police arrested Qayum who told officers that he had paid a ‘friend of a friend’ to sort out his speeding tickets and as he had not heard anything else afterwards assumed he had gotten away with his crime − which had seen him evade six penalty points and a £200 fine.
Speaking after the sentencing, PC Jason Dooley, from the Camera Enforcement Unit, said: “While the driver’s crimes were committed out of fear for losing his livelihood, that cannot excuse the fact that he deliberately tried to evade prosecution for traffic offences.
“Perverting the course of justice is a criminal offence and the fact that Qayum has been given a prison sentence sends a clear message that such offences will not be tolerated.
“Even in cases, such as this one, when the false reports were made some time ago we continue to make enquiries so offenders should never feel that they have gotten away with it as no case is ever truly closed.”
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/taxi-driver-who-hid-points-8894587
Friday, 20 March 2015
Manchester, The Battle of the Apps
Manchester has three Apps, Uber, HailO and Gettaxi.
HailO and GeTTaxi are for Hackney use only (at this moment in time).
Are they worth the trouble ?. Here are two statements from the same hackney driver for the week ended 15 March. He has two phones each running one App each. They are both on for the same amount of time, 40 Hours, spread over 7 days.
Manchester has three Apps, Uber, HailO and Gettaxi.
HailO and GeTTaxi are for Hackney use only (at this moment in time).
Are they worth the trouble ?. Here are two statements from the same hackney driver for the week ended 15 March. He has two phones each running one App each. They are both on for the same amount of time, 40 Hours, spread over 7 days.
1. Gettaxi supplies 2 jobs which net £14.64 (£7.32 av each) Gettaxi also pays a £5 bonus for one recommendation.
2. HailO supply 5 jobs which pay £25.44 net (£5.08 av each).
Are Apps worth the trouble ? On this showing I would say no. Gettaxi is poor, but HailO is even more dismal.
One thing noticeable is the amount of stress you are under when servicing the Apps, a clock is ticking in the background whilst you are running, trying to find the customer. It is necessary to ring the customer, for location or time update at some point in every job. The App locates you as the crow flies, the time-scale given the customer cannot account for temporary traffic conditions. You are always late, in the Customers eyes.
The phone calls to the customer and their cost are no problem, unless the Customer has an off shore registered mobile phone (as do the Irish, here in Manchester for every United match). Calls to off shore mobiles are charged extra from standard mobile tariff's. A further cost to consider.
A major factor here Manchester is that the public are pretty simple. Many have old Nokia Mobiles on PAYG, many cannot access the Internet.
Will the Apps be the salvation of the Cab trade ?
Give over, dont make me P*ss.
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
EDINBURGH
A MARRIED woman who had consensual sex with a taxi driver is facing a possible jail sentence after claiming the man had raped her.
Chantel Clark, 36, caused police to to launch a major inquiry, at a cost of £3,000 to the public purse, after claiming she had been sexually assaulted by the cab driver in May 2014.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how the subsequent probe cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.
The court heard how the man was arrested by cops who charged him with rape after it was claimed he had carried out the sexual assault in Midlothian.
He had appeared in court on the allegation before Clark admitted she had had told a lie.
The court heard how the man, who wasn't named in court, has had marriage problems since Clark came forward.
He has also had problems with his taxi licence.
Clark, of Dalkeith, Midlothian, pleaded guilty to a charge of falsely making a rape claim before Sheriff Alistair Noble.
Depute procurator fiscal Brent Bissett told the court that Clark had sex with the man after he picked her up in his taxi at 3.20am on May 11 2014.
The supposed sexual assault took place somewhere in Midlothian.
When she got back to her home in Dalkeith, she told her husband that the driver had sexually assaulted her.
Detectives were then contacted and Clark, a first offender, told them untruths about what had happened.
Mr Bissett said detectives then tracked the man down and took him into custody.
He added: "The police arrested the man and charged him with rape. He appeared in court the following day."
Clark then contacted the police to retract her confession the day after the alleged attack.
However, the court heard that specialist rape investigation officers were unable to speak to her for another few days.
The court heard that officers did not have the resources to speak to her straightaway.
When members of CID finally contacted Clark, she told them that she had made the story up.
Mr Bissett added: "She admitted to officers that she had been lying and that the sexual intercourse had been consensual. She told officers that she wished to retract her confession.
"She told officers that she had felt awful about what she had done and wished to apologise to everybody concerned."
Police then arrested and charged Clark with making a false allegation and preventing the police from investigating actual crime.
The procurator fiscal in Edinburgh then stopped the case against the taxi driver, marking the case against him as 'no proceedings'.
Mr Bissett told the court: "He has said that there have been issues with regards to his marriage and business issues with regards to his taxi licence."
The court heard that she told police officers: "I feel so ashamed. I have been unable to sleep or eat.
"I want to apologise for the problems I have caused."
Clark wept and blew her nose as defence solicitor advocate Andrew Houston addressed the court on her behalf.
Mr Houston said the matter had 'snowballed' out of her control but that she had attempted to make amends.
He said that Clark had been crying when her husband suddenly asked her whether she had been raped.
She had replied "yes," but she contacted police once she realised the problems she had created.
Sheriff Noble deferred sentence on Cark for the court to obtain reports, but warned her that she could be sent to prison.
He added: "All options are obviously open."
Clark will be sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on April 14 2015.
-------------------------------------------------
A MARRIED woman who had consensual sex with a taxi driver is facing a possible jail sentence after claiming the man had raped her.
Chantel Clark, 36, caused police to to launch a major inquiry, at a cost of £3,000 to the public purse, after claiming she had been sexually assaulted by the cab driver in May 2014.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how the subsequent probe cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.
The court heard how the man was arrested by cops who charged him with rape after it was claimed he had carried out the sexual assault in Midlothian.
He had appeared in court on the allegation before Clark admitted she had had told a lie.
The court heard how the man, who wasn't named in court, has had marriage problems since Clark came forward.
He has also had problems with his taxi licence.
Clark, of Dalkeith, Midlothian, pleaded guilty to a charge of falsely making a rape claim before Sheriff Alistair Noble.
Depute procurator fiscal Brent Bissett told the court that Clark had sex with the man after he picked her up in his taxi at 3.20am on May 11 2014.
The supposed sexual assault took place somewhere in Midlothian.
When she got back to her home in Dalkeith, she told her husband that the driver had sexually assaulted her.
Detectives were then contacted and Clark, a first offender, told them untruths about what had happened.
Mr Bissett said detectives then tracked the man down and took him into custody.
He added: "The police arrested the man and charged him with rape. He appeared in court the following day."
Clark then contacted the police to retract her confession the day after the alleged attack.
However, the court heard that specialist rape investigation officers were unable to speak to her for another few days.
The court heard that officers did not have the resources to speak to her straightaway.
When members of CID finally contacted Clark, she told them that she had made the story up.
Mr Bissett added: "She admitted to officers that she had been lying and that the sexual intercourse had been consensual. She told officers that she wished to retract her confession.
"She told officers that she had felt awful about what she had done and wished to apologise to everybody concerned."
Police then arrested and charged Clark with making a false allegation and preventing the police from investigating actual crime.
The procurator fiscal in Edinburgh then stopped the case against the taxi driver, marking the case against him as 'no proceedings'.
Mr Bissett told the court: "He has said that there have been issues with regards to his marriage and business issues with regards to his taxi licence."
The court heard that she told police officers: "I feel so ashamed. I have been unable to sleep or eat.
"I want to apologise for the problems I have caused."
Clark wept and blew her nose as defence solicitor advocate Andrew Houston addressed the court on her behalf.
Mr Houston said the matter had 'snowballed' out of her control but that she had attempted to make amends.
He said that Clark had been crying when her husband suddenly asked her whether she had been raped.
She had replied "yes," but she contacted police once she realised the problems she had created.
Sheriff Noble deferred sentence on Cark for the court to obtain reports, but warned her that she could be sent to prison.
He added: "All options are obviously open."
Clark will be sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on April 14 2015.
-------------------------------------------------
French police have raided the Paris offices of the Uber taxi app company as part of an investigation into its controversial ride-sharing service.
The headquarters of the French branch of the US-based firm was targeted at the request of the Paris prosecutor's office.
The inquiry centres on the UberPop smartphone application, which puts non-professional drivers with their own cars in touch with passengers via their mobile phones or a website, for rides at low-cost rates.
The company called the raid an "attempt at intimidation", adding that dozens of non-professional UberPop users had been fined since the start of the year.
Uber, which operates in about 250 cities in 50 countries, has become an object of scorn from traditional taxi companies fighting for survival against the rise of the Silicon Valley challenger, founded in 2009.
"We see this raid as a disproportionate action carried out on a very fragile legal basis," Uber France boss Thibaud Simphal told the website of L'Obs magazine.
Earlier this month hundreds of taxi drivers from Belgium and France brought central Brussels to a virtual standstill with their vehicles in a protest against the web-based Uber.
Around 100 French taxi drivers travelled to Brussels to take part in the protest.
UberPop is technically illegal in France, but the company has appealed a €100,000 fine it received last year.
Uber's American founder, Travis Kalanick, has said the system will create 50,000 new jobs in Europe this year, and help take 400,000 cars off the road by encouraging drivers to use taxis instead of their own vehicles.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Blimey those Pug E7's cant handle a fight very well.
A MAN has been taken to hospital after a taxi crashed into a tree on an Aberdeen street.
The crash happened on Westburn Drive around 10am.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed a white Peugeot E7 car crashed into a tree at the side of the road.
http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/local/man-taken-to-aberdeen-hospital-after-taxi-crashes-into-tree-1.852330
-------------------------------------------------------
THIS video shows the moment a Worcester taxi driver was seemingly caught playing a movie on his mobile phone while transporting passengers.
BBC Hereford and Worcester journalists captured the incident on camera in the early hours of Saturday morning (March 14).
The taxi driver, named by the BBC as Tanvir Ahmad Lone, has however labelled the matter an “unfortunate coincidence”.
He claims to have started the film when his taxi was stationary and accidentally left the picture playing when driving the journalists through Worcester city centre.
The 45-year-old told the BBC: “I never do this.
“It was an unfortunate coincidence. It will never happen again.”
Lesley Borthwick, secretary of the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said: "I was very disappointed and shocked when I saw the video.
"I assume it will be formally reported the police and the council - it will be down to those two authorities to take appropriate action.
"I hope everybody learns from this and that we don't have any other drivers in this situation."
A spokesman for Worcester City Council, which licences taxis in the city, said: “The specific allegation is one of dangerous driving and therefore should be reported to the police.”
http://www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk/news/11860690._/
A MAN has been taken to hospital after a taxi crashed into a tree on an Aberdeen street.
The crash happened on Westburn Drive around 10am.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed a white Peugeot E7 car crashed into a tree at the side of the road.
http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/local/man-taken-to-aberdeen-hospital-after-taxi-crashes-into-tree-1.852330
-------------------------------------------------------
THIS video shows the moment a Worcester taxi driver was seemingly caught playing a movie on his mobile phone while transporting passengers.
BBC Hereford and Worcester journalists captured the incident on camera in the early hours of Saturday morning (March 14).
The taxi driver, named by the BBC as Tanvir Ahmad Lone, has however labelled the matter an “unfortunate coincidence”.
He claims to have started the film when his taxi was stationary and accidentally left the picture playing when driving the journalists through Worcester city centre.
The 45-year-old told the BBC: “I never do this.
“It was an unfortunate coincidence. It will never happen again.”
Lesley Borthwick, secretary of the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said: "I was very disappointed and shocked when I saw the video.
"I assume it will be formally reported the police and the council - it will be down to those two authorities to take appropriate action.
"I hope everybody learns from this and that we don't have any other drivers in this situation."
A spokesman for Worcester City Council, which licences taxis in the city, said: “The specific allegation is one of dangerous driving and therefore should be reported to the police.”
http://www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk/news/11860690._/
Monday, 16 March 2015
BRISTOL
POLICE are appealing for information from any taxi driver who picked up two men from the Almondsbury area at around 5am on Sunday, March 1, and possibly took them to a military camp or into Bristol city centre.
They are keen to talk to the two men about an allegation of sexual assault by a 19-year-old woman in a room at the Almondsbury Interchange Hotel earlier that morning.
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/11858076.Police_appeal_for_information_following_sexual_assault_in_Almondsbury/?ref=rss
---------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
Police have found two men hidden in the boot of a taxi after they stopped and searched two cars in Dublin.
The pair were among four men who were arrested at the scene on Harold Road, Stoneybatter, on Monday morning.
Officers also recovered a large knife and balaclavas as they searched the vehicles at about 10:30 local time.
The operation, targeting organised crime, involved the newly amalgamated Garda (police) National Drug Unit and Organised Crime Unit, a spokesman said.
Three of the men who have been detained are in their 30s and the other is in his 40s.
They are being questioned at Mountjoy and Store Street garda stations in Dublin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31909134
------------------------------------------
STONE, Staffs
CABBIES say private hire taxis picking up illegally on their patch are 'crippling' trade.
Three taxi firms in Stone claim minicabs are coming into the town from Stoke-on-Trent every weekend to ply for trade.
The law states private hire drivers can only pick up passengers who have pre-booked and it is illegal for them to collect customers in the street or from a taxi rank.
Several Stoke-on-Trent drivers have been prosecuted in recent months following a joint operation by police and Stafford Borough Council.
David Clift, aged 51, owner of Secure Cabs, said: "There are 12 to 14 Stoke-on-Trent taxis outside Granvilles, where the taxi rank is.
"We don't get any bookings after midnight because they are illegally picking people up. Between midnight and 2am used to be our most lucrative time. We are losing money hand over fist.
"Over the past six months there has been a clampdown on it but the most that's happened has been a fine.
"Stoke-on-Trent City Council does not seem to be taking it any further. They should have their licences taken off them for at least 12 months."
Guy Herbert, aged 33, who is the manager of K Cabs, said: "On a Saturday I could have five or six cars fully booked until midnight, then it just stops.
"We get ten or 15 cars coming in from Stoke-on-Trent. They even try to poach customers that have already booked with us, telling them that we've sent them.
"The only way to deal with them is to take their cars off them or have the drivers lose their licence., or have a much bigger fine for the operators."
Cab drivers who appeared in court following the recent crackdown in Stone include:
Abid Mohammed Ali, aged 27, of Spring Road, Normacot, was fined £200 after plying for trade in his ABC Supreme cab in Station Road;
Majid Akram, aged 34, of Lightwood Road, Stoke, agreed to take two plain clothed police officers to a local pub when they approached his Lucky Seven private hire vehicle in Granville Square. He was fined £100;
Another Lucky Seven driver, 30-year-old Ramzan Nawaz, of Lakeside Close, Etruria, was fined £135 after bring caught in Station Road.
Taxi drivers can only pick up passengers from different areas when they have been pre-booked.
But Mike Macklin, owner of Stone Valley Cabs, said the prosecutions had little effect.
"We've had several drivers who have been caught, prosecuted and fined who have been back in Stone the next night, just laughing about it and earning the fine money back," he said.
"The penalties that are available need to be enforced. They are crippling our business."
A borough council spokesman said: "We have been working closely with the local police since our 'Safer Nights' operation began last year, and have successfully prosecuted four rogue minicab drivers so far. The operation aims to clamp down on private hire vehicles illegally plying for trade in Stafford Borough and the risk this brings to our residents."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council didn't reply to The Sentinel's request for a comment.
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/8203-City-taxi-firms-blasted-fare-poaching/story-26183481-detail/story.html#ixzz3UcZhCLvs
----------------------------------------------
WALES
The Welsh Ambulance Service spent £269,653.13 in the first 11 months of 2014, compared with £181,331.10 in 2013.
It said the rise was because of a new scheme which saw patients transported in taxis when it was safe to do so.
But the Welsh Conservatives said the money could be better spent.
In December 2014 the number of ambulances hitting the target response time for the most urgent calls fell to its lowest level for three years.
Only 51% of urgent emergency responses in November arrived within eight minutes - 14 percentage points lower than the target of 65%.
"Hiring taxis to take some patients to hospital in recent months has been necessary to ensure our busy crews are more readily available to attend more pressing calls," said Gordon Roberts, acting director of operations at the ambulance service.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-31911856
-------------------------------------
POLICE are appealing for information from any taxi driver who picked up two men from the Almondsbury area at around 5am on Sunday, March 1, and possibly took them to a military camp or into Bristol city centre.
They are keen to talk to the two men about an allegation of sexual assault by a 19-year-old woman in a room at the Almondsbury Interchange Hotel earlier that morning.
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/11858076.Police_appeal_for_information_following_sexual_assault_in_Almondsbury/?ref=rss
---------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
Police have found two men hidden in the boot of a taxi after they stopped and searched two cars in Dublin.
The pair were among four men who were arrested at the scene on Harold Road, Stoneybatter, on Monday morning.
Officers also recovered a large knife and balaclavas as they searched the vehicles at about 10:30 local time.
The operation, targeting organised crime, involved the newly amalgamated Garda (police) National Drug Unit and Organised Crime Unit, a spokesman said.
Three of the men who have been detained are in their 30s and the other is in his 40s.
They are being questioned at Mountjoy and Store Street garda stations in Dublin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31909134
------------------------------------------
STONE, Staffs
CABBIES say private hire taxis picking up illegally on their patch are 'crippling' trade.
Three taxi firms in Stone claim minicabs are coming into the town from Stoke-on-Trent every weekend to ply for trade.
The law states private hire drivers can only pick up passengers who have pre-booked and it is illegal for them to collect customers in the street or from a taxi rank.
Several Stoke-on-Trent drivers have been prosecuted in recent months following a joint operation by police and Stafford Borough Council.
David Clift, aged 51, owner of Secure Cabs, said: "There are 12 to 14 Stoke-on-Trent taxis outside Granvilles, where the taxi rank is.
"We don't get any bookings after midnight because they are illegally picking people up. Between midnight and 2am used to be our most lucrative time. We are losing money hand over fist.
"Over the past six months there has been a clampdown on it but the most that's happened has been a fine.
"Stoke-on-Trent City Council does not seem to be taking it any further. They should have their licences taken off them for at least 12 months."
Guy Herbert, aged 33, who is the manager of K Cabs, said: "On a Saturday I could have five or six cars fully booked until midnight, then it just stops.
"We get ten or 15 cars coming in from Stoke-on-Trent. They even try to poach customers that have already booked with us, telling them that we've sent them.
"The only way to deal with them is to take their cars off them or have the drivers lose their licence., or have a much bigger fine for the operators."
Cab drivers who appeared in court following the recent crackdown in Stone include:
Abid Mohammed Ali, aged 27, of Spring Road, Normacot, was fined £200 after plying for trade in his ABC Supreme cab in Station Road;
Majid Akram, aged 34, of Lightwood Road, Stoke, agreed to take two plain clothed police officers to a local pub when they approached his Lucky Seven private hire vehicle in Granville Square. He was fined £100;
Another Lucky Seven driver, 30-year-old Ramzan Nawaz, of Lakeside Close, Etruria, was fined £135 after bring caught in Station Road.
Taxi drivers can only pick up passengers from different areas when they have been pre-booked.
But Mike Macklin, owner of Stone Valley Cabs, said the prosecutions had little effect.
"We've had several drivers who have been caught, prosecuted and fined who have been back in Stone the next night, just laughing about it and earning the fine money back," he said.
"The penalties that are available need to be enforced. They are crippling our business."
A borough council spokesman said: "We have been working closely with the local police since our 'Safer Nights' operation began last year, and have successfully prosecuted four rogue minicab drivers so far. The operation aims to clamp down on private hire vehicles illegally plying for trade in Stafford Borough and the risk this brings to our residents."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council didn't reply to The Sentinel's request for a comment.
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/8203-City-taxi-firms-blasted-fare-poaching/story-26183481-detail/story.html#ixzz3UcZhCLvs
----------------------------------------------
WALES
The Welsh Ambulance Service spent £269,653.13 in the first 11 months of 2014, compared with £181,331.10 in 2013.
It said the rise was because of a new scheme which saw patients transported in taxis when it was safe to do so.
But the Welsh Conservatives said the money could be better spent.
In December 2014 the number of ambulances hitting the target response time for the most urgent calls fell to its lowest level for three years.
Only 51% of urgent emergency responses in November arrived within eight minutes - 14 percentage points lower than the target of 65%.
"Hiring taxis to take some patients to hospital in recent months has been necessary to ensure our busy crews are more readily available to attend more pressing calls," said Gordon Roberts, acting director of operations at the ambulance service.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-31911856
-------------------------------------
NEW YORK
The city’s “Taxi Kingpin’’ is having trouble hacking it as he battles mounds of debt — thanks to Uber.
Gene Freidman, who owns more than 900 city cab medallions, has been hit so hard by the car-hailing app that he can’t meet his bills — and Citibank is now foreclosing on at least 90 of his medallions to recoup what he owes, court records and sources say.
“Gene Freidman’s business model requires him to lease out hundreds of cars every day, and because he can’t find drivers because of Uber, [it] means he’s not making money,” an industry source told The Post.
“All of these [medallion owners] borrow as much as they can against medallions, and they get cash-crunched when, all of a sudden, you get competition in the market.”
The value of the medallions plunged from $1.05 million in June 2013 to $800,000 this past January as Uber has lured drivers away.
“People used to have a religious faith that yellow-cab-medallion prices would go up forever,” a source said. “People’s faith has been rocked. Uber plays a big part in that.”
Citibank is now hauling Freidman to court March 24 to recoup the $31.5 million he owes in loans, court records show.
The business accounts that Freidman used to repay his loans had no funds — and even negative balances — as of early December, the papers say.
Freidman — who buys his medallions through companies with such names as Vodka, Bourbon and Bombshell — made partial payments but failed to pay off the debt in full, the documents say.
His spokesman, Ronn Torossian, said that Citibank’s suit came only because Freidman was two days late on a payment and that the rest of his debt was wrongly accelerated.
Torossian even hailed Uber, saying it “has done great things for the entire taxi industry.’’
Freidman’s lawyer, Brett Berman, claims Citibank simply wants out of the taxi business.
“This story is about a bank choosing to bail when industries change and not about financial stability,” he said.
A Citibank rep said the suit was “an absolute last resort” after other attempts for payment failed.
Freidman has faced legal action before. The state attorney general fined him $1.2 million in 2013 for overcharging cabdrivers to lease his cabs.
But Freidman is still living large, with Page Six reporting that he threw a lavish bash this past July 4 in the South of France.
http://nypost.com/2015/03/16/taxi-kingpin-in-debt-thanks-to-uber/
The city’s “Taxi Kingpin’’ is having trouble hacking it as he battles mounds of debt — thanks to Uber.
Gene Freidman, who owns more than 900 city cab medallions, has been hit so hard by the car-hailing app that he can’t meet his bills — and Citibank is now foreclosing on at least 90 of his medallions to recoup what he owes, court records and sources say.
“Gene Freidman’s business model requires him to lease out hundreds of cars every day, and because he can’t find drivers because of Uber, [it] means he’s not making money,” an industry source told The Post.
“All of these [medallion owners] borrow as much as they can against medallions, and they get cash-crunched when, all of a sudden, you get competition in the market.”
The value of the medallions plunged from $1.05 million in June 2013 to $800,000 this past January as Uber has lured drivers away.
“People used to have a religious faith that yellow-cab-medallion prices would go up forever,” a source said. “People’s faith has been rocked. Uber plays a big part in that.”
Citibank is now hauling Freidman to court March 24 to recoup the $31.5 million he owes in loans, court records show.
The business accounts that Freidman used to repay his loans had no funds — and even negative balances — as of early December, the papers say.
Freidman — who buys his medallions through companies with such names as Vodka, Bourbon and Bombshell — made partial payments but failed to pay off the debt in full, the documents say.
His spokesman, Ronn Torossian, said that Citibank’s suit came only because Freidman was two days late on a payment and that the rest of his debt was wrongly accelerated.
Torossian even hailed Uber, saying it “has done great things for the entire taxi industry.’’
Freidman’s lawyer, Brett Berman, claims Citibank simply wants out of the taxi business.
“This story is about a bank choosing to bail when industries change and not about financial stability,” he said.
A Citibank rep said the suit was “an absolute last resort” after other attempts for payment failed.
Freidman has faced legal action before. The state attorney general fined him $1.2 million in 2013 for overcharging cabdrivers to lease his cabs.
But Freidman is still living large, with Page Six reporting that he threw a lavish bash this past July 4 in the South of France.
http://nypost.com/2015/03/16/taxi-kingpin-in-debt-thanks-to-uber/
Thursday, 12 March 2015
LONDON CAB COMPANY
Carl-Peter Forster, the car boss who helped drive Jaguar Land Rover back into the black from the depths of recession, has taken the helm at Coventry's London Taxi Company.
Mr Forster, who stepped down as chief executive at Tata Motors in September 2011, has been unveiled as chairman of the Chinese-owned producer of the world-famous London Black Cab.
Mr Forster is a senior adviser to the firm's parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, and has been a member of the board of both Volvo Cars Corporation and Geely Automobile Holdings since 2013.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group rescued the London Taxi Company from administration in February 2013, restarting production of black cabs six months later.
Mr Forster has previously held senior positions at major automotive manufacturers such as BMW and GM Europe, where he was in charge of Opel and Saab operations.
He is best known in the West Midlands for his spell at Tata Motors, where, as Global Group Chief Executive Officer, he was also responsible for Jaguar Land Rover.
He left suddenly in September 2011, citing ‘unavoidable personal circumstances.' He had previously been credited, along with fellow German Ralf Speth, with turning around the fortunes of JLR, reversing vast losses into profits with a range of new models and creating thousands of new jobs.
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/ex-jlr-boss-takes-helm-london-8822418
------------------------------------------
TAXI drivers across the town are appealing for Warrington Borough Council to do more to support and protect them on the job.
Warrington Hackney Owners & Drivers Association (WHODA) has highlighted issues such as poor co-operation, unreasonable car checks and a lack of safety measures.
Recent cases have brought drivers under the spotlight but those pinned with the duty of transporting Warrington residents from place to place believe more should be done.
Approximately 149 licensed Hackney vehicles and 403 private hire vehicles currently operate in the borough.
"The implementation of the council's taxi policies which affect the drivers lacks consultation and communication with the drivers through a proper channel" said general secretary of WHODA, Khalid Hashmi.
"There has not been much support from the council, in terms of driver safety, even though we as taxi drivers provide this service on behalf of the council.
"They have mentioned things they want to do but nothing has happened.
"There is now more scrutiny on the state of the taxi vehicles - also drivers are now getting failed for having minor scratches and dents which are usually caused by the drunken passengers."
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11853988._/
---------------------------------------------
GLASGOW
Michael Boyd, 33, is facing jail for a series of creepy cab rides in Glasgow where he locked several women in his vehicle and asked them why he didn't have a girlfriend.
The Hampden Cabs driver also ogled female passengers and sat outside their houses for as long as half an hour after dropping them off,
Boyd admitted placing four women in a state of fear and alarm and lying to council bosses to get a taxi license when he appeared in court earlier this year.
He will have to wait to learn his fate - because a sheriff was only given a crucial psychiatric assessment "seconds" before he was due to sentence him.
He locked one terrified woman in the back of his private hire vehicle and told her he wanted to have sex with her.
He made the chilling comments to the woman while driving down a back road after pretending he was an old friend.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Boyd had been working as a taxi driver in his home town of Kilmarnock in 2013.
Several women made complaints about his behaviour while they were in his cab so he surrendered his license.
He then applied to East Renfrewshire council for a license to drive taxis in and around the Glasgow area.
He lied to get the new license, saying he had never held a taxi drivers' license before on his application form.
East Renfrewshire Council granted him a taxi driver's license on April 7 last year and he began driving for Hampden Cabs.
The incidents, which took place in Glasgow's Dennistoun area, the town of Barrhead and village of Neilston, East Renfrewshire, began taking place just a few weeks later.
When Boyd admitted his guilt Sheriff David Pender called for him to be assessed by social workers and a group that works with sex offenders in Renfrewshire.
He returned to the dock last month and sentence was deferred again after a social worker who interviewed Boyd suggested he be examined by a forensic psychiatrist.
He was back in court yesterday, expecting to finally receive his punishment his summer 2014 offences.
But Sheriff David Pender was unable to pass sentence because he received the crucial psychiatric assessment just seconds before the case began.
A court worker brought three copies of the assessment into the courtroom just before the case started.
He deferred sentence on Boyd until next week.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-locked-women-in-cab-and-threatened-rape-200029n.120562076
------------------------------------------------
CONTROVERSIAL plans to make it easier for private hire taxis to operate in Worcester have been delayed until July - after angry cabbies packed into a council meeting to call it "disgraceful".
Worcester City Council wants to scrap the stringent exams private cabbies currently sit, which is based on detailed knowledge of city roads, and replace it with a watered-down version without any need to know anything about the routes.
Furious hackney carriage drivers have labelled it "a simpleton test" and say it will worsen standards and flood the market with new private hire drivers relying on SatNavs to get around.
The city council's licensing committee, which has going to launch it from April, has told officers to come back to the table with a better exam after viewing it in a meeting last night.
The main reason why the authority is launching an easier test is because the Law Commission has advised central Government that private hire cabbies do not need the same local knowledge as hackney drivers, which use the ranks.
http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/evesham/11851317._/
---------------------------------------
Carl-Peter Forster, the car boss who helped drive Jaguar Land Rover back into the black from the depths of recession, has taken the helm at Coventry's London Taxi Company.
Mr Forster, who stepped down as chief executive at Tata Motors in September 2011, has been unveiled as chairman of the Chinese-owned producer of the world-famous London Black Cab.
Mr Forster is a senior adviser to the firm's parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, and has been a member of the board of both Volvo Cars Corporation and Geely Automobile Holdings since 2013.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group rescued the London Taxi Company from administration in February 2013, restarting production of black cabs six months later.
Mr Forster has previously held senior positions at major automotive manufacturers such as BMW and GM Europe, where he was in charge of Opel and Saab operations.
He is best known in the West Midlands for his spell at Tata Motors, where, as Global Group Chief Executive Officer, he was also responsible for Jaguar Land Rover.
He left suddenly in September 2011, citing ‘unavoidable personal circumstances.' He had previously been credited, along with fellow German Ralf Speth, with turning around the fortunes of JLR, reversing vast losses into profits with a range of new models and creating thousands of new jobs.
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/ex-jlr-boss-takes-helm-london-8822418
------------------------------------------
TAXI drivers across the town are appealing for Warrington Borough Council to do more to support and protect them on the job.
Warrington Hackney Owners & Drivers Association (WHODA) has highlighted issues such as poor co-operation, unreasonable car checks and a lack of safety measures.
Recent cases have brought drivers under the spotlight but those pinned with the duty of transporting Warrington residents from place to place believe more should be done.
Approximately 149 licensed Hackney vehicles and 403 private hire vehicles currently operate in the borough.
"The implementation of the council's taxi policies which affect the drivers lacks consultation and communication with the drivers through a proper channel" said general secretary of WHODA, Khalid Hashmi.
"There has not been much support from the council, in terms of driver safety, even though we as taxi drivers provide this service on behalf of the council.
"They have mentioned things they want to do but nothing has happened.
"There is now more scrutiny on the state of the taxi vehicles - also drivers are now getting failed for having minor scratches and dents which are usually caused by the drunken passengers."
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11853988._/
---------------------------------------------
GLASGOW
Michael Boyd, 33, is facing jail for a series of creepy cab rides in Glasgow where he locked several women in his vehicle and asked them why he didn't have a girlfriend.
The Hampden Cabs driver also ogled female passengers and sat outside their houses for as long as half an hour after dropping them off,
Boyd admitted placing four women in a state of fear and alarm and lying to council bosses to get a taxi license when he appeared in court earlier this year.
He will have to wait to learn his fate - because a sheriff was only given a crucial psychiatric assessment "seconds" before he was due to sentence him.
He locked one terrified woman in the back of his private hire vehicle and told her he wanted to have sex with her.
He made the chilling comments to the woman while driving down a back road after pretending he was an old friend.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Boyd had been working as a taxi driver in his home town of Kilmarnock in 2013.
Several women made complaints about his behaviour while they were in his cab so he surrendered his license.
He then applied to East Renfrewshire council for a license to drive taxis in and around the Glasgow area.
He lied to get the new license, saying he had never held a taxi drivers' license before on his application form.
East Renfrewshire Council granted him a taxi driver's license on April 7 last year and he began driving for Hampden Cabs.
The incidents, which took place in Glasgow's Dennistoun area, the town of Barrhead and village of Neilston, East Renfrewshire, began taking place just a few weeks later.
When Boyd admitted his guilt Sheriff David Pender called for him to be assessed by social workers and a group that works with sex offenders in Renfrewshire.
He returned to the dock last month and sentence was deferred again after a social worker who interviewed Boyd suggested he be examined by a forensic psychiatrist.
He was back in court yesterday, expecting to finally receive his punishment his summer 2014 offences.
But Sheriff David Pender was unable to pass sentence because he received the crucial psychiatric assessment just seconds before the case began.
A court worker brought three copies of the assessment into the courtroom just before the case started.
He deferred sentence on Boyd until next week.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-locked-women-in-cab-and-threatened-rape-200029n.120562076
------------------------------------------------
CONTROVERSIAL plans to make it easier for private hire taxis to operate in Worcester have been delayed until July - after angry cabbies packed into a council meeting to call it "disgraceful".
Worcester City Council wants to scrap the stringent exams private cabbies currently sit, which is based on detailed knowledge of city roads, and replace it with a watered-down version without any need to know anything about the routes.
Furious hackney carriage drivers have labelled it "a simpleton test" and say it will worsen standards and flood the market with new private hire drivers relying on SatNavs to get around.
The city council's licensing committee, which has going to launch it from April, has told officers to come back to the table with a better exam after viewing it in a meeting last night.
The main reason why the authority is launching an easier test is because the Law Commission has advised central Government that private hire cabbies do not need the same local knowledge as hackney drivers, which use the ranks.
http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/evesham/11851317._/
---------------------------------------
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Online taxi firm GetTaxi today launches a special offer where customers can ride certain routes within central Liverpool for £5.
To be eligible for the £5 fare download the app, register your details and intended journey and, if a pop-up appears saying it will be £5 then the deal stands. The example fare given by the company is a ride from Albert Dock to Waterfront. GetTaxi say it would typically cost £12 but under the offer it will be just £5.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/taxi-rides-fiver-talking-poetry-8822348
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Police seek taxi driver after 'serious sexual assault'
Police investigating the sexual assault of a woman in a taxi have issued a description of a man they want to trace.
Officers say the 22-year-old woman had been in Leeds when she got a taxi to return home to the Kirkstall Road area. The driver took her to a secluded location and subjected her to a serious sexual assault. She managed to get free from the car and ran home.
The suspect is described as Asian, aged in his fifties and well built. He was wearing a long white Kurta Pajama and a white cap.
It happened on 21 September 2014, but police believe the man's description could lead to him being identified.
Although some time has passed since the incident, the description of the offender together with the e-fit is very distinctive and we would like to hear from anyone who thinks they may know who the suspect is.
– DETECTIVE CONSTABLE CLARE FISHER, OF LEEDS DISTRICT CID
source= ITV.
To be eligible for the £5 fare download the app, register your details and intended journey and, if a pop-up appears saying it will be £5 then the deal stands. The example fare given by the company is a ride from Albert Dock to Waterfront. GetTaxi say it would typically cost £12 but under the offer it will be just £5.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/taxi-rides-fiver-talking-poetry-8822348
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Police seek taxi driver after 'serious sexual assault'
Police investigating the sexual assault of a woman in a taxi have issued a description of a man they want to trace.
Officers say the 22-year-old woman had been in Leeds when she got a taxi to return home to the Kirkstall Road area. The driver took her to a secluded location and subjected her to a serious sexual assault. She managed to get free from the car and ran home.
The suspect is described as Asian, aged in his fifties and well built. He was wearing a long white Kurta Pajama and a white cap.
It happened on 21 September 2014, but police believe the man's description could lead to him being identified.
Although some time has passed since the incident, the description of the offender together with the e-fit is very distinctive and we would like to hear from anyone who thinks they may know who the suspect is.
– DETECTIVE CONSTABLE CLARE FISHER, OF LEEDS DISTRICT CID
source= ITV.
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Parliament this week.
Tuesday the 10, sees the Deregulation Bill sent back to the Commons for the consideration of the Lords amendments.
This stage is called 'Ping Pong' and if the bill passes unchallenged, the Deregulation Bill may be Law by Wednesday Morning.
This will be the end of the trade in Metropolitan area's such as
Gtr Manchester
West Yorkshire
West Midlands
Merseyside.
PH vehicles will flock from miles around to work these area's and the '£1 a mile' tariff will soon return to our streets.
This will not be a problem for huge number of drivers on 'Tax Credits' and other benefits, but the ordinary Cabbie who has never claimed any type of Benefit in his life will go to the wall.
Tuesday the 10, sees the Deregulation Bill sent back to the Commons for the consideration of the Lords amendments.
This stage is called 'Ping Pong' and if the bill passes unchallenged, the Deregulation Bill may be Law by Wednesday Morning.
This will be the end of the trade in Metropolitan area's such as
Gtr Manchester
West Yorkshire
West Midlands
Merseyside.
PH vehicles will flock from miles around to work these area's and the '£1 a mile' tariff will soon return to our streets.
This will not be a problem for huge number of drivers on 'Tax Credits' and other benefits, but the ordinary Cabbie who has never claimed any type of Benefit in his life will go to the wall.
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
The former deputy leader of Rotherham Council has had his taxi driver’s licence suspended.
Rotherham Council said Jahangir Akhtar, who lost his seat on the council last year, has had his licence ‘suspended with immediate effect but not revoked’.
But the reason for the suspension has not been made public.
A spokeswoman said: “The normal process for such matters is now being followed. Mr. Akhtar will have the right to appeal this decision at the Magistrates’ Court.”
Concerns about Mr Akhtar were highlighted several times in the recent Casey report on the Rotherham Council response to dealing with child sexual exploitation.
The report said he had been a ‘powerful figure’ in Rotherham politics. Ms Casey said while some of those interviewed had been ‘complimentary’ about him, ‘several other members, officers and others spoke about him with a level of fear’.
Her report added inspectors were told he had ‘made representations on behalf of taxi drivers’ to speed up licences being issued ahead of CRB checks, while he was also said to have ‘brought pressure to bear’ on officers to stop proposals to undertake unannounced taxi safety checks.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/ex-rotherham-council-deputy-leader-has-taxi-licence-suspended-1-7138816
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Brighton, are the driver's such Dummies
A taxi driver was tricked out of a fare by two passengers who left a fully clothed mannequin in the car for the final leg of the journey - and promised their 'sleeping' friend would settle the bill.
The driver, known only as 'Stutter', was hailed for a late-night journey from Brighton train station to London by three men who agreed on a fee.
They all got into the cab and headed up to the capital but one of the passengers was said to be 'sleeping'. The driver dropped the first man off before heading to the second person's home.
Upon arrival, the second man got out, thanked the driver and gave the address of their friend in the back seat and asked him to wake him up when he got to his house.
The driver then arrived at the last address and tried to wake the person up to let them know he was home - but realised it was a fully-clothed mannequin.
Andy Cheesman, CityCabs boss in Brighton, East Sussex, said: 'Three people got into a cab at Brighton train station.
'It was about 2am in the morning and they asked to be taken to London and agreed a fee with the driver.
'When they got to London the first one got out then asked for his friends to be dropped off at a second address.
'When he got to the second address the guy got out and said "my mate is still asleep, can you take him to his address, please".
'When he got there the driver couldn't wake him up to start with, then he realised it was a fully-clothed mannequin wearing a hat.
'He was expecting the last passenger to pay the fare so he lost the whole lot. It would have probably been around £140.
'It has been the funniest thing which has happened to one of our drivers. You can imagine the stick the driver got from the other workers when he got back to Brighton - it was hilarious.'
http://goo.gl/0J7io2
Rotherham Council said Jahangir Akhtar, who lost his seat on the council last year, has had his licence ‘suspended with immediate effect but not revoked’.
But the reason for the suspension has not been made public.
A spokeswoman said: “The normal process for such matters is now being followed. Mr. Akhtar will have the right to appeal this decision at the Magistrates’ Court.”
Concerns about Mr Akhtar were highlighted several times in the recent Casey report on the Rotherham Council response to dealing with child sexual exploitation.
The report said he had been a ‘powerful figure’ in Rotherham politics. Ms Casey said while some of those interviewed had been ‘complimentary’ about him, ‘several other members, officers and others spoke about him with a level of fear’.
Her report added inspectors were told he had ‘made representations on behalf of taxi drivers’ to speed up licences being issued ahead of CRB checks, while he was also said to have ‘brought pressure to bear’ on officers to stop proposals to undertake unannounced taxi safety checks.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/ex-rotherham-council-deputy-leader-has-taxi-licence-suspended-1-7138816
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Brighton, are the driver's such Dummies
A taxi driver was tricked out of a fare by two passengers who left a fully clothed mannequin in the car for the final leg of the journey - and promised their 'sleeping' friend would settle the bill.
The driver, known only as 'Stutter', was hailed for a late-night journey from Brighton train station to London by three men who agreed on a fee.
They all got into the cab and headed up to the capital but one of the passengers was said to be 'sleeping'. The driver dropped the first man off before heading to the second person's home.
Upon arrival, the second man got out, thanked the driver and gave the address of their friend in the back seat and asked him to wake him up when he got to his house.
The driver then arrived at the last address and tried to wake the person up to let them know he was home - but realised it was a fully-clothed mannequin.
Andy Cheesman, CityCabs boss in Brighton, East Sussex, said: 'Three people got into a cab at Brighton train station.
'It was about 2am in the morning and they asked to be taken to London and agreed a fee with the driver.
'When they got to London the first one got out then asked for his friends to be dropped off at a second address.
'When he got to the second address the guy got out and said "my mate is still asleep, can you take him to his address, please".
'When he got there the driver couldn't wake him up to start with, then he realised it was a fully-clothed mannequin wearing a hat.
'He was expecting the last passenger to pay the fare so he lost the whole lot. It would have probably been around £140.
'It has been the funniest thing which has happened to one of our drivers. You can imagine the stick the driver got from the other workers when he got back to Brighton - it was hilarious.'
http://goo.gl/0J7io2
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Another undercover police operation has resulted in the prosecution of an illegitimate taxi driver from Aylesbury.
The sting involved special constables posing as prospective customers of cabbie Muhammed Imran, 32, who was unlawfully plying for hire on Akeman Street in Tring.
Imran, of Queens Park, Aylesbury is licensed as a private hire taxi driver by Aylesbury Vale District Council, accepted the un-booked fare despite regulations stating all fares accepted by private hire taxi drivers must be pre-booked.
As a result, his taxi was not insured for the journey.
Imran was found guilty of the two offences at St Albans Magistrates Court yesterday, despite originally denying the offence by claiming there was a booking.
His defence was not accepted by magistrates and he was ordered to pay a total of £1,737.50 in fines and costs.
He was also given eight penalty points on his driving licence on top of six exisiting points, resulting in a six month driving ban.
Portfolio holder for residents and regulatory services at the borough council Neil Harden said: “I welcome this decision which enforces the strong stance taken by Dacorum Borough Council on this issue.
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/another-counterfeit-cabbie-is-prosecuted-after-police-sting-1-6611675
The sting involved special constables posing as prospective customers of cabbie Muhammed Imran, 32, who was unlawfully plying for hire on Akeman Street in Tring.
Imran, of Queens Park, Aylesbury is licensed as a private hire taxi driver by Aylesbury Vale District Council, accepted the un-booked fare despite regulations stating all fares accepted by private hire taxi drivers must be pre-booked.
As a result, his taxi was not insured for the journey.
Imran was found guilty of the two offences at St Albans Magistrates Court yesterday, despite originally denying the offence by claiming there was a booking.
His defence was not accepted by magistrates and he was ordered to pay a total of £1,737.50 in fines and costs.
He was also given eight penalty points on his driving licence on top of six exisiting points, resulting in a six month driving ban.
Portfolio holder for residents and regulatory services at the borough council Neil Harden said: “I welcome this decision which enforces the strong stance taken by Dacorum Borough Council on this issue.
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/another-counterfeit-cabbie-is-prosecuted-after-police-sting-1-6611675
LONDON BOGUS MINICAB RAPIST
A man who preyed on two vulnerable women, luring them into his car before sexually assaulting them, has been jailed for 18 years at Wood Green Crown Court .
Thierry Kindundu, 30 , a Congolese national of High Street, Enfield had previously been found guilty of raping one woman, and the attempted rape and sexual assault of the second woman, at the same court on 23 January.
Kindundu will also remain on licence for five-years following his sentence and will sign the sex offenders REGISTER for life.
The court heard how Kindundu had driven around the streets of north London looking for women to attack.
On the first occasion on 29 August 2011, Kindundu approached a 20-year-old woman who was alone waiting at a bus stop in Tottenham High Road, N17. Kindundu OFFERED the woman a lift. Thinking he was a cab driver, the woman refused saying she had no MONEY but Kindundu persisted, OFFERING to drive her FOR FREE.
However, once inside the car Kindundu drove the woman to Chestnuts Park, N15 where he raped her.
Residents near to the park heard the incident and came to the victim’s aid while Kindundu made off in his car, a Citroen Picasso.
The second incident occurred in Edmonton on 16 December 2012. The victim, 32, had been out with a friend and was in Fore Street when Kindundu pulled up in a car and OFFERED them a lift. Both women got into the car and Kindundu proceeded to drive off in a different direction to where they lived. The women became concerned and demanded Kindundu let them out. He stopped and one woman managed to get out of the car but Kindundu drove off before the second woman could exit.
Police were called and officers traced Kindundu and his victim a short distance away. During this time Kindundu has sexually assaulted and attempted to rape his victim.
Kindundu was arrested and subsequenty charged with offences related to both incidents.
Detective Constable Suzie Chantry of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse (SOECA) Command led the investgation She said:
“I would like to praise the courage of the two victims who have put their trust in the police to obtain justice for them. I hope the fact that Kindundu has been jailed will go some way to achieving closure for them.
“Kindundu is a predatory sexual offender who stalked the streets of north London late at night, looking for woman to attack. I cannot DISCOUNT the fact that there may be other victims of Kindundu and I would appeal to anyone who thinks they may have been attacked by this man to come forward and speak to police.
“Today’s sentencing shows that you will be believed and the police will pursue those responsible and put them before the courts.”
Detective Inspector Rick Murphy, also of SOECA, said:
“This case highlights the dangers of getting into a vehicle of someone you don’t know. Even if you think the person may be a cab driver, don’t get into their car. Unlicensed cabs are not regulated and you don’t know who is driving them.”
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Thierry Kindundu is asked to contact specially trained SOECA officers on 020 8217 7474.
http://www.topafricamagazine.net/wordpress/thierry-kindundu30-jailed-for-sexual-attacks-on-two-women/
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hundreds of taxis jammed central Brussels on Tuesday in a protest against the city's planned reform of the industry that could lead to the legalisation of online ride-sharing services such as Uber.
Brussels' Transport Minister Pascal Smet outlined plans last week for taxi reform in the Belgian capital from the start of 2016, including conditions under which the fast-growing U.S. company Uber could operate.
Taxis drove slowly through central Brussels, bearing banners such as "No to Uber" and blocking major intersections. Unions said 1,200 taxis took part, including about 100 from France. Police said there were about 600.
Taxi drivers across Europe, many of whom benefit from highly regulated markets, say Uber breaks local taxi rules and violates licensing, insurance and safety regulations.
Facing legal action in Germany, France and the Netherlands, Uber, which helps users find rides via their smartphones, has promised to create 50,000 jobs this year in European cities that are willing to let them take root.
Smet has said he is aware that Uber and rivals risk creating poorly paid jobs and said Uber would only be allowed to operate according to set criteria -- notably keeping a register of all drivers, vehicles and journeys made and paying tax in full.
Drivers signed up to Uber would have to be at least 21 and could only do the activity as a side job, with regular taxi drivers also able to sign up. Vehicles would have to be no older than seven years and subject to an annual check-up.
"I am paying taxes, I am paying my dues, I pay double insurance for my cab. Is Uber paying all that?" asked taxi driver Haydar Dogan.
Sandra Langenus, regional secretary of transport union FGTB-UBT, also condemned any move to let in Uber. "It's simply about undercutting the price. We would just be entering a downward spiral in terms of pay and conditions," she said.
The taxi plan, which would be subject to a vote in the regional parliament, envisages new fixed fares for short journeys or those to the airport and a smartphone application that would allow consumers to hail a taxi online.
Taxi drivers who have worked for three years without complaints would earn certificates of excellence and a regional annual tax of 575 euros ($642) would be scrapped.
Brussels, a city of about 1 million people, has 1,300 licenced taxis and some 3,000 drivers.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/taxis-jam-brussels-protest-over-160946384.html
A man who preyed on two vulnerable women, luring them into his car before sexually assaulting them, has been jailed for 18 years at Wood Green Crown Court .
Thierry Kindundu, 30 , a Congolese national of High Street, Enfield had previously been found guilty of raping one woman, and the attempted rape and sexual assault of the second woman, at the same court on 23 January.
Kindundu will also remain on licence for five-years following his sentence and will sign the sex offenders REGISTER for life.
The court heard how Kindundu had driven around the streets of north London looking for women to attack.
On the first occasion on 29 August 2011, Kindundu approached a 20-year-old woman who was alone waiting at a bus stop in Tottenham High Road, N17. Kindundu OFFERED the woman a lift. Thinking he was a cab driver, the woman refused saying she had no MONEY but Kindundu persisted, OFFERING to drive her FOR FREE.
However, once inside the car Kindundu drove the woman to Chestnuts Park, N15 where he raped her.
Residents near to the park heard the incident and came to the victim’s aid while Kindundu made off in his car, a Citroen Picasso.
The second incident occurred in Edmonton on 16 December 2012. The victim, 32, had been out with a friend and was in Fore Street when Kindundu pulled up in a car and OFFERED them a lift. Both women got into the car and Kindundu proceeded to drive off in a different direction to where they lived. The women became concerned and demanded Kindundu let them out. He stopped and one woman managed to get out of the car but Kindundu drove off before the second woman could exit.
Police were called and officers traced Kindundu and his victim a short distance away. During this time Kindundu has sexually assaulted and attempted to rape his victim.
Kindundu was arrested and subsequenty charged with offences related to both incidents.
Detective Constable Suzie Chantry of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse (SOECA) Command led the investgation She said:
“I would like to praise the courage of the two victims who have put their trust in the police to obtain justice for them. I hope the fact that Kindundu has been jailed will go some way to achieving closure for them.
“Kindundu is a predatory sexual offender who stalked the streets of north London late at night, looking for woman to attack. I cannot DISCOUNT the fact that there may be other victims of Kindundu and I would appeal to anyone who thinks they may have been attacked by this man to come forward and speak to police.
“Today’s sentencing shows that you will be believed and the police will pursue those responsible and put them before the courts.”
Detective Inspector Rick Murphy, also of SOECA, said:
“This case highlights the dangers of getting into a vehicle of someone you don’t know. Even if you think the person may be a cab driver, don’t get into their car. Unlicensed cabs are not regulated and you don’t know who is driving them.”
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Thierry Kindundu is asked to contact specially trained SOECA officers on 020 8217 7474.
http://www.topafricamagazine.net/wordpress/thierry-kindundu30-jailed-for-sexual-attacks-on-two-women/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brussels' Transport Minister Pascal Smet outlined plans last week for taxi reform in the Belgian capital from the start of 2016, including conditions under which the fast-growing U.S. company Uber could operate.
Taxis drove slowly through central Brussels, bearing banners such as "No to Uber" and blocking major intersections. Unions said 1,200 taxis took part, including about 100 from France. Police said there were about 600.
Taxi drivers across Europe, many of whom benefit from highly regulated markets, say Uber breaks local taxi rules and violates licensing, insurance and safety regulations.
Facing legal action in Germany, France and the Netherlands, Uber, which helps users find rides via their smartphones, has promised to create 50,000 jobs this year in European cities that are willing to let them take root.
Smet has said he is aware that Uber and rivals risk creating poorly paid jobs and said Uber would only be allowed to operate according to set criteria -- notably keeping a register of all drivers, vehicles and journeys made and paying tax in full.
Drivers signed up to Uber would have to be at least 21 and could only do the activity as a side job, with regular taxi drivers also able to sign up. Vehicles would have to be no older than seven years and subject to an annual check-up.
"I am paying taxes, I am paying my dues, I pay double insurance for my cab. Is Uber paying all that?" asked taxi driver Haydar Dogan.
Sandra Langenus, regional secretary of transport union FGTB-UBT, also condemned any move to let in Uber. "It's simply about undercutting the price. We would just be entering a downward spiral in terms of pay and conditions," she said.
The taxi plan, which would be subject to a vote in the regional parliament, envisages new fixed fares for short journeys or those to the airport and a smartphone application that would allow consumers to hail a taxi online.
Taxi drivers who have worked for three years without complaints would earn certificates of excellence and a regional annual tax of 575 euros ($642) would be scrapped.
Brussels, a city of about 1 million people, has 1,300 licenced taxis and some 3,000 drivers.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/taxis-jam-brussels-protest-over-160946384.html
ADDISON LEE, CONFLICTING STORIES.
Firstly we hear they Have contacted the GMB Union, giving notice they are to make redundancies, due to the influence of UBER competition.
Secondly an announcement they wish to start business in New York, to compete with UBER..... W.T F. ! !
Firstly we hear they Have contacted the GMB Union, giving notice they are to make redundancies, due to the influence of UBER competition.
Secondly an announcement they wish to start business in New York, to compete with UBER..... W.T F. ! !
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Controversial London taxi firm Addison Lee is preparing to take on New York City’s famous yellow cabs, and go head-to-head with Uber, for control of the city’s $3.4bn taxi market.
Addison Lee sparked protests in London after its multimillionaire founder said cyclist deaths were inevitable and often the cyclists’ own fault.
The company, which is the UK’s biggest minicab firm transporting 10 million passengers a year in London, said it would operate 4,000 vehicles in New York taking its global fleet to 8,500.
“After London, New York is the world’s next biggest taxi market – worth £2.2bn [$3.8bn] – so it seemed like a natural step for us as Europe’s largest minicab firm,” Liam Griffin, Addison Lee’s chief executive, said on Tuesday. “We already have a great number of existing corporate clients in New York, so demand is already there and it’s an opportunity with real scale.”
In April 2012 protesters staged a “die-in” outside the company’s headquarters after John Griffin, the company’s former chairman and Liam’s father, wrote in the company’s “in cab” magazine Add Lib: “This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles. These cyclists are throwing themselves on to some of the most congested spaces in the world. They leap on to a vehicle which offers them no protection except a padded plastic hat.
“Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a pothole or a rain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss. The fact is he just didn’t see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is, the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall increase in accidents involving cyclists.”
New York cycle and cab safety organisations raised concerns about Addison Lee’s entry to the New York market given its track record in London. Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group, told the Guardian that there was “no room for Griffin’s barbaric, anti-safety views on New York City streets”.
Michael O’Loughlin, campaign director of Cab Riders United, a body set up to represent New York City’s 1.2 million daily cab passengers, said: “Innovation and competition can be good for customers, but we welcome [new competitors] only if they prioritise the safety of New Yorkers inside and out side the vehicles.”
Addison Lee failed to answer questions about how it would reassure New York cyclists that it would make cyclist and pedestrian safety a priority.
Six cyclists were killed in collisions involving taxis last year, according to New York City data. Campaigners said the true figure is likely to be higher as the data is incomplete. In addition to the deaths, there were 2,396 taxi and livery related injuries.
Addison Lee took Transport for London, the government body that oversees most of the UK capital’s transportation, to the European Court of Justice – Europe’s highest court – in an attempt to force the city to allow Addison Lee cabs to use bus lanes.
Griffin had instructed his drivers to use London’s bus lanes illegally, until a high court injunction ruled that Addison Lee could no longer instruct its drivers to use the lanes.
The company said its biggest corporate clients are already in New York, and would be given priority access to the service when it begins later this month. “The extension of the Addison Lee business across the Atlantic is a fundamental part of a wider global roll out that aims to create a truly integrated global network of ground transport providers,” Liam Griffin added.
Addison Lee, which was founded with a single minicab in 1975, was family-owned until 2013 when private equity firm Carlyle Group bought a majority stake for £300m.
The company explain whether it had a NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission licence to operate in the city. Uber has endured many battles with the TLC, which licensing New York City’s medallion (yellow) taxicabs and some private hire vehicles. The TLC did not respond to requests for comment.
Addison Lee said New Yorkers who open managed corporate accounts with Addison Lee will be able to book its cars in the same way as their European counterparts: via a dedicated call centre, website and smartphone app within the New York and tri-state area. Addison Lee will offer the same fixed-price standard as they do in the UK and passengers will be able to choose from multiple services including standard, executive and hybrid vehicles.
A new Addison Lee app allows worse for wear customers to select a “take me home” function that means they can book a cab home in just two taps.
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