New figures reveal the Corporation spent £740,024 on cabs for staff and guests in 2014/15 – a £130,000 increase on the previous 12 months.
The revelation has sparked fury from critics who point out the huge increase comes as the BBC faces huge cuts to its budget.
BBC Scotland chiefs at its Pacific Quay HQ in Glasgow said the majority of the taxi cash went on transporting programme guests from their homes.
However, cabs are also used by staff working on early or late shifts and for transporting “tapes/goods of a sensitive nature”. Last night, Eben Wilson, director of campaign group Taxpayer Scotland, said: “We hope the Beeb has a firm grip on all of its non-programme costs.
“This rising taxi bill suggests a need to clamp down harder.
“It is so easy to spend licence payers’ money on transport. It shouldn’t be allowed to become the norm.” The BBC introduced a centralised taxi booking system in 2005 to cut costs but annual bills have since regularly topped £600,000.
Figures released under Freedom of Information laws show the news and current affairs department were the biggest spenders on taxis, with their bill for 2014/15 standing at £202,239.
The arts and factual arm spent £145,319, comedy and entertainment £32,408 and radio £77,096.
Transporting programme presenters around cost the BBC £53,175 over the period.
Taxi fares associated with covering the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow cost £23,300.
BBC Scotland yesterday defended the increase in spending, insisting that it reflected a record number of programmes being made north of the Border.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/632283/BBC-Scotland-soaring-tax-bill
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If San Francisco is any sign, taxi cabs around the world are in danger.
The city’s largest taxi company, Yellow Cab Co-Op, said that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a December letter to shareholders obtained by the San Francisco Examiner. While regular taxi operations will continue, the company needs to restructure due to “serious financial setbacks” caused by mounting debt and competition from ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft.
The major problem? People just aren’t taking as many regular cab rides any more now that Uber and company present a solution that’s often cheaper and more convenient. “On an annual basis over 5 million passengers are transported in Yellow cabs,” Yellow Cab President Pamela Martinez wrote in the letter. “We used to have more and our goal is to get them back and even more.”
As Uber and Lyft recruit drivers with significant bonuses, as well as more flexibility in hours, the old taxi companies also aren’t able to retain the best drivers. “We need to have not just more drivers but drivers who are happy to be behind the wheel of a Yellow cab because we offer the best opportunity to make a living in a taxi,” Martinez continued.
Yellow Cab might be just the first domino to fall in ride-hailing’s global assault on the taxi business. Many local taxi companies have lobbied for legislation to protect themselves against Uber, but the startup worth more than $60 billion is hard to defeat. It is striking that Uber and Lyft together raised more than $3 billion in December alone, in the same month Yellow Cab admitted it would have to file for bankruptcy.
If app services continue to gain traction, other taxi firms may face the same fate as Yellow Cab, or worse. The specter of Uber coming to take over the taxi industry–fueled by examples like this–could also cause more intense pushback from such local companies and drivers, such as when taxi drivers in Paris rioted against Uber last summer.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2016/01/06/ubers-first-casualty-san-franciscos-largest-taxi-company-filing-for-bankruptcy/
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BRADFORD
A ROAD rage cabbie who drove at a man, throwing him into the path of oncoming traffic, had tarnished the high reputation of Bradford taxi drivers, the judge who sentenced him said today.
Tayyab Ghazanfar, 23, was at the wheel of his father's Mercedes people carrier, with a fare-paying passenger on board, when he knocked down and injured tree surgeon Bruce Mitchell.
Ghazanfar, of Pollard Lane, Undercliffe, Bradford, tried to push in front of Mr Mitchell's vehicle before gesticulating and shouting at him, Bradford Crown Court heard.
When Mr Mitchell got out to speak to him, Ghazanfar twice drove at him, hitting him with the bonnet and throwing him with force into the road, prosecutor Laura Addy said.
Miss Addy said the incident, at 3.30pm on June 8 last year, took place on Queen's Road, Bradford, in heavy traffic.
Ghazanfar, who had then been a cab driver for 18 months, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.
The court heard he tried to jump the queue at the King's Road junction by going straight on in the right turn only lane.
Mr Mitchell sustained a nasty cut to his hand, a head injury and a bruised arm.
Miss Addy said he was now suffering the early onset of arthritis because of damage to his wrist.
Members of the public took down the cab's registration number as it sped away.
Ghazanfar told the police he drove off in fear and struck Mr Milner with the wing mirror as he approached his cab on foot.
His barrister, Shufqat Khan, said Ghazanfar was genuinely extremely remorseful.
The offence was wholly out of character and had lost him his taxi badge.
He went straight ahead at the junction because his passenger gave him a last minute change of direction.
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC sentenced Ghazanfar to ten months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work.
He was banned from driving for two years and must take a retest to get back on to the road.
Ghazanfar was ordered to pay Mr Mitchell £1,500 compensation and he must pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Judge Durham Hall said Ghazanfar was from a decent, hard working and supportive family.
"Taxi drivers have a high reputation and provide a valuable service and you have brought that into disrepute," he said.
Judge Durham Hall told Ghazanfar's father that his "character and standing" had played a great part in the sentencing decision.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/14186122.Road_rage_cabbie_tarnished_reputation_of_Bradford_taxi_drivers__according_to_judge/?ref=rss
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