DRINKERS in York have been warned against fake taxi drivers operating in the city centre.

City of York Council says it is investigating a series of reports of people falsely claiming to work for a York private hire operator that has contracts with both universities, and targeting young women.

Cllr David Carr, executive member for safer neighbourhoods, said: "If you are approached by or believe an unlicensed vehicle is operating please don’t get in it. Unlicensed vehicles are not insured to carry passengers, they may not be roadworthy and drivers may not have passed a ‘fit and proper’ person test."

He asked anyone with concerns to contact the council and/or police as soon as possible, ideally with details including:

The vehicle's registration number, make, model and colour
A description of the driver, including approximate age, hair/eye colour, build and ethnicity
Where and when the incident occurred
People are advised that properly-licensed private hire taxis in York must display the following:

Side plates on the rear doors stating ‘private hire vehicle pre booked only’, and incuding the company name and telephone number and/or website address
Maroon licence plates on the front and rear of the vehicle, stating "City of York Private Hire", the licence number, the number of persons the vehicle is licensed to carry and the vehicle registration number
A small plate giving the details above must also be displayed within the vehicle.

A meter will also be fitted in legitimate vehicles.

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LONDON TAXI COMPANY

A consortium led by the London Taxi Company has been awarded an Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) grant of £17.5m towards an R&D project for zero emissions hybrid technology.


The project is a collaboration between industry and research institutions with the consortium investing an additional £29m in developing UK content for advanced zero emissions hybrid technology.

The £46.5m project will allow the London Taxi Company to develop its next generation zero emissions hybrid drivetrain technology alongside its consortium partners in Coventry.

The APC project will enhance the capabilities and sustainability of the UK low-carbon supply chain and will create more than 150 jobs.


The London Taxi Company aims to utilise the hybrid drivetrain technology within its new zero emissions capable product range being developed at its new facility in Ansty in the West Midlands.

Peter Johansen, CEO of the London Taxi Company, said: “The government’s investment in the London Taxi Company’s APC R&D project will allow us to further develop the next generation zero emissions capable powertrain.

“The resulting technology will be used in our future products, ensuring that we use as many UK-produced components as possible, generating jobs and value for the UK.”

The APC promotes collaboration between UK-based academia, automotive suppliers and OEMs to make the country a global centre of excellence for low carbon powertrain development.

The London Taxi Company has teamed up with tier one automotive supplier GKN, engineering service provider Revolve and independent research institute The High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute (HSSMI).

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