PLYMOUTH

COUNCIL chiefs say they are unable to admit whether or not a taxi driver who assaulted three female passengers has had his licence withdrawn.

Augustin Marian, of Union Street, was arrested following an incident at Sherwell Arcade in North Hill on August 11 last year.

He was accused of assaulting three women who it was claimed had been in his Hackney cab.

He denied the offence but following trial at Plymouth Magistrates court he was found guilty on December 1 of all three counts of assault by beating.

Marian, aged 33, was handed a community order and told to carry out 120 hours unpaid work over the next 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation and pay a Criminal Courts Charge of £520.

As a result Plymouth City Council, who had the driver on their books as Sergio Marian Augustin, said the matter would be referred to its Taxi Licensing Committee who have the power to decide whether any driver is ‘fit and proper’ to retain a licence.

At the time council spokesman said the matter was not dealt with on January 7 when the committee met, because it was still “awaiting further detail from Devon and Cornwall Police”.

Augustin Marian was able to continue to work as a taxi driver until the next hearing, which took place on February 4.

However, a concerned taxi driver – who asked not to be named – contacted The Herald to say Augustin Marian was still driving his taxi and picking up fares.

In response, the council has claimed it cannot reveal the taxi licensing committee’s decision until after February 14, citing the Local Government Act.

The council spokesperson said: “The council’s Taxi Licensing Committee meets to review the licenses of both Hackney Carriage and private taxi drivers.

“As is standard practice, this is held in part 2 (private) section of the committee in accordance with Part 1 of schedule 12 A of the Local Government Act 1972.

“This includes Paragraph 1 – information relating to any individual; Paragraph 2 – Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual; Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

“Therefore for these reasons we are unable to publish the decision at this stage.

“The committee’s decision is published ten working days after the committee meets.

“Once a decision has been made by the committee, there is an appeal period in which the driver is able to appeal against a decision, and during this appeal period the driver is able to continue driving the vehicle.

“As a result the council is unable to comment further until this legal appeals process is complete.”

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Council-claim-t-say-Plymouth-taxi-driver/story-28709860-detail/story.html

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  Gett, the Israel-based taxi ordering app company, is helping to build a global coalition to counter its bigger, better- known US-based rival Uber.

Uber has been valued at $62 billion, in part because of its global reach and also because it offers cabs and ride-shares through its apps.

However, says Nadav Zohar, Getts VP Corporate Development, in many local markets (including Israel), Uber is still the second choice.

One of the problems smaller, international competitors face is that tourists and business people are likely to use the service they know with the app already installed on their phone.

“Uber is still #1 in the US, but in China and India, local champions are significantly bigger than Uber,” says Zohar.

To compete, Gett is working with similar services around the world including Ola in India, DD in China, GrabTaxi in southeast Asia and 99Taxis in Brazil, to make their apps cross-compatible.

A Gett user from Israel traveling in China, for example, would be able to simply open Gett and a DD cab would come and collect them. The interface would remain the same, and the charge would go directly to their card.

“The coalition would be larger than Uber, simply because the biggest players are significantly bigger than Uber in those locations and the sheer number of rides is higher,” Zohar said.

Gett is also working with partners such as Expedia and other travel apps to help customers book end-to-end trips.

Instead of just a flight itinerary, they hope to integrate rides to and from the airport with Gett and one of its international partners.

But for now, the coalition- building is still in the process and not yet available to users.

“The technology is being developed, but it’s a natural solution, just like mobile operators,” Zohar says, referencing deals that allow customers of Israeli cellular companies to roam on international networks when traveling.

http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Taxi-app-Gett-builds-coalition-to-counter-Uber-444509

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 Taxi drivers in Gedling will have to take a test on safeguarding children and vulnerable people after high profile court cases put their profession under the spotlight.

But local firms claim they already make sure their staff are trained and are against "paying for the same thing twice."

At Gedling Borough Council's environment and licensing committee on Wednesday, members agreed that all drivers should take the test as part of the council's legal responsibility to make sure they are "fit and proper" for the job.

Andy Callingham, the service manager for public protection at the council, presented a report recommending a two-hour safeguarding awareness session, covering topics including the protection of children, child sexual exploitation and domestic violence.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Taxi-drivers-face-safeguarding-test-lose-licenses/story-28708596-detail/story.html

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 Fife councillors have come under fire for turning down a taxi licence renewal for a cabbie with a clean licence – while giving the go-ahead to a man recently jailed for embezzlement.

A sheriff has overturned the regulation and licensing committee’s decision to reject the application of Dunfermline taxi driver Gordon Brown and ordered the council to pay his costs.

Mr Brown said the uncertainty over his livelihood since the committee’s refusal last April had been a “nightmare” for him and that the way the matter was handled was “nasty”.

He had effectively been banned from continuing to work as a taxi driver, although he had a clean licence.

At the same committee meeting, 11 drivers who had live points on their licences for motoring offences had their applications approved.

One had also been jailed for embezzling thousands from his employer. He had been jailed for six months, had been released early but was still serving the unexpired portion of his sentence.

The licensing committee rejected Mr Brown’s application for renewal after an objection from the police, who highlighted three incidents where it was alleged he had been guilty of driving offences.

But none of these matters had proceeded to court and so Mr Brown, of Henryson Road, had a clean licence.

The incidents which formed the basis of the police objection were an allegation of speeding in April 2013, which ended in no court action. There was the same outcome over an allegation of speeding in July 2014. The third involved an allegation of going around a mini-roundabout the wrong way.

Mr Brown took his decision to an appeal hearing before Sheriff Kevin Veal at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court last month. The sheriff’s summary points out that the “vast majority” of applications that came before the committee that day were granted.

“Many of the applicants had live penalty points on their licences but the applications were granted,” he added.

One of the cases highlighted at the appeal by Mr Brown’s solicitor Jonathan Matheson-Dear was that of the local man who had been jailed just months before.

One successful applicant had two speeding offences and another for driving while using a mobile phone. Another was charged with careless driving after smashing into the back of a stationary vehicle, while a third had been banned after driving without insurance.

Mr Brown said: “It’s been a nightmare worrying if you were going to lose your livelihood.”

June Barrie, managing solicitor for the planning and licensing team, said: “A legal ruling has been made and it would not be appropriate for the council to comment any further on this particular case.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/sheriff-overturns-committee-s-decision-to-reject-taxi-driver-with-clean-licence-1.923607

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 SHEFFIELD

 A "caring" taxi driver has been praised for saving an 80-year-old Sheffield man from a £5,000 lottery scam.

The pensioner was told he had won £20,000 and was sent a £5,000 cheque, but then told to withdraw the cash and pay it into a Western Union account.

While taking him to the bank, the taxi driver grew concerned about the "lottery win" and told police.

His actions stopped the scam and prevented the pensioner losing £5,000, police said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-35540439

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An Eastbourne taxi driver has been charged with exposing himself.

Fifty-one-year-old Brian Bigsby, of Mortimer Road, has been charged with exposure under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The offence is alleged to have taken place in a taxi, while he was working, in Eastbourne on January 20.

He has been bailed to appear at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on March 2.

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-charged-with-exposing-himself-1-7206880