DERBY

The inquest into the death of an 18-month-old girl who was killed in a road collision outside her home in Derby today ruled she died as a result of an accident.

Harinee Suryawala was involved in a collision with a car on May 7 last year in Chartley Road, off Stenson Road, Stenson Fields.

The inquest at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court heard how she was hit outside her home by taxi driver Shames Narwaz, who moments before had dropped off the youngster, her sister and mum, Ankita Suryawala.


The court heard Mr Narwaz had not seen Harinee and senior coroner Robert Hunter ruled her death was a tragic accident.


In a statement read out to the court by the coroner, Mrs Suryawala said she called a taxi at 9.30am from taxi firm Albatross.

The statement said she had taken her two children from the taxi and into her home but realised she could not see Harinee.

The statement said "I realised I can not see Harinee and I was calling, Harinee, Harinee.

"I went out the door and Harinee was lying on the ground. I did not know if (she) was dead. I kept calling out her name.

"The taxi driver got out of the car. He said, 'sorry, I did not see her, sorry'. I called out for help."

When paramedics arrive, her statement said she asked them "is my baby alive?" But, the inquest heard she had died at the point of impact.

Mr Narwaz told the inquest he passed his driving test in 2004, had never been involved in a road accident before and had been a driver for "six or seven years".

He said he had worked as a self employed driver for the firm for 14 months.

He said: "She (Mrs Suryawala ) got out of the car and open the door and put her bags inside."

He said he saw Harinee in the house after he dropped the family off but he said he did not see her come out before the car hit her.

Detective Sergeant Sue Hancock in the collision investigation unit at Derbyshire police there was no reason to bring any criminal proceedings against Mr Narwaz. She described what happened as "tragic".

Dr Hunter said the youngster died instantly, and would not have felt any pain.

He said the cause of death was head injuries as a result of the road traffic incident. Police were called to the incident by the ambulance service to reports that a child had been in collision with a car.


She was taken to Royal Derby Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

http://goo.gl/OI3YFb
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TOULOUSE

 Roads in and around the city of Toulouse were blocked on Monday morning as over 1,000 taxis protested against “unfair competition” from private minicab firms.


Travelling in and around the south western city looks set to be troublesome on Monday with taxi drivers having set up road blocks at strategic parts of the town.

The blockades were put in place at around 5.30am around bus depots and tram stops, as well as around the Toulouse-Blagnac international airport as the protest aimed to bring transport in the city to a halt.

Blockades were also set up around the Airbus airport and the city’s ring road. Monday will see various “go-slow” operations as taxi drivers’ unions promised the Ville Rose a “day of jams”.

“Today there will be no bus and no tram,” a union source told Le Figaro newspaper.

Protester numbers have been bolstered by taxi drivers descending on Toulouse from all over France and beyond.

“We haven’t even counted. The Parisians are there, drivers from Marseille and Brussels too. The Spanish and drivers from Lyon will come too,” said Stephane Abeilhou, a spokesperson for the Defense of Taxis association.

“We hope this protest is historic, because it’s the first one to only take place in a regional city,” he added.

The protest, the likes of which have been held right across France in recent months, is motivated by anger towards private cab firms and web platforms like Uber, whom traditional taxi firms see as benefiting from unfair competition.

Monday’s protesters want the status of minicab to be scrapped to level the playing field and for taxi firms to be allowed exclusive use of geo-localisation on web platforms.

Monday’s protest coincides with a meeting in Paris between French Transport Minister Alain Vidalies and representatives from both taxi firms and mini cab companies.

http://goo.gl/VqhHzL
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 ACCRINGTON

 'That's me down the job centre' - taxi driver banned after causing four-car crash in Accrington

A TAXI driver caused a four-car crash after pulling out of a side street onto Whalley Road in Accrington, a court has heard.

Blackburn magistrates heard Manjid Yasin was waved out by a driver heading towards Accrington but collided with another vehicle coming from the town centre.

And when he was banned from driving for six months under the totting up rules Yasin said: "That's me down the job centre."

Yasin, 36, of Sidings Way, Accrington, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention.

He was fined £60 with £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge and his licence endorsed with four penalty points.

Tracey Yates, prosecuting, said the car Yasin hit span into the car that had slowed to let him out and then hit another vehicle.

Yasin said he had been waved out but accepted it was his responsibility to make sure the road was clear in the other direction.

http://goo.gl/H1TsPT
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 LONDON

 Operators from London’s taxi industry have come together for a plan that looks to revolutionise the city’s black cab, making them faster, smarter and greener, and they’re calling on Boris Johnson’s replacement to support the cause.


The goal is to modernise London's taxis in a sustainable way

Led by the London Taxi Company, a global manufacturer of black cabs, the taxi revolution plan has widespread support. It includes drivers, of course, but also tech-based booking apps such as Gett and Hailo, with all fighting for the same target.

The launch comes following continued clashes between traditional cab drivers in the city and rise of on-demand services including Uber.

Peter Johansen, CEO, the London Taxi Company, said: “London acts as a beacon for cities around the world and the next mayor has the opportunity to enact an ambitious policy agenda to ensure that our city remains a world leader in technology, service and on the environment.

“This means there are real choices to be made for the next mayor to keep pace with London’s ever changing transport challenges.”

Claiming that the taxi trade is dedicated to customers, there are three key components of the #StayFareMayor campaign: modernisation, pollution prevention and sustainability.

Modernising the vehicles will see the introduction of fast WiFi connections added to vehicles, while all taxis are set for card payments by October 2016 as today’s consumers are less reliant on cash.

Elsewhere, with support for the environment, there’s an aim of introducing taxis capable of zero emissions by 2018 in order to cut down on pollution in London.

Sustainability, meanwhile, will be achieved with full integration into the city’s transport system – part of that will include an accessible service in line with the launch of the night tube, which was approved in March after a stream of delays.

Steve McNamara, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, added: “What we are launching today is London’s taxi revolution, a guarantee to make the best taxi service in the world even better. Faster, smarter, greener is our offer, and our ask of the next Mayor of London.


“The traffic in central London has to flow better and move faster, we must continue to adopt new technologies including apps, WiFi and contactless to ensure we are smarter.

“Coupled with the right investment in infrastructure, such as rapid charging points to support the introduction of the new zero emissions taxi by 2018, we can make London the world’s first zero emissions taxi city.”

http://goo.gl/12aYaf