BLACKPOOL

A £22m expansion of the Blackpool tramway has secured town hall approval - despite a last-ditch plea from taxi drivers for a re-think.

Councillors tonight voted in favour of the scheme to extend the line up Talbot Road to North Station, saying connectivity with the railway network was the right way forward.

A full meeting of Blackpool Council said the resort had to follow in the footsteps of cities such as Manchester which had successfully linked their tramways with the rail system.

Coun Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of the council, said: “Every town in the country that has a tramway or underground, operates it to meet with the major railway system, for example Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield, and there are clear advantages to this.”

She said measures would be taken to minimise potential disruption.

Coun Campbell added: “Councillors are looking at the detail and making sure we get it right and that’s why we delayed the decision at executive.

“We are questioning things with the intention of minimising disruption during the work and so it works as well as possible when completed.”

But representatives of Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association told the meeting they feared the move would lead to traffic congestion.

Association secretary Bill Lewtas warned surrounding town centre roads including the Promenade, Abingdon Street and Clifton Street would become gridlocked.

He said drivers travelling between the north and south of the resort would use other routes such as Whitegate Drive,clogging them up as well.

http://goo.gl/CJ3LqY

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DUMFRIES

A woman was subjected to a sex attack after getting into what she thought was a taxi.

Detectives have launched an investigation and are hunting the man who posed as a private hire cab driver in Dumfries on Saturday night.

The 40-year-old woman got into the car, described as grey or silver, on Munches Street at around 11pm to make her way home.

During the journey the driver made improper suggestions to the victim before sexually assaulting her.

She was not injured but was left in a "shocked and distraught state", police said.

The driver of the car and the man police want to interview is described as being white, in his 30s to 40s, medium build, shaved head and clean shaven and was wearing light jeans. He may have spoken with an eastern European accent.

Detective sergeant Scott Torrance at Dumfries said: "Munches Street on a Saturday night is a busy place and we are appealing to anyone who may have been in that area to call us on 101 if they can help us identify this man or his car.

"The car is thought to be silver or grey in colour. We also want to hear from anyone who may have had any similar experience, either on Saturday night or on a previous occasion, where they may have got into a car which turned out not to be a registered taxi.

http://goo.gl/f7GO2g

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Cambridge could get electric-only taxi ranks as council looks to boost air quality across city

Electric-only taxi ranks could be on their way to Cambridge after a new report named them as a potential way to improve air quality across the city.

The idea has been mooted in a new environment report as Cambridge City Council pushes forward with its bid to encourage the use of low-emission taxis.

Now council officials are set to consult with taxi drivers across the city to see what they think could be done to help incentivise their use – and clean up our air in the process.

Cllr Peter Roberts, executive councillor for environment and waste, said: “Low emission taxis have the benefit of being both less polluting and having lower operating costs, so it is right that we should look at ways to incentivise their take-up by the taxi trade.

“A shift towards low emission taxis in Cambridge forms an important part of our Air Quality Action Plan to improve air quality in parts of the city dominated by buses, taxis and service vehicles.

“These proposals to reduce emissions from vehicles in the city will benefit people in Cambridge, especially those susceptible to heart and lung conditions."

Consulting the taxi trade is one of a number of suggestions laid out in a new report to the council's environment scrutiny committee, which aims to employ a number of different measures to improve air quality in Cambridge.

In addition to the creation of an electric-only taxi rank, the report names the provision of a number of taxi-only charging points to incentivise the use of low-emission vehicles.

http://goo.gl/1jRcMT

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MANCHESTER
 
Taxi driver caught five times the drink-drive limit while picking up holidaymakers from Manchester Airport
   
Gurpraat Johal - whose lawyer said had been drinking a bottle of whisky a day for the past three years - has now been jailed  

A cabbie who drove from Huddersfield to Manchester Airport while five times over the booze limit to pick up a group of holidaymakers has been jailed.

Gurpraat Johal, 38, was locked up for 12 weeks after his lawyer told Manchester Magistrates Court he had been drinking a bottle of whisky a day for the past three years.

Paul Darnborough, defending said: “This man is dying, he is killing himself with whisky."

Divorced father-of-three Johal had spent 90 minutes on the M60 and M62 getting to the airport on the evening of April 10.

“He is a chronic alcoholic and has suffered serious damage to his liver,” added Mr Darnborough.

Johal, of Gilthwaites Grove, Denby Dale, had pleaded guilty to driving his 12 seater taxi after consuming excess alcohol.

He was banned from the road for 36 months. Court chairwoman Pauline Salisbury said: “This offence is so serious the only sentence is one of custody.

“This was a blatant disregard to the safety of other people. You drove for 90 minutes on two busy motorways and were going to take several passengers back to Huddersfield.

http://goo.gl/FSniCS

Bengaluru's First Woman Taxi Driver Found Dead, She Worked With Uber

 When Bharathi Veerath joined Uber two years ago as a a cab driver in Bengaluru, she made the front pages. Last evening, she was discovered hanging in the home where she lived alone. Her death is being treated as a case of suicide, though no suicide letter has been found.

 Police sources say Ms Veerath's taxi - a Ford Fiesta that she had reportedly saved up to buy - was found abandoned near her house.

"She worked as a tailor and then with an NGO where she learnt how to drive. Later, she joined private taxi aggregator company Uber, where she was the city's first woman cab driver," reports The Huffington Post.

 Ms Veerath, who moved to Bengaluru from Andhra Pradesh ten years ago according to local media, lived alone. Her body was found by her landlord, who has told the police that Ms Veerath, 39, had informed him that she planned to move back to Andhra soon.

 "It appears to be a case of suicide, as the victim's (V. Bharathi) body was found hanging by a cloth-like rope from the ceiling of a room by her landlord on Monday night," police officer Prakash told news agency IANS.

 "The landlord went to the third floor of his house where Bharathi was staying in the rented portion to check her whereabouts as he did not see her again since Sunday night and found her body hanging through the room's window and alerted us," he disclosed.

http://goo.gl/ussoGC
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A global economist has called for taxi drivers to unite against Uber and form a workers’ collective.

Ann Pettifor, analyst of the global financial system and director of Prime Economics, said that workers should be in control of platforms such as Uber and Airbnb, especially since they own the working capital of the business.

“This is an ideal opportunity for us to be arguing for more worker co-operatives,” said Ms Pettifor at the Co-operative Congress in Wakefield. “The really fascinating thing about Uber, about Airbnb and about these other sectors is that actually the capital of those businesses is owned by the workers.

“So the drivers of the cars own the car, they have bought the car, they have invested in it, they maintain it, they invest in its maintenance, they insure it.”

Ms Pettifor added: “They pay for all of that and then they pay something for the app. They are then allowed by Uber in California, in Silicon Valley, to retain some of their allowance but why on earth should Uber be such a company? Why should it operate in this way? Why do taxi drivers not come together and form a collective?”

In a speech to delegates, Ms Pettifor said it’s hard for workers to come together, especially in big cities. So she also called on local legislators to intervene. “I think it is quite possible for our cities to set up a rule where only worker-operated taxi drivers will be allowed to operate in the city,” she said.

“There are lots of regulations around it and there ought to be a lot of regulation around taxi driving. We know from the way women are treated in taxis and so on and so forth, there already is a fair amount of regulation, why not have more? Why not have cities insist that only worker-owned driving organisations can operate in their city?”

 Ms Pettifor said taxi drivers can change the relationship with Uber. “They don’t have drivers who are employees,” she said. “They have business partners. Well let’s change the partnership. Why don’t the drivers organise themselves collectively in a co-op and then negotiate directly with the software providers?”They are very happy to pay for the software, that is what these guys in Silicon Valley are making, but they are not making the car or investing the capital, the workers are.”
Ms Pettifor added that the same applied to those people who rent out properties through Airbnb: “ I invest in my home, I take out the mortgage, I keep it maintained, I clean it up and I am paying an immense share of what I am earning to a company in Silicon Valley. Why don’t we reorganise?”

http://goo.gl/zP3MH9

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A bid to turn a prominent Huddersfield town centre shop into a taxi office has been blocked.

Co-owners, Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Akram were refused permission for the plan at the former Videotech business at the end of Cross Church Street by Kirklees Council last year.

They launched an appeal but that too has now failed.

The Planning Inspectorate agreed with the council that it was an unsuitable location to operate taxis.

And it was told by police that it could increase problems with anti-social behaviour and late night crime.

http://goo.gl/nV6WnU

Bengaluru's First Woman Taxi Driver Found Dead, She Worked With Uber

 When Bharathi Veerath joined Uber two years ago as a a cab driver in Bengaluru, she made the front pages. Last evening, she was discovered hanging in the home where she lived alone. Her death is being treated as a case of suicide, though no suicide letter has been found.

 Police sources say Ms Veerath's taxi - a Ford Fiesta that she had reportedly saved up to buy - was found abandoned near her house.

"She worked as a tailor and then with an NGO where she learnt how to drive. Later, she joined private taxi aggregator company Uber, where she was the city's first woman cab driver," reports The Huffington Post.

 Ms Veerath, who moved to Bengaluru from Andhra Pradesh ten years ago according to local media, lived alone. Her body was found by her landlord, who has told the police that Ms Veerath, 39, had informed him that she planned to move back to Andhra soon.

 "It appears to be a case of suicide, as the victim's (V. Bharathi) body was found hanging by a cloth-like rope from the ceiling of a room by her landlord on Monday night," police officer Prakash told news agency IANS.

 "The landlord went to the third floor of his house where Bharathi was staying in the rented portion to check her whereabouts as he did not see her again since Sunday night and found her body hanging through the room's window and alerted us," he disclosed.

http://goo.gl/ussoGC
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A global economist has called for taxi drivers to unite against Uber and form a workers’ collective.

Ann Pettifor, analyst of the global financial system and director of Prime Economics, said that workers should be in control of platforms such as Uber and Airbnb, especially since they own the working capital of the business.

“This is an ideal opportunity for us to be arguing for more worker co-operatives,” said Ms Pettifor at the Co-operative Congress in Wakefield. “The really fascinating thing about Uber, about Airbnb and about these other sectors is that actually the capital of those businesses is owned by the workers.

“So the drivers of the cars own the car, they have bought the car, they have invested in it, they maintain it, they invest in its maintenance, they insure it.”

Ms Pettifor added: “They pay for all of that and then they pay something for the app. They are then allowed by Uber in California, in Silicon Valley, to retain some of their allowance but why on earth should Uber be such a company? Why should it operate in this way? Why do taxi drivers not come together and form a collective?”

In a speech to delegates, Ms Pettifor said it’s hard for workers to come together, especially in big cities. So she also called on local legislators to intervene. “I think it is quite possible for our cities to set up a rule where only worker-operated taxi drivers will be allowed to operate in the city,” she said.

“There are lots of regulations around it and there ought to be a lot of regulation around taxi driving. We know from the way women are treated in taxis and so on and so forth, there already is a fair amount of regulation, why not have more? Why not have cities insist that only worker-owned driving organisations can operate in their city?”

 Ms Pettifor said taxi drivers can change the relationship with Uber. “They don’t have drivers who are employees,” she said. “They have business partners. Well let’s change the partnership. Why don’t the drivers organise themselves collectively in a co-op and then negotiate directly with the software providers?”They are very happy to pay for the software, that is what these guys in Silicon Valley are making, but they are not making the car or investing the capital, the workers are.”
Ms Pettifor added that the same applied to those people who rent out properties through Airbnb: “ I invest in my home, I take out the mortgage, I keep it maintained, I clean it up and I am paying an immense share of what I am earning to a company in Silicon Valley. Why don’t we reorganise?”

http://goo.gl/zP3MH9

CORK

A woman returning from her father’s 80th birthday celebrations fell on her bottom as she was leaving the mini-bus taxi outside her home and yesterday she was awarded €9,000 compensation.

Janice O’Leary stood up once the Toyota Hiace taxi stopped outside her home at East Avenue, Laurel Brook, Lehnaghmore, Togher, Cork, and she testified yesterday that it moved again as she was leaving causing her to fall.

Edwin Long, the driver of the mini-bus for K-Cabs of Barrack Street, Cork, denied that the fall occurred.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said at Cork Circuit Court, “On the balance of probabilities the van moved and caused the fall. Her account is more consistent. She suffered a nasty injury (fracture to her coccyx). She could have taken more care for her own safety by holding on.” The judge assessed damages at €12,000 minus a quarter for contributory negligence.

The plaintiff’s barrister, Eoin Clifford, put it to Mr Long that he was annoyed at having to wait for an hour in Macroom before everyone was on board and ready to travel back to the city. Mr Long said, “I was upset a tiny bit but what can you do?”

Mr Clifford said Mr Long drove at speed from Macroom to Cork. Mr Long said he did not and the journey took one hour when it would normally take half an hour.

Mr Long said that Ms O’Leary did not fall at all. “She said something to me. I said, ‘You’re a disgrace, girl’. She was locked.”

Ms O’Leary said she was not drunk and had not drank that much as she was helping out in the kitchen at the party. She said she had three or four bottles of Coors Light that night and that the fall occurred at 3.30am that morning, February 16, 2013.

“When I went to move, he moved the bus and I fell to my bottom. I got very upset. I asked him why he moved the bus,” Ms O’Leary said.

Her sister corroborated evidence that the plaintiff was not drunk. Her husband, who was minding the children at home, said his wife was very upset and she rang K-Cabs and rang the gardaí when she got home.

When the judge was told that the gardaí were called on the night in relation to the disputed fall in the Hiace, he asked, “Did the armed response unit come out?”

http://goo.gl/IbdcVj

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The Government’s decision to amend the Police and Crime Bill to regulate taxis better is welcome news to Barnardo’s. The new clause would place local authorities under a duty to consider how they can prevent child sexual exploitation when they issue licences for taxis and private hire vehicles.

This new measure is needed urgently. The nature of the driver’s role – including having reason to drive at night and to carry children and young people as passengers – can create conditions which make child sexual exploitation more likely.

Of course we know that the vast majority of taxi drivers are law-abiding, but taxis and private hire vehicles have consistently been linked to cases of child sexual exploitation. 


http://goo.gl/OIoQe8

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Walmart is piloting a last-mile delivery system in the US using app-controlled taxi services such as Uber, Lyft and Deliv. 

The company said it had started tests of grocery delivery through Uber in Phoenix and Lyft in Denver.

A pilot of Sam’s Club – a Walmart-owned membership-only retail club – started in March, with Deliv transporting general merchandise and groceries for business members in Miami.

Walmart said the process started with a customer placing their grocery order online and selecting a delivery window. 

Once personal shoppers had selected the required items, they could request a driver from one of the taxi services to come to the store, pick up the order and take it directly to the customer’s location. 

Customers pay a $7 to $10 delivery charge online, and make no payment to the driver. 

Analysts have greeted the move positively, saying it would help Walmart reach more consumers without having to spend heavily on developing a last-mile delivery service.

Data analyst 1010data said the partnership had the potential for success as its studies had shown a large percentage of retail shoppers also used Uber or Lyft, particularly in the cities where Walmart is piloting the scheme.

http://goo.gl/hIEwtl

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FORFAR

A man fell from a moving taxi as he assaulted a driver in Angus.

Jamie Stewart, 27, of Hillhead Terrace, Kirriemuir, got in to Bruce McRitchie's cab on the A926 in the Angus town with two friends and asked to be taken to Forfar.

During the journey the trio first sat drinking beer and chatting but began whispering, prompting Mr McRitchie, 45, to pull over and ask them to pay up.

Stewart told the driver he would get "nothing" and he would "batter him" so, feeling threatened, Mr McRitchie told them he would take them in to Forfar. 

As they drove off, Stewart suddenly grabbed the driver around the neck from behind, then opened the door of the cab while it drove along.

Stewart fell out of the taxi while it was travelling 15mph before jumping up and kicking the driver's door.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: "The accused's footprint was later found on the outside of the driver's door of the taxi.

"After the accused got back in the car he made derogatory remarks towards Mr McRitchie.

"The accused grabbed Mr McRitchie from behind again, and at this time punched him on the side of his head.

"Mr McRitchie stopped the car and the accused and his companions ran off.

"They left beer bottles behind in the car and the accused left his mobile phone in the back seat.

"The accused was later found under the influence of alcohol and had an injury to his shoulder consistent with being sustained when he fell from the moving taxi.

"When he was interviewed he said he could not recall even being in a taxi at the time of the offence."

Stewart pleaded guilty to assault in a taxi travelling from the A926 to Market Street, on June 1, 2014.

Sheriff Tom Hughes placed him on a two-year community payback order with supervision

http://goo.gl/1zwj2w

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FIRE crews from Bradford were sent to a two-vehicle collision in Listerhills Road, Bradford.

The callout was made at around 8.15pm this evening, Friday, to initial reports that a person was trapped.

An ambulance and police attended at the scene and two people were taken to hospital. The road was cordoned off to allow rescue vehicles to attend.

The vehicles involved were a silver Mitsubishi taxi and a black Audi A3 car.

The extent of any injuries are not yet known.

http://goo.gl/jWj5zv

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BLACK COUNTRY

Police appeal for witnesses after four taken to hospital following crash on Walsall Road in Great Wyrley

Two taxi passengers were among four people hurt in a crash involving a cab and a car in the Black Country .

The taxi and the vehicle collided on Walsall Road, in Great Wyrley, at 7pm on Thursday.

One patient was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with serious facial injuries while three others were taken to Manor Hospital in Walsall for treatment.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it received several 999 calls about the accident and sent three ambulances, a trauma doctor and a paramedic area support officer to the scene.

Police and firefighters also attended.

http://goo.gl/Bg4Fao

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ST ALBANS

A taxi company has been banned from operating in Three Rivers after breaking licensing rules.

Twelves, which used to be based in Rickmansworth, was employing unlicensed drivers and using inadequately insured vehicles to transport adults and children as part of its contractual work.

The company claimed the vehicles were ambulances in order to avoid complying with licensing requirements.

The council has now revoked the company’s operator licence “as a matter of public safety”.

Cllr Steve Drury, chairman of Three Rivers’ regulatory committee, said: "Three Rivers Council will take positive action against those who are found to be carrying members of the public in a manner which does not properly comply with our conditions and the legislation.

“The safety of the travelling public is our priority.”

It is the latest in a series of crackdowns on professional drivers in the Three Rivers area.

St Albans Magistrates Court rejected an appeal by Mr Choudhury, after the council refused his application to renew his private hire driving license.

The renewal was refused because he failed to disclose a caution on 1 October 2014 for battery.

Council spokesman Kevin Snow said: “Because this was an offence of violence within three years of the application, Three Rivers officers applied the council’s policy on convictions and refused the renewal.

“The court read evidence from Three Rivers officers about previous failures to disclose no insurance offences and a recent caution for failing to display plates and badge in December 2015.”

The court said the caution for battery, “with such an isolated incident of violence”, could have been mitigated.

But Mr Snow said: “Failing to disclose relevant convictions had happened on two previous occasions and the explanation of the appellant was so implausible as to be dishonest.”

A taxi driver was refused his license renewal after it came to light he had two speeding offences in December 2014, when he was disqualified for 56 days for doing 120mph in a 70 limit and 55 mph in a 30 limit area.

Ifzhal Sabir also failed to disclose a previous caution for touting in London.

Mr Sabir was ordered to pay £300 in costs to Three Rivers District Council.

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/14573573.Taxi_company_banned_after_flouting_licencing_rules/?
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BIRMINGHAM

A taxi driver took a passenger wanting to travel on a four-mile journey in the Black Country on a detour to Birmingham – costing them twice the fare, a court heard.

Talbraiz Ali, 35, was asked by his customer to go from Cape Hill in Smethwick to Sandwell and Dudley railway station.

But instead, Ali, who was working for 247 Cars and had only been a taxi driver for 28 days, took the passenger to Harborne and then charged £15 for the trip – over double the expected fare of £7.

Ali, of Minstead Road, Erdington, pleaded guilty to a charge of unnecessary prolonging of a journey by hackney carriage at Sandwell Magistrates Court yesterday.


www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2016/06/22/taxi-driver-in-court-for-four-mile-detour-on-four-mile-journey/?#3dhAxKBSLLwwGMwX.99

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BATH

The taxi firm Uber which lets people order a cab using their mobile phones launches in Bath tomorrow.

The company is bringing its "convenient and affordable" uberX service to the city from 4pm Friday (June 24).

Using an app on their smartphones, people will be able to book a taxi and pay for it using a credit or debit card linked to to their account.

The general manager for Uber in Bath Fouzan Ali, said:"We're really excited to be launching Uber in Bath.

"Over 10,000 people in the city have opened the app in the last 90 days, so we know there is real demand for the service here.

"Uber has been a huge success across the UK and we are excited to be able to offer a new option for both locals and tourists in Bath. People will now be able to book a convenient, safe and affordable ride at the push of a button.

"This launch also means that locally licensed drivers can partner with us and become their own bosses - choosing when and where they work."

Uber received the green light to operate as a licensed taxi firm across Bath and North East Somerset last September.

It said it will only hire drivers who are licensed for private hire by B&NES Council and who have undergone an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check - the same process black cab drivers, teachers and care workers go through.

It will offer "an easy way to travel safely and at a low cost, complementing Bath's existing transportation options." A journey from Bath Spa station to the RUH would cost about £8, Uber said.

Uber launched in Bristol last June and it operates in more than 20 cities across the country.

Once a taxi has been requested, the rider can see the driver's photo, name and car registration and can watch the car arrive in real-time on a map. The app then notifies the rider when the car arrives.


Uber currently operates in towns and cities across the UK including London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Merseyside, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Leicester, Belfast, Cardiff, Southampton, Sunderland and parts of the Home Counties. 

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/uber-taxi-firm-launches-in-bath-tomorrow/story-29426212-detail/story.html

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CAMBRIDGE

Taxi drivers have hit out at police for “silly one-off stings" on cyclists riding without lights and called for tough action to stop the danger in Cambridge.

Police have previously mounted numerous crackdowns on riding without lights as part of a programme to educate cyclist about the dangers of not being illuminated.

An example of the operations include a month-long targeting of riders in 2014 when hundreds of cyclists were fined for riding without lights in just a few Cambridge streets.

A total of 304 fines were handed out to cyclists without lights and a further 151 were stopped by police officers and given a ticking off.

Officers were using a special scheme used in Cambridge in which offenders get a chance to avoid paying up under the Lights Instead of Tickets (LIT) project. Those caught are given seven days to buy lights and fix them to their bike – and have their £30 fixed penalty notice scrapped.

But taxi drivers want more continuous action taken and have accused police of allowing cyclists to get away with having no lights.

Paul Bradley, general secretary of Cambridge Hackney Carriage Association which represents more than 200 cabbies, said: “How many cyclists without lights have the police stopped as what I see at night the police are ignoring this going on in front of them along with the other lawlessness they do. Not the silly little stings once in a blue moon. What happened to the cycle cops? Bikes nicked?

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/stop-silly-stings-and-take-on-cyclists-without-lights-in-cambridge-taxi-drivers-urge-police/story-29427651-detail/story.html

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BURY

AN EASTERN European taxi driver took a council worker on a "white-knuckle ride" — prompting a change in town-hall rules. 

As a result of the bizarre incident, new drivers who come from outside the European Union must now have their driving skills assessed and prove they have a good grasp of England and maths before becoming taxi drivers in Bury. 

A senior council source said: "We had received a series of complaints about a particular driver who had a licence from an Eastern European country. 

"A licensing officer went out with him in the car and he was doing all sorts of things, driving through red lights and going the wrong way around roundabouts.The driver didn't seem to appreciate that he was doing anything wrong." 

After what the source describes as the "white-knuckle ride," the driver had his licence suspended. 

Bury Council's licensing committee chairman, Cllr David Jones, said the council changed the rules to improve driving standards. 

At a meeting on June 9, the committee voted to ensure new black-cab and private-hire drivers provide evidence to the council that they have had a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving assessment. 

If they cannot produce documentary evidence that they have a GCSE in English and maths, or the equivalent qualifications, they must pass council tests in communication and numeracy. 

A report to the committee said: "It is possible for the holder of a non-European Union licence who has not passed a test (in the European Union) to (become a taxi driver) without having to re-sit a driving test or to have their driving ability reassessed. 

"A number of individuals who have appeared before the committee have claimed they could not understand questions posed to them, or cannot communicate effectively in English to the extent that they have brought people with them to interpret on their behalf. 

"Licensed drivers with poor communication skills are at a disadvantage when dealing with customers — particularly those (customers) under the influence of alcohol." 

The Hackney Drivers Association chairman Charles Oakes, who represents black-cab drivers in Bury, said: "I can understand why the council wants to keep standards high and why it is important for drivers to be able to drive at a good standard and to have a good grasp of English and maths. 

"However, there is a risk that councils up and down the country are making drivers follow too many rules and regulations and we should be aware of that becoming an issue in future." 

Cllr Jones said the committee would monitor the implementation of the new rules to see whether it was necessary to look at introducing to them to existing taxi drivers too. 

http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/14575072.Taxi_driver_took_council_worker_on___39_white_knuckle_ride___39__prompting_a_change_in_town_hall_rules/

LUTON AIRPORT DEMO UPDATE

Taxi drivers angry at changes to contracts at Luton Airport are set to protest outside Luton Town Hall...

They fear jobs will be lost after a London-based company was awarded a deal to ply for trade at the airport on the Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire border.

RMT taxi drivers will congregate at 1.30pm (June 22nd).

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT demands that the Luton Airport tender be re-run to give proper weight to the contribution from local drivers.

RMT also demands that the taxi rank at the airport be re-instated. If this does not occur, local drivers face being ruined".

Wakaz, who's a local driver, says the changes are unfair: "I can't see a London company provide the service that we do...

We have got experienced drivers, who live in London and have undergone tests through Luton Borough Council, so that we know the majority of routes around the UK.

We have got experience of between 30 and 40 years".

A spokesperson for London Luton Airport has told us: "The new taxi service will expand and improve the options currently available to passengers who will benefit from fixed price fares, a modern fleet of vehicles and free Wi-Fi in every car... 

It marks a step in our on-going transformation, that includes a £110 million investment to redevelop the terminal and airport infrastructure."

http://www.bobfm.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-drivers-to-protest-outside-luton-town-hall-over-airport-contract-changes/

LUTON AIRPORT

TAXI drivers will be protesting outside Luton Town Hall at 1.30pm on Wednesday 22nd June over the awarding of a contract to a London firm.

Drivers who are a member of the RMT trade union are protesting the contract and will congregate outside Luton town hall on Wednesday 22 June at 1:30pm.


Luton Airport awarded a five year contract at the airport to London-based firm Addison Lee, after a contract with Luton Hackney Carriages Association expired in February.

Former taxi driver Barkat Hussain, of Claremont Road, Luton, fears that this could lead taxi drivers to 'flood' the town centre, which could lead to a rise in fares.


He said: "Hackney cab drivers will have no choice but to flood the town with their vehicles, as they need to feed their families and pay their mortgages like the rest of us.

"This will mean all Luton fares will be forced up as otherwise no-one will be able to make a living driving a taxi."

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT demands that the Luton Airport tender be re-run to give proper weight to the contribution from local drivers.

"RMT also demands that the taxi rank at the airport be re-instated. If this does not occur, local drivers face being ruined.

"Further, RMT demands that all local authorities stop trying to fleece local taxis.

"Allowing multi-nationals to gorge themselves on fees earned by providing local services, will simply lead to those services being overpriced and revenue being exported out of the area."

http://goo.gl/uwbplx

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STOKE

A TAXI driver has been jailed and stripped of his licence after he groped a female passenger – before stealing her purse and withdrawing money with her bank card.

Shazad Hussain has been sent to prison for 18 months after being convicted of sexual assault. The 23-year-old was finishing his shift when he picked up his victim, who had been drinking, outside a takeaway in Hanley.

The victim gave him her cash card and pin number so he could withdraw his fare from an ATM. As he drove to drop her off in Biddulph, he sexually assaulted her and did not return her purse.

Now Stoke-on-Trent City Council has condemned Hussain's behaviour, and confirmed he is no longer a licensed driver.


A trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that Hussain had been to the city centre takeaway to get some food as he finished his shift at 5am.

A bouncer told him that a woman was waiting outside and wanted a taxi home to Biddulph. Despite living in Blurton, Hussain agreed to take her and withdrew the fare from a nearby cash machine.

After taking a 'circuitous' route to Biddulph he groped her twice – first touching her thigh over her clothing and moving his hand towards her groin. He then touched her breast, again over her clothes.

The court heard as he dropped her at home he offered to waive his fare if she agreed to give him oral sex – which she declined. After she got home – where her mother found her in distress – she realised she did not have her purse and contacted the police.

Meanwhile Hussain drove to several ATMs on his way home withdrawing cash using the victim's bank card – a total of £260 – until he could not carry out any more transactions.

He was later arrested and initially denied theft and sexual assault following the incident last summer. When presented with CCTV evidence by police he admitted two charges of theft, but continued to deny sexual assault. He was found guilty following a trial last month.

Nicholas Tatlow, representing Hussain at his sentencing hearing, said he had never been in trouble before.

"He is a young man of good character and good background," said Mr Tatlow. "It's clear he is very sorry for the way he behaved towards this woman on this night."

The court heard the victim, who was previously 'bubbly, outgoing and fun-loving', had become withdrawn, was drinking more and had been prescribed anti-depressants.

Judge David Fletcher sentenced Hussain, of Blurton Road, Blurton, to 18 months in prison.

He said: "You were a taxi driver. She was a lone woman, early in the morning. There was targeting of the victim and there has clearly been psychological harm caused. This was a serious piece of behaviour."

Councillor Randy Conteh, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's cabinet member for housing, communities and safer city, said behaviour like Hussain's 'is not tolerated'.

http://goo.gl/dmVvfz

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EDINBURGH (Update)

Bosses at one of Scotland's busiest airports have called in the police to crack down on cabbies who flout pick-up rules. 

Concerns have been raised at Edinburgh Airport over drivers who pick up fares in the drop-off zone - which is banned under the terminal's byelaws. 

City Cabs is the official taxi provider for the airport, and its drivers are allowed to park close to the main terminal. 


But rival firms are reportedly "poaching" customers before they reach the designated rank in the multi-storey car park. 

Airport bosses said they were working with police - as well as car park operators and the city council - to clamp down on those who breach the rules. 

It is understood Edinburgh City Council's licensing board will be writing to the drivers. 

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: "We're aware that there is an issue with taxis picking up in our drop-off zone. 

"This is not allowed under airport byelaws and we're working with our car park operators Empark, Police Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council Licensing Board to deal with it. 

"Our taxi operators are aware of this issue and support us as we try to ensure our drop-off area is safe, efficient and used for its proper purpose." 

A City Cabs driver, who did not wish to be named, said the problem began when the layout of the airport was changed in April to deal with an increase in passenger numbers. 

He said: "There is major unrest between the official airport taxi companies, which are being charged £2.90 by the airport for each pick-up, and the rest of Edinburgh cabs who are coming into the airport to steal customers from under our noses. 

"It is soul-destroying watching other taxis touting, dropping people off and getting fares straight away while we wait for up to two hours [in the designated rank] not making any money. And some drivers are coming in empty and trying to steal customers. 

"I'm at the end of my tether. They are taking cash out of our pockets." 

But Les McVay, company secretary at City Cabs, downplayed the extent of the problem and said the deal they had made with the airport was a "success story". 

http://goo.gl/iXj0zp

EDINBURGH

Airport chiefs have called in the police to crack down on cabbies who flout the rules.

Concerns have been raised over drivers who pick up fares in the drop-off zone – which is banned under the terminal’s byelaws.

City Cabs is the official taxi provider for the airport, which allows the firm’s drivers to park close to the main terminal.

One driver told the Evening News that rival firms were regularly “poaching” customers before they reached the designated rank in the multi-storey car park.

Airport bosses said they were working with police – as well as car park operators and the city council – to clamp down on those who breach the rules.


It is understood that the council’s licensing board will be writing to the drivers.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “We’re aware that there is an issue with taxis picking up in our drop-off zone. This is not allowed under airport byelaws and we’re working with our car park operators Empark, Police Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council Licensing Board to deal with it.

“Our taxi operators are aware of this issue and support us as we try to ensure our drop-off area is safe, efficient and used for its proper purpose.”

The City Cabs driver, who did not wish to be named, said the problem began when the layout of the airport was changed in April to deal with an increase in passenger numbers.

He said: “There is major unrest between the official airport taxi companies, which are being charged £2.90 by the airport for each pick-up, and the rest of Edinburgh cabs who are coming into the airport to steal customers from under our noses.

“It is soul-destroying watching other taxis touting, dropping people off and getting fares straight away while we wait for up to two hours [in the designated rank] not making any money. And some drivers are coming in empty and trying to steal customers.

“I’m at the end of my tether. They are taking cash out of our pockets.”

However, Les McVay, company secretary at City Cabs, downplayed the extent of the problem and insisted the firm’s deal with the airport was a “success story”.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Western, urged airport chiefs to do everything in their power to help the official drivers with whom they have a “commercial arrangement”.

He said: “Some people will chance their arm and I absolutely support Edinburgh Airport for cracking down on this practice.

“Our black cabs have been suffering since Uber was introduced in Edinburgh and this is another problem that hard-working taxi drivers have to deal with. Black cabs are a vital part of our transport infrastructure.”

http://www.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-airport-calls-police-over-taxi-drivers-fare-battle-1-4158246?

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UBERK MANCHESTER. Its what the Public have been waiting for.

A group of Stone Roses revellers were charged over £160 for an Uber taxi from the Etihad to Altrincham.

After enjoying his 20th birthday at the first of the Manchester band’s gigs this week, student Will Sloan said he was left in disbelief when he found out that the journey from the stadium to his home in Altrincham cost him £163.07.

He said: “We noticed at the time that he was going pretty much the longest way possible. We would usually expect to pay about £30-£40 to get home but when I found out I couldn’t believe it. It was outrageous!”

At the end of the journey Will and his friends questioned the driver about his choice of route and he then admitted to taking the wrong route home, saying that he would email to sort out a refund.

Will, who called an Uber using the app on his phone, said: “This just shows that if you aren’t careful Uber can cost you a fortune. The whole situation has put me off ever using Uber again and ruined what would have been a great birthday.”

The three pals chose to get a taxi home when they saw the queue for the Metrolink stretched from the station all the way down to the junction on Alan Turning Way and back again.

They were told the surcharge for their journey would be 4.9.

But after the trip Will went on the app’s help section and clicked on the driver ‘chose a poor route’ option.

He has now been told he will be refunded £50 instantly, making the cost of the journey just over £100.

Despite the refund, he has contacted the online taxi company asking for more.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stone-roses-fans-outraged-after-11481720

COMMENT

Driving a PH Car can be difficult at the best of times. The Punters moaning after every Journey and going to the Papers is, in my opinion, very unfair.

The driver has to make a Living, that is why he charged a modest £16.80 a mile, for what should have been a 9.7 mile Journey.

I am however struggling to grasp why the driver went out to Worsley first and then turned left to get to his destination.

UBERK, its what the Manchester Public want ! !

PENDLE

Councillors in Lancashire will meet today ahead of plans to bring in a new taxi rating system. Recent spot checks in Pendle revealed 70% of cabs stopped were not fit for the road. In future those deemed unsafe could be named and shamed.

Last month bosses voted to extended the maximum age a vehicle can operate from 9 years to 11. Pendle Council leader Cllr Mohammed Iqbal denied that the change would lead to a reduction in safety.

If you look at how things currently stand there are a lot of boroughs in Lancashire which have no vehicle age limitations.

"We have had ours for a number of years.

"The age of the vehicle isn't the issue as far as I am concerned because it is highlighted by our testing procedure that cars which are only three-years-old fail the safety checks.

"The issue for me is that at the moment there is no way for the public to know how safe a vehicle is when they ring up for a taxi.

"That is why I have asked the taxi licensing committee to work on a scheme hat would publicise good taxi operators but also highlight the poor ones regarding maintenance and safety of their vehicles. It would be something similar to the star rating system that we have for takeaways and restaurants.

– CLLR MOHAMMED IQBAL

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2016-06-16/new-taxi-rating-scheme-set-for-pendle/

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The Government has agreed to introduce new measures placing a duty on local councils ‘to consider how they can prevent child sexual exploitation when they issue licences for taxis and private hire vehicles’.

It follows campaigning from a Rotherham steering group made up of abuse survivors and town MP Sarah Champion. Tougher measures have already been ordered in Rotherham, where all taxis will have to contain CCTV cameras from next month.


Professor Alexis Jay’s inquiry in August 2014 – which found that at least 1,400 children had been victims of sexual exploitation in Rotherham over 16 years – had noted the ‘prominent role’ of taxi drivers in such offending.

Miss Champion said: “I am pleased that the steps that Rotherham Council took locally, will now be implemented nationally. We have a responsibility to keep all children safe. It has been two years since the Rotherham abuse scandal, and only now the Government has listened and taken action to make the taxi profession safer for the most vulnerable children. Whilst I welcome this decision, it is disgraceful that the Government has taken this long to act.”

Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “New measures to make taxis safer for vulnerable children at risk of exploitation are needed urgently.”



http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/new-national-rules-planned-on-taxi-drivers-following-rotherham-scandal-1-7965297#ixzz4BiTxwnaX

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GATESHEAD

A motorcyclist was left with minor injuries after a collision with a taxi in Gateshead .

At around 6.10pm on Tuesday, June 14, police received a report of a collision between a taxi and a motorcyclist at the junction of Bensham Road and Saltwell Road.

Police have said the taxi was stationary but when their passenger exited the vehicle it collided with the motorcyclist who suffered minor injuries when he fell from his bike.

Both the passenger and the driver stopped to check on the motorcyclist but then left the area without leaving any details.

Officers are carrying out enquiries into the incident and are keen to speak to the taxi driver involved or to the passenger of the vehicle to help establish the circumstances.

Those involved, or anyone who witnessed the collision, should call police on 101 quoting reference 969 14/06/16.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/motorcyclist-injured-after-crash-taxi-11479273?

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ROCHDALE

A taxi driver may lose his sight after a punter smashed his window and sent glass flying into his eye.

The 38 year-old victim had working in Middleton in the early hours of Sunday when he was approached about a fare.

However after he refused, the man flew into a rage and smashed the driver’s side window sending broken into the air and causing serious injuries to the driver.

The cabbie remains in hospital for surgery. Doctors say he may lose the sight in one eye.

Officers attended the scene of the attack on Manchester Old Road at around 1.15am however the attacker could not be found.

It is believed he fled the scene in another taxi.

The suspect was described as a mixed race aged between 18 and 22, between 5ft 8in and 6ft tall and had short curly black hair in an Afro style and was wearing dark jeans and a grey hooded top.

Det Cone Daniel Daly, of GMP’s Rochdale borough, said: “This was an unprovoked attack on a man simply trying to earn an honest living and he may lose the sight in his eye permanently.

“We are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time and may have seen anything that will help us with our investigation to come forward.”

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/taxi-driver-lose-sight-after-11478361?

Uber is experimenting with a decidedly retro service: a telephone dispatch system that would allow people without smartphones to call a hotline and order an Uber ride, according to a transit official in Pinellas County, Florida. The system is being tested as a pilot program in conjunction with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which plans to launch it on July 18th. The call-in feature is part of a local program that will grant publicly subsidized Uber rides to low-income residents who do not have cars or easy access to the area’s bus-based public transit system, according to Christopher Cochran, senior planner at the PSTA.

The call-in feature signals that Uber is looking not only to expand its clientele beyond its smartphone wielding, tech-savvy customer base, but also that the ride-hailing giant hopes to be taken more seriously by public transit agencies as a complement — or even alternative — to existing mass transport options.
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UberK’s boss in the UK claims she has been forced to quit Twitter after being bombarded with sexist and abusive messages from taxi drivers.

Jo Bertram claimed the attacks have included one angry cabbie saying he hoped she would “get run over by a Toyota Prius”, while others have criticised her appearance including one who said she looked like Jimmy Savile.

The Uber executive, who is in charge of the minicab app across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, spoke about the abuse today at a "powerful women" conference being held in central London, Bertram told the Fortune Most Powerful Women event at Holborn's Rosewood Hotel that she now gets staff to check her Twitter account as she cannot face logging into it herself.

http://goo.gl/fW1HSe

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After putting the finishing touches to their colourful cabs, 70 taxi drivers have made their way to the seaside for the annual Edinburgh Taxi Trade Children's Outing.

From an Eddie the Eagle-inspired float to a taxi transformed into Red Riding Hood's Grandma's house, the horns beeped through an excited crowd as more than 100 families joined them at Edinburgh Zoo. 

The city's cabbies take a day off to drive children with special needs, life-limiting conditions and terminal illnesses and their families on a trip to the seaside.

Funded by an organising committee of taxi drivers, who raise money throughout the year, the outing has become a staple in the city for the last 70 years.

http://goo.gl/dLpnCE 

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UBERK FLORIDA

Touted for years as the company that would disrupt the taxi industry, Uber is now going old school and experimenting with a telephone dispatch system that allows those without smartphones to call in to order an Uber ride.

If that sounds familiar, it should; it’s how taxi’s have operated for more than a century.

The new program is being tested as a pilot program with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in Florida and launches on July 18.

 The program is part of a project to offer subsidized Uber rides to those typically reliant on the bus-based public transit system, according to Christopher Cochran, senior planner at the PSTA.
Under the new plan, “transit disadvantaged” residents can phone in a request for an Uber ride and be granted a taxpayer-subsidized trip anywhere within the service area during daytime hours.

The program covers both travel the dispatcher deems “urgent and life sustaining” as well as minor things, such as grocery shopping or routine medical visits.

What’s interesting is the possibilities the move opens up for cities to complement their existing public transportation options for “transit disadvantaged” individuals. The move would see Uber vying for new clientele not just in tech-savvy smartphone users, but as an additional option for municipal and state governments and a real alternative for the non-tech savvy to the traditional route of calling — or hailing — a taxi.

The Verge.
  

THE Government has committed to introduce extra taxi licensing guidance nationally to learn lessons from Rotherham’s CSE scandal.

MP Sarah Champion will push for more detailed background checks on drivers and training on how to spot signs of grooming included.

New Rotherham Borough Council rules mean drivers need to operate CCTV during journeys from next month and activate audio equipment when carrying an unaccompanied child or vulnerable adult.

Ms Champion said: “We have a responsibility to keep all children safe. It has been two years since the Rotherham abuse scandal, and only now the Government has listened and taken action to make the taxi profession safer for the most vulnerable children. 

“Whilst I welcome this decision, it is disgraceful that the Government has taken this long to act.”

The Jay report highlighted the prominent role of the taxi trade in CSE. A new clause in the Policing and Crime Bill will require local authorities to consider CSE when issuing taxi licences.

Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said: “New measures to make taxis safer for vulnerable children at risk of exploitation are needed urgently. 

“Whilst the vast majority of taxi drivers are law abiding, taxis and private hire vehicles have been linked to many cases of child sexual exploitation.”

http://goo.gl/2AXiqh

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YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

Licensing functions under taxi and PHV legislation: protection of children and vulnerable adults

“(1) The Secretary of State may issue guidance to public authorities as to how their licensing functions under taxi and private hire vehicle legislation may be exercised so as to protect children, and vulnerable individuals who are 18 or over, from harm.

(2) The Secretary of State may revise any guidance issued under this section.

(3) The Secretary of State must arrange for any guidance issued under this section, and any revision of it, to be published.

(4) Any public authority which has licensing functions under taxi and private hire vehicle legislation must have regard to any guidance issued under this section.

(5) Before issuing guidance under this section, the Secretary of State must consult—

(a) the National Police Chiefs’ Council,

(b) persons who appear to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of public authorities who are required to have regard to the guidance,

(c) persons who appear to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of those whose livelihood is affected by the exercise of the licensing functions to which the guidance relates, and

(d) such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(6) In this section, “taxi and private hire vehicle legislation” means—

(a) the London Hackney Carriages Act 1843;

(b) sections 37 to 68 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847;

(c) the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869;

(d) Part 2 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976;

(e) the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998;

(f) the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 (c.xx).”—(Karen Bradley.)

This new clause provides for the Secretary of State to issue guidance to public authorities who have licensing functions under taxi and private hire vehicle legislation about how those functions may be exercised so as to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. It also imposes a duty on those public authorities to have regard to the guidance.

Brought up, and added to the Bill.

New Clause 57

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