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?