An Uber passenger claims to have seen his driver playing Pokémon Go behind the wheel.

The chef even claimed to see the cab driver swiping the screen to catch Pokémon during the journey.

Paul Mohammad was travelling from Haringey to Bounds Green in north London when he noticed the male driver with the popular gaming app open on his mobile phone.

He took a picture from the back seat of the car which allegedly shows the device – fixed to a hands-free station – with the Pokémon version of a street map on display.

Although the shot doesn’t show the driver touching the phone, Paul said there were times during the 20 minute journey where he did use one hand to play with the screen.

http://goo.gl/LXP1o3

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Taxi blaze blocks popular Telford road

This was the scene on a Shropshire road today when a taxi caught fire in the middle of a popular route through Telford.

Flames were leaping out of the engine of the taxi minibus, which was burning in the middle of Watling Street, near the New Bucks Head and the Telford Whitehouse Hotel.

Firefighters were called at around 5.25pm and a crew from Wellington rushed to the scene, where they only needed one hose to put out the blaze.

Plumes of thick white smoke drifted from the vehicle and across Telford as police directed traffic while firefighters moved the car from the road.

Noone is believed to have been injured by the fire.

http://goo.gl/sVIkGA

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HAILO EIRE

Taxi drivers have criticised a new €2 booking charge that Hailo customers now have to pay for hotel bookings.

Some customers who get hotels to book them a taxi now have to pay the charge on top of their normal taxi fare.

In an email to taxi drivers, Hailo stated that some large hotel accounts including The Westbury, Trinity City and Intercontinental Hotels have been charging Hailo for the booking.

Hailo advised that this €2 charge will now be automatically added to customers' bills.

Jim Waldron of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association said his members are concerned that customers will think the driver is charging an excessive fare.

"We are in a position now of collecting money for somebody else. It could cause a lot of confusion".

In a statement, Hailo Ireland said: "Guests of hotels in Dublin who book a taxi through reception with any of the major companies in Ireland are charged the €2 booking charge.

"It has been standard practice for many years before Hailo entered the Irish market for the taxi company to pay a commission to the hotel for sourcing this work. Rental car companies, tour operators etc. pay commissions to hotels similarly.

"Hailo too passes on this booking charge to specific hotel passenger fares but only where it is booked directly by the hotel."

It added: "Hailo is fast becoming the leading hospitality taxi provider in Dublin and across Ireland. Leading hotels all around Ireland are adopting Hailo for their guests. These hotels value the speed, efficiency, quality and accountability that Hailo’s industry leading platform offers."

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0727/805266-taxis-hailo/