BOSTON USA

The Uber driver behind the wheel of an SUV that slammed into a Beacon Hill building Wednesday has a lengthy driving record that includes numerous license suspensions and seven accidents that he was found to be at fault in, registry records show.

Jean Caillot of Randolph has a six-page driving record detailing 30 years of speeding violations, accidents and safety violations, according to MassDOT.

He has also had his license suspended three times for accruing too many violations and had to complete a mandated driver education course in 2002.

An Uber spokeswoman confirmed Caillot was the driver involved in yesterday’s crash.

https://goo.gl/4tcPK8

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LONDON

From today, passengers will be able to pay for any journey made in a black cab using credit and debit cards, including contactless payments.
Although many of London's black taxis have accepted cards for years, cash has remained the standard form of payment. Now all taxis will have to carry a card payment device, ending uncertainty for customers about how they will be able to pay.

Until next year, card payment devices can be fixed or hand-held, but from January 2017 they will need to be installed in the passenger compartment.

The move, supported by the major taxi associations, is part of Mayor Sadiq Khan's Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, which will make life easier for passengers, improve safety and ensure London has a world-class taxi and private hire market.

The Mayor said: 'While many black cab drivers already provide the service, it's important that Londoners know for certain that they won't have to run to the cash machine before they start their journey.

'Our black cabs provide a unique and invaluable service for Londoners and guaranteed card payment will be good for our black cab industry, and good for passengers across London.'


https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/news-articles/easier-taxi-payments-are-now-on-the-cards?

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Northumbria Police is appealing for witnesses following the collision in Newcastle last night.

It happened just before 9pm when a police Vauxhall Vivaro van and a silver VW Passat taxi were involved in a collision on Barrack Road at the junction with Brighton Grove.

The taxi driver and two passengers, who were travelling in the car at the time of the collision, were taken to hospital and received treatment to whiplash style injuries.

All three have since been released.

Two policemen who were in the police van were taken to hospital with injuries.

Both have since been released from hospital.

Inquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the collision.

Anyone who saw what happened, or who has any information, is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1300 30/10/16.

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/police-officers-among-five-injured-in-crash-with-taxi-1-8209810?

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BLACKPOOL

A lack of charging points for electric cars in Wyre has left a taxi driver feeling powerless. Simon Sharples, 46 has been a driver for 15 years but wanted to go green to protect the environment.

He said he spoke to Wyre Council while researching a new car and was told that electric points were going to be installed in the area for the public, thanks to Westminster funding. But two months after buying a Nissan Leaf, he said he is frustrated with the lack of charging points across the Fylde coast despite Government funding being available.

 He said there was just one effective one in Blackpool – at the Talbot Road car park – and none at all in Wyre leaving him with either a six or 12 mile round trip to power up. Mr Sharples, of Elm Avenue, Poulton, said: “This is a major problem for anyone wanting to be environmentally friendly and move to electric vehicles. “The only useful one is at Talbot Road but they close the car park at times so it is not available 24 hours.

 It is three hours out of my working day and costs £1 for two hours charging but £3 for the parking. “There are three types of charger – slow, fast and rapid. “The slow ones are of no use at all as it can take 10 hours to fully charge your car. “The fast ones take around four hours and the rapid three. 

“Premier Taxis have a rapid one for their Leaf cars but of course that is not open to the public. 

“Because I am a customer I can use the ones at the Nissan dealerships but it is not convenient to drive all that way and then sit there waiting for the car to charge. When my sister and I were researching the Leaf we spoke to Wyre Council and they said they had plans to install them but they have not been taken forward. Lancashire County Council has not installed any either despite the Government supporting the environmental scheme since 2013.

 “I don’t understand why any of the councils are not putting these in at all their car parks.” A spokesman for Wyre Council said confusion had arisen with County Hall as to whether charging points were going to be put in car parks, as they wanted, or at other sties.

 They said: “Approximately 12 months ago we were looking into installing chargers in a number of our car parks, however Lancashire County Council was also seeking funds to install charging points throughout the county. “As a consequence our plans to introduce charging points were dropped. Now we understand that LCC is no longer planning to provide charging units to local authorities for car parks so, we are now revisiting our plans.”

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/taxi-plan-stalls-over-chargers-1-8209365
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Wolverhampton Private Hire Drivers Association (WPHDA) has said its members are to carry out a further ‘go slow’ protest this Friday, following an initial protest that took place on October 20.

This time, the drivers say they are responding to what they claim is the council’s lack of communication with them since the last protest.



http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2016/10/31/wolverhampton-taxi-drivers-to-hold-further-go-slow-protest/#KXekLF3maB0xjDkK.99