LONDON

Minicab drivers have accused Transport for London, which licenses their trade, of tacitly encouraging the “brutal exploitation” of drivers by digital private hire firms such as Uber.

A report published by United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD), a minicab drivers’ union, and Networked Rights, a non-profit organisation that researches exploitation in the sharing economy, says TfL has failed to get to grips with the emergence of private-hire apps and their implications for drivers’ wellbeing.

It claims that four out of five UPHD members can no longer earn enough to support their families despite working full-time, and nearly three out of five have been racially abused while on the job. Nine out of 10 drivers believe TfL does nothing to protect them from exploitation.


Uber says London mayor discriminating against its drivers

Yaseen Aslam, UPHD’s founder, said a combination of low pay and exploitative conditions had left his members facing a winter crisis.

Drivers “are telling us their employment and income has never been more insecure and are met by a cruel and indifferent regulator”, he said. “We urgently need change at TfL if we are to protect public safety as well as the rights and welfare of some of London’s poorest workers.”

https://goo.gl/zhixzH

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A London cabbie has invented a bright indicator system for cyclists he hopes will help reduce accidents.

Gary Thatcher developed Signum  after several near misses with riders on the capital’s roads.

The lights are worn around each wrist and work when a trigger is squeezed in the left or right hand.

Mr Thatcher, 40, a father-of-four from Kent who is also an electrical engineer, said Signum helps solves a “gap in communication” between bikes and cars.

The wrist straps are reflective and the  LED lights emit double power in day light, flashing at 3Hz, the same as a car indicator. They will eventually retail for about £35 a pair.

https://goo.gl/Lx3Ea7


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The London Taxi Company is to launch a nationwide search for 1,000 skilled engineers as part of its move to a new purpose-built factory in Ansty.

Coventry and Warwickshire people are being invited to apply for the roles at the company which manufactures the iconic London black cab.

Recruitment specialists Encore Personnel are at the forefront of finding engineers to work at the new location - a move to which is set to create around 1,000 new jobs in total.

London Taxi Company’s new research and development and assembly site represents a £250million investment and is due to open next year.

The new site will house the manufacturing of the next generation of the London taxi, the Hybrid TX5 model, as well as other forthcoming models.

Encore will be the sole recruiters for the jobs, most of which are connected with the Hybrid TX5 model, being built at the new facility.

Candidates will undergo a rigorous recruitment process, including practical tests and face-to-face interviews before being shortlisted and finally selected.


http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/business/1000-new-jobs-up-grabs-11988810?

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DUDLEY

More than 1,000 hackney and private hire drivers, licensed by Dudley Council, are pledging to help tackle child sexual exploitation (CSE) by being the ‘eyes and ears’ for this horrific crime.

All taxi drivers in the borough complete a CSE awareness session as part of their license conditions, arming them with the knowledge they need to spot the signs.

Shaz Saleem, chairman of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association said: “The pledge shows the drivers’ dedication to tackling this serious crime and protecting young people in our borough.”

Meanwhile using the message ‘Could this be your child?’ an ongoing awareness campaign is helping parents and carers identify signs and get help.

It will reach parents and carers through the digital platforms they use, with a mix of animations and banners on popular gaming, entertainment and mobile messaging apps, social media and online magazines.

There will also be a large digital roadside screen at the junction of the M6 and M5, and posters at Birmingham’s New Street Station and at the NEC.

This is the latest phase of the 'See Me, Hear Me' campaign, launched in June 2014 by West Midlands councils and police, to raise awareness of CSE.

https://goo.gl/wf3jrm

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NOTTINGHAM

A letter has been sent to every councillor at Nottingham City Council by taxi drivers angry over changes to ranks in the city.

A three-page letter from Unite the Union branch chairman Kaleem Ashraf has been sent to the city council and every one of its councillors urging them to work with the taxi drivers to bring the drawn-out saga to a conclusion.

Taxi drivers have been protesting for a number of months over the pedestrianisation of Station Street, which has led to the taxi rank being moved further away from the entrance and exits of the train station.


Hundreds of taxi drivers staged a march earlier this year calling for a meeting with Councillor Nick McDonald, but the letter alleges the council have done little to allay their fears.

It says: "We had realised this [march] had no impact on your decisions made to reduce the distance commuters would now regularly travel to catch a taxi. This was very disappointing and clearly showed that the city council was not willing to listen to our point of view.

"Unfortunately and much to our disappointment, we have been relocated to the 'Kiss and Ride' (a new kind of short-term Taxi rank for vehicles dropping people off quickly) just off Queens Road as a temporary solution. We would much rather be located on Station Street (opposite Tesco).

"On the other hand we were pressurised as Councillor Nick McDonald forced us into a position that if we did not accept the proposal he would offer it to a private hire firm.


https://goo.gl/5sF6Xn