ROSSENDALE

Taxi drivers have vowed to take industrial action over proposed changes to licensing laws that will ‘completely destroy’ their trade.

Almost all drivers in Rossendale are planning to go on strike if the borough council’s plans are not changed, according to the area’s taxi association.

The latest council plans include introducing one-colour taxis and an age restriction of 18 months for new drivers.

All drivers would have to take a two-and-a-half-hour knowledge test costing £70.

They include mandatory use of CCTV and a pre-requisite basic skills test and training.

David Lawrie, chairman of the Rossendale Taxi Association, said the changes would have a huge impact in the borough.

He said: “Looking at any of the changes we see a big problem.

“Take the one-colour implementation, it reduces the chances of identifying them to the police if an incident occurred.

“If people are in vulnerable positions and assume certain coloured cars are taxis, it could be very dangerous.

“The age restrictions for cars and the tests will put a lot of drivers out of business, it would completely destroy our trade.

“This would impact on the elderly or disabled who rely on us to go about their daily lives.

“We are looking to go on strike over the proposals.”

This follows a protest in August when taxi drivers blocked the road leading to the council’s offices at Futures Park.

The council was accused of approving too many hackney carriage licences in 2015.

Glenn Bulcock, from Bacup, who has worked as taxi driver in Rossendale for 28 years, said: “The proposals would make it difficult to recruit.

“We have difficulties recruiting as it is, they wouldn’t work in my view.”

The proposals are to be considered by the council’s licensing committee this month.

A council spokesman said: “We have not been formally notified of the taxi trade’s intention to take industrial action.

“Should they do so then it must be peaceful, not personal and they must not cause an obstruction for people entering the offices.

“We have met the trade to discuss the consultation to explain the changes we are consulting upon.

“Our top priority has always been and will always be ensuring public safety.”

https://goo.gl/uL1vek
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DUNDEE

Unlicensed taxis and banned cabbies are operating after dark in Dundee, it has been claimed.

Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Dundee Taxi Association, said that he has had numerous reports of suspended taxi drivers continuing to work throughout their ban.

Meanwhile, a taxi driver with over 30 years of experience in the city claimed the industry is “getting worse”, with some drivers allegedly lending their badges to unlicensed family members, who then drive unsuspecting passengers.

The man, who spoke to the Courier on the condition of anonymity, also voiced fears about an unknown male with a “fake” taxi plate picking up punters in the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights.

He said: “This bogus taxi driver has been operating in Dundee every weekend for the past four or five months.

“Nobody knows who he is — he could be anyone. He only ever works on Friday and Saturday nights, after dark.

“He has a false plate and drives an absolute heap of a car – it’s in very bad condition and should not be used as a taxi.

“I have reported this to the police and the council, with a description of the car and the number plate, yet no one seems to be doing anything about it.

“There’s a also a lesser-known issue of certain drivers giving members of their family their badges.

“This happens all the time but it’s very hush-hush and again, no one’s doing anything about it.

“Passengers don’t have a clue these things are happening.

“Essentially these people are stealing from honest drivers who pay their dues and follow the rules.”

The source also expressed concerns about the condition of some of these vehicles and the drivers’ appearance.

He added: “Dundee is on the up and we have the V&A coming, so the first thing many visitors will experience is the taxi ride from the station.

“A lot of the drivers are scruffy and their cars aren’t clean, so this will give the city a bad image.”

Mr Stephen said council representatives had discussed at taxi association meetings possible measures to tackle unlicensed drivers.

He said: “I have heard anecdotal evidence of people who have been suspended by the council for misdemeanours continuing to drive.

“However, it’s very hard to prove these things.

“One of the ideas floated in meetings was to have a system similar to the USA, where the driver’s photo is displayed where the tax disc used to sit.

“I don’t know if the council will implement this though.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said taxi licensing was an issue for the local authority.

A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We are not aware of the complaints but if the individual would like to contact the council we will fully investigate.

“If a taxi driver is found to be in breach of regulations they will be interviewed by council staff and could be referred to the licensing committee.”


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PENDLE

TAXI drivers whose cabs regularly fail spot checks are being hauled before a town hall committee after more than 75 per cent of vehicles were suspended following a recent investigation.

One vehicle even broke down on the way to the testing bay, at Rigg Motors in Nelson, and was issued with an immediate suspension, Pendle Council’s licensing committee was told.

And when the taxi’s tyres were inspected at the roadside, two were found to be below the legal tread limit, with one so bare the cords were visible.

Several other cabs were pulled up for having balding tyres, while others had their licences pulled for problems with their brakes, suspension systems and steering equipment.

In the joint operation between the borough council’s taxi enforcement team, the police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, 16 out of the 19 drivers were issued with suspensions.

Councillors heard that four vehicles failed to show up for their allotted inspections and one driver was seen attempting to get one of his front tyres changed at a garage en-route.

Two out of three taxis which passed the examination were issued with defect notices, one for having an oil leak and a missing a first aid kit, no smoking stickers and an extinguisher.

No fewer than 13 firms, across Nelson and Colne mainly, fell foul of the crackdown, which took place at the end of September, alongside two individual drivers.

Neil Watson, the council’s licensing manager, said in a report: “Vehicle owners who are regularly failing spot checks are to be asked to attend a special meeting of this committee on November, to explain why they are not maintaining their vehicles to a satisfactory standard.”

Cllr Neil Butterworth, a taxi licensing committee member, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the standard of the borough’s cabs.


https://goo.gl/tYNY8B
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LIVERPOOL

Three laughing robbers whose gang targeted terrified taxi and take away drivers before raiding a supermarket were jailed for nearly 19 years.

Stephen Lewis, 18, Kyle Maddocks, 21, and Dean Callagher, 22, joked to each other in the dock about the attacks in the Newsham Park area.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Callagher was the “mover and shaker” who planned how to lure their victims and catch them unaware.

Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, said Viorel Ciobano was told to deliver a pizza to an address near Lewis’ home at 3am on January 11 this year.

He was approached by two masked men in black, Callagher and Lewis, held with a large machete and another blade to his body, and robbed of nearly £200 and the food.

At around 9pm on January 12, a woman called Emma Nolan caught a taxi. On the journey she made calls seemingly to her dad about her imminent arrival.

But when cabbie Ryan King arrived in Newsham Drive he was approached by Lewis and Callagher, again masked and in black with weapons, and told to get out of the car.

Callagher stabbed at the taxi driver through his window, injuring his shoulder, and slashed his arm, before Lewis smashed a window, showering him with glass.

He managed to drive off, with Nolan, who was later handed a suspended sentence, diving out of the taxi.


https://goo.gl/pPJRdq
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LONDON

A taxi driver nearly knocked Jeremy Corbyn ally Owen Jones off his bike - and then told him 'I f***ing love it when you cyclists die'.

The left-wing writer and activist claims the cabbie was on his phone when the near-miss happened.

Jones said the taxi driver - who he said was not foreign - then told him to 'go and play with some f***ing traffic lights'.

https://goo.gl/Pcbvdg