UBERK USA Cincinnati

Metro and Uber Technologies Inc. are teaming up on a new program that offers free rides to people who miss their bus.

The program, called "Guaranteed Ride Home," offers free Uber rides to Metro's 30-day rolling pass holders. Users can sign up between Feb. 8 and March 8 to qualify.

The program works like this: up to four times a year Guaranteed Ride Home participants can call an Uber and have their trip reimbursed. Riders submit a reimbursement form to Metro and will receive a payment for 80 percent of the ride cost – up to $45 – from that company, with the remaining 20 percent will be credited back to their Uber account.

The program will cover up to four trips a year with a total reimbursement limit of $100. The program only covers trips to and from a home, hospital, daycare facility, school or park-and-ride facility.

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DUDLEY Private Hire

A taxi driver was left covered in blood after he was brutally attacked by two passengers.

Sheikh Arbaz was beaten after he asked two customers to stop burning the backseats with a lighter in the early hours of Saturday.

One of the men got out of the 43-year-old’s vehicle and took his keys, before demanding he hand over his takings.

But after the father-of-four offered them money to leave him alone, he was punched in the face.

Shaz Saleem, chairman of the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: ‘It’s heartbreaking. When he got home, his two daughters aged three and five were absolutely shocked to see his face and they were like ‘Daddy, what happened?’

Mr Arbaz, who drives for ABM Taxis, picked the pair up from his firm’s base near Stourbridge town centre.

The two fled the scene after his screams attracted the attention of nearby residents.

Saleem said: ‘He offered to give them £40 to £50 and they started to punch him.

‘He doesn’t remember much after that. There was screaming and noise and the neighbours came out and they panicked and ran off.’

Mr Arbaz was taken to Russell’s Hall hospital where he received stitches to his face.

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TEESIDE

A Teesside taxi driver has lost his licence and been ordered to pay costs after a court ruled he was ‘not a fit and proper person’ for the job.

Peter James White, from Billingham , has had his licence revoked after a judge at Durham Crown Court endorsed a council view that he was not a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence.

White, 40, of Tempest Court, Wynyard was also ordered to pay the council’s costs of £3,888.

The judge agreed with the Durham County Council committee that White was not a fit and proper person to drive taxis and its decision not to renew his licence

The local authority had initially made its ruling after hearing of a previous conviction which was considered relevant to White’s suitability to be licensed.

The committee had also based its decision on White’s failure to declare the previous conviction to the authority and complaints of aggressive behaviour towards council and enforcement officers.

A second man, Trevor Stark, 48, of Hawthorne Close, Langley Park had had his licence revoked by the authority after it found he too was not a fit and proper person to drive taxis as a result of previous convictions.

The two had then appealed the decision to Peterlee magistrates which ruled they should both be able to hold a licence.

But, unhappy with that decision, Durham County Council then took the case to the crown court which found in its favour.

Speaking after the hearing Joanne Waller, Durham County Council’s head of environment, health and consumer protection, said: “We are satisfied with the ruling of the crown court judge in these cases.

“When deciding whether someone is fit and proper to drive taxis, it is only right that we consider convictions which might impair their suitability to be licensed.

“These could include road traffic offences such as speeding or breaching laws which prevent drivers plying for hire.

“We were always confident in our original decisions which took into account the drivers’ previous misconduct, the taxi licensing regime, the relevant legislation, our licensing policy and relevant case law.

“We will continue to take our duty of deciding who is fit and proper to drive taxis extremely seriously.”

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