NEW YORK

E-hail apps and burdensome rules for yellow cabs have made taxi medallions practically worthless, a driver suing the city and taxi regulators told the Daily News on Tuesday.

Marcelino (Nino) Hervias, a yellow cab driver and medallion owner from New Jersey, filed suit this week with Queens medallion owner William Guerra to force the city to come up with a way to pull the industry out of its financial straits.

“They have created totally unfair competition,” Hervias, 58, said. “We are competing with somebody else to do what we do, with no (medallion).”

The suit argues the city and the Taxi and Limousine Commission are bound by a rule to create standards ensuring medallion owners “remain financially stable.”

“The purchasers felt they had the city and the law behind them, to protect them, that the valuations wouldn’t be so wildly erratic,” said the medallion owners’ attorney, Brad Gerstman, who’s been a courtroom adversary to the city since the rise of e-hail apps. “This suit is the first of its kind as it pertains to the taxi industry.”

Hervias says the city allows the app to dominate the streets and provide rides similar to taxis, but with none of the financial and legal burdens he faces as a medallion owner and driver.

Now, he has to hustle harder and longer to get enough passengers to cover his $3,000 monthly medallion loan repayments and expenses.
He estimates his business is down 30% and he has to work a few extra hours each shift to get 20 fares a day.

“We have to be very aggressive now, which is the stress we are living in today,” Hervias said.

The cost of medallions has dropped from their $1 million heyday before Uber and e-hail apps reigned. Now, sales hover in the mid-six figures, like a medallion that sold for $241,000 in March.
Hervias, who has two sons, 19 and 13, dreamed his medallion would be worth about $2 million when he planned to retire.

Now he doesn’t see a market for his medallion because lending is tight.

“The financial institutions, they’re not lending a dime if you want to buy a medallion,” he said. “The only medallion you can buy is the ones the bank have in foreclosure.”

Representatives for Mayor de Blasio and the city’s Corporation Counsel did not return request for comment.

A TLC spokesman declined to comment.

http://nydn.us/2oZPle0
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NEW YORK

A cab driver lost control and flipped onto its roof on a Midtown street Wednesday, officials said.

The cabbie had a passenger in his back seat when the car overturned on Fifth Ave. near 49th St. about 2:15 p.m.

Witnesses told NBC News Radio that the taxi was trying to avoid another cab when he struck a pole and flipped.

http://nydn.us/2qB6WX1
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PEOPLE in Hyndburn are being invited to have their say on proposed taxi licence changes in the borough.

The council is reviewing its policy for taxis and private hire vehicles and is asking the taxi trade and people for their views.

The consultation will run until May 31 and the proposed changes to be considered include mandatory CCTV in all taxi’s and private hire vehicles.

Other changes include introducing an age limit on vehicles and allowing vehicles powered by liquid petroleum gas to be licensed, among others.

Licensing manager Wendy Peck said: “We want everyone to have their say about the proposals, whether they currently use taxis or not and we’re particularly interested to know what people think about the introduction of CCTV in taxis.

“This could help ensure that both taxi drivers and their passengers stay safe and help to detect and prevent crime.”

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WHERE IS UBERK BANNED

Uber is one of the world’s most popular apps, but it's not without controversy. In the UK, a tribunal ruled just last month that the company should treat two drivers as workers and pay them the minimum wage and holiday pay.

This is just one of many legal battles, regulatory disagreements and driver strikes that have taken place across the globe, and more than one country has outright banned the leading taxi app.

Here is a comprehensive list of all of the places you won't be able to order an Uber on your next trip away.

Europe

Bulgaria

Uber suspended services after being accused of “unfair trade practices”. The chairperson of the transport committee, Grozdan Karadzhov said that if Uber wants to return to the Bulgarian market, it will have to meet the minimum requirements of legislation and register as a taxi service.
Denmark
Taxi metres have been made mandatory for Danish taxi drivers, meaning Uber was forced to pull out of the market this year after operating there since 2014.

Italy

Uber will soon be completely banned from the country, after its business practices were found to “constitute unfair competition”. Uber's services have been blocked, and it is not allowed to advertise. The company is permitted to continue operating until a final court ruling is made, but that time will soon run out.

Hungary

The Hungarian government passed legislation saying that Uber drivers “breach[ed] regulations other taxi firms must adhere to” after allowing them to operate for two and a half years. The new law permits the Hungarian national communications authority to block internet access to "illegal dispatcher services".

Uber has also faced suspensions in Finland, France, Spain and the Netherlands, primarily over its UberPOP service. Barcelona’s main taxi operator accused the company of running an illegal taxi service and is currently awaiting a ruling from the European Court of Justice.

USA

Austin, Texas

The company pulled operations from the Texas city after being told to fingerprint and background check all prospective and current drivers, which it said did nothing to improve safety and penalised minorities.

Alaska

Uber operated for six months in the state, before pulling out over a dispute as to whether drivers were independent contractors or registered taxi drivers – which would mean they are entitled to workers' compensation insurance. Uber paid a $77,925 (£60,000) fine to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development over the dispute, before abandoning the Alaskan market.

New legislation could change that, but for now the state remains Uber-less.

Uber also faced a huge backlash in the US following Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, when drivers didn’t adhere to a taxi strike in New York City aimed to show solidarity to those affected.

#DeleteUber trended worldwide, and hundreds of users deleted the app. Its main competitor, Lyft, capitalised on this boycott by donating $1m (£775,000) to the American Civil Liberties Union and issuing a statement condemning the Muslim ban.

Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia

Ride share apps are not legal in Vancouver. The Liberal Party has promised that if it wins in the elections taking place in May, it will move forward with legalisation and make Uber possible in the city by Christmas. Transport Minister Todd Stone said: “We think we are striking a balance between what the vast majority of British Columbians want…all the while…respect[ing] the industry that’s been there for so many generations and get this right to protect the jobs that already exist.”

Asia

China

The company was losing huge amounts of money in the Chinese market, and it was bought out by Chinese competitor Didi Chuxing after allegedly losing billions of dollars.

Taiwan

Services were suspended after Uber faced millions of dollars' worth of fines by the government. However, it has reached an agreement to use rental car agencies on the ground under the Uber brand, but the service remains limited.

Australia

Northern Territory

The territory has completely banned Uber after refusing to change the law to accommodate the app's legality. It will allegedly re-evaluate this at a later date but, for now, Uber remains out in the cold.

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MANCHESTER

A man has been awarded a Chief Constable’s commendation after his quick actions helped to save the life of a man who was stabbed eight times.

Naveed Mubashar from Crumpsall was called to pick up two passengers from an address in Blackley.

At the end of their journey, Naveed pulled up at the side of the road, one passenger got out of the vehicle while the other stayed in the taxi to pay the fare.

Naveed noticed a car pull up behind his vehicle and saw five men get out of the car. The man who had left the taxi saw the group of men and ran off.
Things moved very fast at this point and before Naveed knew it, one of the men ran to his vehicle and stabbed his passenger who fell back onto the seat. He was stabbed a further seven times in both his arms and legs.

Naveed said: “As soon as I saw the car and five men get out, I knew something bad was going to happen. I just didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t get out of my vehicle, I didn’t want to get hurt, he could easily have stabbed me too.

“I shouted ‘stop it, you’ve done it now, leave him alone’ – he eventually stopped and ran off with the rest of the group after the other man who had been in my taxi.

“I realised that I needed to get the man to hospital as soon as possible, I knew there was no time to call for an ambulance, it would have taken too long, he was losing so much blood. I kept him talking the whole time, I didn’t want him to lose consciousness but by the time we got to the hospital, he had passed out.”

About 15 minutes later, Naveed saw the other man who had been chased by the group arrive at the hospital in an ambulance.

Naveed waited for three hours at the hospital and assisted the police with their investigations, including giving up his vehicle for forensic tests.

Naveed added: “I am a tough guy, but to go through something like this, it doesn’t matter how tough you are, it affects you. It’s always in the back of my mind that I was so close to this man, I was inches away from him, I could have been next.

“I had a few weeks off to recover, but I’m back at work now and I’m doing fine. The whole thing has definitely left a mark on my brain, I won’t ever forget it.”

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Naveed was put in such a difficult position, wanting to help his injured passenger but at the same time not wanting to put himself in danger, there is no knowing how a situation like this is going to turn out, thank goodness he wasn’t injured too.

“Naveed’s actions helped to save this man’s life, not many people would have kept their calm the way he did. Well done Naveed.”

Unfortunately no victims were willing to support the police and no persons were arrested for this crime.

http://manchestergazette.co.uk/hero-taxi-drivers-quick-actions-help-save-life-multiple-stab-victim-3420/