Minivans, while not the most exciting form of transportation, could have a role to play in society's shift away from car ownership. Daimler, the company behind Mercedes-Benz, is teaming up with Via to launch a new ride-sharing service across Europe.

Like UberPool, it will be an on-demand system that allows passengers to set their own pick-up points and destinations through a smartphone app. Mercedes-Benz will supply the minivans, while Via — which already runs a similar service in New York City, Chicago and Washington DC — manages the software. It's basically a bus service, but with dynamic routes and no predetermined stops.

The new transport system will launch in London later this year. The pair then hope to license the underlying technology to public transport operators in Europe. It's not clear if that offering will include a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans, or whether they expect operators to supply their own vehicles. Regardless, the two companies believe Via's "On-Demand Shuttle Operating System" will allow cities to "improve mobility while reducing congestion, and without incurring any additional infrastructure costs." Daimler is so confident that it's investing $50 million in the joint venture.

Via is already experimenting in Europe. In March, the company partnered with UK bus operator Arriva on "ArrivaClick," a ride-sharing service in Sittingbourne. The service still seems to be running, however the area is too small to pose any real threat to Uber and city-focused services such as Gett, Kabbee and the Daimler-backed MyTaxi.

In London, Daimler and Via will also be up against Citymapper, the navigation app-turned bus operator. Following a trial in May, the company has decided to launch a weekend bus service. Unlike Via and UberPool, however, this will be a traditional bus experience with a clearly defined route and stops.

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UKRAINE

A TAXI driver is facing life in jail after being accused of mowing down a punter before setting her body on fire in an attempt to steal her phone.
Alina Neelova, 30, had been out partying with pals at a local hotspot in the city of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine.

The cat-lover who turned 30 in July was described by friends as “honest, outstanding” and “a shining star”.

At around two in the morning the victim who worked as a seamstress in a local factory and loved travelling decided to call it a night and phoned for a cab.

But after dropping her off close to where she lived with her sister, mum and cat Dakota, the cabbie, whose name has not been released, allegedly ploughed his taxi into her before rummaging through her handbag for her mobile.

He then allegedly dumped her unconscious body into the boot of his cab and drove to a local dump where he unloaded the body, doused it in petrol and set the woman ablaze.

The 26-year-old  driver was tracked down by police after friends and family became worried when the brunette failed to return home.

Police chief Aleksandr Kozlenko said: "The suspect who worked as cab-driver gave a lift to the victim on that night. He liked her phone and he decided to steal it.

“At the moment when she got out of the car he knocked her over. When he realised what he had done he decided to dump her body at the local dumpster.”

He is now facing life in jail on charges of first degree homicide and robbery.

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Calls for stricter checks after Uber fuels record rise in minicabs

The increase has led to concerns over congestion in the busiest cities

The number of Uber-style minicabs on the road has risen by almost a quarter in two years and has led to calls for tighter regulation of drivers.

Figures from the Department for Transport show that the number of minicabs is now at record levels, with 205,500 vehicles in England this year.
Pre-booked minicabs have boomed as the number of traditional taxis and black cabs, which can be hailed on the street, have dropped. The figures show that taxi numbers were down by 0.7 per cent to 75,500 over the same period.


The figures underline the boom in popularity of cashless e-hailing apps such as Uber that allow passengers to request journeys via an app and pay electronically.

However, the increase has led to concerns over congestion in the busiest cities. Fears have also been raised about public safety and the rigour of the vetting system. A recent investigation found that hundreds of drivers had been given licences despite convictions for sex offences, burglary and assault.

Yesterday it was reported that Uber faced problems keeping its licence in London because of concerns raised by Sadiq Khan, the mayor, about its conduct. Last week Transport for London banned another app, Taxify, three days after it was launched after ruling that it was not permitted to “accept private hire bookings” in the city.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “We need to strike a balance here, and in some areas minicab numbers have got out of hand. There is an argument to be made that the service has got much better with the introduction of apps but there’s no doubt that this is contributing towards congestion.”

Figures also show the number of drivers. In all 356,300 drivers had a taxi or minicab licence, up by 20 per cent in two years. Again, the big rise was in minicabs, which are officially known as private hire vehicles. Minicab licences increased by 32.2 per cent to 217,000, while dual minicab and taxi licences rose by 10.6 per cent to 78,900.

Fred Jones, of Uber, said: “While more vehicles are now licensed for private hire, this doesn’t necessarily mean there are more cars on the road. In fact recent polling shows many Brits now see a combination of apps like Uber and public transport as an alternative to owning a car.”

The Department for Transport said: “Public safety is our top priority.”

http://bit.ly/2xVTcZC 
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