A taxi driver's appeal against losing his licence has been dismissed at Skipton Magistrates' Court.

28-year-old Nasir Ali, of Scott Lane West, Riddlesden, had his Hackney Carriage Driver's Licence revoked by Craven District Council in May, following an allegation of sexual assault.

His case was referred to the authority's Licensing and Appeals Sub-Committee following information received from North Yorkshire Police.

Craven District Council's Licensing Manager had also discovered information indicating that Mr Ali had provided false or incomplete information on his application form for a Hackney Carriage Driver's Licence, in that he failed to state all his convictions and failed to declare that he had previously held a licence issued by Rossendale Council which had been revoked.

Mr Ali's licence was revoked with immediate effect, as the sub-committee was not satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that he was a "fit and proper" person to hold a Hackney Carriage Driver's Licence.

At a hearing on Tuesday, magistrates dismissed his appeal and upheld the decision of the sub-committee, as well as awarding the council costs of £620.

Councillor Simon Myers, Craven District Council's Lead Member for Enterprising Craven, said: "We are delighted that the decision to revoke the licence was upheld. We are determined to ensure that the public are protected and can feel safe when using taxis in Craven.

"It is important to note that although the magistrates took into account the allegation of sexual assault when deciding the appeal, Mr Ali has not been convicted of any sexual assault and he denied the allegation.

"The council's barrister was very complimentary about the excellent work done by the Licensing and Legal Services teams in preparing the case for court. Congratulations and many thanks to all those involved in winning this case."

https://www.strayfm.com/news/local-news/2442899/craven-district-council-wins-court-case-against-taxi-driver/
----------------------------------------

LIVERPOOL

A couple were left 'heartbroken' on their wedding day after they claim a taxi driver sped off with their presents and hundreds of pounds in cash.

Family members claim the cabbie drove off with a box of sentimental gifts and money - ruining Sammie and David Kinder's big day.

The driver has told taxi firm bosses he has no recollection of any box, and did not find one when he searched the car.

Police have launched an investigation, with relatives saying irreplaceable family photos were among the items taken.

The driver had dropped Sammie, 27, at her wedding venue at St George's Hall in Liverpool along with guests on Saturday afternoon.

It's claimed that as soon as the passengers got out and paid the £5 fare the driver put his foot down and sped off, with £300 in cash for the pair's honeymoon still in the car.

Sammie's aunt, Lorraine Jones, 52, said the family had booked the cab from local firm Alpha Taxis.

Lorraine, of Stonydelph, Staffs, said: "It completely ruined the day. As soon as we got there and he dropped us off, he did a wheel spin and sped off.

"We were all left standing outside in our dresses and it was absolutely freezing and starting to hail.

"I stood outside and called the taxi firm three times until I was called into the venue.

"It didn't seem like he had just forgotten from the speed he left - but we gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"We even booked a taxi home with the same firm and had a lovely driver. We had been looking forward to this day for months. Whoever it was has to be held responsible.

"It was obvious we weren't from the city because we were asking so many questions.

"We didn't think it was a problem but looking back there were a few warning signs, he wasn't keen to give us his card in case we needed to book a taxi later on.

"I was exhausted after calling the firm so many times and just felt like I was getting nowhere, so in the end we went to the police."

Sam met David while they were both studying at university in Rhyl, North Wales and married in the groom's home city of Liverpool.

The family all travelled on Friday night and booked transport on Saturday afternoon because of the Liverpool v Chelsea Premier League Match.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bride-heartbroken-claims-taxi-driver-11616719 

-----------------------------------------------

DURHAM

A REFUGEE taxi driver who refused to pick up a couple and the guide dog because of his allergies, has been fined.

Mohammed Jassim, 48, was on duty in Durham in July when he was approached by a woman who asked if he could take her, her disabled husband and his guide dog.

Steve Buston, prosecuting on behalf of Durham County Council, told Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on Wednesday how Jassim said he could not take the couple because of the dog but did not have an exemption certificate.

He said: "He apologised. He could not take them; he had an allergy to dogs but did not have an exemption certificate. He did not refuse the fair but effectively the facts are made out.

"He states he has an allergy but he had no exemption and it's important to point out that he still, to this day, has no exemption."

However, Jonathan Pigford, mitigating, said his client, of Springfell, Birtley, had been told by his doctor two weeks before the incident to avoid pets after suffering from a persistent cough and since the incident had undergone an independent medical assessment which confirmed he is allergic to dogs.

"It is inexpedient to punish him for this offence," Mr Pigford said. "He [the man] appears to have taken against Mr Jassim and made reference, saying he was not in Pakistan and because he was in Durham City he had to adhere.

"There's a certain irony in this case with the council saying there is a breach of the Equality Act when Mr Jassim finds himself in the situation where he may have also been discriminated against."

Mr Pigford said Jassim, who is also Sunderland University student, tried to explain and apologise but the man still tried to get into the vehicle and when he found another cab, made a rude gesture.
Mr Pigford said a conviction could jeopardise the father-of-three's application to remain in the UK indefinitely which is due in 2019.

Magistrate Sarah Cardew fined Jassim £63 and as well as £220 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

source: Northern Echo

----------------------------------------------

UBERK SWANSEA

Taxi firm Uber are still operating in Swansea – despite having their operating licence rejected by the council.

The cab service lets users pre-book taxis from an app – allowing customers to plan trips and see fare estimates ahead of time.

But the cab firm is using a legal loophole in order to still operate in Swansea after their application to trade was turned down by Swansea Council on September 8.

Swansea Council had wanted to impose set shifts for drivers, which Uber said did “not fit in with how our app works”.

The council said the company can still legally operate in the city as they’re licensed in Newport and Cardiff.

They said: “In terms of the law governing the private hire trade, a private hire operator can only operate legally by accepting pre-booked journeys through a licensed operator.

“Although Uber are not currently licensed in Swansea, Uber vehicles may be seen in the Swansea area as they are licensed in Newport and Cardiff and it’s lawful for a member of the public to pre-book a vehicle to travel from Cardiff to Swansea.”

Uber are technically still operating in Swansea

They added: “It is also lawful for a journey to be booked in Swansea via the app as long as the driver, the vehicle and the operator are licensed by the same authority. This is known as ‘cross border hiring’ and the same rules apply to all licensed private hire operators.”

Uber had made an operating application to Swansea to expand their business in Wales after being granted licences in Cardiff and Newport.

But the application was turned down because of conditions, about insisting on drivers having shift patterns, that the council wanted to attach to the licence. Uber said the conditions were unique to Swansea.

Now the company say have no plans for reapplying or appealing the decision made by the council, but hope to work with them in the future.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “We would love to launch in Swansea but unfortunately some of the proposed conditions of the licence do not fit with how our app works - licensed drivers who use Uber can choose if, when and where they drive and are not set shifts.

“While we had some constructive discussions, in the end the council decided not to amend conditions which would effectively have required us to set shifts for drivers.

“We hope to work with the council in the coming year but for now we’re focused on the thousands of people who use our app in Cardiff and Newport.”

http://bit.ly/2AhUGC7 

------------------------------------------------

Uber lost $1.5bn (£1.1bn) in the third quarter of the year, reversing recent progress that had seen the $70bn tech firm stem the red ink in recent months.

The latest financials, disclosed to investors as Uber attempts to secure a major funding round from the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, will raise doubts about its ability to turn its millions of customers and global presence into profits.

The ride-hailing app had appeared to make progress cutting its losses so far this year, even confidently expressing that it was on the path to profitability, but the third quarter loss was a 38pc increase on the $1.06bn reported in the second quarter.

Revenues increased 14pc on the previous quarter to $2bn while bookings, the money it takes from customers before paying it back to drivers, were up 11pc to $9.7bn.

Uber is the most loss-making private technology company in history, having blown through billions of venture capital funds in recent years in an expansion driver as it attempts to control the world’s biggest cities.

It has recently pulled back from frontier markets such as China and Russia, merging with local players in an attempt to cut losses and prepare it for going public as early as 2019. But an array of internal problems and government investigations have dented its reputation and created new regulatory hurdles, including the loss of its licence in London.

SoftBank is leading a consortium seeking to invest billions in Uber in a complicated transaction that will see it buy some shares from existing investors. It emerged earlier this week that it has offered to buy shares at 30pc under its $70bn headline valuation.

http://bit.ly/2ncesd4

---------------------------------------------

GETT OFFER £20 RIDES IN UNLICENSED PORSCHE

Imagine a world where taxi drivers liked Uber and Uber used Porsches instead of hybrid Toyotas. That’s not as fantastical as it sounds, as Uber-rival Gett has announced a partnership with Porsche that will see 100 of its cars available ‘on demand’ in London from tomorrow.

Don’t get too excited; you won’t be able to race across London in a GT3 RS. Porsche says its models being provided as part of the deal include the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the not-yet-available-as-a-hybrid Macan. Unfortunately, they won’t be available via the Gett app to everyone – the deal’s limited to high-value customers who may consider buying a Porsche in the future.

If you are eligible for a taxi ride in a Porsche, Gett is offering a flat-rate fee of £20 for any rides within a certain area of central London. Rides ending outside of central London will be charged accordingly, says the firm.

All drivers will have been specially trained at Porsche’s experience centre at Silverstone, meaning you don’t have to worry about being made travel sick as you’re driven across London.

“We’re delighted that our customers will be able to travel in Porsche cars in central London with chauffeurs,” said Porsche GB general manager marketing, Ragnar Schulte. “This premium travel initiative will last six months with results being used to inform our future strategy for ‘on-demand’, premium transportation. We invite all users to give feedback on this new service.”

The offer will run until May 2018 and will be available for on-demand pick-up in an area of central London between 11am and 11pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and between 3pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday.

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/porsche-gett-taxi-rides/

UPDATE AND APOLIGY: Gett have licensed the Porsche used for the £20 rides in London

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Explosive testimony from an Uber whistleblower forced a delay in the landmark Uber-Waymo trial on Tuesday, a day before jury selection was scheduled to begin.

In a rare move, the US Attorney's Office last week alerted the federal judge overseeing the case to the existence of the "Jacobs Letter", a previously secret 37-page letter filled with allegations about Uber's behavior and security practices from a former employee.

It was sent to Uber by attorneys for Richard Jacobs, Uber's former manager of global intelligence who resigned from the company in April. Uber later settled with Jacobs over his allegations for $4.5 million in August.

On Tuesday, Jacobs took the stand in the Waymo-Uber case. In testimony that could prove damaging to Uber, he said his former colleagues' in the intelligence group had been given a mission to steal trade secrets and confidential information from rivals overseas in an attempt to understand the company's foreign competitors. The team's "successes" included acquiring leaked confidential company code that had been posted publicly on GitHub, getting information on drivers overseas, and acquiring general metrics about its competitors overseas, Jacobs said.

"I did not believe it was patently legal," Jacobs said. "I had questions about the ethics of it."

According to Jacobs, Uber's lawyers also trained and coached employees on how to communicate securely using ephemeral messaging apps and "non-attributable" devices that wouldn't show as belonging to Uber. This was used for market research, Jacobs said, but the attorney's letter also alleges that it was designed to "impede" and "obstruct" any potential litigation.

In the Jacobs letter, his lawyer claimed Uber employees specifically went to Pittsburgh, home to Uber's autonomous vehicle efforts, to teach employees about secure communication -- "with the specific intent of preventing Uber’s unlawful schemes from coming to see the light of day."

Ed Russo, another Uber security employee, denied during his testimony that he and two other employees tried to teach Uber's self-driving employees about how to evade discovery in litigation. Instead, he claims most of the discussions revolved around good security practices, including basics like using a password on computers.

"None of the testimony today changes the merits of the case. Jacobs himself said on the stand today that he was not aware of any Waymo trade secrets being stolen," an Uber spokesperson said following the conclusion of the hearing.

The new testimony from Jacobs prompted U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup to delay the trial, which was scheduled to begin next week. No new date has been set. Testimony related to the Jacobs Letter will continue on Wednesday when Uber's in-house counsel, Angela Padilla, will take the stand.

Alsup berated the attorneys for Uber, both for the information that was represented in court and how the letter was concealed from the court until a week before trial.

"You're just making the impression that this is a total cover-up," Alsup told Uber's attorneys. "Your client is in a bad way now."

---------------------------------------------------

LONDON (Reuters) - London’s black-cab maker could strike a deal soon on the second overseas market for the new electric version of its famous taxi, the boss of the Chinese Geely-owned firm told Reuters on Wednesday.

The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) picked Amsterdam earlier this year as its first foreign destination, where around 225 vehicles will be used as part of a service which transports the elderly and disabled.

Chief Executive Chris Gubbey told Reuters the firm was hoping to conclude talks with a second European location soon, potentially by the end of the year.

“Quite soon hopefully there will be an announcement on the second one after Amsterdam. We’re getting very close now,” he said.

LEVC is undergoing a major expansion plan which will see it sell around half of around 10,000 vehicles abroad by the turn of the decade, including a new van.

http://reut.rs/2j31qtV 

 

London business are overwhelmingly in support of all London taxi drivers being required to take an English test according to new research.
 
A Com Res poll of more than 500 businesses, commissioned by London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) found 83 per cent of respondent supported the policy proposed by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The findings come as competition between the taxi and private hire industry continues within the capital and the number of private hire vehicles on London’s roads has increased by over 75 per cent over the previous five years.

This has raised issues on the regulation of the industry and questions on how to ensure a consistent quality of service and fair competition across the sector.

Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Colin Stanbridge said:
“Over the years, there have been fundamental changes in the way Londoners use the transport network.

“Nowhere is such a shift more evident than the taxi and private hire industry which has changed considerably since technology impacted the way services can be bought and supplied.

“The general expectation for London business people using a private hire vehicle is to get from A to B in a safe and timely manner at a reasonable cost.

“A fundamental part of this that is overwhelmingly backed by businesses is the view that private hire drivers should be able to speak a reasonable amount of English.”

http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/business/18946.article
-----------------------------------------------------------

JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli court has ordered Uber to stop its ride-sharing operations in Israel less than a month after launching the service in Tel Aviv.

A taxi driver union and rival transit application Gett petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court earlier this month to serve Uber with an injunction, claiming it violated an Israeli law forbidding drivers without taxi licenses from levying fares on passengers.

Judge Eitan Orenstein ordered the ban on Uber's ride-share programs in Israel - uberDAY and uberNIGHT - to go into effect Wednesday, and raised concerns about its insurance for passengers.

Uber may still operate its taxi-hailing service.

Uber launched its pilot ride-sharing program in Israel last year, but has faced opposition from the Transportation Ministry, which filed suit against the company in May for violating regulations.

http://dailym.ai/2ib63Fj

Lord Blencathra Chair, Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee 12:28 pm, 24th November 2017

I pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Borwick for the wonderful work that he has done in ensuring that London black cabs are accessible.

Frankly, I dread the idea of what I regard as the criminal and vile company Uber putting London black cabs out of business, because wheelchair users would never travel in a taxi again. Uber has no responsibility for providing wheelchair-accessible taxis.

I agree that more training is necessary. In my little chariot, I carry a short, stubby screwdriver, because half the cabbies cannot find the screwdriver to undo the ramp.

He also stressed the additional cost of disability, including the whisky; I agree entirely with that. He is also right that the Bill would benefit up to 4 million people using pushchairs, prams and baby buggies in addition to wheelchairs.
------------------------------------------

UBERK NIGERIA

Two drivers, Oladayo Olatunji and Daniel John have maintained a class action representing themselves and other Uber Drivers against the Uber Technologies System Nigeria limited who happen to be their employer.

The claimants brought the before the National Industrial Court in Lagos in a case with suit number NICN/LA/546/2017, an originating summons claiming for the following:

A declaration that the claimant and members of their class are employees of the defendant; that by virtue of the nature of the defendant’s control over the claimants and members of their class, they are not meant to be classified as independent contractors;

that the defendant is liable for the acts of the claimants and other members of their class while acting in the course of their employment with the defendant; an order mandating the defendant to provide all relevant benefits including but not limited to health insurance, pensions and other benefits to the claimants and members of their class and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, its officers, from further denying liability for the claimants’ acts done in the course of their employment with the defendant.

http://bit.ly/2Azx3WB
----------------------------------------------------

BOLTON

 THE taxi driver involved in a 'heart-breaking' crash which has left a woman fighting for her life has spoken of his shock and anger.

Sajid Butt was taking three women home from a night out in Bolton when his Peugeot collided with another car in Bradford Street as he was driving on to the St Peter's Way slip road.

The force of the collision flung two of the passengers through the taxi window and the driver of the other car, a blue Ford Focus, fled the scene.
In the moments after the crash in the early hours of Sunday morning Mr Butt called the police and passers-by came running to help.

 The 45-year-old hackney cab driver from Great Lever said: "It was very, very scary. Everything changed in a minute.

"I had seen the car far away and the filter light came on and I drove out. With high speed he hit the back passenger side.

"It happened so quickly. I remember hitting my head on the side of the door.

 "The first thing I thought was we needed help and phoned the police and said bring an ambulance.
"I also asked someone to check my passengers, but he said 'there's one girl here'.

"Two of the girls had gone through the window when the car spun. I don't know how it happened.
"They had been on a nice night out and were just going back home. I hope they are okay."

Mr Butt, who has been working as a taxi driver in Bolton for the past 14 years, was on his last job of the night when he picked up the women, who are in their early 30s, from Bradshawgate.

They asked to be dropped off in Farnworth and Stoneclough, and his white Peugeot Expert E7 was turning on to the slip road towards St Peter's Way at 3.10am.

Shortly before the collision, at around 3am the Ford was seen driving erratically around Trinity Way and Bridgeman Street area in Bolton.

The force of the crash caused the taxi to spin around, finishing up in the wrong direction on the slip road, while the front of the Ford was crushed.

http://bit.ly/2AafJ9V 

YORK 

A TAXI driver who ran over a student lying in the road has been cleared of causing his death by careless driving.

The jury at York Crown Court took an hour and 45 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict that Frank Norman, 71, was not guilty.

Relatives of deceased student Robert Stephenson were in the public gallery when the jury returned their verdict, as they were throughout the four-day trial.

Immediately afterwards, Judge Paul Batty QC said: “The court would wish to pay tribute to the quiet dignity of Robert’s family during the currency of these proceedings and the court acknowledges their obvious grief and abiding loss of one so loved.”

Mr Stephenson, of Pickering, was 21 when he died and was in the final year of an agricultural degree course at Newcastle University.

Mr Norman, of Brunel Court, off Leeman Road, York, showed no reaction when the verdict was announced.

He has been a York taxi driver for more than 30 years and regularly did weekend night shifts.

He told the jury he had no time to take avoiding action when he saw Mr Stephenson as the student lay in his path on the road near the Micklegate and Priory Street junction.

He had thought there was a bin bag in front of him and kept driving.

Mr Stephenson had been drinking in the city centre before he staggered along Micklegate in the early hours of March 26, 2016, and lay down in the road, apparently going to sleep.

A taxi coming into the city centre along the other side of the road saw him lying there and stopped before driving on.

A trust fund set up in Mr Stephenson’s memory has raised more than £100,000 to help young people participate in sport.

http://bit.ly/2ziDGrW
---------------------------------------------

SCOTLAND TO STAFFORD

A pensioner who died after a hotel sent her on a 350-mile taxi ride home contracted norovirus at the venue, an inquest heard.

Norma Francis, 79, from Stafford, was at Loch Achray Hotel in Callander, Scotland, with her husband John, 81, when she fell ill in April 2016.
She could not be woken upon arriving home and died later in hospital.

Coroner Andrew Haigh said her death was caused by the infection and worsened by the long journey home.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had norovirus.

The couple, who booked through operator Lochs and Glens Holidays, arrived at their hotel on 3 April while celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary.

Mrs Francis, who was healthy and enjoyed keep fit classes, fell ill two days later, the hearing was told.

The hotel manager arranged a taxi and the couple left on 6 April.

Mrs Francis slept for much of the journey but an ambulance was called when she could not be roused. She was taken to Stafford's County Hospital, where she died.

Recording a narrative verdict at Stafford Crown Court, Mr Haigh said it was both the hotel and the couple's decision for Mrs Francis to get in the taxi, but there was an "element of pressure" from the hotel.

There was also no record Mrs Francis was correctly medically assessed, he added.

Neil Wells, managing director of Lochs and Glens, told the hearing it was standard procedure to send guests home in a paid-for taxi if they were ill with norovirus, but only if they felt well enough to travel.

He said he did not believe there was any undue pressure on Mr and Mrs Francis to get a taxi.
The hotel has been reviewing procedures although the coroner did not make recommendations to do so, he said after the inquest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-42102682
----------------------------------------------

SWINDON

Reality TV star Marco Pierre White Jr is accused of dodging a £33 taxi fare by the driver who gave him a lift to his famous father’s hotel.

Police are investigating after Gary Edwards, 37, picked the tattooed model up from his celebrity chef father Marco Pierre White’s Italian restaurant Bardolino, in Swindon, Wiltshire.

He says he then took the Big Brother star on a 60-mile round trip to the Rudloe Arms, in Corsham, Wiltshire.

But he says the 22-year-old passed out on the back seats then disappeared into the hotel after being dropped off - despite promising to get the money from his father.

Mr Edwards had been waiting for clients at Swindon Railway Station when he was called to Bardolino at 10.30am.

When he realised he wasn’t going to get paid he called the police, claiming he was encouraged to do so by the celebrity chef himself.

'I picked him up from Bardolino and he came out and asked for a receipt for the £33, then went back inside to get the money,' he said.

'They obviously refused to give him the money - he came back out and said "I don’t have the money but my dad will pay when we get there".
'I had heard stories about him but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.'

Mr Edwards said the star then rambled about his wild night out before passing out on the back seats for the whole journey.

He said he had to rouse him to ask where he wanted to be dropped off.

'He got out and said "I’ll just go get you the money",' he said.

After five minutes he came out and said someone would be out to out to pay me in a minute. He just disappeared. After ten minutes no one came out.'
Mr Edwards said he was ushered into the reception area where he had a conversation with the receptionist, who told him it wasn't the first time the TV star had dodged a fare.

'She said "he does this all the time. His dad has had enough of him and has washed his hands of him. His dad said just call the police".'

Mr Edwards said he waited in the lounge area while staff tried to get hold of Marco Pierre White Jr, but he was then asked to leave because the matter had nothing to do with Marco Pierre White or his company.

In a statement, Wiltshire Police said: 'We received a call at midday on November 19 from a taxi driver reporting that his passenger which he drove from Swindon to Corsham, refused to pay for the journey once he had arrived at his destination.

'This has been reported as a bilking incident and an officer will be assigned to investigate.'

Marco Pierre White Junior was ordered to carry out unpaid work in December last year after racking up thousands of pounds worth of purchases on his ex-girlfriend’s bank card.

The Rudloe Arms and Marco Pierre White Junior could not be reached for comment.

The same year he was fined £400 after admitting driving while high on cocaine and the trial of his mother - who was accused of assaulting him - collapsed weeks later after he failed to turn up to court to give evidence having been on a boozy bender in Hampstead the night before.

http://dailym.ai/2zyoJpX 
------------------------------------------

LAST WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

Baroness Randerson Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Transport)

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the committee established by the Department for Transport to examine regulations for taxis and private hire vehicles has concluded its work; and who the members of that committee are

Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Task and Finish Group on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing was set up by my Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Transport (John Hayes MP) to consider regulatory issues in the sector, and produce focussed recommendations for action.

The group met for the first time in September and will report its findings to the Minister in the New Year.

The members of the group are:

Chairman: Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq
Helen Chapman, General Manager, TfL Taxi and Private Hire

Rt Hon Frank Field MP (Birkenhead)

Saskia Garner, Policy Officer, Suzy Lamplugh Trust

Ellie Greenwood, Senior Adviser (Regulation), Local Government Association

Michael Grenfell, Executive Director of Enforcement, Competition and Markets Authority

Steve McNamara, General Secretary, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association

Anne Main MP (St Albans)

Mick Rix, National Officer, GMB

Donna Short, Director, National Private Hire and Taxi Association
-------------------------------------------

Claim against Addison Lee

In September 2017 the Employment Tribunal ruled that a group of three Addison Lee drivers who brought claims against Addison Lee were workers and therefore entitled to workers’ rights such as holiday pay and the national minimum wage.

If you currently work for Addison Lee, or have previously, we may be able to claim the following on your behalf:
 

    Back pay for unpaid holiday for up to two years;

    Compensation if you received less than the National Minimum Wage;

    Paid holiday going forward, if you still work for Addison Lee (a full-time worker has the right to 28 days’ paid holiday a year); and

    The right to receive at least the National Minimum Wage,

if you still work for Addison Lee. Addison Lee is required to give its workers the above rights.

Please note that the Employment Tribunal judgment does not require Addison Lee to reduce drivers’ ability to work flexibly.

If you would like to express your interest in joining the claim, please complete the enquiry form below.

https://www.leighday.co.uk/Link-only-forms/Addison-Lee 

----------------------------------------

(ANSA) - Rome, November 21 

Taxi drivers across the country went out on strike on Tuesday in protest at a government reform proposal that will deregulate the sector, allegedly favouring competition from multinational transportation network companies such as Uber.

The nationwide action, which began at 8 am and ends at 10 pm local time, was confirmed on Monday after talks with transport ministry officials proved unsuccessful. The turnout was reported to be high in most major cities, where so-called 'social services' for people in difficulty were however guaranteed.

    On Tuesday morning there were no taxis serving passengers arriving at Rome's Fiumicino airport. In the capital 500 taxi drivers protested outside the transport ministry at Porta Pia.

    "The (government) proposals deregulate the sector through the liberalisation of car rental with driver services which is to the advantage of Uber," said Alessandro Genovese of trade union federation UGL.

"The government aims to regulate the market so services to citizens are more efficient and better tailored to demand," said deputy transport minister Riccardo Nencini.

http://bit.ly/2jKNQ1w

---------------------------------------

MINICAB DESK'S AT ALL HEATHROW AIRPORT TERMINALS.

UBERK PAY OFF BLACKMAILERS

Uber concealed a hack that affected 57 million customers and drivers, the company has confirmed.

The 2016 breach was hidden by the ride-sharing firm which paid hackers $100,000 (£75,000) to delete the data.

The company's former chief executive Travis Kalanick knew about the breach over a year ago, according to Bloomberg, which first broke the news.

The hackers found 57 million names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers, Uber said.
Within that number, 600,000 drivers had their names and license details exposed. A resource page for those affected has been set up.

Drivers have been offered free credit monitoring protection, but per Uber's statement, affected customers will not be given the same.

'None of this should have happened'
"While we have not seen evidence of fraud or misuse tied to the incident, we are monitoring the affected accounts and have flagged them for additional fraud protection," Uber's chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said.

"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it," he added.

"While I can't erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes."

In the wake of the news, Uber's chief security officer Joe Sullivan has left the company.

Uber did not confirm precise details of the hack, but according to Bloomberg's report, two hackers were able to access a private area of Github, an online resource for developers.

From there it is understood they found Uber's log-in credentials to Amazon Web Services. AWS is a cloud computing service used by companies to store data.

As is often the case, it will likely be the cover up that proves more bothersome for Uber than the hack itself.

Companies are required to disclose significant data breaches to regulators, something it has by its own admission failed to do in this case.

Uber has form. In January it was fined $20,000 for failing to disclose a considerably less serious breach in 2014.

Managing Uber appears to be like a game of Whac-A-Mole - no sooner has one crisis been dealt with when another one rears its ugly head.

This latest scandal, however, threatens to tear apart an already fragile truce between Uber's former chief executive Travis Kalanick and Benchmark, the shareholder that trounced him from the top job then tried to kick him off the board.

These two managed to park their hostilities in order that an investment by Japanese conglomerate Softbank - thought to be worth up to $10bn - would go ahead.

But the fact that Uber concealed a massive data breach, which Mr Kalanick knew about a year ago, will do nothing to help matters.

Softbank's investment is significant for Uber because it will result in a significant reform of its board and help the business improve its corporate governance, something that desperately needs to be overhauled.

Uber's new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi appears to be starting as he means to go on. In his statement regarding the data breach, he said the company needed to be open and honest if is to "repair our past mistakes".

Rajeev Misra, a board director at Softbank, described progress on a deal with Uber as "long and arduous".

With Uber's latest problems, it may become a whole lot tougher.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42075306 
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YORK

A TAXI driver who allegedly hit and killed a student who was lying in the road thought we was driving over a bin bag, York Crown Court heard.

A jury has seen CCTV footage of the moment the Ford Mondeo driven by Frank Norman, 71, hit Robert Stephenson, 21, on Micklegate, York, on March 26, 2016.

Simon Waley, prosecuting, said the Pickering final year undergraduate suffered multiple injuries and was declared dead at York Hospital shortly afterwards.

Mr Waley alleged that another taxi driver driving in the opposite direction to Norman saw Mr Stephenson lying in the road, and realising that he was a person, not an object, slowed down and stopped before driving off without hitting him.
Giving evidence, Norman alleged that he didn’t see the “object” in front of his taxi until he was “on top of it”.

The court heard he believed it was a bin bag and so drove over it.

“I wouldn’t have done so if I had known what it was,” he claimed.

“If you knew it was a person, you would have swerved and avoided it?” asked his barrister Michael Rawlinson.

“Yes,” replied the 71-year-old taxi driver.
Norman, of Brunel Court, off Leeman Road, York, denies causing Mr Stephenson’s death by careless driving.

The prosecution alleges that he didn’t check that it was safe to drive over what was in the road, or he wasn’t keeping a good enough look out.

“We say that his driving was therefore careless and he therefore caused the death of Mr Stephenson,” said Mr Waley.

Mr Waley said Mr Stephenson had been in York city centre after attending a rugby tournament and by the early hours “he had clearly had a great deal to drink”.

He alleged CCTV footage of Micklegate and the collision near Priory Street showed that Mr Stephenson was unsteady on his feet.

“He can be seen to lie down, tragically for him, lie down on the roadway. It would appear he may have gone to sleep,” said Mr Waley.

Mr Stephenson was on the side of the road taken by traffic travelling from Ouse Bridge to Micklegate Bar, said Mr Waley.

“Robert was stationary and his body remained on the road directly in the path of this Mondeo,” said Mr Waley. “The defendant didn’t slow down.”

The other taxi driver drove along the other side of the road from Micklegate Bar towards Ouse Bridge shortly before Norman, alleged Mr Waley.
Norman told the jury he was taking four teachers from St Sampson’s Square to Acomb, travelling at about 20 mph.

He had been driving taxis for 34 years and with his current firm for eight years. Earlier police collision expert PC David Taylor alleged that a driver could have seen that there was something on the road from 70 metres.

The trial continues.

http://bit.ly/2AkiIgk 

Another UBERK sex attacker is a repeat offender

Uber is facing yet another lawsuit alleging one of its drivers raped and sexually assaulted a female passenger. This comes one day after a similar suit was filed against the ride-hailing company.

In this new case, lawyers for a "Jane Doe" client say the driver had a "documented history of sexual and gender-motivated violence." They say he was charged twice in 2006: once with domestic battery and another time for "annoying or molesting a child under 18." Additional charges, in 2009, resulted in a restraining order against him, the lawyers say.

"Despite his documented troubling background, Uber allowed [the driver] to transport passengers," Jeanne M. Christensen, a partner at law firm Wigdor who's representing the woman, said in an emailed statement. "Uber must take immediate action to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again."

Uber, valued at $68 billion, is one of the largest ride-hailing services on the planet, operating in about 70 countries. But with its growth, the company has come under fire for numerous allegations of drivers committing sexual assaults.

A handful of states, including California, Massachusetts, Maryland and Texas, have previously launched investigations into Uber, alleging that the company routinely fails to adequately screen drivers and has hired drivers with criminal histories.

Reports of alleged sexual assaults by Uber drivers make news headlines several times a month. At least four lawsuits have been filed against the company for these allegations.

On Tuesday, Wigdor filed another lawsuit against Uber on behalf of two women who are seeking class-action status for the case on behalf of all "female riders that have experienced rape, sexual assault or gender-motivated harassment at the hands of their Uber drivers." The complaint says the #MeToo campaign, in which people told personal stories on social media of being sexually harassed and assaulted, showed how many women have reportedly experienced misconduct by Uber drivers.

Uber says it takes these allegations seriously. On its website it says it's "dedicated to keeping people safe on the road" and that its technology "enables us to focus on rider safety before, during and after every trip."

The newest lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court on Wednesday. The "Jane Doe" alleges her Uber driver raped her during a ride home in Long Beach, California, in November 2016. According to the suit, the woman was intoxicated and had blacked out in the back of his car. She woke up to her driver reportedly on top of her ripping off her clothes. He allegedly assaulted her and then drove her home. The next morning, hospital doctors confirmed the woman had been raped, according to court documents.

It's unclear if Uber's background checks discovered the driver's past history. The ride-hailing service uses a third party company called Checkr to do its background checks, and the searches for felonies, violent crimes and sexual offenses go back for only the past seven years.
Uber said it has permanently removed this driver from its app. "These accusations are extremely concerning," an Uber spokeswoman said. "We are in the process of reviewing the lawsuit."

http://cnet.co/2B1Dy1c

NOTTINGHAM

Private hire taxi drivers have said they risk falling foul of new council rules every time they come into the city because there is nowhere for them to wait.

Under the controversial Driver Improvement Penalty Point Scheme (DIPPS), taxi drivers are given points for any unacceptable driving behaviour, such as parking on double yellow lines or in bus stops.

Nottingham City Council launched the scheme in September 2016 in a bid to crackdown on bad driving and taxis illegally plying for hire.

It means drivers committing a variety of offences, such as parking on double yellow lines, in bus stops or blocking traffic could be given penalty points.

If they rack up enough points, which are handed out by community protection officers (CPO) their licence could be suspended by the council.

But private hire taxi drivers, who cannot pick up passengers from ranks like hackney cabs, say they are risking picking up penalty points whenever they come into the city due to there being nowhere for them to wait.

Aneel Ghafoor, who has been a taxi driver for seven years, said: "If you drive into the city, there is no where for you to park other than on double yellow lines or in bus stops or places like that.

"Every time we come into the city for a pick up or a drop off we are risking picking up these points because we are having to wait in areas where there are double yellows.

"It is a major issue for us in the city centre."
Imran Idrees, who has been driving taxis for more than 17 years, said he and his colleagues are considering holding a protest or striking over the issue.

The 37-year-old said: "I have spoken to a few of the other drivers are we are considering taking action because this is a big issue for us.

"We have certain amounts of times we are told to wait for passengers before cancelling the job. For Uber it is five minutes, for a private hire firm it is 10 minutes.

"We cannot wait that long in the city centre without a CPO coming over to us and telling us to move or we will get penalty points. It has happened to me twice now."

Nottingham City Council has said taxi drivers waiting for customers are given a grace period and reiterated the main focus of the scheme is to tackle taxis illegally plying for hire.

A spokesman for Nottingham City Council said: "Private hire taxis must be pre-booked and if this is the case, they can pull up on yellow lines for a short period to drop off or pick up their passengers.

"However, they cannot park on yellow lines waiting for potential passengers, since this is illegal plying for hire.

"Our taxi enforcement team has been clamping down on this recently and will continue to do so where private hire drivers are effectively creating an illegal taxi rank in the city.

"They allow a grace period for drivers who are legally collecting or depositing passengers, although we would discourage the use of bus stops for this."

http://bit.ly/2jIzBul
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WALLSEND

A taxi driver has won a battle against Volkswagen in the latest twist in a row over an emissions fix to his car.

John Denholm was told he would not get compensation for loss of earnings after his taxi broke down after the work was carried out.

The breakdown led to 11 days loss of earnings.
John, of Wallsend, estimated he had lost £1,300 in income.

But now VW has admitted there was a way he could have continued working.

The car company admitted he could have been kept on the road under a pay-and-claim scheme.
He has been offered £1,400 as a gesture of goodwill.

We revealed in September how John was angry after putting his VW Passat in for an emissions upgrade.

He said the car came back in a worse state and needed major repairs.

VW said the faults were coincidental and not related to the ongoing emissions scandal or the upgrade.

But the manufacturer reduced the cost of repair from £3,200 to £750.

At the time bosses ruled out any compensation for loss of earnings.

But a goodwill payment he has been offered and covers John’s estimated loss.

He said: “I received a letter from VW saying there had been a mistake.

“They said I had not been offered anything under a scheme which would have kept me on the road.

“The payment is welcome but I think someone should have realised I was eligible for help under the pay-and-claim scheme at the time.

“It would have stopped a lot of stress and worry.”
John had been given a courtesy car while his taxi was off the road but was unable to use it as a taxi.

The letter confirmed VW’s stance that the problems on the car were not related to the emissions scandal or the upgrade.

VW had made no reference to the pay-and-claim scheme when we investigated John’s complaint earlier.

A spokesman said at the time: “We understand that Mr Denholm is seeking £1,300 for loss of income.

“Mr Denholm’s vehicle experienced a fault, as any mechanical product will do from time to time and for various reasons, and Volkswagen would not normally reimburse loss of profits in such a scenario.

“In light of this, we do not consider it appropriate to reimburse him for any loss of profits, not least due to the amount of individual goodwill already offered to him towards the component replacements despite the fact that Volkswagen had no obligation to do so.”

But VW claims it found a way to help John anyway.

A spokesman for the company said: “We do not consider the changes Mr Denholm reported are related to the technical measures and as such did not consider it appropriate to reimburse him for any loss of profits.

“That said, and in the knowledge that Volkswagen has no obligation to do so, we discussed Mr Denholm’s case with the retailer who assisted him.
“During this discussion it came to light that a general pay-and-claim scheme which would have allowed him to continue his work as a taxi driver, was available, and was not offered.

“In light of this and following our aims to maintain our high levels of customer satisfaction, we have voluntarily decided to offer Mr Denholm further financial support as a gesture of individual goodwill.
“To be clear this offer of goodwill is not based on the NOx issue nor the technical measures, neither of which caused the issues Mr Denholm reported, but rather due to an apparent failure to follow the proper process.”

http://bit.ly/2zV1zqp 
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CHELTENHAM

The council has launched a consultation on amendments to its taxi and private hire licensing policy.

The policy regulates every aspect of the taxi and private hire trade in Cheltenham including driver, vehicle and operating licences.

The biggest difference between taxis and public hire vehicles is that one can hail a taxi, whereas private hire vehicles have to be pre-booked.

The proposed changes are to make amendments to the original document that was laid out in 2014.
The main changes include:

1.       Improving vehicle emission standards for all licensed vehicles

2.       Introducing a ‘three strikes’ policy relating to the conduct of licensed drivers and associated sanctions

3.       Bringing in measures to regulate working hours for licensed drivers in the interest of public safety

4.       Measures to help address the increasing problem of vehicles licensed elsewhere but working in Cheltenham

5.       Improved vehicle fitness standards particularly in relation to taxis; and

6.       A new equalities legislation in relation to duties places on drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Councillor Andrew McKinlay, cabinet member for development and safety, says: “We have started a consultation on important changes to our current policy regulating the taxi and private hire trade in Cheltenham.

“This policy affects a lot of people not least the licensed trade, but also every person who has, or will in the future, take a journey in a taxi or private hire car licensed by this council. It is an important policy that ensures the safety and protection of the travelling public.

“I would encourage anybody with an interest to comment on the consultation to ensure that we have a wide range of views on issues relevant to the taxi and private hire trade.”

The consultation is running until 21 December and more information on how to respond can be found on the council’s website at

www.cheltenham.gov.uk/taxipolicyreview.