The boss of Addison Lee has written to Sadiq Khan in a call to maintain the congestion charge exemption for private hire vehicles, saying removing it will damage drivers and competition.

Transport for London (TfL) has been mulling ditching private hire vehicles' exemption from the congestion charge, and last week set out new ideas for ways to improve regulation for the industry including forcing firms to share their data.

Addison Lee said hitting private hire vehicles with the congestion charge would represent a cost to the industry of as much as £250 per driver per month. The company was also critical of a situation where the exemption is removed for private hire vehicles but not black cabs, saying that would be "anti-competitive".

Boland said levying the charge on private hire vehicles was "a blunt instrument" that would knock investment, distort competition and hurt drivers "to the detriment of passengers and the travelling public".

The firm said levying the charge on private hire vehicles works against TfL's own policy goals and will do nothing for the environment.

“Given the competitive nature of the market, fares would be unlikely to rise to reflect any imposition of the congestion charge. There would therefore be no change in demand, and no improvement to the environment,” Boland said.

Addison Lee said the industry was highly competitive, and innovative with businesses investing in cleaner vehicles. However, the company said it operates against "a backdrop of a marketplace in which some participants have pursued a policy of growing market share by offering fares substantially below cost".

It said those which have subsidised fares will most likely absorb the costs to hoover up greater market share and keep fares "artificially low", and to stay competitive in such a scenario, the likes of Addison Lee will have to pass the cost onto drivers. That will then hit their drivers' earnings.

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FERMANAGH

   A 53-YEAR-OLD man who defrauded the Western Health Trust out of over £9,000 by submitting travel claims for taxi journeys he didn’t make has been sentenced to four months in jail.

Vincent Barlow, of Blunnick Road, Florencecourt, was charged with fraud by false representation between January 21, 2013 and April 16, 2015, as well as a further charge of resisting arrest on December 2, 2015.

Barlow had denied both offences, but was convicted after a contest heard before Fermanagh Magistrates Court in January this year.

 When he appeared in court for sentencing on Monday, district judge Nigel Broderick observed that, given the “significant” amount of money defrauded, a custodial term was merited.

After a four-month jail term was imposed, the defendant was granted his own bail of £500 and released from custody pending an appeal.

Speaking after the hearing, Donna Scott, Assistant Director of Counter Fraud and Probity Services of the Business Services Organisation, said the amount of money dishonestly obtained could have been used for 10 cataract eye procedures.

She said: “Vincent Barlow’s actions were blatantly fraudulent and at a time when health service budgets face significant challenges any loss of resources to fraud is going to impact on services.

“This sentence should send a clear message that fraud against the health service will not be tolerated.”

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