Wednesday 28 March 2018

NEW YORK

Frustrated cabbies on Wednesday laid four coffins on the sidewalk outside City Hall, where they blamed the de Blasio administration for the recent suicides of taxi and livery drivers.




The hacks accused the city of allowing app-based ride services such as Uber and Lyft to expand unchecked and gobble up traditional drivers’ customers — which has led to desperation among cabbies and four suicides since December.

“This is not about numbers falling — this is about human lives now being lost,” fumed New York Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai, standing beside four caskets signifying the dead.

“These are noble men,” she continued. “They deserve better, their families deserve better. The mayor and this City Hall needs to deliver.”

The latest suicide was that of cabby Nicanor Ochisor, who hanged himself in his Queens home March 16. Colleagues said he was driven to despair over the plummeting value of his taxi medallion.

The city-issued medallions were worth more than $1 million on the open market in 2013 just before ride-hailing apps burst on the scene, but now they are worth less than $200,000, as more riders and drivers switch from cabs to Uber or Lyft.

“I’ve been driving since 1985. The medallion was always supposed to be good money for retirement. Now it’s worthless,” said Naresh Kumar, 66, a yellow-cab driver. “We’ve lost 40 percent of our income since 2013. And the traffic is so bad that you get into your car and you can’t go anywhere.”

Added Desai: “It is a living nightmare.”

Drivers want the city to cap the number of ride-hail cars in the city and also hold them to similar rules and standards as cabs and black cars: annual operating fees, a dispatch base and vehicle inspections.

“We are looking for fairness. Competition is great, but [app-based services] must play by the rules,” said cabby Nino Hervias, 59.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission said it is “deeply saddened” by the suicides.

Councilman Steve Levin has reintroduced a failed 2015 bill that would cap the number of Uber and Lyft cars on city streets.

Councilman Ruben Diaz is planning a legislative package that would hold such vehicles to standards similar to black car services.


https://nyp.st/2pP1AI6 

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

 Coventry is to become the epicentre of the taxi world after it was announced the MetroCab will also be produced in the city.


The hybrid vehicle will roll off at the production line at a new CAD CAM Automotive (CCA) factory to be built somewhere in the city.

It means the MetroCab will join the London Electric Vehicle Company’s TX London taxi, which is being made in Ansty, with both zero-emissions taxis competing to be the cab driver’s vehicle of choice in London and around the world.

The MetroCab will be built at a new factory on the back of a £100m investment from CCA’s Chinese owners Red Sun Group.

CCA, which was founded in 1999, currently employs 220 staff at its Holbrooks Lane plant. The new complex will be developed at a different site in the city.

As well as producing the hybrid MetroCab on the Ecotive Vehicle Platform, Red Sun Group’s investment also represents a vote of confidence in the specialised work CCA does for growing Coventry car maker Jaguar Land Rover.

It provides lightweight aluminium bodyshells for Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore.

The Ecotive Vehicle Platform on which the MetroCab is based is produced by Surrey-based firm Ecotive Limited.

Yang Shou Hai, president of Red Sun Group, said: “I have always been driven by applying new technologies to provide better products and reduce the impact on our environment.

“This is another strong step in Red Sun’s stated ambition to becoming China and the world’s pioneer in new technology, independent innovation and industrial models.

“This investment opportunity brings together highly skilled workers, and the application of market-leading technologies to provide highly efficient commercial vehicles with vastly reduced harmful exhausts.”

http://bit.ly/2GjgNIg 

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 A Liverpool taxi driver, who forced a male passenger to perform a sex act as he drove, has failed in a bid to clear his name.

Married dad-of-two Khaldon Mohammed previously claimed that his customer initiated sexual activity but was found guilty of rape in January 2017 and jailed for six-and-a-half years.

The 31-year-old, of Gwendoline Street in Toxteth, took his case to the Court of Appeal last week but failed to have his conviction overturned.

Although Mohammed pleaded not guilty after the incident in 2015, he was convicted after a jury heard of the victim’s distress in the moments afterwards, when he called a friend in hysterics.

The court heard the passenger got into Mohammed’s taxi in 2015 after a night out, and was drunk but “not so drunk that he did not know what he was doing.”

The man told police that Mohammed had initiated conversation, but the passenger could not hear from the back so was invited to climb into the front passenger seat.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said: “The usual banter took a strange and what is clearly now a sinister turn, because the defendant started to ask him about his sexual orientation and came out with the question ‘do you like d***?’”

He said the journey continued, before Mohammed “suddenly” unzipped his jeans, “pulled” the man’s head down and “forced him” to perform a sex act.

Mr Gibson said the driver pushed the victim away when they stopped at red traffic lights, because people were around, before pulling his head down again.

He said after Mohammed finished, the journey ended and the man got out and ran into his home.

His lawyers claimed at an appeal hearing that fresh evidence from another Liverpool taxi driver cast doubt on the safety of the jury’s guilty verdict

The other driver told of having picked up a male passenger - with the same name as Mohammed’s victim - and being offered oral sex as payment.

When shown pictures of the complainant in Mohammed’s case, he said he recognised him as the passenger who offered him the sexual favour.

But returning to court today to deliver their judgment, three top judges refused Mohammed’s bid to appeal his conviction.

Ruling on the case, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Judge Anthony Leonard QC, said the new witness had only had a “fleeting glance” of his passenger.

And there had been a gap of at least 19 months between him picking up the man and being shown the photo of Mohammed’s victim.

The judge said: “Each of the three members of this court takes the view that the fresh evidence raises no reasonable doubt as to the guilt of Khaldon Mohammed.”

The prosecution case was “strong”, based on lies by Mohammed in his police interview and the improbability of him allowing himself to receive oral sex “out of curiosity”.


He added: “The distressed state of the complainant very shortly afterwards made for a formidable case, even against a defendant of good character.”

The appeal was dismissed and the conviction upheld.

http://bit.ly/2Id44Yp 

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BOLTON 

A TAXI driver accused of sexually assaulting a teenager passenger has insisted he did not touch her apart from moving her foot from his dashboard.

Giving evidence in his own defence on the third day of his trial at Bolton Crown Court, Ogato Koji told a jury: "I asked her to take it down. She didn't respond or anything but I pushed.

"At that point I'm very angry — we're in danger, I'm driving."

The court heard that the 19-year-old woman had been out with a friend in Bolton town centre in the early hours of February 2 last year and, at 4.40am, decided to go home.

Koji, a father-of-11,says he was waiting in Bradshawgate for a customer when the woman opened the door of his Toyota Prius and he thought she was the fare he was to collect.

Koji, who is originally from the Oromu community in Ethiopia, told the court that he asked if she was called Lee and she wrongly said she was.

He added that he could not check the booked customer's details on his Metro taxi screen because he had forgotten his glasses.

The prosecution claim that, after the woman told him she needed to get money to pay him from a cash machine, he told her she could pay "in another way".

He was said to have kissed her while at red traffic lights, put his hands on her thighs and pulled at her knickers, stopping the assault when the lights changed.

The car pulled into a petrol station where there was a cashpoint and Koji drove away after the teenager got out of the vehicle.

Chloe Fordham, prosecuting, suggested he left because he saw her using her mobile phone but he denied it, claiming that it was at that point that he realised he had picked up the wrong passenger.

The jury was read statements from the Oromu Community Association and the Imam at the Bolton mosque where he worships, in support of Koji, the latter describing him as "a very respectful man who treats others with kindness".

Koji, aged 55, of Cambria Square, Bolton, denies sexual assault.

The trial continues.

http://bit.ly/2J01wOe 








 

Monday 26 March 2018

NOTTINGHAM

The first electric hackney cab to operate outside London has taken to the streets of Nottingham this week.




The LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) TX model has been bought by Nottingham cabbie Amer Alam as part of a revolution that’s underway in Nottingham’s taxi ranks.

The City Council is behind a drive to bring the city’s taxi service into the 21st century and up to the standards of Nottingham’s world-class integrated public transport system. Low emission trams and buses are already playing their part in improving the city’s air quality – now the fleet of over 400 hackney cabs are set to become Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV) or Euro VI (cleanest diesel) by 2020 to help the city achieve air quality standards and support any potential Clean Air Zone. 


These vehicles offer drivers fuel cost savings of up to £100 a week and the TX model comes with a panoramic glass roof, wi-fi and USB charging points.

The livery of cabs is also changing from green to black-and-white, with local hackney passengers now also able to use the MyTaxi app – after Nottingham became the first city outside London to get the free smartphone app, which puts people just two taps away from a licensed taxi, and lets drivers get more passengers when they want them.

The council itself will be placing orders for a small number of stylish new Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) models to lease back to drivers, as well as investing £700,000 of Government funding into a network of electric charging points around the city.

Portfolio Holder for Community and Customer Services, Councillor Toby Neal, said: “It’s great to welcome the first of hopefully many electric taxis to Nottingham. New low-emission taxis along with a user-friendly e-hailing app will bring our taxi service up to the high passenger and air quality standards as the rest of our superb transport system in Nottingham.

“We’re looking forward to a time when all our hackney cabs are low emission vehicles so that everyone in the city can benefit from cleaner air.”

http://bit.ly/2GcgWgx 

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 SOUTHPORT

 A police patrol van flipped over after colliding with a taxi.


Three people were taken to hospital following the smash which took place close to the junction of Portland Street and Cemetery Road in Southport on Sunday.

The incident happened just after 7pm near the Texaco fuel station and the overturned marked police van appeared to have collided with the garage sign.

A spokesman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 7.07pm and were on scene minutes later.

“There were two vehicles involved in the collision - a Ford Mondeo and a Merseyside Police transit van.

“Three people were out of the vehicles prior to our arrival.

“A driver of one of the vehicles suffered and hip injury and another passenger had back pain - both were taken to hospital for further checks.

“The other driver had whiplash injuries and was also taken to hospital.

“The scene was cordoned off by police and there was a fuel spillage which officers also dealt with.”


It is believed that the injuries suffered were not serious.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Officers were called to reports of a road traffic collision yesterday evening just after 7pm.

"The incident is reported to have happened between the junction of Portland Street and Cemetery Road, Southport when a police Ford transit van and a Ford Mondeo taxi collided causing the police vehicle to overturn.

"Road closures were put in place whilst enquiries were progressed and recovery of the vehicles took place.

"The two police officers and taxi driver attended hospital for whiplash and bruising injuries and were later discharged.

"No arrests were made."


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


Hackney-cab drivers in Plymouth have been banned from wearing jeans.

A meeting of the city council rubber-stamped new rules, which were approved by the cabinet last month.

The dress code is less restrictive than one originally proposed, but will still include a ban on denim trousers, open sandals and T-shirts.

Each driver must also attend an ambassador course as well as complete a spoken English test and a safeguarding workshop before April 2019.

Tracksuits and hooded jumpers will also be banned.

More news for Devon and Cornwall.

The new dress code, which applies to Hackney carriage drivers only, says "as a minimum standard" drivers should wear:

Collared shirt, collared polo shirt or collared blouse which has a full body and short or long sleeves


Smart long-legged trousers (no denim), knee-length tailored shorts, knee-length skirt or dress
Footwear for all drivers shall fit around the heel of the foot


Drivers will also be banned from using e-cigarettes while they have passengers on board.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-43538577



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GUILDFORD


Taxi drivers plan to stage a go-slow protest in Guildford on Tuesday (March 27) in opposition to a 16% cut in their meter rates.

The drivers plan to drive slowly around the Guildford town centre one-way system for an hour from 10am.

The organisers say they intend for this to be a one-off protest, but if they get no response from Guildford Borough Council they will do it again for five mornings and five afternoons.

One of the organisers told Get Surrey : "We don't really want to hit the general public, but at the same time it's our money. We feel it's this or nothing. "

He went on to say taxi drivers were already working long hours to cover the cost of living, and the fare reduction had made things worse.

He said: "We are nowhere near on par with any of the other boroughs. Some drivers are working 80 hour weeks.

"I'm lucky, my house is paid off, I'm an old man. But if I had a youngster or rent or a mortgage, I'd be working 80 hours a week too."

The 16% fare reduction came into effect in December 2017 after Guildford taxi drivers lost a High Court challenge to the council's decision to cut fares.

http://bit.ly/2GgCXuR






Friday 23 March 2018

A taxi driver tried to pull a female student into his car in Fallowfield last night.


( It was in Fact a PH Car)

He tried to offer her directions

Last night, while she was walking home in Fallowfield, a female student was approached by a taxi driver who tried to pull her into his car.

Lucy, a 22-year-old third year Biomed student, was walking down Moseley Road, unable to find her way home when the car pulled up beside her and the driver offered her a lift home.

When he said she could only get a lift if she sat in the front, she knew something was wrong and declined the offer.

At this point, the driver grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her into the taxi. She fought back and managed to escape and then ran to 256 on Wilmslow Road to find her friends.

Upon her arrival, the bouncers would not let her in, allegedly ignoring her explanation that she was almost abducted.

She was eventually found by her friends outside the venue and took her inside at which point the bouncer allegedly said: "You're not in the fucking taxi now" and that she needed to "fix her attitude".

She posted about the incident on Fallowfield Students Group (FSG):




Speaking to The Tab about this ordeal, Lucy said: "I was coming back from media city as I had gone to see Katherine Ryan live. My phone had died and as the bus turned off Moseley Road I didn't know where i was cos it was dark, so I got off the bus around that area.

"A taxi driver pulled up in a silver car and offered directions and a lift. It was when he said I had to sit in the front that I realised things were a bit weird. Then he tried to stop me going by grabbing my wrist.

"I ran all the way to 256 because I knew some friends were in there. When I got there, I was really upset and panicked. The bouncers said they needed my ID and that I had to pay. I just wanted to get in ASAP and was like please can you just let me in.

"Then they turned to the students hosting the night and I appealed to them. They Insisted I get money out (entry was £3).

"I walked off and my friend found me upset outside so we got money out and went back so that i could find my boyfriend.

"It was as I went to go back in the bouncers told me that I wasn't in the taxi now and that i needed to fix my attitude.

"It's really disgusting because 256 is meant to be a safe zone for girls and last night demonstrated the exact opposite."

We spoke to 256 about the incident who said: "We are speaking to the lady in question at the moment to clarify the issue from last night.

"Following the incident we have decided to terminate the contract with the security provider for 256 with Immediate effect.

"We value our customer safety and will ensure the new security provider are able to meet our needs and customer expectations.

"We will be working fully and in support of the lady and local authorities to try identify the person involved in the initial incident with the taxi driver."


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

BBC/GETT

Use Black Cabs as a last resort.



Wednesday 21 March 2018

A TRAFFORD charity has welcomed the sentencing of a taxi driver who refused to pick up a blind person with a guide dog.

The court case also brought a warning from Trafford Council who said it would actively prosecute borough drivers if they were found to have refused blind passengers and their guide dogs in their cabs.

The guidance comes after private-hire driver Mohamed Kulaten pleaded guilty at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court for refusing to take Joanne Welbon home from work.

The 57-year-old driver, from Fallowfield, was fined £300 and ordered to pay £300 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.

The driver claimed he was allergic to dogs.
Subsequent checks by the local authority’s Licensing Team confirmed that Kulaten had never sought or been granted an allergy exemption by Manchester City Council, which issued his licence.

Joanne, who was aware of the legislation making it illegal for the driver not to pick her up, challenged him, but he drove off, leaving her stranded.

Joanne had been refused around 15 times by taxi drivers in the past but wanted to take action after this incident last September.

A spokesman for Henshaws said: "As the leading support charity for the visually impaired community in Greater Manchester knows exactly how critical it is in having safe and reliable transport for visually impaired people and how much it affects their wellbeing and ability to remain independent and prevent social isolation.

“We work with a number of businesses and individuals giving guidance and training on supporting visually impaired people to ensure businesses are not creating adversity for someone who is already vulnerable.

“We are pleased that Trafford Council has taken firm action against this discrimination and what is a distressing situation for anyone, let alone a person with a guide dog."

Cllr David Hopps, Trafford Council’s executive member for housing and strategic planning said: “The licensing regime for taxis, whether they are private hire or hackney carriages, is primarily a public protection role. In issuing licences to drivers all councils must be satisfied that they are fit and proper persons to carry out the role.

“This is especially important when vulnerable passengers are involved. It is completely unacceptable for a licensed driver to behave in this way and leave a passenger stranded. This conviction serves as a reminder to all licens-ed taxi drivers that this type of discriminatory and illegal behaviour will not be tolerated.”

In addition to the prosecution Mohamed Kulaten was reported to Manchester City Council, which issued his licence, to take any further appropriate action that it sees fit.

Kulaten was convicted last Friday after pleading guilty to the offence of refusing to carry out a booking accepted by the operator, because a guide dog accompanied the passenger, under section 170 of the Equalities Act 2010.

http://bit.ly/2u9zzjM 
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WORCESTER


TAXI drivers, fast food owners and hoteliers are being offered a training course to tackle child sexual exploitation.

They have been chosen to take the course as they are seen as the industries most likely to be used to carry out the crime.

It has been welcomed by the taxi trade in the city but a fast food owner said it should be open to all professions.

The course, funded by West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion and delivered by Young Solutions, a charity dedicated to protecting young people, in partnership with Worcester City Council, aims to help recognise the signs of abuse.

More than 2,400 children were victims of sexual exploitation in gangs and groups from August 2010 to October 2011, according to the NSPCC.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: "Taxi drivers are in a perfect position in the community to spot signs when children and young people are being trafficked across West Mercia.

A taxi driver who has been trained in child sexual exploitation (CSE) can become part of a network that can prevent this horrendous crime from happening.

Monday 19 March 2018

Taxi drivers say they have been left fearing for their lives while working on the streets of Bury.

During a meeting attended by police and politicians on Sunday evening, more than 100 drivers from a number of private hire companies from across the town spoke of how they now felt unsafe following several reports of drivers being targeted in recent weeks.

One such incident took place in Broad Oak Lane last Saturday when a driver of teenagers shattered the rear window of a vehicle belonging to Royal Peel Cars driver.

The drivers claim that the police and Bury Council are not doing enough to protect them.

One driver told the meeting at Jinnah Day Care Centre, in Alfred Street, that he felt at risk every time he left the house, and stressed that the situation is also dangerous for passengers.

Another added: “Every day we are getting messages on the system saying ‘drivers be careful, kids are throwing stones.’

“If I drive past a corner and see a group of kids I know an attack is coming. I have been doing the job for 12 years and it has been going on for ages.

“The worst areas for drivers are around Bell Lane, Clarence Park and Walmersley Road, and Whitehead Park on Ainsworth Road.

“Why should I report it if there’s no action? Someone once threatened to shoot me for parking outside his house and still police did nothing.”

http://bit.ly/2ps1A0h


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 NORTH YORKSHIRE



The family of a woman who was killed and partially dismembered by a taxi driver who was suffering from a psychotic illness have said she "might still be alive today" if he had been managed properly.

Gemma Simpson's family were responding to the publication of a report into the treatment of Martin Bell, who killed 23-year-old Miss Simpson in 2000 with a hammer and a knife before sawing her legs off and burying her at a beauty spot near Harrogate, in North Yorkshire.

Bell admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after leading police to her body 14 years later, and was told he must serve a minimum of 12 years in prison.

A court in 2013 heard how he had a psychotic illness, heard voices telling him to do things and had "developed complex delusional beliefs".

Bell had been sectioned in a hospital for about nine months in August 1999 and was released around six weeks before he killed Miss Simpson.

On Monday, NHS England published an independent report into his care and treatment.

The report, which said its authors were severely hampered by a lack of medical records, concluded: "From the limited evidence which was available to the independent investigation team, it appears possible that, if MB had been fully compliant with anti-psychotic medication and had refrained from misuse of cannabis, then he may not have suffered from a relapse of his psychotic illness.

"In these circumstances, the death of Gemma Simpson might have been prevented."

The new report confirmed that doctors had considered Bell's cannabis use may have contributed to or exacerbated Bell's illness and he had smoked the drug on the day he killed Miss Simpson in his Harrogate flat.

But it said that "notwithstanding the failures in service provision outlined in this report, there were no actions that clinicians could have specifically taken to enforce the continuation of medication given MB's presentation in May 2000, nor to enforce his abstinence from cannabis."

In a statement issued by the campaign group Hundred Families, Miss Simpson's family said they broadly welcomed the findings of the report but added: "In 2000 Martin Bell was known to carry a knife, was delusional, and recognised as a real risk to others, yet he was able to be released without any effective package of care, monitoring, or even a proper assessment of how the risks he posed to others would be managed.

"There appear to have been lots of red flags, just weeks and days before Gemma's death, that should have raised professional concerns.

"We believe that if he had been managed properly, Gemma might still be alive today."

The family said they understood the pressures on mental health services but said: "We keep hearing that lessons have been learned, but we want to make sure they are truly learned in this case."

In court in 2013, prosecutors said Bell struck Miss Simpson, who was from Leeds, an "uncountable" number of times with the knife and hammer in a "frenzied" attack before leaving her body for four days in a bath.

He then sawed off the bottom of her legs so she would fit in the boot of a hire car before burying her at Brimham Rocks, near Harrogate.

Bell, who was 30 at the time of the attack, handed himself in at Scarborough police station in 2013 and later took police to where she was buried.

http://bit.ly/2FTKiAo 


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MIDDLESBORO

 SOME callers to the North-East’s biggest taxi firm are being diverted 2,500 miles away to Egypt, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Middlesbrough-based Boro Taxis said it was having trouble recruiting staff to cover some shifts and as a result a “small number” of bookings were being taken by an offshore call centre.

It described the move as an interim measure which had no impact on staffing levels – in fact it was proposing to open two new offices in Stockton and Middlesbrough.

A customer told The Echo: “I rang for a cab on a weekday evening and the voice on the other end, who while speaking good English, sounded like he was from abroad.

“He seemed to struggle with the address I gave him, so I very carefully gave him directions for the driver.

“To be fair the cab turned up pretty quickly afterwards. When I spoke to the driver he confirmed calls were being taken from Egypt.

“I know it’s not unusual for big companies to have foreign call centres, but it seems a bit odd as far as taxis are concerned.

“I guess they will just have to charge per Nile now rather than per mile.”

Boro Taxis director Christine Bell said: “Boro Taxis has a dedicated team of workers across Teesside who operate our advanced technology and app based bookings.

“None of these people are losing their jobs, in fact we are opening new offices in Stockton and Middlesbrough.

“We are struggling to recruit people locally to take on roles during unsocial hours and, on an interim basis, have outsourced a small number of calls to an overseas call centre.

“This organisation works with household name companies and operates to British standards.”

Earlier this year Boro Taxis announced it was increasing some of its fares, but said it still offered some of the cheapest prices in the country.

The firm swelled in size after buying up rivals Blueline and Marton Cars last summer and now has a thousand-strong fleet.

Boro Taxis was founded in 1982 by Teesside businessman Mohammed Bashir with three vehicles. Its workforce numbers about 900, a mixture of direct employees and self-employed drivers.

http://bit.ly/2FTIIys

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

CARLISLE
 
A woman acted as a patient transport taxi driver - despite not having a licence.

Now her boss, David Norman Irving of Carlisle Taxi Hire on Infirmary Street, has been rapped by Carlisle City Council and had three of his vehicle licences suspended.

They will be reinstated after three months.

The woman, identified only as driver x, was employed by Mr Irving as a team leader in charge of patient transport for contracts in west Cumbria.

Records, held by the Carlisle City Council's licensing panel, show she carried out 28 hospital transport journeys between August 15 and September 1, 2017.

The driver had previously held a licence in Allerdale Council but it expired in August last year.

She was, at that time, in the process of applying for a new licence to the council.

In August last year, the licensing department received three anonymous calls advising that the woman was driving for Mr Irving and had been for about three weeks.

On September 1 North West Ambulance Service was told that information had been received that an unlicensed driver may be fulfilling their contracts.

Lance Hindle, a senior team leader with NWAS, contacted the council's licensing department to say he had met the driver and asked if she had a current licence.

She told him it "had been received by Carlisle Licensing Authority but had not yet been processed or issued".

Shortly after, Mr Irving contacted the city council asking when her licence would be issued.

He commented that: "She cannot drive for me until she has it."

Despite this, when licensing officers attended the taxi garage on September 4 and asked to see Mr Irving's operator's records they found some of the records were endorsed with her initial.

Mr Irving told officers: "To be perfectly blunt with you I haven't put a foot wrong since I got my licence apart from letting (driver x) drive too early.

"To be honest I thought she was licensed when she paid for her licence."

Members of the panel found Mr Irving had permitted an unlicensed driver to drive one of his vehicles.

Councillor John Bell, chairman of the licensing panel, said: "That was contrary to the law and had serious implications for public safety. It was completely unacceptable.

"It was imperative all drivers were properly licensed, firstly to ensure they were fit and proper persons to transport members of the public.

"The public, quite rightly, expected the driver of their licensed vehicle was competent to do so.

"As the owner of vehicles, it was Mr Irving’s responsibility to ensure the people driving his vehicles were properly licensed. Mr Irving had failed in that responsibility."

Members allowed him to keep one licence so that he can continue to make a living.

When contacted by the News & Star, Mr Irving, 63, of Scotland Road, Stanwix, Carlisle, declined to comment, but did say an appeal was underway.

A spokeswoman for North West Ambulance Service said: "We do sometimes use private hire taxi companies to help us transport our non-emergency patients however we have very stringent protocols in place to ensure patient safety and all drivers must be fully licensed before they are able to work with us."

"Any driver found not to hold the correct licenses will be immediately withdrawn from our service and we have been working with Carlisle City Council to help with their enquiries into this case."

http://bit.ly/2ppqe2r 

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

TAXI drivers in the Scottish Borders are facing a race against time and a £160 bill to prove they are medically fit to drive.

New rules being introduced by Scottish Borders Council are forcing all taxi drivers to undergo the same medical assessments as those legally required of bus and lorry drivers when they apply for new licences.

The examinations, which are believed to cost at least £160, will follow criteria prescribed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and cover a range of conditions, including diabetes, psychiatric illness, drug and alcohol dependence, cardiac related illnesses and sleep disorders.

The move has been criticised by Galashiels taxi firm owner Graham Gray as both costly and not needed.

He said: “We have to obtain a medical from April 1 when we renew our licences.

“The nearest place we can get this is in Edinburgh and if they need to access our doctor;s records it will likely cost a lot more than the £160.

“The first most of us drivers learned about this medical requirement was last week when we all received letters.”

Last year, the council, in its role as licensing authority, set up a working group to consider updated guidance from the DVLA.

The Swansea-based agency recommended that so-called Grade 2 medical assessments which apply to lorry and bus drivers should by extended by the council as a condition of licensing its 380 taxi and private hire car drivers.

Last year, the council suspended the badge of a taxi driver pending medical evidence from his doctor that he had been assessed to Grade 2 standards.

The unnamed driver lodged an appeal at Selkirk Sheriff Court, claiming there was no legal requirement for such a demand and that the council had no formal policy to that effect.

But the Sheriff determined last June that the council request was not unreasonable and dismissed the driver’s appeal.

However, the judge commented that it was “unfortunate” the council had no published policy of the medical standards required of its licensed drivers.

“The Sheriff’s comments reinforce the need for such a policy,” stated the local authority’s licensing solicitor Ron Kirk.

Mr Kirk revealed that a council working group concluded the need for the more rigorous medical examinations “in the interests of public safety and in line with the council’s continued efforts as a taxi/private hire care licensing authority to improve standards generally”.

He added: “For the avoidance of doubt… the costs of obtaining a medical assessment should be met by the applicant in all instances.”

All drivers aged 18 to 45 are to be medically assessed to the new standard when submitting licence renewal applications from next month.

From age 45 onwards, drivers will be reassessed every five years, while those aged 65 and over will be reassessed annually.

From April 1, it will also be mandatory on application forms for all licence holders to report to the council “any disability or medical condition which may affect their ability to drive”.

Stuart Russell, who operates Reiver Taxis in Galashiels, told us: “This has been adopted by many other local authorities.”

http://bit.ly/2DFCuQS  

 

Sunday 18 March 2018

LIVERPOOL

Man in hospital in 'critical condition' after being 'shot while in back seat of taxi'

Police said they received reports that a 40-year-old man had been shot as he sat in the back seat of a taxi

Police are investigating after reports that a man was shot as he sat in the back seat of a taxi in Everton.

Merseyside Police said a man was taken to hospital and was in a "critical condition" following the incident, which happened in Maryport Close at about 8.10pm.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "Detectives are investigating tonight (Sunday, March 18), following reports of a firearms discharge in Everton.

"Officers were contacted at just before 8.10pm to reports that a 40-year-old man had been shot as he sat in the back seat of a taxi in Maryport Close.

"The man was taken to hospital where he is currently in a critical condition. Nobody else was injured in the incident.
"An investigation is currently underway and house-to-house and forensic enquiries are being carried out in the local area."

Detective Inspector Kathy Goodwin said: "The investigation is currently in its early stages and we are working to establish what has happened.

"We know that the victim was sat in the rear of the car when he was attacked. He has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries.

http://bit.ly/2poB7Ro
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Birmingham City Council has secretly axed plans to install CCTV into every taxi and cab - despite evidence it would help prevent child sexual exploitation.

The authority’s licencing committee unveiled the camera proposals last April following a review into the Rotherham grooming gang scandal.

Yet the proposals have now been quietly scrapped after opposition from operators, with the council claiming the £500 per vehicle cost could see drivers applying for licences at neighbouring councils - where no such policy exists.

The u-turn has seen child sexual exploitation campaigner Ed Ruane, who has responsibility for children’s services at Coventry City Council, calling on West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to step in.

Cllr Ruane said: "Local authorities have their hands tied. No one wants to see black cab drivers or others leave the industry or area because of increased costs.

"We need to see proper regulation so that all drivers, whether private hire, black cab or Uber, are regulated and treated the same."

He added: "Wolverhampton Council has been issuing lots of licences to Uber drivers allowing them to trade in any part of the West Midlands.
"Even though the West Midlands' mayor has no powers in this area, I would like to see him lobbying Government about this issue.

"We need to protect all drivers' jobs and creating one fair system of regulation that applies to all, and this should then lead to authorities being able to push forward with vital CCTV in all vehicles."

http://bit.ly/2G6IBmr
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SOUTHAMPTON

FOUR “dangerous” taxis were banned from Southampton’s roads in a joint sting by police and city licensing bosses. Another taxi, from outside the city, had rear tyres so worn down that officers could see metal through the rubber.

All five vehicles were taken off the road instantly during the joint operation on Tuesday night. Nine other taxi drivers, five of which were private hire, were also told to make urgent repairs to their cars.
City council licensing chief, Phil Bates, called the outcome “disappointing”.

It follows a sting in which police and city council licensing staff took up position and waited for passing taxis. Vehicles were stopped if they were spotted with “obvious defects” – such as broken lights.

Vehicles were then checked at the scene, before being sent to the city council’s approved testing station for further inspection. In total, 13 Southampton licensed vehicles were sent for testing, including nine hackney carriages and four private hire vehicles.

Alongside the four hackneys that were immediately taken off the road, two vehicles failed the inspection, but were given 48 hours to rectify the issues raised.

Two private hire vehicles and four hackneys were given a week to rectify “less pressing” issues. One private hire passed the inspection, but was given a week to rectify “advisory issues”.

A Transport For London licensed taxi also was stopped by police and found to have “significant safety issues” – including two rear tyres with metal exposed. Police served a notice to take the vehicle off the road.

Licensing manager at Southampton City Council, Phil Bates, said: “It is disappointing some of the vehicles needed to be taken off the road but this operation demonstrates the council will do all it can to ensure the safety of the public.”

Taxi driver and union representative Perry McMillan also said he was disappointed and urged fellow cabbies to “up their game”.

http://bit.ly/2prEN50
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 MUMBAI:  The transport wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has called for a strike of drivers of cab aggregators Uber and Ola starting today.

The strike has been called by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena which has claimed that several drivers are not being able to cover costs due to falling business.

"Ola and Uber had given big assurances to the drivers, but today they are unable to cover their costs. They have invested Rs. 5-7 lakh and were expecting to make Rs. 1.5 lakh a month. But drivers are unable to make even half of this because of the mismanagement by these companies," Sanjay Naik of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena told PTI.

Union leaders said that drivers in other cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune among others would also be participating in the strike.

Mr Naik further alleged that these taxi-hailing companies were giving first priority to company-owned cars rather than driver-owned vehicles, causing a slump in their business.

If their demands were not met they would be going ahead with the strike as expected, he indicated.

Other taxi unions, including the Mumbai Taximen's Union, have extended support.
Meanwhile, police has issued notices to leaders of the union under section 149 of CrPC relating to unlawful assembly.

"Notices of section 149 of CrPC have been issued to Sanjay Naik, president, Arif Shaikh and Nitin Nandgaokar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena as preventive action.

If they violate any orders, they are liable to be prosecuted," said Pandit Thorat, senior inspector of the Andheri police station.

The cab hailing companies have so far stayed away from interfering in the matter. "We have been informed by the Mumbai Police that they have proactively taken all the necessary steps to ensure safety of commuters during the cab rides in the city," an Ola spokesperson said.

http://bit.ly/2HK8t4G 





Thursday 15 March 2018

LIVERPOOL 

Rule-breaking taxi and private hire drivers have been ordered to pay out thousands of pounds over the past month.

Liverpool City Council is continuing its tough stance on drivers who break the law - with more than £3,000 in fines paid out in the last month alone.

The council has taken action against six drivers for a number of offences including driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

Five of the drivers taken to court were from Liverpool, while one was registered in St Helens .

 The council and its partners - including Merseyside Police - are taking part in an ongoing campaign to make sure that drivers in the city abide by the rules. And the message is - there can be no excuses.

Chair of Liverpool City Council’s Licensing Committee, Cllr Christine Banks, said: “Our priority is the safety of people in our city, which is why we take any incident of taxi drivers breaking the rules extremely seriously.”

Collectively, the offending drivers were ordered to pay £2,360 in fines, £840 in costs and £184 in victim surcharges.

Cllr Banks added: “The vast majority of taxi and private hire drivers in our city do a great job and abide by the rules. Our officers are working hard to target those who don’t. If you break the law, you will get caught.”

Yesterday we reported how one private hire driver who illegally picked up two undercover officers during a joint police and council operation was ordered to pay more than £500 by a court.

 Driver Jefferey Anthony Fleming of Ash Road, Litherland , was caught as part of Operation Inman, which detects private hire cars who pick up passengers without a prior booking.

Last year, a Liverpool ECHO investigation found that scores of private hire drivers were illegally plying for hire in the city centre.

http://bit.ly/2DwA8DH

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BLACKBURN

ENGLISH language tests could be introduced for prospective taxi drivers.

Fears were raised safeguarding awareness training for taxi drivers in Blackburn with Darwen could have fallen on deaf ears due to the language barrier.

That was the view of Cllr Roy Davies, Lib Dem member for Sudell, who voiced concerns many taxi drivers working in the borough may not have properly understood the training.

Licensing officers have been working with the safeguarding team to deliver the training to the majority of the borough's taxi drivers.

But Cllr Davies expressed concern some drivers’ English was not up to scratch, meaning they would not understand the training.

He said: “As far as the training everyone has to go through – are we 100 per cent certain the drivers do actually understand in terms of the language?

“They could just be sat there nodding and not actually understand the course itself.

“When we have drivers attending the committee, quite a few bring someone to speak on their behalf because they just don’t understand.

“I am worried that some of the drivers don’t understand the training and what they are agreeing to.”

Committee chair, Cllr John Wright, said: “Many drivers can’t put themselves across as well as they should do in a committee meeting.If it is the view of the new committee after elections in May that they want to review the criteria drivers have to fulfil and want to introduce a language test in there, you can put that out to consultation.”

Committee members heard taxi drivers had to take a written test in English at the end of the training and that it was not just a case of multiple choice.

The meeting at Blackburn Town Hall was told about 900 drivers had undergone the training and if any of them did not understand it, it was their responsibility to flag it up with officers.

The last training session was held in January and there are just a small number of taxi drivers in the borough yet to complete the course.

Members heard if the stragglers did not complete the training soon they would be in danger of having their licence revoked.

Many areas have introduced safeguarding awareness training after a number of cases of child sexual exploitation involving taxi drivers across the country.

In order to hold a Blackburn with Darwen private hire licence, drivers are expected to have reasonably good communication skills and must have held a full UK/EU driving licence for at least a year.

They must also pass a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, undertake a practical driving test, undertake a driver training course and pass a knowledge test.

Drivers are required to have knowledge of the licence conditions attached to the appropriate driver and vehicle licences.

And they must obtain a certificate of medical fitness from a GP once they have passed the knowledge test, undertaken the driver training course and undertaken the relevant assessments.

http://bit.ly/2HDpX2w


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 The City of Edinburgh has a large fleet of taxis and private hire vehicles which some might say contribute to the air pollution problems and in and around the capital city.

The main focus of new licensing criteria in the Scottish capital centres around the appropriate tailpipe emissions for the age of the vehicle and the maximum age of vehicles allowed to operate within the city.


According to Autogas Limited black taxis running on LPG as part of the cities taxi fleet can meet this criteria and would contribute greatly to meeting the targets of Scotland’s Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).


Current proposals in Edinburgh suggest that the maximum age limit for all taxis before they are decommissioned will be set at around 8 to 10 years for all Diesel, Petrol & LPG Taxis regardless of their tailpipe emissions. These proposals would contrast with the action of Transport for London (TfL) who have extended the life of vehicles converted to LPG to run for a further 5 years, meaning drivers can operate the Taxis until they are 20 years old and limits their initial investment considerably.

Without the incentive of a life extension for LPG repowering on Taxis in Edinburgh the solution is left out of reach for many drivers therefore leaving them with very few affordable sustainable options.


The LPG Taxi contributes greatly to improving air quality as independent emissions testing showed that an LPG taxi will emit 99% less Particulate Matter and 80% less NOx, as well as 7% less CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). Black Taxis converted to LPG will meet Euro 6 vehicle standards meaning that all taxis will meet the current strict emission rulings despite their age.

Further benefits include a low initial investment (in comparison to the current electric alternatives and their required infrastructure) as taxis drivers can keep their existing vehicle, lower maintenance costs compared the diesel, and also a substantial 20-30% lower fuel costs.

A transition from diesel to LPG is made easier by the robust existing refuelling infrastructure (5 sites supply Autogas within the city of Edinburgh). This coupled with the 300 – 400 mile driving range mean the routine drivers are used to is likely to remain the same and won’t disrupt their working day.

As a prime working example LPG taxis now running in Birmingham as part of a NOx Reduction project has seen feedback from both customers and drivers reporting that the overall journey experience is dramatically improved.

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Monday 12 March 2018

 MANSFIELD

An 'aggressive' taxi driver who was ‘putting public at risk’ with his driving has had his licence revoked.

Mr Appleton, aged 55, had his licence revoked in July 2017 by Mansfield District Council for being intimidating, aggressive and putting members of the public at risk with his driving manner.

His appeal was dismissed at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Thursday March 8, and magistrates found that he was not fit and proper to hold a licence.

Four separate incidents were considered by the court. Two members of the public gave evidence that the driver had put their safety and that of their unborn baby at risk as a result of his driving.

Another member of the public gave evidence about the taxi driver distressing her colleague by being intimidating and making a racist remark.

Written evidence was considered by the magistrates detailing a further incident of driving and failing to provide his name when asked, responding with “Eric Cantona”, and a fourth incident was considered where the taxi driver had intimidated a passenger by accusing her of theft of his wallet.

Jacqueline Collins, director of governance and monitoring officer at the council said: “I would also like to thank those members of the public who took the time and trouble to report their concerns to the council and give evidence at court.

“Without their assistance Mr Appleton would still be operating as a taxi driver.

“The safety of the public is a paramount consideration for the licensing authority and we will not allow this to be compromised.

“Mansfield District Council requires the highest standards for all drivers and will not hesitate to take action against those failing to meet the required standards.”

http://bit.ly/2GfLEpV 

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SCOTLAND

 Taxi drivers in the north have accused the council of endangering their livelihoods by overcharging them for licences and failing to cap the number of cabs on the streets.

Official figures show fees for taxi licences in the Highlands can reach more than double the equivalent charges in neighbouring areas.

In Aberdeen, a taxi driver’s licence costs £105 for three years, over the border in Aberdeenshire it is £88, and £98 in Argyll & Bute.

By comparison, a driver in Inverness or Dingwall can expect to pay £272 – the highest of all the surrounding regions.

Although Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are more expensive for taxi operator or vehicle licences – a separate charge – north charges are again near the top at £422.

In Perth and Kinross, the same licence costs £275, Dundee is £230 – and even in Glasgow, it is lower at £402.

That does not include additional charges to put taxi on the road of external plates, identification badge, vehicle inspection, and meter tests that can add hundreds to the total bill.

Louise Carle, office manager at C&E taxis in Dingwall, said that since she got her licence costs have spiralled.

She said: “I have held my badge forever 20 years, the first year I got it the cost was £30, the next year it jumped to £90, that’s a 300% increase.

“The cost increments went up yearly after that and if it goes much higher then there will be a lot of people who can’t afford it.”

Miss Carle added: “There used to be a limited number of plates, now there is no cap and people are seeing business diluted.”

The chairman of the Inverness Taxi Alliance, Andrew MacDonald, claimed the council increased the number of taxis from about “300 in 2010 to 450 in 2018”.

He said: “Our livelihoods are being swept out from under our feet. The council is blatantly ignoring the situation, they refuse to cap licenses because they would need an unmet demand survey.”

Raising tariffs also dealt another blow to the trade in the city according to Mr MacDonald as “the council are unnecessarily penalising the trade, the public by these irrational increases”.

A Highland Council spokesman said: “There is a requirement to ensure that the total amount of such fees is sufficient to meet the expenses incurred by them which includes the cost of administering and enforcing the taxi and PHC licensing scheme.

“These fees are reviewed annually to ensure that they are sufficient to cover the costs of the aforementioned. The majority of all taxi and private hire car licenses are issued for a period of three years.

“At the last taxi tariff review a decision was taken by the Highland Licensing Committee to increase the taxi tariff.

“This was taken purely to bring the maximum charge per running mile at Tariff 1 into line with the Scottish national average of £1.80, as Highland was previously one of the lowest in Scotland and had not been increased for a number of years.”

http://bit.ly/2FMkzwR

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CLITHEROE

  A Taxi firm is being investigated following claims a driver left a group of children alone in a car during a school run while he went to pray in a mosque.

A driver for taxi company Tiger Taxis, based in Clitheroe, has been accused of ‘negligence’ after a group of children, believed to be between 12 and 14, were left alone in one of the firm’s taxis while dropping them home from Coal Clough Academy, in Burnley after 1pm on Friday.

Tiger Taxis is contracted to provide transport for school children from the Swindon Street academy by Lancashire County Council.

The taxi driver is alleged to have gone to the mosque after he received a phone call from one of his friends who told him it was “time to go and pray” while the children were being driven home in the taxi.

The driver stopped his car near a mosque in Nelson and left the children in the car for 15 minutes, it has been claimed.

One of the children in the car, Paul Jackson Jr, was then 30 minutes late getting to his home in Kelbrook, Barnoldswick, his father said.

Paul Jackson, 44, who lives in Kelbrook, a 30-minute car journey away from the academy, said he was furious after he learnt his 13-year-old son was one of the children left alone in the vehicle.

He said: “It’s highly unacceptable and unsafe to leave children alone in a car.”

The 44-year-old, who runs Roof Rangers Ltd in Kelbrook, has now called for the driver to be sacked following the incident.

He said: “I want to see an apology from Lancashire County Council and for them to sack the company because they are responsible for this.”

Coal Clough Academy, which was contacted about the incident, said the issue has been ‘escalated’ to County Hall.

A spokesman from Coal Clough Academy said: “We have been made aware of the issue and escalated it to Lancashire County Council who organise transport on our behalf and they are dealing with it in the appropriate way.”

Lancashire County Council is now investigating the allegations made by Mr Jackson.

A spokesman said: “I can confirm that we have been made are aware of an issue which we are currently investigating.”

Burnley Cllr Tony Martin, who represents the area, said the taxi firm should be ‘reprimanded’ if the company and driver are found to be guilty of the allegations levelled against them.

He said: “I hope a thorough investigation is taking place and if that is the case make sure they are reprimanded.

“It’s about the safety of the children, which is paramount.”

Tiger Taxis was contacted but declined to comment.

http://bit.ly/2HtzclM 





Friday 9 March 2018

 UBERK ENTER THE FINAL YEAR OF ITS "PUMP AND DUMP" OPERATION

Inside the St. Regis Hotel on Friday, debt investors were given what’s becoming a familiar pitch: A high-flying tech company with a charismatic leader but no real cash flow was asking them to lend it money.

This time it was Uber Technologies Inc., the ride-hailing company that’s reshaped the taxi business around the globe. The company is seeking a $1.25 billion loan and its new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi was there flanked by other senior management to pitch investors both the deal and the Uber dream.

And given Uber’s cash burn and annual loss, investors were asked to assess the company by other metrics: Uber’s management touted its $10 billion liquidity position, as well as its $5.7 billion of pro-forma cash. Equity investors have valued the company at $54 billion in the latest funding round from a SoftBank Group Corp.–led investor group. That makes Uber the biggest venture-backed technology enterprise without a stock listing.

Scheduled to attend the meeting on the 20th floor of the prestigious hotel overlooking Fifth Avenue were financiers from all over Wall Street, from Apollo Global Management to Bain Capital to BlackRock Group. Also among the group were Silvermine Capital Management and Golub Capital.

Uber was looking to borrow directly from investors, bypassing the traditional route of using banks to fan the loan among other lenders. That’s a first in recent loan-market history and a departure from the way borrowers typically work with banks who leverage relationships with institutional investors. Morgan Stanley, which led the group that made Uber’s first syndicated loan in 2016, is just serving as an adviser on this sale.

Investors have been willing in the past to put aside the financial benchmarks they normally live by and put up their money. Take Tesla Inc., whose CEO, Elon Musk, helped the electric-car maker sell $1.8 billion of bonds in an oversubscribed deal. Netflix Inc., which, like Tesla, is burning through cash after accounting for necessary capital expenditure, sold debt in October. Helping all three is a wide-open credit market where investors are hungry for yield after years of depressed interest rates.

Upon arrival on Friday, each investor was given a numbered presentation and instructions to return the material at the end. The pitch, somewhat light on financial details, was steered by a more casually dressed Khosrowshahi, who said Uber was improving its governance ahead of the IPO planned for the second half of next year. He also said the company was making efforts to repair the brand, after the company has earned a reputation as a morass of malfeasance thanks to everything from lawsuits to sexual-harassment allegations and criminal investigations.

In a second call, Uber went into more detail on the company’s finances.

A representative for Uber declined to comment beyond the San Francisco–based company’s earlier confirmation of the loan. A representative for Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

What makes Uber atypical for a leveraged loan borrower is its lack of earnings. Of particular importance to investors is a measure of debt relative to earnings used to gauge the riskiness of the loan. With its fast cash burn, Uber generated negative adjusted pro-forma earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, or Ebitda, to the tune of negative $2.2 billion last year, according to documents seen by Bloomberg News.


 That makes a leverage ratio basically meaningless.

http://bit.ly/2FHJHok

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WREXHAM

  A taxi driver made sexual comments and touched a teenager's arm during a journey.

Philip John Clare, 59, picked up the teenager from a Wrexham county borough school last November.

As soon as the teenager got into the car, Clare started making inappropriate comments including “you're gorgeous”.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting at Wrexham Magistrates Court, said he also rubbed the teenager’s arm.

The student felt uncomfortable and decided to record the rest of the journey, Mrs Jackson said.

 At one point the teenager said "I can't wait to get to bed. I'm knackered" to which Clare replied: "Can I come too?"

Clare, of Connor Crescent in Hightown, Wrexham, again called the teenager gorgeous at the end of the journey.

In interview Clare denied touching the teenager and also denied making the comments - until the audio recording was played.

 Clare then claimed he had meant them to be a compliment and he was not attracted to the teenager.

He added that in hindsight it was not appropriate, but he was just trying to be nice.

Magistrates heard the teenager was scared, feared coming into contact with Clare and would not go in a taxi again.

Clare pleaded guilty at a hearing on February 14 to sexual assault.

Catherine Jagger, defending, told a sentencing hearing that Clare had no previous convictions. He had lost his job and his taxi licence as a result.

Clare found it difficult to understand his actions, but felt genuine remorse from the outset, Miss Jagger said.

"His regret has grown and he's recognised as time has gone on how really, really inappropriate his behaviour was, and how damaging it was."

A probation service recommendation, which included a 50 days rehabilitation activity requirement, was not an easy option, the court heard.

http://bit.ly/2twgF6e 


Thursday 8 March 2018

AN Uber driver has been fined for putting his car on a York taxi rank.

Khalid Mahmood, 45, of Poplar Avenue, Bradford, admitted waiting on the St Sampson’s Square taxi rank in April 2017. He holds a Bradford private hire licence.

Only York licensed taxi drivers are allowed to use York taxi ranks.

Mahmood was fined £150, plus a £30 statutory surcharge and £200 prosecution costs.

District judge Adrian Lower said York taxi drivers paid for the privilege to use the rank and Mahmood should have checked where he could and could not park in York.

http://bit.ly/2IdzLSf

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Black cab drivers today accused Sadiq Khan of failing to do enough to help London’s squeezed taxi trade.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association criticised the Mayor for not listening to its demands to increase the number of taxi ranks in London from 500 to 600.

And the group called for an increase in the number of bus lanes in which black taxis are able to travel, saying it had identified as many as 60 possible extra routes across London.

"The Mayor was elected in 2016 on a manifesto that promised to support the taxi trade,” said LTDA General Secretary Steve McNamara.

"Yet nearly two years later it seems London is stuck in neutral and we are here to help."

But the Mayor’s office hit back at the claims, saying Mr Khan had opened 90 new cab ranks and 18 extra bus lanes to taxis.

The LTDA said Mr Khan had not met them since August 2016, just three months after he took office, and criticised his plans to ban all vehicles from Oxford Street in a radical bid to tackle air pollution.

Mr McNamara also hit out at a traffic ban at Bank junction in the City, introduced in a bid to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Conservative London Assembly member Keith Prince said black cabbies “badly need help” from the Mayor as they faces pressure from rival private hire firms.

Ride hailing app Uber is appealing after being stripped of its licence to operate in London last year amid safety concerns.

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “Sadiq has done more than any other Mayor to support London’s iconic black cabs, which provide an invaluable service for Londoners.”


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Taxi drivers staged a mass protest in Cheltenham today, circling the Municipal Offices to highlight their objections to new regulations.

Around 60 drivers took part in the show of discontent in Royal Well Road and the Promenade, for around 30 minutes, starting at around 1pm.

It is the second time the town’s drivers have publicly showed their fury over Cheltenham Borough Council’s plans to make all taxis wheelchair-accessible, following similar action in August.

The council cabinet voted on Tuesday to make all Cheltenham taxis wheelchair-accessible by 2021.
This will end cabbies’ ‘grandfather rights’, which allow them to sell their saloon car licence.

David Chambers and Garry Knight, both of the Cheltenham Hackney Carriage Association, handed their complaint to a council officer at the end of the demonstration.

The borough council says it is committed to ensuring the 'highest standards of safety for the travelling public' in the vehicles it licenses.


 


Wednesday 7 March 2018

 Taxify Estonia are "On boarding" Manchester
Licensed Drivers


 GETT ARE GIVING £5 OFF TO TREAT YOUR MUM IN MOTHERS DAY




BRIGHTON/LEWES DEMO

Scores of taxi drivers have applied for new licenses in Lewes following Uber’s announcement it was to stop TfL licensed drivers using its app in Brighton and Hove, sparking fears Uber drivers are simply exploiting a different licensing loophole.

Brighton and Hove taxi drivers protested in Lewes yesterday – where 130 drivers have applied for a licence since Uber announced it was creating new regions within which its drivers would be able to work.

Many will have been directed there by the Uber website, which directly compares the estimated cost and time taken to obtain a license in the two authorities, saying it takes £1,112 and 40 weeks to get a drivers’ licence in Brighton compared to £422 and eight weeks in Lewes.

Brighton and Hove also has some of the stiffest licensing conditions in the country, many of which are outlined in what is known in the trade as the “blue book”, and include a requirement for CCTV and all new vehicles to be wheelchair accessible.

All Brighton and Hove based private hire operators require their drivers to be licensed by the city council – but Uber has until now allowed drivers licensed anywhere in the country to use the app within the city, taking advantage of the deregulation of cross-border restrictions.

Following protests from local authorities, who are unable to carry out enforcement on rogue drivers working on their patch if they are licensed elsewhere, Uber last month announced it was splitting the UK into regions, and drivers would only be able to work in the region in which they held a license.

But city taxi drivers – both private hire and hackney – say Lewes District Council’s taxi rules are more relaxed than Brighton’s, and believe Uber is directing Brighton based drivers previously licensed with TfL to apply there instead.

Andy Peters, secretary of the GMB Brighton and Hove taxi section, said: “The creation of oversized mythical ‘regions’ by Uber, serves only to further complicate, confuse and add more potential acrimony to a previously (prior to Uber’s arrival) simplistic system of local licensing.

“It will do nothing to eradicate the spectre of Uber vehicles licensed in one area but operating in another many, many miles away from enforcement and the prying eyes of their home licensing authority.

“Where this leaves passenger safety is again, anyone’s guess? This announcement is nothing more than the usual ‘smoke and mirrors’ and should be viewed with extreme caution and what’s more, taken with a bucket load of salt!”

A spokesman for Lewes District Council said: “If Lewes District Council receives an application for a Private Hire Licence, we have a duty to process the application.

“A licence will be granted if the driver is a fit and proper person. We are not able to refuse a licence on the basis that there are too many drivers or that they might operate outside our geographical area, in particular Brighton.

“The council understands the frustration this causes the taxi trade, but we are obliged to work within the legislative framework.”

The new regions are set to come into force on March 14. However, Uber is understood to have told drivers in some areas of the UK such as Surrey that they will be able to continue driving here until June.

Latest figures from TfL showed that 78 drivers were licensed with them using addresses with a BN1, BN2 or BN3 postcode.

http://bit.ly/2G1zdxQ  

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 WOULD YOU PUT YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER IN A UBERK ?


 Many parents now rely on the taxi app to avoid all that late-night ferrying, but two recent convictions raise a disturbing question - Should you ever put your teenage daughter in an Uber?
Uber rules outline drivers should not permit anyone under-18 to travel alone


The car service has been a hit as it's often cheaper and quicker than other taxis
Driver Spyros Ntounis, 35, was convicted for attempting to groom a 14-year-old
Three other women had separately complained to Uber about his behaviour
Figures suggest sex attacks involving Uber drivers could be almost one a week

Night-time and a 14-year-old girl climbs into a waiting cab. As the vehicle heads across South London to her suburban family home, she and the 35-year-old driver, Spyros Ntounis, begin chatting.

He offers her chewing gum and asks what she has been up to and how old she is. Next, he gives her his telephone number, saying if she ever needs a lift, she should call him. He gets her to text him there and then, so he can save her number.

Ntounis then tells the girl she is 'hot' and that she has 'nice lips'.

She is alarmed that a man old enough to be her father is talking to her in this way and her unease grows as he slows the car to a 5mph crawl.

'He said he wanted to spend more time with me,' she later recalled.

Finally arriving home, the girl ran inside. But the next morning, she received the first of several messages.

Ntounis asked if she was 'OK' before, creepily, offering to 'give her lessons' in anything she wanted. He lied, saying he was 26, and asked if he had 'passed the age test', then tried to persuade her to meet him. 'I would love it,' he wrote.

Worried, the girl told her parents about the unwanted advances. They called the police, Ntounis was arrested and, following a trial at Kingston Crown Court a few weeks ago, he was convicted of attempting to groom an underage girl. He could face jail when sentenced this month.

A lucky escape, one might conclude. But the details of this case should ring further alarm bells — because Ntounis was a driver for Uber, the controversial company behind the hugely popular taxi-hailing app, even though he had a criminal conviction for dishonesty and had been accused of sexually harassing other passengers.

In the months before the incident with the teenage girl, three other women had separately complained to Uber about his inappropriate behaviour.

It was claimed he told the first he felt 'horny', while starting an 'inappropriate' conversation with the second one, whom he stared at continuously as he drove.

And the day before picking up the 14-year-old, he had asked a third woman if he could 'satisfy her needs'.

What's more, Ntounis's case is not a one-off. On the same day that he was found guilty, Shahid Qureshi, another Uber driver, was convicted at Inner London Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault. The first related to a woman he groped in 2016; the second to a 16-year-old exchange student.

His initial victim had complained to Uber, who had not reported the matter to police — leaving him free to carry on working.

Both of these cases will fuel concerns about how Uber operates.

According to a company rule, under-18s should not travel alone in Uber cars. 'Drivers are not supposed to pick up people under 18 — but, say they get a job and the fare's under 18. What do they do?' asks Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association and a vocal opponent of Uber. 'Of course, they take it.'

He adds: 'The reason Uber is so popular is because it's so cheap. So, rather than get out of bed in the middle of the night to pick up their daughter from her mate's, parents send an Uber. But people are sacrificing common sense for a pound or two. Why would you put your 16-year-old daughter in a stranger's car?'

Of course, coming from a 'rival' organisation, such words could be sour grapes.

People are sacrificing common sense for a pound or two. Why would you put your 16-year-old daughter in a stranger's car? - Steve McNamara
Because since Uber launched here in 2012, it has proved a huge hit — one that has severely dented the income of other taxi drivers and cab firms. Uber customers download a smartphone app with which they can hail a minicab. A nearby driver is automatically summoned, often making it quicker, easier and cheaper than phoning a minicab or hailing a taxi.

In London, the number of Uber vehicles exceeds the 24,000 black cabs — and Uber now has more than 40,000 drivers across some 40 UK towns and cities.

But the issue of passenger safety remains. Figures last year suggested that sex attacks involving Uber drivers could be running at almost one a week and, last August, it emerged that police had written to Transport for London (TfL), the authority responsible for licensing private hire drivers in the Capital, to express concerns the company was 'covering up' sex attacks to protect its reputation.

There was more drama last September when TfL stripped Uber of its license, for not being a 'fit and proper' company.

Uber is appealing the decision and is allowed to continue operating in London during the appeal process.

Last month, it vowed to proactively report complaints to police and to set up a 24-hour hotline for passengers.

Of course, for some, that may be too little, too late.

The Mail has established that, in the case of Ntounis, female passengers had complained to Uber about him in October and November 2016 and again on April 21 last year. He picked up the 14-year-old girl the day after the third complaint. Asked if they had alerted police to the earlier complaints, an Uber spokesman said they hadn't, but had 'warned' Ntounis. He was suspended only after police alerted them to his arrest for the incident with the 14-year-old.

The Mail can also reveal that Ntounis had been licensed as a private hire driver by TfL in September 2014. The following month, he was convicted of dishonesty and given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months. TfL was not informed of this. Had they known, they would have reviewed his licence. A TfL spokesman said they would have expected to learn of the conviction from the police or Uber.

In the case of 42-year-old Shahid Qureshi, he picked up a Japanese exchange student at Heathrow Airport on July 30 last year. While registered as a driver with Uber, on the day in question, he was working for another private cab firm.

The most popular question asked about Uber on social media is, why doesn't their driver look like his picture? - Steve McNamara
The married father-of-four insisted she sat in the front, then groped and kissed her. When she said: 'We don't do this in Japan,' he replied: 'This is England.' The driver continued to pester her for sex on messaging app WhatsApp after he dropped her off.

Reported to police, Qureshi was arrested. Detectives then found out he also worked for Uber and asked the company to reveal any other allegations against him.

It was only then that they learnt of an incident in September 2016, when Qureshi had put his hand on a female passenger's thigh.

The Uber spokesman initially accepted that they had received a complaint from the passenger, but that the driver touched her hand, not her thigh.

As a result, Qureshi was warned about his inappropriate behaviour. The spokesman added that, had they known the full story, 'it is very likely he would have been removed from the app'.

But, pushed for further details, Uber subsequently admitted that the report had related to Qureshi touching the woman's thigh, as well as her hand.

After details of this incident were revealed to police by Uber, Qureshi was arrested and charged with a second count of assault.

The Mail has also established that Qureshi had a previous conviction for harassment in 2011, when he kissed and grabbed a colleague while working as a healthcare professional.

This was flagged up to TfL when he applied for a licence in 2014. While he was warned about his future behaviour, the conviction was considered spent and he was granted the licence.

Qureshi, who has lived in Britain for 15 years, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and jailed for 12 months.

Commenting on the two cases, Uber said: 'We welcome the convictions of these two drivers. Every driver who uses Uber in the UK has been licensed for private hire by a local authority, which includes going through an enhanced background check.

'Any previous offences would appear in those background checks as part of the licensing process and are only shown to the licensing authority. Every trip on our app is tracked by GPS and we have supported the police in helping to bring these two licensed drivers to justice.'

Siwan Hayward, TfL's head of transport policing, added: 'We take all allegations against licensed taxi and private hire drivers extremely seriously. As soon as we were made aware of these offences, we suspended the drivers' licences immediately.'

Reading the details of these cases, no doubt others will feel uncomfortable.

'For London parents, especially working ones, the appearance of Uber was like the arrival of Ocado — a habit so convenient that now it's difficult to ever imagine life without it,' one mother told the Mail.

'Nearly every parent I know who has teenage kids relies on Uber to ferry them back from fixtures and parties.'

Others said they felt Uber was a safe option as the app automatically tracks the vehicle's journey. But could this be giving people a false sense of security? 'People say that, with Uber, they know who is driving their child home,' says Steve McNamara. 'But the most popular question asked about Uber on social media is, why doesn't their driver look like his picture?'

Mr McNamara's theory is that a licensed driver may allow an acquaintance to drive when they have a day off.

Reservations have also been voiced by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. Last year, he revealed that he would not let his two teenage daughters take a cab on their own.

'[They] haven't got an Uber app,' he said in a radio interview. 'We pick them up or drop them off

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