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.

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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."

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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”.

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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.

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