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

 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


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

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