VIENNA (Reuters) - The ride-hailing service Uber is suspending operations in Vienna after an Austrian court issued a temporary injunction against it on Wednesday.
The case is one in a series of battles that taxi operators have waged across Europe against the U.S. company that they accuse of undermining their businesses.
“We respect the court’s decision and are working hard to change our operating model within the next few days,” an Uber spokeswoman said in a written statement.
Operations in the city of 1.9 million people would be stopped later on Wednesday and the company expected them to resume later this week, she added.
A spokesman for the court said earlier on Wednesday that pending a verdict in a lawsuit filed by a local taxi company it had ordered Uber to stop operations as soon as the plaintiff had paid a 200,000 euro (143,407 pounds) deposit.
The injunction requires Uber to stop operations until it can ensure orders for rides are booked centrally rather than directly with a driver, the court spokesman said. Cabs would also have to be sent from company premises and return between rides, he added.
“We are very pleased by the commercial court’s ruling,” the plaintiff, Taxi 40100, said in a statement.
The group’s lawyer said Uber faced fines of up to 100,000 euros for any violation of the injunction.
Uber launched in Europe in 2011, angering some local authorities and taxi drivers who said it did not abide by the same rules on insurance, licensing and safety.
Following widespread protests, court battles and bans, Uber has taken a more emollient stance under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, suspending operations in various cities in order to comply with local regulations.
https://reut.rs/2KhCElN
-----------------------------------------------
BARROW
FOURTEEN taxi drivers are operating in Barrow despite having 33 criminal convictions between them.
A Freedom of Information request submitted to Barrow Borough Council revealed 14 of the borough's 313 licensed hackney and private hire taxi drivers have a criminal conviction.
The council is tasked with granting taxi licences only to those considered to be a "fit and proper person" and this remit includes looking at past convictions.
In its policy, the council states it will "pay particular attention to any convictions for offences with a public safety element".
When applying for a three-year licence, cabbies are obliged to disclose any and all criminal convictions, including those which are spent, and once a year must make an annual declaration notifying the council of any new criminal convictions or endorsements.
Any applicant with a serious violent conviction within the last five years or a violent conviction within the last three years is "likely to be refused a licence" while any convictions relating to the loss of life or sex offences will automatically bar anyone from obtaining a licence.
An applicant is also likely to be refused a licence if they have any drugs or alcohol-related convictions in the last three to five years.
Taxi drivers are also required to pass a series of tests including ones which assess their knowledge of local geography, the Highway Code, disability awareness and mental arithmetic.
Since January 2013 the licensing regulatory committee has made decisions relating to 14 different taxi drivers in Barrow who have between them 33 criminal convictions.
Those convictions include: battery; GBH; harassment; wounding; arson; using public telecoms system to send menacing matter; damaging property; obstructing police; using threatening behaviour; failure to notify change of circumstances affecting entitlement to benefit; handling stolen goods; drunk and disorderly; possession of class B drugs; taking a vehicle without consent; using a vehicle while uninsured; speeding and using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
An application will normally be refused where the applicant has 12 or more penalty points although the figures from the council reveal one taxi driver has been granted a licence despite having previously accrued the maximum number of points.
Public protection manager Graham Barker, who was promoted to lead the environmental health department at Barrow Council in April following the retirement of Anne Pearson, said that many of the convictions in the list were historical.
He said: "If a taxi driver notifies the council of a new conviction we will look at their entire criminal record so some of the offences on the list will be from an individual's youth or from many years before.
"When convictions are spent we have a standard whereby an individual can still get a licence but anything beyond that is taken to the licensing regulatory committee to be decided.
"Every case has to be heard on its own merits."
Bob Mullen, of the Furness Taxi Trade Association, said: "I do know that we have very strict conditions on drivers licensing. These have been tightened up in the recent past."
http://bit.ly/2I0EXZJ
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's yellow taxi drivers on Wednesday joined with drivers for Uber and other app-based ride services at a rally to call for guaranteed minimum pay and limits on growth in the number of cars for hire in the largest U.S. city.
In a steady drizzle outside City Hall in lower Manhattan, dozens of drivers carried signs with slogans such as "Respect the Drivers," and "Stop the Race to the Bottom," before presenting their demands to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council.
"We want regulation that will create a ground so that people have a chance to stand on something and not just sink into a miserable poverty," said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the 19,000-member New York Taxi Workers Alliance. The group represents all categories of for-hire drivers.
Its demands include limiting the number of for-hire vehicles and ensuring that pay rates and regulations are the same for Uber[UBER.UL], Lyft and other app-based ride services as they are for yellow cabs, whose numbers are limited to about 13,600.
Since Uber and other app-based services came on the scene about five years ago, their category has swollen to more than 100,000 cars, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission chair Meera Joshi. About 2,000 cars a month are being added, she said.
Uber and Lyft said their services have improved travel options, while offering new jobs to New Yorkers.
"Uber has grown the transportation pie, ensuring all New Yorkers can get a ride in minutes, particularly in neighborhoods outside of Manhattan yellow taxi have long ignored," said spokeswoman Alix Anfang.
Lyft is in "ongoing conversations" with New York about its operations in the city, spokesman Campbell Matthews said in an email to Reuters.
Drivers, including those with Uber and Lyft, said they were working longer and making less, and four drivers have committed suicide in recent months, some saying heavy debts drove them to despair.
Inder Parmar, who has been driving for Uber for nearly five years, was among about a dozen cabbies who appealed to City Council Member Brad Lander for relief in a meeting shortly before the rally.
"We are making less than minimum wage," said Parmar. The city's legal minimum is $13 an hour and will rise to $15 by the end of the year.
Lander, a Democrat, hopes to propose legislation on Monday that would ensure a $15 hourly minimum for all drivers of for-hire vehicles.
https://read.bi/2I1g8Nw
Wednesday 25 April 2018
Tuesday 24 April 2018
CYPRUS
A new application, Taxify, which is being launched on Wednesday in Nicosia is expected to revolutionise the taxi sector in Cyprus.
The app allows users to set their location and see where the nearest partner taxi is and order it. The taxi can be tracked heading to the customer’s location and indicates how long far away it is and how long it will take to arrive.
Customers can also track their routes while inside the cab, preventing drivers from taking longer routes and overcharging for trips. Customers will also be able to pay via their phones.
Taxify, which is being used in Europe already will start operating in the capital, with an expansion of services to the whole island planned in the near future.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the application was created in Estonia and has been a great success in Europe, Central America and Africa. With 5 million users in 30 countries and with transactions over $ 1 billion, it is today the most rapidly growing technology company in Europe.
Sotiris Tigarides, head of the service in Cyprus, said the company will use only registered taxis with professional taxi drivers who are mostly self-employed and will be able to continue to work with both existing taxi offices and Taxify.
Customer safety and the legal aspects of the industry will be a priority, he said.
The app will offer different payment methods and has a ratings utility. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows phones.
Drivers are charged a commission of only 15 per cent, while other, similar applications charge 25 to 30 per cent, he explained.
http://bit.ly/2HSwfPw
---------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being offered a ‘package of incentives’ by the city council, which is seeking to boost the number of cleaner and low emission taxis operating within the city.
The council is aiming to see as many as 100 Hackney Carriage owners switch to low emission models, following an award of £449,500 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The incentives are being offered over a five-year period totalling £3,635 per proprietor, which will cover subsidies for a number of fees that are required for operating a taxi in Bristol.
Included within the five-year package are £187 per year for licencing fees, a £50 per year certificate of conformity fee, and a permit to operate at Temple Meads Railway Station, totalling £490 per year.
The subsidy announcement coincides with the current implementation of a vehicle licensing policy aimed at improving vehicle emissions that requires between 250 and 300 Hackney Carriages to be ULEVs or fitted with Euro VI standard engines.
According to the city council, should the incentives be taken up by taxi drivers, the city could benefit from a 20% reduction in emissions across the whole taxi fleet.
Councillor Mhairi Threlfall, cabinet member for transport at Bristol city council, said: “It is great news that we were successful in our bid for government funding, which will allow us to help our taxi drivers to buy electric vehicles and reduce pollution in the city.
“Hackney Carriage taxis play an important role in Bristol’s public transport system, often providing trips that are difficult to replace by other modes of transport, such as trips for elderly and disabled people.
“However, frequent travel in the central area and higher level of idling means that they do also make a significant contribution to the current unacceptable levels of air pollution in the city, which we are determined to reduce.
“We also realise that running a business often involves juggling lots of different costs, so this scheme of financial subsidies will make it much easier for our taxi drivers to make an immediate difference to our air quality by switching to electric or low emission vehicles.”
Clean Air Zone
Bristol city council has recently outlined its five potential options for the establishment of a clean air zone within the city, which include options based around either a small or medium-sized ‘Class C’ or ‘Class D’ charging clean air zone in the centre of the city, which could levy a charge for the use of buses and coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, heavy and lights goods vehicles, and potentially also private cars (see airqualitynews.com story).
A final proposal is expected to be put forward later this year, with an expected 2019 rollout of the scheme.
http://bit.ly/2JpEa4e
-----------------------------------------------
NEWBURY
A taxi driver has had to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs for breaking licensing rules.
Arshad Khaliq, 46 years old, of Martin Road, Slough had to cough up after he admitted plying for hire and driving an unlicensed vehicle while working in Newbury, Berkshire.
Mr Khaliq was caught working in a taxi rank in Newbury while driving a vehicle for which the licence had expired.
Despite no longer having a valid licence, Mr Khaliq continued to use the vehicle, and was caught doing so on three separate occasions between the end of July and beginning of August 2017.
Mr Khaliq also failed to display correct livery for the vehicle.
He was found to have broken the laws regulating taxi drivers following an investigation by the Public Protection Partnership (PPP).
He was sentenced for his crimes at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 13.
At the hearing, Mr Khaliq admitted to three offences of plying for hire and driving or standing on a taxi rank with an unlicensed vehicle.
Mr Khaliq received a fine of £1,125 and was ordered to pay a contribution towards the council’s costs of £1,500 as well as a victim surcharge of £37 amounting to a total of £2,662.
http://bit.ly/2Fdk0YL
------------------------------------------
TYNESIDE
Masked and carrying machetes: The gang who targeted Tyneside taxi drivers
"Arrogant and violent", that's how police have described a gang who used machetes and fake guns to rob taxi drivers across Tyneside.
Three men pretended to be customers and got into the back of taxis before pulling on masks and revealing their weapons once the car had moved away. The three men have been jailed for a total of 26 years.
Detectives said they targeted the drivers when they were most vulnerable, working alone at night.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how all three men were 'obsessed' with illegal weapons and posted videos brandishing them on social media.
http://bit.ly/2Ffb44Z
-------------------------------------------
A new application, Taxify, which is being launched on Wednesday in Nicosia is expected to revolutionise the taxi sector in Cyprus.
The app allows users to set their location and see where the nearest partner taxi is and order it. The taxi can be tracked heading to the customer’s location and indicates how long far away it is and how long it will take to arrive.
Customers can also track their routes while inside the cab, preventing drivers from taking longer routes and overcharging for trips. Customers will also be able to pay via their phones.
Taxify, which is being used in Europe already will start operating in the capital, with an expansion of services to the whole island planned in the near future.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the application was created in Estonia and has been a great success in Europe, Central America and Africa. With 5 million users in 30 countries and with transactions over $ 1 billion, it is today the most rapidly growing technology company in Europe.
Sotiris Tigarides, head of the service in Cyprus, said the company will use only registered taxis with professional taxi drivers who are mostly self-employed and will be able to continue to work with both existing taxi offices and Taxify.
Customer safety and the legal aspects of the industry will be a priority, he said.
The app will offer different payment methods and has a ratings utility. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows phones.
Drivers are charged a commission of only 15 per cent, while other, similar applications charge 25 to 30 per cent, he explained.
http://bit.ly/2HSwfPw
---------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being offered a ‘package of incentives’ by the city council, which is seeking to boost the number of cleaner and low emission taxis operating within the city.
The council is aiming to see as many as 100 Hackney Carriage owners switch to low emission models, following an award of £449,500 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The incentives are being offered over a five-year period totalling £3,635 per proprietor, which will cover subsidies for a number of fees that are required for operating a taxi in Bristol.
Included within the five-year package are £187 per year for licencing fees, a £50 per year certificate of conformity fee, and a permit to operate at Temple Meads Railway Station, totalling £490 per year.
The subsidy announcement coincides with the current implementation of a vehicle licensing policy aimed at improving vehicle emissions that requires between 250 and 300 Hackney Carriages to be ULEVs or fitted with Euro VI standard engines.
According to the city council, should the incentives be taken up by taxi drivers, the city could benefit from a 20% reduction in emissions across the whole taxi fleet.
Councillor Mhairi Threlfall, cabinet member for transport at Bristol city council, said: “It is great news that we were successful in our bid for government funding, which will allow us to help our taxi drivers to buy electric vehicles and reduce pollution in the city.
“Hackney Carriage taxis play an important role in Bristol’s public transport system, often providing trips that are difficult to replace by other modes of transport, such as trips for elderly and disabled people.
“However, frequent travel in the central area and higher level of idling means that they do also make a significant contribution to the current unacceptable levels of air pollution in the city, which we are determined to reduce.
“We also realise that running a business often involves juggling lots of different costs, so this scheme of financial subsidies will make it much easier for our taxi drivers to make an immediate difference to our air quality by switching to electric or low emission vehicles.”
Clean Air Zone
Bristol city council has recently outlined its five potential options for the establishment of a clean air zone within the city, which include options based around either a small or medium-sized ‘Class C’ or ‘Class D’ charging clean air zone in the centre of the city, which could levy a charge for the use of buses and coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, heavy and lights goods vehicles, and potentially also private cars (see airqualitynews.com story).
A final proposal is expected to be put forward later this year, with an expected 2019 rollout of the scheme.
http://bit.ly/2JpEa4e
-----------------------------------------------
NEWBURY
A taxi driver has had to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs for breaking licensing rules.
Arshad Khaliq, 46 years old, of Martin Road, Slough had to cough up after he admitted plying for hire and driving an unlicensed vehicle while working in Newbury, Berkshire.
Mr Khaliq was caught working in a taxi rank in Newbury while driving a vehicle for which the licence had expired.
Despite no longer having a valid licence, Mr Khaliq continued to use the vehicle, and was caught doing so on three separate occasions between the end of July and beginning of August 2017.
Mr Khaliq also failed to display correct livery for the vehicle.
He was found to have broken the laws regulating taxi drivers following an investigation by the Public Protection Partnership (PPP).
He was sentenced for his crimes at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 13.
At the hearing, Mr Khaliq admitted to three offences of plying for hire and driving or standing on a taxi rank with an unlicensed vehicle.
Mr Khaliq received a fine of £1,125 and was ordered to pay a contribution towards the council’s costs of £1,500 as well as a victim surcharge of £37 amounting to a total of £2,662.
http://bit.ly/2Fdk0YL
------------------------------------------
TYNESIDE
Masked and carrying machetes: The gang who targeted Tyneside taxi drivers
"Arrogant and violent", that's how police have described a gang who used machetes and fake guns to rob taxi drivers across Tyneside.
Three men pretended to be customers and got into the back of taxis before pulling on masks and revealing their weapons once the car had moved away. The three men have been jailed for a total of 26 years.
Detectives said they targeted the drivers when they were most vulnerable, working alone at night.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how all three men were 'obsessed' with illegal weapons and posted videos brandishing them on social media.
http://bit.ly/2Ffb44Z
-------------------------------------------
Friday 20 April 2018
LONDON
Taxi firms face claims over drivers' rights in wake of Uber case
The battle for rights for gig economy workers is stepping up as the union behind legal action against Uber targets three taxi firms that say their drivers are not entitled to holiday pay or the minimum wage.
Green Tomato Cars, which calls itself “London’s green and ethical car service”, luxury airport transfer specialist Blacklane and Birmingham’s A2B are facing claims from former drivers who say they are “workers” and not independent contractors as the car firms insist.
The cases are backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) union, which has won a string of successful cases on worker status, including against Uber. The ride-hailing app is to challenge the ruling at the court of appeal.
An employment tribunal test case backed by the GMB union also found that some Addison Lee drivers had been wrongly classed as self-employed. Addison Lee has been granted the right to appeal against the case.
“The bogus classification of private hire drivers as independent contractors in order to deprive them of employment rights is rampant across the sector. It’s not just Uber and Addison Lee,” Jason Moyer-Lee, the general secretary of the IWGB, said.
Nelson Salei, a former driver for Green Tomato, says he is a worker and so is entitled to be reimbursed unpaid holiday pay.
Salei worked for the private hire group for several months last year, usually on five-day rolling contracts. He left after claiming he was not paid for several days of a contract after a dispute over a fare that was booked but did not turn up.
He said the non-payment just before Christmas “was really frustrating”. “I wanted to have a comfortable Christmas but I had to ask people to lend me money,” he said.
Salei earned £20 an hour on the contract, under which he promised to work only for Green Tomato and turn down work from other companies such as Uber, but estimates that he took home less than half of that after paying for petrol, insurance, maintenance and leasing his car.
He says he never asked for holiday pay. “I didn’t know much about my rights,” he said.
Green Tomato Cars said it “prides itself on being an ethical company and, in particular, in our relationship with drivers”.
“We have discussed the situation with Mr Salei and his union representative through the Acas mediation process, and maintain our position that there are no grounds for his claim,” it added.
“We will of course comply with the requirements of the tribunal, where we expect to successfully defend the claim.”
Mariusz Jakubowski, who worked for Blacklane in Glasgow, until just before Christmas last year, said he didn’t receive a set rate for jobs. The app works by offering a rate for a job in a particular area that gradually increases until a driver takes it up.
Jakubowski left after he was fined by the company when a customer complained he handed them a personal business card, something he denies doing. He said he had rented out his car and stopped private-hire driving after leaving Blacklane. “I was earning good money,” he said. But after receiving the fine and being assaulted by a passenger while working for another taxi service he said: “I realised it wasn’t worth it.”
Berlin-based Blacklane, which operates in more than 250 cities around the world and is partly backed by the carmaker Daimler, said: “We have not received any official information, documentation or filings about this case.
Therefore, we cannot comment in any meaningful way.”
A2B’s owner Veezu, which owns several private hire firms, did not respond to a request for comment.
The gig economy has proved to be a battleground for disputes about employment status involving firms such as takeaway company Deliveroo and courier firm CitySprint. Its emergence also prompted a full-blown government review into modern employment practices, led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair.
http://bit.ly/2JceBTX
-----------------------------------------
A Brighton and Hove taxi driver has lost his licence after he was accused of a serious sexual offence.
The cabbie, a 35-year-old man from Portslade, worked for Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, one of the three main taxi and private hire businesses operating in the area.
A fourth business, Uber, faces a licensing panel on Monday (23 April) in the hope of renewing its private hire licence for Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Police said: “A 35-year-old man from Portslade, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a female in a taxi in Brighton on (Sunday) 4 February, answered bail on (Wednesday) 28 March.
“He was subsequently released under investigation.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We were informed by the police that a taxi driver had been accused of a serious sexual offence and, as a result of our own inquiries, his licence to operate as a taxi driver and his vehicle licence have both been revoked.
“Public safety is a priority and we act on any intelligence regarding public safety, regardless of an arrest or charge, and take the appropriate action to protect passengers where we believe the evidence we have support this.
“General details of enforcement action taken against taxi and private hire drivers are reported to each meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee and these reports are available on the council’s website.
“The majority of the licensed taxi trade are very aware of the high responsibility of the work they do and act in a professional manner.”
http://bit.ly/2vA2dLE
=---------------------------------------
A COVENTRY taxi driver has had his licence revoked with immediate effect for failing to properly secure a disabled passenger in his cab on two separate occasions.
The hackney cab driver did not use restraining straps to secure the wheelchair and the passenger in the correct position.
He then failed to admit these failures to Coventry City Council enforcement officers when subsequently interviewed under caution.
Details of the two incidents have been heard by the Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee which took the decision to withdraw the driver’s licence.
The committee felt the driver had tried to pass the burden of responsibility onto the complainant stating it was the passenger who had requested not to be strapped in, the council says.
A Coventry council spokesperson said: “Members were unanimous in the decision to revoke the licence and wanted to send a clear message to Coventry taxi drivers that transporting any passenger in a dangerous manner would not be tolerated.
“All hackney cab drivers are trained in how to place wheelchair passengers into a vehicle.
“But the driver accepted at the hearing that he had not followed the correct procedure.
“He had loaded the passenger and wheelchair sideways into the vehicle and then stretched restraining belts over the legs of the complainant.”
In hackney cabs, a wheelchair must be turned to face the rear of the vehicle and secured using straps and the seatbelt within the vehicle.
During the hearing, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee also warned Private Hire Operators need to review procedures in relation to disabled passengers.
They also want to see a robust complaints procedure in place, as a lack of one may lead to a review of their licence.
Andrew Walster, director, Streetscene and Regulatory Services at Coventry council, believes the committee has sent a clear warning to all taxi drivers.
He said: “Members are unanimous that the council wants to ensure that all taxis operating in our city are accessible to all members of the public and that they are carried in a safe and proper manner.
“There are further enforcement operations planned in the future to ensure compliance by all our taxi operators.
“It would be clear discrimination should taxi operators decline to take wheelchair users based upon their disability.
“If reports of any refusals are received then the driver leaves themselves open to a licence review.”
http://bit.ly/2JdYu8C
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BOLTON
A TAXI driver who twice overcharged a passenger who used a wheelchair has been convicted of an offence under the Equality Act.
A taxi capable of carrying the wheelchair had been booked to take Peter Kelly, with his wife Tracy and her daughter Kerry Battersby, from their home in Westhoughton to a restaurant in Blackrod for Mrs Kelly's 50th birthday celebration.
But Bolton Magistrates' Court heard that driver Pervez Sajid, who had been sub-contracted by Timewise, charged them £17.50 for the five-and-a-half-mile journey.
Peter Horgan, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Kelly, who is disabled, and his family thought the ride, on May 19 last year, was expensive but became concerned when they learned that Mrs Kelly's son, Cllr Ryan Battersby, had made a similar journey to the restaurant in a different cab and only been charged just over £9.
After the meal 58-year-old Sajid arrived to take the Kellys back to their home in Greenfold Lane and, again, charged them £17.50.
Cllr Battersby decided to complain to Bolton Council about the charging and, on May 31, Sajid was questioned by a licensing enforcement officer.
Sajid, of Gilnow Road, Heaton, told the investigator that he had a double-sided card listing the charges for journeys.
One side was the rate for carrying up to four passengers and on the other was the charges for a minibus used for four to eight passengers.
He claimed he had looked at the wrong side of the card when asking for payment from the Kellys and told the enforcement officer he would apologise and refund the overpayment.
Mr Horgan told the court that, in total, the Kellys were overcharged by £13.35.
"It is a small amount but it is, of course, the principle to ensure there is no discrimination towards anyone who is wheelchair-bound," said Mr Horgan.
Sajid pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a duty to carry people using wheelchairs without making an additional charge, an offence under Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010, which came into force in April last year.
In a prepared statement read out in court Sajid told magistrates that this was the only complaint about him in the 31 years he has been a taxi driver.
"This has upset my reputation which I am very proud of," he said.
"I am sorry for the mistake and reading the wrong side of the fare card.
"I had no intention of overcharging passengers because one person had access needs."
Magistrates sentenced him to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay £200 towards prosecution costs, plus £13.35 in compensation.
Chairman of the bench David Hendry told him: "You have to understand that taxi drivers are under a duty of care to all their passengers and that, of course, includes disabled passengers."
However, he added: "It is important to recognise that you, Mr Sajid, have been a taxi driver in Bolton for 31 years without a blemish and you offered to apologise and reimburse the monies."
Mr Kelly has been wheelchair-bound for four years after having a leg amputated.
His wife welcomed the outcome of the court case and said she hopes it deters other drivers from overcharging and encourages more wheelchair users to complain if they are being treated unfairly.
"It is more the principle," she said.
"Why should we be charged double for the same journey?"
It is the first time Bolton Council has brought such a prosecution and executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel said: "We wrote out to every private hire and taxi driver last year to forewarn them about the new regulations contained in the Equality Act, and that we would not hesitate to enforce its provisions.
--------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH WALES
CABBIES who went on strike over a faulty app that overcharged customers have been sacked.
The 25 drivers working for V Cars were told the action was in response to a noisy protest outside the firm’s Groundwell headquarters on Monday that involved around 60 people.
In a letter to its drivers, Veezu, which owns the company said: “Unfortunately, a small minority of drivers have become disruptive. These actions are detrimental to the vast majority of drivers and affect not just the company’s reputation, but also all drivers’ work levels.”
Managing director for the south west and Wales, Ryan Owen, wrote: “These actions are not reasonable and as such we cannot condone or allow them to continue.
“We have a duty of care to our staff for their safety and wellbeing and to the majority of drivers to safeguard work levels.
“The drivers identified carrying out these actions are no longer associated with V Cars.
“Their accounts have been finalised and their private hire licences returned to the council offices for collection.”
He added: “V Cars now looks forward to finalising our driver feedback panel to engage with drivers constructively.
“We will continue to investigate concerns raised regarding the speed and signal strength of the equipment and look to decide on long term solutions shortly.”
The drivers refused to work on Monday claiming a new app that people could use to book taxis, was grossly overcharging customers and had not been fixed.
One case saw a passenger charged £120 for travelling from Wroughton to Old Town.
In a statement issued today V Cars Drivers’
Association said members were outraged with the way the firm had handled the issue.
“We have the right to protest and the management should respect our decision to do so," they said. "We are also a customer of the company as we pay for a service every week. We will be contacting the Citizen’s Advice Bureau because the way we have been treated is disgraceful.”
In the statement, they added: “Veezu has no proof to back up what they have said, if we were behaving in such a manner the police would have made arrests or dispersed us from the scene.”
Last week the drivers met the company in an attempt to resolve the issues, which included complaints that valuable jobs were only being given to favoured drivers. But it was without success.
At the time V Cars said it had received feedback from some drivers that they were experiencing signal and speed issues with the iCabbi app and that it had sent a team to Swindon to carry out testing.
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk
------------------------------------
Taxi firms face claims over drivers' rights in wake of Uber case
The battle for rights for gig economy workers is stepping up as the union behind legal action against Uber targets three taxi firms that say their drivers are not entitled to holiday pay or the minimum wage.
Green Tomato Cars, which calls itself “London’s green and ethical car service”, luxury airport transfer specialist Blacklane and Birmingham’s A2B are facing claims from former drivers who say they are “workers” and not independent contractors as the car firms insist.
The cases are backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) union, which has won a string of successful cases on worker status, including against Uber. The ride-hailing app is to challenge the ruling at the court of appeal.
An employment tribunal test case backed by the GMB union also found that some Addison Lee drivers had been wrongly classed as self-employed. Addison Lee has been granted the right to appeal against the case.
“The bogus classification of private hire drivers as independent contractors in order to deprive them of employment rights is rampant across the sector. It’s not just Uber and Addison Lee,” Jason Moyer-Lee, the general secretary of the IWGB, said.
Nelson Salei, a former driver for Green Tomato, says he is a worker and so is entitled to be reimbursed unpaid holiday pay.
Salei worked for the private hire group for several months last year, usually on five-day rolling contracts. He left after claiming he was not paid for several days of a contract after a dispute over a fare that was booked but did not turn up.
He said the non-payment just before Christmas “was really frustrating”. “I wanted to have a comfortable Christmas but I had to ask people to lend me money,” he said.
Salei earned £20 an hour on the contract, under which he promised to work only for Green Tomato and turn down work from other companies such as Uber, but estimates that he took home less than half of that after paying for petrol, insurance, maintenance and leasing his car.
He says he never asked for holiday pay. “I didn’t know much about my rights,” he said.
Green Tomato Cars said it “prides itself on being an ethical company and, in particular, in our relationship with drivers”.
“We have discussed the situation with Mr Salei and his union representative through the Acas mediation process, and maintain our position that there are no grounds for his claim,” it added.
“We will of course comply with the requirements of the tribunal, where we expect to successfully defend the claim.”
Mariusz Jakubowski, who worked for Blacklane in Glasgow, until just before Christmas last year, said he didn’t receive a set rate for jobs. The app works by offering a rate for a job in a particular area that gradually increases until a driver takes it up.
Jakubowski left after he was fined by the company when a customer complained he handed them a personal business card, something he denies doing. He said he had rented out his car and stopped private-hire driving after leaving Blacklane. “I was earning good money,” he said. But after receiving the fine and being assaulted by a passenger while working for another taxi service he said: “I realised it wasn’t worth it.”
Berlin-based Blacklane, which operates in more than 250 cities around the world and is partly backed by the carmaker Daimler, said: “We have not received any official information, documentation or filings about this case.
Therefore, we cannot comment in any meaningful way.”
A2B’s owner Veezu, which owns several private hire firms, did not respond to a request for comment.
The gig economy has proved to be a battleground for disputes about employment status involving firms such as takeaway company Deliveroo and courier firm CitySprint. Its emergence also prompted a full-blown government review into modern employment practices, led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair.
http://bit.ly/2JceBTX
-----------------------------------------
A Brighton and Hove taxi driver has lost his licence after he was accused of a serious sexual offence.
The cabbie, a 35-year-old man from Portslade, worked for Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, one of the three main taxi and private hire businesses operating in the area.
A fourth business, Uber, faces a licensing panel on Monday (23 April) in the hope of renewing its private hire licence for Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Police said: “A 35-year-old man from Portslade, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a female in a taxi in Brighton on (Sunday) 4 February, answered bail on (Wednesday) 28 March.
“He was subsequently released under investigation.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We were informed by the police that a taxi driver had been accused of a serious sexual offence and, as a result of our own inquiries, his licence to operate as a taxi driver and his vehicle licence have both been revoked.
“Public safety is a priority and we act on any intelligence regarding public safety, regardless of an arrest or charge, and take the appropriate action to protect passengers where we believe the evidence we have support this.
“General details of enforcement action taken against taxi and private hire drivers are reported to each meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee and these reports are available on the council’s website.
“The majority of the licensed taxi trade are very aware of the high responsibility of the work they do and act in a professional manner.”
http://bit.ly/2vA2dLE
=---------------------------------------
A COVENTRY taxi driver has had his licence revoked with immediate effect for failing to properly secure a disabled passenger in his cab on two separate occasions.
The hackney cab driver did not use restraining straps to secure the wheelchair and the passenger in the correct position.
He then failed to admit these failures to Coventry City Council enforcement officers when subsequently interviewed under caution.
Details of the two incidents have been heard by the Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee which took the decision to withdraw the driver’s licence.
The committee felt the driver had tried to pass the burden of responsibility onto the complainant stating it was the passenger who had requested not to be strapped in, the council says.
A Coventry council spokesperson said: “Members were unanimous in the decision to revoke the licence and wanted to send a clear message to Coventry taxi drivers that transporting any passenger in a dangerous manner would not be tolerated.
“All hackney cab drivers are trained in how to place wheelchair passengers into a vehicle.
“But the driver accepted at the hearing that he had not followed the correct procedure.
“He had loaded the passenger and wheelchair sideways into the vehicle and then stretched restraining belts over the legs of the complainant.”
In hackney cabs, a wheelchair must be turned to face the rear of the vehicle and secured using straps and the seatbelt within the vehicle.
During the hearing, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee also warned Private Hire Operators need to review procedures in relation to disabled passengers.
They also want to see a robust complaints procedure in place, as a lack of one may lead to a review of their licence.
Andrew Walster, director, Streetscene and Regulatory Services at Coventry council, believes the committee has sent a clear warning to all taxi drivers.
He said: “Members are unanimous that the council wants to ensure that all taxis operating in our city are accessible to all members of the public and that they are carried in a safe and proper manner.
“There are further enforcement operations planned in the future to ensure compliance by all our taxi operators.
“It would be clear discrimination should taxi operators decline to take wheelchair users based upon their disability.
“If reports of any refusals are received then the driver leaves themselves open to a licence review.”
http://bit.ly/2JdYu8C
----------------------------------------------
BOLTON
A TAXI driver who twice overcharged a passenger who used a wheelchair has been convicted of an offence under the Equality Act.
A taxi capable of carrying the wheelchair had been booked to take Peter Kelly, with his wife Tracy and her daughter Kerry Battersby, from their home in Westhoughton to a restaurant in Blackrod for Mrs Kelly's 50th birthday celebration.
But Bolton Magistrates' Court heard that driver Pervez Sajid, who had been sub-contracted by Timewise, charged them £17.50 for the five-and-a-half-mile journey.
Peter Horgan, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Kelly, who is disabled, and his family thought the ride, on May 19 last year, was expensive but became concerned when they learned that Mrs Kelly's son, Cllr Ryan Battersby, had made a similar journey to the restaurant in a different cab and only been charged just over £9.
After the meal 58-year-old Sajid arrived to take the Kellys back to their home in Greenfold Lane and, again, charged them £17.50.
Cllr Battersby decided to complain to Bolton Council about the charging and, on May 31, Sajid was questioned by a licensing enforcement officer.
Sajid, of Gilnow Road, Heaton, told the investigator that he had a double-sided card listing the charges for journeys.
One side was the rate for carrying up to four passengers and on the other was the charges for a minibus used for four to eight passengers.
He claimed he had looked at the wrong side of the card when asking for payment from the Kellys and told the enforcement officer he would apologise and refund the overpayment.
Mr Horgan told the court that, in total, the Kellys were overcharged by £13.35.
"It is a small amount but it is, of course, the principle to ensure there is no discrimination towards anyone who is wheelchair-bound," said Mr Horgan.
Sajid pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a duty to carry people using wheelchairs without making an additional charge, an offence under Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010, which came into force in April last year.
In a prepared statement read out in court Sajid told magistrates that this was the only complaint about him in the 31 years he has been a taxi driver.
"This has upset my reputation which I am very proud of," he said.
"I am sorry for the mistake and reading the wrong side of the fare card.
"I had no intention of overcharging passengers because one person had access needs."
Magistrates sentenced him to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay £200 towards prosecution costs, plus £13.35 in compensation.
Chairman of the bench David Hendry told him: "You have to understand that taxi drivers are under a duty of care to all their passengers and that, of course, includes disabled passengers."
However, he added: "It is important to recognise that you, Mr Sajid, have been a taxi driver in Bolton for 31 years without a blemish and you offered to apologise and reimburse the monies."
Mr Kelly has been wheelchair-bound for four years after having a leg amputated.
His wife welcomed the outcome of the court case and said she hopes it deters other drivers from overcharging and encourages more wheelchair users to complain if they are being treated unfairly.
"It is more the principle," she said.
"Why should we be charged double for the same journey?"
It is the first time Bolton Council has brought such a prosecution and executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel said: "We wrote out to every private hire and taxi driver last year to forewarn them about the new regulations contained in the Equality Act, and that we would not hesitate to enforce its provisions.
--------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH WALES
CABBIES who went on strike over a faulty app that overcharged customers have been sacked.
The 25 drivers working for V Cars were told the action was in response to a noisy protest outside the firm’s Groundwell headquarters on Monday that involved around 60 people.
In a letter to its drivers, Veezu, which owns the company said: “Unfortunately, a small minority of drivers have become disruptive. These actions are detrimental to the vast majority of drivers and affect not just the company’s reputation, but also all drivers’ work levels.”
Managing director for the south west and Wales, Ryan Owen, wrote: “These actions are not reasonable and as such we cannot condone or allow them to continue.
“We have a duty of care to our staff for their safety and wellbeing and to the majority of drivers to safeguard work levels.
“The drivers identified carrying out these actions are no longer associated with V Cars.
“Their accounts have been finalised and their private hire licences returned to the council offices for collection.”
He added: “V Cars now looks forward to finalising our driver feedback panel to engage with drivers constructively.
“We will continue to investigate concerns raised regarding the speed and signal strength of the equipment and look to decide on long term solutions shortly.”
The drivers refused to work on Monday claiming a new app that people could use to book taxis, was grossly overcharging customers and had not been fixed.
One case saw a passenger charged £120 for travelling from Wroughton to Old Town.
In a statement issued today V Cars Drivers’
Association said members were outraged with the way the firm had handled the issue.
“We have the right to protest and the management should respect our decision to do so," they said. "We are also a customer of the company as we pay for a service every week. We will be contacting the Citizen’s Advice Bureau because the way we have been treated is disgraceful.”
In the statement, they added: “Veezu has no proof to back up what they have said, if we were behaving in such a manner the police would have made arrests or dispersed us from the scene.”
Last week the drivers met the company in an attempt to resolve the issues, which included complaints that valuable jobs were only being given to favoured drivers. But it was without success.
At the time V Cars said it had received feedback from some drivers that they were experiencing signal and speed issues with the iCabbi app and that it had sent a team to Swindon to carry out testing.
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk
------------------------------------
Tuesday 17 April 2018
There's another Uber rival in London.
ViaVan, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and US ride-sharing startup Via, has launched in the capital to offer Londoners shared journeys on demand. Think of it as being a mix between UberPOOL (Uber's carpooling service) and a bus.
The idea is that you open an app and summon a ride, just as you would for Uber. ViaVan calculates the demand for your route, matches you up with passengers travelling at a similar time, and directs you somewhere to wait for your ride.
You're then dropped off somewhere near your destination without, ViaVan promises, a lengthy detour.
ViaVan doesn't offer individual rides, so you will always be sharing with others.
The service is only available in central London Zones 1 and 2 for now, with all rides in or out of Zone 1 costing £3. The company hasn't said how much it will start charging once the discount period is over.
It's a brave move given intense ridesharing competition in London — and the fact that two services, Uber and Taxify, have now lost their licences to operate in the city.
Chris Snyder, chief executive of ViaVan, told Business Insider that the service was properly licensed. He also said the service gave a higher commission to drivers and took their safety and wellbeing seriously.
"If you could look into the textbook on exactly how you should be licenced, that is how we are licensed," he told Business Insider. "It's just like Uber, Addison Lee, or any other private hire companies. We have been through a thorough process with [regulator] Transport for London. We are confident we will launch [on Wednesday], with the full blessing from the regulators."
London is ViaVan's first UK city, but it also operates in Amsterdam.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-rival-viavan-just-launched-in-london-2018-4
------------------------------------------------
CLEETHORPES
Another woman has been dumped in the street, alone and in the dead of night by a taxi after a night out in Cleethorpes.
People trying to get home after a night out in the resort have been urged to go to taxi ranks rather than hail cabs from the street.
A woman got in a taxi around 1.30am on Sunday after friends looked after her so she could get home safe. But she was kicked out when she felt ill, and left by the roadside as the taxi drove off.
The incident is the latest in Cleethorpes which has triggered concern about people being abandoned by taxis late at night before they have reached home.
Last week it emerged a woman was dumped in the street in Holton-le-Clay just yards where tragic teenager, Liam Toner was found dead in a ditch in December after being dropped by a taxi miles from his home Ulceby after a Christmas night out with workmates.
The 24-year-old taken in a red taxi, thinking she was getting a lift home to Louth. But the driver ordered her out of his taxi, despite her repeatedly telling him she had enough money to pay the fare.
Today a friend of the woman involved in the latest incident in Cleethorpes posted a message on Facebook alerting revellers to the incident.
She said friends had got the young woman into a taxi and given the driver £10 to take her to her home in Humberston. But on the way at Hewit Circus she complained about feeling unwell and was kicked out by the driver and told to walk the rest of the way.
The friend said: "My friend was put in a taxi at around 1.30am on Sunday . She was put in the taxi in the Market Place Cleethorpes to be taken home to Humberston. Her house is near the Grosvenor pub. My other friend had given the taxi driver £10 to take her home. On the drive home the friend who was in the taxi had said she felt sick. She wasn't sick though.
"So the taxi driver pulled over and kicked her out at Hewit Circus and told her 'to walk from here' and did not give her her change.
"It was around a 20 to 30 minute walk to her house. My friend was intoxicated but luckily enough she was able to know where she was going and aware enough to get home."
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/cleethorpes-taxi-dumps-young-woman-1469214
ViaVan, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and US ride-sharing startup Via, has launched in the capital to offer Londoners shared journeys on demand. Think of it as being a mix between UberPOOL (Uber's carpooling service) and a bus.
The idea is that you open an app and summon a ride, just as you would for Uber. ViaVan calculates the demand for your route, matches you up with passengers travelling at a similar time, and directs you somewhere to wait for your ride.
You're then dropped off somewhere near your destination without, ViaVan promises, a lengthy detour.
ViaVan doesn't offer individual rides, so you will always be sharing with others.
The service is only available in central London Zones 1 and 2 for now, with all rides in or out of Zone 1 costing £3. The company hasn't said how much it will start charging once the discount period is over.
It's a brave move given intense ridesharing competition in London — and the fact that two services, Uber and Taxify, have now lost their licences to operate in the city.
Chris Snyder, chief executive of ViaVan, told Business Insider that the service was properly licensed. He also said the service gave a higher commission to drivers and took their safety and wellbeing seriously.
"If you could look into the textbook on exactly how you should be licenced, that is how we are licensed," he told Business Insider. "It's just like Uber, Addison Lee, or any other private hire companies. We have been through a thorough process with [regulator] Transport for London. We are confident we will launch [on Wednesday], with the full blessing from the regulators."
London is ViaVan's first UK city, but it also operates in Amsterdam.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-rival-viavan-just-launched-in-london-2018-4
------------------------------------------------
CLEETHORPES
Another woman has been dumped in the street, alone and in the dead of night by a taxi after a night out in Cleethorpes.
People trying to get home after a night out in the resort have been urged to go to taxi ranks rather than hail cabs from the street.
A woman got in a taxi around 1.30am on Sunday after friends looked after her so she could get home safe. But she was kicked out when she felt ill, and left by the roadside as the taxi drove off.
The incident is the latest in Cleethorpes which has triggered concern about people being abandoned by taxis late at night before they have reached home.
Last week it emerged a woman was dumped in the street in Holton-le-Clay just yards where tragic teenager, Liam Toner was found dead in a ditch in December after being dropped by a taxi miles from his home Ulceby after a Christmas night out with workmates.
The 24-year-old taken in a red taxi, thinking she was getting a lift home to Louth. But the driver ordered her out of his taxi, despite her repeatedly telling him she had enough money to pay the fare.
Today a friend of the woman involved in the latest incident in Cleethorpes posted a message on Facebook alerting revellers to the incident.
She said friends had got the young woman into a taxi and given the driver £10 to take her to her home in Humberston. But on the way at Hewit Circus she complained about feeling unwell and was kicked out by the driver and told to walk the rest of the way.
The friend said: "My friend was put in a taxi at around 1.30am on Sunday . She was put in the taxi in the Market Place Cleethorpes to be taken home to Humberston. Her house is near the Grosvenor pub. My other friend had given the taxi driver £10 to take her home. On the drive home the friend who was in the taxi had said she felt sick. She wasn't sick though.
"So the taxi driver pulled over and kicked her out at Hewit Circus and told her 'to walk from here' and did not give her her change.
"It was around a 20 to 30 minute walk to her house. My friend was intoxicated but luckily enough she was able to know where she was going and aware enough to get home."
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/cleethorpes-taxi-dumps-young-woman-1469214
Monday 16 April 2018
OLDHAM
A taxi driver was left in agony when he was TASERED by passengers.
The 42-year-old was subjected to a vicious assault - including being shocked with a stun-gun - after asking two men for the fare upfront.
The thugs demanded the victim’s cash and keys in the attack - the latest in a string of incidents in which taxi drivers have been targeted by thugs.
The alarming incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday night.
He had picked up the two men - understood to be in their early to mid 20s from Willow Bank in Lees.
As he drove along Hanson Street, Oldham - he was victim to a brutal assault.
Speaking about the attack, the dad-of-four from Oldham, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I picked them up and they asked to be taken a short ride away. Then they changed where they wanted to go part way through the ride.
“So I asked them for the cash up front because I thought they might do a runner. That is something I would normally do if I doubted someone wouldn’t pay.
“They said they wouldn’t do that so gave me their phone as a deposit. But then all of a sudden they said ‘give me your money’.
“I said I didn’t have any money and they asked for my car keys. Then the lad in the back started punching me and so did the bloke in the passenger seat. Then I felt shocks all down my left side and realised the bloke in the back was tasering me.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
The man added: “I then managed to un-clip my seatbelt and get out of the car and I just threw my keys on the floor.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
“They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
http://bit.ly/2HtllQc
-------------------------------------------
ELECTRIFYING Questions in Parliament
James Frith Labour, Bury North
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what incentives the Government plans to provide for the purchase of electric cars; and what step his Department plans to take to stimulate the used electric car market.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 29 March 2018, cW)
Jesse Norman Jesse Norman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 in one of the most comprehensive global programmes of support for electric vehicles, with grants available for new plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charging point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.
The Government’s forthcoming zero emission road transport strategy, which will be published after the local elections, will set out its plans to support the UK transition to zero emission vehicles.
There is a developing market for second hand electric vehicles. Used electric vehicle motorists are able to take advantage of the favourable tax regime the Government has put in place and local initiatives such as free parking, as well as the Government’s grant schemes to assist with the cost of installing chargepoints.
---------------------------------------
It wants to resume its services in Bratislava as soon as possible.
A taxi driver was left in agony when he was TASERED by passengers.
The 42-year-old was subjected to a vicious assault - including being shocked with a stun-gun - after asking two men for the fare upfront.
The thugs demanded the victim’s cash and keys in the attack - the latest in a string of incidents in which taxi drivers have been targeted by thugs.
The alarming incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday night.
He had picked up the two men - understood to be in their early to mid 20s from Willow Bank in Lees.
As he drove along Hanson Street, Oldham - he was victim to a brutal assault.
Speaking about the attack, the dad-of-four from Oldham, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I picked them up and they asked to be taken a short ride away. Then they changed where they wanted to go part way through the ride.
“So I asked them for the cash up front because I thought they might do a runner. That is something I would normally do if I doubted someone wouldn’t pay.
“They said they wouldn’t do that so gave me their phone as a deposit. But then all of a sudden they said ‘give me your money’.
“I said I didn’t have any money and they asked for my car keys. Then the lad in the back started punching me and so did the bloke in the passenger seat. Then I felt shocks all down my left side and realised the bloke in the back was tasering me.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
The man added: “I then managed to un-clip my seatbelt and get out of the car and I just threw my keys on the floor.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
“They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
http://bit.ly/2HtllQc
-------------------------------------------
ELECTRIFYING Questions in Parliament
James Frith Labour, Bury North
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what incentives the Government plans to provide for the purchase of electric cars; and what step his Department plans to take to stimulate the used electric car market.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 29 March 2018, cW)
Jesse Norman Jesse Norman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 in one of the most comprehensive global programmes of support for electric vehicles, with grants available for new plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charging point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.
The Government’s forthcoming zero emission road transport strategy, which will be published after the local elections, will set out its plans to support the UK transition to zero emission vehicles.
There is a developing market for second hand electric vehicles. Used electric vehicle motorists are able to take advantage of the favourable tax regime the Government has put in place and local initiatives such as free parking, as well as the Government’s grant schemes to assist with the cost of installing chargepoints.
---------------------------------------
NORWICH
Late-night revellers are today being urged to double check if they are getting into a genuine taxi after a woman was sexually assaulted in Norwich.
Norfolk police is continuing its investigation into reports that a woman was attacked after being picked up by what she thought was a taxi on Sunday.
The woman, who is in her 20s, was assaulted at around 2.15am in the Norwich area on April 15.
Police said the victim was being supported at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) by specialist officers.
Now, councillors and black cab drivers in the city are urging people to ensure they are getting into a licenced vehicle.
Chris Herries, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for safer, stronger neighbourhoods, said the incident was “unsettling”.
“You should aways double check that you are getting into the taxi you have ordered,” she said.
“If it is a black cab then you know that hopefully it is going to be safe.
“But if it is a firm you are phoning, make sure you know the name of the company you have phoned and that the taxi is from them.”
Police said they had been working with the victim to obtain a full account as to what happened.
No further details about the exact location of the incident have been provided.
http://bit.ly/2JSanly
----------------------------------------------
Uber to appeal against court ban from operating taxi service in Slovakia
It wants to resume its services in Bratislava as soon as possible.
The US alternative taxi service Uber will appeal against a court order banning it from operating its taxi service in Slovakia via people and vehicles that fail to meet the requirements set by Slovak legislation. Miroslava Jozová, Uber’s spokeswoman for Slovakia and the Czech Republic, has informed.
The Bratislava I District Court failed to deliver the decision on the injunction correctly leaving room for appeal.
“The court informed us that the decision was not delivered correctly, so we now have the opportunity to appeal against it,” said Jozová, as cited by the TASR newswire on April 13. “At this point we are analysing the court’s decision and we will make an appeal as soon as possible because we believe that services such as Uber should be a standard part of the options for mobility in every modern city.”
Uber intends to do its utmost to return to Bratislava as soon as possible. Before its services were banned by the court, Uber was the most popular city mobility application in Bratislava, claims Jozova.
“A survey showed that over 80 percent of people in the Slovak capital want our application to remain here and function,” she said.
Uber had to stop operating its taxi service in Slovakia as it uses people and vehicles that fail to meet the requirements set by Slovak legislation. It’s also been banned from operating its taxi service with drivers that fail to meet the same conditions required from taxi drivers.
The Bratislava I District Court issued the respective verdict in mid-February and the company switched off its mobile application in Slovakia on March 27.
------------------------------------
Friday 13 April 2018
PRESIDENT TRUMP TENUOUS LINK TO TAXI FRAUD
The scope of the FBI raid in which records from Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney, were seized includes a look at his taxi businesses that he previously used as collateral to take out a business loan, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
As part of a wide-ranging FBI raid on Monday, agents sought records on transactions between Cohen and the New York-based Sterling National Bank. Cohen took out a business loan there in 2014, using his three taxi companies as collateral, The Post reported. The size of that business loan is not publicly known.
Although the medallions were worth more than $1 million in 2014, their values plummeted and are now worth about $300,000 today, due to the rise of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft, which have siphoned off a significant portion of customers from traditional taxi companies.
According to a report from The Post published earlier this week, Cohen is being investigated for bank fraud, wire fraud and violations of election law. He has a long history in the taxi business that predates his work with the Trump Organization, but investigators apparently have an interest in learning about it as they get a clearer picture of his business dealings.
In addition to records of Cohen's loan, the FBI also took records related to the $130,000 nondisclosure payment Cohen made to the adult-film actress, Stormy Daniels, shortly before the 2016 US presidential election. Investigators seized a computer, phone, personal financial records, and attorney-client communications.
"You could imagine a search warrant that describes that Michael Cohen got a loan from a bank to make a payment on Trump's behalf and made misrepresentations to the bank about how the money would be used," former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Bloomberg.
https://read.bi/2JIpCgU
Thursday 12 April 2018
CHESHIRE EAST
COUNCILLORS are urging the Government to close a loophole allowing cross-border taxi hiring in an effort to protect children.
At a Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was agreed that Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, will write to transport secretary Chris Grayling on the matter.
In his letter, Cllr Arnold will ask the Government to close the loopholes and ‘potential for abuse left open as a result of cross-border hiring’, while he will also ask the borough’s MPs to support the move.
“The current legislation relating to taxi licensing was written in 1847 and 1976,” he said.
“There are therefore various matters and situations that currently arise in today’s world that were not envisaged when the legislation was written.”
Government legislation in 2015 made cross-border taxi hiring easier, meaning vehicles licensed by other councils can lawfully work in east Cheshire without meeting CEC’s requirements, and this has become more common with the growth of mobile technology.
The council previously wrote to MPs stating its concerns about cross-border hiring, including the potential risk of child sexual exploitation, trafficking and drug dealing.
A report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting said it is not possible to establish if this risk exists in east Cheshire, and no complaints had been made to suggest this – but it highlights that investigations into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and Rotherham did identify the taxi trade as a risk.
Cllr Arnold added: “This is something, no matter what party, we [councillors] all feel strongly about this.
“The sooner we get these loopholes closed the better.”
The cabinet’s latest decision follows a motion tabled by Cllr Dorothy Flude, Labour member for Crewe South, at February’s full council meeting.
She called for all east Cheshire MPs to resubmit a bill on the matter in the House of Commons, which was ‘talked out’ by Sir Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch.
The report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting recommended that the Government ‘looked into how loopholes could be closed’, but Cllr Flude pushed for CEC to be tougher in its demands.
“I would like to ask the Government to close the loophole, not to consider how to close the loophole,” she said.
“Let’s not be under any illusions that it is not happening. There was a case of a person from Nantwich who was found guilty of doing this.”
The cabinet agreed to ask the Government to close the loophole, with CEC leader Cllr Rachel Bailey adding she has ‘no issues’ in doing so.
Fiona Bruce, Conservative MP for Congleton, previously urged Chris Grayling to resolve the matter before the Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in February.
http://bit.ly/2v8mYOr
---------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Private hire car passengers could be “at the mercy of unscrupulous, out-of-town” drivers plying for trade in Leeds, according to a councillor.
Coun Billy Flynn, a member of Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee, has drafted a report about concerns regarding “cross-border hiring” – drivers who are permitted to operate by one local authority but go to work in other areas.
The Conservative Adel and Wharfedale representative said: “I have been approached by representatives of the trade expressing serious concern about the potential danger to the travelling public of Leeds who can be at the mercy of unscrupulous, out of town taxi and private hire drivers working in the city.
“Despite several approaches to the council asking for tighter enforcement action, they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
“Although our own licensing standards are very high, this does not apply elsewhere.”
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “Working closely with partners, we remain committed and have a robust enforcement approach in place to tackling those taxi and private hire drivers from outside Leeds who are picking up illegally. This includes the council’s enforcement team working closely with two specialised police officers to tackle specifically this problem”.
Prosecutions have already been brought against out of town drivers for plying for hire and other offences since the a 12-month pilot started in October 2017, he said.
http://bit.ly/2GXj1xp
COUNCILLORS are urging the Government to close a loophole allowing cross-border taxi hiring in an effort to protect children.
At a Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was agreed that Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, will write to transport secretary Chris Grayling on the matter.
In his letter, Cllr Arnold will ask the Government to close the loopholes and ‘potential for abuse left open as a result of cross-border hiring’, while he will also ask the borough’s MPs to support the move.
“The current legislation relating to taxi licensing was written in 1847 and 1976,” he said.
“There are therefore various matters and situations that currently arise in today’s world that were not envisaged when the legislation was written.”
Government legislation in 2015 made cross-border taxi hiring easier, meaning vehicles licensed by other councils can lawfully work in east Cheshire without meeting CEC’s requirements, and this has become more common with the growth of mobile technology.
The council previously wrote to MPs stating its concerns about cross-border hiring, including the potential risk of child sexual exploitation, trafficking and drug dealing.
A report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting said it is not possible to establish if this risk exists in east Cheshire, and no complaints had been made to suggest this – but it highlights that investigations into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and Rotherham did identify the taxi trade as a risk.
Cllr Arnold added: “This is something, no matter what party, we [councillors] all feel strongly about this.
“The sooner we get these loopholes closed the better.”
The cabinet’s latest decision follows a motion tabled by Cllr Dorothy Flude, Labour member for Crewe South, at February’s full council meeting.
She called for all east Cheshire MPs to resubmit a bill on the matter in the House of Commons, which was ‘talked out’ by Sir Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch.
The report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting recommended that the Government ‘looked into how loopholes could be closed’, but Cllr Flude pushed for CEC to be tougher in its demands.
“I would like to ask the Government to close the loophole, not to consider how to close the loophole,” she said.
“Let’s not be under any illusions that it is not happening. There was a case of a person from Nantwich who was found guilty of doing this.”
The cabinet agreed to ask the Government to close the loophole, with CEC leader Cllr Rachel Bailey adding she has ‘no issues’ in doing so.
Fiona Bruce, Conservative MP for Congleton, previously urged Chris Grayling to resolve the matter before the Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in February.
http://bit.ly/2v8mYOr
---------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Private hire car passengers could be “at the mercy of unscrupulous, out-of-town” drivers plying for trade in Leeds, according to a councillor.
Coun Billy Flynn, a member of Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee, has drafted a report about concerns regarding “cross-border hiring” – drivers who are permitted to operate by one local authority but go to work in other areas.
The Conservative Adel and Wharfedale representative said: “I have been approached by representatives of the trade expressing serious concern about the potential danger to the travelling public of Leeds who can be at the mercy of unscrupulous, out of town taxi and private hire drivers working in the city.
“Despite several approaches to the council asking for tighter enforcement action, they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
“Although our own licensing standards are very high, this does not apply elsewhere.”
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “Working closely with partners, we remain committed and have a robust enforcement approach in place to tackling those taxi and private hire drivers from outside Leeds who are picking up illegally. This includes the council’s enforcement team working closely with two specialised police officers to tackle specifically this problem”.
Prosecutions have already been brought against out of town drivers for plying for hire and other offences since the a 12-month pilot started in October 2017, he said.
http://bit.ly/2GXj1xp
Wednesday 11 April 2018
DUNDEE APP BREAKS THE LAW
Taxi drivers have slammed an app which “confuses” customers into paying large sums for short journeys.
The taxisdundee.co.uk app is one of the first which appears on popular internet search engines when users search for “Dundee taxis”.
The website, operated by a Netherlands-registered company called Taxi Code, offers visitors the chance to check how much a journey will cost between two points and pay for the booking. The prices offered by the app far exceed what would be charged by a conventional, licensed taxi.
The Dundee Taxi Association warned tourists flocking to the city to see the V&A could be left with a sour taste if they book a taxi through the app.
Disabled accessible taxis appear to cost at least £4 more per booking, which flies in the face of Dundee City Council’s rules.
Taxi driver Graham Pert is a licensed driver who picked up a customer who had previously used the app.
“I took the lady from Pitkerro Road to Guthrie Street, which cost about £5,” he said.
“She then said she had paid £14 to do the same journey earlier.”
Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Taxi Association, said it was concerning companies were “getting away” with charging such prices.
He said: “It’s not just that they are taking more money than they should which is worrying, but that people will be put off booking taxis and using cabs if they see the prices advertised and think they are a rip-off.
“A visitor from overseas might do a quick search on their smart phone before visiting, see how much is being charged, then decide not to use a taxi.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council confirmed the local authority is now investigating the claims.
http://bit.ly/2GUEWFt
Taxi drivers have slammed an app which “confuses” customers into paying large sums for short journeys.
The taxisdundee.co.uk app is one of the first which appears on popular internet search engines when users search for “Dundee taxis”.
The website, operated by a Netherlands-registered company called Taxi Code, offers visitors the chance to check how much a journey will cost between two points and pay for the booking. The prices offered by the app far exceed what would be charged by a conventional, licensed taxi.
The Dundee Taxi Association warned tourists flocking to the city to see the V&A could be left with a sour taste if they book a taxi through the app.
Disabled accessible taxis appear to cost at least £4 more per booking, which flies in the face of Dundee City Council’s rules.
Taxi driver Graham Pert is a licensed driver who picked up a customer who had previously used the app.
“I took the lady from Pitkerro Road to Guthrie Street, which cost about £5,” he said.
“She then said she had paid £14 to do the same journey earlier.”
Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Taxi Association, said it was concerning companies were “getting away” with charging such prices.
He said: “It’s not just that they are taking more money than they should which is worrying, but that people will be put off booking taxis and using cabs if they see the prices advertised and think they are a rip-off.
“A visitor from overseas might do a quick search on their smart phone before visiting, see how much is being charged, then decide not to use a taxi.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council confirmed the local authority is now investigating the claims.
http://bit.ly/2GUEWFt
Tuesday 10 April 2018
BOLTON
TAXI drivers went on strike today over an ongoing licensing dispute.
The group of nearly 100 people gathered outside Bolton Town Hall and presented a petition to Bolton Council.
Asif Vali, chairman of the Private Hire Operators Association, led the protests, which focused on changes to the council policy which could see some drivers lose their licenses.
Town Hall bosses have said the issue is a matter of public safety and the changes are about dealing with a minority of drivers.
Mr Vali said that the protesters agreed that any sex offenders should have their licenses taken away but that it was “unfair” to target those with lesser spent or historical convictions.
He added: “Some of these convictions are going back 15, 20 or 25 years when drivers were younger, and they did silly things like we all do.”
He went on to say that the drivers had gathered more than 700 signatures and wanted to meet with council bosses within the week.
But Cllr Nick Peel, cabinet member for environmental services, says the council will not be swayed by strike action.
He said: “It’s a complete fabrication that licenses are being taken away for minor issues. I want to make it absolutely clear that we will not back down.”
A council spokesman said that they had been in contact with both the Private Hire Operators Association and Hackney Drivers Association and would be discussing the issues.
They added: “The policy enables Licensing Committee to consider police intelligence, criminal convictions and complaints when making a decision about granting or renewing a license.
“We would like to reassure the public that we will continue to take robust action and if they have concerns about drivers they can report these to us.
“Similarly if a driver is unhappy with any licensing decision they have the right of appeal to both Bolton Magistrates and Crown Courts.”
The policy changes came into force in 2016 but several drivers had their licenses revoked after a council review earlier this year.
Strike action had been threatened last week, and Mr Vali says that the strike could just be the first move in further action.
However, the decision was not supported by all taxi and private hire drivers, with Charles Oakes, who runs the Hackney Drivers Association, criticising the strike.
He said: “Nothing ever comes about in this trade because of striking. All you are doing is hurting the people that you are suppose to be doing a service for.
“Sometimes councils don’t get it right but striking is not the answer.”
http://bit.ly/2qmZeRM
TAXI drivers went on strike today over an ongoing licensing dispute.
The group of nearly 100 people gathered outside Bolton Town Hall and presented a petition to Bolton Council.
Asif Vali, chairman of the Private Hire Operators Association, led the protests, which focused on changes to the council policy which could see some drivers lose their licenses.
Town Hall bosses have said the issue is a matter of public safety and the changes are about dealing with a minority of drivers.
Mr Vali said that the protesters agreed that any sex offenders should have their licenses taken away but that it was “unfair” to target those with lesser spent or historical convictions.
He added: “Some of these convictions are going back 15, 20 or 25 years when drivers were younger, and they did silly things like we all do.”
He went on to say that the drivers had gathered more than 700 signatures and wanted to meet with council bosses within the week.
But Cllr Nick Peel, cabinet member for environmental services, says the council will not be swayed by strike action.
He said: “It’s a complete fabrication that licenses are being taken away for minor issues. I want to make it absolutely clear that we will not back down.”
A council spokesman said that they had been in contact with both the Private Hire Operators Association and Hackney Drivers Association and would be discussing the issues.
They added: “The policy enables Licensing Committee to consider police intelligence, criminal convictions and complaints when making a decision about granting or renewing a license.
“We would like to reassure the public that we will continue to take robust action and if they have concerns about drivers they can report these to us.
“Similarly if a driver is unhappy with any licensing decision they have the right of appeal to both Bolton Magistrates and Crown Courts.”
The policy changes came into force in 2016 but several drivers had their licenses revoked after a council review earlier this year.
Strike action had been threatened last week, and Mr Vali says that the strike could just be the first move in further action.
However, the decision was not supported by all taxi and private hire drivers, with Charles Oakes, who runs the Hackney Drivers Association, criticising the strike.
He said: “Nothing ever comes about in this trade because of striking. All you are doing is hurting the people that you are suppose to be doing a service for.
“Sometimes councils don’t get it right but striking is not the answer.”
http://bit.ly/2qmZeRM
Monday 9 April 2018
BOLTON
Taxi drivers are prepared to take industrial action tomorrow over the council's licensing policy.
The announcement of a potential strike comes after town hall chiefs carried out a review, which resulted in a number of drivers having their licences revoked after historical convictions were discovered.
Asif Vali, chairman of the Private Hire Operators Association, said drivers were prepared to take industrial action tomorrow at 11.00 am to hand over a petition, signed by over 800 private hire drivers.
Mr Vali said: "Private Hire drivers consider the new policy to be unfair and unreasonable.
"It has been implemented with a lack of balance and transparency to the detriment of individual drivers and the Private Hire trade, without any evidence that it will contribute to the safety of passengers."
"The Council have been aware for some years of the past offences of some drivers as CRB/DBS and Enhanced CRB/DBS checks have been carried out.
"The change in policy has now resulted in the immediate revocation of some drivers licenses even though the council have been aware of past offences, for example, when these drivers have appeared before the Licensing Sub-Committee who permitted them to continue to drive, deeming them fit and proper persons."
But Cllr Nick Peel, cabinet member for environmental services, said: “The licensing authority in Bolton is determined to do its best to get rid of that small minority of drivers who are giving the rest bad name, and if the Private Hire Association thinks that by taking strike action it will deter us then they have got it completely wrong.”
http://bit.ly/2HqYUc9
------------------------------------------
HECKMONDWIKE
A taxi driver who sped away from police said he panicked because he had used cocaine earlier.
The officers were forced to chase Nasser Iqbal as he accelerated to 20mph above the speed limit, ignoring a give way sign and hitting a kerb.
The 35-year-old has since lost his job as a taxi driver after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Iqbal had caught the attention of police as he drove around Heckmondwike shortly before 1am on March 7.
The officers were heading in the opposite direction but turned around and followed his VW Golf.
Prosecutor Andy Wills said: “They activated their blue lights and sirens but instead the vehicle accelerated away.
“(Iqbal) was driving in excess of 50mph in a 30mph limit area.”
He continued to ignore the speed limit as he turned onto Redfearn Avenue, then Wood Avenue and immediately onto Hadfield Road.
Iqbal continued at an increased speed through a give way sign, making no attempt to slow down.
Mr Wills said that he then headed onto Leeside Road where he hit a kerb and continued to accelerate for a while before pulling over and stopping of his own accord.
The prosecutor told magistrates: “He said he didn’t stop because he was scared as he’d used cocaine earlier in the day.
“The defendant told the officers: ‘I drove away. I thought I could get away and I put my hands up - I’m sorry.”
Despite admitting to taking the class A drug an impairment test showed that Iqbal, of Pilgrim Crescent in Dewsbury Moor, was not under the influence while he was driving.
He held a previous related conviction dating back to 2006 for failing to supply a specimen of breath for analysis.
Paul Blanchard, mitigating, said that his client had taken cocaine the night previously while he was out with friends.
He told magistrates that Iqbal previously had an “intense cocaine habit” but has not used the drug since his arrest in March.
Mr Blanchard said that Iqbal was working as a taxi driver but lost his job following the offence and is currently claiming benefits.
He added: “Police didn’t have to take significant action to bring him to a stop.
“It seems to have been a relatively short pursuit and no vehicles had to take evasive action.”
http://bit.ly/2uWL5iO
Taxi drivers are prepared to take industrial action tomorrow over the council's licensing policy.
The announcement of a potential strike comes after town hall chiefs carried out a review, which resulted in a number of drivers having their licences revoked after historical convictions were discovered.
Asif Vali, chairman of the Private Hire Operators Association, said drivers were prepared to take industrial action tomorrow at 11.00 am to hand over a petition, signed by over 800 private hire drivers.
Mr Vali said: "Private Hire drivers consider the new policy to be unfair and unreasonable.
"It has been implemented with a lack of balance and transparency to the detriment of individual drivers and the Private Hire trade, without any evidence that it will contribute to the safety of passengers."
"The Council have been aware for some years of the past offences of some drivers as CRB/DBS and Enhanced CRB/DBS checks have been carried out.
"The change in policy has now resulted in the immediate revocation of some drivers licenses even though the council have been aware of past offences, for example, when these drivers have appeared before the Licensing Sub-Committee who permitted them to continue to drive, deeming them fit and proper persons."
But Cllr Nick Peel, cabinet member for environmental services, said: “The licensing authority in Bolton is determined to do its best to get rid of that small minority of drivers who are giving the rest bad name, and if the Private Hire Association thinks that by taking strike action it will deter us then they have got it completely wrong.”
http://bit.ly/2HqYUc9
------------------------------------------
HECKMONDWIKE
A taxi driver who sped away from police said he panicked because he had used cocaine earlier.
The officers were forced to chase Nasser Iqbal as he accelerated to 20mph above the speed limit, ignoring a give way sign and hitting a kerb.
The 35-year-old has since lost his job as a taxi driver after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Iqbal had caught the attention of police as he drove around Heckmondwike shortly before 1am on March 7.
The officers were heading in the opposite direction but turned around and followed his VW Golf.
Prosecutor Andy Wills said: “They activated their blue lights and sirens but instead the vehicle accelerated away.
“(Iqbal) was driving in excess of 50mph in a 30mph limit area.”
He continued to ignore the speed limit as he turned onto Redfearn Avenue, then Wood Avenue and immediately onto Hadfield Road.
Iqbal continued at an increased speed through a give way sign, making no attempt to slow down.
Mr Wills said that he then headed onto Leeside Road where he hit a kerb and continued to accelerate for a while before pulling over and stopping of his own accord.
The prosecutor told magistrates: “He said he didn’t stop because he was scared as he’d used cocaine earlier in the day.
“The defendant told the officers: ‘I drove away. I thought I could get away and I put my hands up - I’m sorry.”
Despite admitting to taking the class A drug an impairment test showed that Iqbal, of Pilgrim Crescent in Dewsbury Moor, was not under the influence while he was driving.
He held a previous related conviction dating back to 2006 for failing to supply a specimen of breath for analysis.
Paul Blanchard, mitigating, said that his client had taken cocaine the night previously while he was out with friends.
He told magistrates that Iqbal previously had an “intense cocaine habit” but has not used the drug since his arrest in March.
Mr Blanchard said that Iqbal was working as a taxi driver but lost his job following the offence and is currently claiming benefits.
He added: “Police didn’t have to take significant action to bring him to a stop.
“It seems to have been a relatively short pursuit and no vehicles had to take evasive action.”
http://bit.ly/2uWL5iO
Sunday 8 April 2018
Hartlepool MP Mike Hill has welcomed a decision by Hartlepool licensing chiefs to look at taxi laws to help keep convicted drivers off the roads.
The Mail reported last week how councillors hope to address loopholes which currently allow drivers convicted of crimes and have had their licences revoked to continue working by getting one from a neighbouring licensing authority or to drive larger minibuses instead.
Concerns were raised on the issue at the last meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council’s licensing committee.
Councillor Rob Cook, who represents De Bruce ward, quoted a recent article by the Local Government Association (LGA) which stated it will continue to campaign for more rigorous laws after an attempt to change the law in Parliament failed.
Despite the failure, a database of drivers who have been banned, refused or had a licence suspended is due to come into effect.
But a failed Private Members’ Bill would have boosted enforcement powers of local authorities.
Now, town MP Mike Hill has given his backing to councillors looking to address the issue.
He said: “The council are absolutely right to expose this loophole and seek to tighten up on local taxi licensing regulations.
“Long established local taxi companies in Hartlepool have worked hard to maintain good reputations and always aim to recruit the right people, but you can never be sure and especially in light of the John Worboys case it’s wise to be vigilant.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there should be a red flag system introduced via a national database to alert potential employers and licensing authorities that an applicant has a conviction or ban.
“That way we are not only protecting the public, but also legitimate licenced taxi companies themselves.
“The fact also that a loophole in the law allows for drivers with convictions to drive minibuses as public hire vehicles needs to be addressed and I will be doing my very best to support any measures to rectify this.”
http://bit.ly/2v2TTnc
----------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK
An illegal taxi driver has been arrested for trying to kidnap a woman after allegedly hustling her into his car at JFK then locking the doors when she tried to leave.
Livery driver Daniel Todaro, 61, was arrested after approaching the woman at 1am on Friday and offering her a ride.
He was already banned from the New York City airport but had returned to pose as a legitimate taxi driver.
After leading the woman to his car, the pair got into an argument once inside.
The woman was heard screaming by police who approached the vehicle after Todaro allegedly locked the doors.
He tried to flee but was caught.
He was charged with unlawful imprisonment, criminal trespass and unlawful solicitation.
He was released without bond on Sunday.
https://dailym.ai/2qj7aCz
-------------------------------------------------
A main Huddersfield road was shut after a man was knocked unconscious in a road accident.
The pedestrian in his mid 30s was injured when he was struck by a taxi close to a pedestrian crossing in Salendine Nook early today.
The accident happened just before 4am on New Hey Road near to Salendine Nook High School and involved a grey-coloured VW Jetta taxi.
The car is operated by Woods Taxis which is based at the nearby Salendine Nook Shopping Centre
West Yorkshire Police Duty Inspector Carlton Young said that in the immediate aftermath several drivers blocked the road off to protect the injured man.
New Hey Road was shut from its junction with Crosland Road towards the M62 roundabout while police accident investigators worked at the scene.
Traffic was diverted on to Lindley Moor Road.
A 37-year-old man who lives on New Road said: “I heard anti-lock brakes kicking in and then a thud. I rang the police and a guy in an Audi TT was trying to help the injured man. His head banged on the windscreen and he was out cold for 20 minutes. There was some blood but not that much. I think the taxi driver decelerated at the last minute.”
http://bit.ly/2HliG8K
The Mail reported last week how councillors hope to address loopholes which currently allow drivers convicted of crimes and have had their licences revoked to continue working by getting one from a neighbouring licensing authority or to drive larger minibuses instead.
Concerns were raised on the issue at the last meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council’s licensing committee.
Councillor Rob Cook, who represents De Bruce ward, quoted a recent article by the Local Government Association (LGA) which stated it will continue to campaign for more rigorous laws after an attempt to change the law in Parliament failed.
Despite the failure, a database of drivers who have been banned, refused or had a licence suspended is due to come into effect.
But a failed Private Members’ Bill would have boosted enforcement powers of local authorities.
Now, town MP Mike Hill has given his backing to councillors looking to address the issue.
He said: “The council are absolutely right to expose this loophole and seek to tighten up on local taxi licensing regulations.
“Long established local taxi companies in Hartlepool have worked hard to maintain good reputations and always aim to recruit the right people, but you can never be sure and especially in light of the John Worboys case it’s wise to be vigilant.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there should be a red flag system introduced via a national database to alert potential employers and licensing authorities that an applicant has a conviction or ban.
“That way we are not only protecting the public, but also legitimate licenced taxi companies themselves.
“The fact also that a loophole in the law allows for drivers with convictions to drive minibuses as public hire vehicles needs to be addressed and I will be doing my very best to support any measures to rectify this.”
http://bit.ly/2v2TTnc
----------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK
An illegal taxi driver has been arrested for trying to kidnap a woman after allegedly hustling her into his car at JFK then locking the doors when she tried to leave.
Livery driver Daniel Todaro, 61, was arrested after approaching the woman at 1am on Friday and offering her a ride.
He was already banned from the New York City airport but had returned to pose as a legitimate taxi driver.
After leading the woman to his car, the pair got into an argument once inside.
The woman was heard screaming by police who approached the vehicle after Todaro allegedly locked the doors.
He tried to flee but was caught.
He was charged with unlawful imprisonment, criminal trespass and unlawful solicitation.
He was released without bond on Sunday.
https://dailym.ai/2qj7aCz
-------------------------------------------------
A main Huddersfield road was shut after a man was knocked unconscious in a road accident.
The pedestrian in his mid 30s was injured when he was struck by a taxi close to a pedestrian crossing in Salendine Nook early today.
The accident happened just before 4am on New Hey Road near to Salendine Nook High School and involved a grey-coloured VW Jetta taxi.
The car is operated by Woods Taxis which is based at the nearby Salendine Nook Shopping Centre
West Yorkshire Police Duty Inspector Carlton Young said that in the immediate aftermath several drivers blocked the road off to protect the injured man.
New Hey Road was shut from its junction with Crosland Road towards the M62 roundabout while police accident investigators worked at the scene.
Traffic was diverted on to Lindley Moor Road.
A 37-year-old man who lives on New Road said: “I heard anti-lock brakes kicking in and then a thud. I rang the police and a guy in an Audi TT was trying to help the injured man. His head banged on the windscreen and he was out cold for 20 minutes. There was some blood but not that much. I think the taxi driver decelerated at the last minute.”
http://bit.ly/2HliG8K
Friday 6 April 2018
WOLVERHAMPTON
Fury at 'joke' loophole as 4,000 out-of-town taxi drivers given Wolverhampton licences
More than 4,000 taxi drivers from outside Wolverhampton have been granted licences in one year by the city's council – up from 60 just five years ago.
Drivers from across the country are flocking to the city council for licences because of its fast online application process, which takes 20 working days or less and costs just £69, and the fact that once they have their licence they are not required to operate in Wolverhampton.
It has been branded a ‘joke’ by Shaz Saleem – who is the adviser for the West Midland Drivers’ Association, which looks after 4,000 drivers.
Mr Saleem said customers across the Black Country are being put at risk by the council’s poor standards.
Mr Saleem also said some taxi drivers were taking advantage of a ‘loophole’ in cross-border rules, which allows applicants to receive new licences in Wolverhampton despite having it revoked by other councils.
Cost
Drivers cannot apply online in Walsall or Sandwell. But they can submit their application online in Dudley.
However they are all more expensive than Wolverhampton.
In Walsall an application for a private hire licence costs £102, in Sandwell it is £153 and Dudley £242.77.
Licensing manager at Wolverhampton council Chris Howell said: “Wolverhampton council has invested in a state-of-the-art online system which enables us to process licences much faster than most other areas.
“This makes us an attractive proposition to drivers and we cannot turn them away, providing they meet our stringent standards.
"Our standards are among the best anywhere in the country and have been recognised by the Home Office which has urged other areas to adopt our guidelines."
Lucrative
It has proved lucrative for the council which made £1.29 million from taxi licensing in 2016/17.
Figures released following a freedom of information request revealed 4,168 private hire licences – for cars that have to be booked in advance by passengers – were issued to people living out of the city by the council last year.
It is a 6,847 per cent rise from 2013. Meanwhile 927 private hire licences were handed to drivers living in Wolverhampton.
In 2013, the council issued 60 private hire licences to drivers outside the city and 510 to Wolverhampton residents, the data showed.
Mr Saleem, the chairman of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: “It’s a joke. Across the Black Country, this is a serious issue.
"Public safety has to be the most important thing.”
Liberal Democrat campaigner Mr Jenkins said: “The council is handing out licences like sweets.”
Deregulation
The Deregulation Act 2015 means private hire operators and drivers can choose where they apply for their licences.
All applicants are required to undertake a ‘robust’ driver training programme and pass a written assessment, the council said.
Figures also showed Hackney Carriage licences – for black cabs that can be hailed on the street – were dished out to 155 Wolverhampton residents last year and just 26 to people out of the area.
In 2013, the council issued 144 of these licences to city residents and 20 to drivers outside the city.
http://bit.ly/2qaY0YI
Fury at 'joke' loophole as 4,000 out-of-town taxi drivers given Wolverhampton licences
More than 4,000 taxi drivers from outside Wolverhampton have been granted licences in one year by the city's council – up from 60 just five years ago.
Drivers from across the country are flocking to the city council for licences because of its fast online application process, which takes 20 working days or less and costs just £69, and the fact that once they have their licence they are not required to operate in Wolverhampton.
It has been branded a ‘joke’ by Shaz Saleem – who is the adviser for the West Midland Drivers’ Association, which looks after 4,000 drivers.
Mr Saleem said customers across the Black Country are being put at risk by the council’s poor standards.
Mr Saleem also said some taxi drivers were taking advantage of a ‘loophole’ in cross-border rules, which allows applicants to receive new licences in Wolverhampton despite having it revoked by other councils.
Cost
Drivers cannot apply online in Walsall or Sandwell. But they can submit their application online in Dudley.
However they are all more expensive than Wolverhampton.
In Walsall an application for a private hire licence costs £102, in Sandwell it is £153 and Dudley £242.77.
Licensing manager at Wolverhampton council Chris Howell said: “Wolverhampton council has invested in a state-of-the-art online system which enables us to process licences much faster than most other areas.
“This makes us an attractive proposition to drivers and we cannot turn them away, providing they meet our stringent standards.
"Our standards are among the best anywhere in the country and have been recognised by the Home Office which has urged other areas to adopt our guidelines."
Lucrative
It has proved lucrative for the council which made £1.29 million from taxi licensing in 2016/17.
Figures released following a freedom of information request revealed 4,168 private hire licences – for cars that have to be booked in advance by passengers – were issued to people living out of the city by the council last year.
It is a 6,847 per cent rise from 2013. Meanwhile 927 private hire licences were handed to drivers living in Wolverhampton.
In 2013, the council issued 60 private hire licences to drivers outside the city and 510 to Wolverhampton residents, the data showed.
Mr Saleem, the chairman of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: “It’s a joke. Across the Black Country, this is a serious issue.
"Public safety has to be the most important thing.”
Liberal Democrat campaigner Mr Jenkins said: “The council is handing out licences like sweets.”
Deregulation
The Deregulation Act 2015 means private hire operators and drivers can choose where they apply for their licences.
All applicants are required to undertake a ‘robust’ driver training programme and pass a written assessment, the council said.
Figures also showed Hackney Carriage licences – for black cabs that can be hailed on the street – were dished out to 155 Wolverhampton residents last year and just 26 to people out of the area.
In 2013, the council issued 144 of these licences to city residents and 20 to drivers outside the city.
http://bit.ly/2qaY0YI
Thursday 5 April 2018
SOUTH WALES
TAXI firm V Cars is apparently having trouble with its new app software since launching it nearly a month ago, which has resulted in a potential backlash against the company.
Since switching its bookings app to one called ‘icabbi’ there have been claims that customers are being overcharged. With the new app, the meter cannot be manually adjusted when a driver notices an error.
V Cars was last year taken over by a group owned by Veezu, a company which established itself in 2013.
A driver for the taxi firm, who wished to remain anonymous, commented: “With the new owners taking over it seems the drivers are being overlooked and it is us [the drivers] who are feeling the backlash from this.
“The app is screwing up everything. It is overcharging customers and even taking us to the wrong address on some occasions.
“If I am being honest it is sad to see a firm like this going that way.”
Now drivers from V Cars say they are planning a protest next week outside the company’s offices at Groundwell to show their dissatisfaction at how they are being treated.
It is alleged that several drivers have left the firm, and that others fear for their jobs.
A group called the The V Cars Driver Association has backed the idea of a protest.
Another driver who contacted the Adver, also wishing to remain anonymous, told of the preparations he has made ahead of the protest.
“To be ready for this I will need to get legal help and advice. I am already looking to contact other taxi associations around the UK. Any information I can get will help me greatly.”
When asked about problems with the app, Ryan Owen, managing director for South West and Wales at Veezu, replied: “V-Cars is committed to providing the best possible service for customers, and the drivers that work with us, and takes any allegations of over-charging extremely seriously.
“If a driver has a query on a specific fare, they can contact the call centre at any time to amend the job and rectify any issue.
“We have thoroughly tested the performance of the new app over the last three weeks and have not found any problems, nor have we received any direct complaints about this issue.
“If any customers feel that they may have been over-charged for their journey, we encourage them to call the main V-Cars number to allow us to look into their concern as a matter of priority.”
http://bit.ly/2GCFRtP
---------------------------------------------
ATHENS (Reuters) - Ride-hailing service Uber said on Thursday it would suspend its licensed service in Greece after the approval of local legislation which imposes stricter regulation on the sector.
Uber, which operates a licensed service in the Greek capital, has faced opposition from local taxi drivers who accuse it of taking their business.
“New local regulations were voted on recently with provisions that impact ride-sharing services,” Uber said in a blog post. “We have to assess if and how we can operate within this new framework and so will be suspending uberX in Athens from next Tuesday until we can find an appropriate solution.”
Uber operates two services in Athens: UberX, which uses professional licensed drivers, and UberTAXI, which uses taxi drivers.
The new regulations require each trip to start and end in the fleet partner’s designated headquarters or parking area, something Uber does not do. A digital registry of all ride-sharing platforms and their passengers will also be created.
The company launched in Europe in 2011, angering some local authorities and taxi drivers who said it did not abide by the same rules on insurance, licensing and safety.
Following widespread protests, court battles and bans, Uber has taken a more emollient stance under its new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, suspending operations in various cities in order to comply with local regulations.
UberX launched in Athens in 2015 and more than 450,000 people have used its smartphone app to book a ride. News of the new regulation last year angered some Athenians and tens of thousands signed a petition launched by Beat - a local ride-sharing service - in favor of ride-hailing services.
UberX drivers have to be employed by fleet partners such as car rental companies or tourist agencies and their cars could not be more than seven years old.
The data registry and return-to-garage requirement will only apply to ride-hailing services like Uber and Beat, while taxi drivers will be able to use cars that are up to 22 years old.
https://reut.rs/2EnxBw1
TAXI firm V Cars is apparently having trouble with its new app software since launching it nearly a month ago, which has resulted in a potential backlash against the company.
Since switching its bookings app to one called ‘icabbi’ there have been claims that customers are being overcharged. With the new app, the meter cannot be manually adjusted when a driver notices an error.
V Cars was last year taken over by a group owned by Veezu, a company which established itself in 2013.
A driver for the taxi firm, who wished to remain anonymous, commented: “With the new owners taking over it seems the drivers are being overlooked and it is us [the drivers] who are feeling the backlash from this.
“The app is screwing up everything. It is overcharging customers and even taking us to the wrong address on some occasions.
“If I am being honest it is sad to see a firm like this going that way.”
Now drivers from V Cars say they are planning a protest next week outside the company’s offices at Groundwell to show their dissatisfaction at how they are being treated.
It is alleged that several drivers have left the firm, and that others fear for their jobs.
A group called the The V Cars Driver Association has backed the idea of a protest.
Another driver who contacted the Adver, also wishing to remain anonymous, told of the preparations he has made ahead of the protest.
“To be ready for this I will need to get legal help and advice. I am already looking to contact other taxi associations around the UK. Any information I can get will help me greatly.”
When asked about problems with the app, Ryan Owen, managing director for South West and Wales at Veezu, replied: “V-Cars is committed to providing the best possible service for customers, and the drivers that work with us, and takes any allegations of over-charging extremely seriously.
“If a driver has a query on a specific fare, they can contact the call centre at any time to amend the job and rectify any issue.
“We have thoroughly tested the performance of the new app over the last three weeks and have not found any problems, nor have we received any direct complaints about this issue.
“If any customers feel that they may have been over-charged for their journey, we encourage them to call the main V-Cars number to allow us to look into their concern as a matter of priority.”
http://bit.ly/2GCFRtP
---------------------------------------------
ATHENS (Reuters) - Ride-hailing service Uber said on Thursday it would suspend its licensed service in Greece after the approval of local legislation which imposes stricter regulation on the sector.
Uber, which operates a licensed service in the Greek capital, has faced opposition from local taxi drivers who accuse it of taking their business.
“New local regulations were voted on recently with provisions that impact ride-sharing services,” Uber said in a blog post. “We have to assess if and how we can operate within this new framework and so will be suspending uberX in Athens from next Tuesday until we can find an appropriate solution.”
Uber operates two services in Athens: UberX, which uses professional licensed drivers, and UberTAXI, which uses taxi drivers.
The new regulations require each trip to start and end in the fleet partner’s designated headquarters or parking area, something Uber does not do. A digital registry of all ride-sharing platforms and their passengers will also be created.
The company launched in Europe in 2011, angering some local authorities and taxi drivers who said it did not abide by the same rules on insurance, licensing and safety.
Following widespread protests, court battles and bans, Uber has taken a more emollient stance under its new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, suspending operations in various cities in order to comply with local regulations.
UberX launched in Athens in 2015 and more than 450,000 people have used its smartphone app to book a ride. News of the new regulation last year angered some Athenians and tens of thousands signed a petition launched by Beat - a local ride-sharing service - in favor of ride-hailing services.
UberX drivers have to be employed by fleet partners such as car rental companies or tourist agencies and their cars could not be more than seven years old.
The data registry and return-to-garage requirement will only apply to ride-hailing services like Uber and Beat, while taxi drivers will be able to use cars that are up to 22 years old.
https://reut.rs/2EnxBw1
Wednesday 4 April 2018
Detectives in Westminster are appealing for witnesses and information after a woman was repeatedly hit with a bottle in the back of a taxi in central London.
The victim, a woman aged in her 20s, had been out with family when she hailed a London Black Taxi outside the Palace Theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue at about 02:35hrs on Sunday, 18 March.
The victim and her family got into the taxi when two unknown men got in and asked if they could be dropped around the corner. The taxi driver declined as there were too many passengers and he would lose his licence.
One of the men got out, but the other refused and got into an argument with the victim. The suspect then started to push one of victim’s relatives. The victim pulled the suspect off her relative. The suspect then pulled out a small glass bottle of vodka and repeatedly hit the victim over the head with it until he was dragged off.
The victim collapsed onto the floor of the taxi and the suspect fled the scene.
The taxi driver took the victim to a north London hospital. She required stitches before being discharged later that day.
The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his late 20s to early 30s, with short light brown curly hair. He was wearing a light blue checkered shirt and jeans; he spoke with an Irish accent.
Detectives from Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit are investigating and are keen to speak to the taxi driver.
He is described as an Asian man, aged about 40 to 50 years old, with short dark hair. He was wearing a light blue shirt.
Any witnesses or with anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 7321 8296 or 101 or Tweet @MetCC.
Information can also be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
http://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-for-taxi-driver-to-contact-police-301234
-------------------------------------------------
Taxi passenger who produced knife over £25 fare for journey to East Kilbride jailed
Douglas Ross, 43, was locked-up for 18-months after the taxi driver told the court he feared he would suffer a heart attack during the ordeal.
A taxi passenger who produced a knife after complaining about the £25 fare between Strathaven and East Kilbride has been jailed for 18 months.
Qamar Fariyad said Douglas Ross held the blade at his neck and he felt so stressed he was sure he was going to suffer a heart attack.
Ross (43) denied assaulting and robbing the 30-year-old driver.
On the second day of the trial the charge was dropped after he admitted threatening or abusive behaviour which included shouting and swearing repeatedly at the cabbie and producing the blade.
Mr Fariyad, of Motherwell, told the jury he picked up Ross from an address in Kirk Street, Strathaven, late one night last September.
He was going to the Lindsay House homeless unit in East Kilbride to see if he could find a bed there.
Mr Fariyad told Callum Forsyth, prosecuting: “He asked how much I would charge and I said £25.
“He told me he would pay before we left. We were just chatting and then when we left Strathaven and were on a dark road he asked if he could use my phone. I gave him the phone and immediately he started swearing and screaming at me, asking why I was charging £25.
“Then he took a knife and held it very close to my neck. I was very frightened. I said I was a poor man working day and night for my family and I would give him back his money.
“He told me to forget about it, but he kept the knife at my neck. He was threatening me and banging on the dashboard. I felt I was going to have a heart attack.”
The cabbie said he eventually reached East Kilbride town centre and managed to get him out of his taxi. He said Ross walked towards Lindsay House in Kittoch Street.
Ross, a prisoner at HMP Addiewell, also admitted illegal possession of a knife at the homeless unit, shouting abuse, demanding accommodation there, producing the knife and threatening to harm himself.
Defence agent Charles Ferguson described his client as a Jekyll and Hyde character. The solicitor explained: “He lives with his partner and is usually in a full-time job. His life is settled and he plays golf in his spare time.
“However, he has mental health difficulties which result in him using alcohol and drugs, and going off the rails. Anger management is another issue and he has had counselling for this.”
Sheriff Ray Small accepted Ross had no intention of robbing the taxi driver and the only person he planned to hurt with the knife was himself.
But the sheriff added: “It is still an offence to have a knife in public and you were on a community payback order for having a knife when this happened.
“Custody is the only appropriate sentence and to protect the public from serious harm when you get out there will also be a nine-month supervised release order.
“You must attend for alcohol or drug counselling as directed and if you breach the order you will be returned to prison.”
The 18-month sentence was backdated to September 19 at the sentencing at Hamilton Sheriff Court
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-passenger-who-produced-knife-12295934
The victim, a woman aged in her 20s, had been out with family when she hailed a London Black Taxi outside the Palace Theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue at about 02:35hrs on Sunday, 18 March.
The victim and her family got into the taxi when two unknown men got in and asked if they could be dropped around the corner. The taxi driver declined as there were too many passengers and he would lose his licence.
One of the men got out, but the other refused and got into an argument with the victim. The suspect then started to push one of victim’s relatives. The victim pulled the suspect off her relative. The suspect then pulled out a small glass bottle of vodka and repeatedly hit the victim over the head with it until he was dragged off.
The victim collapsed onto the floor of the taxi and the suspect fled the scene.
The taxi driver took the victim to a north London hospital. She required stitches before being discharged later that day.
The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his late 20s to early 30s, with short light brown curly hair. He was wearing a light blue checkered shirt and jeans; he spoke with an Irish accent.
Detectives from Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit are investigating and are keen to speak to the taxi driver.
He is described as an Asian man, aged about 40 to 50 years old, with short dark hair. He was wearing a light blue shirt.
Any witnesses or with anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 7321 8296 or 101 or Tweet @MetCC.
Information can also be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
http://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-for-taxi-driver-to-contact-police-301234
-------------------------------------------------
Taxi passenger who produced knife over £25 fare for journey to East Kilbride jailed
Douglas Ross, 43, was locked-up for 18-months after the taxi driver told the court he feared he would suffer a heart attack during the ordeal.
A taxi passenger who produced a knife after complaining about the £25 fare between Strathaven and East Kilbride has been jailed for 18 months.
Qamar Fariyad said Douglas Ross held the blade at his neck and he felt so stressed he was sure he was going to suffer a heart attack.
Ross (43) denied assaulting and robbing the 30-year-old driver.
On the second day of the trial the charge was dropped after he admitted threatening or abusive behaviour which included shouting and swearing repeatedly at the cabbie and producing the blade.
Mr Fariyad, of Motherwell, told the jury he picked up Ross from an address in Kirk Street, Strathaven, late one night last September.
He was going to the Lindsay House homeless unit in East Kilbride to see if he could find a bed there.
Mr Fariyad told Callum Forsyth, prosecuting: “He asked how much I would charge and I said £25.
“He told me he would pay before we left. We were just chatting and then when we left Strathaven and were on a dark road he asked if he could use my phone. I gave him the phone and immediately he started swearing and screaming at me, asking why I was charging £25.
“Then he took a knife and held it very close to my neck. I was very frightened. I said I was a poor man working day and night for my family and I would give him back his money.
“He told me to forget about it, but he kept the knife at my neck. He was threatening me and banging on the dashboard. I felt I was going to have a heart attack.”
The cabbie said he eventually reached East Kilbride town centre and managed to get him out of his taxi. He said Ross walked towards Lindsay House in Kittoch Street.
Ross, a prisoner at HMP Addiewell, also admitted illegal possession of a knife at the homeless unit, shouting abuse, demanding accommodation there, producing the knife and threatening to harm himself.
Defence agent Charles Ferguson described his client as a Jekyll and Hyde character. The solicitor explained: “He lives with his partner and is usually in a full-time job. His life is settled and he plays golf in his spare time.
“However, he has mental health difficulties which result in him using alcohol and drugs, and going off the rails. Anger management is another issue and he has had counselling for this.”
Sheriff Ray Small accepted Ross had no intention of robbing the taxi driver and the only person he planned to hurt with the knife was himself.
But the sheriff added: “It is still an offence to have a knife in public and you were on a community payback order for having a knife when this happened.
“Custody is the only appropriate sentence and to protect the public from serious harm when you get out there will also be a nine-month supervised release order.
“You must attend for alcohol or drug counselling as directed and if you breach the order you will be returned to prison.”
The 18-month sentence was backdated to September 19 at the sentencing at Hamilton Sheriff Court
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-passenger-who-produced-knife-12295934
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