SOUTH WALES

A 22-year-old who died after being struck by a taxi was walking home after being refused entry to a nightclub, an inquest has heard.

Eve Lewis died from "catastrophic injuries" she suffered in the early hours of March 4 this year.

Giving evidence at the hearing into her death, the driver of a Ford Tourneo minibus which hit her described seeing a shadow in the road a split second before the fatal accident.

Pontypridd Coroner's Court heard how Anthony Shankland from South Cornelly desperately flagged down another road user when he realised what had happened.

He said: “I saw a shadow and I thought it was a large animal because you get foxes in the area.

“It wasn’t until I stopped I saw that it was a young lady on the floor.”

He said he was “driving between 40-45 mph in the left lane of the dual carriageway” in Porthcawl when tragedy struck.

Eve was taken by ambulance to Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

According to a statement from Dr Laura Harvey who treated her she had suffered a “catastrophic brain injury” which nobody could survive.

Toxicology reports revealed the popular prison officer has a level of alcohol in her system equivalent to being three times over the drink drive limit.

The inquest heard how she had been refused entry to Streets Nightclub in Porthcawl around 25 minutes before being hit by the taxi.

Other drivers reported seeing her walking along the dark carriageway.

https://goo.gl/wzYVjn
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 AUSTRALIA

 A taxi driver has claimed what should have been a $35 fare has left him $450 in the red.

Srijan Polasani said he drove a couple from the Melbourne suburb of Richmond to nearby St Kilda on Monday - a roughly 20 minute trip, according to 3AW.

But upon arriving at the destination, the man - who allegedly had a British accent – told Mr Polasani he didn’t have any cash or cards on him and asked to transfer him $50 using the ANZ banking app on his phone.

'He said sorry, I was meant to transfer you $50 but I've transferred $500,' Mr Polasani told 3AW.

'I logged into my account and I could see $500 in there, so I thought it was right.' 

Mr Polasani stopped at an ATM, withdrew $450 cash and gave it to the man.

Minutes later the $500 disappeared from his account.

It is, according to Chief Information Security Officer at Swinburne University Steven Cvetkovic, one of the oldest banking scams in the book - the equivalent of someone paying for a service with a cheque, only for it to bounce.

'They [the payer] dispute the charges and the money goes back to the person who originally sent it,' said Mr Cvetkovic.

Mr Polasani's friend, another taxi driver, claims to have had the same thing happen to him - also at the hands of a man with a British accent. 

ANZ reportedly neglected to refund Mr Polasani, instead telling him to go to the police to lodge a statutory declaration, according to 3AW.

https://goo.gl/QM4DNR 

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 HARROGATE

 A taxi which had been granted a licence in Bradford was taken off the road when police joined other officials to carry out spot checks on vehicles in Harrogate.

It was one of 11 vehicles to be found with defects during checks to ensure taxis operating in the town were providing a safe service to passengers, North Yorkshire Police said today.

Also in news: Harrogate Hospital's Emergency Department moved for temporary works

Officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group worked alongside Harrogate Borough Council, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check a total of 23 private hire vehicles and Hackney Carriages during the operation on Friday evening.

DVSA officials carried out full mechanical examinations to check for any defects and found one taxi, licenced in Bradford, had a fault with its tyres.

It was given an immediate prohibition notice, which means it cannot be on the road until repairs are made.

Three other vehicles were given a delayed prohibition notice due to issues with wheels, suspension and other components, giving them seven days to rectify the fault.

Seven drivers were advised in relation to minor vehicle defects and several drivers were also warned by taxi inspectors about breaches of taxi licencing rules.

https://goo.gl/ekJHQr 
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Cambridge City Council is reminding residents and visitors that all taxi drivers licensed by Cambridge City are subject to a rigorous series of checks before and after being licensed to operate, to ensure passenger safety.

The reminder comes in response to media reports that some licensing authorities in the UK have issued licences to drivers with criminal records, and have been issuing licences incorrectly.

The council undertakes a number of checks before issuing a licence to a driver, and each time before their licence is renewed. These include:

    Checking for any criminal records

    Ensuring applicants have had a recent medical

    Ensuring applicants have a current driving licence

    Ensuring applicants have the right to work in the UK

The council is responsible for licensing all Hackney carriage, private hire and dual drivers, as well as taxi proprietors and operators in Cambridge.

All drivers are also required to undertake a ‘knowledge’ test to ensure they are familiar with the streets and landmarks of Cambridge, and to complete safeguarding training.

Once licences are issued, the council carries out regular enforcement work to ensure drivers are complying with the conditions of their licence.

Any complaints received by customers regarding the conduct of licensed taxi drivers are investigated and responded to by the council.

If a complaint is considered to be sufficiently serious the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee can consider whether a licence should be revoked or suspended. In exceptional circumstances a licence can be revoked immediately.

Cllr Gerri Bird, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said: “We are committed to ensuring that all customers are safe when using taxis in Cambridge

“A safe and efficient taxi service plays a very important role in the city’s transport network. The council works closely with drivers, taxi companies and taxi users to ensure that we are doing all we can to maintain and improve standards in Cambridge.”

https://goo.gl/ohwLcF
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