REDCAR
A draft policy that will see taxi drivers signed up to a national register has been approved by councillors.
On Thursday, Redcar and Cleveland Council's Regulatory Committee approved a draft policy that will see the council sign up to a new National Register for Taxi Licence Refusals and Revocations.
At present, councils rely on hackney carriage and private hire drivers being honest about any previous revoked licences or application refusals.
A committee report said this had led to cases in which previously banned drivers had been granted new licences despite previous bans.
The National Register will allow councils to find out if a driver has ever been banned or refused a licence in another part of the country.
Cllr Brenda Forster, Labour councillor for Kirkleatham, said the lack of information about drivers' histories had proved to be a problem for councillors trying to reach a decision about an application.
She said: "I welcome this report about the registration of drivers.
"We want to get more information because sometimes they come in front of the taxi panel and they've been refused a licence in Middlesbrough and they've come to us for a licence.
"We're left trying to find out why they weren't given a licence in Middlesbrough.
"I think this will be a big help to us and I really welcome that"
Cllr Michael Dick, Labour councillor for Brotton, agreed.
He said: "The first thing I want to do is express a comment that I'm so surprised it's taken us until 2018 to consider sharing information with other authorities about taxi drivers.
"That's no particular criticism of the officers as much as to welcome how overdue this is. So I'm very grateful."
The committee unanimously approved the draft policy.
The committee report said: "Currently, local authorities rely on the applicant disclosing information about previous revocations or refusals. There is no way for the local authority to find out this information.
"This means that vital information about an applicant’s past behaviour is being missed and there are instances when this has happened.
"Adopting the national register will promote public safety by ensuring that authorities have as much relevant information as possible to assist in the determination of the applicant’s fit and proper status."
Once adopted, as of January 1 next year, new and renewal applications for driver licences will be checked against the register.
Where an existing licence is revoked or an application is refused, this will be recorded on the register along with historic data from the last six years.
The report said: "The Local Government Association has commissioned the development of a new National Register of Taxi Licence Refusals and Revocations.
"The purpose of the register is to provide a mechanism for licensing authorities to share information about individuals who have had a hackney carriage or a private hire licence revoked or an application for one refused.
"This will prevent such drivers from going to another authority to dishonestly secure a licence by failing to disclose their previous licensing history."
https://goo.gl/nL4gWt
Friday 30 November 2018
Thursday 29 November 2018
GREATER MANCHESTERS CLEAN AIR PLAN
Gtr Manchester Council meet today to finish up on thier "Clean air Plan"
Like recent events in both Birmingham and Sheffield, we the Cab trade, will suffer the most.
Sheffield link
Birmingham Link
Some will no doubt say that is how it should be as we contribute a huge amount of the Toxic Air around the City centre.
I really thought we would follow Sheffield and not impliment the 'Toxic Charge' until 1 Jan 2020.
However it appears, from Docs going before the meeting Today 30/11 that we may get yet another year.
Small mercy I know, but better than some.
However this is Manchester and anything can happen and the usual mess may happen.
One good point for the Cab trade, Euro 6 cabable Cabs will not be required to pay any charge.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11XKL-OZfNdXUC6IHH-8ztt_HpffBAu-w/view?usp=sharing
Gtr Manchester Council meet today to finish up on thier "Clean air Plan"
Like recent events in both Birmingham and Sheffield, we the Cab trade, will suffer the most.
Sheffield link
Birmingham Link
Some will no doubt say that is how it should be as we contribute a huge amount of the Toxic Air around the City centre.
I really thought we would follow Sheffield and not impliment the 'Toxic Charge' until 1 Jan 2020.
However it appears, from Docs going before the meeting Today 30/11 that we may get yet another year.
Small mercy I know, but better than some.
However this is Manchester and anything can happen and the usual mess may happen.
One good point for the Cab trade, Euro 6 cabable Cabs will not be required to pay any charge.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11XKL-OZfNdXUC6IHH-8ztt_HpffBAu-w/view?usp=sharing
Wednesday 28 November 2018
LONDON
A new ride-hailing app called Miwhip is taking on Uber in London. And customers could end up travelling in a gold supercar.
The supercar surprise applies once every 100 rides. That means that for every 99 people who call a cab, the 100th will have a McLaren, Lamborghini or something similarly exotic turn up.
If you’re a loyal solo rider, your 100th trip will also be in a supercar. That’s around six rides a year if you’re booking a journey twice a day, as we’re sure some hard-working, high-powered Londoners do.
Miwhip is looking to capitalise on London supercar culture. On its fleet are a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 488 GTB, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mercedes G-Class and McLaren 720S – all gold-wrapped. The cars will be located throughout the city, in ‘every London postcode and address’.
The less exotic members of the fleet are Smart cars, although they too are gold-wrapped. If you’re hailing a ride in zone one to another address in zone one, it costs just £5.
The company will be taking 15 percent commission, which it says is much less than many other ride-hailing apps.
Miwhip is hoping to have 10,000 drivers on its books by the end of next year, with 5,000 existing private-hire drivers joining by January. The MiWhip app is available to download now.
https://goo.gl/WHTteG
---------------------------------
LONDON
An Uber driver who sparked a major terror alert when he ploughed into a crowd of tourists had been driving around London uninsured and without a licence for two years.
Tanzanian Juma Omar, 48, floored the throttle of his Toyota Prius outside the Natural History Museum and careered over the pavement, sending pedestrians flying into the air as others ran screaming from his path.
He claimed the brakes had failed, but he was convicted of dangerous driving by a jury at the Old Bailey.
The court heard Omar came to Britain as an asylum seeker in 1995, but was told to get out the country in 1998.
He met his wife shortly afterwards and they had four children together.
Omar applied for a replacement passport in another man's name and used that identity to pass his driving test.
He got a job with Uber using the fake documents and did not have insurance when hit the pedestrians in on October 7 last year.
Up to 11 people suffered non-life threatening injuries and Omar was wrestled to the floor and detained by members of the public, including Pixie Lott's boyfriend, Oliver Cheshire.
Dozen of armed police arrived fearing another terror attack was in progress in the aftermath of the London Bridge and Westminster attacks earlier that year.
https://goo.gl/6DAkXx
A new ride-hailing app called Miwhip is taking on Uber in London. And customers could end up travelling in a gold supercar.
The supercar surprise applies once every 100 rides. That means that for every 99 people who call a cab, the 100th will have a McLaren, Lamborghini or something similarly exotic turn up.
If you’re a loyal solo rider, your 100th trip will also be in a supercar. That’s around six rides a year if you’re booking a journey twice a day, as we’re sure some hard-working, high-powered Londoners do.
Miwhip is looking to capitalise on London supercar culture. On its fleet are a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 488 GTB, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mercedes G-Class and McLaren 720S – all gold-wrapped. The cars will be located throughout the city, in ‘every London postcode and address’.
The less exotic members of the fleet are Smart cars, although they too are gold-wrapped. If you’re hailing a ride in zone one to another address in zone one, it costs just £5.
The company will be taking 15 percent commission, which it says is much less than many other ride-hailing apps.
Miwhip is hoping to have 10,000 drivers on its books by the end of next year, with 5,000 existing private-hire drivers joining by January. The MiWhip app is available to download now.
https://goo.gl/WHTteG
---------------------------------
LONDON
An Uber driver who sparked a major terror alert when he ploughed into a crowd of tourists had been driving around London uninsured and without a licence for two years.
Tanzanian Juma Omar, 48, floored the throttle of his Toyota Prius outside the Natural History Museum and careered over the pavement, sending pedestrians flying into the air as others ran screaming from his path.
He claimed the brakes had failed, but he was convicted of dangerous driving by a jury at the Old Bailey.
The court heard Omar came to Britain as an asylum seeker in 1995, but was told to get out the country in 1998.
He met his wife shortly afterwards and they had four children together.
Omar applied for a replacement passport in another man's name and used that identity to pass his driving test.
He got a job with Uber using the fake documents and did not have insurance when hit the pedestrians in on October 7 last year.
Up to 11 people suffered non-life threatening injuries and Omar was wrestled to the floor and detained by members of the public, including Pixie Lott's boyfriend, Oliver Cheshire.
Dozen of armed police arrived fearing another terror attack was in progress in the aftermath of the London Bridge and Westminster attacks earlier that year.
https://goo.gl/6DAkXx
Tuesday 27 November 2018
Uber’s European operation has been fined £385,000 for a data breach that affected almost 3 million British users, the Information Commissioner’s Office has announced.
In November 2016, attackers obtained credentials to access Uber’s cloud servers and downloaded 16 large files, including the records of 35 million users worldwide. The records included passengers’ full names, phone numbers, email addresses, and the location where they had signed up.
Drivers were also affected, with 3.7 million, including 82,000 from the UK, having their weekly pay, trip summaries and, in a small number of cases, driver’s licence numbers accessed.
The ICO said the breach was caused by inadequate information security, and was compounded by Uber US’s decision to not disclose the attack, instead complying with the hackers’ demands to pay $100,000 as a “bug bounty”. Such bounties are common in the security world, with companies offering rewards to researchers who find and notify them of system weaknesses before they can be attacked.
However, the ICO wrote: “Uber US did not follow the normal operation of its bug bounty programme. In this incident Uber US paid outside attackers who were fundamentally different from legitimate bug bounty recipients: instead of merely identifying a vulnerability and disclosing it responsibly, they maliciously exploited the vulnerability and intentionally acquired personal information relating to Uber users.”
It said none of the people whose personal data had been compromised were notified of the breach. Instead, the company only began monitoring accounts for fraud 12 months after the attack.
However, the potential penalty was mitigated by the fact that Uber’s European branches were also not informed of the breach, meaning the company was notable to report it to the commissioner; and by the lack of evidence that the compromised data was misused.
Uber US was ordered in September to pay $148m for failing to notify drivers about the breach.
In a statement, Uber said “We’re pleased to close this chapter on the data incident from 2016. As we shared with European authorities during their investigations, we’ve made a number of technical improvements to the security of our systems both in the immediate wake of the incident as well as in the years since.
“We’ve also made significant changes in leadership to ensure proper transparency with regulators and customers moving forward. Earlier this year we hired our first chief privacy officer, data protection officer, and a new chief trust and security officer. We learn from our mistakes and continue our commitment to earn the trust of our users every day.”
The timing of the breach meant the fine was issued under the old Data Protection Act 1998, which sets out a maximum financial penalty of £500,000. Under the DPA 2018, which brings the EU’s general data protection regulation into British law, the potential fine would be much higher, at up to 4% of Uber’s global revenue.
https://goo.gl/tDrA4X
In November 2016, attackers obtained credentials to access Uber’s cloud servers and downloaded 16 large files, including the records of 35 million users worldwide. The records included passengers’ full names, phone numbers, email addresses, and the location where they had signed up.
Drivers were also affected, with 3.7 million, including 82,000 from the UK, having their weekly pay, trip summaries and, in a small number of cases, driver’s licence numbers accessed.
The ICO said the breach was caused by inadequate information security, and was compounded by Uber US’s decision to not disclose the attack, instead complying with the hackers’ demands to pay $100,000 as a “bug bounty”. Such bounties are common in the security world, with companies offering rewards to researchers who find and notify them of system weaknesses before they can be attacked.
However, the ICO wrote: “Uber US did not follow the normal operation of its bug bounty programme. In this incident Uber US paid outside attackers who were fundamentally different from legitimate bug bounty recipients: instead of merely identifying a vulnerability and disclosing it responsibly, they maliciously exploited the vulnerability and intentionally acquired personal information relating to Uber users.”
It said none of the people whose personal data had been compromised were notified of the breach. Instead, the company only began monitoring accounts for fraud 12 months after the attack.
However, the potential penalty was mitigated by the fact that Uber’s European branches were also not informed of the breach, meaning the company was notable to report it to the commissioner; and by the lack of evidence that the compromised data was misused.
Uber US was ordered in September to pay $148m for failing to notify drivers about the breach.
In a statement, Uber said “We’re pleased to close this chapter on the data incident from 2016. As we shared with European authorities during their investigations, we’ve made a number of technical improvements to the security of our systems both in the immediate wake of the incident as well as in the years since.
“We’ve also made significant changes in leadership to ensure proper transparency with regulators and customers moving forward. Earlier this year we hired our first chief privacy officer, data protection officer, and a new chief trust and security officer. We learn from our mistakes and continue our commitment to earn the trust of our users every day.”
The timing of the breach meant the fine was issued under the old Data Protection Act 1998, which sets out a maximum financial penalty of £500,000. Under the DPA 2018, which brings the EU’s general data protection regulation into British law, the potential fine would be much higher, at up to 4% of Uber’s global revenue.
https://goo.gl/tDrA4X
Monday 26 November 2018
Private hire drivers in Milton Keynes went on strike again this morning.
They also submitted a petition to the MK Council Office in Bleak Hall to demonstrate disapproval of higher rents and 20 commission/hidden charges to customers.
They also demonstrated in front of Speedline and Skyline offices against their higher rents and 20 pence commissions on normal fare.
https://goo.gl/1MzwYP
----------------------------------------------------------
PENRYN
This was the moment a taxi which was only stopped from sliding down an embankment by trees was recovered.
The scene highlighted problems residents of Saracen Way in Penryn are having with parking. They say the trouble has left them with no choice but to park on the verge.
The taxi driver, who lives in the area, had done just that, as do many other residents on a daily basis. But when he went to leave, the wheels of his A2B Falmouth cab skidded on the wet surface and it slid down the adjacent embankment . It was only prevented from falling further by trees in the way.
The taxi had been parked overnight and resident Tina Peacock captured the scene in these photos and the video taken after it was recovered and able to be driven away.
She first spotted the leaning cab when she woke on Monday (November 26) just before 7.30am.
She said an initial attempt to remove it using a 4X4 failed. Just after lunchtime a recovery truck from Truro Recycling was on the scene and soon had the taxi back on the road.
Tina said: "The movement took about four minutes. Well done to Truro Recycling company and the owner of A2B, he cleared all the debris."
The operation stopped traffic briefly and a queue of vehicles followed the taxi out when it was driven away.
Residents said the incident highlighted problems they have with a lack of parking space in the road, especially since new double yellow lines were painted in neighbouring Helston Road.
Cornwall Council, which is responsible for on-street parking, has been contacted for comment.
They also submitted a petition to the MK Council Office in Bleak Hall to demonstrate disapproval of higher rents and 20 commission/hidden charges to customers.
They also demonstrated in front of Speedline and Skyline offices against their higher rents and 20 pence commissions on normal fare.
https://goo.gl/1MzwYP
----------------------------------------------------------
PENRYN
This was the moment a taxi which was only stopped from sliding down an embankment by trees was recovered.
The scene highlighted problems residents of Saracen Way in Penryn are having with parking. They say the trouble has left them with no choice but to park on the verge.
The taxi driver, who lives in the area, had done just that, as do many other residents on a daily basis. But when he went to leave, the wheels of his A2B Falmouth cab skidded on the wet surface and it slid down the adjacent embankment . It was only prevented from falling further by trees in the way.
The taxi had been parked overnight and resident Tina Peacock captured the scene in these photos and the video taken after it was recovered and able to be driven away.
She first spotted the leaning cab when she woke on Monday (November 26) just before 7.30am.
She said an initial attempt to remove it using a 4X4 failed. Just after lunchtime a recovery truck from Truro Recycling was on the scene and soon had the taxi back on the road.
Tina said: "The movement took about four minutes. Well done to Truro Recycling company and the owner of A2B, he cleared all the debris."
The operation stopped traffic briefly and a queue of vehicles followed the taxi out when it was driven away.
Residents said the incident highlighted problems they have with a lack of parking space in the road, especially since new double yellow lines were painted in neighbouring Helston Road.
Cornwall Council, which is responsible for on-street parking, has been contacted for comment.
YORK
A top barrister has questioned the way City of York has handled Uber operations in the city.
Representatives of the Private Hire and Hackney taxi drivers are meeting (1400) with the City of York council officers this afternoon to discuss this today (Mon 26 Nov)
Uber have not responded to a request for a comment.
The council says it will now seek its own advice on the law relating to the operations. The Taxi drivers say they are pleased with the outcome of the meeting and look forward to further developments
What did the QC say
Gerald Gouriet QC has written an email which has been sent to city council officers saying there are many cases where a Uber driver has been reported staying in the City of York rather than returning to their own designated area.
The Taxi trade in York asked Gerald Gouriet for his opinion after failing to get the City of York council to take their concerns seriously.
“There is no “loophole” in the law that allows Uber to operate a private hire vehicle in an area in which neither Uber, the vehicle nor the driver are licensed.”
Now a copy of the his thoughts on the subject are with Matt Boxall, Acting Head of Public Protection, and Chief Executive of the council Mary Weastell.
Wendy Loveday, who chairs the York Private Hire Association, says
"We feel that the council should have done more.
Once the licence was refused they (Uber) should not have been allowed to continue to operate in York.
The council told us the law didn't allow the company to be banned from York but our expert opinion says that's not the case.
We want the council to review the situation now in light of what Gerald Gouriet QC, one of the top barristers in the licensing trade says"
In his opinion he quotes the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act (1976) and the sections 46 (1) (d)
This allows drivers to bring people into the city but not pick up again within the area.
Uber first came into York in September 2016.
The app based company was later refused a renewal of its operating licence.
Uber dropped plans to appeal.
City of York Council response last week
A City of York Council spokeswoman, said:
"Yesterday [19 November] we received a legal opinion from Gerald Gouriet QC on behalf of the taxi trade.
It is being considered by our legal advisers."
Gerald Gouriet QC is one of the leading licensing practitioners in the UK.
He is General Editor of 'Paterson’s Licensing Acts' (2017), and also 'Smith & Monkcom:The Law of Gambling' (2017).
He advises and appears for applicants and objectors, resident's associations, local authorities and police.
He has appeared for residents and residents' associations in Westminster, Lambeth, Newcastle and York: (objections to grants, appeals against grants and a successful review of a large public house brought by local people on the ground of noise-nuisance).
https://goo.gl/SR4wK1
A top barrister has questioned the way City of York has handled Uber operations in the city.
Representatives of the Private Hire and Hackney taxi drivers are meeting (1400) with the City of York council officers this afternoon to discuss this today (Mon 26 Nov)
Uber have not responded to a request for a comment.
The council says it will now seek its own advice on the law relating to the operations. The Taxi drivers say they are pleased with the outcome of the meeting and look forward to further developments
What did the QC say
Gerald Gouriet QC has written an email which has been sent to city council officers saying there are many cases where a Uber driver has been reported staying in the City of York rather than returning to their own designated area.
The Taxi trade in York asked Gerald Gouriet for his opinion after failing to get the City of York council to take their concerns seriously.
“There is no “loophole” in the law that allows Uber to operate a private hire vehicle in an area in which neither Uber, the vehicle nor the driver are licensed.”
Now a copy of the his thoughts on the subject are with Matt Boxall, Acting Head of Public Protection, and Chief Executive of the council Mary Weastell.
Wendy Loveday, who chairs the York Private Hire Association, says
"We feel that the council should have done more.
Once the licence was refused they (Uber) should not have been allowed to continue to operate in York.
The council told us the law didn't allow the company to be banned from York but our expert opinion says that's not the case.
We want the council to review the situation now in light of what Gerald Gouriet QC, one of the top barristers in the licensing trade says"
In his opinion he quotes the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act (1976) and the sections 46 (1) (d)
This allows drivers to bring people into the city but not pick up again within the area.
Uber first came into York in September 2016.
The app based company was later refused a renewal of its operating licence.
Uber dropped plans to appeal.
City of York Council response last week
A City of York Council spokeswoman, said:
"Yesterday [19 November] we received a legal opinion from Gerald Gouriet QC on behalf of the taxi trade.
It is being considered by our legal advisers."
Gerald Gouriet QC is one of the leading licensing practitioners in the UK.
He is General Editor of 'Paterson’s Licensing Acts' (2017), and also 'Smith & Monkcom:The Law of Gambling' (2017).
He advises and appears for applicants and objectors, resident's associations, local authorities and police.
He has appeared for residents and residents' associations in Westminster, Lambeth, Newcastle and York: (objections to grants, appeals against grants and a successful review of a large public house brought by local people on the ground of noise-nuisance).
https://goo.gl/SR4wK1
Sunday 25 November 2018
NEWPORT
A woman cabbie was fined £600 for smoking in her own taxi - three times.
Helen Jones, 42, was hit with a £200 fine for each of three cigarettes after lighting up in her own cab.
A court heard how taxis are classed as a smoke-free place under the Health Act 2006.
Jones, of Newport, Gwent, had already had five fixed penalty notices for smoking over the last three years.
A senior council manager then witnessed her smoking in her taxi - and throwing a cigarette butt to the ground in June.
Community safety wardens then witnessed her smoking in her taxi on another twice.
Jones failed to appear in court when she prosecuted at Cwmbran magistrates for the three smoking offences - and one of littering for dropping her cigarette butt on the floor.
She received the maximum fine of £200 per offence due to the "persistent offending and her blatant disregard for the law".
In total she was ordered to pay £980 including costs.
A Newport council spokesman said: “The legislation to prevent smoking in smoke-free places was introduced to protect members of the public from the harmful effects of secondhand cigarette smoke.
“Officers will not tolerate breaches of the law - and repeat offenders will be dealt with robustly."
----------------------------------------------
A taxi driver was robbed in his own cab after taking a group of passengers from Leamington to Leek Wootton in the early hours of this morning (Sunday).
At around 4am, a group of people took a taxi from Warwick Street in Leamington.
After the driver dropped one person off at Leek Wootton the offenders forced the taxi driver out his driving seat and put him the back of the taxi.
One of the offenders then started to drive the taxi towards Kenilworth.
The offenders then stole all the taxi driver’s takings and the keys to the taxi, while also attempting to take his mobile phone.
They stopped the taxi at Farmer Ward Road in Kenilworth where they made off on foot.
Anyone with any information about this incident should call Warwickshire Police on 101, quoting incident 71 of November 25.
https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-robbed-in-his-own-cab-after-leamington-to-leek-wootton-journey-1-8717636
--------------------------------------
BRADFORD
A DRUNKEN thug who partially blinded a Bradford taxi driver when he threw punches at him after spitting on his cab has been jailed for 32 months.
Stephen Flanagan permanently damaged Waheed Khan’s right eye with a forceful blow after losing his temper following an afternoon’s drinking, Bradford Crown Court heard.
Flanagan, 56, of Douglas Towers, Radwell Drive, Bradford, pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Khan on March 27.
A trial of the issue was held on Thursday after the prosecution refused to accept Flanagan’s assertion that Mr Khan attacked him with a coffee table leg.
Mr Khan, 44, told the court he was punched several times to the right side of his head by Flanagan after the defendant accused him of overcharging him for a journey from Bradford city centre to his home.
Flanagan said he had drunk five or six double vodkas and four bottles of Carlsberg during a shopping trip with his partner.
He claimed that Mr Khan tried to charge him £8 for the fare from the Queen public house in Bradford city centre to his home and then reversed away with his £10 note and his shopping still in the taxi. Barrister Martin Robertshaw, representing Flanagan, suggested that Mr Khan felt threatened by an aggressive man in drink and hit him with a piece of wood or a stick.
He said there were “shades of grey” about what had happened, and that Flanagan had suffered bruising and swelling to his head and bruising to his right arm from defending himself.
But Judge Jonathan Rose refuted the suggestion that Mr Khan, a Hackney Carriage driver, had drawn a weapon to beat his passenger with.
The judge said that Flanagan was struggling to unload his shopping from the taxi because he was drunk. He lost his temper, after having already argued with his partner, and repeatedly punched Mr Khan to the head.
The court heard that Flanagan had a long criminal record for offences of violence but had stayed out of trouble for the last five years.
Stephen Wood, for the Crown, said that Mr Khan suffered a serious injury to his right eye. His sight had been damaged forever and, although he had returned to work part time as a taxi driver, he was stressed and anxious.
He had to put a drop into his damaged eye every day for the rest of his life and may lose the vision in it completely.
Mr Khan now played less with his children because he was fearful of further accidental damage to the eye. “He is never going to get one hundred per cent vision back,” Mr Wood said.
Mr Robertshaw said Flanagan was in poor health.
Judge Rose said taxi drivers were vulnerable public servants and those who used violence on them would go to prison.
“Your behaviour was thuggish and it was violent and has had devastating consequences,” Judge Rose told Flanagan.
thetelegraphandargus
A woman cabbie was fined £600 for smoking in her own taxi - three times.
Helen Jones, 42, was hit with a £200 fine for each of three cigarettes after lighting up in her own cab.
A court heard how taxis are classed as a smoke-free place under the Health Act 2006.
Jones, of Newport, Gwent, had already had five fixed penalty notices for smoking over the last three years.
A senior council manager then witnessed her smoking in her taxi - and throwing a cigarette butt to the ground in June.
Community safety wardens then witnessed her smoking in her taxi on another twice.
Jones failed to appear in court when she prosecuted at Cwmbran magistrates for the three smoking offences - and one of littering for dropping her cigarette butt on the floor.
She received the maximum fine of £200 per offence due to the "persistent offending and her blatant disregard for the law".
In total she was ordered to pay £980 including costs.
A Newport council spokesman said: “The legislation to prevent smoking in smoke-free places was introduced to protect members of the public from the harmful effects of secondhand cigarette smoke.
“Officers will not tolerate breaches of the law - and repeat offenders will be dealt with robustly."
----------------------------------------------
A taxi driver was robbed in his own cab after taking a group of passengers from Leamington to Leek Wootton in the early hours of this morning (Sunday).
At around 4am, a group of people took a taxi from Warwick Street in Leamington.
After the driver dropped one person off at Leek Wootton the offenders forced the taxi driver out his driving seat and put him the back of the taxi.
One of the offenders then started to drive the taxi towards Kenilworth.
The offenders then stole all the taxi driver’s takings and the keys to the taxi, while also attempting to take his mobile phone.
They stopped the taxi at Farmer Ward Road in Kenilworth where they made off on foot.
Anyone with any information about this incident should call Warwickshire Police on 101, quoting incident 71 of November 25.
https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/taxi-driver-robbed-in-his-own-cab-after-leamington-to-leek-wootton-journey-1-8717636
--------------------------------------
BRADFORD
A DRUNKEN thug who partially blinded a Bradford taxi driver when he threw punches at him after spitting on his cab has been jailed for 32 months.
Stephen Flanagan permanently damaged Waheed Khan’s right eye with a forceful blow after losing his temper following an afternoon’s drinking, Bradford Crown Court heard.
Flanagan, 56, of Douglas Towers, Radwell Drive, Bradford, pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Khan on March 27.
A trial of the issue was held on Thursday after the prosecution refused to accept Flanagan’s assertion that Mr Khan attacked him with a coffee table leg.
Mr Khan, 44, told the court he was punched several times to the right side of his head by Flanagan after the defendant accused him of overcharging him for a journey from Bradford city centre to his home.
Flanagan said he had drunk five or six double vodkas and four bottles of Carlsberg during a shopping trip with his partner.
He claimed that Mr Khan tried to charge him £8 for the fare from the Queen public house in Bradford city centre to his home and then reversed away with his £10 note and his shopping still in the taxi. Barrister Martin Robertshaw, representing Flanagan, suggested that Mr Khan felt threatened by an aggressive man in drink and hit him with a piece of wood or a stick.
He said there were “shades of grey” about what had happened, and that Flanagan had suffered bruising and swelling to his head and bruising to his right arm from defending himself.
But Judge Jonathan Rose refuted the suggestion that Mr Khan, a Hackney Carriage driver, had drawn a weapon to beat his passenger with.
The judge said that Flanagan was struggling to unload his shopping from the taxi because he was drunk. He lost his temper, after having already argued with his partner, and repeatedly punched Mr Khan to the head.
The court heard that Flanagan had a long criminal record for offences of violence but had stayed out of trouble for the last five years.
Stephen Wood, for the Crown, said that Mr Khan suffered a serious injury to his right eye. His sight had been damaged forever and, although he had returned to work part time as a taxi driver, he was stressed and anxious.
He had to put a drop into his damaged eye every day for the rest of his life and may lose the vision in it completely.
Mr Khan now played less with his children because he was fearful of further accidental damage to the eye. “He is never going to get one hundred per cent vision back,” Mr Wood said.
Mr Robertshaw said Flanagan was in poor health.
Judge Rose said taxi drivers were vulnerable public servants and those who used violence on them would go to prison.
“Your behaviour was thuggish and it was violent and has had devastating consequences,” Judge Rose told Flanagan.
thetelegraphandargus
Saturday 24 November 2018
BLACKPOOL
A cab driver who was involved in a brawl after which a man collapsed and died from a heart attack has had his taxi driving licence revoked following a decision at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.
Wyre Council’s licencing committee revoked 62 year old Michael Sharples’ licence following CCTV footage of a fight he was involved in on Sunday July 22 at the Kings Arms in Fleetwood.
David Allinson, who was also involved in the incident, collapsed and died outside the pub, despite efforts to save his life.
The committee concluded that Mr Sharples no longer met the high standards required to hold a Wyre dual driver licence.
However, Mr Sharples lodged an appeal against the licensing committee’s decision on 16 August to revoke his dual driver licence with immediate effect, exercising his right of appeal
At the hearing, at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, the bench dismissed Mr Sharples’appeal.
The magistrates reviewed the CCTV footage and heard Mr Sharples’ oral evidence and that of the council’s senior licensing officer.
Based on the evidence before them, the Magistrates’ court found that Mr Sharples should no longer hold his position as a taxi driver in Wyre and the council’s decision was upheld.
Coun Julie Robinson, chairman of Wyre Council’s licencing committee, commented: “We are pleased that the magistrates upheld the committee’s decision.
“Wyre Council places public safety at the heart of taxi licensing decisions and we will not accept violent behaviour by licensed drivers.”
Mr Sharples was also ordered to contribute £500 towards the council’s costs.
https://goo.gl/Ypxbh4
-----------------------------------------
RENFREWSHIRE
COUNCILLORS will meet with taxi chiefs as they look for ways to support the service in Renfrewshire.
The talks, set to be held in the next month, have been organised after it was claimed the public weren’t being served by the trade at last week’s Regulatory Functions Board.
Renfrewshire Cab Co manager Hannah McCulloch met with Councillor Eddie Devine to discuss the taxi trade this week.
It has now been agreed that a further meeting will be held, which elected members from Renfrewshire Council will be encouraged to attend.
READ MORE: Worried Renfrewshire parents slam additional support needs proposals
Councillor Devine said: “I went down and had a chat with Hannah on Monday and she offered a more in depth meeting to look at how the system works and how their calls are handled.
“She was very open and happy to go into details about how it works.
“I’m hoping to find out how things work and quite frankly, are the council making things harder or easier and can they help?”
Concerns had been raised by members about the lack of availability of taxis in Paisley, both late at night and in the early hours of the morning.
Ms McCulloch assured her firm was operational at peak evening weekend times but was open to suggestions of how to “better the service” for members of the public.
She said: “I invited Eddie to the office and after a good discussion I felt it could be beneficial to extend invitation to any other councillors concerned with taxi and private hire trade to meet with me at our offices.
“It’s important to be mindful that we’re discussing a four hour window, 11pm to 3am, out of a 168-hour week, where normal pick up times are within five to 10 minutes.
“However, I’ve cooperated with the likes of Pub Watch and Paisley First in the past and we’re always open to suggestions to better the service for the Paisley public.”
https://www.the-gazette.co.uk/news/17244805.renfrewshire-councillors-to-meet-taxi-chiefs-to-discuss-fare-rises/
---------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A bogus taxi driver was caught by gardai on Friday operating out of Dublin Airport.
The fraudulent driver had picked up two passengers from the airport when they were pulled over by the authorities.
Gardai seized the vehicle for no insurance and a number of other offences and they will appear in court at a later date.
Gardai were conducting the operation in tandem with the National Transport Authority.
A spokesperson tweeted: "A joint operation yesterday between Gardaà and the NTA, a bogus taxi detected working out of Dublin Airport, car had picked up two passengers.
If you are getting a taxi there are some easy steps to ensure that the driver is legitimate and not a fake.
Transport for Ireland have a page on their website where you enter their driver license number, which should be displayed in the car, and their credentials will immediately pop up.
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/gardai-catch-fake-taxi-driver-15459445
---------------------------------
A cab driver who was involved in a brawl after which a man collapsed and died from a heart attack has had his taxi driving licence revoked following a decision at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.
Wyre Council’s licencing committee revoked 62 year old Michael Sharples’ licence following CCTV footage of a fight he was involved in on Sunday July 22 at the Kings Arms in Fleetwood.
David Allinson, who was also involved in the incident, collapsed and died outside the pub, despite efforts to save his life.
The committee concluded that Mr Sharples no longer met the high standards required to hold a Wyre dual driver licence.
However, Mr Sharples lodged an appeal against the licensing committee’s decision on 16 August to revoke his dual driver licence with immediate effect, exercising his right of appeal
At the hearing, at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, the bench dismissed Mr Sharples’appeal.
The magistrates reviewed the CCTV footage and heard Mr Sharples’ oral evidence and that of the council’s senior licensing officer.
Based on the evidence before them, the Magistrates’ court found that Mr Sharples should no longer hold his position as a taxi driver in Wyre and the council’s decision was upheld.
Coun Julie Robinson, chairman of Wyre Council’s licencing committee, commented: “We are pleased that the magistrates upheld the committee’s decision.
“Wyre Council places public safety at the heart of taxi licensing decisions and we will not accept violent behaviour by licensed drivers.”
Mr Sharples was also ordered to contribute £500 towards the council’s costs.
https://goo.gl/Ypxbh4
-----------------------------------------
RENFREWSHIRE
COUNCILLORS will meet with taxi chiefs as they look for ways to support the service in Renfrewshire.
The talks, set to be held in the next month, have been organised after it was claimed the public weren’t being served by the trade at last week’s Regulatory Functions Board.
Renfrewshire Cab Co manager Hannah McCulloch met with Councillor Eddie Devine to discuss the taxi trade this week.
It has now been agreed that a further meeting will be held, which elected members from Renfrewshire Council will be encouraged to attend.
READ MORE: Worried Renfrewshire parents slam additional support needs proposals
Councillor Devine said: “I went down and had a chat with Hannah on Monday and she offered a more in depth meeting to look at how the system works and how their calls are handled.
“She was very open and happy to go into details about how it works.
“I’m hoping to find out how things work and quite frankly, are the council making things harder or easier and can they help?”
Concerns had been raised by members about the lack of availability of taxis in Paisley, both late at night and in the early hours of the morning.
Ms McCulloch assured her firm was operational at peak evening weekend times but was open to suggestions of how to “better the service” for members of the public.
She said: “I invited Eddie to the office and after a good discussion I felt it could be beneficial to extend invitation to any other councillors concerned with taxi and private hire trade to meet with me at our offices.
“It’s important to be mindful that we’re discussing a four hour window, 11pm to 3am, out of a 168-hour week, where normal pick up times are within five to 10 minutes.
“However, I’ve cooperated with the likes of Pub Watch and Paisley First in the past and we’re always open to suggestions to better the service for the Paisley public.”
https://www.the-gazette.co.uk/news/17244805.renfrewshire-councillors-to-meet-taxi-chiefs-to-discuss-fare-rises/
---------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A bogus taxi driver was caught by gardai on Friday operating out of Dublin Airport.
The fraudulent driver had picked up two passengers from the airport when they were pulled over by the authorities.
Gardai seized the vehicle for no insurance and a number of other offences and they will appear in court at a later date.
Gardai were conducting the operation in tandem with the National Transport Authority.
A spokesperson tweeted: "A joint operation yesterday between Gardaà and the NTA, a bogus taxi detected working out of Dublin Airport, car had picked up two passengers.
If you are getting a taxi there are some easy steps to ensure that the driver is legitimate and not a fake.
Transport for Ireland have a page on their website where you enter their driver license number, which should be displayed in the car, and their credentials will immediately pop up.
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/gardai-catch-fake-taxi-driver-15459445
---------------------------------
Thursday 22 November 2018
COUNCILLOR ASSITS OPERATION AZTEC.
9 PIRATES NICKED
Nine taxi drivers have been caught picking up shoppers illegally in Manchester city centre.
The operation — called Operation Aztec — was carried out by Manchester City Council’s Licensing Team alongside Greater Manchester Police.
Plain clothed officers posing as shoppers approached parked taxis and asked them for a ride they had not booked in advance.
It is illegal for private hire taxis to accept fares which are not booked in advance. Only Hackney Carriages (black cabs) with the correct license are permitted to undertake such journeys.
The taxi drivers were intercepted by marked police cars upon acceptance of payment and their cars were inspected. The drivers were also interviewed and warned that they could be liable for prosecution.
During the operation, a driver was found to have been driving without insurance. Their vehicle was seized and impounded by Greater Manchester police.
Drivers found guilty of operating illegally can face having their taxi licenses revoked by their licensing authority, and a hefty fine of up £7,500. They can also have between six to eight penalty points added to their driving license.
In the past two years, 66 cases have been pursued after a private hire driver was found to have illegally picked up passengers.
Sergeant Paul Lenarcic from GMP’s Safer Roads Targeting Team said: “Intercepting nine vehicles during Operation Aztec is a positive result for the partnership alongside Manchester City Council and we hope to see this continue as we carry on the operation in our joint bid to crack down on unlicensed and uninsured taxis.”
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, who went out with officers during Operation Aztec, warned that passengers put themselves at risk if they use unbooked vehicles.
Akbar said: “I saw many people putting themselves at risk by getting into an un-booked vehicle. When they do that they are not insured in the event of an accident, there will be no record of a journey having taken place and the driver cannot be tracked.
“The number of drivers caught during just one night of action should serve as a warning to others who think they can get away with illegally activity. They should be in no doubt that if they are caught, the council will take them to court.”
https://goo.gl/EcLwwx
--------------------------------------
NEWPORT
Newport-based passenger services group Veezu has completed the acquisition of a Bristol-based taxi operator.
Call Cars will join V Cars, which was purchased by Veezu in July 2017 and has operations in Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon.
The move puts Veezu among the largest taxi and private hire vehicle operator in the Bristol area.
Call Cars' former shareholder Steven Kelly remains with the business to support the transfer of the fleet.
Veezu chief executive Nathan Bowles said: "The acquisition of Call Cars has significantly expanded the capacity of the V Cars fleet and strengthens our local service offering in one of our key regional hubs.
"Call Cars drivers and passengers will now have the opportunity of experiencing Veezu’s market-leading booking technology and service standards, which will improve the customer experience greatly."
Veezu also owns Dragon Taxis in South Wales, A2B Radio Cars in the West Midlands and Amber Cars in Leeds.
https://goo.gl/L7vhbv
----------------------------------------
9 PIRATES NICKED
Nine taxi drivers have been caught picking up shoppers illegally in Manchester city centre.
The operation — called Operation Aztec — was carried out by Manchester City Council’s Licensing Team alongside Greater Manchester Police.
Plain clothed officers posing as shoppers approached parked taxis and asked them for a ride they had not booked in advance.
It is illegal for private hire taxis to accept fares which are not booked in advance. Only Hackney Carriages (black cabs) with the correct license are permitted to undertake such journeys.
The taxi drivers were intercepted by marked police cars upon acceptance of payment and their cars were inspected. The drivers were also interviewed and warned that they could be liable for prosecution.
During the operation, a driver was found to have been driving without insurance. Their vehicle was seized and impounded by Greater Manchester police.
Drivers found guilty of operating illegally can face having their taxi licenses revoked by their licensing authority, and a hefty fine of up £7,500. They can also have between six to eight penalty points added to their driving license.
In the past two years, 66 cases have been pursued after a private hire driver was found to have illegally picked up passengers.
Sergeant Paul Lenarcic from GMP’s Safer Roads Targeting Team said: “Intercepting nine vehicles during Operation Aztec is a positive result for the partnership alongside Manchester City Council and we hope to see this continue as we carry on the operation in our joint bid to crack down on unlicensed and uninsured taxis.”
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, who went out with officers during Operation Aztec, warned that passengers put themselves at risk if they use unbooked vehicles.
Akbar said: “I saw many people putting themselves at risk by getting into an un-booked vehicle. When they do that they are not insured in the event of an accident, there will be no record of a journey having taken place and the driver cannot be tracked.
“The number of drivers caught during just one night of action should serve as a warning to others who think they can get away with illegally activity. They should be in no doubt that if they are caught, the council will take them to court.”
https://goo.gl/EcLwwx
--------------------------------------
NEWPORT
Newport-based passenger services group Veezu has completed the acquisition of a Bristol-based taxi operator.
Call Cars will join V Cars, which was purchased by Veezu in July 2017 and has operations in Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon.
The move puts Veezu among the largest taxi and private hire vehicle operator in the Bristol area.
Call Cars' former shareholder Steven Kelly remains with the business to support the transfer of the fleet.
Veezu chief executive Nathan Bowles said: "The acquisition of Call Cars has significantly expanded the capacity of the V Cars fleet and strengthens our local service offering in one of our key regional hubs.
"Call Cars drivers and passengers will now have the opportunity of experiencing Veezu’s market-leading booking technology and service standards, which will improve the customer experience greatly."
Veezu also owns Dragon Taxis in South Wales, A2B Radio Cars in the West Midlands and Amber Cars in Leeds.
https://goo.gl/L7vhbv
----------------------------------------
LONDON
London’s first ever all-electric fleet of black taxis was launched yesterday.
The fleet of 150 vehicles will be delivered via the Sherbet RIDE app, allowing Londoners access to the first taxi app that will allow them to pick from a fleet of exclusively electric vehicles.
Sherbet RIDE has been launched to provide Londoners with a premium black taxi service that minimises the user’s environmental impact. The black taxi industry is still worth £1.4bn to the London economy and Sherbet RIDE aims to bring the best of the London black taxi industry’s heritage to the modern day.
This will be achieved through stringent driver training and the innovative use of technology to maximise passenger experience minimise environmental impact. As well as providing a unique offer to Londoners, Sherbet Taxis are also aiming to future-proof the London black taxi industry in the face of impending new legislation
From April 2019, Transport for London will introduce the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in Central London in an attempt to reduced congestion and pollution in the capital. Vehicles entering the ULEZ will have to be compliant with new exhaust emission standards or they will need to pay a daily charge to enter the area.
The service is the brainchild of Asher Moses. He said, ‘London’s black taxi industry is in my blood and I am frustrated that it sometimes gets a bad press. The heritage of the London black taxi industry is built upon putting the passenger at the heart of everything we do and offering the best in customer service. With the rise of ride-sharing apps across London, we feel the industry at large has lost sight of this. The service aims to help the London black taxi industry reclaim its Central London heartland through the offer of an environmental, tech-enabled passenger-focused service.’
https://goo.gl/E83TcH
London’s first ever all-electric fleet of black taxis was launched yesterday.
The fleet of 150 vehicles will be delivered via the Sherbet RIDE app, allowing Londoners access to the first taxi app that will allow them to pick from a fleet of exclusively electric vehicles.
Sherbet RIDE has been launched to provide Londoners with a premium black taxi service that minimises the user’s environmental impact. The black taxi industry is still worth £1.4bn to the London economy and Sherbet RIDE aims to bring the best of the London black taxi industry’s heritage to the modern day.
This will be achieved through stringent driver training and the innovative use of technology to maximise passenger experience minimise environmental impact. As well as providing a unique offer to Londoners, Sherbet Taxis are also aiming to future-proof the London black taxi industry in the face of impending new legislation
From April 2019, Transport for London will introduce the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in Central London in an attempt to reduced congestion and pollution in the capital. Vehicles entering the ULEZ will have to be compliant with new exhaust emission standards or they will need to pay a daily charge to enter the area.
The service is the brainchild of Asher Moses. He said, ‘London’s black taxi industry is in my blood and I am frustrated that it sometimes gets a bad press. The heritage of the London black taxi industry is built upon putting the passenger at the heart of everything we do and offering the best in customer service. With the rise of ride-sharing apps across London, we feel the industry at large has lost sight of this. The service aims to help the London black taxi industry reclaim its Central London heartland through the offer of an environmental, tech-enabled passenger-focused service.’
https://goo.gl/E83TcH
Laura Smith Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard taxi drivers from taxi fare evaders.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 21 November 2018, cW)
Nusrat Ghani Nusrat Ghani Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
The Department’s Best Practice Guidance suggests that signs or notices that set out the expectations of passengers when travelling in a taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV) are displayed. This could include that passengers ensure they are aware of the fare on the meter and notify the driver if it is approaching the limit of their financial means. When a fare has been agreed before setting off passengers should ensure they have the means to pay before travelling.
Legislation allows taxi drivers to recover unpaid fares and costs to be recovered should a passenger refuse to pay.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard taxi drivers from taxi fare evaders.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 21 November 2018, cW)
Nusrat Ghani Nusrat Ghani Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
The Department’s Best Practice Guidance suggests that signs or notices that set out the expectations of passengers when travelling in a taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV) are displayed. This could include that passengers ensure they are aware of the fare on the meter and notify the driver if it is approaching the limit of their financial means. When a fare has been agreed before setting off passengers should ensure they have the means to pay before travelling.
Legislation allows taxi drivers to recover unpaid fares and costs to be recovered should a passenger refuse to pay.
Wednesday 21 November 2018
Sheffield taxi drivers have criticised councillors over plans to charge them for driving into the city centre.
The council is looking to introduce a pollution toll – dubbed a “congestion charge” – for vehicles driving along the ring road and inner ring road.
The planned Clean Air Zone will mean most buses could have to pay £50 a day with £10 a day for taxis, lorries, vans and coaches. Private cars are not affected.
But several taxi drivers, from both private hire and black cab firms, were unhappy at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet.
Former Labour councillor Ibrar Hussain, of the GMB union, said: “This will have an immediate impact and costs for public transport. What assessments have been done on the impact of taxi drivers?”
Lee Ward, chairman of ALPHA which represents taxi firms and drivers, said: “We have got 185,000 private vehicles and only 3,000 have taxi licences. This council is too scared of charging the public so it’s targeting taxi drivers instead. If everyone is making a pollution problem, everybody should be in the same pot to solve it.”
And Aamer Hanif, of UK Airport Transfer, agreed the council should charge all vehicles: “The impact on us will be immense. Taxi drivers are earning minimum wage and this hits the smallest people the hardest.”
The council says if it doesn’t take action and lower nitrogen oxide levels quickly, it could face a substantial fine from the Government.
Coun Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “It appears a brutal approach but it won’t be in the fullness of time. This is not easy or comfortable for any of us but that’s the scale of change we are facing as a city.
“It is highly controversial and difficult to solve but we don’t see an alternative and the most important thing is we have a taxi fleet that’s clean, safe and reliable and we have clean air for everybody.”
The plan is dependent on securing £40 million from the Government to pay for signs and cameras and around £10 million worth of loans and grants to help taxi drivers and bus companies upgrade.
https://goo.gl/AkuCbw
---------------------------------------
Birmingham's iconic black cab trade will be 'decimated' by the Clean Air Zone, drivers have warned.
According to city council figures, only 72 of the 1,265 Hackney Carriages licensed to operate in the city will be compliant with the emission standards being imposed by the pollution charge from January 2020.
It is feared that should the majority of black cabs disappear from the roads it would have a major impact on disabled people, because only Hackney Carriages are required to be wheelchair accessible.
Drivers voiced their concerns today (Wednesday, November 21) during a heated meeting of the authority's Licensing and Public Protection Committee.
Saj Mahmood, from the national union for Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) said: "We want to work with the council, but you have come across with a hammer, bang."
He added there 'won't be a Hackney Carriage trade left' unless the drivers were supported and the on-going issue around out of area workers was tackled once and for all.
The concerns were echoed by fellow RMT representative Mohammed Halim who said the Clean Air Zone would 'decimate the black cab trade in the city'.
The committee agreed to go out to an eight-week consultation with the public and drivers later this month around proposed changes to the council's licensing policy.
One of the ideas is to scrap the 'exceptional condition test' which allows Hackney Carriages to be used once they are more than 14 years old, providing they are deemed road-worthy.
Through a government pilot, 65 Birmingham black cabs were converted to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-trade-decimated-clean-air-15447606
The council is looking to introduce a pollution toll – dubbed a “congestion charge” – for vehicles driving along the ring road and inner ring road.
The planned Clean Air Zone will mean most buses could have to pay £50 a day with £10 a day for taxis, lorries, vans and coaches. Private cars are not affected.
But several taxi drivers, from both private hire and black cab firms, were unhappy at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet.
Former Labour councillor Ibrar Hussain, of the GMB union, said: “This will have an immediate impact and costs for public transport. What assessments have been done on the impact of taxi drivers?”
Lee Ward, chairman of ALPHA which represents taxi firms and drivers, said: “We have got 185,000 private vehicles and only 3,000 have taxi licences. This council is too scared of charging the public so it’s targeting taxi drivers instead. If everyone is making a pollution problem, everybody should be in the same pot to solve it.”
And Aamer Hanif, of UK Airport Transfer, agreed the council should charge all vehicles: “The impact on us will be immense. Taxi drivers are earning minimum wage and this hits the smallest people the hardest.”
The council says if it doesn’t take action and lower nitrogen oxide levels quickly, it could face a substantial fine from the Government.
Coun Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “It appears a brutal approach but it won’t be in the fullness of time. This is not easy or comfortable for any of us but that’s the scale of change we are facing as a city.
“It is highly controversial and difficult to solve but we don’t see an alternative and the most important thing is we have a taxi fleet that’s clean, safe and reliable and we have clean air for everybody.”
The plan is dependent on securing £40 million from the Government to pay for signs and cameras and around £10 million worth of loans and grants to help taxi drivers and bus companies upgrade.
https://goo.gl/AkuCbw
---------------------------------------
Birmingham's iconic black cab trade will be 'decimated' by the Clean Air Zone, drivers have warned.
According to city council figures, only 72 of the 1,265 Hackney Carriages licensed to operate in the city will be compliant with the emission standards being imposed by the pollution charge from January 2020.
It is feared that should the majority of black cabs disappear from the roads it would have a major impact on disabled people, because only Hackney Carriages are required to be wheelchair accessible.
Drivers voiced their concerns today (Wednesday, November 21) during a heated meeting of the authority's Licensing and Public Protection Committee.
Saj Mahmood, from the national union for Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) said: "We want to work with the council, but you have come across with a hammer, bang."
He added there 'won't be a Hackney Carriage trade left' unless the drivers were supported and the on-going issue around out of area workers was tackled once and for all.
The concerns were echoed by fellow RMT representative Mohammed Halim who said the Clean Air Zone would 'decimate the black cab trade in the city'.
The committee agreed to go out to an eight-week consultation with the public and drivers later this month around proposed changes to the council's licensing policy.
One of the ideas is to scrap the 'exceptional condition test' which allows Hackney Carriages to be used once they are more than 14 years old, providing they are deemed road-worthy.
Through a government pilot, 65 Birmingham black cabs were converted to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-trade-decimated-clean-air-15447606
Monday 19 November 2018
DRIVERS with convictions for serious criminal offences will never be allowed to have a taxi licence if new Bradford Council proposals are approved.
The local authority hopes to take the steps to improve security and safety of passengers in the city, along with councils in Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees, Wakefield and York.
The policy will also look to reduce the number of penalty points a driver may have on their licence for motoring convictions.
Members of the public will be asked to have their say on the new legislation, which will be applied to both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensed drivers who have been convicted of offences.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We are working closely with our neighbouring Local Authorities to ensure a common standard for drivers across West Yorkshire.
"We believe that the introduction of a new policy will provide greater confidence for those who use hackney carriage (Taxi) and private hire vehicles and will also ensure that our passengers are as safe as possible, which is the number one priority for Bradford Council.
Licensed Operators may contract work across Council boundaries and it is therefore important we all work to the same, or similar standards, when licensing drivers in order to protect the public."
Mazar Iqbal, chairman of Bradford's Hackney Carriage Owners and Drivers Association, said he agreed with some aspects of the changes.
He said: "If someone has a criminal record for something like rape or drug dealing, which are dangerous to the public, they should not be driving a taxi."
Mr Iqbal says he does not agree with the council's proposals to ban a driver from holding a taxi licence for five years if they are caught driving while using a mobile phone.
He said this penalty is more severe than the police hand out to other motorists and called on the council to re-think their plans.
He added: "If the council says someone cannot have a licence for five years because they are caught using a mobile phone, that's someone livelihood they are taking away.
"It's very dangerous and a strict procedure.
"I'm totally against that."
https://goo.gl/emKY5P
---------------------------------------
WEDNESBURY
A taxi company expansion will allow them to ‘take the fight’ to Uber – and bring 100 jobs.
247 Cars’ takeover of Link Up Cars, which covers Darlaston and Wednesbury, will see the creation of new jobs up for grabs as the company pledges to take on the taxi giant.
Company director of 247 Cars, Shahzad Ali, said the company was now the ‘largest’ taxi company in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Wednesbury thanks to the deal with more than 450 vehicles.
Mr Ali, aged 41, from Birchills in Walsall, said the company was the ‘only one’ that could realistically compete in Walsall and Wolverhampton with the ‘taxi titan’ Uber.
He said: “We’ve got operations in Wolverhampton, Bilston and the rest of Black Country. We cover everywhere from Wolverhampton to Walsall.
"The job boost will result in more drivers and so if you call for a taxi, it will get to you quicker than you picking up your own car keys.
“We’re looking to take on another 100 drivers in total. Cars and help can be provided.
"If you’re employed and looking for a new challenge we will contribute towards that. I’ve been in this trade for 21 years and I’ve seen that the high street is taking a battering now.
"We can provide an affordable and reliable form of transport for people in the high street and town centres.”
Mr Ali said the company had ‘everything’ Uber had – and stressed the service was ‘more convenient’.
“We take card payments and we’ve got the driving app. And even if you don’t use the app, we text your details on the booking,” he said.
https://goo.gl/vCv3Pd
-----------------------------------
RICKMANSWORTH
Would-be taxi driver caught cheating in exam after phone blurted out directions
A prospective taxi driver was caught cheating in his exam.
A trainee taxi driver was caught cheating in an exam after his mobile phone blurted out directions.
The applicant was taking part in a knowledge test in Rickmansworth last Monday when he got stuck on the first question.
Bizarrely, he wasn’t actually caught looking at his phone.
Instead, he was rumbled because when he used his Android phone to type in an address to help him answer the question, his mobile gave him a voice instruction, which was heard by the examiner and the two other candidates.
The man was applying to become a Three Rivers District Council taxi driver.
Following the incident, his application has been refused by the council and he has been banned from sitting the knowledge test and reapplying for a driver’s licence for 12 months.
Councillor Steve Drury, chairman of the licensing committee, said: “Before people are granted a licence, they go through a rigorous screening process, which includes criminal and driving checks. They also have to show basic communication and language skills, literacy, the ability to give the correct change and their local route knowledge.
“These checks are in place to make sure people are who they say they are and so that we know when you get into a taxi, the person sitting in front of you is able to drive you to your destination safely.“
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/17233561.budding-three-rivers-taxi-driver-caught-cheating-in-exam/
--------------------------------------
The local authority hopes to take the steps to improve security and safety of passengers in the city, along with councils in Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees, Wakefield and York.
The policy will also look to reduce the number of penalty points a driver may have on their licence for motoring convictions.
Members of the public will be asked to have their say on the new legislation, which will be applied to both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensed drivers who have been convicted of offences.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We are working closely with our neighbouring Local Authorities to ensure a common standard for drivers across West Yorkshire.
"We believe that the introduction of a new policy will provide greater confidence for those who use hackney carriage (Taxi) and private hire vehicles and will also ensure that our passengers are as safe as possible, which is the number one priority for Bradford Council.
Licensed Operators may contract work across Council boundaries and it is therefore important we all work to the same, or similar standards, when licensing drivers in order to protect the public."
Mazar Iqbal, chairman of Bradford's Hackney Carriage Owners and Drivers Association, said he agreed with some aspects of the changes.
He said: "If someone has a criminal record for something like rape or drug dealing, which are dangerous to the public, they should not be driving a taxi."
Mr Iqbal says he does not agree with the council's proposals to ban a driver from holding a taxi licence for five years if they are caught driving while using a mobile phone.
He said this penalty is more severe than the police hand out to other motorists and called on the council to re-think their plans.
He added: "If the council says someone cannot have a licence for five years because they are caught using a mobile phone, that's someone livelihood they are taking away.
"It's very dangerous and a strict procedure.
"I'm totally against that."
https://goo.gl/emKY5P
---------------------------------------
WEDNESBURY
A taxi company expansion will allow them to ‘take the fight’ to Uber – and bring 100 jobs.
247 Cars’ takeover of Link Up Cars, which covers Darlaston and Wednesbury, will see the creation of new jobs up for grabs as the company pledges to take on the taxi giant.
Company director of 247 Cars, Shahzad Ali, said the company was now the ‘largest’ taxi company in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Wednesbury thanks to the deal with more than 450 vehicles.
Mr Ali, aged 41, from Birchills in Walsall, said the company was the ‘only one’ that could realistically compete in Walsall and Wolverhampton with the ‘taxi titan’ Uber.
He said: “We’ve got operations in Wolverhampton, Bilston and the rest of Black Country. We cover everywhere from Wolverhampton to Walsall.
"The job boost will result in more drivers and so if you call for a taxi, it will get to you quicker than you picking up your own car keys.
“We’re looking to take on another 100 drivers in total. Cars and help can be provided.
"If you’re employed and looking for a new challenge we will contribute towards that. I’ve been in this trade for 21 years and I’ve seen that the high street is taking a battering now.
"We can provide an affordable and reliable form of transport for people in the high street and town centres.”
Mr Ali said the company had ‘everything’ Uber had – and stressed the service was ‘more convenient’.
“We take card payments and we’ve got the driving app. And even if you don’t use the app, we text your details on the booking,” he said.
https://goo.gl/vCv3Pd
-----------------------------------
RICKMANSWORTH
Would-be taxi driver caught cheating in exam after phone blurted out directions
A prospective taxi driver was caught cheating in his exam.
A trainee taxi driver was caught cheating in an exam after his mobile phone blurted out directions.
The applicant was taking part in a knowledge test in Rickmansworth last Monday when he got stuck on the first question.
Bizarrely, he wasn’t actually caught looking at his phone.
Instead, he was rumbled because when he used his Android phone to type in an address to help him answer the question, his mobile gave him a voice instruction, which was heard by the examiner and the two other candidates.
The man was applying to become a Three Rivers District Council taxi driver.
Following the incident, his application has been refused by the council and he has been banned from sitting the knowledge test and reapplying for a driver’s licence for 12 months.
Councillor Steve Drury, chairman of the licensing committee, said: “Before people are granted a licence, they go through a rigorous screening process, which includes criminal and driving checks. They also have to show basic communication and language skills, literacy, the ability to give the correct change and their local route knowledge.
“These checks are in place to make sure people are who they say they are and so that we know when you get into a taxi, the person sitting in front of you is able to drive you to your destination safely.“
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/17233561.budding-three-rivers-taxi-driver-caught-cheating-in-exam/
--------------------------------------
Sunday 18 November 2018
THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UUdS5kAT3ZkSQBqlhkbMZq-NIu2YPhga
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
HARROW
A private hire driver who sexually assaulted his female passengers has been jailed.
Hire Mire, of The Mall, Harrow, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault by touching at Wood Green Crown Court on November 16.
The 51-year-old had committed three assaults in Surrey and Hackney during a period of two days in September 2017.
He was sentenced to two years in prison and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
The driver also received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will prevent him from driving any female that is not family member or someone previously known to him.
Mire had previously been convicted of public order offences in April after he spoke to two separate lone women in a sexual manner, making them feel vulnerable and intimidated in his car.
https://goo.gl/Q8mA5D
----------------------------------
STOCKPORT
A man has been arrested after a taxi driver was stabbed in Bramhall.
The driver was waiting to pick up a fare on Linney Road when he was approached by a man who demanded money, just after midnight in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Immediately after demanding money, the man lunged at the taxi driver with a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen.
The offender then fled the scene as the taxi driver crawled to safety at a nearby property.
He was taken to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
A few hours later, officers arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of robbery at an address in Davenport.
He remains in custody for questioning.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Downey, of GMP’s Stockport Borough, said: “This was a seemingly random attack on a man as he was simply trying to do his job.
“Thankfully he managed to crawl to safety and is now receiving treatment in hospital but this could have been much worse.
https://goo.gl/kY1YzM
---------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Wokingham and West Berkshire are set to be forced to pay more for their licences in changes made to bring prices to identical levels with Bracknell.
Private hire drivers could be forced to pay up to £120 more for new licences or licence renewals when changes are voted on by the council following a consultation.
This comes after the News revealed taxi drivers are being hit hard by Uber drivers who do not need to pay for a licence with the council, despite being able to pick up passengers in the area.
Labour councillor Rachel Burgess said some of the changes were “steep” at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing committee, and the Norreys councillor later told the News: “I proposed that in these cases the increases should be phased over a period of years to avoid a sharp and unexpected rise in fees next year.
“I am also concerned that the licensing committee as a whole will not be reviewing any objections raised as a result of the imminent consultation on fees and charges – it will be up to the chairperson alone to take a view on any objections and set the final fees to be recommended to Council, rather than the full committee.
“My Conservative and Lib Dem colleagues seemed content with this – I was not.”
Hackney Carriage vehicles and private hire vehicle licences are set to increase in price from £161 to £289, with temporary vehicle licences and private hire licences with dispensation also set to see increases of more than £60 and £120 respectively.
Liberal Democrats councillor Lindsay Ferris said: “There needs to be justification to show why the price has gone up.”
The price increases take into account cost recovery amounts of £55 an hour, and fellow Lib Dem Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey added that the price increases make business-sense claiming she “did not disagree with cost recovery”.
A report produced for the council read: “The 2018/19 fees and charges for hackney carriage and private hire licences shows a significant disparity between the former West Berkshire (Council) and Wokingham (Borough Council) fee structure and the Bracknell (Forest Council) fee structure, in respect of vehicle and operator licensing.
“Driver rates have remained in line with inflation and have been brought into line across the three Public Protection Partnership Councils.”
Conservative councillor Malcolm Richards said: “We should not have a cost that is so unattractive that people are not registering at all.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Mike Haines asked how many vehicles these changes will affect and an officer claimed that up to 1,000 licence holders would see price increases across Wokingham, Bracknell and West Berkshire.
A consultation on the price increases is set to take place after the Wokingham Borough Council licensing committee decided to move the suggestions to the next phase.
Fee changes were also proposed for animal licences, including pet shop licences, dangerous animal licences and dog breeding licences.
Previously animal licenses were only applicable in Bracknell, but these changes will make them available in Wokingham and West Berkshire too.
https://goo.gl/6zJLN6
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UUdS5kAT3ZkSQBqlhkbMZq-NIu2YPhga
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
HARROW
A private hire driver who sexually assaulted his female passengers has been jailed.
Hire Mire, of The Mall, Harrow, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault by touching at Wood Green Crown Court on November 16.
The 51-year-old had committed three assaults in Surrey and Hackney during a period of two days in September 2017.
He was sentenced to two years in prison and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
The driver also received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will prevent him from driving any female that is not family member or someone previously known to him.
Mire had previously been convicted of public order offences in April after he spoke to two separate lone women in a sexual manner, making them feel vulnerable and intimidated in his car.
https://goo.gl/Q8mA5D
----------------------------------
STOCKPORT
A man has been arrested after a taxi driver was stabbed in Bramhall.
The driver was waiting to pick up a fare on Linney Road when he was approached by a man who demanded money, just after midnight in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Immediately after demanding money, the man lunged at the taxi driver with a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen.
The offender then fled the scene as the taxi driver crawled to safety at a nearby property.
He was taken to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
A few hours later, officers arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of robbery at an address in Davenport.
He remains in custody for questioning.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Downey, of GMP’s Stockport Borough, said: “This was a seemingly random attack on a man as he was simply trying to do his job.
“Thankfully he managed to crawl to safety and is now receiving treatment in hospital but this could have been much worse.
https://goo.gl/kY1YzM
---------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Wokingham and West Berkshire are set to be forced to pay more for their licences in changes made to bring prices to identical levels with Bracknell.
Private hire drivers could be forced to pay up to £120 more for new licences or licence renewals when changes are voted on by the council following a consultation.
This comes after the News revealed taxi drivers are being hit hard by Uber drivers who do not need to pay for a licence with the council, despite being able to pick up passengers in the area.
Labour councillor Rachel Burgess said some of the changes were “steep” at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing committee, and the Norreys councillor later told the News: “I proposed that in these cases the increases should be phased over a period of years to avoid a sharp and unexpected rise in fees next year.
“I am also concerned that the licensing committee as a whole will not be reviewing any objections raised as a result of the imminent consultation on fees and charges – it will be up to the chairperson alone to take a view on any objections and set the final fees to be recommended to Council, rather than the full committee.
“My Conservative and Lib Dem colleagues seemed content with this – I was not.”
Hackney Carriage vehicles and private hire vehicle licences are set to increase in price from £161 to £289, with temporary vehicle licences and private hire licences with dispensation also set to see increases of more than £60 and £120 respectively.
Liberal Democrats councillor Lindsay Ferris said: “There needs to be justification to show why the price has gone up.”
The price increases take into account cost recovery amounts of £55 an hour, and fellow Lib Dem Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey added that the price increases make business-sense claiming she “did not disagree with cost recovery”.
A report produced for the council read: “The 2018/19 fees and charges for hackney carriage and private hire licences shows a significant disparity between the former West Berkshire (Council) and Wokingham (Borough Council) fee structure and the Bracknell (Forest Council) fee structure, in respect of vehicle and operator licensing.
“Driver rates have remained in line with inflation and have been brought into line across the three Public Protection Partnership Councils.”
Conservative councillor Malcolm Richards said: “We should not have a cost that is so unattractive that people are not registering at all.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Mike Haines asked how many vehicles these changes will affect and an officer claimed that up to 1,000 licence holders would see price increases across Wokingham, Bracknell and West Berkshire.
A consultation on the price increases is set to take place after the Wokingham Borough Council licensing committee decided to move the suggestions to the next phase.
Fee changes were also proposed for animal licences, including pet shop licences, dangerous animal licences and dog breeding licences.
Previously animal licenses were only applicable in Bracknell, but these changes will make them available in Wokingham and West Berkshire too.
https://goo.gl/6zJLN6
Thursday 15 November 2018
LIVERPOOL
A policeman was zapped when he discovered a stun gun disguised as a torch in a taxi driver's car.
Mum-of-five Jayne Bird lied by claiming she had no idea it was a weapon after the officer suffered the electric shock.
But the Delta Taxis driver avoided a minimum five-year jail sentence because of the impact it would have on her autistic son.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the officer stopped Bird's car in Stanley Road, Bootle at around 10.40am on June 7 this year.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said he pulled over the 43-year-old's Ford Focus estate as part of a routine taxi licensing inspection.
The policeman then spotted what he believed to be a torch, wedged in the space between the driver's seat and door.
When he attempted to pull the torch out, he received a shock up his right arm, leaving him in immense pain.
He arrested Bird, who in a custody suite holding area said: "It came through customs from China, I didn't think it would get through."
However, the mum later suggested she meant she was surprised an item like that could be imported, after buying it for £8 online.
She told officers she wanted a strong torch to use for her job at night, not a weapon for protection from aggressive passengers.
But she accepted that when she first tested the torch and pressed a button, it made a noise and vibrated.
Bird, of Marina Crescent, Bootle, who has no previous convictions, admitted possession of a disguised firearm, on the basis she did not know it was a stun gun.
This claim was rejected by prosecutors and a Newton hearing - a form of mini-trial to establish disputed facts - had to be held.
A firearms examiner found the 23.5cm "Mag Lite" style torch, with Chinese symbols on, had a switch to turn on the torch or arm the stun function.
It could then be activated with a button on the other side, producing bright blue sparks.
Mr Blasbery said: "He said it was a non-lethal, self-defence weapon, designed to deliver electric shocks capable of causing pain and distress, which may result in burns and scarring when the electrodes are placed in contact with exposed or clothed skin."
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones ruled against Bird, saying he found her claims "incredible" and that she knew it was a weapon.
He said Bird wanted it for self-defence when alone and vulnerable, if she was confronted by violent passengers.
The policeman suffered pins and needles in his hand, and a burning sensation inside his wrist and arm.
He underwent an electrocardiogram, which came back clear, but said his wife and son were upset by the time he spent in hospital.
The officer endured a sleepless night due to the pain and was left anxious about searching vehicles.
Mr Blasbery said: "He's always nervous he may come across something that could injure him again.
"His wife, when he's in work, gets very worried when he calls her, in case something may have happened to him."
Stun guns are firearms subject to a minimum five-year jail sentence, unless there are "exceptional circumstances".
Bird, who used a walking stick in the dock, suffers from chronic pain condition fibromyalgia and a sleeping disorder.
Jayne Bird, 43, of Marina Crescent, Bootle, (right) admitted possession of a disguised firearm (Image: Lynda Roughley)
Charlotte Kenny, defending, said she was a woman of "positive good character", who voluntarily worked with special needs children.
She said what was "really exceptional" was her role as the primary carer for her 12-year-old son, who has autism.
Ms Kenny said the boy had a full-time support worker and went to special school, but a stable routine was extremely important.
She said: "The stability Mrs Bird provides is so important, the health professional working with him describes the potential effect as catastrophic if she goes into custody."
Judge Trevor-Jones said the officer suffered "excruciating pain" when inadvertently shocked by the weapon, underlining its danger.
But he said Bird's son had "extremely challenging" behaviour and if the bond between them was broken, it could be "catastrophic".
The judge handed her 18 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, with a 10-day rehabilitation course and 160 hours of unpaid work.
https://goo.gl/nXy6r6
-------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Wokingham and West Berkshire are set to be forced to pay more for their licences in changes made to bring prices to identical levels with Bracknell.
Private hire drivers could be forced to pay up to £120 more for new licences or licence renewals when changes are voted on by the council following a consultation.
This comes after the News revealed taxi drivers are being hit hard by Uber drivers who do not need to pay for a licence with the council, despite being able to pick up passengers in the area.
Labour councillor Rachel Burgess said some of the changes were “steep” at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing committee, and the Norreys councillor later told the News: “I proposed that in these cases the increases should be phased over a period of years to avoid a sharp and unexpected rise in fees next year.
“I am also concerned that the licensing committee as a whole will not be reviewing any objections raised as a result of the imminent consultation on fees and charges – it will be up to the chairperson alone to take a view on any objections and set the final fees to be recommended to Council, rather than the full committee.
“My Conservative and Lib Dem colleagues seemed content with this – I was not.”
Hackney Carriage vehicles and private hire vehicle licences are set to increase in price from £161 to £289, with temporary vehicle licences and private hire licences with dispensation also set to see increases of more than £60 and £120 respectively.
Liberal Democrats councillor Lindsay Ferris said: “There needs to be justification to show why the price has gone up.”
The price increases take into account cost recovery amounts of £55 an hour, and fellow Lib Dem Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey added that the price increases make business-sense claiming she “did not disagree with cost recovery”.
A report produced for the council read: “The 2018/19 fees and charges for hackney carriage and private hire licences shows a significant disparity between the former West Berkshire (Council) and Wokingham (Borough Council) fee structure and the Bracknell (Forest Council) fee structure, in respect of vehicle and operator licensing.
“Driver rates have remained in line with inflation and have been brought into line across the three Public Protection Partnership Councils.”
Conservative councillor Malcolm Richards said: “We should not have a cost that is so unattractive that people are not registering at all.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Mike Haines asked how many vehicles these changes will affect and an officer claimed that up to 1,000 licence holders would see price increases across Wokingham, Bracknell and West Berkshire.
A consultation on the price increases is set to take place after the Wokingham Borough Council licensing committee decided to move the suggestions to the next phase.
Fee changes were also proposed for animal licences, including pet shop licences, dangerous animal licences and dog breeding licences.
Previously animal licenses were only applicable in Bracknell, but these changes will make them available in Wokingham and West Berkshire too.
https://goo.gl/6zJLN6
A policeman was zapped when he discovered a stun gun disguised as a torch in a taxi driver's car.
Mum-of-five Jayne Bird lied by claiming she had no idea it was a weapon after the officer suffered the electric shock.
But the Delta Taxis driver avoided a minimum five-year jail sentence because of the impact it would have on her autistic son.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the officer stopped Bird's car in Stanley Road, Bootle at around 10.40am on June 7 this year.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said he pulled over the 43-year-old's Ford Focus estate as part of a routine taxi licensing inspection.
The policeman then spotted what he believed to be a torch, wedged in the space between the driver's seat and door.
When he attempted to pull the torch out, he received a shock up his right arm, leaving him in immense pain.
He arrested Bird, who in a custody suite holding area said: "It came through customs from China, I didn't think it would get through."
However, the mum later suggested she meant she was surprised an item like that could be imported, after buying it for £8 online.
She told officers she wanted a strong torch to use for her job at night, not a weapon for protection from aggressive passengers.
But she accepted that when she first tested the torch and pressed a button, it made a noise and vibrated.
Bird, of Marina Crescent, Bootle, who has no previous convictions, admitted possession of a disguised firearm, on the basis she did not know it was a stun gun.
This claim was rejected by prosecutors and a Newton hearing - a form of mini-trial to establish disputed facts - had to be held.
A firearms examiner found the 23.5cm "Mag Lite" style torch, with Chinese symbols on, had a switch to turn on the torch or arm the stun function.
It could then be activated with a button on the other side, producing bright blue sparks.
Mr Blasbery said: "He said it was a non-lethal, self-defence weapon, designed to deliver electric shocks capable of causing pain and distress, which may result in burns and scarring when the electrodes are placed in contact with exposed or clothed skin."
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones ruled against Bird, saying he found her claims "incredible" and that she knew it was a weapon.
He said Bird wanted it for self-defence when alone and vulnerable, if she was confronted by violent passengers.
The policeman suffered pins and needles in his hand, and a burning sensation inside his wrist and arm.
He underwent an electrocardiogram, which came back clear, but said his wife and son were upset by the time he spent in hospital.
The officer endured a sleepless night due to the pain and was left anxious about searching vehicles.
Mr Blasbery said: "He's always nervous he may come across something that could injure him again.
"His wife, when he's in work, gets very worried when he calls her, in case something may have happened to him."
Stun guns are firearms subject to a minimum five-year jail sentence, unless there are "exceptional circumstances".
Bird, who used a walking stick in the dock, suffers from chronic pain condition fibromyalgia and a sleeping disorder.
Jayne Bird, 43, of Marina Crescent, Bootle, (right) admitted possession of a disguised firearm (Image: Lynda Roughley)
Charlotte Kenny, defending, said she was a woman of "positive good character", who voluntarily worked with special needs children.
She said what was "really exceptional" was her role as the primary carer for her 12-year-old son, who has autism.
Ms Kenny said the boy had a full-time support worker and went to special school, but a stable routine was extremely important.
She said: "The stability Mrs Bird provides is so important, the health professional working with him describes the potential effect as catastrophic if she goes into custody."
Judge Trevor-Jones said the officer suffered "excruciating pain" when inadvertently shocked by the weapon, underlining its danger.
But he said Bird's son had "extremely challenging" behaviour and if the bond between them was broken, it could be "catastrophic".
The judge handed her 18 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, with a 10-day rehabilitation course and 160 hours of unpaid work.
https://goo.gl/nXy6r6
-------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Wokingham and West Berkshire are set to be forced to pay more for their licences in changes made to bring prices to identical levels with Bracknell.
Private hire drivers could be forced to pay up to £120 more for new licences or licence renewals when changes are voted on by the council following a consultation.
This comes after the News revealed taxi drivers are being hit hard by Uber drivers who do not need to pay for a licence with the council, despite being able to pick up passengers in the area.
Labour councillor Rachel Burgess said some of the changes were “steep” at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing committee, and the Norreys councillor later told the News: “I proposed that in these cases the increases should be phased over a period of years to avoid a sharp and unexpected rise in fees next year.
“I am also concerned that the licensing committee as a whole will not be reviewing any objections raised as a result of the imminent consultation on fees and charges – it will be up to the chairperson alone to take a view on any objections and set the final fees to be recommended to Council, rather than the full committee.
“My Conservative and Lib Dem colleagues seemed content with this – I was not.”
Hackney Carriage vehicles and private hire vehicle licences are set to increase in price from £161 to £289, with temporary vehicle licences and private hire licences with dispensation also set to see increases of more than £60 and £120 respectively.
Liberal Democrats councillor Lindsay Ferris said: “There needs to be justification to show why the price has gone up.”
The price increases take into account cost recovery amounts of £55 an hour, and fellow Lib Dem Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey added that the price increases make business-sense claiming she “did not disagree with cost recovery”.
A report produced for the council read: “The 2018/19 fees and charges for hackney carriage and private hire licences shows a significant disparity between the former West Berkshire (Council) and Wokingham (Borough Council) fee structure and the Bracknell (Forest Council) fee structure, in respect of vehicle and operator licensing.
“Driver rates have remained in line with inflation and have been brought into line across the three Public Protection Partnership Councils.”
Conservative councillor Malcolm Richards said: “We should not have a cost that is so unattractive that people are not registering at all.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Mike Haines asked how many vehicles these changes will affect and an officer claimed that up to 1,000 licence holders would see price increases across Wokingham, Bracknell and West Berkshire.
A consultation on the price increases is set to take place after the Wokingham Borough Council licensing committee decided to move the suggestions to the next phase.
Fee changes were also proposed for animal licences, including pet shop licences, dangerous animal licences and dog breeding licences.
Previously animal licenses were only applicable in Bracknell, but these changes will make them available in Wokingham and West Berkshire too.
https://goo.gl/6zJLN6
Wednesday 14 November 2018
Addison Lee Tribunal Appeal Judgement November 2018
the judgement can be read here...
https://goo.gl/hvpTSN
--------------------------------------
Edinburgh Airport has told rival taxi drivers in its ranks to remain in their vehicles to prevent them from squabbling in front of customers.
It is understood the airport has intervened to ensure cabbies stay in their vehicles to prevent them from influencing customers’ decision and reducing confrontations when rival drivers congregated at the head of their respective ranks.
City Cabs and Edinburgh City Private Hire currently both operate the ranks in a joint venture providing transfers to inbound passengers at the airport.
Meanwhile there are claims that City Cabs and Edinburgh City Private Hire drivers have grown frustrated at rival firms’ illegally picking up passengers in the drop-off zone after transporting customers to the airport.
A City Cabs bulletin to all members stated all drivers should not be “abusive” to others at the rank.
Marshals have been given designated positions in order for the process to run as smoothly as possible for the customers.
The bulletin added: “Drivers will also be told to remain in their taxis unless they are having a cigarette, topping up their decrement card or visiting the toilet.
“All marshals must be positioned within the area marked within the red box on the adjacent plan. Customers must have a choice without a human influence.
“In addition all drivers from both ranks should not in any way engage with customers prior to them getting into a vehicle, nor should drivers be abusive to others at the rank.”
Drivers who do not cooperate with the rules the airport has in place will have their decrement card revoked while marshals will have their ID Pass suspended.
Edinburgh City Private Hire boss Kevin Woodburn told the Evening News he was unaware of any issues at the airport.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned the policy on drivers and driver behaviour has been the same we’ve worked with for the past 15 years. We’ve not put anything out to our drivers. Nothing has changed.”
Airport bosses have reminded both companies of their responsibilities in relation to passenger waiting times, driver dress code and behaviour as well as the ability to work in conjunction.
https://goo.gl/JBdiuc
---------------------------
NEW YORK
Another debt-burdened New York City cabbie has committed suicide — the eighth for-hire driver to kill himself in the past year, Taxi and Limousine Commission officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Roy Kim, 58, of Bayside, Queens, hanged himself with a belt in his home on Nov. 5, according to the city’s medical examiner’s office. There was no immediate sign of a suicide note.
Kim, who had just purchased his taxi medallion last year, was more than $500,000 in debt from the deal and struggling to stay afloat, say friends.
“He was in a lot of debt from that,” said fellow driver Young Lee, who made friends with Kim while picking up fares from airports. “For a while he was making money but then it just went slowly down and down and down. All drivers are really struggling.”
For-hire drivers have been in a freefall for the past few years, and many blame the epidemic on the unchecked growth of ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft. The city enacted regulations this summer, but some critics called them too little too late.
TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi offered condolences to Kim’s friends and family and promised to look for more ways to help anguished drivers.
“This tragedy underscores the importance of finding new ways for government, the industry and lenders to work in unity to address the financial challenges that are weighing so heavily on our licensees,” she said. “Modifying, restructuring and lowering loans would go a long way in providing relief and keeping taxi services available to New Yorkers for years to come.”
Taxi driver advocates say the city and TLC need to do more to help.
“Owner-drivers have suffered a deep and vicious slide from the middle class into crushing poverty, in a just a few short years,” said NY Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “This crisis can be fixed. The struggle for owner-drivers is reminiscent of the 2008 housing crisis. In that crisis, the industry, government, advocates, and philanthropy came to the table to find solutions. Now, banks and lenders need to work with the city and philanthropy to write off 20 percent of outstanding debts, lower interest rates, and restructure contracts so that no owner-driver has to lose more than 20 percent of their monthly income to the mortgage.”
Kim is the fourth cabbie and eighth driver overall to commit suicide since November of last year.
https://goo.gl/Z75J8C
the judgement can be read here...
https://goo.gl/hvpTSN
--------------------------------------
Edinburgh Airport has told rival taxi drivers in its ranks to remain in their vehicles to prevent them from squabbling in front of customers.
It is understood the airport has intervened to ensure cabbies stay in their vehicles to prevent them from influencing customers’ decision and reducing confrontations when rival drivers congregated at the head of their respective ranks.
City Cabs and Edinburgh City Private Hire currently both operate the ranks in a joint venture providing transfers to inbound passengers at the airport.
Meanwhile there are claims that City Cabs and Edinburgh City Private Hire drivers have grown frustrated at rival firms’ illegally picking up passengers in the drop-off zone after transporting customers to the airport.
A City Cabs bulletin to all members stated all drivers should not be “abusive” to others at the rank.
Marshals have been given designated positions in order for the process to run as smoothly as possible for the customers.
The bulletin added: “Drivers will also be told to remain in their taxis unless they are having a cigarette, topping up their decrement card or visiting the toilet.
“All marshals must be positioned within the area marked within the red box on the adjacent plan. Customers must have a choice without a human influence.
“In addition all drivers from both ranks should not in any way engage with customers prior to them getting into a vehicle, nor should drivers be abusive to others at the rank.”
Drivers who do not cooperate with the rules the airport has in place will have their decrement card revoked while marshals will have their ID Pass suspended.
Edinburgh City Private Hire boss Kevin Woodburn told the Evening News he was unaware of any issues at the airport.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned the policy on drivers and driver behaviour has been the same we’ve worked with for the past 15 years. We’ve not put anything out to our drivers. Nothing has changed.”
Airport bosses have reminded both companies of their responsibilities in relation to passenger waiting times, driver dress code and behaviour as well as the ability to work in conjunction.
https://goo.gl/JBdiuc
---------------------------
NEW YORK
Another debt-burdened New York City cabbie has committed suicide — the eighth for-hire driver to kill himself in the past year, Taxi and Limousine Commission officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Roy Kim, 58, of Bayside, Queens, hanged himself with a belt in his home on Nov. 5, according to the city’s medical examiner’s office. There was no immediate sign of a suicide note.
Kim, who had just purchased his taxi medallion last year, was more than $500,000 in debt from the deal and struggling to stay afloat, say friends.
“He was in a lot of debt from that,” said fellow driver Young Lee, who made friends with Kim while picking up fares from airports. “For a while he was making money but then it just went slowly down and down and down. All drivers are really struggling.”
For-hire drivers have been in a freefall for the past few years, and many blame the epidemic on the unchecked growth of ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft. The city enacted regulations this summer, but some critics called them too little too late.
TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi offered condolences to Kim’s friends and family and promised to look for more ways to help anguished drivers.
“This tragedy underscores the importance of finding new ways for government, the industry and lenders to work in unity to address the financial challenges that are weighing so heavily on our licensees,” she said. “Modifying, restructuring and lowering loans would go a long way in providing relief and keeping taxi services available to New Yorkers for years to come.”
Taxi driver advocates say the city and TLC need to do more to help.
“Owner-drivers have suffered a deep and vicious slide from the middle class into crushing poverty, in a just a few short years,” said NY Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “This crisis can be fixed. The struggle for owner-drivers is reminiscent of the 2008 housing crisis. In that crisis, the industry, government, advocates, and philanthropy came to the table to find solutions. Now, banks and lenders need to work with the city and philanthropy to write off 20 percent of outstanding debts, lower interest rates, and restructure contracts so that no owner-driver has to lose more than 20 percent of their monthly income to the mortgage.”
Kim is the fourth cabbie and eighth driver overall to commit suicide since November of last year.
https://goo.gl/Z75J8C
ADDISON LEE DRIVERS ARE WORKERS WITH EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
A claim that drivers at taxi giant Addison Lee are workers, not self-employed, has been upheld by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in London, in what has been hailed as 'another huge win' for workers' rights.
The GMB union said courts had agreed 'once again' that the firm's drivers are legally entitled to rights such as the national minimum wage and holiday pay.
It comes after similar landmark rulings over the employment status of drivers for cab-hailing app Uber and for delivery firm Hermes.
The EAT decision upheld a finding by an Employment Tribunal last year on behalf of Addison Lee drivers.
The London minicab firm Addison Lee has lost its case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal
Sue Harris, GMB union's legal director, said: 'This is another huge win for GMB over bogus self-employment.
'Once again, the courts have agreed Addison Lee drivers are legally entitled to workers' rights such as the national minimum wage and holiday pay rights.
'Other employers should take note - GMB will not stop pursuing these exploitative companies on behalf of our members.'
Liana Wood, solicitor at Leigh Day who represented the drivers on behalf of the GMB, said: 'We are very pleased that the EAT has rejected Addison Lee's appeal.
'It is clear that Addison Lee's business model of providing a fleet of highly trained, regulated drivers is incompatible with their arguments that drivers are not workers who are entitled to workers' fundamental rights.
'We hope that Addison Lee will accept this decision; drivers shouldn't have to continue to work very long hours, often in excess of 60 hours per week, to earn just enough to meet their basic living costs.'
Michaell Lange, one of the drivers who brought claims against Addison Lee, said: 'We decided to bring this claim in 2016 because we wanted Addison Lee to treat drivers fairly. We are happy that the decision that we were workers for Addison Lee has been upheld.
'We now urge Addison Lee to do the decent thing and stop denying its workforce of over 4,000 drivers their rights.'
https://goo.gl/5rd6Lc
Saturday 10 November 2018
OLDHAM
Cabbies should ‘get an overcoat’ in winter instead of keeping their engines running to keep warm while waiting at ranks, a town hall boss has said.
Under a proposal by the chair of Oldham’s licensing committee, councillor Norman Briggs, a new condition could be introduced by the town hall to stop vehicles idling in a bid to tackle air pollution.
Coun Briggs said drivers should be prevented from keeping their cabs ticking over to use the heaters, adding it was ‘tough’ if they were cold.
“They’re getting no sympathy from me,” he told committee members.
“Get an overcoat.”
John Garforth, the council's trading standards and licensing manager, said it would be possible to introduce a ‘no idling while waiting’ policy.
“I’m not justifying why they do it, they are adding to the problem like any other vehicle. That’s why you’ve got cut-out cars now for that very reason,” he said.
He joked the council could instead ‘buy them all a coat or a pair of gloves’.
“I can certainly get a message out to the trade on idling. When we come to consult on revised conditions I can see the importance of that and it may well form part of the Greater Manchester conditions,” Mr Garforth told members.
“If it doesn’t for some reason we can we can put that as a local consideration and bring that back to a future meeting to make a decision on it if that’s something you want to introduce."
Coun Briggs said members were ‘definitely interested’ in introducing the measure to stop the practice.
He highlighted the taxi rank at Tommyfield in Oldham town centre as one of the places where it was an issue.
Coun Briggs said: “It’s become a bit of a hobby horse for me, I went up this morning and there are three taxis on the rank all with the engines running.
“They’re not getting any sympathy for me on that one, I worked outside for years and years when I was in contracting on building sites. They’re getting no sympathy from me.”
Mr Garforth is heading up the Greater Manchester-wide project which aims to bring in minimum standards for taxi drivers across all ten boroughs.
He said that a key focus was looking at how the trade linked to poor air quality in the region.
Read more of today's top stories here
“Headlines have already been reported that air pollution across Greater Manchester contributes to early deaths of around 1,200 people," he said.
“And licensed vehicles of which there are 12,000 licensed by the ten GM authorities covering the population of 2.8m. Between those vehicles they do 21,000 jobs a year from GM.
“So they are a large transport provider just like the other transport providers that we have across the conurbation.”
He added that some vehicles already licensed are compliant with EU emissions standards, but others are not.
“It’s a huge project that hopefully will contribute to a better scheme and particularly with the air quality, a better health across Greater Manchester," he said.
"Because we can’t generally see particles as you’re walking around - it’s not like China where there is a smog, or in the 50s and 60s - but it’s there, it’s in the air and we are breathing it in on a regular basis.”
The minimum Greater Manchester standards could see a common livery introduced for private hire vehicles.
Mr Garforth said that in a survey of residents, 85 per cent were in favour of a form of common identification which would help them recognise the ones licensed locally.
Source=M E N
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BBC Promote MCR Streetcars
Who is going to decide how we travel around our cities - Californian tech giants or local transport businesses?
On Tech Tent we hear from the UK firm helping local taxi operators take the fight to Uber and from an American scooter firm trying to change the law in Britain.
I took a trip to Manchester this week and leaving the station, I had a number of options to get to my destination in Cheadle, on the outskirts of the city.
I could have grabbed a cab from the station rank or used the ubiquitous Uber - but instead I downloaded an app called Streetcars.
This enabled me to order a minicab from the local firm of that name and it deposited me at the headquarters of Autocab - the company that built the app for Streetcars and about 500 other local taxi firms across the UK.
Autocab has built the iGo network, which means that you can download the app in Manchester and use it with a local cab firm in Nottingham or Southampton or Bristol, too.
The company's chief executive, Safa Alkateb, says it deals with the competitive advantage Uber has had until now over local firms:
"Uber can tell you, 'Download my app and you can use it in 20 cities, or wherever you go'," he explains. "In the past, these local taxi firms had no way of doing that."
The problem, though, is that Uber is now very well known among the kind of people who use apps, certainly compared with the likes of Manchester's Streetcars, although Alkateb says we should not underestimate the power of local brands.
Autocab has been providing various services to cab firms for 20 years and was developing apps back before Uber got off the ground.
So I put to the CEO the obvious question: why wasn't this Manchester firm heading for a $120bn (£92bn) IPO and global domination and not the start-up born in San Francisco?
"Tens of others had technology just as good as Uber that never went anywhere. The difference is Uber has been heavily financed by Wall Street and they've raised more than $13bn. We didn't have the same access to capital."
He says building Uber's app might have cost something like $30m but the rest of its huge pile of cash has gone on subsidising rides, offering discounts, effectively buying up the market.
https://goo.gl/rFFQsE
------------------------------------
BRIGHTON
A TAXI driver blocked off a major bus route when he locked himself out of his vehicle today.
Kirolus Hana had left his car running while he collected a customer in Saint James’s Street, Brighton, but came back to find it had locked itself.
The 33-year-old said: “I had a pick up outside Morrisons so I left the key in the car and left it running.
“It’s not something I meant to happen. I’ve done it so many times but this time it had locked itself, so I have called my wife as she has a spare key at home and lives nearby.”
The car was parked across the street so other vehicles could not pass and brought the road to a standstill for 30 minutes.
Bus driver Lugano Mwanksuye, who was stuck behind the vehicle, said: “I was meant to leave here at 1.15, but it’s now 1.40.
“I radioed in to my office as soon as I knew and now all the other buses on this route are now travelling along the seafront instead.”
A queue of vehicles formed behind the stranded taxi including several buses and many travellers were delayed in their journeys.
One bus user said: “I need to get to the hospital and I was going to take the bus but I guess I’ll just have to walk now.”
Another said: “I would walk but I have a heart condition so I really rely on the buses.”
The vehicle was cleared at 1.42pm and traffic began to move again as normal.
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17213552.chaos-as-taxi-blocks-st-jamess-street-for-half-an-hour/
------------------------------------
Cabbies should ‘get an overcoat’ in winter instead of keeping their engines running to keep warm while waiting at ranks, a town hall boss has said.
Under a proposal by the chair of Oldham’s licensing committee, councillor Norman Briggs, a new condition could be introduced by the town hall to stop vehicles idling in a bid to tackle air pollution.
Coun Briggs said drivers should be prevented from keeping their cabs ticking over to use the heaters, adding it was ‘tough’ if they were cold.
“They’re getting no sympathy from me,” he told committee members.
“Get an overcoat.”
John Garforth, the council's trading standards and licensing manager, said it would be possible to introduce a ‘no idling while waiting’ policy.
“I’m not justifying why they do it, they are adding to the problem like any other vehicle. That’s why you’ve got cut-out cars now for that very reason,” he said.
He joked the council could instead ‘buy them all a coat or a pair of gloves’.
“I can certainly get a message out to the trade on idling. When we come to consult on revised conditions I can see the importance of that and it may well form part of the Greater Manchester conditions,” Mr Garforth told members.
“If it doesn’t for some reason we can we can put that as a local consideration and bring that back to a future meeting to make a decision on it if that’s something you want to introduce."
Coun Briggs said members were ‘definitely interested’ in introducing the measure to stop the practice.
He highlighted the taxi rank at Tommyfield in Oldham town centre as one of the places where it was an issue.
Coun Briggs said: “It’s become a bit of a hobby horse for me, I went up this morning and there are three taxis on the rank all with the engines running.
“They’re not getting any sympathy for me on that one, I worked outside for years and years when I was in contracting on building sites. They’re getting no sympathy from me.”
Mr Garforth is heading up the Greater Manchester-wide project which aims to bring in minimum standards for taxi drivers across all ten boroughs.
He said that a key focus was looking at how the trade linked to poor air quality in the region.
Read more of today's top stories here
“Headlines have already been reported that air pollution across Greater Manchester contributes to early deaths of around 1,200 people," he said.
“And licensed vehicles of which there are 12,000 licensed by the ten GM authorities covering the population of 2.8m. Between those vehicles they do 21,000 jobs a year from GM.
“So they are a large transport provider just like the other transport providers that we have across the conurbation.”
He added that some vehicles already licensed are compliant with EU emissions standards, but others are not.
“It’s a huge project that hopefully will contribute to a better scheme and particularly with the air quality, a better health across Greater Manchester," he said.
"Because we can’t generally see particles as you’re walking around - it’s not like China where there is a smog, or in the 50s and 60s - but it’s there, it’s in the air and we are breathing it in on a regular basis.”
The minimum Greater Manchester standards could see a common livery introduced for private hire vehicles.
Mr Garforth said that in a survey of residents, 85 per cent were in favour of a form of common identification which would help them recognise the ones licensed locally.
Source=M E N
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BBC Promote MCR Streetcars
Who is going to decide how we travel around our cities - Californian tech giants or local transport businesses?
On Tech Tent we hear from the UK firm helping local taxi operators take the fight to Uber and from an American scooter firm trying to change the law in Britain.
I took a trip to Manchester this week and leaving the station, I had a number of options to get to my destination in Cheadle, on the outskirts of the city.
I could have grabbed a cab from the station rank or used the ubiquitous Uber - but instead I downloaded an app called Streetcars.
This enabled me to order a minicab from the local firm of that name and it deposited me at the headquarters of Autocab - the company that built the app for Streetcars and about 500 other local taxi firms across the UK.
Autocab has built the iGo network, which means that you can download the app in Manchester and use it with a local cab firm in Nottingham or Southampton or Bristol, too.
The company's chief executive, Safa Alkateb, says it deals with the competitive advantage Uber has had until now over local firms:
"Uber can tell you, 'Download my app and you can use it in 20 cities, or wherever you go'," he explains. "In the past, these local taxi firms had no way of doing that."
The problem, though, is that Uber is now very well known among the kind of people who use apps, certainly compared with the likes of Manchester's Streetcars, although Alkateb says we should not underestimate the power of local brands.
Autocab has been providing various services to cab firms for 20 years and was developing apps back before Uber got off the ground.
So I put to the CEO the obvious question: why wasn't this Manchester firm heading for a $120bn (£92bn) IPO and global domination and not the start-up born in San Francisco?
"Tens of others had technology just as good as Uber that never went anywhere. The difference is Uber has been heavily financed by Wall Street and they've raised more than $13bn. We didn't have the same access to capital."
He says building Uber's app might have cost something like $30m but the rest of its huge pile of cash has gone on subsidising rides, offering discounts, effectively buying up the market.
https://goo.gl/rFFQsE
------------------------------------
BRIGHTON
A TAXI driver blocked off a major bus route when he locked himself out of his vehicle today.
Kirolus Hana had left his car running while he collected a customer in Saint James’s Street, Brighton, but came back to find it had locked itself.
The 33-year-old said: “I had a pick up outside Morrisons so I left the key in the car and left it running.
“It’s not something I meant to happen. I’ve done it so many times but this time it had locked itself, so I have called my wife as she has a spare key at home and lives nearby.”
The car was parked across the street so other vehicles could not pass and brought the road to a standstill for 30 minutes.
Bus driver Lugano Mwanksuye, who was stuck behind the vehicle, said: “I was meant to leave here at 1.15, but it’s now 1.40.
“I radioed in to my office as soon as I knew and now all the other buses on this route are now travelling along the seafront instead.”
A queue of vehicles formed behind the stranded taxi including several buses and many travellers were delayed in their journeys.
One bus user said: “I need to get to the hospital and I was going to take the bus but I guess I’ll just have to walk now.”
Another said: “I would walk but I have a heart condition so I really rely on the buses.”
The vehicle was cleared at 1.42pm and traffic began to move again as normal.
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17213552.chaos-as-taxi-blocks-st-jamess-street-for-half-an-hour/
------------------------------------
Thursday 8 November 2018
HARROGATE
A driver has lost a legal appeal against a decision to revoke his taxi licence in Harrogate.
In October last year, Mushtaq Ahmed, 53, from Bradford appeared before a licensing panel which decided he was no longer a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a taxi licence.
The panel was presented with evidence to show Mr Ahmed had repeatedly breached licensing conditions and local bye-laws over a three-year period.
It included him driving in pedestrian-only areas, collecting passengers from undesignated zones and not displaying taxi plates on his vehicle at all times.
Mr Ahmed appealed the decision to take his licence away and while waiting for the case to come to court was allowed to keep driving.
But, at York Magistrates Court, the licensing panel’s decision to revoke the licence was upheld and Mr Ahmed was told he would no longer be allowed to drive a taxi.
The court heard that in the time since the original hearing, Mr Ahmed had continued to breach the conditions of his licence, break bye-laws and that he had ignored warning letters sent to him from the council.
Mr Ahmed admitted the breaches, accepted that he ignored the letters and that he had misled council officials about why his taxi plate hadn’t been displayed.
In summing up, the magistrates said Mr Ahmed had showed a lack of respect for the licensing conditions and had no remorse for his actions. As well as losing his licence, Mr Ahmed was ordered to pay the council’s legal costs.
https://goo.gl/EERXDt
------------------------------------------
A WIRRAL-based taxi company is set to invest £100,000 to create 200 jobs in Ellesmere Port and Neston.
The investment by Argyle Satellite Taxis is part of a wider strategy aimed at boosting the local economy and supporting local businesses, particularly the night-time economy.
Argyle Satellite Taxis has approximately 700 self-employed drivers completing more than 55,000 journeys every week throughout Wirral, Cheshire and Merseyside.
Following increased demand for service in the Cheshire towns over the past eighteen months, Argyle Satellite successfully applied for and were recently granted a Cheshire West and Cheshire Private Hire Operator’s licence.
John Dunne, of Argyle Satellite Ltd, stressed the importance the business has placed on its expansion plan, adding: “The Ellesmere Port and Neston expansion is a stand-alone model, targeted to be driven by the people of these areas.”
He added: “The Wirral fleet of drivers will be used to support the area and to assist in improving efficiency, but I must stress that we are looking to create an Ellesmere Port and Neston private hire company, operating within the brand of Argyle Satellite Ltd.”
Chris Jordan, Argyle Satellite CEO, hailed the move towards Ellesmere Port and Neston as a major benefit to the transport infrastructure throughout the borough.
He said, “There is no doubt that this exciting opportunity not only benefits Argyle Satellite, but also creates potential employment across the borough for other businesses”
With a full service launched across Ellesmere Port and Neston on November 5, Andrew Jordan, Business Support Manager for Argyle Satellite Taxis, is confident that there is demand for their service.
He said: "By providing customers with a greater range of booking methods, using the most up to date technology and equipment, customers can book their journey in many ways. Our call centre handles more than thirty thousand calls a week through the 201-0001 and 201-1111 telephone lines. However, we now have a market leading consumer app; putting customers in control of how they book their journey, at what time and how they pay for it.
Unlike other taxi booking apps, the Argyle Satellite app allows the customer to store card details on their phone for convenience yet allows the customer to choose whether they wish to pay cash or card.”
https://goo.gl/6jiuRq
----------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Cardiff have been told they may have tinted glass on the vehicles - if CCTV is installed.
A Cardiff council public protection committee heard taxi drivers in the city are having to pay up to £2,000 to replace tinted glass on new vehicles to comply with council rules.
The committee was asked to remove a council condition for all Cardiff's private hire and hackney carriage vehicles - which stated windscreens must allow at least 75 per cent of light to pass through, with all other windows allowing 70 per cent.
Councillors have voted to allow tinted glass in new vehicles if it has been installed by the manufacturers.
The move would mean taxi drivers would no longer have to pay to replace tinted glass on new vehicles.
But taxi drivers must install CCTV in their vehicles if they want to keep glass which is darker than allowed currently.
Councillors passed the new measure put forward by committee member councillor Adrian Robson, despite some concerns about safety.
Councillor Sue Goddard said: "As a lone woman travelling I want people to see me and to see people around me at all times.
"Personally, I'm dead against tinted windows."
South Wales Police told the committee it was not aware of any safety concerns around darkened glass.
Councillor Robson said: "There has to be some pragmatism about this. The police have said there are no concerns they are aware of.
"I do have some sympathy. They buy a new car, it's up to spec, and then they find they have to spend the best part of £2,000 changing the windows."
The committee voted four for and four against the proposal. Chairwoman of the committee, councillor Norma Mackie, had the deciding vote and it was passed.
Following the vote councillor Joel Williams added: "(The windows) are going to be tinted more, which makes it harder to see out of the taxis. The taxi drivers will go nuts because they will have to pay for CCTV."
https://goo.gl/4aFdrV
A driver has lost a legal appeal against a decision to revoke his taxi licence in Harrogate.
In October last year, Mushtaq Ahmed, 53, from Bradford appeared before a licensing panel which decided he was no longer a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a taxi licence.
The panel was presented with evidence to show Mr Ahmed had repeatedly breached licensing conditions and local bye-laws over a three-year period.
It included him driving in pedestrian-only areas, collecting passengers from undesignated zones and not displaying taxi plates on his vehicle at all times.
Mr Ahmed appealed the decision to take his licence away and while waiting for the case to come to court was allowed to keep driving.
But, at York Magistrates Court, the licensing panel’s decision to revoke the licence was upheld and Mr Ahmed was told he would no longer be allowed to drive a taxi.
The court heard that in the time since the original hearing, Mr Ahmed had continued to breach the conditions of his licence, break bye-laws and that he had ignored warning letters sent to him from the council.
Mr Ahmed admitted the breaches, accepted that he ignored the letters and that he had misled council officials about why his taxi plate hadn’t been displayed.
In summing up, the magistrates said Mr Ahmed had showed a lack of respect for the licensing conditions and had no remorse for his actions. As well as losing his licence, Mr Ahmed was ordered to pay the council’s legal costs.
https://goo.gl/EERXDt
------------------------------------------
A WIRRAL-based taxi company is set to invest £100,000 to create 200 jobs in Ellesmere Port and Neston.
The investment by Argyle Satellite Taxis is part of a wider strategy aimed at boosting the local economy and supporting local businesses, particularly the night-time economy.
Argyle Satellite Taxis has approximately 700 self-employed drivers completing more than 55,000 journeys every week throughout Wirral, Cheshire and Merseyside.
Following increased demand for service in the Cheshire towns over the past eighteen months, Argyle Satellite successfully applied for and were recently granted a Cheshire West and Cheshire Private Hire Operator’s licence.
John Dunne, of Argyle Satellite Ltd, stressed the importance the business has placed on its expansion plan, adding: “The Ellesmere Port and Neston expansion is a stand-alone model, targeted to be driven by the people of these areas.”
He added: “The Wirral fleet of drivers will be used to support the area and to assist in improving efficiency, but I must stress that we are looking to create an Ellesmere Port and Neston private hire company, operating within the brand of Argyle Satellite Ltd.”
Chris Jordan, Argyle Satellite CEO, hailed the move towards Ellesmere Port and Neston as a major benefit to the transport infrastructure throughout the borough.
He said, “There is no doubt that this exciting opportunity not only benefits Argyle Satellite, but also creates potential employment across the borough for other businesses”
With a full service launched across Ellesmere Port and Neston on November 5, Andrew Jordan, Business Support Manager for Argyle Satellite Taxis, is confident that there is demand for their service.
He said: "By providing customers with a greater range of booking methods, using the most up to date technology and equipment, customers can book their journey in many ways. Our call centre handles more than thirty thousand calls a week through the 201-0001 and 201-1111 telephone lines. However, we now have a market leading consumer app; putting customers in control of how they book their journey, at what time and how they pay for it.
Unlike other taxi booking apps, the Argyle Satellite app allows the customer to store card details on their phone for convenience yet allows the customer to choose whether they wish to pay cash or card.”
https://goo.gl/6jiuRq
----------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Cardiff have been told they may have tinted glass on the vehicles - if CCTV is installed.
A Cardiff council public protection committee heard taxi drivers in the city are having to pay up to £2,000 to replace tinted glass on new vehicles to comply with council rules.
The committee was asked to remove a council condition for all Cardiff's private hire and hackney carriage vehicles - which stated windscreens must allow at least 75 per cent of light to pass through, with all other windows allowing 70 per cent.
Councillors have voted to allow tinted glass in new vehicles if it has been installed by the manufacturers.
The move would mean taxi drivers would no longer have to pay to replace tinted glass on new vehicles.
But taxi drivers must install CCTV in their vehicles if they want to keep glass which is darker than allowed currently.
Councillors passed the new measure put forward by committee member councillor Adrian Robson, despite some concerns about safety.
Councillor Sue Goddard said: "As a lone woman travelling I want people to see me and to see people around me at all times.
"Personally, I'm dead against tinted windows."
South Wales Police told the committee it was not aware of any safety concerns around darkened glass.
Councillor Robson said: "There has to be some pragmatism about this. The police have said there are no concerns they are aware of.
"I do have some sympathy. They buy a new car, it's up to spec, and then they find they have to spend the best part of £2,000 changing the windows."
The committee voted four for and four against the proposal. Chairwoman of the committee, councillor Norma Mackie, had the deciding vote and it was passed.
Following the vote councillor Joel Williams added: "(The windows) are going to be tinted more, which makes it harder to see out of the taxis. The taxi drivers will go nuts because they will have to pay for CCTV."
https://goo.gl/4aFdrV
Wednesday 7 November 2018
The Government is planning to introduce a ‘tax registration check’ linked to licence renewal application processes in the public sector to make it difficult for individuals to operate in the hidden economy.
HMRC will introduce legislation applying conditionality in the taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) sector, the waste sector and the scrap metal trade.
HMRC is planning to carry out these tax registration checks by developing a digital service which would allow applicants to demonstrate their tax-registration status to a licensing authority.
One option would be for applicants to generate evidence through their digital tax account and transfer it securely to a licensing authority. The government believes this would also ensure simplicity for licensing authorities and reduce the need for HMRC to obtain data from licensing authorities to check evidence provided by applicants.
The following rules will apply when carrying out these tax checks:
1. New applicants should be signposted towards tax obligations and HMRC services but no firm checks should be needed, as people applying for licences for the first time may not have been trading long enough to be required to register for tax;
2. Tax-registration checks should apply to those renewing licences, as returning applicants are likely to have been trading long enough to be obligated to register for tax;
3.Tax registration checks should require applicants to submit appropriate proof that they are registered for tax, or to declare that they do not need to be registered;
4. There should be no requirement upon licensing authorities to carry out more detailed tax checks when licence renewals take place, beyond confirming the tax-registration status of an applicant.
The hidden economy refers to individuals and businesses with sources of taxable activity that are hidden from HMRC. The hidden economy tax gap is estimated at £3.2 billion for 2016-17.
https://goo.gl/hDqUzb
HMRC will introduce legislation applying conditionality in the taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) sector, the waste sector and the scrap metal trade.
HMRC is planning to carry out these tax registration checks by developing a digital service which would allow applicants to demonstrate their tax-registration status to a licensing authority.
One option would be for applicants to generate evidence through their digital tax account and transfer it securely to a licensing authority. The government believes this would also ensure simplicity for licensing authorities and reduce the need for HMRC to obtain data from licensing authorities to check evidence provided by applicants.
The following rules will apply when carrying out these tax checks:
1. New applicants should be signposted towards tax obligations and HMRC services but no firm checks should be needed, as people applying for licences for the first time may not have been trading long enough to be required to register for tax;
2. Tax-registration checks should apply to those renewing licences, as returning applicants are likely to have been trading long enough to be obligated to register for tax;
3.Tax registration checks should require applicants to submit appropriate proof that they are registered for tax, or to declare that they do not need to be registered;
4. There should be no requirement upon licensing authorities to carry out more detailed tax checks when licence renewals take place, beyond confirming the tax-registration status of an applicant.
The hidden economy refers to individuals and businesses with sources of taxable activity that are hidden from HMRC. The hidden economy tax gap is estimated at £3.2 billion for 2016-17.
https://goo.gl/hDqUzb
Tuesday 6 November 2018
OXFORD
The mytaxi app has announced it will support the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal this year - donating the equivalent amount to what drivers earn through the app in tips on Sunday.
Sajad Khan, a black cab driver in Oxford, said: “Remembrance Sunday is a day when we take a step back and remember the great sacrifices the many men and women gave for our freedom.
"This is a great initiative by mytaxi who will match the tips we make and forward the money to 2 great charities”
The app allows customers to hail a black cab through their phone and launched in Oxford earlier this year.
It recently underwent a complete redesign which is now available.
Frances Luczyc Wyhowska, vice-president at Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “We are very grateful to mytaxi for their generosity. We have been supported by mytaxi for a number of years and their donations go towards helping the war disabled and veterans by providing entertainment and outings.
"The charity relies solely on donations and the money raised helps fund more outings and entertainment for our veterans."
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17203957.taxi-app-to-donate-tips-to-veterans-for-remembrance-day/
---------------------------------
BOURNEMOUTH
Social media 'lifts' are becoming an 'illegal industry'
"Doing lifts" is the phenomena of using social media to buy and sell car journeys in an online illegal "taxi" service.
More than 7,000 people are members of a closed group in Bournemouth, Dorset, the equivalent of a third of the town's student population.
Once people are accepted into the group they can use their own cars to make money by charging for lifts in what taxi drivers in the town are calling an "illegal industry".
Drivers and passengers in the group do not have background checks or training, pay no fees and are likely to be unlicensed and uninsured
Bournemouth Borough Council said it was aware of the group and is taking the situation "very seriously".
https://goo.gl/WCmNgL
--------------------------------------
EXETER
Indian taxi-hailing giant Ola has confirmed that it is set to launch in Exeter over the next few weeks.
The app-based service - which has rivalled Uber around the world - has obtained a license to operate in the city.
Unlike Uber, which says it currently has no plans to launch in Exeter, Ola will also offer a choice of a private hire vehicle or metered taxis.
The company is also set to launch in Bath and Bristol in the coming weeks following a successful launch in South Wales earlier this year.
Ben Legg, managing director of Ola UK, said: "We can’t wait to grow the Ola community and welcome drivers and passengers across the region to our platform, as we build momentum in the UK.
"Whether you’re on a night out, rushing to catch a flight, caught up in stormy weather or just need a hug from your mum, Ola will be able to help people across the region reach their destinations safely and conveniently.
"We have been delighted by how both passengers and drivers have welcomed our services in South Wales, reflecting how we put them at the heart of our approach.
"As we have shown, Ola is genuinely committed to serving and enriching the communities in which we operate and working closely with local authorities to help with their mobility goals."
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/uber-rival-taxi-service-ola-2188520
The mytaxi app has announced it will support the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal this year - donating the equivalent amount to what drivers earn through the app in tips on Sunday.
Sajad Khan, a black cab driver in Oxford, said: “Remembrance Sunday is a day when we take a step back and remember the great sacrifices the many men and women gave for our freedom.
"This is a great initiative by mytaxi who will match the tips we make and forward the money to 2 great charities”
The app allows customers to hail a black cab through their phone and launched in Oxford earlier this year.
It recently underwent a complete redesign which is now available.
Frances Luczyc Wyhowska, vice-president at Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “We are very grateful to mytaxi for their generosity. We have been supported by mytaxi for a number of years and their donations go towards helping the war disabled and veterans by providing entertainment and outings.
"The charity relies solely on donations and the money raised helps fund more outings and entertainment for our veterans."
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17203957.taxi-app-to-donate-tips-to-veterans-for-remembrance-day/
---------------------------------
BOURNEMOUTH
Social media 'lifts' are becoming an 'illegal industry'
"Doing lifts" is the phenomena of using social media to buy and sell car journeys in an online illegal "taxi" service.
More than 7,000 people are members of a closed group in Bournemouth, Dorset, the equivalent of a third of the town's student population.
Once people are accepted into the group they can use their own cars to make money by charging for lifts in what taxi drivers in the town are calling an "illegal industry".
Drivers and passengers in the group do not have background checks or training, pay no fees and are likely to be unlicensed and uninsured
Bournemouth Borough Council said it was aware of the group and is taking the situation "very seriously".
https://goo.gl/WCmNgL
--------------------------------------
EXETER
Indian taxi-hailing giant Ola has confirmed that it is set to launch in Exeter over the next few weeks.
The app-based service - which has rivalled Uber around the world - has obtained a license to operate in the city.
Unlike Uber, which says it currently has no plans to launch in Exeter, Ola will also offer a choice of a private hire vehicle or metered taxis.
The company is also set to launch in Bath and Bristol in the coming weeks following a successful launch in South Wales earlier this year.
Ben Legg, managing director of Ola UK, said: "We can’t wait to grow the Ola community and welcome drivers and passengers across the region to our platform, as we build momentum in the UK.
"Whether you’re on a night out, rushing to catch a flight, caught up in stormy weather or just need a hug from your mum, Ola will be able to help people across the region reach their destinations safely and conveniently.
"We have been delighted by how both passengers and drivers have welcomed our services in South Wales, reflecting how we put them at the heart of our approach.
"As we have shown, Ola is genuinely committed to serving and enriching the communities in which we operate and working closely with local authorities to help with their mobility goals."
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/uber-rival-taxi-service-ola-2188520
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