Addison Lee Tribunal Appeal Judgement November 2018

the judgement can be read here...

https://goo.gl/hvpTSN 
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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
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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