GLASGOW

A FEMALE taxi driver was punched, threatened and robbed in a 'terrifying' attack.

The 34-year-old was in her blue private hire vehicle on Burnside Avenue in Bellshill when two men approached the vehicle.

They then punched, threatened her and made off with a three figure sum of money.

The woman did not require medical treatment following the assault, yesterday at around 4.24pm.

The first man is described as white, of slim build and was under 6ft tall.

He was wearing a red and blue bubble jacket with a hood pulled tight round his face and black tracksuit bottoms.

The second man was white, of slim build, clean shaven, was shorter than the first man and was wearing a grey tracksuit with a silver logo on the breast, white trainers and a navy blue bobble hat.

Detective Sergeant Gary Crossan, of Wishaw CID, said: “This was a terrifying incident for a woman who was only going about her work.

"Our officers will do everything they can to trace the two men responsible.

“We are appealing for anyone who was in the area last night who may have information that can help us.

"Do you remember seeing these two men?

“You may also have dash-cam footage if you were driving in Bellshill yesterday, please check back as this could hold vital information.”

Anyone with any information regarding this incident should contact Police via 101, quoting incident number 2551 of Sunday, January 13 2019.

Alternatively you can contact CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 11 where information can be given in confidence.

https://bit.ly/2TPR9RP
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 BURY ST EDMUNDS

A taxi driver was stopped on a school run by police in Bury St Edmunds today - allegedly four times over the drink drive limit with an drink on the centre console.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing Team posted on social media today that a taxi had been stopped after being spotted driving dangerously in the west Suffolk town.

They say he has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

The tweet reads: “Taxi stopped on the way to a school run after being seen driving dangerously in #burystedmunds today, alcohol found in centre console.

“Arrested for #drinkdriving & has provided evidential reading of 158ugs in custody, legal limit is 35ugs.

“#fatal4 @BuryStEdsPolice #1320 #1787”

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-police-arrest-taxi-driver-allegedly-found-with-drink-on-centre-console-1-5851508
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 BELFAST

A customer who kicked a taxi driver out of his car and said “it’s my turn to drive” has been jailed for nine months.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Michael Mallon, 27, carried out the assault after refusing to pay a fare. Imposing the maximum available sentence, District Judge Mark Hamill said: “This man soars over the custody threshold.”

Mallon, of Summerhill Drive in the Twinbrook area of West Belfast, was convicted of common assault, disorderly behaviour, criminal damage, and obtaining services dishonestly. Prosecutors said he got into the taxi last August and asked to be taken to a location in the city.


He then changed his mind and requested a different destination, but became abusive when told the cost of the fare. Amid concerns his passenger was not going to pay, the driver headed towards a police station in the Stewartstown Road area.

The court was told that after the car came to a stop Mallon used his foot to push him out. “He said ‘It’s my turn to drive’,” a Crown lawyer added.

Police were alerted and removed Mallon from the vehicle while he swore incoherently. He was searched and a small bag of herbal cannabis seized from him. Defence barrister Luke Curran stressed there was no allegation of Mallon attempting to take the taxi.

Counsel said his client accepted there had been a “heated” exchange with the driver, and that he had thought it would be more secure for him to remain in the car. But Mr Hamill emphasised the seriousness of assaulting anyone providing a public service.


“This man was trying to do an honest day’s work and (Mallon) declined to pay a fare, climbed in the front and kicks him out of his own taxi,” the judge pointed out.

Imposing six months imprisonment, he ordered the defendant to serve a further three months of a previously suspended term. Mallon was also fined £75 for the possession of cannabis.

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/belfast-taxi-driver-kicked-out-15676809
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 BRADFORD

  Every time taxis and their drivers are inspected in roadside checks this disgraceful state of affairs is repeated, instead of a slap on the wrist the cars and drivers should be banned for a number of years, permanently for the most serious offences. Many of the defects are for tyre and lighting faults which any competent driver can surely identify and have rectified immediately. No doubt the drivers would claim that the lights and tyres had failed seconds before being stopped .

If a truck or bus operator displayed such a complete disregard for safety they would lose their operators licence for good.

It will be too late once someone is badly maimed or killed.

Bryan Hanson, Busy Lane, Shipley

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/opinion/17356198.letter-of-the-day-disgraceful-taxi-drivers-show-a-complete-disregard-for-safety/
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 UBERK LONDON
 
Uber has announced that it is adding 15p/mile onto every trip taken through the app in London.

This new fee is part of the Mayor’s Clean Air Plan, and will be added from Wednesday 16 January.

In an email to customers, Uber said: “From Wednesday 16 January, a Clean Air Fee of 15p per mile will be included on every trip taken through the app in London.

SEE ALSO :Ride-hailer targets tenfold growth in African market
“This will only apply to miles travelled on a trip, and will not include miles travelled to your pick up location.

“The 15p per mile will not be affected by dynamic pricing.”

While the new fees are bound to cause controversy amongst customers, Uber reassures that they’re being put to good use.

The email added: “The money will go towards helping drivers to upgrade and maintain an electric vehicle as well as other clean air initiatives.”

Uber has also set itself the aim of making every car on the app in London fully electric by 2025.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001309474/uber-prices-set-to-increase-this-week-london
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 BOURNEMOUTH

INDIAN taxi-hailing firm Ola has been granted a licence to operate across Bournemouth – as long as it improves its wheelchair accessibility options.

Members of Bournemouth council’s licensing board agreed to award an operator’s licence to the company on Thursday, praising the safety features it has in place.

The app-based service will now be able to offer its service across the borough while discussions are also being held to expand it into Poole.

Unlike its competitors, including Uber and Lyft, Ola has a pool of drivers using licensed Hackney carriages as well as private hire vehicles.

A series of licences have been awarded to the firm by councils across the South West and south Wales since it began its expansion into the UK at the beginning of 2017.

Its app can already be used in cities including Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff while the company’s senior operations manager, Wouter Merkestein said that “positive discussions” had been held with Poole and Portsmouth council officers.

The firm has said that it is its intention to recruit about 150 drivers in Bournemouth as well as to appoint a “day-to-day operations manager” to oversee its work in the borough.

Its request for a licence was considered at Thursday’s meeting of the council’s licensing board.

At the meeting, Mr Merkestein said that the UK was the first step of its expansion into Europe.

“For the UK, we have communicated our plans to be in every place where a competitor is, so we have applied for a large number of licences and have been granted several as well,” he said.

“Our focus is on this area but we have several [licence applications] across the country which are in hand and have been applied for or are being prepared as we speak.

“In this area, we have the one licence in Southampton and have had positive feedback in Portsmouth and positive discussions in Poole so far as well.”

Councillors questioned how well the app catered to people with disabilities and, despite agreeing to grant the licence, requested that this be improved as a condition of the approval.

Committee chairman, Cllr Andrew Morgan, said: “We have decided that we are prepared to grant an operator’s licence for Ola to operate in Bournemouth.

“We would, however, condition you to have an option to choose wheelchair accessible vehicles and see their availability.

“We feel customers should have that choice – it’s one of our key objectives to help people of all abilities get around comfortably and safely.”