LIVERPOOL

More than 300 taxi and private hire drivers in Liverpool have been hit in a council and police safety crackdown over the past year.

Some of the most serious rule breaking included 18 instances of 'cherry picking' - when black cab drivers choose which fares they pick up rather than taking the nearest passengers.

It came as the council revealed the numbers of drivers who have been slapped with fines, prosecutions or other enforcement action throughout 2018 on the city's roads.

Thirty-three private hire drivers were caught plying for hire - something they are banned from doing as they are legally only allowed to take pre-booked journeys.

The council said most of these private hire drivers were prosecuted.

Cabinet member for transport, councillor James Noakes said the authority wanted to make transport in Liverpool as safe as possible.

He said: “People who live or work in Liverpool or come to the city for entertainment should have the reassurance that they can rely on taxi and private hire trade to provide a fair service that abides by the rules.

“In Liverpool, the vast majority of our taxi and private hire drivers are responsible, play by the rules and share our concerns for public safety.

“As these figures show, where we find evidence of wrongdoing we will not hesitate in taking action.

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 BURY ST EDMUNDS

A taxi driver caught more than four times the legal alcohol limit with an ice-cold drink in his car while doing the school run has been jailed for more than four years.

Promise Moyo, 46, was caught with the drink nestled in the centre console of his car when stopped by police after worried members of the public reported a Hyundai i40 car being driven erratically in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Moyo appeared before Ipswich Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks' prison and banned from driving for three years. 

The court heard after his arrest Moyo taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre where he provided a further breath test four times the legal limit of 35mg.

Inspector Chris Hinitt, of the Serious Collision Investigation Team, said: 'I am completely shocked by the level of alcohol that Promise Moyo, had in his system.
The court heard after his arrest Moyo taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre where he provided a further breath test four times the legal limit of 35mg
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The court heard after his arrest Moyo taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre where he provided a further breath test four times the legal limit of 35mg

'To get behind the wheel of a car when more than four-times the legal alcohol limit is absolutely astounding. Driving a licensed taxi cab in such circumstances clearly and directly imperils the lives of others.

'We in the Serious Collision Investigation Team - along with many other police colleagues - have seen too often the devastation caused by drink-driving and in my opinion it is completely reckless for anyone to take that risk.'

Prosecutor Wayne Ablett said Moyo’s taxi was swerving across the road before being stopped and found to contain an iced alcoholic drink within the driver’s reach.

A police report suggested the Mayo had been on the school run, but the cabbie disputed the account, insisting he travelled to Asda for groceries after drinking heavily at home in Suffolk. 

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 SOUTH WALES

The mother of a severely autistic boy claims her son was dropped off more than a mile away from their house because he couldn't do up his seatbelt in a taxi on the way to school.

Janette Williams, 45, from Ferndale in the Rhondda, says the incident happened when her son Owen was on his way to Maesgwyn Special School in Aberdare on Monday morning.

Owen, who suffers from a number of sensory issues, such as sensitive hearing and problems with touch, was allegedly dropped off in Maerdy - more than a mile away from his home.

The 14-year-old then had to cross five junctions to make his way home alone, despite having no danger awareness or road safety experience.

Ms Williams says she was left "livid" and "shaken up and shocked" by the ordeal, while Owen was left "rocking and flapping" in fright.

Where Owen was dropped off and where he walked to - alone

The owner of the taxi firm denies that Owen was asked to leave the taxi, and says the youngster got out on his own accord and wouldn't get back in.

He said he was unaware that Owen was not outside his own address, and described the incident as a "miscommunication" and said it should never have happened.

He's also apologised to the family.

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Taxi drivers in Woking are to undergo a trial to see how much money they would save if they switched to an electric vehicle instead.

The move would also be aimed at cutting down on air pollution in the area.

Around 15 per cent of Hackney Vehicles licensed with Woking Borough Council, around 25 cabbies, will be asked to take part in the experiment.

It will assess how many trips they could make with an e-taxi, where the most appropriate places for charging points would be and create business cases for the drivers to show how much money and fuel they will save.

Woking has engaged a company called Electric Blue to carry out the three-month trial to collect the data and evidence to then be assessed by officers from the council’s licensing department.

Called the Evolve Taxi Evaluation Project, it will involve a small device being fitted to the group of Hackney Vehicles taking part.

Information collected will include trip time and date, length plus locations as well as driver efficiency by recording harsh braking, accelerating and cornering.

The data will not identify the driver but will help map out where the council could put charging points based on areas mostly covered by the taxis.

A report entitled Electric Taxi Viability Project will be presented to members of the council’s licensing committee on Tuesday, January 22.

The report says:

    “Woking Borough Council wishes to move towards a more professional looking and environmentally friendly fleet of Hackney Vehicles.

    "The Evolve evaluation programme delivered by Electric Blue will provide the information needed in order for the council to make an informed step towards this goal.”

A start date for the trial has not yet been set.

High pollution levels have been identified in Woking with two AQMAs (Air Quality Management Areas) being applied in the borough.

One at the junction at the top of Anchor Hill, declared in 2014, and the second for a section in Guildford Road declared in 2017.

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BURTON

Seventy taxi drivers have today staged a protest in Burton in a row over new safety measures, claiming they have not been given enough time to implement changes.

Mohammed Ikhlaq, a spokesman for the Burton Taxi Association, said the drivers protested outside the East Staffordshire Borough Council licensing offices in Millers Lane to make their voices heard about the introduction of the new Individual Vehicle Appraisal (IVA) for hackney carriages which carry disabled passengers.

After the protest when cabbies stood in unity outside the council offices, the authority's chief executive Andy O'Brien met with them outside the building and spoke to drivers.

The authority has now agreed to extend the January 21 deadline on an individual basis.

Cabbies across Burton had been warned in letters from the borough council sent out in November that they would need to get the new appraisal, which is carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and costs £260.

It can then cost them between £2,000 and £5,000 to make any modifications that are needed to make sure they can continue to work. Modifications include installing specialist seats for disabled passengers.

Drivers had been given a deadline of January 21 to have made the changes, but Mr Ikhlaq said cabbies staged the protest as they felt this was too shorter time.


He said: "Today we have discussed with the council the need for an extension for this IVA as the date of January 21 is not possible when they only started sending letters out in November.

"With the holidays and weekend it has only left us about 10 days to get it sorted.

"This has left a bitter taste in our mouths."

Mr Ikhlaq said that for the last 10 to 15 years drivers had worked with a garage in Burton which has made any modifications that are needed to vehicles.

These have all been carried out to the council's specifications, he said. The council will then check the vehicles were up to the correct standard before they are allowed out on the roads.

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