Saturday 30 November 2019

BRIGHTON

Out of town Uber drivers wrongfully using Brighton and Hove taxi ranks are frustrating the city’s cab drivers.

The city’s taxi ranks are meant to be for the sole use of hackney carriage taxis licensed by Brighton and Hove City Ciouncil.

But 11 private hire drivers have been caught using the city’s ranks since June – nine of which were licensed in Lewes and most of which work for Uber.

The authority’s Hackney Carriage officer Martin Seymour told the council’s Licensing Committee on Thursday 28 November that all those caught have received warning letters from the city council.

Licensing committee chair, Labour councillor Jackie O’Quinn said: “We are writing to Lewes about this because it is now such a problem.

“We need to appeal to our fellow councillors in Lewes to do something about it as we often see taxis from other areas, particularly Lewes, sitting in our ranks.”

Conservative councillor Lee Wares said the number of Lewes licensed vehicles with Brighton drivers was annoying for the city’s taxi trade.

He said: “We need to have a conversation with Uber to remind them ranks are not for them.”

Brighton and Hove City Council licensing department has also written to both Transport for London and Uber about the private hire company losing its licence in the capital.

Licensing manager Jim Whitelegg assured councillors Transport for London licensed Uber drivers cannot work in the city.

He is asking for clarification as to what the 14,000 unauthorised trips in London means.

Uber’s licence to operate in Brighton and Hove is for 15 months.

The company lost its licence to operate in the city in May 2018, but this was reinstated after an appeal in December last year.


Monday 18 November 2019

WARM REGARDS...GETT UK

Gett has always been committed to providing a high standard of service to our drivers through our 24/7/365 contact centre and now Daily Payments.

In order to ensure that we can continue growing, keep investing in the service we offer to drivers, and ensure our business is sustainable, our commission plan will also change from Monday 25th November to 15%,

This comes with our promise and commitment to;
-    Continue to improve the Gett Driver App
-    Continue to bring in the largest corporate clients in the UK
-    Continue to offer 24/7 Driver support
-    Continue to keep you busy and earning more

Tips will continue to be commission-free. Gett passengers give drivers more than £100k per month in tips and 100% of that has always gone straight into drivers’ pockets.

We are available 24/7 on LiveChat should you have any questions regarding the changes.

Warm regards,
The Gett Team 


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GETT PREPARE TO DUMP THE PONZI USA.



Gett, the ridesharing company backed by Volkswagen and valued at around $1.5 billion, is putting the brakes on a major part of its growth strategy. Today, the company announced that it is closing its operations in New York, which run under the Juno brand, effective today. The company has a substantial business serving enterprise customers globally — with some 15,000 companies overall, many with people in the U.S. — so alongside this news, it’s also entered into a strategic partnership with Lyft to take on those accounts starting next year.

Notably, that 15,000 figure is down on the 20,000 number that Gett shared with me earlier this year when it raised $200 million and talked about going public by Q1 of 2020.

That is not detailed in today’s press release, however, which focuses instead on the reasons for the closure, specifically citing rationalization and blaming the “enactment of misguided regulations in New York City earlier this year.” (New York’s city council voted to cap licenses last year, which it voted then to extend for another 12 months this past August, along with other new rules.)

“This development reinforces Gett’s strategy to build a profitable company focused on the corporate transportation sector, a market worth $1 trillion each year,” said Gett CEO Dave Waiser, Gett CEO, in a statement.

We asked Waiser if he can provide more guidance on IPO plans and he noted to me earlier that the company still expects to be operationally profitable by December and that an IPO is still on the horizon, although without a specific date in mind.

“We are focusing on reaching operational profitability globally already next month in December,” he said. “Being a leader in the corporate ground transportation, profitable and global, makes our plans for IPO realistic.”

We’re also asking Gett for more specifics on the strategic aspect of this deal and whether Lyft is giving Gett shares in its company, or indeed vice versa. Gett notes that “Juno drivers will be paid in full by Juno for all rides completed by Juno’s service end-date. All Juno riders will be invited to join Lyft.”

The Lyft partnership, Gett said, will mean that when its corporate customers come to the United States, they can continue to use their Gett apps to order Lyft cars. As Gett had never managed to expand beyond New York City, this will give the company overall a larger footprint, while also drastically cutting the margins that it will be able to make per ride.

Gett made a significant move to consolidate its position in the U.S. — specifically the key New York market where it operated — when it acquired Juno, a smaller rival in the New York market, for about $250 million in 2017.

The acquisition spearheaded a big effort to catch up to and potentially even surpass the two biggest ridehailing companies in the market, Uber and Lyft, at a time when many people were starting to question some of Uber’s and Lyft’s practices in the market. Juno (started by the founders of the messaging app Viber) tried to take a different approach to the market by putting drivers and their compensation front and center, thereby hoping both to attract more of them to its platform, and also more riders happier with the ethics of the different approach.

At the same time, Gett took a different approach to its competitors by focusing only on specific markets, to cut down operating expenses and focus on profit. It made it as far as being a “solid number three,” in the words of Waiser earlier this year.

“A year ago, profitability was not a very popular topic,” Waiser said to me when Gett raised $200 million earlier this year. “In Uber and Lyft we see two great companies, but even as they grow revenues, their losses are growing. What is really unique for Gett is that our success, and our improvements in revenues, are in parallel with our EBITDA improving.”

However, as you can see from the IPOs and subsequent performances of both Uber and Lyft, the economics of ride-hailing have proven to be problematic, and ultimately the company has had to rely on outside investment like the others, while also finding that it couldn’t scale or move into the black as it had hoped it would. The retreat from direct operations in the U.S. underscores that fact.

https://techcrunch.com

Saturday 16 November 2019

Transport Minister. November 14

TAXIS need higher national standards and drivers should not be able to get an 'easy ride' from councils offering second-rate licences, the taxis minister has said.

Transport Minister Nus Ghani said setting standards applicable to all councils would prevent cab drivers from obtaining a licence from a neighbouring authority with less stringent rules before plying their trade elsewhere, during a visit to Worcester.

Ms Ghani said the rule changes in 2015 which allowed cross-border hiring were not a mistake but how people used taxis and “the world had moved on.”

She said: “My perfect scenario would have been that we had a central database that is managed centrally.

“Local authorities love running their licensing remit and there is no way I was going to remove that from them.

"The standards have to be the same. We have to be transparent. When people don’t have the right to have a licence, they should be denied it regardless of where they go.”

Ms Ghani said taxis were a “moving trade” and it was difficult to now set boundaries as it would make things very complicated.

Taxi bosses in the city have previously criticised the change in rules because it allows “every Tom, Dick and Harry" to ply their trade.

Mohammad Sajad, from Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said Foregate Street was a "mess" and over-ranking was caused by too many taxi licences being handed out by councils outside of the city and Worcester City Council needed to carry out more enforcement.

Ms Ghani said the plan to put the plan into law was due to start over the summer but had been thwarted by Brexit.

She said: “Once we have raised those standards, it means that phishing around for a quicker licence, a licence which is just easier to secure because somebody behind a desk says ‘that is fine by me, because we’re related and I know you’ or whatever, that is just not going to happen.

“The way for is to do this is to have national standards. So as a taxi driver you can’t just wake up one morning and say I’m not going to come to Worcester, I’m going to go next door, I’m going to go to Birmingham, it doesn’t matter because all the standards are going to be high.

“Once you are struck off it’s going to be kept at a central database. Nobody will have an excuse that they didn’t know.”

https://www.droitwichadvertiser.co.uk (14 November)

 The Government may bring taxi reform legislation forward in Queen’s speech. 

The Government’s Minister of State for Department for Transport, George Freeman MP suggested in a recent Parliamentary debate that the Government may bring forward reform legislation as part of the Queen’s speech.

Mr Freeman, in response to questions from MPs said the Government has made a commitment to legislate on a number of key matters: national minimum standards, national enforcement powers and a national licensing database.

 He continued by saying: “I am delighted that the hon. Gentleman is meeting the taxis Minister shortly to discuss these issues, and that, as I have said, he has raised them at a time when the Government are pulling together their final plans for the Queen’s Speech.”Aside from the legislative issues, the Minister also said that the draft statutory guidance for local authorities in England and Wales will be issued very shortly and that the Government will be launching a consultation on future mobility. This consultation will look at how regulatory frameworks can work better to meet the changing nature and innovation in the transport sector.

Source: Institute of Licensing 11 Oct 2019
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NEWCASTLE
A taxi driver who used an interpreter to say his English was good enough for the job had his licence revoked for failing to mention his conviction for selling illegal tobacco.

Yawar Latif was set to hit the road in a hackney carriage after passing all of Newcastle City Council’s licence checks, including having a good grasp of the English language.

But question marks were raised over his honesty after background checks revealed he narrowly dodged a jail sentence for flogging 20,000 dodgy cigarettes from the back of a car.

The former takeaway worker begged for his licence to be returned and said he believed he only had to disclose convictions for driving offences or violence.

Magistrates had earlier questioned his grasp of English, so Latif told the court he would chat to passengers and didn’t have any problems understanding directions.

But every word of the court hearing had to be translated for him by an interpreter.

Officers at Newcastle City Council stressed drivers’ English did not have to be perfect although they should understand what was being said.

Remarking on the time police found him with 20,000 cigarettes and 20.8 kilos of tobacco before his conviction, Latif said, through his translator, that he had made a ‘stupid mistake’.

He added: ‘I learned from that a very, very good lesson.’

He was handed 240 hours of unpaid work for the £10,000 plot while the council’s regulatory committee ruled this July that he was no longer a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a licence.

The applicant, who lived in Elswick at the time of his conviction, repeatedly pleaded for a second chance by claiming he had been ‘punished already’ by the courts.

Joanne Bagshaw, prosecuting for the council, said his convictions were serious.

She explained: ‘This is not a situation of someone buying a couple of extra sleeves of cigarettes back from their holiday.’

Despite using an interpreter in his latest court appearance, he attended the hearing when his licence was initially granted on his own.

https://metro.co.uk





Knowsley’s taxis could be about to get more expensive in just two weeks time after a hike in fares was approved by councillors.

The council’s licensing committee approved the increase on yesterday evening in order to bring the borough’s cab fares in line with the rest of the city region and help entice drivers into the licensed trade.

Under the proposals, which were put forward by Knowsley's taxi drivers, the price of a two-mile journey will increase by 70p during the day and £1.40 at night.

Taxi driver Tony Carr told the licensing committee the move was needed to attract more drivers in to the taxi trade in the borough.

He said: “We don’t want to push our customers away and out-price them, that’s the last thing we want to do, but we want to entice new drivers into the trade.”

Knowsley currently has the cheapest taxi fares in Merseyside but rates have not increased since 2016 despite rising petrol prices and increases in the cost of living.

Mr Carr said: “The new blood we want to get in need to be able to make a living.”

He also told councillors that the increased fares would help drivers buy new and cleaner vehicles that would allow them to continue operating if Liverpool introduced a clean air zone similar to London’s ultra-low emissions zone.

He said: “For us to fit in we’ve got to buy electric vehicles. They start at £50,000 so either that has to come out of our wages or we stop doing the job.”

The licensing committee voted unanimously for the fare increase, and approved several other changes including an increase in the charge for passengers “fouling” a taxi from £35 to £40 and a manual override to allow drivers to charge a higher tariff for journeys ending more than four miles outside Knowsley.

The council must now consult publicly on the changes, but if no objections are received the higher fares could come into force in two weeks.

Liverpool Echo

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Friday 15 November 2019

MANCHESTER

Last weekend officers from Manchester City Council’s Licensing Team and Greater Manchester Police took to the streets under the banner of ‘Operation Aztec’.

The operation saw plain clothes officers pose as mystery shoppers across the city centre, approaching private hire cars parked up, and request a journey then and there.


If the fare was accepted the officers would get inside, with the taxi subsequently being intercepted by marked police vehicles. The cars were then escorted to a secure checkpoint where they could be inspected, with their drivers interviewed and warned they were liable to face prosecution.It is illegal for private hire taxis to accept fares which are not booked in advance. Only licensed Hackney Carriages are permitted to ply for hire for customers on the street.


If successfully convicted drivers can face a fine of up to £7,500, between six to eight penalty points on their licence and required to pay the cost of prosecution. They could also then face having their licences revoked by their licensing authority.

One driver was also found to have been driving without insurance. His vehicle was seized and impounded by Greater Manchester Police.In total nine vehicles were caught during the operation. The cars and drivers were licensed by the following authorities: Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, Rossendale and Wolverhampton.

Operation Aztec is just one example of the work carried out every day by Manchester Taxi Enforcement Officers. Over the past two years 66 cases have been pursued after a private hire driver was found to have illegally plied for hire.

Following the success of Operation Aztec this year, the Council and GMP will continue this pro-active approach to policing taxi drivers in Greater Manchester.

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, who went out with officers during Operation Aztec, said: “As we near the festive period it is more important than ever to make sure everyone who visits our great city is able to get home safely. Personally, 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.


“Operation Aztec was a great example of what Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police can achieve when we work together, and I look forward to similar operations like this taking place in the near future to ensure Manchester is a safe place for all to enjoy.”

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 crackdown on unlicensed and uninsured taxis.


“We would urge people when they are out and about to always use pre-booked private hire vehicles or use licensed hackney carriages such as black cabs. If you are concerned about anything, please dial 101 or report it via the LiveChat function on our website. Always call 999 in an emergency.”

Thursday 14 November 2019

Manchester Licensing

It has become apparent over the last few days that the Christmas market
stalls this year have been constructed over the roadway in Albert Square and has made the usual rank inaccessible.

This should have been picked up during the planning stages of the market but was missed, we apologise for this oversight.

It has now been agreed that for the duration of the Christmas Markets and with immediate effect  a temporary rank will be located adjacent to the Market on the highway on the south side of Albert Square.

The area that is to be used can be identified as barriers are already in
place.  The barriers will segregate the temporary rank from other traffic.

Drivers approaching Albert Square along Mount Street who wish to join the rank should enter the highway on Albert Square enclosed by the red and white barriers and drive to the end of the corridor created by these barriers.

When the rank is full, there appears to be sufficient space for drivers to
wait on Mount Street for a space to become available. Drivers are asked to exercise common sense when using this rank and when waiting to access it, when it is full, in particular:

* The highway in front of the access barrier to the Market adjacent to
Lloyd Street, access gate to the Town Hall compound on Lloyd Street and the Pedestrian crossing at the junction of Mount Street and Lloyd Street  must be kept clear at all times. No parking or waiting is permitted in this area
at any time .

* The highway in front of the yellow coloured access barrier to the market
outside the Slug and Lettuce must also be kept clear at all times.  No
parking or waiting is permitted in this area at any time.

* The temporary rank will be operational  from 11-00hrs until 06-00hrs the
following day,  every day.

* Between 06-00hrs and 11-00hrs the rank will revert to being a
loading/unloading area for the market and drivers are asked to leave the
temporary rank area clear for this purpose.

* Drivers are reminded that if they are asked to vacate the rank or not to
wait/park in areas in close proximity to the market, including Mount Street
and this request is made by a relevant  officer from GMP, city council or
market security personnel,  then they will be expected to comply with any
reasonable request that is made of them in this regard.

Regards

Taxi Licensing Team
Manchester City Council

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'Fake' taxi driver insisted he was taking Swansea student to a restaurant for drinks

It has sparked a warning to students to be on their guard for unlicensed and unregistered cabs

Students at Swansea University have been warned to beware of fake taxis in the city.

It comes after a lone student reported getting into what she thought was a taxi, only to be taken in the opposite direction.

Posting on a Facebook page, she said the driver had told her he was taking her for drinks at a restaurant. When she told him she had switched on location services on her phone, he pulled over and let her out.

The university students union has since issued a warning.

It posted on its Facebook page: "Posts have been made in social media groups relating to lone students traveling by taxi in Swansea, where the students were put into threatening situations by the driver.

"In these cases, the vehicle was not a registered taxi with Swansea Council.

"We would encourage you to be aware of these issues and take precautions when travelling around Swansea.

"This can be done by making sure the driver is wearing an identity badge and that the expiry date shown on it has not lapsed, there should also be a badge displayed in the vehicle. We also suggest that you are accompanied when possible and avoid traveling alone."

But what exactly should you look out for when choosing your taxi?

According to Swansea Council, taxis licensed by them are black in colour.

At the end of your night, it is best to find these taxis at official ranks.

These include Caer Street opposite the Slug and Lettuce in Castle Square, York Street opposite the Vue Cinema, and Kingsway outside the NCP car park.

What about private hire?

All private hire vehicles licensed with the City and County of Swansea are white in colour.

These must be pre-booked through a licensed private hire operator and not hailed.

Without a booking, it is against the law for the driver of a private hire vehicle to take you and they could be uninsured.

They carry a yellow licence plate on the rear of the vehicle. They also carry green triangle stickers on both front doors of the vehicle

All licensed vehicles in Swansea have a unique licence number on both the passenger and driver doors, and on the plate on the back of the vehicle.

You should make a note of this number when using any licensed vehicles before you get in so the driver can be traced if need be.

What the taxi driver will be wearing:

All licensed drivers will wear a badge with their photograph, licence number and expiry date.

A second badge should also be displayed inside the taxi, which can be checked.

Swansea Council warns: "Take a lift in an unlicensed taxi and you're putting your life at risk.

"Your driver may not be insured if you have an accident and you run the risk of being cheated, assaulted or even worse.

"If your taxi doesn't display these stickers and plate, don't get in."

'Wales Online'

Wednesday 13 November 2019

NORWICH

A woman struck by a taxi in the car park of a visitor centre on a Royal estate required a skin graft from the back of her leg to heal her wounds, a court has heard.

Taxi driver Colin Ward, 71, had been taking a number of people to a Christmas lunch for the Salvation Army at Sandringham Visitors Centre in December last year when he struck a pedestrian in the car park.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard Sharon Esposito, who was on her way to a festive lunch, felt an impact on her back before she fell to the floor and the vehicle ran over her foot.

Pamela Dean, a friend who was walking alongside Mrs Esposito, said her friend "lay there shrieking on the floor".

She told the court: "The car had gone over the shoe and she managed to wriggle her foot out and there was blood down some green tights she had on."

Ward, of Goose Green Road, Snettisham, had gone on trial having denied driving without due care and attention on December 3 last year.

On Wednesday (November 13) he was found guilty of the offence by city magistrates who said his driving "fell below the standard expected".

Mark Jackson, prosecuting, referred to a victim impact statement in which Mrs Esposito described the effect the injury had on her.

The fracture she suffered affected all of the metatarsals in her foot and resulted in an open wound to the top of her foot, which required a skin graft from the back of her leg which has resulted in a scar.

She had to wear a protective boot for some considerable time and said the incident has had an "extremely big impact" on her busy life.

He said it was a "festive occasion which should have been a happy one that didn't turn out that way".

The court had heard Ward's Mercedes Vito had been travelling at walking pace, at about two to three miles per hour, when it struck Mrs Esposito who suffered "serious injuries".

Ward, an ex-military man, had lost sight in his left eye although was assessed as being fit to drive.

Alan Wheetman, for Ward, said his client offered his sincere regret and apologies to the victim.

He was given four penalty points, fined £174, ordered to pay £600 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

---------------------------------

A FORMER door steward who attacked a man trying to sneak into the nightclub he was working at has become a cab driver.

Garry Bulloch was charged with assault to injury in 2006 when he punched the young man in the face who had just been rejected from the club.

The incident, which was captured on CCTV, saw the victim require three stitches to his head and three more stitches to his lip.

Bulloch was ordered to complete a community payback order but breached its terms.

In February 2018 he was fined £525 for driving without insurance with only a provisional licence.

In April 2018 Bulloch was fined another £300 and disqualified from driving for 50 days for driving without insurance.

Mr Bulloch was brought before the licensing committee to explain himself.

He said: “I had been working at a nightclub in George Square for two years.

“I have no excuse and should never have done that. When you are working in Glasgow you are under a considerable threat. It was a moment of madness.

“I missed my community service because I was working but I did complete it eventually.”

The applicant then explained why he was caught driving without insurance twice.

He said: “Regarding the incident in April 2018, I had paid for my car insurance but the company did not have the correct address or phone number for me.

“In February 2018 I had just failed my driving test. I should not have taken the car to go and get milk from Tesco.”

Members then questioned Mr Bulloch’s capability to be a private hire car driver.

Councillor Alex Wilson said: “As a cab driver you will have to deal with people who are intoxicated and you will still be provoked. How will you react?”

Mr Bulloch responded: “I would not use violence against anyone. I lost my job as a result of that incident. I won’t happen again.”

Glasgow Evening Times

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The United Private Hire Drivers branch of the IWGB union is this morning (11 November) publishing a legal opinion from the top legal team who have defeated successive appeals from Uber against a 2016 ruling which guarantees Uber drivers the right to earn the minimum wage and holiday pay.

Jason Galbraith-Marten QC and Sheryn Omeri of Cloisters chambers in London authored an opinion to answer whether a ‘fit and proper’ assessment for public licensing can consider compliance with the law for firms like Uber, and whether licensing authorities like Transport for London have the capacity and obligation to impose conditions that such firms must obey the law before they can be granted a public licence.

Jason Galbraith-Marten QC and Sheryn Omeri wrote: 'It is our opinion that the ‘fit and proper person’ requirement for the issue of a private hire operator’s licence does require the licensing authority to take account of the question of whether the applicant for a licence has in the past failed, or will in the future fail, to observe relevant employment law rights of its private hire vehicle drivers.' 

The team went on to warn that any failure on the part of Transport for London and the Mayor to consider Uber’s 'terrible' employment law record in its licensing decision could amount to a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Article 8 & 14 guarantees Uber drivers the right to respect of their private and family life as well as the right to freedom from discrimination.

The UPHD say this is particularly relevant as TfL presides over a taxi and private hire licensing system where private hire drivers who according to TfL are 94% BAME, have less protection from exploitation than black cab drivers who are 85% white British. 

Jason Galbraith-Marten QC and Sheryn Omeri wrote: 'We consider it to be arguable that Convention law obliges TfL to take account of obedience to relevant employment law provisions by an applicant for a private hire operator’s licence. 

'We consider this obligation to arise from the fact that a failure by TfL to do so, in circumstances where there are genuine concerns raised, could amount to a breach of Article 14 read together with Article 8. 

'That is, TfL must ensure that the right to maintain relationships with others (through work) of private hire vehicle drivers is protected or secured by actively considering the issue of the protection of their employment rights. 

'Failure to do so would result in their Article 8 rights having lesser protection than those of hackney carriage drivers, for example (the majority of whom we understand to be white British).'

The union went on to pen an opinion that suggests for years both Transport for London and the Mayor have incorrectly denied they have the necessary legal powers necessary to protect Uber drivers from exploitation. 

'When the union asked both TfL and the Mayor to provide us a legal opinion to substantiate their denials both declined to do so. For this reason, the union commissioned its own review of the law,' the union added.

James Farrar, Chair of the United Private Hire Drivers branch of the IWGB union and co lead claimant in Aslam & Farrar v Uber said: “Despite our win against at the Employment Tribunal against Uber in 2016, justice has been denied while Uber pursues one hopeless appeal after another to buy time to corner the London market. 

"It is devastating to now learn that the Mayor and Transport for London could have stepped in to protect us years ago but failed to do so.

"The Mayor must act now to correct this terrible mistake and follow the lead of the Mayor of New York who last year set worker rights compliance as a condition of license there. What’s the Mayor afraid of – a lawsuit from Uber?” 

Yaseen Aslam, National General Secretary of United Private Hire Drivers branch of the IWGB union and co lead claimant in Aslam & Farrar v Uber said: “Sadiq Khan says he is on the side of precarious workers and today he will be asking other employers to pay their workers the London Living Wage.

"But during his term in office he has failed dismally in holding Uber to account for their brutal exploitation of minicab drivers licensed by Transport for London under his authority.  It’s not too late for him to act now, he must impose conditions on Uber’s license upon renewal this month so Uber drivers too can benefit from the London Living Wage.”



 
 

Monday 11 November 2019

DUBLIN

A taxi driver who ripped off passengers 280 times by secretly using a remote control to add €9 to fares without their knowledge has been fined €750.

Dublin District Court heard today that the scam unravelled when a tip-off led to one driver, followed by a recall of some 206 other taximeters with which the remote device was compatible.

Judge Anthony Halpin said the amount of over-charging could have been “colossal”.

Robert Griffin, 66, of Maplewood Park, Springfield in Tallaght, Dublin was fined €750 after he pleaded guilty to 280 counts of over-charging, contrary to the Taxi Regulation Act.

He was accused of using a concealed remote control device 20 times a week from February 4 until May 10 this year.

Robert Griffin, 66, of Maplewood Park, Springfield in Tallaght, Dublin leaving the Four Courts after a District Court hearing (Image: Collins Courts)

He was prosecuted following an investigation by the National Transport Authority (NTA), which discovered he covertly topped up the final fare on the taximeters.

The increase was added to the final fare on the completion of passengers’ journeys.

NTA inspector Liam Kavanagh told Judge Anthony Halpin that earlier this year he received information that a number of taxis were over-charging passengers using the remote device which was linked to some meters.

A confidential source led him to a taxi rank at Tallaght Hospital, where the defendant was sitting in his car, he said.

Mr Kavanagh told the court he carried out a routine inspection and found the remote control device in the driver’s door.

He suspected an offence had been committed and advised Griffin to hand it over.

“He admitted he had used the remote control to add extras to taxi fares,” the inspector said.

He was “visibly shaken” and told the NTA official he was not well.

Mr Kavanagh told Judge Halpin he did not want to cause the driver too much upset at the rank and told him they could meet at the NTA inspection centre the following day, “and leave it until emotions had calmed down”.

Griffin agreed and when he went there his meter was inspected by the taxi metrology service. He was cautioned by the inspector and made full admissions that he used the remote device to add to fares.

Mr Kavanagh explained that Griffin kept the remote fixed to the driver’s door with Velcro and as he drove along he pressed it, increasing the fare by €9 per journey.

The court heard some other drivers who used the device had kept it between their legs.

“The scam, for want of a better word, was closed down,” Mr Kavanagh said.

As a result of specific information, Griffin had been targetted but his co-operation was “key” to the success of the operation, shortening it by a number of months, the court was told.

The NTA was aware of the sources of the devices, the court heard.

“The mind boggles,” remarked Judge Halpin after the facts were presented.

The NTA identified 206 taximeters that were sensitive to the remote, the court was told. They have been recalled for new software.

Not all of the recalled meters were linked to criminal offences but, the inspector added, they were all “sensitive to this device”.

In pleas for leniency, the defence said Griffin, a grandfather, had heart issues and other health problems which were of grave concern. He did not give evidence or address the court at his hearing today.

He was not currently working and decided because of his health and this case not to operate a taxi, “and does not know if he will ever go back”, his solicitor told the court.

Griffin offered a full apology and accepted full responsibility, the solicitor submitted.

The offence carried a maximum possible fine of €4,000 and there were 280 counts on the summon, the court was told.

Finalising the case, Judge Halpin said the aggravating feature was the over-charging of people and use of the remote to by-pass the proper measurement of fares by the taximeter.

Griffin had no prior convictions.

The judge said he was loath to look for intervention of the Probation Service because he did not think Griffin would be able to do community service work, so he was imposing a fine.

One feature that helped the accused in the measurement of the sanction was his co-operation with the NTA, the judge explained.

This allowed 206 other taxis to be checked out.

The court did not have evidence that all of them were involved “but”, Judge Halpin said, “many of them were”.

The device deceived people, he also said.

Fining him €750, he noted Griffin’s early guilty plea and he accepted these proceedings gave rise to some of his health problems.

He has six months to pay the fine.

http://bit.ly/33EEJSa

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 EDINBURGH

A man is in a critical condition in hospital after being hit by a taxi in Edinburgh.

The 27-year-old was crossing North Bridge at about 02:00 near a bus stop opposite the Balmoral Hotel when he was knocked down.

He is being treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Sgt Jennifer Forbes, of Police Scotland, said: "We are carrying out inquiries to establish the full circumstances that led to this crash."

"In particular we are keen to speak to anyone who may have dash-cam footage or who was walking in the area at the time.

"We would urge anyone with information who has not yet spoken to police to come forward to help with our investigation."

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CALDERDALE

The rise of Uber has made it harder to ensure taxi passengers are kept safe, a meeting of councillors from across West Yorkshire has been told.

Derek Benn, manager of the Calderdale Community Safety Partnership, said regulating the industry was “complicated”, because of different licensing rules in various parts of the region.

The issue was discussed at a Police and Crime Panel meeting on Friday, at which one Leeds councillor expressed concern about the numbers of serious sexual offences taking place in taxis in Leeds.

Last week it was revealed the number of rapes taking place in private hire vehicles in the city more than doubled between 2015 and 2018.

Quoting those figures Cllr Amanda Carter said they were “absolutely frightening”.

She added: “In Leeds, councillors and MPs have been prohibited from giving references for taxi drivers.

“But what are we doing to protect the vulnerability of young women?”

In response, Mr Benn said that Calderdale was proactive in handling public safety issues, but stressed most taxi drivers are law-abiding citizens.

He added: “This is a complex area, made even more complex by the emergence of Uber.

“Every district does things slightly differently so it’s sometimes difficult to get synergy across districts.

“What I do know is that from my general experience, should we have any information that suggests that the travelling public are at risk, from for example, a taxi driver, positive action is taken.

“I do have to say though that though that the number of taxi drivers is very high. The vast majority are very decent and reliable drivers.

“It’s a very complicated issue and one that does attract a lot of attention.”

Uber was contacted for comment but did not respond.

Councils across the region are in the process of trying to make their licensing rules for taxi drivers more similar, in a bid to avoid discrepancies.

 

Saturday 9 November 2019

Knowsley's taxi drivers have called for higher fares in the face of rising petrol prices and the cost of living.

Some 89 drivers across the borough have backed a proposal to increase fares for two-mile journeys from £4.50 to £5.20. Fares for late night journeys would rise from £5.30 to £6.70 for two miles.

Knowsley currently has the cheapest taxis in the Liverpool City Region and the increase would bring the borough in line with Halton and make it only slightly more expensive than Sefton and St Helens.

Since the last time Knowsley's taxi fares were increased, in September 2016, drivers' costs have increased, with petrol prices rising 16% and insurance premiums and licensing costs also increasing. In the same period, the cost of living has risen around 7%.


According to a report prepared ahead of a council licensing committee meeting next Thursday, vehicle maintenance has also become more expensive due to "uncertainty over the UK's future in the EU and the effect on the supply chain".

In a formal request for a fare increase submitted to the committee, representatives of the taxi trade said they had consulted drivers on another proposal that would have increased the two-mile fare by only 20p.

However, the report said, "it was considered that this proposal fell short of delivering a sustainable increase to enable drivers to sustain a living wage as it fell short of average taxi journey costs across the city region".

Knowsley's licensing committee will vote on the proposed fare increase at a meeting at Huyton municipal building on Thursday evening.

http://bit.ly/34NVjPH

--------------------------------------- 
 MANCHESTER LICENSING UNIT
  
Fri, 8 Nov, 13:00

The Licencing Unit wish to bring a number of matters to the attention of
the  HC/PH trade under the following headings:

1. Peter Street

2. Credit/Debit Card charges

3. Inconsiderate/illegal/dangerous parking

-----------------------------

1. Peter Street

Those of you involved in the night time economy will be aware that Peter Street has steadily grown in popularity as the destination of choice in the city centre over recent years.  The increased footfall has resulted in many more vehicle movements and the area has become congested with traffic
especially on Friday and Saturday nights.  GMP and MCC are holding regular meetings to discuss the problems that this is causing and have already taken some steps to ensure that the area is as safe as possible for visitors.  Other proposals are being worked on and will be implemented when ready.

Those already in force:

Parking Bays outside Revolution de Cuba have been suspended to create more space

There are 4 dedicated Civil Enforcement Officers [CEO's] now patrolling Peter Street during the night time economy at weekends issuing parking contravention notices where appropriate.

Currently, arrangements are being made to obtain the necessary powers to close Jerusalem Place and Marron Place to traffic at night time at weekends for the foreseeable future.  Both these streets run between Peter Street and Bootle Street.  These closures will be implemented as soon as the necessary powers are obtained.  Their effectiveness will be monitored and if successful may be extended to other streets in the area.

Private Hire drivers are reminded that if they are unable to demonstrate that they have a legitimate pre booking in the area, that waiting will not be tolerated and CEO's are likely to issue parking contravention notices.

Drivers are asked to park and wait elsewhere in the city and only make
their way to the Peter Street area when a legitimate pre booking is being responded to.  Double parking, blocking junctions and inconsiderate parking will be dealt with by the relevant authorities in the strongest means possible.  Divers are also asked to refrain from the performance of U turns across Peter Street which adds to the congestion in the area.

Hackney Carriage drivers are asked to be mindful of their driving conduct
and  to use the rank on Peter Street that is Marshalled on the weekends.
Drivers are also asked not cause obstructions and not to perform
U turns along Peter Street, especially when exiting the rank, a manoeuvre that can add to congestion in the area.

2. Credit Card Charges

On 13 January 2018 the law changed to prevent retailers and service providers from levying a surcharge on customers who chose to pay for goods and services with a debit or credit card. This move was widely publicised at the time and as we are all consumers very few people can claim not to have noticed that these surcharges are no longer applied when goods and services are paid for either face to face or online.

  These rules also apply to licenced drivers who accept electronic payments from passengers,however despite the rule change, the Licensing Unit  continues to receive complaints from passengers about the levying of this surcharge by some drivers. This practice is regarded by the Licensing Unit as both a breach of these new rules and an overcharge on the fare.

  Hackney Carriage drivers will note that the ability to levy a surcharge was removed from the fare card and the current fare tariff which came into force on 16 July 2018 does not permit the levy of a surcharge, this in line with the new rules.

3. Inconsiderate/illegal/dangerous parking/waiting

The Licensing Unit continues to receive complaints from around the city in regard to the driving conduct of licenced drivers.

These complaints will be investigated by the Licencing Unit and where appropriate drivers will be warned about their future conduct. 

Repeat offenders who demonstrate a pattern of driving conduct that falls short of what is expected may be referred for a review of licence.

------------------------------------

 WEST YORKSHIRE

The rise of Uber has made the issue of safeguarding taxi passengers “even more complex”, a meeting of councillors from across West Yorkshire has been told.

Derek Benn, manager of the Calderdale Community Safety Partnership, said that regulating the industry was “complicated”, because of different licensing rules in various parts of the region.

The issue was discussed at a Police and Crime Panel meeting on Friday, at which one Leeds councillor expressed concern about the numbers of serious sexual offences taking place in taxis and Leeds.

Councillor Amanda Carter said: “In Leeds, councillors and MPs have been prohibited from giving references for taxi drivers.

“But what are we doing to protect the vulnerability of young women?”

In response, Mr Benn said that Calderdale was pro-active in handling public safety issues, but stressed that most taxi drivers are law-abiding citizens.

He added: “This is a complex area, made even more complex by the emergence of Uber.

“Every district does things slightly differently so it’s sometimes difficult to get synergy across districts.

“What I do know is that from my general experience, should we have any information that suggests that the travelling publlic are at risk, from for example, a taxi driver, positive action is taken.

“I do have to say though that though that the number of taxi drivers is very high. The vast majority are very decent and reliable drivers.

“It’s a very complicated issue and one that does attract a lot of attention.”

Uber was contacted for comment but did not respond.

Councils across the region are in the process of trying to make their licensing rules for taxi drivers more similar, in a bid to avoid discrepancies.

And local authorities will soon have access to a national database of cabbies who’ve either been stripped of their licence or denied one.

It follows concerns that the government’s deregulation of the industry, in 2015, has caused problems, with cabbies able to operate anywhere in the country provided they have a licence from just one authority.

http://bit.ly/2qBxuvA

Thursday 7 November 2019

BOLTON

A TAXI driver who had his licence revoked after refusing to carry a guide dog in the front of his car has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds.

Nasar Perwez was ordered to pay costs of £3,848 when his appeal against a decision by Hyndburn Council to revoke his private hire driver’s licence was dismissed at Blackburn Magistrates Court.

Mr Perwez, 41, of Worcester Road, Blackburn, had his private hire drivers licence revoked by the council’s licensing judicial committee in October last year following a complaint from a man that Mr Perwez had refused to carry his assistance dog in the front of his private hire vehicle.

He had been booked to carry a passenger and guide dog.

On arriving at the passenger’s house, he loaded some articles into the boot, but then insisted the guide dog ride on its own in the rear of his vehicle, despite the passenger explaining that the dog was trained to sit at his feet in the front passenger footwell.

Mr Perwez then unloaded the articles and left them on the side of the road, causing difficulty for the passenger who could not see them, and who was helped to retrieve them by his 92-year-old mother.

The magistrates heard how the refusal to carry the guide dog where it had been trained to travel meant that both the dog and owner would become distressed, and that the refusal had affected the passenger’s confidence in travelling.

The magistrates found that Mr Perwez had been inconsistent in his recall of the incident and that his testimony in court varied from interviews by licensing officers.

They determined that the decision of the council that Mr Perwez is not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver’s licence was correct.

Cllr Melissa Fisher, chair of the licensing judicial committee, said: “Hyndburn Borough Council take customer safety very seriously and will always fully investigate any complaints received and take any appropriate action to ensure that members of the public can have confidence when getting into a vehicle licensed by this council.

“The council will always do everything we can to ensure that people who use our licensed vehicles are not discriminated against in any way and the actions of the driver were totally unacceptable.”

http://bit.ly/36LM9Vy

-----------------------------------------------
 WOOLWICH

A taxi driver who murdered mother-of-five Sarah Wellgreen is to be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.

Ben Lacomba was found guilty of killing his ex-partner Ms Wellgreen, 46, who disappeared without a trace in October 2018.

Despite extensive searches, her body has never been found.

Lacomba, 39, was convicted of her murder by a crown court jury in October. The pair had split up in 2014 but still lived together at their home in New Ash Green, Kent, at the time of her disappearance.

The trial heard how he killed beautician Ms Wellgreen in a “calculated manner designed to avoid detection, to leave no trace” and to “remove her from his life forever”.

The couple met online in 2004, but by the time of her disappearance their relationship was marked by “tensions and problems”, the court heard.

Lacomba said he was asleep in bed on the night of the alleged killing.

But the court heard that he switched off a CCTV system in the middle of the night and parked his car in an unusual spot in an attempt to evade detection.

http://bit.ly/2NQEson

-------------------------------------

SEFTON


 Controversial plans to charge HGV, bus and taxi drivers for use of some roads will help people live longer - according to the leader of Sefton Council .

The local authority is so concerned over nitrogen dioxide in parts of south Sefton that they hired global environmental consultancy AECOM to identify specific areas where air pollution is highest.

And from their research, a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) system, similar to London's Low Emission Zone, has been proposed to reduce emissions and air pollution in the borough.

 At a Cabinet meeting this morning, council leader Ian Maher said it is an 'important issue'. He said: "We have pockets of the borough where people are living shorter lives due to respiratory conditions."

A number of the country's local authorities - including Liverpool City Council - have received significant funding from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to prepare business cases aimed at reducing emissions.

Cllr Maher continued: "DEFRA has given funding for elsewhere but yet again Sefton has been missed. We have a major national road with increasing traffic but DEFRA don’t seem to see this as an issue.

"Unfortunately we’ll have to find the funding ourselves as once again we’ve been let down by the government."

 The areas in which charges would be enforced are:
On and around Millers Bridge ( Bootle )
On and around Hawthorne Road (Bootle)
On and around South Road (Waterloo)
On and around Princess Way ( Litherland )

If or when the CAZ is established, bus, coach, taxi, private hire, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) drivers will all be required to pay a charge to enter or to move within the areas set out above.

Part of a report on the council's website says: "Road traffic is responsible for the large majority of NO2 in the air, with diesel powered vehicles being the largest contributor of this pollutant.

http://bit.ly/34K8zF8

 

 

Monday 4 November 2019

Heathrow have not “sufficiently thought through” the proposed access for London’s black cabs, according to the London Mayor.

London’s busiest airport has put forward proposals suggesting its plans to CHARGE taxis to enter the airport grounds from 2026.

The Heathrow Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will introduce minimum vehicle emissions standards similar to the London Mayor’s ULEZ for passenger cars and private hire vehicles entering car parks or drop-off areas at any of Heathrow’s terminals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Over time with the opening of the new runway from 2026, the Heathrow ULEZ will transition into a vehicle access charge (VAC) on all passenger cars, taxis and private hire vehicles coming to car parks or drop-off areas.

Initial proposals for the Heathrow ULEZ could set the charge figure between £10-15, in line with charges set by the Mayor in central London.

Taxis will be exempt from the HULEZ charges, in line with the London ULEZ scheme. Taxis will however be subject to the Heathrow VAC charge when it comes online with the new runway. Private hire vehicles will be subject to the Heathrow ULEZ and Heathrow VAC charges.

London Assembly Member David Kurten asked the London Mayor whether he understood the unfair impact the move would have on taxi drivers.

Kurten highlighted the legal requirement taxi drivers have to take passengers to any destination within the Greater London area. This is seen as unfair as private hire vehicles are not legally required to take a fare requested via their operators. Minicab operators can pass charges onto their customers, unlike licensed taxi drivers who do not have a set fare structure.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “As with so many issues relating to its Expansion Development Consent Order (DCO), Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) has not sufficiently thought through the operation of its proposed road user access charge which would affect all vehicles accessing the airport.

“HAL has failed to demonstrate a credible plan for an effective road user access charge, which it deems critical to its expansion plans. This again highlights how HAL has been unable to show that it can meaningfully address the severe environmental and surface access impacts of a third runway.”