LONDON
Sex attacks carried out by private hire and taxi drivers in London skyrocketed by more than 80 per cent in just a year. Transport for London (TfL) said 294 incidents were reported to police in 2018 – including 25 rapes and 269 other sexual offences, mostly consisting of groping incidents.
Some 17 drivers were charged, including 15 private hire drivers, a taxi driver and an unlicensed driver, but there have only been six convictions in the 12 cases that have been through the courts. The figures represent an 81 per cent increase on 2017, when 162 offences were reported.
None of the drivers currently hold an operating licence. Journeys with private hire vehicles such as Uber must be pre-booked, whereas taxis – also known as black cabs – can be hailed in the street.
The Metropolitan Police and City of London Police data was published by TfL, which licenses taxi and private hire drivers in the capital. TfL said the rise was linked to new guidance issued to private hire operators in late 2017, which stressed the importance of reporting criminal conduct to police immediately. Its head of transport policing and community safety, Mandy McGregor, said: ‘We expect the highest standards of behaviour and any sexual behaviour by a licensed driver towards a passenger is completely unacceptable.
‘We would urge anyone who experiences this to report it immediately to TfL and the police so it can be taken seriously and investigated.’
https://metro.co.uk
Friday, 31 January 2020
Thursday, 30 January 2020
THAILAND
Public health authorities were expected to announce the results of novel coronavirus tests on samples from two ill taxi drivers on Friday afternoon.
Dr Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, told reporters on Friday morning that the results were coming from the Medical Sciences Department and Chulalongkorn University.
The two cabbies each picked up Chinese tourists, later fell ill and sought treatment two days ago. The tourists had arrived in Thailand before the Chinese government suspended all outbound trips by its citizens.
The test results would reveal if human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus had started in Thailand. Such transmissions had already been confirmed in Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United States, Dr Sopon said.
In Thailand there have been 14 confirmed cases of the illness. Seven patients were cured and discharged. Another 280 people are being closely monitored, according to the Public Health Ministry.
www.bangkokpost.com
---------------------------------------------
STOKE
A taxi driver has told how he has been forced to sell his cab to make ends meet - after he was stabbed in a terrifying street attack.
Arslan Saeed was rushed to hospital after being knifed in the stomach in a dispute over scaffolding at his Burslem home.
The 28-year-old underwent a major operation to repair the five-inch wound before his skin was stapled back together.
Now three months on, Arslan is still unable to work as he continues his slow and painful recovery.
He has even had to take the drastic decision to sell his taxi for £4,500 so he could cover the cost of his mortgage and other bills.
And he also had to flog his TV for £50 to put food on the table.
Arslan, of Leonard Street, said: "I moved to my house in August and we had to put scaffolding up to repair the roof.
"I went out in the street to explain the scaffolding would be coming down in two days when this man appeared with a knife in his hand and stabbed me in the stomach. I was bleeding a lot.
"My missus was screaming but there was no-one in the street because it was raining.
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk
---------------------------------------------
LUTON
A taxi company is having to reapply for its licence to operate in Luton - based on mobile phone technology - because of a change of director.
Ola Cabs was given permission to expand its service into the town nearly a year ago.
The company, a rival to Uber, was granted a private hire operator’s licence by the borough council’s licensing sub-committee in February 2019.
Ola UK Private Limited has been operating an App-based booking platform for taxi services with local private hire vehicles and hackney carriage vehicles.
But having appointed a new director, Karl Lutzow, the firm is due to have its licence reconsidered by the council's taxi and private hire licensing panel tomorrow (Friday).
Ola currently has an office at Capability Green, having started its UK operations in South Wales, Bristol and Exeter.
One of the taxi company’s representatives Darryl Supersad said last year the firm is planning to extend its operation to every city in the UK.
It uses local private hire drivers and vehicles, similar to Uber, and also includes black cabs across the whole market.
The company was also planning to provide executive services to and from London Luton Airport, the licensing sub-committee heard last year.
Drivers and vehicles used are licensed by the council, with the cabbies self-employed.
Bookings are web-based only, and the website provides phone numbers to deal with support and complaints.
Ola was proposing to employ 100 to 500 drivers and vehicles initially, and hoping to increase to 2,000 in the long-term.
Passengers and taxi drivers have to register via the app, so payments are made digitally at the end of a trip, rather than direct to the driver.
Drivers would not be required to work exclusively for Ola, but records would be kept of all their activities for the company.
The sub-committee decided in February to grant the application for the operator’s licence, with exemptions to the current council policy over keeping records electronically instead of in a handwritten bound book.
It also requested that an application for licence renewal should be reviewed in full by a panel, instead of by the licensing service under delegated authority.
https://www.lutontoday.co.uk
Public health authorities were expected to announce the results of novel coronavirus tests on samples from two ill taxi drivers on Friday afternoon.
Dr Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, told reporters on Friday morning that the results were coming from the Medical Sciences Department and Chulalongkorn University.
The two cabbies each picked up Chinese tourists, later fell ill and sought treatment two days ago. The tourists had arrived in Thailand before the Chinese government suspended all outbound trips by its citizens.
The test results would reveal if human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus had started in Thailand. Such transmissions had already been confirmed in Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United States, Dr Sopon said.
In Thailand there have been 14 confirmed cases of the illness. Seven patients were cured and discharged. Another 280 people are being closely monitored, according to the Public Health Ministry.
www.bangkokpost.com
---------------------------------------------
STOKE
A taxi driver has told how he has been forced to sell his cab to make ends meet - after he was stabbed in a terrifying street attack.
Arslan Saeed was rushed to hospital after being knifed in the stomach in a dispute over scaffolding at his Burslem home.
The 28-year-old underwent a major operation to repair the five-inch wound before his skin was stapled back together.
Now three months on, Arslan is still unable to work as he continues his slow and painful recovery.
He has even had to take the drastic decision to sell his taxi for £4,500 so he could cover the cost of his mortgage and other bills.
And he also had to flog his TV for £50 to put food on the table.
Arslan, of Leonard Street, said: "I moved to my house in August and we had to put scaffolding up to repair the roof.
"I went out in the street to explain the scaffolding would be coming down in two days when this man appeared with a knife in his hand and stabbed me in the stomach. I was bleeding a lot.
"My missus was screaming but there was no-one in the street because it was raining.
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk
---------------------------------------------
LUTON
A taxi company is having to reapply for its licence to operate in Luton - based on mobile phone technology - because of a change of director.
Ola Cabs was given permission to expand its service into the town nearly a year ago.
The company, a rival to Uber, was granted a private hire operator’s licence by the borough council’s licensing sub-committee in February 2019.
Ola UK Private Limited has been operating an App-based booking platform for taxi services with local private hire vehicles and hackney carriage vehicles.
But having appointed a new director, Karl Lutzow, the firm is due to have its licence reconsidered by the council's taxi and private hire licensing panel tomorrow (Friday).
Ola currently has an office at Capability Green, having started its UK operations in South Wales, Bristol and Exeter.
One of the taxi company’s representatives Darryl Supersad said last year the firm is planning to extend its operation to every city in the UK.
It uses local private hire drivers and vehicles, similar to Uber, and also includes black cabs across the whole market.
The company was also planning to provide executive services to and from London Luton Airport, the licensing sub-committee heard last year.
Drivers and vehicles used are licensed by the council, with the cabbies self-employed.
Bookings are web-based only, and the website provides phone numbers to deal with support and complaints.
Ola was proposing to employ 100 to 500 drivers and vehicles initially, and hoping to increase to 2,000 in the long-term.
Passengers and taxi drivers have to register via the app, so payments are made digitally at the end of a trip, rather than direct to the driver.
Drivers would not be required to work exclusively for Ola, but records would be kept of all their activities for the company.
The sub-committee decided in February to grant the application for the operator’s licence, with exemptions to the current council policy over keeping records electronically instead of in a handwritten bound book.
It also requested that an application for licence renewal should be reviewed in full by a panel, instead of by the licensing service under delegated authority.
https://www.lutontoday.co.uk
Wednesday, 29 January 2020
MANCHESTER Renege on Promise not to charge Private Car's Emission Fee.
Councillors have agreed to look at introducing a new London-style clean air zone. Two years ago, the region's mayor promised motorists wouldn't be hit with fees
Manchester councillors have agreed to look at charging older cars to drive into the city centre in a new London-style clean air zone.
At the first full meeting of the council this year, members also agreed to investigate banning through-traffic inside the inner ring road.
No details of how such measures would work - or how much drivers would be charged - were outlined, but members agreed to ‘explore the feasibility’ of such a zone, bounded by the Manchester/Salford inner ring road.
Coun Johns said London’s ‘ultra low emissions zone’ - which charges older cars £12.50 a day to drive into the centre of the capital, as well as older motorbikes, lorries, taxis and vans - had successfully slashed toxic nitrogen dioxide emissions by a third in the space of just a few months.
“This is also being explored in cities like York, Bristol, Oxford and Birmingham,” he said, adding that there was also ‘no reason’ for traffic to cross the city centre given the existence of the inner ring road, an expanded tram network and expected forthcoming decision from Andy Burnham to reform the bus network through franchising.
Pointing to the ‘severe health consequences’ of current pollution levels in the city, he added: “I’ve not heard one reason not to act.”
Coun Lyons said such a charging zone ‘will help to tackle this, but only if the government will work with us’, a reference to the need for extra national cash for public transport.
But Manchester ‘must be ambitious’, he said, adding that it was ‘the least we can do’.
City centre spokesman Pat Karney - who last year was critical of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion for closing Deansgate in an environmental protest, warning that shutting the road was harming city centre businesses and alienating the public - also backed the idea, arguing that younger city centre councillors such as Coun Johns and Lyons were forward-thinking, adding that the climate crisis ‘needs people like me and Richard Leese to catch up’, a reference to the council leader.
At present that plan - which has been submitted by Andy Burnham to government along with a request for extra public transport funding - only proposes charges for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles, taxis and buses, to be imposed Greater Manchester-wide, with a charge for polluting vans to be brought in from 2023. It doesn't include cars, or a specific city centre zone.
It is unclear what the effect of today’s decision by Manchester councillors will have on that plan.
Some insiders also speculated the move had in part been drawn up ahead of this year’s local elections, in which south Manchester and city centre Labour seats could potentially be vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats.
Several other cities across the country are considering variants on such a plan, most recently York, where councillors want to ban cars entirely from the city centre.
But there had been some nervousness in Manchester about such a move, partly due to concerns that the public might equate it with the congestion charge proposed in 2008 - a different plan with different objectives, but still one that proposed vehicle charging and one that was ultimately defeated in a referendum.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also ruled out any charge on drivers of private vehicles in an interview with the Manchester Evening News in September 2017.
In London, the Ultra Low Emissions Zone applies to vehicles that don’t meet specific European standards - generally petrol cars and vans registered before 2005, diesels cars before 2015, vans before 2016, motorbikes registered before July 2007 and lorries registered before 2014.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Councillors have agreed to look at introducing a new London-style clean air zone. Two years ago, the region's mayor promised motorists wouldn't be hit with fees
Manchester councillors have agreed to look at charging older cars to drive into the city centre in a new London-style clean air zone.
At the first full meeting of the council this year, members also agreed to investigate banning through-traffic inside the inner ring road.
No details of how such measures would work - or how much drivers would be charged - were outlined, but members agreed to ‘explore the feasibility’ of such a zone, bounded by the Manchester/Salford inner ring road.
But it appears to contradict a 2017 promise made by the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, that there would 'never' be a charge imposed on individual motorists.
The latest proposal was put forward by city centre councillors Jon-Connor Lyons and Marcus Johns, before being supported unanimously by Labour and Liberal Democrat members.
“This is also being explored in cities like York, Bristol, Oxford and Birmingham,” he said, adding that there was also ‘no reason’ for traffic to cross the city centre given the existence of the inner ring road, an expanded tram network and expected forthcoming decision from Andy Burnham to reform the bus network through franchising.
Pointing to the ‘severe health consequences’ of current pollution levels in the city, he added: “I’ve not heard one reason not to act.”
Coun Lyons said such a charging zone ‘will help to tackle this, but only if the government will work with us’, a reference to the need for extra national cash for public transport.
But Manchester ‘must be ambitious’, he said, adding that it was ‘the least we can do’.
City centre spokesman Pat Karney - who last year was critical of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion for closing Deansgate in an environmental protest, warning that shutting the road was harming city centre businesses and alienating the public - also backed the idea, arguing that younger city centre councillors such as Coun Johns and Lyons were forward-thinking, adding that the climate crisis ‘needs people like me and Richard Leese to catch up’, a reference to the council leader.
The motion contradicts Greater Manchester’s plans for air quality improvement, which have been drawn up jointly by all ten councils, including Manchester.
It is unclear what the effect of today’s decision by Manchester councillors will have on that plan.
While to date Greater Manchester councils have worked jointly on their clean air proposal, technically each individual local authority - including Manchester - has legal responsibility for bringing in measures to cut pollution in their own areas as soon as possible, leaving the prospect that the city could now unilaterally switch tack.
Several other cities across the country are considering variants on such a plan, most recently York, where councillors want to ban cars entirely from the city centre.
But there had been some nervousness in Manchester about such a move, partly due to concerns that the public might equate it with the congestion charge proposed in 2008 - a different plan with different objectives, but still one that proposed vehicle charging and one that was ultimately defeated in a referendum.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also ruled out any charge on drivers of private vehicles in an interview with the Manchester Evening News in September 2017.
In London, the Ultra Low Emissions Zone applies to vehicles that don’t meet specific European standards - generally petrol cars and vans registered before 2005, diesels cars before 2015, vans before 2016, motorbikes registered before July 2007 and lorries registered before 2014.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Tuesday, 28 January 2020
STOKE
Taxi driver Azhar Hussain has been branded ‘a danger to the public’ after police found a knife in his car.
Officers searched the 30-year-old’s vehicle because he had previously told police he planned to arm himself with a blade, in response to a series of threats made against him.
But although Hussain admitted to having put the weapon in his glove box, he claimed he had been using it for DIY and forgot it was there.
A judge rejected his account and sentenced him to 21 weeks in prison, while Newcastle Borough Council has revoked his taxi licence in order to protect the public.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard Hussain was alone in his cab when police stopped him in Trentham Road.
Prosecutor Alicia Perry said: “The officers’ Automatic Number Plate Recognition triggered in respect of the defendant’s vehicle. He was suspected to be carrying a knife due to threats of violence that had been made towards him.
“The defendant was searched. An officer found a knife in the glove box. The defendant admitted he had put the knife there. He said he had taken it into B&Q to cut some plastic. He denied telling a police officer he had said he was going to keep a knife in his vehicle for protection.”
The court heard Hussain had been subjected to threats, which he had reported to police, since the breakdown of his arranged marriage.
Miss Perry said: “A statement was made to police in which the defendant said, ‘These people are dangerous, they are terrorists. They’ve got knives and guns. I’m going to be carrying a kitchen knife in my car. If I see these people again they are going to get stabbed up’.”
Hussain, of Erskine Street, Dresden, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place on August 30 last year. The court heard there was also a hammer in the glove box.
Tac Hussain, mitigating said: “He was frustrated and disappointed that Staffordshire Police could not take any action with regard to the threats he had received. The comment was made in anger because he wasn’t hearing what he wanted.
“Two weeks before he was stopped he had been to B&Q and purchased some materials. He had placed the items in the glove box and forgot about them.”
But Deputy District Judge David Goodman said Hussain’s account was ‘nonsense’.
Sentencing him, the judge said: “Those who carry knives for what they describe as self-protection would evidently use those knives if the circumstances, as they saw them, arose. That must be deterred by court sentences.
"To say you had forgotten about the knife is nonsense. To say it was in your car because you had been doing DIY is ridiculous. You are a danger to the public.”
Newcastle Borough Council welcomed the Hussain’s prosecution.
Councillor Stephen Sweeney, cabinet member for finance and efficiency, said: “The council welcomes this prosecution. Carrying a knife, especially when you’re a taxi driver, is a very serious offence.
“We revoked Mr Hussain’s licence with immediate effect in the interests of protecting the public.
“The council, and customers, demand the highest possible standards from our taxi drivers at all times. Our robust taxi licensing policy is designed to ensure that drivers – and their vehicles – provide a public service which puts the safety and welfare of passengers as the first priority.”
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Around 150 taxi and private hire drivers crammed into Civic Hall’s council chamber to hear members of Leeds City Council’s licensing committee discuss concerns drivers had about the council’s suitability and convictions policy, which is set to come into force next month.
Many believed changes could mean motorists with seven or more points on their driving licence could be refused a taxi licence by the council. This is opposed to the council’s current regulations which requires applicants to have under 13 points.
Council officers clarified this wouldn’t necessarily apply to current taxi licence holders, and that, when new points were awarded for minor offences, this would be unlikely to see a licence revoked.
But unions and drivers’ associations claim proper consultation was not carried out with taxi licence holders, and that the assurances from officers were too vague.
Speaking to the meeting, Peter Davies, regional organiser for the GMB union, which represents drivers, told the committee: “Your consultation process has been real, albeit a little bit too late.
“I welcome you listening today and hearing those concerns – all we are really asking for is compromise. Nobody wants a fantastic, safe taxi service any more than the people who have packed this room out today.
“But you can get clocked at 34 in a 30 [zone] and you get caught on the way there and the way back – you’re on six points.
“To hear words like ‘this is likely’, ‘this might happen’ and ‘this can be considered’, that is not good enough for me.
“We need the consultation to be extended. Given the campaign we have seen to date, this issue is going to spread to neighbouring authorities.”
The new measures for taxi and private hire drivers were adopted by Leeds City Council’s executive committee back in November last year, and are due to come into effect in February 2020.
However, the item came before the committee due to “significant representations by hackney carriage and private hire associations, trade unions, drivers’ groups, and by private hire operators.”
Another representative, from the Unite union, claimed proper consultation was not carried out by the authority, adding: “I would like to thank you for taking it to this stage. This is like bolting the door after the horse is gone – it’s saying you are going to implement the policy but we will give you a say on the policy that already exists.
“Two hundred and fifty responses by 6,000 licence holders is not proportionate. It accounts for four per cent overall – this cannot be considered proportional.
“Not one of those I have been asked to speak on behalf of agrees with this. We will now be seeking legal advice.”
Earlier during the meeting, the item was discussed by members of the committee and Leeds City council officers, who agreed to form a working group to look further into the issue.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
-------------------------------------------
Taxis in west Suffolk could have a standard livery, a single licensing zone and uniform rules on vehicle ages and criminal convictions for drivers under new proposals.
West Suffolk Council has launched a public consultation with taxi drivers and residents for their views on proposals that would see the same policies applying to the trade across the district.
The move is part of an on-going process to align taxi policies of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils that began in 2017, ahead of the creation of the new West Suffolk Council in April 2019.
A council spokesman said: "Since 2017 we have been gradually aligning the policies of the two former authorities that came together to form the new West Suffolk Council.
"This is the last stage and we are looking for the views of the taxi trade, businesses and the public on proposals for completing that alignment and on updating best practice. We hope as many people as possible will take part."
The council wants to increase the time that must elapse for a conviction for violence from three years to seven, five years for racially aggravated and/or sexual offences, and remove the allowance for any applicants with a conviction for driving offences involving loss of life to be considered before seven years has lapsed. Currently it is three years.
It wants to add a new maximum age requirement of 10 years to all vehicles, except electric/zero emission vehicles, and wants views on whether or not to adopt a livery of silver or white vehicles for private hire.
All black cabs could have a coloured bonnet and boot. Yellow is the council's preferred choice, as per Hackney taxis in the former Forest Heath area, but suggestions for other colours are being invited.
Hackney carriages would also be able to operate under a single licensing area for the whole district, allowing drivers to ply for hire and pick up from any rank anywhere.
The two current licensing zones, A and B, reflect the former district and borough council areas.
Alignment of taxi services has been taken in stages to allow customers and the taxi trade to adjust to the changes.
-----------------------------------------------------
Taxi driver Azhar Hussain has been branded ‘a danger to the public’ after police found a knife in his car.
Officers searched the 30-year-old’s vehicle because he had previously told police he planned to arm himself with a blade, in response to a series of threats made against him.
But although Hussain admitted to having put the weapon in his glove box, he claimed he had been using it for DIY and forgot it was there.
A judge rejected his account and sentenced him to 21 weeks in prison, while Newcastle Borough Council has revoked his taxi licence in order to protect the public.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard Hussain was alone in his cab when police stopped him in Trentham Road.
Prosecutor Alicia Perry said: “The officers’ Automatic Number Plate Recognition triggered in respect of the defendant’s vehicle. He was suspected to be carrying a knife due to threats of violence that had been made towards him.
“The defendant was searched. An officer found a knife in the glove box. The defendant admitted he had put the knife there. He said he had taken it into B&Q to cut some plastic. He denied telling a police officer he had said he was going to keep a knife in his vehicle for protection.”
The court heard Hussain had been subjected to threats, which he had reported to police, since the breakdown of his arranged marriage.
Miss Perry said: “A statement was made to police in which the defendant said, ‘These people are dangerous, they are terrorists. They’ve got knives and guns. I’m going to be carrying a kitchen knife in my car. If I see these people again they are going to get stabbed up’.”
Hussain, of Erskine Street, Dresden, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place on August 30 last year. The court heard there was also a hammer in the glove box.
Tac Hussain, mitigating said: “He was frustrated and disappointed that Staffordshire Police could not take any action with regard to the threats he had received. The comment was made in anger because he wasn’t hearing what he wanted.
“Two weeks before he was stopped he had been to B&Q and purchased some materials. He had placed the items in the glove box and forgot about them.”
But Deputy District Judge David Goodman said Hussain’s account was ‘nonsense’.
Sentencing him, the judge said: “Those who carry knives for what they describe as self-protection would evidently use those knives if the circumstances, as they saw them, arose. That must be deterred by court sentences.
"To say you had forgotten about the knife is nonsense. To say it was in your car because you had been doing DIY is ridiculous. You are a danger to the public.”
Newcastle Borough Council welcomed the Hussain’s prosecution.
Councillor Stephen Sweeney, cabinet member for finance and efficiency, said: “The council welcomes this prosecution. Carrying a knife, especially when you’re a taxi driver, is a very serious offence.
“We revoked Mr Hussain’s licence with immediate effect in the interests of protecting the public.
“The council, and customers, demand the highest possible standards from our taxi drivers at all times. Our robust taxi licensing policy is designed to ensure that drivers – and their vehicles – provide a public service which puts the safety and welfare of passengers as the first priority.”
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Around 150 taxi and private hire drivers crammed into Civic Hall’s council chamber to hear members of Leeds City Council’s licensing committee discuss concerns drivers had about the council’s suitability and convictions policy, which is set to come into force next month.
Many believed changes could mean motorists with seven or more points on their driving licence could be refused a taxi licence by the council. This is opposed to the council’s current regulations which requires applicants to have under 13 points.
Council officers clarified this wouldn’t necessarily apply to current taxi licence holders, and that, when new points were awarded for minor offences, this would be unlikely to see a licence revoked.
But unions and drivers’ associations claim proper consultation was not carried out with taxi licence holders, and that the assurances from officers were too vague.
Speaking to the meeting, Peter Davies, regional organiser for the GMB union, which represents drivers, told the committee: “Your consultation process has been real, albeit a little bit too late.
“I welcome you listening today and hearing those concerns – all we are really asking for is compromise. Nobody wants a fantastic, safe taxi service any more than the people who have packed this room out today.
“But you can get clocked at 34 in a 30 [zone] and you get caught on the way there and the way back – you’re on six points.
“To hear words like ‘this is likely’, ‘this might happen’ and ‘this can be considered’, that is not good enough for me.
“We need the consultation to be extended. Given the campaign we have seen to date, this issue is going to spread to neighbouring authorities.”
The new measures for taxi and private hire drivers were adopted by Leeds City Council’s executive committee back in November last year, and are due to come into effect in February 2020.
However, the item came before the committee due to “significant representations by hackney carriage and private hire associations, trade unions, drivers’ groups, and by private hire operators.”
Another representative, from the Unite union, claimed proper consultation was not carried out by the authority, adding: “I would like to thank you for taking it to this stage. This is like bolting the door after the horse is gone – it’s saying you are going to implement the policy but we will give you a say on the policy that already exists.
“Two hundred and fifty responses by 6,000 licence holders is not proportionate. It accounts for four per cent overall – this cannot be considered proportional.
“Not one of those I have been asked to speak on behalf of agrees with this. We will now be seeking legal advice.”
Earlier during the meeting, the item was discussed by members of the committee and Leeds City council officers, who agreed to form a working group to look further into the issue.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
-------------------------------------------
Taxis in west Suffolk could have a standard livery, a single licensing zone and uniform rules on vehicle ages and criminal convictions for drivers under new proposals.
West Suffolk Council has launched a public consultation with taxi drivers and residents for their views on proposals that would see the same policies applying to the trade across the district.
The move is part of an on-going process to align taxi policies of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils that began in 2017, ahead of the creation of the new West Suffolk Council in April 2019.
A council spokesman said: "Since 2017 we have been gradually aligning the policies of the two former authorities that came together to form the new West Suffolk Council.
"This is the last stage and we are looking for the views of the taxi trade, businesses and the public on proposals for completing that alignment and on updating best practice. We hope as many people as possible will take part."
The council wants to increase the time that must elapse for a conviction for violence from three years to seven, five years for racially aggravated and/or sexual offences, and remove the allowance for any applicants with a conviction for driving offences involving loss of life to be considered before seven years has lapsed. Currently it is three years.
It wants to add a new maximum age requirement of 10 years to all vehicles, except electric/zero emission vehicles, and wants views on whether or not to adopt a livery of silver or white vehicles for private hire.
All black cabs could have a coloured bonnet and boot. Yellow is the council's preferred choice, as per Hackney taxis in the former Forest Heath area, but suggestions for other colours are being invited.
Hackney carriages would also be able to operate under a single licensing area for the whole district, allowing drivers to ply for hire and pick up from any rank anywhere.
The two current licensing zones, A and B, reflect the former district and borough council areas.
Alignment of taxi services has been taken in stages to allow customers and the taxi trade to adjust to the changes.
-----------------------------------------------------
Monday, 27 January 2020
GLASGOW
A racist woman tried to stab a taxi driver after hurling abuse at him.
Nicole O'Conner flew into a rage shortly after Mandeep Singh was told he was "getting done" last September.
The 24-year-old lunged at the cabbie with a blade before using the weapon to repeatedly strike his Toyota Auris car.
Mr Singh - who worked for Glasgow Private Hire - luckily escaped unhurt.
O'Conner now faces a jail-term after she admitted to the racially aggravated assault and stealing the taxi driver's mobile phone.
She was remanded in custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court pending sentencing next month.
Mr Singh, 40, had been taking O'Conner and others to her home in the city's Possilpark.
Prosecutor Mark Allan said the atmosphere in the car suddenly "changed".
Mr Allan went on: "Mr Singh was told he was getting done by O’Conner and that he was getting stabbed.
"He was called 'a p*** b*****d' as other things were being said to him."
Raging O’Conner grabbed the cabbie's phone before initially going to her home.
As Mr Singh contacted his firm, O'Conner then emerged clutching a blade.
Mr Allan added: "She walked towards Mr Singh and attempted to strike him with the knife.
"She then struck the body work of the car, rear window and tyres before returning to the property."
Police soon arrived and found O'Conner at her home.
As officers tried to take her away, O'Conner then kicked out at PC Ross Mckinlay hitting him on the head.
She also pled guilty to the assault on PC Mckinlay today.
Sheriff Paul Crozier deferred sentencing for reports.
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news
Friday, 24 January 2020
STOKE
Taxi driver Waqas Ahmad punched a pensioner who complained about his cab blocking the pavement in a restricted parking zone during the school run.
The 31-year-old dad-of-four was collecting one of his children from school when a 72-year-old man raised objections about his parking.
But instead of apologising and driving off, the defendant told the man to ‘**** off’, and hit him once, leaving him with a fractured eye socket and other facial broken bones.
Now Ahmed has been jailed for 12 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said the defendant parked on Martindale Close, off Sandon Road, Meir, when he went to collect one of his children on April 29.
Mr McConaghy said: “There have been ongoing problems with cars blocking the road for residents and there are parking restrictions at school start and end times.
“A 72-year-old resident was walking on the pavement. The defendant was a taxi driver and had parked his taxi half on the pavement and half on the road, making it hard for him to get past.
“The defendant was putting one of the children in the back of his taxi when the man approached him and told him he could not park there during restricted hours of 2pm to 4pm
Taxi driver Waqas Ahmad punched a pensioner who complained about his cab blocking the pavement in a restricted parking zone during the school run.
The 31-year-old dad-of-four was collecting one of his children from school when a 72-year-old man raised objections about his parking.
But instead of apologising and driving off, the defendant told the man to ‘**** off’, and hit him once, leaving him with a fractured eye socket and other facial broken bones.
Now Ahmed has been jailed for 12 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said the defendant parked on Martindale Close, off Sandon Road, Meir, when he went to collect one of his children on April 29.
Mr McConaghy said: “There have been ongoing problems with cars blocking the road for residents and there are parking restrictions at school start and end times.
www.stokesentinel.co.uk
--------------------------------------
Wednesday, 22 January 2020
LIVERPOOL
A man who got embroiled in a fight on a pavement ended up in the road where he was then hit by a private hire taxi.
The pedestrian, in his 30s, was on Walton Road, close to the Iceland supermarket, when the altercation broke out.
The driver stopped at the scene and was not arrested by police.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
BOLTON
A TAXI driver who failed to tell licensing chiefs of a previous conviction has been suspended from working.
It also came to light during the course of the meeting that he had attended a speed awareness course in 2018.
He had not been carrying any passengers at the time of the offence but the committee judged he was not "fit and proper" and gave him a two-week suspension.
"Drivers have a duty to declare convictions in accordance with the conditions of their licence.
"There is therefore reasonable cause to suspend the licence as a warning and a deterrent."
At the same meeting a second driver was issues with a warning letter for similar offences.
The hearing was not held in public, meaning the name of the driver was not revealed, however minutes from the hearing have since been made available.
But Kirklees Council issued two £60 fines as Mr Naim had failed to display a taxi sign on the roof of his Vauxhall Astra.
The parking adjudicator said: "The fact that Mr Naim has not provided evidence he was carrying a passenger at the time is therefore irrelevant. The question in this appeal then is whether a potential breach of the licence conditions by failing to display a roof top sign means that the vehicle is no longer a licensed hackney carriage. The answer to that question is no and the vehicle remains at all times a hackney carriage...
A man who got embroiled in a fight on a pavement ended up in the road where he was then hit by a private hire taxi.
The pedestrian, in his 30s, was on Walton Road, close to the Iceland supermarket, when the altercation broke out.
It happened at 11.15pm last night when the area was busy with football fans who had earlier left Goodison Park for Everton's dramatic 2-2 draw with Newcastle.
The man was in crash with a Skoda Octavia private hire taxi.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
BOLTON
A TAXI driver who failed to tell licensing chiefs of a previous conviction has been suspended from working.
The man was caught speeding in April of last year but failed to tell Bolton Council until 46 days after he was required to.
A meeting of the Licensing Committee held at Bolton Town Hall last week heard that the driver had previously been warned after failing to reveal similar offences in 2017.
He had not been carrying any passengers at the time of the offence but the committee judged he was not "fit and proper" and gave him a two-week suspension.
Explaining the decision, the council's minutes said: "Drivers have a duty to adhere to speeding limits at all times and exceeding them can be a real danger to the public.
"There is therefore reasonable cause to suspend the licence as a warning and a deterrent."
At the same meeting a second driver was issues with a warning letter for similar offences.
The hearing was not held in public, meaning the name of the driver was not revealed, however minutes from the hearing have since been made available.
www.theboltonnews.co.uk
----------------------------------------
KIRKLEES
Hackney carriages – taxis which are licensed to ply for hire – are permitted to drive through the bus gate and use the bus lane.
But Kirklees Council issued two £60 fines as Mr Naim had failed to display a taxi sign on the roof of his Vauxhall Astra.
Mr Naim appealed to the council saying his vehicle was a hackney carriage regardless of whether it was carrying a taxi sign on the roof.
Kirklees Council, however, upheld the penalty charges saying: "Hackney carriage vehicles are authorised to access bus gates in Huddersfield but only when they are in use at the time and available for fee paying passenger journeys. Drivers cannot use the bus gate for their own convenience."
Kirklees Council, however, upheld the penalty charges saying: "Hackney carriage vehicles are authorised to access bus gates in Huddersfield but only when they are in use at the time and available for fee paying passenger journeys. Drivers cannot use the bus gate for their own convenience."
But Mr Naim, who has held a hackney carriage licence for 30 years, took the decision to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal who overturned the council's fines.
The parking adjudicator said: "The fact that Mr Naim has not provided evidence he was carrying a passenger at the time is therefore irrelevant. The question in this appeal then is whether a potential breach of the licence conditions by failing to display a roof top sign means that the vehicle is no longer a licensed hackney carriage. The answer to that question is no and the vehicle remains at all times a hackney carriage...
"I conclude that regardless of whether the roof top sign was present or not, the vehicle was in law a licensed hackney carriage at the time it used the bus gate and no contravention occurred on either occassion."
www.examinerlive.co.uk
Tuesday, 21 January 2020
GLASGOW
A taxi driver has been suspended after he switched off a meter and refused to let a couple leave his car in Glasgow.
'This should never happen'
Members raised concerns that there was no mention of the mix-up in the original complaint.
Following the discussion, members agreed to suspend the licence for four months
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-51176938
-------------------------------------------
KENSINGTON PALACE
https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/21/royal-protection-outrider-hit-taxi-near-kensington-palace-12095984/
-----------------------------------------
A TAXI driver had to be cut out of his vehicle by firefighters after a two-car collision onThornton Road in Bradford this morning.
The crash involving a VW taxi and an Audi blocked the B6145 both ways for a couple of hours.
The taxi driver was cut out of his black Volkswagen Passat by firefighters and taken to hospital by ambulance.
The vehicle was left standed in the middle of the major road.
The other vehicle involved was a white Audi Q7 SUV.
The Audi ended up embedded in the garden wall of a house on the busy Bradford main road after crossing the verge and pavement.
The collision happened just down the hill from a bus stop and speed camera.
The incident was also near Thornton Beckfoot School.
A spokesperson for the police said the crash was reported at 9.51am.
Two vehicles were involved, a black VW Passat and white Audi Q7.
Damage was caused to two other vehicles.
Enquiries were continuing.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the accident at 10.13am.
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18176043.driver-cut-taxi-two-car-thornton-road-crash/
A taxi driver has been suspended after he switched off a meter and refused to let a couple leave his car in Glasgow.
Dharmindar Singh picked up the couple from Central Station and was due to take them to Bellahouston Park for the Summer Sessions in August.
He said the journey would cost a flat rate of £25 and that it would be more expensive to turn on the meter.
Mr Singh claimed there was a "misunderstanding" on the location and said he did not charge for his mistake.
Glasgow City Council to limit number of new taxis and cabs
The passengers asked the driver if the meter could be switched on but he refused.
When they arrived at the park - less than four miles away from the station - Mr Singh locked the doors until the £25 rate was paid.
The customers wrote to Glasgow City Council's enforcement officers to say that they felt they had been taken advantage of because they were not local to the area.
Mr Singh also wrote a letter to officers saying there was confusion over the destination and that he had taken his passengers to Braehead Arena by mistake.
The city council's licensing and regulatory committee met on Thursday to discuss Mr Singh's case.
It was also brought to their attention that he was previously suspended for overcrowding in his vehicle and overcharging.
Mr Singh's representative Mr Gordon said: "My client feels like he was in the right. Despite being previously suspended he has been a taxi driver for 15 years."
Councillor Alex Wilson said: "The two areas sound nothing alike. Most taxi drivers will know about the Summer Sessions that happen in the Southside of Glasgow in August every year.
"My main concern is that the driver turned off his meter. This should never happen."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-51176938
-------------------------------------------
KENSINGTON PALACE
https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/21/royal-protection-outrider-hit-taxi-near-kensington-palace-12095984/
A TAXI driver had to be cut out of his vehicle by firefighters after a two-car collision onThornton Road in Bradford this morning.
The crash involving a VW taxi and an Audi blocked the B6145 both ways for a couple of hours.
The taxi driver was cut out of his black Volkswagen Passat by firefighters and taken to hospital by ambulance.
The vehicle was left standed in the middle of the major road.
The other vehicle involved was a white Audi Q7 SUV.
The Audi ended up embedded in the garden wall of a house on the busy Bradford main road after crossing the verge and pavement.
The collision happened just down the hill from a bus stop and speed camera.
The incident was also near Thornton Beckfoot School.
A spokesperson for the police said the crash was reported at 9.51am.
Two vehicles were involved, a black VW Passat and white Audi Q7.
Damage was caused to two other vehicles.
Enquiries were continuing.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the accident at 10.13am.
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18176043.driver-cut-taxi-two-car-thornton-road-crash/
Friday, 17 January 2020
WAKEFIELD
A Vulnerable female taxi passenger allegedly dumped on 'isolated' country road around midnight
Wakefield Council is probing the alleged incident, which is said to have happened in December.
It is claimed that the passenger was left on the A655 between Wakefield and Normanton after an argument over the fare, at around midnight.
The police were contacted about the allegation, which was revealed at a licensing committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
In a briefing to councillors on recent activity in the Wakefield district , licensing enforcement officer Paul Dean said: "We're investigating an incident where a driver abandoned a vulnerable female on an isolated country lane late at night over a fare dispute.
It's claimed the cabbie refused to give the elderly woman a lift when she was unable to get to the car where it was parked.
https://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk
A Vulnerable female taxi passenger allegedly dumped on 'isolated' country road around midnight
Wakefield Council is probing the alleged incident, which is said to have happened in December.
It is claimed that the passenger was left on the A655 between Wakefield and Normanton after an argument over the fare, at around midnight.
The police were contacted about the allegation, which was revealed at a licensing committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
In a briefing to councillors on recent activity in the Wakefield district , licensing enforcement officer Paul Dean said: "We're investigating an incident where a driver abandoned a vulnerable female on an isolated country lane late at night over a fare dispute.
"I believe the police have been told that he took her mobile phone from her as well."
Mr Dean also said the council is investigating another incident where a driver is alleged to have used "discriminatory" language to abuse a disabled female passenger.
https://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk
BOLTON
A TAXI driver has had his licence revoked after acting "weird" and making "inappropriate comments" to a schoolgirl.
This included asking if she had a boyfriend and if she was sexually active with her boyfriend.
The private hire driver later confirmed to the committee that he had made comments but he told the councillors he was trying to "stress the importance of focussing on her education".
The hearing was conducted by the Sub-Committee on Sensitive Cases and was not held in public, meaning the name of the driver was not revealed, however minutes from the hearing have since been made available.
Concluding, the committee took into account that many passengers "often travel alone and are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour".
The minutes of the meeting added: "The Sub- Committee’s primary duty is of concern for the safety and well-being of the public.
There is therefore reasonable cause to revoke the private hire drivers licence with immediate effect on the grounds of public safety."
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
ST HELENS
Labour’s David Banks, chairman of St Helens Council’s licensing and environmental protection committee, made the worrying revelation during a meeting of the full council on Wednesday.
Coun Banks had brought a motion to council calling on the government to amend legislation to stop the practice of taxi drivers operating ‘cross-border’, which has become an issue since the introduction of the Deregulation Act in 2015.
The motion says the act has been “instrumental” in removing the ability to conduct enforcement action in relation to vehicles and drivers working St Helens but licensed by another authority.
This has meant St Helens Council has been powerless to determine whether drivers licensed in another authority – sometimes as far as Wolverhampton – are “fit and proper” to hold a licence.
Even more worryingly, it has also meant that it is powerless to stop drivers whose licence has been revoked from working in the borough.
Coun Banks said: “St Helens has extremely high standards when it comes to awarding licences to drivers and they must go through rigorous procedures to gain one.
“I know that within the industry there are some concerns that standards are not the same throughout the country.
https://www.sthelensreporter.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
A TAXI driver has had his licence revoked after acting "weird" and making "inappropriate comments" to a schoolgirl.
Bolton Council's Licensing Committee was told that the man was taking the girl to school in September of last year when he began to ask her a number of questions which made her feel uncomfortable.
When she got to school the child reported the incident to a teacher.
The hearing was conducted by the Sub-Committee on Sensitive Cases and was not held in public, meaning the name of the driver was not revealed, however minutes from the hearing have since been made available.
Concluding, the committee took into account that many passengers "often travel alone and are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour".
The minutes of the meeting added: "The Sub- Committee’s primary duty is of concern for the safety and well-being of the public.
There is therefore reasonable cause to revoke the private hire drivers licence with immediate effect on the grounds of public safety."
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
ST HELENS
Labour’s David Banks, chairman of St Helens Council’s licensing and environmental protection committee, made the worrying revelation during a meeting of the full council on Wednesday.
Coun Banks had brought a motion to council calling on the government to amend legislation to stop the practice of taxi drivers operating ‘cross-border’, which has become an issue since the introduction of the Deregulation Act in 2015.
The motion says the act has been “instrumental” in removing the ability to conduct enforcement action in relation to vehicles and drivers working St Helens but licensed by another authority.
This has meant St Helens Council has been powerless to determine whether drivers licensed in another authority – sometimes as far as Wolverhampton – are “fit and proper” to hold a licence.
Even more worryingly, it has also meant that it is powerless to stop drivers whose licence has been revoked from working in the borough.
Coun Banks said: “St Helens has extremely high standards when it comes to awarding licences to drivers and they must go through rigorous procedures to gain one.
“I know that within the industry there are some concerns that standards are not the same throughout the country.
https://www.sthelensreporter.co.uk
------------------------------------------------
Thursday, 16 January 2020
Wireless charging for electric taxis waiting in their rank is to be trialled in Nottingham.
The government is putting £3.4m towards fitting five charging plates outside the city's railway station.
The six-month pilot project will see 10 electric taxis fitted with the necessary hardware and the scheme could be rolled out if successful.
Officials said electric vehicles were "vital" to improving city air quality and making charging convenient was key.
The Department for Transport said wireless charging was more convenient and avoided the clutter of cable charging points.
There was also the potential for the technology to be made available for public use, it added.
Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "Charging technology, including wireless, is vital in giving consumers confidence to make the switch from petrol to electric cars.
"This pioneering trial in Nottingham, and others like it, will help us take crucial steps towards lower emissions and cleaner air.
"We are determined to end our contribution to global warming entirely by 2050 - and delivering cleaner and greener transport systems is a key part of this".
Sally Longford, deputy leader at Nottingham City Council, said: "Nottingham is excited to host the trial of this new type of innovative charging technology, keeping us ahead of the pack, and helping to promote cleaner taxis in our city and potentially take us a further step forward towards our goal of being carbon neutral by 2028."
The vehicles will be owned by the council and provided rent-free to drivers.
No date has been fixed for the project to start, though the city council said it hoped it would be "later this year".
The council already runs a "try before you buy" scheme for electric taxis, alongside financial support for purchases.
A number of England's city's have announced plans to tackle vehicle emissions or the numbers of vehicles entering city centres.
London introduced an Ultra Low Emission Zone last year that sees higher-polluting vehicles charged up to £100 to drive through the centre, while Birmingham City Council revealed plans this week to stop cars from driving across the city centre.
Newcastle's councillors have backed plans for a clean air toll in the city centre, Bristol is set to ban diesel vehicles from some parts of the city, while York plans to ban all private cars from the medieval city centre by 2023.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-51140689
----------------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
A taxi driver attacked a passenger with a wheel brace in an argument over a trip to a lap dancing club.
Black cab driver Joseph Jones took a fare from surveyor Alex Hewitt and his friends including Cumbrian police officers.
Jones, 36, claimed they asked to be taken to a strip joint , so he drove them to Rude Gentlemen's Club in Duke Street.
But when they arrived the group complained, insisting they had wanted to go to Concert Square , and refused to pay.
The dispute escalated when Mr Hewitt punched Jones, before the driver got out and broke his arm with the weapon.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim's group left Neighbourhood, in Castle Street, in the early hours of February 3 last year.
David Polglase, prosecuting, said the group, who had been drinking since 10pm, were asked to pay £20 for the journey.
However, when they got out they realised they had been taken to the strip club and Mr Hewitt challenged the driver.
A police officer from Kendal gave a statement, in which he said Jones insisted on taking them to a strip club , despite being told no.
Mr Polglase said CCTV footage showed the group outside Rude "where it may or may not be they were refused entry".
Mr Hewitt and other witnesses alleged Jones punched Mr Hewitt - who got out last - through his driver's window.
However, John Rowan, defending, said footage taken from two cameras did not support that account.
Mr Polglase accepted it was not possible to see Jones striking Mr Hewitt and it was no longer part of the prosecution case.
He said: "It appears Mr Hewitt is at the very least leaning in and does something that then causes this defendant to come out the driver's side of his taxi, pursue Mr Hewitt a short distance up the street and deliver blows to him using a wheel brace that was then recovered by the police."
Mr Hewitt was taken to Royal Liverpool Hospital with a fractured right arm, which required a plaster cast and sling.
He declined to make a victim statement.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/strip-club-row-taxi-driver-17582049
The government is putting £3.4m towards fitting five charging plates outside the city's railway station.
The six-month pilot project will see 10 electric taxis fitted with the necessary hardware and the scheme could be rolled out if successful.
Officials said electric vehicles were "vital" to improving city air quality and making charging convenient was key.
The Department for Transport said wireless charging was more convenient and avoided the clutter of cable charging points.
There was also the potential for the technology to be made available for public use, it added.
Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "Charging technology, including wireless, is vital in giving consumers confidence to make the switch from petrol to electric cars.
"This pioneering trial in Nottingham, and others like it, will help us take crucial steps towards lower emissions and cleaner air.
"We are determined to end our contribution to global warming entirely by 2050 - and delivering cleaner and greener transport systems is a key part of this".
Sally Longford, deputy leader at Nottingham City Council, said: "Nottingham is excited to host the trial of this new type of innovative charging technology, keeping us ahead of the pack, and helping to promote cleaner taxis in our city and potentially take us a further step forward towards our goal of being carbon neutral by 2028."
The vehicles will be owned by the council and provided rent-free to drivers.
No date has been fixed for the project to start, though the city council said it hoped it would be "later this year".
The council already runs a "try before you buy" scheme for electric taxis, alongside financial support for purchases.
A number of England's city's have announced plans to tackle vehicle emissions or the numbers of vehicles entering city centres.
London introduced an Ultra Low Emission Zone last year that sees higher-polluting vehicles charged up to £100 to drive through the centre, while Birmingham City Council revealed plans this week to stop cars from driving across the city centre.
Newcastle's councillors have backed plans for a clean air toll in the city centre, Bristol is set to ban diesel vehicles from some parts of the city, while York plans to ban all private cars from the medieval city centre by 2023.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-51140689
----------------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
A taxi driver attacked a passenger with a wheel brace in an argument over a trip to a lap dancing club.
Black cab driver Joseph Jones took a fare from surveyor Alex Hewitt and his friends including Cumbrian police officers.
Jones, 36, claimed they asked to be taken to a strip joint , so he drove them to Rude Gentlemen's Club in Duke Street.
But when they arrived the group complained, insisting they had wanted to go to Concert Square , and refused to pay.
The dispute escalated when Mr Hewitt punched Jones, before the driver got out and broke his arm with the weapon.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim's group left Neighbourhood, in Castle Street, in the early hours of February 3 last year.
David Polglase, prosecuting, said the group, who had been drinking since 10pm, were asked to pay £20 for the journey.
However, when they got out they realised they had been taken to the strip club and Mr Hewitt challenged the driver.
A police officer from Kendal gave a statement, in which he said Jones insisted on taking them to a strip club , despite being told no.
Mr Polglase said CCTV footage showed the group outside Rude "where it may or may not be they were refused entry".
Mr Hewitt and other witnesses alleged Jones punched Mr Hewitt - who got out last - through his driver's window.
However, John Rowan, defending, said footage taken from two cameras did not support that account.
Mr Polglase accepted it was not possible to see Jones striking Mr Hewitt and it was no longer part of the prosecution case.
He said: "It appears Mr Hewitt is at the very least leaning in and does something that then causes this defendant to come out the driver's side of his taxi, pursue Mr Hewitt a short distance up the street and deliver blows to him using a wheel brace that was then recovered by the police."
Mr Hewitt was taken to Royal Liverpool Hospital with a fractured right arm, which required a plaster cast and sling.
He declined to make a victim statement.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/strip-club-row-taxi-driver-17582049
Taxi and private hire drivers in Manchester could be banned from wearing tracksuits, football shirts, flip-flops and clothes with ‘offensive’ words on them under new rules being considered by the town hall.
Bosses at Manchester City Council want to introduce a dress code for licensed drivers in a bid to create a ‘positive image’ and reduce complaints, which would also see drivers prohibited from using e-cigarettes or having lengthy mobile phone calls in the car.
Under the rules that have been drawn up by the town hall, drivers would also be prohibited from wearing hoodies or short skirts.
New documents say the council will stop short of imposing a specific uniform, but it has released a list of ‘unacceptable’ examples.
These include:
Clothing that is not kept in a clean condition, free from holes, rips or other damage.
Sportswear e.g. football/rugby kits including shirts, tracksuits in whole or part or beachwear.
The wearing of any hood or any other type of clothing that may obscure the driver’s vision or their identity.
The documents also lay out proposed ‘minimum standards’ for male and female drivers.
“As a minimum standard whilst working a licensed driver, males should wear trousers and a shirt which has a full body and short/long sleeves. Knee-length tailored shorts are acceptable,” it says.
“As a minimum standard whilst working as a licensed driver, females should wear trousers, or a knee-length skirt or dress, and a shirt/blouse which has a full body and a short/long sleeve. Knee-length tailored shorts are also acceptable,” it continues.
Exceptions related to faith or disability for both genders are accepted, the papers add
The plans have been revealed in documents going before Monday’s licensing meeting where they will be discussed by councillors.
They come as part of wider plans by the town hall to take a look at private hire licensing conditions.
As well as a clearer dress code, ‘refreshed licence conditions’ could include prohibitions on vaping, conducting ‘lengthy telephone conversations’ whilst driving passengers or ‘use any hand-held device whilst driving or allow themselves to be distracted in any other way’.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/taxi-drivers-dress-code-manchester-17578907
------------------------------------------------------
Bosses at Manchester City Council want to introduce a dress code for licensed drivers in a bid to create a ‘positive image’ and reduce complaints, which would also see drivers prohibited from using e-cigarettes or having lengthy mobile phone calls in the car.
Under the rules that have been drawn up by the town hall, drivers would also be prohibited from wearing hoodies or short skirts.
New documents say the council will stop short of imposing a specific uniform, but it has released a list of ‘unacceptable’ examples.
These include:
Clothing that is not kept in a clean condition, free from holes, rips or other damage.
Words or graphics on any clothing that is of an offensive or suggestive nature which might offend.
Sandals with no heel straps, flip flops or any other footwear not secure around the heel.
The documents also lay out proposed ‘minimum standards’ for male and female drivers.
“As a minimum standard whilst working a licensed driver, males should wear trousers and a shirt which has a full body and short/long sleeves. Knee-length tailored shorts are acceptable,” it says.
“As a minimum standard whilst working as a licensed driver, females should wear trousers, or a knee-length skirt or dress, and a shirt/blouse which has a full body and a short/long sleeve. Knee-length tailored shorts are also acceptable,” it continues.
Exceptions related to faith or disability for both genders are accepted, the papers add
The plans have been revealed in documents going before Monday’s licensing meeting where they will be discussed by councillors.
They come as part of wider plans by the town hall to take a look at private hire licensing conditions.
As well as a clearer dress code, ‘refreshed licence conditions’ could include prohibitions on vaping, conducting ‘lengthy telephone conversations’ whilst driving passengers or ‘use any hand-held device whilst driving or allow themselves to be distracted in any other way’.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/taxi-drivers-dress-code-manchester-17578907
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MANCHESTER
Car Overturned outside Wythenshawe School.
This was the state of a car after it landed on its side following a crash in Wythenshawe
Pictures show the Vauxhall Astra tipped onto the pavement after it collided with a taxi on Nearbrook Road on Wednesday morning.
The crash took place outside the gates of Haverley Hey Primary School shortly after 9.15am.
Thankfully, the incident happened after the morning school run.
Nobody was injured in the crash.
The occupants of the Vauxhall Astra are believed to have got out of the vehicle unaided.
No arrests have been made.
* note the " TAXI" involved is a Wolverhampton or Rossendale PH Car.
Wednesday, 15 January 2020
LEEDS
Hundreds of taxi and minicab drivers have protested over plans to revoke their licences if they get six penalty points in a year.
They said under the new rules, two motoring convictions would result in immediate suspension, meaning drivers would lose their livelihood.
It follows the stabbing of a Leeds minicab driver over a £3 fare on Friday. A 17-year-old has been charged with assault, attempted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
Under the new rules, licence holders with over six points but no new cautions, convictions or points may continue to hold a taxi licence but failing to disclose new offences could mean it is suspended or revoked.
The council will meet drivers, and address the issues at a licensing committee meeting this month.
https://www.bbc.co.uk
-----------------------------------
SOUTH RIBBLE
Residents and taxi operators in South Ribble are being asked for their thoughts on a series of proposed changes to the regulations governing private hire and Hackney vehicles in the district.
South Ribble Borough Council has launched a public consultation into six of its taxi licensing policies on issues ranging from signage to emissions.
Under the plans, only fully electric, wheelchair-accessible vehicles could be added to the area’s Hackney fleet as part of efforts to improve air quality.
The maximum age of all taxis on South Ribble’s streets would also be reduced in attempt to make them more environmentally friendly. At the moment, wheelchair-accessible vehicles are allowed to remain in use for 12 years, but saloon cabs have to be retired after eight.
The council is proposing to equalise the maximise age of all taxi types to eight years, after analysis found that out of 231 Hackney and private hire vehicles licensed in the borough, 89 would not meet EU emissions standards for new vehicles – 77 of which are vehicles classed as having disabled access.
The authority also wants to make it clearer to passengers whether they are getting into a private hire or Hackney taxi – because of the different rules relating to how each type of vehicle should be booked. Only Hackney cabs can be hailed on the street, while private hire cars have to be pre-booked – or else people travelling in them are not insured for their journey.
The move comes after two drivers were found to have been suspended or banned from operating after being arrested.
The new policy is hoped to ensure only "fit and proper" drivers are granted a taxi licence in the district, while allowing the council to quickly revoke licences of drivers who take illegal drugs.
A report prepared ahead of the licensing committee's meeting on Monday, January 20 said: "In the past 18 months, the licensing authority has suspended or revoked the licences of two hackney carriage and private hire drivers.
"This was as a result of their arrests, in separate incidents, on the roadside by Suffolk police.
Hundreds of taxi and minicab drivers have protested over plans to revoke their licences if they get six penalty points in a year.
Drivers demonstrated outside Leeds Civic Hall earlier against Leeds City Council's new "six point policy".
The policy comes into force on 2 February and will result in a three-year suspension of offending drivers' taxi and private hire licences.
The council said the move would "improve passenger safety".
But drivers say the policy is "too draconian" and "disproportionate".
Leeds Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers said they were under "severe pressure" to concentrate on roads and policymakers "do not understand".
"Can you imagine trying to control your speed or trying to behave in a professional manner with passengers being threatening, abusive, or with the fear that your passenger may stab you?" a statement read out at the protest said.
Under the new rules, licence holders with over six points but no new cautions, convictions or points may continue to hold a taxi licence but failing to disclose new offences could mean it is suspended or revoked.
Taxi licences are suspended or revoked if drivers exceed 12 penalty points under current council policy.
The drivers demanded a "proper working party" with the council, including private hire and hackney cab representatives.
https://www.bbc.co.uk
-----------------------------------
SOUTH RIBBLE
Residents and taxi operators in South Ribble are being asked for their thoughts on a series of proposed changes to the regulations governing private hire and Hackney vehicles in the district.
South Ribble Borough Council has launched a public consultation into six of its taxi licensing policies on issues ranging from signage to emissions.
Under the plans, only fully electric, wheelchair-accessible vehicles could be added to the area’s Hackney fleet as part of efforts to improve air quality.
The maximum age of all taxis on South Ribble’s streets would also be reduced in attempt to make them more environmentally friendly. At the moment, wheelchair-accessible vehicles are allowed to remain in use for 12 years, but saloon cabs have to be retired after eight.
The council is proposing to equalise the maximise age of all taxi types to eight years, after analysis found that out of 231 Hackney and private hire vehicles licensed in the borough, 89 would not meet EU emissions standards for new vehicles – 77 of which are vehicles classed as having disabled access.
The authority also wants to make it clearer to passengers whether they are getting into a private hire or Hackney taxi – because of the different rules relating to how each type of vehicle should be booked. Only Hackney cabs can be hailed on the street, while private hire cars have to be pre-booked – or else people travelling in them are not insured for their journey.
Licensing bosses have designed a new standardised sign for private hire vehicles which they want to see displayed in the same position on every vehicle.
Lancashire Post
----------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in east Suffolk could face drug tests to keep accepting passengers.
A proposal before East Suffolk Council's licensing committee suggests the mandatory tests be introduced to ensure the safety of passengers and the general public.
The move comes after two drivers were found to have been suspended or banned from operating after being arrested.
The new policy is hoped to ensure only "fit and proper" drivers are granted a taxi licence in the district, while allowing the council to quickly revoke licences of drivers who take illegal drugs.
A report prepared ahead of the licensing committee's meeting on Monday, January 20 said: "In the past 18 months, the licensing authority has suspended or revoked the licences of two hackney carriage and private hire drivers.
"This was as a result of their arrests, in separate incidents, on the roadside by Suffolk police.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news
---------------------------------------
Tuesday, 14 January 2020
A Scunthorpe taxi driver's application to renew her licence was refused after she forged documents and put passengers at risk.
Christine Vipurs' bid to renew her Hackney Carriage/Private Hire drivers licence was turned down by North Lincolnshire Council's licensing sub-committee last year after she submitted a supporting document that had been illegally doctored.
Now, Grimsby Crown Court has upheld the decision of the licensing authority to refuse the renewal of the licence following an appeal.
The council said after considering all of the evidence, the sub-committee considered the applicant to 'not be a fit and proper person to hold such a licence' and refused the applicatiion on February 26.
A statement released by the authority said the document related to the testing of Mrs Vipurs' lifting equipment which helps disabled passengers get into and out of her taxi.
Legislation requires that passenger lifts are thoroughly examined every six months, warning that "failures in passenger lifts can result in significant or fatal injuries".
Mrs Vipurs' altered document suggested that the inspection of her equipment was valid for 18 months, rather than the statutory six months, and it bore the same reference number as the supporting documents from her licence renewal the year before.
Councillor Keith Vickers, chair of the licensing sub-committee said: "It was clear that the document Mrs Vipurs submitted for her application had been tampered with.
"It is worrying that someone would feel it necessary to avoid such checks when they are necessary to keep the public safe. Forging the document in this way put vulnerable people in North Lincolnshire at risk, and so her licence renewal was refused.
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
----------------------------------------------
FREE NOW
New data released by one of the UK’s leading black cab app’s, FREE NOW, has revealed that they have more electric cabs on the app than ever before - with 500% more zero emission capable vehicles on FREE NOW compared to this time last year.
The cab app also reveals that since introducing the “Eco” option onto the app, they have seen passenger requests for a greener taxi go up by 12 times.
Freenow, has also responded to the Government's consultation on introducing green number plates for zero emission capable vehicles.
The popular app has urged the government to introduce green number plates for zero emission capable vehicles. Freenow hopes the move would help raise awareness of the hard work the trade is doing to lower emissions in cities across the UK.
Vandana Prashar, Head of Operations at Freenow said: “We are keen to show that black cab drivers are leading the way when it comes to making the switch to zero emission capable vehicles - and changing the zero emission capable cab’s number plates to green is another great way to raise awareness of the concerted efforts that are being made to improve air quality across the country.
“You will have seen more of the iconic electric cabs on London’s streets over the last year and we are pleased that there are now 5 times the number of eco drivers on our app. The cab trade has been working hard to make London’s air cleaner and we have also seen a positive response from passengers - with 12 times the amount of requests for the eco taxis through the app.
“We are working with cab drivers to understand the pain points of switching to electric vehicles - they are providing valuable insight that will help all car drivers that are going to make the switch in the next few years.”
Freenow (formerly mytaxi), is a leading mobility provider which currently operates in 100 cities across Europe, with 14 million passengers and more than 100,000 drivers. In the UK, Freenow is available in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Derby and Leicester. The Freenow brand is not just about getting from A to B, it is about switching off and freeing your mind while we take care of the journey.
https://www.taxi-point.co.uk
-------------------------------------------
Scout Gregory and his graphic designer wife, Kayleigh, have launched the Isle of Wight Tuk Tuk Co — with the mini vehicles available for tours, taxis, weddings and events.
Scout, 26, said: "We came up with the idea when we went on holiday to Italy during the summer.
"We noticed they were everywhere and thought it would be a fantastic idea to offer this service on the Island.
"We found a company on the mainland who could import the vehicles over here from Italy and took on the project from there."
The Chale couple have launched several tours of the West Wight and have teamed up with The Cow Co restaurant at Tapnell Farm, offering couples a date night taxi service to and from the venue.
The couple have recently moved to the Island from the Cotswolds. Scout grew up in Newtown and said he couldn't wait to return to his roots.
"We loved coming on holiday here and jumped at the opportunity to move," said Scout.
"Now, in the long term, we hope to expand the company with a fleet of tuk tuks in various parts of the Island, giving local youngsters employment.
"We have had an overwhelming response to the business. People see it as a unique novelty factor when they see me driving around.
"Hopefully, it will bring more tourists over to try us out and visit different parts of the Island."
https://www.countypress.co.uk
Christine Vipurs' bid to renew her Hackney Carriage/Private Hire drivers licence was turned down by North Lincolnshire Council's licensing sub-committee last year after she submitted a supporting document that had been illegally doctored.
Now, Grimsby Crown Court has upheld the decision of the licensing authority to refuse the renewal of the licence following an appeal.
The council said after considering all of the evidence, the sub-committee considered the applicant to 'not be a fit and proper person to hold such a licence' and refused the applicatiion on February 26.
A statement released by the authority said the document related to the testing of Mrs Vipurs' lifting equipment which helps disabled passengers get into and out of her taxi.
Legislation requires that passenger lifts are thoroughly examined every six months, warning that "failures in passenger lifts can result in significant or fatal injuries".
Mrs Vipurs' altered document suggested that the inspection of her equipment was valid for 18 months, rather than the statutory six months, and it bore the same reference number as the supporting documents from her licence renewal the year before.
Councillor Keith Vickers, chair of the licensing sub-committee said: "It was clear that the document Mrs Vipurs submitted for her application had been tampered with.
"It is worrying that someone would feel it necessary to avoid such checks when they are necessary to keep the public safe. Forging the document in this way put vulnerable people in North Lincolnshire at risk, and so her licence renewal was refused.
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
----------------------------------------------
FREE NOW
New data released by one of the UK’s leading black cab app’s, FREE NOW, has revealed that they have more electric cabs on the app than ever before - with 500% more zero emission capable vehicles on FREE NOW compared to this time last year.
The cab app also reveals that since introducing the “Eco” option onto the app, they have seen passenger requests for a greener taxi go up by 12 times.
Freenow, has also responded to the Government's consultation on introducing green number plates for zero emission capable vehicles.
The popular app has urged the government to introduce green number plates for zero emission capable vehicles. Freenow hopes the move would help raise awareness of the hard work the trade is doing to lower emissions in cities across the UK.
Vandana Prashar, Head of Operations at Freenow said: “We are keen to show that black cab drivers are leading the way when it comes to making the switch to zero emission capable vehicles - and changing the zero emission capable cab’s number plates to green is another great way to raise awareness of the concerted efforts that are being made to improve air quality across the country.
“You will have seen more of the iconic electric cabs on London’s streets over the last year and we are pleased that there are now 5 times the number of eco drivers on our app. The cab trade has been working hard to make London’s air cleaner and we have also seen a positive response from passengers - with 12 times the amount of requests for the eco taxis through the app.
“We are working with cab drivers to understand the pain points of switching to electric vehicles - they are providing valuable insight that will help all car drivers that are going to make the switch in the next few years.”
Freenow (formerly mytaxi), is a leading mobility provider which currently operates in 100 cities across Europe, with 14 million passengers and more than 100,000 drivers. In the UK, Freenow is available in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Derby and Leicester. The Freenow brand is not just about getting from A to B, it is about switching off and freeing your mind while we take care of the journey.
https://www.taxi-point.co.uk
-------------------------------------------
Scout Gregory and his graphic designer wife, Kayleigh, have launched the Isle of Wight Tuk Tuk Co — with the mini vehicles available for tours, taxis, weddings and events.
Scout, 26, said: "We came up with the idea when we went on holiday to Italy during the summer.
"We noticed they were everywhere and thought it would be a fantastic idea to offer this service on the Island.
"We found a company on the mainland who could import the vehicles over here from Italy and took on the project from there."
The Chale couple have launched several tours of the West Wight and have teamed up with The Cow Co restaurant at Tapnell Farm, offering couples a date night taxi service to and from the venue.
The couple have recently moved to the Island from the Cotswolds. Scout grew up in Newtown and said he couldn't wait to return to his roots.
"We loved coming on holiday here and jumped at the opportunity to move," said Scout.
"Now, in the long term, we hope to expand the company with a fleet of tuk tuks in various parts of the Island, giving local youngsters employment.
"We have had an overwhelming response to the business. People see it as a unique novelty factor when they see me driving around.
"Hopefully, it will bring more tourists over to try us out and visit different parts of the Island."
https://www.countypress.co.uk
Monday, 13 January 2020
WALES
Veezu owned Dragon Taxis has acquired Cwmbran Cars and Chauffeur Cars Cwmbran in a double acquisition to become the largest private hire business in the UK.
The simultaneous acquisition of Cwmbran Cars Limited and Five Star Cars Limited (t/a Chauffeur Cars Cwmbran) means approximately 80 vehicles in the Torfaen licensing area are operating under the Dragon Taxis brand.
Bowles continues: “All our hubs share the same technology innovations and operating efficiencies that help make us profitable, whilst other ride-hailing app operators continue to post monstrous losses. No longer can our brands be regarded as individual entities, collectively we are the biggest operator in Britain and we are British owned.”
Veezu is now the biggest private hire business in the UK with more than 4650 active partner-drivers equating to an overall transactional value of more than £120 million in 2019.
https://wales247.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------
EIRE
A taxi driver scammed passengers 270 times over a six-month period by secretly using a remote control to add €9 to fares, a court has heard.
Raymond Pidgeon, 63, from Walkinstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty yesterday to over-charging customers 270 times contrary to the Taxi Regulation Act. He was accused of using a concealed remote control device to increase fares on his meter, which he did 15 times a week from February 1 until June 12 last year
https://www.thetimes.co.uk
Veezu owned Dragon Taxis has acquired Cwmbran Cars and Chauffeur Cars Cwmbran in a double acquisition to become the largest private hire business in the UK.
The simultaneous acquisition of Cwmbran Cars Limited and Five Star Cars Limited (t/a Chauffeur Cars Cwmbran) means approximately 80 vehicles in the Torfaen licensing area are operating under the Dragon Taxis brand.
Nathan Bowles, Veezu CEO said: “This double acquisition signifies our ambitions for 2020. It sparks the next stage of growth for our taxi and private hire brands.”
The dual takeover makes Dragon Taxis the dominant taxi and private hire operator in South Wales. Partner-driver numbers increase to more than 1200 across Bridgend, Cardiff, Newport and Torfaen.
Veezu has three other major service hubs throughout the UK, each operating under established local brands – A2B Radio Cars in the West Midlands, Amber Cars in Leeds and V Cars in the South West.
Veezu is now the biggest private hire business in the UK with more than 4650 active partner-drivers equating to an overall transactional value of more than £120 million in 2019.
https://wales247.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------
EIRE
A taxi driver scammed passengers 270 times over a six-month period by secretly using a remote control to add €9 to fares, a court has heard.
It was the second case to come before Dublin district court since the National Transport Authority (NTA) launched an investigation into widespread use of the devices to rip off unsuspecting passengers.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk
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