LEEDS

Arrow Cars is taking the climate emergency seriously and from March this year we will be able to offer our customers a fully electric corporate travel service.

Our electric vehicle offering to our customers and our drivers has become one of our main objectives for 2020 and beyond.

The service will launch in Leeds at the end of March this year and at our Bristol Airport site in June.

Q1 2021 will see a further extension of the rollout in Leeds and Bristol along with the launch of the service into Birmingham and Newcastle.

Our extensive and stylish Tesla vehicles will provide the First Class Experience and ensure passengers are transported safely and in style.

We are committed to the ongoing sustainability and future-proofing of our communities and we believe in investing and improving.

Sustainability is at the top of our agenda for 2020.

This is only the first small step in our journey to a zero-emissions fleet.

Keep an eye out for further details in the coming weeks and please email gotesla@arrowcars.co.uk for more information and corporate account enquires.

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OXFORD

A Taxi drop-off zone in Gloucester Green has been blocked off because passengers kept getting hit and injured by coaches.

Oxford City Council said on one occasion, a pregnant woman became 'wedged between a taxi and a bus', such was the extent of the conflict for space.

The authority has now installed bollards across the drop-off bay just off George Street, rendering it useless.

Oxford resident and keen cyclist Tony Brett criticised the move on Twitter, questioning how passengers would cope if they are disabled or have lots of luggage.

He added: "Isn't the coach driver responsible for the tail swing, or are we blaming the victim now?"

Oxford Bus Company's managing director Phil Southall, responding to his tweet, said: "The reason for this is pedestrians getting out of taxis coming into contact with the tail swing of larger coaches.

"There have been a number of personal injuries and any further injuries can now be avoided."

He said people who cannot access the bus station via public transport will simply have to 'get dropped off in a nearby street or car park'.

Mr Southall added: "[The] issue is folks getting out of taxis not looking.

"This is a perfectly acceptable solution under the circumstances."

Another woman branded the move 'ridiculous' adding: "It’s really hard to get to the bus station anyhow, [especially] from outside of town.

"This just making it worse."

Oxford City Council confirmed that it has closed the bays on a six-month trial, having consulted with taxi drivers.

A spokesperson for the authority tweeted: "The area is drop-off only, but there was a high level of non-compliance.

"There had been several accidents between cars and buses - one incident involved a pregnant woman being wedged between a taxi and a bus."

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18248376.gloucester-green-taxi-drop-off-closed-passengers-injured/

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PENDLE

Taxi drivers were reminded of their responsibility in spotting the signs of and reporting child sexual and criminal exploitation as police and council licensing staff cracked down on unsafe vehicles in the borough.

Pendle Borough Council taxi licensing staff and the Pendle police taskforce led the operation last night, which saw 12 of the 18 vehicles checked taken off the road. 

They were joined by neighbourhood policing teams officers, police specials and officers from the Engage Team, who spearheaded the sixth part of the Operation Latimer into proactively tackling child exploitation. 

Sgt Sheralyn Melton, from the Engage Team, said: “The operation has been a massive success.

 Working with partner agencies we have been able to speak to and educate taxi drivers about CSE and their roles in spotting the signs and reporting it.

 

“Taxi drivers are in a unique position where they see all sorts of behaviour - whether suspicious or otherwise - and they need to know what to look out for and have the confidence to then report it to the police. By the very nature of their role they can often be used to transport both perpetrators and victims.

“We’ve been able to speak to taxi drivers while their vehicles were being checked, put scenarios to them and ensure they are aware of their responsibility in helping to prevent child sexual exploitation.” 

No arrests were made as a result of the operation.

www.burnleyexpress

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