LEICESTER

PEOPLE are being asked for their views on whether the number of Hackney carriages normally operating in Leicester meets passengers’ demands.

Leicester City Council licenses over 300 hackney cabs to work in the city, and is carrying out a consultation with customers to gauge their past experience of getting a taxi.

Passengers will be asked a number of questions about their use of taxis, including how easily they were able to flag one down and whether they were able to get one where and when required.

The passenger survey is being carried out online at Leicester City Council’s consultation page, and runs until June 11.

Work began just before the coronavirus lockdown to survey taxi numbers, the number of ranks and the numbers of passengers queueing.

Originally the passenger survey was due to be carried out in person, but the lockdown means it is now being done online, so the results can be matched to the traffic data.

Passengers will be asked about their experience of using taxis before the lockdown, although they will also be asked if the coronavirus crisis will affect their decision on whether or not to use taxis in future.

Leicester deputy city mayor responsible for regulatory services, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “It is important to know whether the number of Hackney cabs licensed to operate in Leicester reflects the needs of customers, who want to be sure they can get a taxi whenever they need to.

“The market has changed over recent years, so this survey will help give us an up to date understanding of people’s experiences of using taxis locally.

“Unfortunately the work that we’d started was then interrupted by the lockdown, so we are carrying out this passenger consultation online, to ensure it is as close in time as possible to the original traffic surveys we’ve already done.”

https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2020/may/consultation-asks-passengers-about-their-taxi-use/
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LONDON

Hero cabbie Michael Hayes drives his taxi to his local hospital after a long stint ferrying passengers around London to take doctors, nurses and other key NHS staff home free when they come off shift. 

A&E nurse Micaela Giner Simon... "Michael is absolutely amazing and kind." Picture: Barts NHS Trust

The father-of-three turns up at Newham Hospital whenever he can before he drives home to East Ham, just to make sure medical staff get safely home themselves. 

“I really wanted to show my appreciation for NHS staff by offering a little bit of comfort at the end of a long and arduous shift,” he says. 

“I just wanted to do something when the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Michael, a cab driver for 14 years, keeps himself and his passengers safe by taping all air gaps in the taxi partition and blocking the hatch, then puts on a mask when he’s speaking to passengers in the street at a safe distance. 

“I give the inside of the cab a wipe over with antibacterial spray between every job,” he points out. “I also wash my hands frequently.

https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/nhs-hospital-staff-cab-rides-home-1-6591506

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SCOTLAND

Private Hire drivers are furious after being denied permission to install screens in cars - despite their occupation having one of the highest death rates from coronavirus.

Death rates among male cabbies down south are at a rate of 36.4 per 100,000 according to the Office of National Statistics - one of the highest, and above bus drivers, chefs and shop assistants.
Many NHS workers are using cabs to get to work to avoid using public transport - and in Scotland so far six cabbies have died from the virus, according to union United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD).

Of those, three deaths have occurred in Glasgow - but the local authority has denied requests to allow taxi drivers to install protective screens, citing health and safety fears.

UPHD Glasgow chair Barry Sloan said: “In this epidemic, everyone is unsure what the best course of action is regarding safety.

"We turned to Glasgow City Council for guidance to be fobbed off and told no screens allowed.
“We stated that member drivers are catching Covid-19 and unfortunately some have passed away from the virus.

“We’ve insisted that the screen partitions must be allowed to safeguard our lives, which the council have simply brushed off, saying they are not properly tested and can impact on other safety aspects like air bags not being deployed properly.

“They also stated there is no proof screens will help reduce transmission of the virus.

“UPHD responded with evidence of test studies on protective screens and a Liverpool minicab firm which installed screens in their vehicles.
“Sadly, this has pushed many drivers into making their own makeshift screens for protection.

“I am increasingly concerned for drivers’ safety.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “We fully understand the anxiety that anyone may feel when working in close proximity to members of the public during the Covid-19 crisis.

“At this stage, no-one can confirm whether such screens do restrict the spread of the virus and we have other concerns about the safety implications of such temporary modifications to vehicles.

“We have written to the Scottish Government to seek clarification on how licensed hire vehicles should operate during these challenging times.”

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18446328.glasgow-taxi-drivers-furious-plan-install-screens-cabs-blocked/