MANCHESTER 

A man discharged by mental health staff attempted to take his own life on hospital grounds - before he 'rolled' onto a major road and died after being hit by a taxi, an inquest heard.

Daniel Kirton passed away at Manchester Royal Infirmary earlier this month.

On December 3, the 35-year-old visited the mental health team at the hospital.

He was then discharged.

Mr Kirton attempted to take his own life on hospital grounds, before 'rolling' onto Upper Brook Street. He was hit by a taxi at around 11.35pm.

He was pronounced dead on December 4.

An inquest into Mr Kirton's death was opened at Manchester Coroners' Court today (Wednesday).

Police coroners' officer Elizabeth Davies told the hearing Mr Kirton, who was of no fixed address and was unemployed, went to the hospital to see the mental team on the afternoon of December 3.

Ms Davies said that after he was discharged from hospital, he attempted to take his own life.

"He then proceeded to roll onto the ground and into the road on Upper Brook Street and was struck by a taxi," she added.

Coroner Zak Golombeck said Mr Kirton's mother; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust; and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust would be recognised as 'interested persons' at the full inquest hearing.

Security guards at the hospital may also be able to actively participate in the proceedings, the coroner added.

"I will require a full file from Greater Manchester Police, which will include CCTV footage," Mr Golombeck said.

"I have seen the provisional results of the Home Office postmortem report and that lists chest injury as the cause of death, but I will await the full Home Office report.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/man-died-after-rolling-onto-19510758

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

A Welsh MP will earn an extra £30,000 this year for doing less than 18 days of work.

Earlier in the year WalesOnline reported how former Wales secretary Alun Cairns was being paid £15,000 a year to advise Crumlin based BBI Group - a company producing coronavirus tests for the UK Government.

Since September Mr Cairns has also been employed in another role for Newport based company Veezu Holdings Ltd who run Amber Cars and Dragon Taxis.

For both of this roles Mr Cairns is being paid £15,000 a year for "up to 70 hours a year".

Over 52 weeks of the year, 70 hours works out as one hour 20 minutes a week.

In total, across the two jobs, he he is working less than 18 working days in total for £30,000 a year.

For both companies he is listed as a "senior adviser".

When WalesOnline approached Veezu to ask what exactly Mr Cairns would be doing to earn his enormous salary they did not provide any detail on his responsibilities.

A statement from the company said that 2020 has demonstrated "like no other year that a successful company needs to be agile and responsive".

Adding that they wanted to be "at the forefront of action" on environment, transport, sustainability, safe travel, and compliance".

The statement then said: "Alun Cairns is one of a number of advisors that supports us, playing a key role in enabling us to achieve industry-leading standards in our focus areas."

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/alun-cairns-money-job-vale-19511657

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

Almost half of Northern Ireland's taxi drivers failed to apply for an emergency support grant set up by Stormont.

Payments of £1,500 were offered to drivers to help with their overheads following a massive drop in businesses during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

More than 9,000 taxi drivers were eligible to apply but about 5,000 applications were received.

Details were revealed at a Department of Infrastructure meeting on Wednesday.

The scrutiny committee heard from five taxi operators who are now seeking financial help for those businesses which run cabs.

Stephen Anton, from Fonacab, said there were a number of reasons why more taxi drivers did not apply for the grant.

Many had no access to computers to process the applications, he said, while others were unaware of the financial support scheme, which was open for a fortnight in November.

He said many taxi drivers had not returned to work and, as a result, operators have been forced out of business.

Eamon O'Donnell, from North West Taxi Proprietors, said 30% of their drivers had quit and will be hard to replace in the current economic climate.

Taxi operators provided an essential service to health workers and other key staff during the lockdowns, he said.

They were also on hand when families had to be moved into emergency accommodation overnight by statutory agencies.

In many cases, "coffers are now empty" and they need a meaningful support scheme to save firms from closure, Mr O'Donnell said.

On 29 October, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said a £14m package would go directly to taxi drivers.

She confirmed it would be a one-off cash payment of £1,500 to each taxi driver.

Some drivers have criticised this amount, describing it as "a go-away payment".

They said this would not go far enough to cover lost earnings during the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55247480

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

EDINBURGH

 A cabby has been hailed a hero for braving horrific weather to get a dad to hospital in time for the birth of his son.

Taxi driver Robert Aitchison battled through five inches of snow to get the un-named dad to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary earlier this month.

It came after mum  Rebecca Johnston, 22, went into labour while the country was plunged into chaos by heavy snowfall.

When her waters broke in the early hours of the morning, her partner faced a race against time to get there.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Rebecca said: “I was already in the hospital as I had been having contractions but nothing was happening so they sent my partner home.

"At about 3am my waters went so called my fiancé to come back in but by then the weather was really bad.

“He called round five local taxi companies in Penicuik and got no answer. It was just in time for our son being born. I honestly didn’t think he was going to get to the hospital.”

“Then he called Rab who was happy to give it his best go to get him to the hospital and, thankfully, he did. It was just in time for our son being born. I honestly didn’t think he was going to get to the hospital.”

The two week old baby, named Charlie, was the couple’s second child.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/hero-taxi-driver-braves-snow-23202817

BOLTON

A MUM-OF-THREE suffered a punctured lung and eight broken ribs after a devastating crash on Friday night.

Melissa Quigley was a passenger in a Peugeot E7 minibus taxi on St Peter’s Way in Bolton – travelling towards Manchester – at around 10.50pm when a car collided with it, near the Bradford Street bridge.

The other vehicle – which Metro Cars fleet manager Asad Khan was told by the driver that it was a silver Vauxhall – hit the taxi’s driver side rear door before striking the central reservation.

Mr Khan said the Vauxhall then veered into the minibus’ front tyre and wing, causing the taxi driver to lose control of the Peugeot before it came to a halt after hitting the ramp of a wall.

Major damage was caused to the taxi, including a smashed window.

The Vauxhall made off from the scene, police said, before emergency services arrived.

Melissa, from Tonge Moor, was taken to hospital, where she has been given morphine to help with the pain.

She was due to have an operation on her ribs yesterday, Monday.

The taxi driver suffered whiplash and arm injuries.

Melissa’s family launched an appeal for more information following the crash.

Her sister Victoria Parkinson, 30, said: “We were devastated when we heard about the crash and wanted to know what had happened.

“Melissa said she was flung over.

“For that to happen when you are in a taxi is scary.

“She is stable now but she suffered a punctured lung and eight broken ribs.

“It has been really shocking for us as a family.

“It’s difficult with it being so close to Christmas as well.

“It does not look like she is going to be out in time for Christmas which is upsetting for her children.”

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are investigating the incident, in which no arrests have been made.

A GMP spokesman said: “Police were called at around 10.50pm on Friday, December 18 to a report of a collision involving two vehicles.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/

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

LIVERPOOL, 'Tier's for Souvenirs'

A total of 170 taxi drivers were stopped by officers in Merseyside this weekend as part of a joint operation from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council.

On Friday and Saturday, December 19, 27 taxi drivers were issued with enforcement action from Merseyside's Road Policing Unit, including defect notices or suspension of licences.

The operation was carried out to deter taxi drivers from travelling to the region from Tier 3 areas and to identify uninsured or defective vehicles.

This was done in partnership with Liverpool City Council and City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing, and saw 170 taxis inspected in total, in line with Covid-19 and road safety regulations.

Inspector Chris Barnes said: “The threat of Coronavirus is still very real here in Merseyside and we simply cannot let our guard down, or allow any behaviour or travel which heightens the risk of infection within our communities. That’s why officers were out this weekend taking action against taxis travelling in from Tier 3 and other areas.

“As a result of the work of our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, defective and unlicensed vehicles, which can cause huge risks for companies, drivers and their customers were taken off the road this weekend.

 Manchester Council forced to reopen Deansgate

Manchester City Council faced a legal challenge from Diamond Buses North West meaning they will have to reopen a section of Deansgate to buses.

Part of Deansgate in Manchester City Centre was closed to traffic after the national lockdown to help with social distancing and to allow people to return to the city over the summer.

Manchester City Council’s website posted in earlier this year that: “Climate change and air quality are important drivers for this scheme, but there are many other benefits including:

increased footfall which will help boost economic recovery following the Coronavirus

health and wellbeing benefits from a safe traffic free space

“We want to create a family and age-friendly space, bringing more footfall and trade to the city through local markets and other community activities.”

However, after legal challenges from DBNW the council said they felt they had no choice but the reopen the road between Blackfriars Street and King Street.

https://tinyurl.com/y5hp667m 

 HM REVENUE TO TAX ONLINE PLATFORMS.

The UK is eyeing a multibillion-pound tax raid on rides with Uber, accommodation booked through Airbnb and odd jobs undertaken by TaskRabbit as it searches for new ways to plug the gaping hole in the public finances left by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a consultation document published by the Treasury on Thursday, officials cast the spotlight on the “sharing economy”, which has grown rapidly but enables many people to consume services without paying the normal 20 per cent of value added tax due on the products.

When self-employed contractors carry out the service booked on a platform such as Uber, Airbnb or TaskRabbit, they often individually fall below the £85,000 VAT registration threshold. If they were employees and the service was provided by the platform company, consumers would have to pay the tax.

https://tinyurl.com/y5ajz2q8

REPORT HERE : https://tinyurl.com/yyscov7h

 TXE AT AUCTION CURRENT BID £17,600

 TX4 EURO 6

    65 Plate TX4.  Current Bid £5600

MERSEYSIDE

 A teenage boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and roads were closed for several hours after a crash involving a scooter and a taxi last night.

Today Merseyside Police confirmed the 17-year-old rider of the scooter was taken to hospital after the collision at around 10.15pm in Old Swan.

Emergency services were called to to Prescot Road following the crash near to the junction with St Oswald's Street.

The driver of the taxi stopped at the scene and is assisting officers.

A witness appeal is now underway with police confirming the boy on the scooter suffered "serious head injuries".

Prescot Road was closed between St Oswald's Street and Queens Drive.

Just before 6am police tweeted to say the closures had been lifted.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Officers from our Roads Policing Unit are appealing for witnesses to serious road traffic collision in Old Swan.

"At around 10.15pm (on Sunday), emergency services were called to Prescot Road near to the junction with St Oswald's Street following a road traffic collision involving a scooter and a taxi.

"The 17-year-old rider of the scooter, who has suffered serious head injuries, has been taken to hospital."

Witness and CCTV enquiries remain ongoing, police said.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/teenage-boy-suffers-severe-head-19411203

GMB NATIONAL 

There is no light at the end of the tunnel for drivers who desperately need help save their livelihoods and their sector

The UK’s taxi and minicab industry will collapse without urgent financial assistance, GMB has told the Chancellor.

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the union outlines the importance of the country’s largest transport sector – which sees 350,000 drivers perform services from private journeys to NHS patient transport, school and vulnerable children transport services and vulnerable adult transport services.

Through the pandemic, demand has plummeted with many operators reporting an 80% drop in bookings month upon month.

Huge numbers of professionally licensed drivers have left the industry, while the serious financial hardship suffered by others has led to a sharp rise in mental health issues.

Yet the mainly self-employed drivers have fallen between the cracks when it comes to financial assistance.

GMB is calling on the Chancellor to meet to discuss how the sector can be saved.

https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/taxi-and-minicab-industry-verge-collapse

LONDON 

A taxi app has warned that journey data being sought by foreign governments could reveal the ‘intimate’ details of people’s lives.

London-based Wheely said authorities are seeking to hoover up information about users of transport apps. 

The firm says tracking information can reveal someone’s home address, where they work, how often they visit their GP and other details about their daily schedule.It has sounded the alarm with the UK Information Commissioner, in  particular over a dispute with Moscow’s transport department. 

Russians deny asking for information but wants live location data for ‘purposes of health and safety, traffic analysis, and infrastructure planning’.

But Wheely has refused to hand over the data saying it ‘goes beyond what is necessary in a democratic society’.

As a result its operations in the city were temporarily suspended in August.

The city government in Los Angeles has also faced criticism from Uber and civil rights groups for demanding real-time tracking data for electric scooters, and the Metropolitan Police prompted concerns when it emerged it receives thousands of pieces of data from Uber each year.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-9027275/London-based-taxi-app-Wheely-refuses-Russian-demands-journey-data.html

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

 A BRADFORD MP is "disappointed" by the council's response to her request for a change which she believes would benefit the district's taxi drivers, in the wake of an "anxious" period where drivers are "barely making ends meet."

Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, asked Bradford Council to extend the length of time between taxi drivers being able to replace their old vehicles with a new one.

Shah said she was of the understanding that all vehicles seeking to be re-plated must be less than 10-years-old, and for Hybrid or special access vehicles, 12-years-old.

She argued that, having spoken with private hire drivers in her constituency, some drivers with vehicles coming to the end of that 10 or 12 year-period were "extremely worried", as - amid COVID-19 - they did not have enough money for a new car.

Shah asked the council to use "any permitted discretion" to extend the age limit period for an extra 12 months, giving drivers with vehicles coming to the end of their age limit until 2022 to buy a new vehicle.

In response, Bradford Council highlighted the support it had given to taxi drivers during lockdown, which included providing them with free protective equipment and giving them temporary 'licence holidays'.

In her request, Shah said: "Given the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, taxi drivers have really struggled over the last nine months. The drivers tell me that their loss of income has been devastating, many have had to rely on local food banks for support."

She added that she acknowledged "the flexibility the council has already shown to drivers since the start of this pandemic", before adding, "the future is still very uncertain and whilst people are slowly adapting to the new normal, restaurants, pubs, clubs and entertainment venues are still closed in Bradford.

"Taxi drivers have highlighted to me that their busiest period is at the weekend. However, due to the above venues not operating, drivers are struggling to make enough money to pay bills and feed their children, let alone save for a new vehicle, which can have a starting cost of around £4,000 to £5,000."

A Bradford Council spokesperson replied: “The taxi drivers of the district provide an invaluable service for residents during difficult times and we thank them for all they are doing.

“Times have been really tough for them with decreased footfall and we are working very hard to try and mitigate the effects of the pandemic on them and on the business community at large.

“So far, we have provided £233,000 worth of free protective equipment for drivers and their vehicles and allowed four months of free licences during the initial COVID-19 period, as well as letting drivers and proprietors to take a temporary ‘licence holiday’ to reduce their costs.

“The council is under government direction to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the air to meet legal limits in the shortest possible timeframe and this means that government is likely to ask us to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) from the beginning of 2022.

“Because of this, we have been allowing taxis temporary extensions past their minimum age limit while awaiting confirmation of vehicle emission specifications for CAZ compliance.

“Following extensive consultation, a great deal of work is currently being carried out in order to provide licenced vehicle proprietors with a comprehensive grants package that will help minimise the cost of moving to cleaner vehicles to meet CAZ standards and these will be announced very shortly.

“Bradford has and is continuing to use as much discretion as possible to support the licenced trades during the pandemic and leading up to the introduction of the CAZ. The CAZ will ultimately benefit and protect all Bradford district residents, including those involved in the taxi trade.”

After this, Naz Shah responded with: "Bradford Council has done amazing work during the pandemic. Their work in supporting residents, establishing a local test and trace, even before any funding was provided for it, and reaching rates of 90 per cent tests locally has been exemplary.

"However, I am disappointed to say the council has got it wrong on this occasion, and I would urge it to reconsider its position.

"I recognise the support and leniency the council has provided for the taxi trade and businesses as a whole. However, we are still under Tier 3 restrictions where small businesses and those self-employed like taxi drivers still need support.

"This extension would only impact those drivers whose cars are reaching the 10 or 12-year limit and not the entire trade. A small extension of even six months could be the difference a taxi driver being able to work after Christmas or being out of work.

"We all must work to reduce the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide. Still, we must not on one hand support projects with far greater emission projections to go ahead, whilst trying to cut emissions by burdening a small number of taxi drivers during a pandemic, which could take them out of work."

Sahil Iqbal, Manager at Dial-A-Ride Shipley & Bradford Taxis based in Frizinghall, said: “In Bradford, drivers want to be making money but there’s no jobs coming in. It’s been very hard.

"We don’t even get that many jobs, this year the drivers haven’t made that much money. Sometimes they don’t even make £100 a day - to buy a Hybrid 11 plate, it’s about seven to eight grand.

“If the car’s alright and it’s passed, it’s perfect, then obviously they should consider it."

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18926614.mp-disappointed-council-response-bradford-taxi-drivers-struggle-make-ends-meet/