Shipley

A car blocked a railway line in West Yorkshire after crashing through a barrier and flipping upside down on to the tracks.

The AA Cars taxi hit the barrier at the side of the tracks on Victoria Street, Shipley, before landing on the line.

The driver suffered minor injuries and was being treated by paramedics following the accident at 09:10 BST.

Northern Rail said services between Shipley and Skipton began running again at 11:40 BST.

Buses were brought in to run between the stations while the line was closed, extending journey times by up to 40 minutes.

A spokesman for AA taxis said the driver was "all right; just a bit shook up".


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-32350975
---------------------------------------------

(Reuters) - Carlyle Group LP-owned London taxi operator Addison Lee said it has bought rival Cyclone VIP Cars & Couriers.

The company said buyout of Cyclone, which was formed in 1985 and has about 100 drivers, would strengthen its position in the London private-hire market.

No financial terms were disclosed on the deal, which was the ninth buyout for the taxi operator in five years.

Last year, Addison Lee was being considered for a $1.3 billion (0.87 billion pound) takeover by Singapore-based public transportation operator SMRT Corp Ltd.

Private equity firm Carlyle Group bought a significant stake in the company in 2013, which provides private hire services in London and the South East of England, for 300 million pounds ($447.90 million)


https://uk.news.yahoo.com/london-taxi-operator-addison-lee-buys-rival-cyclone-215156253--sector.html#5NvTntX
----------------------------------------------
EIRE

A man who was freed in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement from a 20-year prison sentence for explosives and firearms offences was held by a judge on Friday to be a suitable person to hold a licence to drive a taxi.

John Conaty, of St Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin, because of his court convictions, was due under new stringent new taxi licencing legislation to face disqualification from driving or operating a taxi.

He applied to the Circuit Civil Court for an order directing that he was a suitable person, and not of any threat or danger to the public, to drive a taxi. The court heard he had been disqualified but that it had been suspended since April 6th pending the application.

Barrister Ruadhan MacAodhain, counsel for Mr Conaty, told the court that in 1996 his client had been convicted by the Special Criminal Court of offences under the Explosive Substances Act and the Firearms Act and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

He said the Good Friday Agreement, which had come into being in April 1998, had allowed for the release of all paramilitary prisoners under a ceasefire. Terms of the Agreement between the British and Irish Governments also allowed for assistance in the reintegration of such prisoners into society, their further education and assistance in finding employment.

Mr MacAodhain said Mr Conaty had been a licenced taxi driver in the Republic since 2002 but under new legislation governing the holding of a Small Public Service Vehicle Licence he would be disqualified from this month from holding such a licence because of his previous convictions.

He told the court the 2013 Taxi Regulation Act applied retrospectively to anyone who had historic convictions.
Mr MacAodhain said Garda Superintendant David Taylor had written to Mr Conaty pointing out the effect of the new legislation on his work as a taxi driver and had advised him of his entitlement to seek an order in the Circuit Court permitting him to continue his taxi work.

Superintendant Taylor told the court that Mr Conaty had not come under adverse notification of the gardaí since his release.

Mr MacAodhain also opened two character letters from Mr Conaty’s former employer, The Cobblestone Pub in Smithfield, Dublin, and from Cumann Baire Setanta GAA Club where he has very successfully managed the promotion of under-age teams and is a senior hurling team selector. He was also complimented in the GAA letter for his community work.

Judge Linnane said that having read evidence of Mr Conaty’s community work and having heard the evidence of Superintendant Taylor she was satisfied Mr Conaty was a suitable person to be allowed to continue to hold a public service vehicle licence.

Mr MacAodhain said that both the High Court in the Republic and in Northern Ireland had held that it would be “injurious” to have taken into consideration convictions other than within a period of 10 years. He said disqualification from holding a taxi licence would rob Mr Conaty of the right to make a living.

Following decision Mr Conaty said he had been in the taxi business without incident for the past 12 years.

“I just want to earn a living and to be allowed to continue on the way I am at present,” he said.


http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/man-sentenced-to-20-years-for-explosives-retains-taxi-licence-1.2179602
---------------------------------
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Uber for providing an illegal taxi service in violation of a court order, a statement said on Friday.

It was the latest setback for the taxi service, which has been banned in several European countries in recent months.

Uber allows users to summon taxi services with smartphones while its UberPop arm links private drivers to passengers. It has gained popularity around the world since its 2010 launch but drawn controversy over its aggressive approach to traditional taxi services.

In December, a Dutch court banned UberPOP on the grounds that it fell foul of licensing laws for commercial drivers. It ordered Uber to stop offering it under threat of a 100,000 euro ($110,000) fine. Uber is contesting the ruling.

Dutch prosecutors, who raided Uber's offices in March, said they were starting an inquiry after police in Amsterdam caught dozens of drivers offering illegal taxi services.

"The company Uber is now a suspect," the statement on Friday said. "This means a preliminary examination will be started to collect evidence that Uber is providing illegal transportation on a commercial basis."

Dutch police have fined 23 Uber drivers 1,500 euros for operating without a license, it said.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/dutch-launch-criminal-investigation-uber-133944877.html