HAILO launch their publicity machine.
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/uber-creates-an-unlevel-playing-field-zeghibe-06LZeliCR4i_Ns6ljFS9rg.html
Sunday, 15 June 2014
Saturday, 14 June 2014
DUBLIN. TAXI Hi JACKING INCREASES
Gardaí are investigating an attempted car-jacking in Dublin this morning.
The incident happened just before 3am when three men who were travelling in a taxi from Tallaght ordered the driver to get out of the car.
The taxi driver managed to take the keys from the ignition and run towards James Street, where he alerted gardaí.
It is understood no one sustained any serious injuries.
Gardaí recovered the car and investigations are continuing.
No arrests have been made.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-taxi-driver-grabs-keys-runs-from-carjackers-633441.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/behind-the-news-eoin-candon-taxi-driver-1.1831474
------------------------------------------------------------------
Free taxi rides home for England fans in Birmingham
Football fans in Birmingham are being offered free taxi rides home after England's World Cup match tonight.
A taxi firm based in the city will have five cabs at the Colmore Row rank between 1am and 2am as part of an anti-drink-driving campaign run by Think!
The government run campaign has found that three-quarters of fans in Birmingham are planning to drink alcohol during the game against Italy, but a sixth have not worked out how they are getting home afterwards.
Bosses say hope the initiative will remind fans not to drink and drive.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2014-06-14/free-taxi-rides-home-for-england-fans-in-birmingham/?
---------------------------------------------------
SKEGNESS
Taxi drivers are in dispute over who can pick up and drop off passengers at Skegness Railway Station.
East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has written to drivers reminding them only those who pay for permits with East Midlands Trains (EMT) can use the rank at the station’s main forecourt.
A driver working from the rank said: “We pay to serve customers walking off trains, why should other taxis poach our customers?”
Some drivers believe this ruling is unfair on those who don’t pay the £375 annual permit; accepting they can’t tout trade, but feel they should be allowed to use it if private customers request their service.
Dave Daubney, of Dave’s Taxis, said: “If customers approach us at that rank, we direct them to the driver’s ranked there, if private customers call us to the station, I can’t see the problem.”
Some driver’s also claim they get unnecessarily caught in traffic on the one-way system, having to drop off at the rear entrance.
Mel, of Mel’s Taxis, said: “The back entrance is used as an emergency exit and we are blocking it off, EMT are thinking more about the drivers than their passengers.”
ELDC say drivers without permits must only use the rear of the station on Richmond Drive and if approached by station staff, must provide the name of the person the booking is for. If this isn’t provided, drivers will be asked to move on and may be liable for police action.
http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/taxi-rift-at-the-railway-station-1-6118387
----------------------------------------------------------
Spot checks find faults in half of Reading's cabs and private hire vehicles
Of the nine Reading vehicles, one had two bald tyres, no road tax disc displayed and an insecure bumper
Reading Borough Council licensing officers and Thames Valley Police carried out a joint operation in Palmer Park last month.
Over a four-hour period starting at 8am on Monday, May 12, they pulled in nine vehicles licensed by Reading Borough Council and a further five from out-of-town areas.
Of the nine Reading vehicles, one had two bald tyres, no road tax disc displayed and an insecure bumper.
The driver received penalty points on his licence and the vehicle was suspended from further use until the faults were put right.
The other faults and penalties for Reading-licensed vehicles were as follows:
- For damage to a front wing and a damaged fire extinguisher, the driver received penalty points and the vehicle was suspended from use.
- For an insecure protective rubber gaiter on the steering rack, the vehicle was suspended.
- For an improperly secured licence plate and an out-of-date fire extinguisher, the vehicle was suspended.
- For two worn suspension arm bushes on his vehicle, the driver was given five days to replace them.
- For a tyre worn and very near the legal limit, the driver was warned and told the vehicle would be checked again in five days.
One of the out-of-town vehicles had an expired hackney carriage licence plate and no hackney carriage or private hire badge.
This vehicle was not registered with the DVLA to this driver.
Police and licensing officers from areas outside Reading will take appropriate action on the following issues found on out-of-town vehicles:
- One had no hackney carriage badge displayed.
- One had a time-expired fire extinguisher.
- A hackney carriage whose licence plate was not securely attached and displayed on the rear windscreen and brake pads close to the legal limit.
- Another black cab was not displaying a hackney carriage vehicle licence plate.
In an unrelated court case, on Thursday, May 29, at Reading Magistrates Court, Mohammed Asghar, a previously licensed private hire driver, admitted three offences of plying for hire, using a vehicle without the appropriate private hire licence plate and driving without insurance.
Asghar, 23, of Hazel Crescent, Whitley, was fined £120 for plying for hire, £120 for using the vehicle without a licence plate and £200 and a licence endorsement for having no insurance.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months.
Councillor Paul Gittings, lead councillor for culture, sport and consumer services, said: “We take the safety of residents who use hackney carriages and private hire cars extremely seriously, and this is why we work with other agencies to carry out regular spot checks on these vehicles.
“Whilst we know that most drivers comply with the terms of their licences and with the law, we are committed to taking appropriate action against any who fail to do so.”
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/spot-checks-find-faults-half-7248733
-------------------------------------------------
Gardaí are investigating an attempted car-jacking in Dublin this morning.
The incident happened just before 3am when three men who were travelling in a taxi from Tallaght ordered the driver to get out of the car.
The taxi driver managed to take the keys from the ignition and run towards James Street, where he alerted gardaí.
It is understood no one sustained any serious injuries.
Gardaí recovered the car and investigations are continuing.
No arrests have been made.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-taxi-driver-grabs-keys-runs-from-carjackers-633441.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/behind-the-news-eoin-candon-taxi-driver-1.1831474
------------------------------------------------------------------
Free taxi rides home for England fans in Birmingham
Football fans in Birmingham are being offered free taxi rides home after England's World Cup match tonight.
A taxi firm based in the city will have five cabs at the Colmore Row rank between 1am and 2am as part of an anti-drink-driving campaign run by Think!
The government run campaign has found that three-quarters of fans in Birmingham are planning to drink alcohol during the game against Italy, but a sixth have not worked out how they are getting home afterwards.
Bosses say hope the initiative will remind fans not to drink and drive.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2014-06-14/free-taxi-rides-home-for-england-fans-in-birmingham/?
---------------------------------------------------
SKEGNESS
Taxi drivers are in dispute over who can pick up and drop off passengers at Skegness Railway Station.
East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has written to drivers reminding them only those who pay for permits with East Midlands Trains (EMT) can use the rank at the station’s main forecourt.
A driver working from the rank said: “We pay to serve customers walking off trains, why should other taxis poach our customers?”
Some drivers believe this ruling is unfair on those who don’t pay the £375 annual permit; accepting they can’t tout trade, but feel they should be allowed to use it if private customers request their service.
Dave Daubney, of Dave’s Taxis, said: “If customers approach us at that rank, we direct them to the driver’s ranked there, if private customers call us to the station, I can’t see the problem.”
Some driver’s also claim they get unnecessarily caught in traffic on the one-way system, having to drop off at the rear entrance.
Mel, of Mel’s Taxis, said: “The back entrance is used as an emergency exit and we are blocking it off, EMT are thinking more about the drivers than their passengers.”
ELDC say drivers without permits must only use the rear of the station on Richmond Drive and if approached by station staff, must provide the name of the person the booking is for. If this isn’t provided, drivers will be asked to move on and may be liable for police action.
http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/taxi-rift-at-the-railway-station-1-6118387
----------------------------------------------------------
Spot checks find faults in half of Reading's cabs and private hire vehicles
Of the nine Reading vehicles, one had two bald tyres, no road tax disc displayed and an insecure bumper
Reading Borough Council licensing officers and Thames Valley Police carried out a joint operation in Palmer Park last month.
Over a four-hour period starting at 8am on Monday, May 12, they pulled in nine vehicles licensed by Reading Borough Council and a further five from out-of-town areas.
Of the nine Reading vehicles, one had two bald tyres, no road tax disc displayed and an insecure bumper.
The driver received penalty points on his licence and the vehicle was suspended from further use until the faults were put right.
The other faults and penalties for Reading-licensed vehicles were as follows:
- For damage to a front wing and a damaged fire extinguisher, the driver received penalty points and the vehicle was suspended from use.
- For an insecure protective rubber gaiter on the steering rack, the vehicle was suspended.
- For an improperly secured licence plate and an out-of-date fire extinguisher, the vehicle was suspended.
- For two worn suspension arm bushes on his vehicle, the driver was given five days to replace them.
- For a tyre worn and very near the legal limit, the driver was warned and told the vehicle would be checked again in five days.
One of the out-of-town vehicles had an expired hackney carriage licence plate and no hackney carriage or private hire badge.
This vehicle was not registered with the DVLA to this driver.
Police and licensing officers from areas outside Reading will take appropriate action on the following issues found on out-of-town vehicles:
- One had no hackney carriage badge displayed.
- One had a time-expired fire extinguisher.
- A hackney carriage whose licence plate was not securely attached and displayed on the rear windscreen and brake pads close to the legal limit.
- Another black cab was not displaying a hackney carriage vehicle licence plate.
In an unrelated court case, on Thursday, May 29, at Reading Magistrates Court, Mohammed Asghar, a previously licensed private hire driver, admitted three offences of plying for hire, using a vehicle without the appropriate private hire licence plate and driving without insurance.
Asghar, 23, of Hazel Crescent, Whitley, was fined £120 for plying for hire, £120 for using the vehicle without a licence plate and £200 and a licence endorsement for having no insurance.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months.
Councillor Paul Gittings, lead councillor for culture, sport and consumer services, said: “We take the safety of residents who use hackney carriages and private hire cars extremely seriously, and this is why we work with other agencies to carry out regular spot checks on these vehicles.
“Whilst we know that most drivers comply with the terms of their licences and with the law, we are committed to taking appropriate action against any who fail to do so.”
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/spot-checks-find-faults-half-7248733
-------------------------------------------------
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Deregulation Bill
The Dereg bill has its Report stage and 3rd reading a week on Monday, June 23. It will then be sent up to the Lords. Do not be surprised if this happens within days of the 23 rd.
This is where it will get interesting. Many trade group's have already started to petition members of the upper house. It will be interesting to see how effective they are in those representation's.
The Dereg bill has its Report stage and 3rd reading a week on Monday, June 23. It will then be sent up to the Lords. Do not be surprised if this happens within days of the 23 rd.
This is where it will get interesting. Many trade group's have already started to petition members of the upper house. It will be interesting to see how effective they are in those representation's.
BARCA BAN UBER.
Spain's Catalonia region on Tuesday announced plans to fine drivers who use the taxi app Uber as much as €6,000 ($8,000), while taxi drivers across Europe on Wednesday will be protesting against the app.
Drivers could also see their vehicles impounded and they would have to immediately stop using Uber, Catalonia's Territory and Sustainability Department said in a statement.
The fines would not affect passengers using Uber to order these 'illegal' taxi services, the department told The Local by phone.
The department also confirmed only taxi drivers with official authorization could operate such 'taxi' services in the region.
The move comes a day after Spain's public works and transport ministry backed down on plans to slap Uber users with fines of up to €600 ($800) after the European Commission labelled the move as extreme.
A spokesperson for the public works and transport ministry said, however, they would still target drivers using the Uber service to make a profit.
It is not yet clear how this will work in practice.
Taxi drivers around Spain want tough action against the increasingly popular app, saying it creates unfair competition. Taxi strikes are planned in Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday.
Other strikes are planned in France, Germany and London.
Vice President of the European Commission Nellie Kroes has responded to the strikes by saying that technology is not the problem, and that a solution needs to be found.
http://www.thelocal.es/20140611/catalonia-bans-uber-taxi-app
Spain's Catalonia region on Tuesday announced plans to fine drivers who use the taxi app Uber as much as €6,000 ($8,000), while taxi drivers across Europe on Wednesday will be protesting against the app.
Drivers could also see their vehicles impounded and they would have to immediately stop using Uber, Catalonia's Territory and Sustainability Department said in a statement.
The fines would not affect passengers using Uber to order these 'illegal' taxi services, the department told The Local by phone.
The department also confirmed only taxi drivers with official authorization could operate such 'taxi' services in the region.
The move comes a day after Spain's public works and transport ministry backed down on plans to slap Uber users with fines of up to €600 ($800) after the European Commission labelled the move as extreme.
A spokesperson for the public works and transport ministry said, however, they would still target drivers using the Uber service to make a profit.
It is not yet clear how this will work in practice.
Taxi drivers around Spain want tough action against the increasingly popular app, saying it creates unfair competition. Taxi strikes are planned in Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday.
Other strikes are planned in France, Germany and London.
Vice President of the European Commission Nellie Kroes has responded to the strikes by saying that technology is not the problem, and that a solution needs to be found.
http://www.thelocal.es/20140611/catalonia-bans-uber-taxi-app
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
NOTTINGHAM.
HUNDREDS of taxi drivers are set to go on strike in a row over private-hire vehicles picking up passengers in the street.
Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners' and Drivers' Association, which represents those behind the wheel of hackney carriages, believes the city council is not taking a tough enough stance on the problem.
Driver Nadeem Haider will be among those stopping work for two hours next Tuesday and Wednesday.
He said the growing number of un-booked private-hire cars picking up customers meant there was a "free-for-all" in the city centre at weekends.
He said: "It is not only hurting our business but it is illegal for them to pick up customers if they haven't already booked.
"We pay a lot of money to the council and believe that we should be better looked after. The council should clamp down on this."
Hackney carriage drivers, who operate the dark-green London-style taxis, pay hundreds of pounds to the council for their licences.
They are licensed to pick up passengers from city streets without pre-booking. Private- hire cars are breaking the law if they do so, with passengers not being insured in the event of an accident.
The council says it is "disappointed" by the action, after chief executive Ian Curryer agreed to talks with drivers.
Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for planning and transport, said: "We don't believe illegal plying for hire by private taxis is under way in Nottingham on anything like the scale they suggest.
"They are failing to recognise that, whereas previously private taxis were generally booked from home before people went out for the night, customers now have the option to book private taxis from wherever they are in the city, now that most people have mobile phones and apps that make this easy to do.
"It's therefore a flawed assumption that private taxis picking up fares in the city are illegal and uninsured."
The association represents 411 hackney carriages and about 700 drivers, with many taxis shared by two drivers. It is not clear how many will strike, with some telling the Post yesterday they did not intend to.
Mark Cartledge, a driver with private-hire firm DG Cars, believes the action is meaningless.
He said: "I don't know why they are doing it. The council look after their interests well.
"We would like to have the chance to legally ply for hire but we cannot do so. The action will achieve nothing."
http://www.nottinghampost.com/TAXIS-SET-STRIKE/story-21224317-detail/story.html#ixzz34Ov4ii7V
HUNDREDS of taxi drivers are set to go on strike in a row over private-hire vehicles picking up passengers in the street.
Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners' and Drivers' Association, which represents those behind the wheel of hackney carriages, believes the city council is not taking a tough enough stance on the problem.
Driver Nadeem Haider will be among those stopping work for two hours next Tuesday and Wednesday.
He said the growing number of un-booked private-hire cars picking up customers meant there was a "free-for-all" in the city centre at weekends.
He said: "It is not only hurting our business but it is illegal for them to pick up customers if they haven't already booked.
"We pay a lot of money to the council and believe that we should be better looked after. The council should clamp down on this."
Hackney carriage drivers, who operate the dark-green London-style taxis, pay hundreds of pounds to the council for their licences.
They are licensed to pick up passengers from city streets without pre-booking. Private- hire cars are breaking the law if they do so, with passengers not being insured in the event of an accident.
The council says it is "disappointed" by the action, after chief executive Ian Curryer agreed to talks with drivers.
Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for planning and transport, said: "We don't believe illegal plying for hire by private taxis is under way in Nottingham on anything like the scale they suggest.
"They are failing to recognise that, whereas previously private taxis were generally booked from home before people went out for the night, customers now have the option to book private taxis from wherever they are in the city, now that most people have mobile phones and apps that make this easy to do.
"It's therefore a flawed assumption that private taxis picking up fares in the city are illegal and uninsured."
The association represents 411 hackney carriages and about 700 drivers, with many taxis shared by two drivers. It is not clear how many will strike, with some telling the Post yesterday they did not intend to.
Mark Cartledge, a driver with private-hire firm DG Cars, believes the action is meaningless.
He said: "I don't know why they are doing it. The council look after their interests well.
"We would like to have the chance to legally ply for hire but we cannot do so. The action will achieve nothing."
http://www.nottinghampost.com/TAXIS-SET-STRIKE/story-21224317-detail/story.html#ixzz34Ov4ii7V
Photos from yesterday's London Demo.
http://www.supercabby.co.uk/photos/stormcabs-photos-from-the-demo/
--------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters International Union Vice President and Local 922 President Ferline Buie about today's worldwide taxi driver protests against Uber.
"As president of Teamsters Local 922 in Washington, D.C., which is affiliated with the Washington, D.C. Taxi Operators Association, I express our solidarity with today's protests by taxi drivers in city after city across Europe. The drivers are calling for fairness and asking that if the private sedan services are allowed to operate that they do so on a level playing field. Uber is currently operating without having to comply with the same rules and regulations that taxi drivers do.
"In Washington, D.C., drivers are asking the same questions and making similar demands. It is time for the D.C. City Council to do its job. We demand that the city council order Uber, Lyft and other private sedan services to cease and desist operations until fair regulations are put in place. We applaud the Commonwealth of Virginia's decision last week to order the private sedan companies to stop operating until fair regulations are in place. The private sedan companies are stealing our members' work and they continue to operate illegally.
"The drivers' fight in Europe is our fight. Their demands for government action are our demands here in Washington, D.C.
"We are watching these protests carefully and they inspire our drivers to keep up the fight for fairness!"
-------------------------------------------
A fake taxi driver has been found guilty of a serious sexual assault in Surrey
A man, who pretended to be a taxi driver, seriously sexually assaulted woman in Surrey because she was vulnerable.
The 39 year-old has been found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey.
The victim was trying to get home after a night out in London when she got into Paul Causers unlicensed cab on Sunday 3rd August last year.
The court heard throughout the journey Causer touched her inappropriately, ignoring her pleas to stop. He made several attempts to withdraw up to £600 on her bank card, stopping on the way in a bid to take out money, which he was unsuccessful in doing.
He then drove her to Bone Mill Lane in Godstone, forced himself on her and then dumped her on the side of the road. She was found by a local security guard at 4.30am.
Causer - who is from Barfleur Lane in Deptford - will be sentenced in July.
Causer was apprehended following extensive enquiries, including using the 'Where's My Phone' application on the victim's iPhone. Through that officers identified it as being at an address in Swanscombe, Kent where he is known to have spent time.
Causer is also known to have connections in Cornwall, Kent and the London area.
Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team said: "Causer is a dangerous man who specifically targeted the victim, in this case preying on her vulnerability in the early hours of the morning after she had left a nightclub. It was a deeply distressing incident for her and I hope today's verdict will help her move on with her life.
"I would encourage any victim of a sexual offence to come forward to Surrey Police and report any similar incidents."
http://www.964eagle.co.uk/news/local-news/1308836/a-fake-taxi-driver-has-been-found-guilty-of-a-serious-sexual-assault-in-surrey/
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.safe-girl.co.uk/blog/2014/06/the-dangers-of-getting-in-a-minicab/
I was contacted on Twitter this week and asked to highlight the dangers of taking a minicab.
I had not thought of this angle before, and I have to say we at Safe-Girl are very shocked by the statistics.
Police figures show that 214 women were sexually assaulted in the capital last year after getting into illegal minicabs and 54 raped, but studies suggest that so many go unreported the actual amount of sexual attacks could be as many as 700 in a 7 month period.
Just two days ago, a judge issued an alarming warning to minicab passengers that they cannot expect to travel in safety.
Jailing an asylum seeker for eight years for raping a secretary, Recorder Michael Sayers, QC, said those hiring a private taxi simply had no way of knowing the driver’s background.
He called for compulsory licensing of all cab drivers after police checks on the firm where the rapist worked revealed that not one driver was being legally employed.
“It appears that nobody can travel in minicabs with any degree of assurance or safety, as demonstrated by the facts in this case,” said the judge.
“At the moment, when a member of the public takes a cab he has no assurance that the driver is who he claims to be or has got any insurance or driving licence. He has no way of knowing how the driver conducts his business.
“This is something that should be investigated. If minicab drivers are driving around with false identities, it is something that should be looked into and investigated properly. I find it quite a worrying state of affairs.”
The case has highlighted a growing problem in our cities, where a burgeoning nightclub culture and lack of public transport has led to a boom in the use of minicabs.
These are separate from licensed black cabs and are supposed to be booked in advance over the telephone or in person at a central office.
There are around 100,000 private hire drivers in the UK. Powers to license them have been on the statute book since 1998 but the law’s enforcement depends heavily on the policy of the local authority.
In London, men and women desperate to get home have resorted to hailing unlicensed “taxi touts” who ply for trade by driving through the city’s entertainment areas.
Razaq Assadullah, 31, who worked for Speedline Cars in Stratford, East London, was an asylum seeker who came to Britain from Afghanistan in 2000.
He was convicted last December of raping the 28-year-old secretary and was sentenced at the Old Bailey yesterday.
In a reference to the rapist’s background, the judge told him: “You were certainly aware of the gravity of the crime of rape as it would be met by a sentence of death by stoning.”
The woman got into the cab after a night out in a wine bar in Stratford last July.
After dropping off her best friend, Assadullah parked the car and turned off the engine before attacking the woman in the back seat. He stopped only when disturbed by two cyclists.
The Old Bailey heard that Assadullah, from Plaistow, East London, set himself up as a cab driver by buying a false driving licence for £200 and using a false name. Police checks revealed he was driving without insurance.
Further inquiries into the rapist’s firm revealed that each of its 32 drivers was working illegally in some way – either through their immigration status or by claiming benefit while working.
The judge told Assadullah: “With a mixture of arrogance and cynical opportunism you abused your position of trust.
“She was placed in your cab by a friend who paid you to get her home safely.
“She was put through a terrifying ordeal and she faced the added trauma of not knowing whether you might be a murderer as well as a rapist.”
Assadullah, a father of three, was granted leave to remain last year after claiming he had been tortured by the Taliban. The judge recommended his deportation.
Richard Massett, of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “It’s been five years since regulation was approved in Parliament and nothing has happened.
“We advise women travelling home alone late at night to use a licensed black cab if possible or, if not, to book a minicab by phone and ensure that it comes from the place where they booked it.”
Detective Constable Malcolm Samuels, of the Metropolitan Police, said that because many minicab drivers work on a self-employed basis there is little incentive for the firm’s owner to check on them.
-----------------------------------------------------
http://www.supercabby.co.uk/photos/stormcabs-photos-from-the-demo/
--------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters International Union Vice President and Local 922 President Ferline Buie about today's worldwide taxi driver protests against Uber.
"As president of Teamsters Local 922 in Washington, D.C., which is affiliated with the Washington, D.C. Taxi Operators Association, I express our solidarity with today's protests by taxi drivers in city after city across Europe. The drivers are calling for fairness and asking that if the private sedan services are allowed to operate that they do so on a level playing field. Uber is currently operating without having to comply with the same rules and regulations that taxi drivers do.
"In Washington, D.C., drivers are asking the same questions and making similar demands. It is time for the D.C. City Council to do its job. We demand that the city council order Uber, Lyft and other private sedan services to cease and desist operations until fair regulations are put in place. We applaud the Commonwealth of Virginia's decision last week to order the private sedan companies to stop operating until fair regulations are in place. The private sedan companies are stealing our members' work and they continue to operate illegally.
"The drivers' fight in Europe is our fight. Their demands for government action are our demands here in Washington, D.C.
"We are watching these protests carefully and they inspire our drivers to keep up the fight for fairness!"
-------------------------------------------
A fake taxi driver has been found guilty of a serious sexual assault in Surrey
A man, who pretended to be a taxi driver, seriously sexually assaulted woman in Surrey because she was vulnerable.
The 39 year-old has been found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey.
The victim was trying to get home after a night out in London when she got into Paul Causers unlicensed cab on Sunday 3rd August last year.
The court heard throughout the journey Causer touched her inappropriately, ignoring her pleas to stop. He made several attempts to withdraw up to £600 on her bank card, stopping on the way in a bid to take out money, which he was unsuccessful in doing.
He then drove her to Bone Mill Lane in Godstone, forced himself on her and then dumped her on the side of the road. She was found by a local security guard at 4.30am.
Causer - who is from Barfleur Lane in Deptford - will be sentenced in July.
Causer was apprehended following extensive enquiries, including using the 'Where's My Phone' application on the victim's iPhone. Through that officers identified it as being at an address in Swanscombe, Kent where he is known to have spent time.
Causer is also known to have connections in Cornwall, Kent and the London area.
Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team said: "Causer is a dangerous man who specifically targeted the victim, in this case preying on her vulnerability in the early hours of the morning after she had left a nightclub. It was a deeply distressing incident for her and I hope today's verdict will help her move on with her life.
"I would encourage any victim of a sexual offence to come forward to Surrey Police and report any similar incidents."
http://www.964eagle.co.uk/news/local-news/1308836/a-fake-taxi-driver-has-been-found-guilty-of-a-serious-sexual-assault-in-surrey/
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.safe-girl.co.uk/blog/2014/06/the-dangers-of-getting-in-a-minicab/
I was contacted on Twitter this week and asked to highlight the dangers of taking a minicab.
I had not thought of this angle before, and I have to say we at Safe-Girl are very shocked by the statistics.
Police figures show that 214 women were sexually assaulted in the capital last year after getting into illegal minicabs and 54 raped, but studies suggest that so many go unreported the actual amount of sexual attacks could be as many as 700 in a 7 month period.
Just two days ago, a judge issued an alarming warning to minicab passengers that they cannot expect to travel in safety.
Jailing an asylum seeker for eight years for raping a secretary, Recorder Michael Sayers, QC, said those hiring a private taxi simply had no way of knowing the driver’s background.
He called for compulsory licensing of all cab drivers after police checks on the firm where the rapist worked revealed that not one driver was being legally employed.
“It appears that nobody can travel in minicabs with any degree of assurance or safety, as demonstrated by the facts in this case,” said the judge.
“At the moment, when a member of the public takes a cab he has no assurance that the driver is who he claims to be or has got any insurance or driving licence. He has no way of knowing how the driver conducts his business.
“This is something that should be investigated. If minicab drivers are driving around with false identities, it is something that should be looked into and investigated properly. I find it quite a worrying state of affairs.”
The case has highlighted a growing problem in our cities, where a burgeoning nightclub culture and lack of public transport has led to a boom in the use of minicabs.
These are separate from licensed black cabs and are supposed to be booked in advance over the telephone or in person at a central office.
There are around 100,000 private hire drivers in the UK. Powers to license them have been on the statute book since 1998 but the law’s enforcement depends heavily on the policy of the local authority.
In London, men and women desperate to get home have resorted to hailing unlicensed “taxi touts” who ply for trade by driving through the city’s entertainment areas.
Razaq Assadullah, 31, who worked for Speedline Cars in Stratford, East London, was an asylum seeker who came to Britain from Afghanistan in 2000.
He was convicted last December of raping the 28-year-old secretary and was sentenced at the Old Bailey yesterday.
In a reference to the rapist’s background, the judge told him: “You were certainly aware of the gravity of the crime of rape as it would be met by a sentence of death by stoning.”
The woman got into the cab after a night out in a wine bar in Stratford last July.
After dropping off her best friend, Assadullah parked the car and turned off the engine before attacking the woman in the back seat. He stopped only when disturbed by two cyclists.
The Old Bailey heard that Assadullah, from Plaistow, East London, set himself up as a cab driver by buying a false driving licence for £200 and using a false name. Police checks revealed he was driving without insurance.
Further inquiries into the rapist’s firm revealed that each of its 32 drivers was working illegally in some way – either through their immigration status or by claiming benefit while working.
The judge told Assadullah: “With a mixture of arrogance and cynical opportunism you abused your position of trust.
“She was placed in your cab by a friend who paid you to get her home safely.
“She was put through a terrifying ordeal and she faced the added trauma of not knowing whether you might be a murderer as well as a rapist.”
Assadullah, a father of three, was granted leave to remain last year after claiming he had been tortured by the Taliban. The judge recommended his deportation.
Richard Massett, of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “It’s been five years since regulation was approved in Parliament and nothing has happened.
“We advise women travelling home alone late at night to use a licensed black cab if possible or, if not, to book a minicab by phone and ensure that it comes from the place where they booked it.”
Detective Constable Malcolm Samuels, of the Metropolitan Police, said that because many minicab drivers work on a self-employed basis there is little incentive for the firm’s owner to check on them.
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