Addison Lee, the capital’s largest private hire cab business, says that while it backs the idea of an ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), Transport for London’s (TfL) scheme has not been thought through and is being rushed into place for political reasons.

The company argues that there is no “credible” plan to set up the network of fast recharging points that would be required, and the economic impact on taxi companies that would be forced to suddenly update their fleets has not been considered.

It also claims that the technology the industry is being pushed towards may might not be the best type to reduce emissions.

Research commissioned by Addison Lee, which operates 4,500 vehicles, found that replacing its fleet with alternatively powered vehicles would cost it £200m.

The ULEZ is a great idea and the industry supports reducing emissions but this is regulation being rushed through by the mayor before his term ends

Catherine Faiers, Addison Lee chief operating officer

When taking into account the more than 50,000 private hire vehicles operating in London, the bill would rise to £1.8bn and does not account for the depressed resale values of vehicles as the market is flooded with drivers ditching their old cabs. It claims that passing on the cost of updating the fleet will cause fares to rise by a quarter.

Catherine Faiers, Addison Lee’s chief operating officer, said: “The ULEZ is a great idea and the industry supports reducing emissions but this is regulation being rushed through by the mayor before his term ends.”

Hybrid vehicles were just as effective at cutting pollution as pure electric ones she argued, and that by forcing the industry towards a single technology rather than working with the industry and car manufacturers, innovation that could be more effective was being stifled.

Ms Faiers added: “We are all about efficiency, but faced with regulations as they look like they currently come, we will have to take radical solutions.”

These could include offshoring much of Addison Lee’s 550 back-office staff to countries with cheaper labour, and drivers taking wage cuts to help absorb the cost.

A spokesman for TfL said: “We do not accept the figure stated by Addison Lee for the cost of the private hire trade upgrading to zero emission capable vehicles.

“The proposed licensing requirements only affect vehicles being licensed in London for the first time and existing private hire vehicles would not need to be replaced earlier as a result of the policy.

“However, we are confident our proposals will provide a benefit for all Londoners by supporting the gradual transition of London’s private hire fleet to zero emission capable vehicles.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11877406/Taxi-customers-face-1.8bn-green-bill.html
-----------------------------------------

DUNDEE taxi marshal plans to be investigated after cabbies pay thousands into scheme
Mark Mackay

The failure of Dundee’s taxi marshal scheme is being investigated by the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO).

Councillors hoped the plan would protect drinkers from harm on the streets at weekends, defuse trouble and make problem taxi ranks safer.

Each of Dundee’s 1,300 drivers was required to pay £30 towards the scheme – with payment of the fee incumbent upon anyone seeking a licence renewal.

In June, however, The Courier revealed that despite taking drivers’ cash 14 months earlier, the council had failed to hire a single member of staff.

Now the SPSO has written to Dundee City Council chief executive David Martin to announce that it will examine the debacle and demand answers.

Mr Martin has been asked whether the council has considered refunding the fees paid by licence holders until a “definite plan to implement the scheme” can be brought forward.

The local authority has also been asked to explain why it did not do that in the first instance, rather than take money and then fail to deliver.

Dundee City Council confirmed it had been contacted by the SPSO, with a spokeswoman stating that it would “respond in due course”.

The SPSO’s examination of the scheme has been prompted by complaints made by city taxi drivers, including Gregor Ross, 47, from Carnoustie.

Mr Ross said he was “delighted” to see the watchdog intervene, telling The Courier that there had been “clear failures” on the part of the council.

“This scheme has taken money from the pockets of every single taxi driver in Dundee and I do not believe that is acceptable,” he said.

“If I had paid for a television package and been unable to view any channels I would expect a refund and it should be no different in this case,” he said.

“We have paid for a service that 16 months on has yet to be delivered. I have to question whether it will ever exist.

“There are serious questions to be asked and taxi drivers want to hear the answers.

“I hope that the ombudsman will bring this to a swift end.”

The council has been disappointed by its inability to deliver the taxi marshal scheme, which would have seen staff stationed at key city centre locations at weekends.

Licensing committee convener Councillor Stewart Hunter hoped they would protect worse-for-wear drinkers and help quell trouble at certain taxi ranks, giving drivers the confidence to stop for passengers in some areas.

The council had sought applicants with the skills to defuse trouble – such as retired police officers – but suitable applicants have not been forthcoming.

In July the council said it planned one final recruitment drive before giving consideration to refunding drivers.
----------------------------------------

 SYDNEY

A taxi driver who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old deaf girl has been sentenced to at least 10 years in prison.

Osman Chamseddine, 65, sexually assaulted the child numerous times in 2009, as he drove her to her special needs school in western Sydney.

Judge Brian Knox said the offences Chamseddine committed were 'reprehensible' as he handed down the maximum 15-year sentence at Parramatta District Court on Friday.

Chamseddine's wife stood up and asked desperately 'Can I talk please?' once the sentence was handed down.

'I know him (sic) for 30 years,' she said before being subdued by her children.

Chamseddine placed his hands over his mouth and stared as the judge finalised his sentence.

Judge Knox said he was concerned the 65-year-old had always maintained his innocence, adding he 'has not shown any remorse or contrition'.

Chamseddine was found guilty in May of four counts of aggravated sexual intercourse and two counts of indecent assault.

His trial heard how he would drive his van to an isolated spot and ask the profoundly deaf girl, who is now 16, to sit in the front seat with him.

Chamseddine would speak to the girl in a 'flirtatious manner' before reaching across and putting his hands in her vagina.

'There was nothing for her to do,' Judge Knox said, adding she was unable to scream for help.

On other occasions he got into the back of the van and touched her breast and forced her to touch his erect penis.

'He gained her trust through his capacity as a driver,' the judge found, saying her disadvantages made her more vulnerable.

The girl, who cannot be named, was too frightened to reveal the abuse to her parents but later came forward in 2012, telling one of her hearing-impaired high school friends who then informed a teacher.

In a victim impact statement read to the court on her behalf on Friday, the girl said: 'I'm not comfortable in front of any men except my dad.

'I don't trust anyone.'

She said she only started sleeping well after the trial concluded and can only now concentrate in school.

Chamseddine will be eligible for parole in March 2025.
---------------------------------------------


 BOLTON

 A Robber who held a knife to a terrified taxi driver's throat stole his car and smashed it into a wall.

Callum Bates was seen careering around Tonge Moor residential streets in the Toyota Avensis at up to 70mph before writing off the vehicle in Eldon Street, Bolton Crown Court heard.

The hearing was told taxi driver Naeem Iqbal initially thought Bates was joking when he pulled out a kitchen knife and ordered him out of the car on Tonge Moor Road at midday on August 8. Mr Iqbal even tried to take the knife off the drunken passenger.

"But then the defendant put the knife to Mr Iqbal's neck and told him to get out," said Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting. "Mr Iqbal said at this point he felt frightened."

Sentencing Bates to three years in jail, Recorder Andrew Loveridge told him: "Members of the public have to be protected from individuals like you who drink to excess and then place them in serious fear."

Mrs Thomas told the court that a woman named Deborah had requested a Metro Taxis car to go to Marsden House in Bolton just before midday, but when Mr Iqbal arrived Bates got in and asked to be taken to Hall i'th' Wood.

Even though the driver refused his request to sit in the front, Bates, who had a bottle of vodka with him, got in next to him when the car stopped at traffic lights. A short distance later Bates pulled out the knife and drove off in the car with £85 of Mr Iqbal's takings leaving him by the side of the road.

Mrs Thomas said a witness spotted the car speeding down back streets and crashing.

The impact damaged the driver's door and 22-year-old Bates was seen climbing out of the passenger door, clutching the vodka and the cash bag, which he dropped before walking off.

He was arrested just an hour later and found to be more than two and a half times over the drink drive limit.

Mrs Thomas stressed that the robbery has had a "massive impact" on Mr Iqbal, whose car was written off and he could not work for 11 days until a new vehicle was registered. His family also have increased concerns for his safety.

Bates, of Green Way, Hall i'th' Wood, pleaded guilty to robbery, possessing a knife, aggravated vehicle taking and having no licence or insurance.

Colin Buckle, defending, said the offence had been unsophisticated. "He even leaves the money behind when wandering down the street in full view of everyone," said Mr Buckle.

He added that although Bates, whose parents were both drug addicts, had begun offending at the age 12, he had gone for seven years without committing crime.

But an assault while in custody led to a deterioration in his mental health and he began taking drugs and drinking excessively.

Recorder Loveridge, who also banned Bates from holding a driving licence for 18 months, stressed that taxi drivers should be protected.

"People who seek to earn their living from providing services to the public must, in my view, be able to do so free from the threat of violence and fear of attack," said the Recorder.

Metro Taxis boss Nick Astley said he was pleased with the sentence. He said: “When something like this happens it is important that the severity of it is recognised and acted upon and this is a fantastic result. I think three years is a just sentence for the crime and will send a clear message out — hopefully it acts as a deterrent. Drivers do have to put up with a heck of a lot of abuse and the psychological effects of an attack like this can be horrific.”

The robbery is the latest in a number of crimes against taxi drivers in Bolton. 
-------------------------------------

NEW YORK state on Friday took over a failing credit union that put nearly all of its money into loans for yellow-taxi medallions as Uber and similar services continue to gobble up much of the market.

The step was taken because of “unsafe and unsound conditions” at the federally insured Montauk Credit Union, according to the Financial Services Department.

Some 98 percent of the state-chartered institution’s $178.5 million assets are taxi-medallion loans, sources said.

The move could mark the first major fall of lenders who specialize in making medallion loans.

Yellow-cab medallions have plunged in value from $1.05 million in June 2013 apiece to $800,000 this past January.

“It’s indicative of how much owner-drivers are struggling to make ends meet,” said Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.

Desai put the blame squarely on Uber, which she says created an unequal playing field — saying she’s spoken to drivers who filed for bankruptcy after their incomes fell by more than 20 percent in the past two years.

DALLAS (CBSDFW) – Business for the popular ‘on demand’ car service Uber may be booming, but a recent change in policy has some local Dallas Uber drivers fuming.

The chant of “we want fairness” is coming from a small group of Uber drivers protesting what they claim is unfair treatment.

Most of the demonstrators identified themselves as UberBLACK drivers, which means they operate larger vehicles, usually black SUVs for which customers pay a premium.  Protestors showed CBS11 an email from Uber dated September 17 informing them that effective Friday, September 18 all existing UberBLACK vehicles will receive all eligible trip requests.
   

While the company described this change as an advantage for the UberBLACK drivers, many protestors said they did not want to accept the cheaper trip requests, and they feared being deactivated by Uber for refusing requests.

The drivers say to be an UberBLACK driver they purchased more expensive vehicles with their own money, and they incur other higher costs to operate their vehicles.  Many say the move is unfair because accepting cheaper requests will not be financially viable for them, and they had no warning this could happen.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/09/18/uber-drivers-protest-over-fare-price-change/
 

Oxford Crown Court

 A TAXI driver accused of raping a woman while she slept at his home claims she assaulted him, a court heard.

Abul Chowdhury denies one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration on two women in the early hours of May 17 in Witney.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that the two women – who cannot be named for legal reasons – had gone for a night out in Oxford. They were left stranded at a hotel when two men offered to take them home but took them to the Holiday Inn at Peartree roundabout instead.

Michael Shaw, prosecuting, said the women called 35-year-old Chowdhury, who had given them free lifts in the past.

Mr Shaw said Chowdhury offered them breakfast at his home in Blakes Avenue.

One of the women told the court she awoke in the early hours to find Chowdhury raping her. She said: “I was shocked. I pretended to stay asleep.” After the incident, her friend revealed Chowdhury had also sexually assaulted her that night.
     
But, in a statement read to the court, Chowdhury claimed the woman had sexually assaulted him.

He said: “ She wanted to have sex with me but I said it was not allowed because of my religion.”
---------------------------------------
 GLASGOW

 A TAXI driver has been banned from the roads after offering a female passenger discounted fares in exchange for sex and threatening another.

Rizwan Ziarab has already been convicted by the courts of threatening and abusive behaviour in relation to the incidents and has now been taken off the road after police said he posed a serious threat to public safety.

Licensing chiefs in Glasgow heard how in January 2014 he told a female passenger who claimed not to have the full £20 for the short trip between the city centre and Pollokshields she could only pay half if she performed a sex act.

He also offered to waive the full fare if the passenger had full sex with him. The passenger refused the offer and later notified the police.

On another occasion he is accused of threatening and abusive behaviour towards female passengers he was taking between Glasgow city centre and Govan, having demanded an additional £20 on top of the previously arranged fee.

During the hearing, a Police Scotland representative told the council's licensing committee: "Mr Ziarab, whilst at a Shell petrol station on Victoria Road, Glasgow, behaved in a threatening and abusive manner by attempting to negotiate with a customer, in relation to a taxi fare due to him by suggesting she carry out acts of a sexual nature in exchange for a reduction in the fare."

It comes weeks after it emerged a Glasgow black taxi driver had allegedly offered to waive the fares of female passengers if they urinated in the back of the cab.

In another case heard yesterday, a private hire driver was also removed from the roads after cannabis with a street value of almost £150,000 was found in his car.

Mr Dolan had been stopped by Lancashire Police near Preston when he was believed to be travelling from Merseyside to Glasgow on the M6 in June 2014. Police were acting on intelligence passed on to them.
     
They discovered 30kg of the class B drug split into around 300 solid blocks. He was given a two-year suspended sentence and given 200 hours community service.
-------------------------------------

 BLACKBURN taxi drivers are set for showdown talks with town hall bosses this week over plans to implement a new penalty points system they fear could force them off the road.

The proposals, which cover both black cab and private hire operators, will go before Blackburn with Darwen Council’s licensing committee on Monday, September 21.

But the details will be thrashed out before then, on Thursday at the Taxi Forum, along with the rising cost of the annual driver’s badge.

The points scheme aims to formalise the system of dealing with license breaches, rather than the current method of written or verbal warnings.

It is proposed that if a driver reaches 20 points in a year they would be refereed to authorities for possible sanctions. Offences would include things such as failure to display plates (10 points), illegal tyres (10 points) and smoking inside the cab (5 points).

Council documents state: “It is felt that the current system is not totally effective in dealing with drivers who repeatedly flout responsibilities on items which may in isolation be considered minor. By dealing with cumulative breaches on a more formal footing it may re-enforce the need for drivers and vehicle owners to take their responsibilities seriously.”

But drivers are wary of the changes and worry the points could be accrued ‘cheaply’, forcing them off the road.

Blackburn Taxi Association chairman Mohammed Younis said: “This would be the first time a points system is introduced in Blackburn. The drivers are concerned as we think the one put forward by the council is too high and the 20-point mark could be reached too easily.
     
“That means they could be forced off the road and as a lot of drivers are in their 50s and 60s it’s a concern.”

Last month, council taxi boss Jim Smith said: “This new points scheme does not penalise the drivers financially, it is just a more formal way of making sure the taxis in the borough are in the best condition for customers.”
-------------------------------------
STOKE 
 
 TAXI driver Mohammed Shamraiz sexually assaulted a drunken women in his cab.

The 31-year-old encouraged the customer to sit in the front seat before he groped her breast.

Shamraiz, of Salisbury Street, Tunstall, denied sexual assault but was convicted by a jury after a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court this week.

Now the married dad has been jailed for eight months.


The court heard the incident happened last year as the woman took a taxi home.

After her partner and child got out the cab, Shamraiz encouraged her to move into the front passenger seat.

He took advantage of the fact she was drunk and groped her breast.

Michael Trevelyan, defending, said Shamraiz lost his job as a result of the offence.

He added the defendant's wife is expecting another child and urged the judge to deal with him by way of a community order or a suspended sentence.

But Recorder Adrian Reynolds said courts have to make an example of people who abuse their position.

Jailing Shamraiz, Recorder Reynolds said: "You encouraged her to sit in the front. Knowing that she was drunk and vulnerable you touched her sexually.

"It was not the worst sexual assault by any means but it was still a gross invasion of her privacy and a gross abuse of your position.

"She had made a decision to get a taxi home thinking she would be safe.

"I have no choice but to send you to prison. Women are expected to feel safe when they are in taxis.

"You have let down yourself and every other taxi driver.

"Any women reading about this case will think twice about taking a taxi if she thinks somebody like you is likely to do something like this. I would be failing in my public duty if I do not send you to prison."

Shamraiz will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

After the hearing, Councillor Randy Conteh, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's cabinet member for community safety, said: "Shamraiz had his licence suspended by the licensing committee in July 2014 as soon as the charges were first brought. He returned his badge straight away. He has not been licensed to operate a taxi in the city since then.

"We take any such charges extremely seriously and use our powers to act swiftly. Our thoughts remain with the victim at this time.

"I've personally been a member of the Licensing and Registration Panel and I am aware we have a thorough vetting process for all taxi drivers.

"They all have to have a disclosure and barring service check, and we work closely with the police who notify us of any arrestable offences.

"As a condition of being issued a licence, drivers must tell us of any convictions or charges brought against them within seven days. We also carry out our own checks.

"There are 1,750 licensed taxi drivers in the city, and the very vast majority are conscientious, hard-working and committed to offering a good service to residents."

Taxi-Uber battle rages at Edmonton City Hall

A marathon public hearing, beginning Wednesday afternoon and going well into the evening at Edmonton City Hall, pit city taxi drivers head-on with Uber supporters.

Ride-sharers argued the Vehicle For Hire draft bylaw, which asks for drivers to be licensed and undergo police and vehicle checks, is too expensive for companies like Uber to be competitive.

Cabbies say the bylaw, which opens the market to drivers with less regulation than them, creates an unfair advantage for Uber drivers.

"It is a class genocide for the taxi industry," said Jasbir Gill, the first of nearly 240 speakers registered to address the committee. Gill said nearly 3,500 families in the city will be at risk if ride-sharing apps are able to unfairly compete with licensed cab drivers.

The committee heard there has been a 40 per cent decrease in the taxi industry since Uber launched in Edmonton in December 2014.

But for Derryn Donaghey, a former Edmonton Police Service member who was recently laid off and became a part-time Uber driver, being one has helped give him the financial flexibility to earn money part-time while searching for full time work elsewhere.

“It is a very good second option for me to get some income,” he said.

Edmonton mayor Don Iveson says he's been in talks with Toronto mayor John Tory, whose city is also tackling how to regulate vehicle-for-hire businesses, and hopes the two cities can work collaboratively to craft a bylaw.

But when asked whether he trusts Uber, Iveson says that is ultimately up to the public to decide.

“The track record up to this point has been not so collaborative, but we've heard a different tone today and a desire to work with the city,” said Iveson, adding vehicle insurance for Uber drivers remains the largest hurdle.

“If there is an issue where a pedestrian is struck or another vehicle is struck, and the fault is with the Uber driver and their insurance has walked away from them, right now there is no assurance to the public that those issues would be covered.”

Iveson could not definitively say when the bylaw would be complete. The public hearing wrapped up at 9:30 p.m. and will resume Thursday morning.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/09/16/taxi-uber-battle-rages-at-edmonton-city-hall
-----------------------------------------------
NORWICH

 Around 50 hackney cabs circled the council building yesterday morning with their horns blaring out across the 
city.

The protest, which was significantly larger than expected, aimed to highlight an alleged lack of governance over rival private hire car drivers.

Organiser Craig Dimbleby said: “We had a really good turnout today and I think we got our message across. Already the police have said they will work with us in the future and that is one of the things we were looking for - it is the first step of a long marathon.”

The demonstration was initially planned to last two hours and involve 30 taxis driving around City Hall.

But the police held a last-minute meeting with the drivers yesterday advising them to change their tactics.

They were forced to travel to City Hall in groups of seven cars and were only allowed to perform two laps around the building.

Jon Perks, 59, chairman of the Norwich Hackney Trade Association, said: “I think we have made an impact today and I just hope the council takes notice that we won’t continue to be stood on.”

The taxi association flagged up a number of issues that were affecting business.

It asked for the council to provide clarity on the emission rules in city, and for it to stop private hire drivers from parking in ranks allocated for black cabs.

It also claimed that private hire firms were able to take a simplified version of the “knowledge test” – an exam that tests a driver’s knowledge of the city.

The local authority said it intended to work closely with taxi drivers in the future on all of the issues raised.

Chief Insp Nathan Clark praised the taxi drivers for their “sensible” approach to the protest.

------------------------------------------
DERBY

A taxi driver who raped a passenger after she fell asleep in his cab has been jailed for 10 years.

Derbyshire Police praised the bravery of the victim in giving evidence against Shanzad Akram, who was found guilty by a jury after denying the offence.

Derby Crown Court was told that the woman, who is in her 20s, awoke to find Akram attacking her as she returned home from a night out in Burton-on-Trent last year.

Akram, 32, of Beech Street, Burton, was also ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, Derbyshire Police said.

Detective Constable Peter Robinson said: "It's been a year since the attack took place and it's understandably been a very difficult and upsetting time for the victim.

"She has been extremely brave, not just for coming forward but for taking to the witness stand. Her strength in giving evidence no doubt helped to convict Akram.

"She was also very well supported by her friends and family throughout and I hope she is satisfied with the sentence and can hopefully start to move on with her life."

http://goo.gl/CJkKAg
-----------------------------------

 COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Around 300 Danish taxi drivers are expected to protest against the ride-hailing service of Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Wednesday, adding to the barrage of criticism facing the U.S. company from India and Brazil to New York city.

Lobby group Taxi Drivers in Denmark said on Tuesday it was protesting against the lack of action taken against Uber drivers following its allegations that they do not pay taxes and do not have the necessary insurance.

It said it has reported 200 drivers to the police since January but so far none had been convicted.
Uber has faced a storm of criticism from licensed taxi drivers across the world, arguing it poses unfair competition. In some instances, Uber has faced court injunctions and cars have been seized by authorities.

Denmark's Transport and Construction Agency reported Uber to the police in January, saying it violated Danish taxi regulations. The public prosecutor is evaluating a police investigation to see whether a case can be taken to court.

Uber said it was not running a taxi business in Denmark but a ride-sharing service.

"Uber partners are not employees but independent drivers who are responsible for their own tax affairs," General Manager Mathias Thomsen from Uber Denmark wrote in an email.

Uber Technologies Inc closed a round of funding in July that valued the company at nearly $51 billion.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/danish-taxi-drivers-protest-against-110451703.html
-------------------------------------

15 September Debate. 

"The Future of Black Cabs in London"

 The following download is safe.

https://goo.gl/eetaHM

LONDON TfL Crackdown

Interesting comments from Carles Walker (Cons) M.P. I missed this, somehow, on July 15.

Throughout the first 21 days of TfL’s ongoing crackdown, it has advised 2,625 private hire vehicle drivers to move on and keep the roads clear; reported 151 for not having a badge; reported a further 999 for not wearing their badge; issued 439 parking tickets; reported 15 private hire vehicle drivers for plying for hire; and reported 210 for parking on taxi ranks.

Those are impressive numbers, but I am afraid they are not backed up by impressive sanctions. For example, the 151 drivers reported for not having a badge were prevented from working for the remainder of the evening. Did they stop? I doubt it. Are the sanctions I have just listed a deterrent to illegality? Of course not. In New York just a few weeks ago, they seized 500 Uber vehicles for breaking the law, but that does not happen in London.

Into this maelstrom of collective regulatory failure rides Uber. Of course, a lot of PR nonsense is being talked about Uber and its “disruptive” technology changing the face of travel in London. 
Disruptive technology sounds glamorous and exciting, and if I had a choice I would always prefer to have my activities identified as being disruptive, as opposed to borderline illegal. In reality, all Uber is doing is equipping another fleet of barely regulated and unqualified drivers to ply their trade in the capital, with little or no thought given to how the drivers it enables conduct themselves.

To be fair, who can blame Uber’s savvy business leaders for recognising lax to non-existent regulatory enforcement and then exploiting it? What is the downside? There is none, because the rules are not enforced, but they should be because they say that only licensed black cabs can operate a meter. “To hell with that,” says Uber: “We’ll operate a meter but cunningly, like Baldrick, not call it a meter.” The rules say that private hire firms must have physical premises. “We’ll ignore that rule, too,” says Uber. The rules say cars for private hire must be pre-booked via an office. “No, that’s one not for us either,” says Uber. The rules say that private hire firms must have systems in place to protect customer and driver data. “So what?” says Uber, “Who’s going to check up on that?”

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-07-15a.1051.0
-------------------------------------
 RIBBLE VALLEYTAXI drivers would see changes to gaining a licence under new plans being debated by Ribble Valley Borough Council.

The new rules would mean drivers of private and hackney cabs would no longer have to pass a Steering To Success course before a licence is granted.

Instead all drivers would have to pass the DVSA taxi-driving test before being given a licence and must pass a Level 2 NVQ in road passenger vehicle driving within 12 months of the licence being granted.

Marshall Scott, chief executive at the council, said the new requirements would improve a significant amount of areas.

He said: “It would provide a practical driving and wheelchair assessment prior to issue of a licence and they would require a higher level of maths and English. It includes more detailed knowledge of disability issues.

“It will contain assessment on safety requirements and maintenance of the vehicle and assessment on knowledge of the legislation applicable to private-hire and hackney-carriage drivers, operators and vehicles.”

In a letter submitted to the council about changes to taxi licences following a consultation, one respondent said there had been critical responses to the current course.

He said: “Any new applicant currently wishing to apply for a private-hire badge cannot commence a Steering To Success course until early September.

“The course will complete in December meaning that they will have to wait months to commence employment.”

Jason Walker, manager at Tiger Taxis, said that the new changes might not solve all the problems. He said: “It takes two to three months to book the taxi test because the waiting list is so big. They should bring back the temporary licences which allowed drivers to work while getting their proper licences.

“They still have the regular driving licences. They are allowed to drive on the road. They should be able to earn money sooner than they are now. I agree with having some form of test. Language and area knowledge are important to the job but having to wait so long can put people off.”

The DVSA test would cost approximately £75 and the NVQ test £150, both having to be paid for by the driver. The council’s decision will be made tomorrow.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13718801.Ribble_Valley_taxi_drivers____to_improve_thanks_to_new_tests___/?ref=rss
------------------------------------

11 September 2015

RMT Press Office

RMT pushes back implementation of taxi access charges at Birmingham New Street station.

Taxi union RMT’s campaign against the hike in access charges for drivers serving the public at Birmingham New Street station has scored a major victory with Network Rail pushing back the implementation to allow for further consultation. The proposed charges would lump RMT taxi members with charges as high as £1,000 a year.

Network Rail intended to levy the huge fees on drivers starting from 20 September 2015 - the date when the newly refurbished station re-opens. However, as a result of the RMT campaign it has been forced to rethink its plans.


Faced with a boycott by Hackney Carriage taxi drivers, Network Rail had sought to illegally fill the taxi spaces with minicabs. These are vehicles that, for safety reasons, need to be pre-booked and which passengers cannot pick up from ranks direct.

Given the well-publicised concerns about unregulated rogue minicab drivers, this was a shocking error by Network Rail bosses . Alerted by RMT’s public campaign -  co-ordinated by the local branch and the West Midlands Regional Council - Birmingham City Council representatives quickly recognised Network Rail had made a major error and have sent the rail body’s plans back to the drawing board.

Network Rail’s climb down involves it having to refund the annual permits already purchased by minicab operators, with it forced instead to start a consultation with the bodies that represent taxi drivers in Birmingham – RMT, TOA and ComCab.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary said:

“The climb down by Network Rail over the introduction of outrageous taxi access charges has been secured as a result of the hard work and determination of RMT taxi members. However, we recognise that this fight is not over and we still have work to do to consign these proposals to the scrap heap.

“Today we have secured  an important victory for passengers, who ultimately would have borne the cost of excessive annual station pick up licences. However, it represents only a temporary respite, with Network Rail and other station operators determined to squeeze their site users – whether that be retail space tenants, toilet charges, car parking or taxi access.

“This fight goes on.”

ENDS