Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Transport for London Press release.
PN-286
29 September 2015
TfL launches new consultation to modernise private hire regulations
· Initial consultation, earlier this year, received almost four thousand responses from trades, customers and stakeholders
· Secondary consultation contains proposals for discussion in relation to an English language requirement for drivers, stricter controls on insurance and tighter controls on private hire bookings
· New taxi and private hire strategy also published, outlining TfL’s vision for the wider industry as a whole
Transport for London (TfL) will tomorrow launch a secondary public consultation on potential changes to the regulations that govern the Capital’s private hire trade. This follows an initial consultation which ended in June and received almost 4,000 responses from customers, stakeholders and the trades.
Following a detailed analysis of the responses to the initial consultation and meetings with trade representatives, a number of detailed suggestions have been drafted for consideration with the aim of helping TfL to better regulate the 21st century private hire trade.
These include proposals to improve driver skills, including English language capabilities and stricter requirements for insurance, as well as proposals around the way private hire operators can accept bookings and changes to how bookings are recorded. In addition a tough topographic exam to test driver navigational skills will also be introduced.
Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, said: “We are launching a public consultation in order to inform and improve the regulations that govern the Capital’s private hire trade. In recent years the private hire industry has grown exponentially and technology has also developed rapidly. The consultation sets out a number of ways that standards across the industry could be raised, ensuring Londoners can continue to benefit from the service provided by licensed private hire vehicles. No final decisions have been made and we’re keen to hear a range of views from the trade and from Londoners too.”
Alongside the consultation, TfL has also published a vision for the future of the taxi and private hire trade as a whole, setting the proposed changes to private hire regulations in the wider context of developments in the entire industry.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks and close on 23 December 2015.
Ends
Transport for London is preparing to launch a crackdown on Uber, proposing a series of new rules that will hit the popular minicab-hailing app in one of its most popular cities.
Documents seen by the Telegraph reveal that London’s transport body is due to consult on new proposals for private hire companies that would ban some of Uber’s key features.
The proposals include a minimum five-minute wait time between ordering a private hire vehicle and it arriving, and banning operators from showing cars for hire within a smartphone app – a hallmark of the American company's service.
TfL is also proposing that passengers must be able to book fares up to seven days in advance, and limiting ride-sharing, a move that would severely hamper Uber’s plans to introduce its UberPool service in London.
The proposals represent the latest crackdown from various regulators around the world on Uber, which has threatened to disrupt London’s black cab industry as well as taxi services in many other cities, and could have a major effect on its success in the capital.
"These bureaucratic new rules will not improve your ride," said Jo Bertram, Uber's general manager for the UK, Ireland and Nordics.
"They’re designed to address the concerns of black cab drivers, who feel under pressure from increased competition.
"But the answer is to reduce the onerous regulations cabbies face today - not increase them for everyone else."
TfL documents marked “private and confidential” reveal how the public body plans to launch a September consultation on the matter "in the interests of public safety and an effective and up to date regulatory system". It is expected to be unveiled within days.
Uber matches drivers with passengers via a smartphone app, allowing riders to hail a ride within minutes. This makes it significantly quicker than traditional private hire operators, although they are regulated as such.
Uber MapUber's maps show nearby cars Photo: Uber This has caused outrage among London’s black cab drivers and associations, who have repeatedly held protests causing gridlock in central London over the issue.
Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has defended Uber at times, recently telling cabbies: "You are dealing with a huge economic force which is consumer choice and the taxi trade needs to recognise that.”
However, after closing a consultation on the private hire industry in June, TfL is now proposing a series of rules that its documents say have been drafted and discussed with trade groups.
The 25 proposals in the draft document include several that would be particularly damaging to Uber, and appear designed in response to the rise of minicab apps.
The proposals
TfL is consulting on the following proposals that could affect Uber:
Operators "must provide booking confirmation details to the passenger at least five minutes prior to the journey commencing". Uber matches potential passengers with the nearest riders, meaning they are picked up in, on average, three minutes after requesting a car.
Companies "must not show vehicles being available for immediate hire either visibly or virtually via an app". One of Uber's key features is a map of available drivers in the area around the passenger.
Operators "must offer a facility to pre-book up to seven days in advance", an option that would create major headaches for Uber, since it does not allow passengers to pre-book rides.
Drivers may only work for one operator at a time. Uber says many of its drivers are part-time workers whose main employer is a traditional minicab firm.
There should be "controls on ridesharing in public vehicles". Uber's chief executive Travis Kalanick has said he wants to bring the UberPool service, which allows several customers to share a car, to London.
The proposals are contained in a draft document, so may have changed.
Uber has faced difficulties with regulators in several other countries. The company's UberPOP service has been abandoned in France after it was suspended, and has been banned in Belgium pending appeal.
Uber has said it has more than 15,000 drivers in London, which represents the vast majority of its operations in the UK.
The Telegraph has requested comment from TfL
http://goo.gl/H5tKyR
Documents seen by the Telegraph reveal that London’s transport body is due to consult on new proposals for private hire companies that would ban some of Uber’s key features.
The proposals include a minimum five-minute wait time between ordering a private hire vehicle and it arriving, and banning operators from showing cars for hire within a smartphone app – a hallmark of the American company's service.
TfL is also proposing that passengers must be able to book fares up to seven days in advance, and limiting ride-sharing, a move that would severely hamper Uber’s plans to introduce its UberPool service in London.
The proposals represent the latest crackdown from various regulators around the world on Uber, which has threatened to disrupt London’s black cab industry as well as taxi services in many other cities, and could have a major effect on its success in the capital.
"These bureaucratic new rules will not improve your ride," said Jo Bertram, Uber's general manager for the UK, Ireland and Nordics.
"They’re designed to address the concerns of black cab drivers, who feel under pressure from increased competition.
"But the answer is to reduce the onerous regulations cabbies face today - not increase them for everyone else."
TfL documents marked “private and confidential” reveal how the public body plans to launch a September consultation on the matter "in the interests of public safety and an effective and up to date regulatory system". It is expected to be unveiled within days.
Uber matches drivers with passengers via a smartphone app, allowing riders to hail a ride within minutes. This makes it significantly quicker than traditional private hire operators, although they are regulated as such.
Uber MapUber's maps show nearby cars Photo: Uber This has caused outrage among London’s black cab drivers and associations, who have repeatedly held protests causing gridlock in central London over the issue.
Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has defended Uber at times, recently telling cabbies: "You are dealing with a huge economic force which is consumer choice and the taxi trade needs to recognise that.”
However, after closing a consultation on the private hire industry in June, TfL is now proposing a series of rules that its documents say have been drafted and discussed with trade groups.
The 25 proposals in the draft document include several that would be particularly damaging to Uber, and appear designed in response to the rise of minicab apps.
The proposals
TfL is consulting on the following proposals that could affect Uber:
Operators "must provide booking confirmation details to the passenger at least five minutes prior to the journey commencing". Uber matches potential passengers with the nearest riders, meaning they are picked up in, on average, three minutes after requesting a car.
Companies "must not show vehicles being available for immediate hire either visibly or virtually via an app". One of Uber's key features is a map of available drivers in the area around the passenger.
Operators "must offer a facility to pre-book up to seven days in advance", an option that would create major headaches for Uber, since it does not allow passengers to pre-book rides.
Drivers may only work for one operator at a time. Uber says many of its drivers are part-time workers whose main employer is a traditional minicab firm.
There should be "controls on ridesharing in public vehicles". Uber's chief executive Travis Kalanick has said he wants to bring the UberPool service, which allows several customers to share a car, to London.
The proposals are contained in a draft document, so may have changed.
Uber has faced difficulties with regulators in several other countries. The company's UberPOP service has been abandoned in France after it was suspended, and has been banned in Belgium pending appeal.
Uber has said it has more than 15,000 drivers in London, which represents the vast majority of its operations in the UK.
The Telegraph has requested comment from TfL
http://goo.gl/H5tKyR
Monday, 28 September 2015
Sunderland City Council is pushing ahead with a new taxi licencing policy to prevent dodgy cabbies from getting behind the wheel – despite a lukewarm response to a consultation.
It comes after the tragic death of teenager Sarah Jane Burke who was knocked down and killed by taxi driver David Baillie two years ago. He had been granted a taxi licence despite a horrendous driving record.
The authority launched a consultation with the private hire and hackney carriage trade earlier this year in a bid to bring current licence guidance up to date to reflect the full range of driving offences.
More than 1,200 licensees were contacted, with the results said in the cabinet report to be “broadly favourable”, although just 24 responses were received.
The report said some respondents even felt the document should be more stringent as to the amount of time that should elapse before someone gets their licence back following a conviction for a serious offence.
However, the report read: “Legally, the council may not adopt a policy of outright bans from licensing upon individuals holding certain types of conviction.”
“ Legally, the council may not adopt a policy of outright bans from licensing upon individuals holding certain types of conviction
Cabinet report
The report also stated: “An aspect of the draft guidance that did attract some negative comment, related to the recommendation that licensees receiving two or more convictions, for what the document describes as minor driving offences in a four year period, should have their licence suspended.”
These concerns, the report added, would be addressed by the council inviting the individual concerned to speak directly to committee members before a decision is made on its own merits.
No changes were deemed necessary following the consultation, and the draft guidance document has now been rubber-stamped by cabinet members and passed to the council’s regulatory committee for adoption.
The council was put under pressure to revise its policy on granting licences to people with driving convictions, after the death of Sarah.
Baillie, who was not driving a taxi at the time he struck the 17-year-old college student as she crossed Ormonde Street, near her home in Barnes, had been granted a licence by the authority despite having a lengthy record of driving convictions.
The decision was made by the council’s regulatory committee just days before the tragedy, despite Baillies horrendous record, which has included him serving time for motoring offences.
The new guidelines do not necessarily mean that someone like Baillie would have been denied the licence he obtained just days before he killed Sarah.
But it will mean that relevant convictions, including those classified as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and especially repeat offending, can be taken into account in determining where an applicant is “a fit and proper person”, with the overriding consideration being the protection of the public.
Baillie is also highly unlikely to ever be granted a licence again once he is out of jail, as someone causing death by dangerous driving, “will normally never be granted and any existing licence would be revoked” under the proposals. Although, the document adds that “exceptional circumstances” will be decided on “a case-by case basis”.
Baillie, 39, of Magdalene Place in Sunderland was found guilty of causing Sarah’s death by dangerous driving by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court in June last year. He was jailed for seven years and banned from driving for the same length of time.
The guidance document sets out minimum periods a person should be free of certain types of conviction in or to be considered “a fit and proper person” to drive a taxi. Members of the council’s regulatory committee will also have to consider the moral implications of their decision, by answering the question: “Would you, as a member of the committee charged with the ability to grant, suspend or revoke a hackney carriage or private hire driver’s licence, allow your son, daughter, spouse, partner, mother, father, grandson, granddaughter or any other vulnerable person for whom you care, to get into a vehicle with this person alone?”
‘People are still being killed on our roads’
Sarah’s dad Stephen expressed his disbelief at the time that her killer had been allowed to hold a taxi licence and spoke of his fear that Baillie could kill again if he is allowed back behind the wheel.
Mr Burke said: “How could he have been on the road? His barrister said people make mistakes, but how many mistakes can you make?
“He has been in prison before, banned before and taken the re-test before.
“As a family we have said he will get back on the roads, it is in his character.
“We feel he is going to be a danger again once he is allowed back on the roads.
“There has to be a deterrent now.
“ I am not just speaking for us as a family, I am speaking for everyone who has suffered and everyone who is going to suffer.
“People are being killed on the roads every day.
Road safety charity Brake said it welcomed any move to improve safety, especially among those driving professionally.
“As a charity that supports bereaved families and road crash victims, we welcome any measure that will ensure professional drivers are safe to be on our roads,” spokesman Dave Nichols said.
“We need to make sure drivers are clear that if they continually flout the law and put people’s lives in danger, they can no longer make a living from driving on our roads.
“Too many drivers are let off with grossly inadequate penalties for driving offences, which sends a message that these are minor infringements, rather than serious crimes that can result in needless suffering and loss of life.
“Through our crackdown campaign, we are calling for tougher charges and penalties for driving offences, including longer bans.”
http://www.national-taxi-association.co.uk/?p=9367
------------------------------------------
Austria
The flood of migrants may be causing a strain elsewhere in Europe, but taxi driver Mohammed, who earns as much as 450 euros ($500) a day driving refugees from the border to Vienna, is a happy man.
"I charge 150 euros to get to Vienna. It's a fixed rate no matter how many passengers there are," the smiling, Austrian-born 30-year-old tells AFP as awaits his next customers. "I do two or three trips per day."
"Before this all started, drivers would be lucky to earn 150 euros in a 12-hour shift in Vienna. I don't mind waiting sometimes five or six hours at a time because I know I will get a fare."
Here at the Nickelsdorf crossing point, a long line of between 130 and 140 taxis snakes back from the border, waiting for the next train to disgorge its latest cargo of people on the Hungarian side, who then walk across.
"It's been like this for a month. Word has gone round by word of month, phone and Facebook (among all the taxi drivers). Now all of Vienna is here," Mohammed quips as he enjoys a smoke.
Kevin, 23, is another contented taxi driver. He has a smart taxi van with eight seats, meaning he can charge more -- 170 euros -- for the 80-kilometre (50-mile) journey to one of Vienna's main train stations.
Unlike most of the others with Vienna number plates, Kevin is actually from Nickelsdorf. Before large numbers of migrants started arriving a few weeks ago, he only used to bother doing taxi work at weekends.
"I've been coming here for about three weeks and drive as much as possible," he tells AFP through the window as he too passes the time smoking a cigarette. "Business is good... And I think it will continue for a while."
- 'They have money' -
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/austrian-taxi-drivers-fare-well-migrant-crisis-053637361.html#dTKel2A
----------------------------------------
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Hundreds of taxi drivers jammed the centre of Slovakia's capital on Monday in the latest demonstration in Europe against popular ride-hailing service Uber.
Taxis drove slowly across the bridge over the Danube river into Bratislava's historical centre as drivers called on authorities to act against the popular app that launched in the central European country in August.
The head of the Bratislava taxi drivers' union Ondrej Wenzl said 500 drivers had taken part in the protest. Local media said there were around 200.
Wenzl said Uber drivers were not operating according to the same rules that govern licensed taxi drivers.
Slovak officials said the government has informed Uber that its drivers must operate with the proper documentation or face penalties that could include fines of up to 40,000 euros.
Since launching in Europe four years ago, U.S. start-up Uber has drawn the ire of traditional taxi drivers and has been hit with court injunctions in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain for violating taxi licensing rules.
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/slovak-taxi-drivers-protest-against-uber-190224737.html
It comes after the tragic death of teenager Sarah Jane Burke who was knocked down and killed by taxi driver David Baillie two years ago. He had been granted a taxi licence despite a horrendous driving record.
The authority launched a consultation with the private hire and hackney carriage trade earlier this year in a bid to bring current licence guidance up to date to reflect the full range of driving offences.
More than 1,200 licensees were contacted, with the results said in the cabinet report to be “broadly favourable”, although just 24 responses were received.
The report said some respondents even felt the document should be more stringent as to the amount of time that should elapse before someone gets their licence back following a conviction for a serious offence.
However, the report read: “Legally, the council may not adopt a policy of outright bans from licensing upon individuals holding certain types of conviction.”
“ Legally, the council may not adopt a policy of outright bans from licensing upon individuals holding certain types of conviction
Cabinet report
The report also stated: “An aspect of the draft guidance that did attract some negative comment, related to the recommendation that licensees receiving two or more convictions, for what the document describes as minor driving offences in a four year period, should have their licence suspended.”
These concerns, the report added, would be addressed by the council inviting the individual concerned to speak directly to committee members before a decision is made on its own merits.
No changes were deemed necessary following the consultation, and the draft guidance document has now been rubber-stamped by cabinet members and passed to the council’s regulatory committee for adoption.
The council was put under pressure to revise its policy on granting licences to people with driving convictions, after the death of Sarah.
Baillie, who was not driving a taxi at the time he struck the 17-year-old college student as she crossed Ormonde Street, near her home in Barnes, had been granted a licence by the authority despite having a lengthy record of driving convictions.
The decision was made by the council’s regulatory committee just days before the tragedy, despite Baillies horrendous record, which has included him serving time for motoring offences.
The new guidelines do not necessarily mean that someone like Baillie would have been denied the licence he obtained just days before he killed Sarah.
But it will mean that relevant convictions, including those classified as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and especially repeat offending, can be taken into account in determining where an applicant is “a fit and proper person”, with the overriding consideration being the protection of the public.
Baillie is also highly unlikely to ever be granted a licence again once he is out of jail, as someone causing death by dangerous driving, “will normally never be granted and any existing licence would be revoked” under the proposals. Although, the document adds that “exceptional circumstances” will be decided on “a case-by case basis”.
Baillie, 39, of Magdalene Place in Sunderland was found guilty of causing Sarah’s death by dangerous driving by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court in June last year. He was jailed for seven years and banned from driving for the same length of time.
The guidance document sets out minimum periods a person should be free of certain types of conviction in or to be considered “a fit and proper person” to drive a taxi. Members of the council’s regulatory committee will also have to consider the moral implications of their decision, by answering the question: “Would you, as a member of the committee charged with the ability to grant, suspend or revoke a hackney carriage or private hire driver’s licence, allow your son, daughter, spouse, partner, mother, father, grandson, granddaughter or any other vulnerable person for whom you care, to get into a vehicle with this person alone?”
‘People are still being killed on our roads’
Sarah’s dad Stephen expressed his disbelief at the time that her killer had been allowed to hold a taxi licence and spoke of his fear that Baillie could kill again if he is allowed back behind the wheel.
Mr Burke said: “How could he have been on the road? His barrister said people make mistakes, but how many mistakes can you make?
“He has been in prison before, banned before and taken the re-test before.
“As a family we have said he will get back on the roads, it is in his character.
“We feel he is going to be a danger again once he is allowed back on the roads.
“There has to be a deterrent now.
“ I am not just speaking for us as a family, I am speaking for everyone who has suffered and everyone who is going to suffer.
“People are being killed on the roads every day.
Road safety charity Brake said it welcomed any move to improve safety, especially among those driving professionally.
“As a charity that supports bereaved families and road crash victims, we welcome any measure that will ensure professional drivers are safe to be on our roads,” spokesman Dave Nichols said.
“We need to make sure drivers are clear that if they continually flout the law and put people’s lives in danger, they can no longer make a living from driving on our roads.
“Too many drivers are let off with grossly inadequate penalties for driving offences, which sends a message that these are minor infringements, rather than serious crimes that can result in needless suffering and loss of life.
“Through our crackdown campaign, we are calling for tougher charges and penalties for driving offences, including longer bans.”
http://www.national-taxi-association.co.uk/?p=9367
------------------------------------------
Austria
The flood of migrants may be causing a strain elsewhere in Europe, but taxi driver Mohammed, who earns as much as 450 euros ($500) a day driving refugees from the border to Vienna, is a happy man.
"I charge 150 euros to get to Vienna. It's a fixed rate no matter how many passengers there are," the smiling, Austrian-born 30-year-old tells AFP as awaits his next customers. "I do two or three trips per day."
"Before this all started, drivers would be lucky to earn 150 euros in a 12-hour shift in Vienna. I don't mind waiting sometimes five or six hours at a time because I know I will get a fare."
Here at the Nickelsdorf crossing point, a long line of between 130 and 140 taxis snakes back from the border, waiting for the next train to disgorge its latest cargo of people on the Hungarian side, who then walk across.
"It's been like this for a month. Word has gone round by word of month, phone and Facebook (among all the taxi drivers). Now all of Vienna is here," Mohammed quips as he enjoys a smoke.
Kevin, 23, is another contented taxi driver. He has a smart taxi van with eight seats, meaning he can charge more -- 170 euros -- for the 80-kilometre (50-mile) journey to one of Vienna's main train stations.
Unlike most of the others with Vienna number plates, Kevin is actually from Nickelsdorf. Before large numbers of migrants started arriving a few weeks ago, he only used to bother doing taxi work at weekends.
"I've been coming here for about three weeks and drive as much as possible," he tells AFP through the window as he too passes the time smoking a cigarette. "Business is good... And I think it will continue for a while."
- 'They have money' -
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/austrian-taxi-drivers-fare-well-migrant-crisis-053637361.html#dTKel2A
----------------------------------------
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Hundreds of taxi drivers jammed the centre of Slovakia's capital on Monday in the latest demonstration in Europe against popular ride-hailing service Uber.
Taxis drove slowly across the bridge over the Danube river into Bratislava's historical centre as drivers called on authorities to act against the popular app that launched in the central European country in August.
The head of the Bratislava taxi drivers' union Ondrej Wenzl said 500 drivers had taken part in the protest. Local media said there were around 200.
Wenzl said Uber drivers were not operating according to the same rules that govern licensed taxi drivers.
Slovak officials said the government has informed Uber that its drivers must operate with the proper documentation or face penalties that could include fines of up to 40,000 euros.
Since launching in Europe four years ago, U.S. start-up Uber has drawn the ire of traditional taxi drivers and has been hit with court injunctions in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain for violating taxi licensing rules.
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/slovak-taxi-drivers-protest-against-uber-190224737.html
Sunday, 27 September 2015
Australia
40 Uber drivers have been issued suspension notices in New South Wales, as the state government moves in on illegal ride-sharing services.
On Monday, a NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) spokesman said that taxi and hire car services must have authorised and accredited operators, as well as a licensed and insured vehicle.
"Thousands of dollars in fines have already been issued to drivers offering illegal ride-sharing activities and compliance actions will continue," he said. "If drivers continue to offer illegal ride-sharing services, they will continue to risk registration suspensions and fines."
The 40 UberX suspensions will take effect from midnight on Wednesday for three months.
If a suspended vehicle is found on the road after October 1, the vehicle will be deemed unregistered and uninsured, with penalties of AU$637 for each offence, increasing to around AU$2,200 if heard in court, the RMS spokesman added.
Uber says it is waiting for the NSW government to sensibly regulate the industry.
"We are shocked that the Roads and Maritime Services did not appear to show these drivers any due process and we are reviewing the legal options to reverse this decision," Uber said in a statement on Monday.
The RMS has been hot on Uber's heels for a while, issuing court attendance notifications to Uber's Sydney drivers earlier this year.
http://goo.gl/14PKuy
------------------------------------------
EDINBURGH
CAB hailing service Gett is preparing to launch business accounts that guarantee a timely taxi for corporate customers in Edinburgh.
Remo Gerber, chief executive in the UK and western Europe, said Gett for Business will be introduced before the end of the year with options for fixed-price tariffs and various tools for managing a corporate account. Employers could, for example, set up a system that automatically records the identity of a user and the specific purpose of their journey, thus cutting out the paperwork of reimbursing staff expenses.
“Those blank receipts will be a thing of the past,” said Gerber, who was in the capital last week speaking at the Opportunity Knocks conference hosted by Entrepreneurial Spark and RBS.
The critical element, however, is the guarantee that a taxi will arrive promptly.
Unlike major rival Uber, Gett – known as GetTaxi until earlier this year – works solely with licensed black cabs and Hackneys. Drivers sign up for the extra business it generates, but during periods of peak demand users may find there are no taxis available.
This has reportedly been the case when the weather is poor, or during rush hour. Additionally, Gerber said Gett was unable to meet all demand during last month’s International and Fringe festivals.
Gett is in the final stages of developing a back-end system designed to prioritise its corporate customers. According to Gerber, business travel accounts for about 40 per cent of all taxi journeys in Edinburgh.
“For the consumers we are working hard every day to get more drivers on board,” he added.
Gett has roughly 200 drivers in Edinburgh, and a further 130 in Glasgow. It launched in both cities seven months ago, during which time the capital has overtaken Manchester as the company’s biggest UK market outside London.
In addition to corporate accounts, Gett is also expanding into other time-saving services via its app, which is available in 32 cities throughout the UK, Russia and Israel, as well as New York City in the US.
http://goo.gl/bKbsBG
40 Uber drivers have been issued suspension notices in New South Wales, as the state government moves in on illegal ride-sharing services.
On Monday, a NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) spokesman said that taxi and hire car services must have authorised and accredited operators, as well as a licensed and insured vehicle.
"Thousands of dollars in fines have already been issued to drivers offering illegal ride-sharing activities and compliance actions will continue," he said. "If drivers continue to offer illegal ride-sharing services, they will continue to risk registration suspensions and fines."
The 40 UberX suspensions will take effect from midnight on Wednesday for three months.
If a suspended vehicle is found on the road after October 1, the vehicle will be deemed unregistered and uninsured, with penalties of AU$637 for each offence, increasing to around AU$2,200 if heard in court, the RMS spokesman added.
Uber says it is waiting for the NSW government to sensibly regulate the industry.
"We are shocked that the Roads and Maritime Services did not appear to show these drivers any due process and we are reviewing the legal options to reverse this decision," Uber said in a statement on Monday.
The RMS has been hot on Uber's heels for a while, issuing court attendance notifications to Uber's Sydney drivers earlier this year.
http://goo.gl/14PKuy
------------------------------------------
EDINBURGH
CAB hailing service Gett is preparing to launch business accounts that guarantee a timely taxi for corporate customers in Edinburgh.
Remo Gerber, chief executive in the UK and western Europe, said Gett for Business will be introduced before the end of the year with options for fixed-price tariffs and various tools for managing a corporate account. Employers could, for example, set up a system that automatically records the identity of a user and the specific purpose of their journey, thus cutting out the paperwork of reimbursing staff expenses.
“Those blank receipts will be a thing of the past,” said Gerber, who was in the capital last week speaking at the Opportunity Knocks conference hosted by Entrepreneurial Spark and RBS.
The critical element, however, is the guarantee that a taxi will arrive promptly.
Unlike major rival Uber, Gett – known as GetTaxi until earlier this year – works solely with licensed black cabs and Hackneys. Drivers sign up for the extra business it generates, but during periods of peak demand users may find there are no taxis available.
This has reportedly been the case when the weather is poor, or during rush hour. Additionally, Gerber said Gett was unable to meet all demand during last month’s International and Fringe festivals.
Gett is in the final stages of developing a back-end system designed to prioritise its corporate customers. According to Gerber, business travel accounts for about 40 per cent of all taxi journeys in Edinburgh.
“For the consumers we are working hard every day to get more drivers on board,” he added.
Gett has roughly 200 drivers in Edinburgh, and a further 130 in Glasgow. It launched in both cities seven months ago, during which time the capital has overtaken Manchester as the company’s biggest UK market outside London.
In addition to corporate accounts, Gett is also expanding into other time-saving services via its app, which is available in 32 cities throughout the UK, Russia and Israel, as well as New York City in the US.
http://goo.gl/bKbsBG
On Friday, a 'Reclaim The Night' march was held in Cardiff
Taxi drivers in Cardiff are under fire over claims they are refusing to take passengers on journeys that are deemed too short.
It comes just days after cab drivers in the city assured students they would not be turned away for short-distance taxi trips, after three sex attacks in the capital in just five days.
Mathab Khan, the chair of the Cardiff Hackney Cabs Association, said: “Our advice to our drivers is to be as helpful as you possibly can, especially when it comes to lone female students. We say ‘Please take them, they are vulnerable’.
Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff
Mr Khan told the BBC the only time a cab driver would refuse a fare was if the passenger was unfit to travel, due to excessive drink.
“99.9% of the taxi drivers in Cardiff are very helpful,” he said.
But this has been rejected by many women, some who tried to get a taxi home on Friday night.
Leah Davies, who was trying to get home after a night out in the city centre, says she was turned down by five different drivers.
She wrote on Facebook: “Absolutely shaking with rage at Cardiff taxi drivers. Refusing to take myself, a young girl, on her own, because she lives “too close”. Too close being a 20 minute walk, along the riverside, in a slightly dodgy area.
“Especially with the sex attacks that’s happened over the past few days, you’d think they’d have some compassion.”
Amy Jones said: “I work as a manager in the city centre at an entertainment venue where I frequently work late nights. I don’t trust the taxi drivers in town, so I often drive and pay for a couple of hours parking and then drive home in the early hours.
“Last Saturday night (September 19) I was working. With the match on, I knew there was no way I would be able to park. So I paid for a bus fare into town, with enough cash on me to pay for a taxi home in Roath.
“At the end of the night - at approximately 2am - I started asking the taxis to take me home.
Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff
“I know they often refuse short distance fares so I just said “home” - not specifying a location.
"I asked over a dozen taxis to take me home - outside Prince of Wales, further up along St Mary Street and at the top of St Mary Street by the castle. Every single one of them told me they weren’t in a rank and they didn’t have to take me.
“I ended up in tears - and still no one would take me. In light of the sexual assaults, I was terrified, but could see no other solution than to attempt to walk home.
“Fortunately I made it home safely well past 3am - almost 4am.”
“With more match days looming and bus strikes coming up, I’m getting increasing nervous about how I’m going to get to work.”
Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins said: “Cardiff city’s taxi association has rejected claims that they have refused short distance fares.
“I have experienced this myself, whereby a taxi driver has deemed it too short a journey to take me somewhere”.
“At a time when there has been a series of attacks on women in the city, taxi drivers have a social duty to take those shorter fares”.
“I would urge Cardiff council to hold talks immediately with the taxi association in the city to rectify this matter with urgency.”
The criticism comes as police continue to question a 23-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault in connection with one of the alleged incidents.
On Saturday, Remus Hamza, 40, appeared in court charged with rape following an alleged incident in the capital’s civic centre area.
He will appear again at Cardiff Crown Court on October 12.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/taxi-drivers-criticised-refusing-take-10144601?
----------------------------------------
LONDON
Firefighters were called to free a minicab driver from his car after a dramatic early morning crash in west London.
The driver of the Toyota Prius was temporarily trapped after colliding with a black Mercedes on West Cromwell Road in Kensington.
The victim, reported to be aged in his 50s, was taken to Charing Cross Hospital with back injuries just before 4am today, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said.
Black cab driver Paul Janes, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, said the driver was lucky to survive.
He said: "When I saw the state of the vehicle, I thought someone could have died. It was shocking. The car was completely mangled."
He said the road, often used as a route towards Heathrow Airport, was becoming increasingly "dangerous" and was being treated by taxi drivers as a "free-for-all".
A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade confirmed fire crews freed the taxi driver from the car.
A spokeswoman for the LAS said: "We were called at 3.57am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision at West Cromwell Road.
"We sent three ambulance vehicles and crew were on scene within six minutes.
"We took a male, reported to be in his fifties, with a back injury to Charing Cross Hospital."
http://goo.gl/ByChWx
Taxi drivers in Cardiff are under fire over claims they are refusing to take passengers on journeys that are deemed too short.
It comes just days after cab drivers in the city assured students they would not be turned away for short-distance taxi trips, after three sex attacks in the capital in just five days.
Mathab Khan, the chair of the Cardiff Hackney Cabs Association, said: “Our advice to our drivers is to be as helpful as you possibly can, especially when it comes to lone female students. We say ‘Please take them, they are vulnerable’.
Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff
Mr Khan told the BBC the only time a cab driver would refuse a fare was if the passenger was unfit to travel, due to excessive drink.
“99.9% of the taxi drivers in Cardiff are very helpful,” he said.
But this has been rejected by many women, some who tried to get a taxi home on Friday night.
Leah Davies, who was trying to get home after a night out in the city centre, says she was turned down by five different drivers.
She wrote on Facebook: “Absolutely shaking with rage at Cardiff taxi drivers. Refusing to take myself, a young girl, on her own, because she lives “too close”. Too close being a 20 minute walk, along the riverside, in a slightly dodgy area.
“Especially with the sex attacks that’s happened over the past few days, you’d think they’d have some compassion.”
Amy Jones said: “I work as a manager in the city centre at an entertainment venue where I frequently work late nights. I don’t trust the taxi drivers in town, so I often drive and pay for a couple of hours parking and then drive home in the early hours.
“Last Saturday night (September 19) I was working. With the match on, I knew there was no way I would be able to park. So I paid for a bus fare into town, with enough cash on me to pay for a taxi home in Roath.
“At the end of the night - at approximately 2am - I started asking the taxis to take me home.
Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff
“I know they often refuse short distance fares so I just said “home” - not specifying a location.
"I asked over a dozen taxis to take me home - outside Prince of Wales, further up along St Mary Street and at the top of St Mary Street by the castle. Every single one of them told me they weren’t in a rank and they didn’t have to take me.
“I ended up in tears - and still no one would take me. In light of the sexual assaults, I was terrified, but could see no other solution than to attempt to walk home.
“Fortunately I made it home safely well past 3am - almost 4am.”
“With more match days looming and bus strikes coming up, I’m getting increasing nervous about how I’m going to get to work.”
Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins said: “Cardiff city’s taxi association has rejected claims that they have refused short distance fares.
“I have experienced this myself, whereby a taxi driver has deemed it too short a journey to take me somewhere”.
“At a time when there has been a series of attacks on women in the city, taxi drivers have a social duty to take those shorter fares”.
“I would urge Cardiff council to hold talks immediately with the taxi association in the city to rectify this matter with urgency.”
The criticism comes as police continue to question a 23-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault in connection with one of the alleged incidents.
On Saturday, Remus Hamza, 40, appeared in court charged with rape following an alleged incident in the capital’s civic centre area.
He will appear again at Cardiff Crown Court on October 12.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/taxi-drivers-criticised-refusing-take-10144601?
----------------------------------------
LONDON
Firefighters were called to free a minicab driver from his car after a dramatic early morning crash in west London.
The driver of the Toyota Prius was temporarily trapped after colliding with a black Mercedes on West Cromwell Road in Kensington.
The victim, reported to be aged in his 50s, was taken to Charing Cross Hospital with back injuries just before 4am today, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said.
Black cab driver Paul Janes, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, said the driver was lucky to survive.
He said: "When I saw the state of the vehicle, I thought someone could have died. It was shocking. The car was completely mangled."
He said the road, often used as a route towards Heathrow Airport, was becoming increasingly "dangerous" and was being treated by taxi drivers as a "free-for-all".
A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade confirmed fire crews freed the taxi driver from the car.
A spokeswoman for the LAS said: "We were called at 3.57am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision at West Cromwell Road.
"We sent three ambulance vehicles and crew were on scene within six minutes.
"We took a male, reported to be in his fifties, with a back injury to Charing Cross Hospital."
http://goo.gl/ByChWx
Friday, 25 September 2015
HMRC to Investigate PH Companies.
Eight taxi firms across Northern Ireland have been targeted as part of an investigation into suspected tax evasion.
Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) visited the business premises in counties Antrim, Down and Fermanagh and uplifted business records for examination.
Michael Connolly, HMRC's Taskforce Coordinator in Northern Ireland, said: "Tax evasion is a crime that costs society dearly. While over 90% of people play by the rules and pay their dues, our taskforces target areas where we see a risk that people won't pay what they owe."
http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern-ireland-news/204003/eight-taxi-firms-targeted-over-suspected-tax-evasion
--------------------------------------------------------------
Raids were carried out on 36 taxi firms across Scotland as part of a major probe into tax evasion.
A taskforce of officers from HMRC and Police Scotland carried out the raids on Wednesday morning across the country.
They targeted business premises in greater Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeen and the Scottish Borders and uplifted business records for examination.
Michael Connolly, HMRC’s taskforce coordinator in Scotland, said: "Tax evasion is a crime that costs society dearly.
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1329457-police-raid-36-taxi-firms-across-scotland-in-probe-into-tax-evasion/?
------------------------------------------
COMMENT
I think HMRC should be asked to investigate
P. H. Companies in Manchester, in particular those that use Out-Of-Town Hackneys. i.e. Cresta, Manchester Cars, Intime,Union and several of the Trafford based Companies.
I believe the main attraction for PH Companies to use these O-O-Town vehicles is that they are "Ghosts", or "off the books."
If I am right, that means around £20 vat, per week, per vehicle, is being withheld from HMRC.
Quite a tidy sum, Inspector.
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Eight taxi firms across Northern Ireland have been targeted as part of an investigation into suspected tax evasion.
Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) visited the business premises in counties Antrim, Down and Fermanagh and uplifted business records for examination.
Michael Connolly, HMRC's Taskforce Coordinator in Northern Ireland, said: "Tax evasion is a crime that costs society dearly. While over 90% of people play by the rules and pay their dues, our taskforces target areas where we see a risk that people won't pay what they owe."
http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern-ireland-news/204003/eight-taxi-firms-targeted-over-suspected-tax-evasion
--------------------------------------------------------------
Raids were carried out on 36 taxi firms across Scotland as part of a major probe into tax evasion.
A taskforce of officers from HMRC and Police Scotland carried out the raids on Wednesday morning across the country.
They targeted business premises in greater Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeen and the Scottish Borders and uplifted business records for examination.
Michael Connolly, HMRC’s taskforce coordinator in Scotland, said: "Tax evasion is a crime that costs society dearly.
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1329457-police-raid-36-taxi-firms-across-scotland-in-probe-into-tax-evasion/?
------------------------------------------
COMMENT
I think HMRC should be asked to investigate
P. H. Companies in Manchester, in particular those that use Out-Of-Town Hackneys. i.e. Cresta, Manchester Cars, Intime,Union and several of the Trafford based Companies.
I believe the main attraction for PH Companies to use these O-O-Town vehicles is that they are "Ghosts", or "off the books."
If I am right, that means around £20 vat, per week, per vehicle, is being withheld from HMRC.
Quite a tidy sum, Inspector.
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