New York Police Commissioner suggest women should not get a Cab alone, for fear of Sex Attack.

NYPD says 14 rapes in cabs were reported in 2015, up from 10 in 2014

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton has encouraged women to ‘buddy up’ when hailing cabs late at night to protect themselves from assault.

Just two hours into the new year, a 25-year-old from New Jersey hailed a yellow cab in Upper Manhattan and fell asleep in the back seat.

She awoke to find the cabdriver sitting next to her, kissing her neck and reaching into her waistband, a law-enforcement official said.

“How dare you violate me?” the woman said, according to the official. The taxi driver apologized, returned to the front seat and took the woman to her destination, officials said. Police later arrested the driver, and he was charged with felony sexual abuse.

That incident, and at least one other like it since the start of 2016, come as New York Police Department officials say there is a rise in rape by strangers, with an increasing number committed in taxis and other cars-for-hire, according to police.

“Women going out to a bar or a nightclub in Manhattan, believing that they’re doing the right thing, they don’t want to drink and drive, they want to get home safe and get in a cab,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Dermot Shea said at a news conference last week. “And then they’re getting driven and passing out and waking up in a desolate area and they’re getting sexually attacked.”

Police said there was a 6% rise in reports of rapes in 2015 over 2014, an increase from 1,354 to 1,439. Reports of rapes by a stranger increased to 166 in 2015 from 117 in 2014, police said, with 14 rapes in cabs in 2015, up from 10 in 2014. This is in addition to attempted rape, touching and other lewd acts, and the statistics don’t specify whether the driver or passenger is the perpetrator.

The increase comes amid the rise in popularity of ride-hailing apps and questions about rider security. Mr. Shea, though, stressed that police are seeing the problem in all types of cars for hire, including yellow cabs.

Concerns about passenger safety grew last spring when the driver of a green borough taxi was charged with raping a 33-year-old passenger in Brooklyn. Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo proposed legislation to require panic buttons in the back seat of cars for hire.

In an interview on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show last week, Police Commissioner William Bratton encouraged women to “buddy up” when hailing cabs late at night, to protect themselves from assault.

Ms. Cumbo bristled at the commissioner’s suggestion. “I’m a single black woman in the city of New York and I should be able to walk outside my house without a buddy,” she said.

Representatives of the for-hire car industry stressed the safeguards in place for passengers. Allan Fromberg, a spokesman for the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses taxi and other for-hire drivers, including Uber drivers, said potential drivers go through a fingerprint-based criminal background check. This process, he said, allows for “ongoing 24/7, 365 monitoring of our licensees so that we are notified whenever a TLC licensee has been arrested.”

An Uber representative said technology keeps their passengers safe. Riders see a driver’s name, photo, license plate number, car model and overall rating before they get in an Uber, spokesman Matt Wing said, and every trip is GPS-tracked. This means “there is a clear record and riders can share their trip ETA, allowing friends and family to track their trip in real time,” he said.

Bhairavi Desai, president of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, advised passengers to make sure they are getting into a cab that is marked and licensed, so that it can be tracked. “It’s when you’re hailing a car that’s not a green cab or a yellow cab, that’s when that ride is off the radar,” she said.

Some women in New York said they do feel they need to exercise caution when riding alone.

The back of a cab can feel like a sanctuary, said Bunny Michael, a 33-year-old artist from Brooklyn’s Bushwick section. But, she added, “we live in New York, where you’re vulnerable everywhere. If something feels wrong, it probably is.”

Megan Lewis, a 36-year-old actor and nanny, said she never feels unsafe taking cabs alone. “The medallion number and everything is right there,” she said.

In the case of the woman assaulted early on New Year’s Day, police said she took a photo of the registration and medallion number displayed on the car’s partition. Police used that information to track down and arrest the driver in less than 24 hours.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/rise-in-sexual-assaults-reported-by-taxi-passengers-1452476904
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Taxi drivers in Gloucester have been urged to fight plans to ban private hire cabs from driving in bus lanes in the city.

Gloucestershire County Council is proposing to limit bus lane use in the county's roads to buses, hackney carriages, cyclists, emergency service vehicles and motorbikes.

But private hire cabbies who pay Gloucester City Council for the right to drive in bus lanes in the city say the move could cause more traffic congestion and cost their customers more.

The county council wants to introduce the same rules for all bus lanes in Gloucestershire as part of its draft local transport plan.

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Private-hire-taxi-drivers-banned-using-bus-lanes/story-28489813-detail/story.html

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CARDIFF

If John Lewis did cabs...it would be like UBER.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news-opinion/hail-uber-taxi-app-certainly-10712252

Something Stinks.

Geeley buy London Cab Co for £11 million.

They bought it cheap because the Company was driven to near collapse by two massive product recall's. Firstly the TX4 fires and then the Steering Box recall's. Ironically (perhaps) the recalls were brought about by products sourced from Geeley's home Country.

Next, to some fanfare Geeley launch a new £250 million facility in West Midlands.

This is believed to befunded by the U.K. tax payer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-32063233

The purchase of New TX vehicles is currently stagnant. Several factors contribute to this. However the main factor is lack of confidence in the product.

The Government have invested a lot of the PUBLICS money in this project. What to do next.?

On the 17 December (whilst everybody is busy 'not looking') just before the Christmas break, statements in both Houses of Parliament are made showing the Government is backing 'enviroment charges' which in reality means additionally taxing
drivers of older Taxi's to enter the City Centre in which they are Licensed.

There are five area's involved at first, but, if you do not think that in the near future this will spread to your City, in the words of my old Ma.
"You want your bumps felt"

House of Lords..17 December 2015

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

My Right Hon Friend the Secretary of State (Elizabeth Truss) has today made the following statement.
I have today issued the UK plan for improving air quality. This Plan sets out a comprehensive approach that will reduce health impacts and meet our environmental and legal obligations by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones. It is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-quality-plan-for-nitrogen-dioxide-no2-in-uk-2015


Under this Plan, by 2020 the most polluting diesel vehicles - old polluting buses, coaches, taxis and lorries - will be discouraged from entering the centres of Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby. Newer vehicles that meet the latest emission standards, and private cars, will be unaffected.
Over recent decades, air quality has improved significantly. Between 2005 and 2013 emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 38% and particulate matter has reduced by more than 16%. Over the past five years the Government has committed over £2 billion to help bus operators upgrade their fleets, reduce pollution from a range of vehicles such as refuse trucks and fire engines through cutting edge technologies, and promote the development of clean alternative fuels such as powering taxis with liquid petroleum gas in Birmingham.
In order to bring the UK into legal compliance and to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide below 40 µg/m3 Clean Air Zones will be introduced in five cities. These Zones will reduce the pollution in city centres and encourage the replacement of old, polluting vehicles with modern, cleaner vehicles. Similar zones in Germany and Denmark have been shown to improve air quality.
These Zones will target air quality hot spots. Following scoping studies, which Government will provide funding for, Councils will consult on the details on these Zones.
In Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby, these Zones will cover old diesel buses, coaches, taxis and lorries. Newer vehicles that meet the latest emissions standards will not need to pay and, under this Plan, no private car will have to pay. The local authorities will have to set charges at levels designed to reduce pollution, not to raise revenue (beyond recovering the costs of the scheme).
Birmingham and Leeds will also discourage old polluting diesel vans and implement other measures including park and ride schemes, signage, changes in road layouts and provision of infrastructure for alternative fuels.
Many companies have already started to update their fleets to modern, cleaner vehicles. For example, by 2017 British Gas will have replaced at least 10% of their commercial fleet with electric vehicles, reducing emissions compared to their old diesel vans. The new electric vans also represent a saving over their diesel counterparts. In London the cost savings could be as high as 20%, with other locations saving between 6-10%.
The Environment Agency, winner of Green Fleet of the Year 2015, has committed to increase the number of ultra-low emission vehicles to more than 100 by the end of 2015.
Another example of businesses modernising their fleet is Reading Buses - 38% of their fleet are ‘ultra-clean’ drastically reducing their emissions. Drivers are also given advice on fuel efficient eco-driving techniques.
One of the main reasons our cities continue to face air quality problems is the failure of diesel vehicles to deliver expected emission reductions in real world driving conditions. We have recently secured agreement in the EU to introduce more stringent emissions testing across the EU, ensuring that vehicles live up to their low emission credentials. Our Plans fully factor in current car performance and future performance standards following this agreement.
The Mayor of London has a well-developed strategy for improving air quality by 2025, including the implementation of an ultra-low emission zone by 2020, retro-fitting of buses and licensing new taxis to be zero emission capable from 2018. We will continue to support and monitor the delivery of the Mayor’s plans.

BRAINTREE

A TAXI driver has bought his second wheelchair accessible cab after a council splashed out on new licenses.

Braintree Council bought six vehicle licenses to improve accessibility in the fleet.

Perry Everitt, owner of Perry’s Taxi, in Braintree, bought his second vehicle for £20,000, which is now used by an employee, and was given his licence for free.

He said: “I have been an owner-driver for nine years and this is the second wheelchair accessible cab I’ve got.

“It was great the council gave me my second licence for free, I’ve got so much work from wheelchair users since.

“Last Friday, I did ten wheelchair jobs in one day.

“I also have a contract for one user and I have regular jobs from people at care homes and things.


“My first cab cost me £32,000, so I have invested heavily.

“Some weeks, 40 per cent of my work is wheelchair jobs now “People are grateful.

When people in wheelchairs find a driver who they trust and caters for their needs, they are more than grateful.”

This comes after two taxi drivers, Saleh Attia and Ramesh Krishnan, were prosecuted by the authority after they refused entry to Philip Lee and his black labrador, Nan, at the Manor Street taxi rank in Braintree on February 12.

http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/braintree_witham_news/14189326.Taxi_driver_buys_new_disabled_friendly_cab/

BOSSES at BBC Scotland have been criticised after the organisation’s annual taxi bill rocketed to a record level of more than £740,000.

New figures reveal the Corporation spent £740,024 on cabs for staff and guests in 2014/15 – a £130,000 increase on the previous 12 months.

The revelation has sparked fury from critics who point out the huge increase comes as the BBC faces huge cuts to its budget.

BBC Scotland chiefs at its Pacific Quay HQ in Glasgow said the majority of the taxi cash went on transporting programme guests from their homes.

However, cabs are also used by staff working on early or late shifts and for transporting “tapes/goods of a sensitive nature”. Last night, Eben Wilson, director of campaign group Taxpayer Scotland, said: “We hope the Beeb has a firm grip on all of its non-programme costs.

“This rising taxi bill suggests a need to clamp down harder.

“It is so easy to spend licence payers’ money on transport. It shouldn’t be allowed to become the norm.” The BBC introduced a centralised taxi booking system in 2005 to cut costs but annual bills have since regularly topped £600,000.

Figures released under Freedom of Information laws show the news and current affairs department were the biggest spenders on taxis, with their bill for 2014/15 standing at £202,239.

The arts and factual arm spent £145,319, comedy and entertainment £32,408 and radio £77,096.

Transporting programme presenters around cost the BBC £53,175 over the period.

Taxi fares associated with covering the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow cost £23,300.

BBC Scotland yesterday defended the increase in spending, insisting that it reflected a record number of programmes being made north of the Border.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/632283/BBC-Scotland-soaring-tax-bill
----------------------------------

If San Francisco is any sign, taxi cabs around the world are in danger.

The city’s largest taxi company, Yellow Cab Co-Op, said that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a December letter to shareholders obtained by the San Francisco Examiner. While regular taxi operations will continue, the company needs to restructure due to “serious financial setbacks” caused by mounting debt and competition from ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft.

The major problem? People just aren’t taking as many regular cab rides any more now that Uber and company present a solution that’s often cheaper and more convenient. “On an annual basis over 5 million passengers are transported in Yellow cabs,” Yellow Cab President Pamela Martinez wrote in the letter. “We used to have more and our goal is to get them back and even more.”

As Uber and Lyft recruit drivers with significant bonuses, as well as more flexibility in hours, the old taxi companies also aren’t able to retain the best drivers. “We need to have not just more drivers but drivers who are happy to be behind the wheel of a Yellow cab because we offer the best opportunity to make a living in a taxi,” Martinez continued.

Yellow Cab might be just the first domino to fall in ride-hailing’s global assault on the taxi business. Many local taxi companies have lobbied for legislation to protect themselves against Uber, but the startup worth more than $60 billion is hard to defeat. It is striking that Uber and Lyft together raised more than $3 billion in December alone, in the same month Yellow Cab admitted it would have to file for bankruptcy.

If app services continue to gain traction, other taxi firms may face the same fate as Yellow Cab, or worse. The specter of Uber coming to take over the taxi industry–fueled by examples like this–could also cause more intense pushback from such local companies and drivers, such as when taxi drivers in Paris rioted against Uber last summer.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2016/01/06/ubers-first-casualty-san-franciscos-largest-taxi-company-filing-for-bankruptcy/
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BRADFORD

A ROAD rage cabbie who drove at a man, throwing him into the path of oncoming traffic, had tarnished the high reputation of Bradford taxi drivers, the judge who sentenced him said today.

Tayyab Ghazanfar, 23, was at the wheel of his father's Mercedes people carrier, with a fare-paying passenger on board, when he knocked down and injured tree surgeon Bruce Mitchell.

Ghazanfar, of Pollard Lane, Undercliffe, Bradford, tried to push in front of Mr Mitchell's vehicle before gesticulating and shouting at him, Bradford Crown Court heard.

When Mr Mitchell got out to speak to him, Ghazanfar twice drove at him, hitting him with the bonnet and throwing him with force into the road, prosecutor Laura Addy said.

Miss Addy said the incident, at 3.30pm on June 8 last year, took place on Queen's Road, Bradford, in heavy traffic.

Ghazanfar, who had then been a cab driver for 18 months, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

The court heard he tried to jump the queue at the King's Road junction by going straight on in the right turn only lane.

Mr Mitchell sustained a nasty cut to his hand, a head injury and a bruised arm.

Miss Addy said he was now suffering the early onset of arthritis because of damage to his wrist.

Members of the public took down the cab's registration number as it sped away.

Ghazanfar told the police he drove off in fear and struck Mr Milner with the wing mirror as he approached his cab on foot.

His barrister, Shufqat Khan, said Ghazanfar was genuinely extremely remorseful.

The offence was wholly out of character and had lost him his taxi badge.

He went straight ahead at the junction because his passenger gave him a last minute change of direction.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC sentenced Ghazanfar to ten months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for two years and must take a retest to get back on to the road.

Ghazanfar was ordered to pay Mr Mitchell £1,500 compensation and he must pay £1,000 prosecution costs.

Judge Durham Hall said Ghazanfar was from a decent, hard working and supportive family.

"Taxi drivers have a high reputation and provide a valuable service and you have brought that into disrepute," he said.

Judge Durham Hall told Ghazanfar's father that his "character and standing" had played a great part in the sentencing decision.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/14186122.Road_rage_cabbie_tarnished_reputation_of_Bradford_taxi_drivers__according_to_judge/?ref=rss

Elizabeth Truss The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

I have today issued the UK plan for improving air quality. This Plan sets out a comprehensive approach that will reduce health impacts and meet our environmental and legal obligations by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones.

Under this Plan, by 2020 the most polluting diesel vehicles - old polluting buses, coaches, taxis and lorries - will be discouraged from entering the centres of Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby. Newer vehicles that meet the latest emission standards, and private cars, will be unaffected.

Over recent decades, air quality has improved significantly. Between 2005 and 2013 emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 38% and particulate matter has reduced by more than 16%. Over the past five years the Government has committed over £2 billion to help bus operators upgrade their fleets, reduce pollution from a range of vehicles such as refuse trucks and fire engines through cutting edge technologies, and promote the development of clean alternative fuels such as powering taxis with liquid petroleum gas in Birmingham.

In order to bring the UK into legal compliance and to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide below 40 µg/m3 Clean Air Zones will be introduced in five cities. These Zones will reduce the pollution in city centres and encourage the replacement of old, polluting vehicles with modern, cleaner vehicles. Similar zones in Germany and Denmark have been shown to improve air quality.

These Zones will target air quality hot spots. Following scoping studies, which Government will provide funding for, Councils will consult on the details on these Zones.

In Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby, these Zones will cover old diesel buses, coaches, taxis and lorries. Newer vehicles that meet the latest emissions standards will not need to pay and, under this Plan, no private car will have to pay. The local authorities will have to set charges at levels designed to reduce pollution, not to raise revenue (beyond recovering the costs of the scheme).

Birmingham and Leeds will also discourage old polluting diesel vans and implement other measures including park and ride schemes, signage, changes in road layouts and provision of infrastructure for alternative fuels.

Many companies have already started to update their fleets to modern, cleaner vehicles. For example, by 2017 British Gas will have replaced at least 10% of their commercial fleet with electric vehicles, reducing emissions compared to their old diesel vans. The new electric vans also represent a saving over their diesel counterparts. In London the cost savings could be as high as 20%, with other locations saving between 6-10%.

The Environment Agency, winner of Green Fleet of the Year 2015, has committed to increase the number of ultra-low emission vehicles to more than 100 by the end of 2015.

Another example of businesses modernising their fleet is Reading Buses - 38% of their fleet are ‘ultra-clean’ drastically reducing their emissions. Drivers are also given advice on fuel efficient eco-driving techniques.

One of the main reasons our cities continue to face air quality problems is the failure of diesel vehicles to deliver expected emission reductions in real world driving conditions. We have recently secured agreement in the EU to introduce more stringent emissions testing across the EU, ensuring that vehicles live up to their low emission credentials. Our Plans fully factor in current car performance and future performance standards following this agreement.

The Mayor of London has a well-developed strategy for improving air quality by 2025, including the implementation of an ultra-low emission zone by 2020, retro-fitting of buses and licensing new taxis to be zero emission capable from 2018. We will continue to support and monitor the delivery of the Mayor’s plans.

This statement has also been made in the House of Lords: HLWS401
-----------------------------------------------
LONDON

Congestion on London’s roads is reaching record levels, partly because of the huge increase in private taxi drivers working for firms such as Uber, it was claimed today. 

Motorists are spending an average of 250 hours — more than 24 days — a year stuck in traffic, with more delivery vans and roadworks also blamed.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said the “triple whammy” was causing “unsustainable” congestion which, if left unchecked, could damage the capital’s economy.  

In the latest salvo in its battle against Uber, it claimed extra congestion was costing London £5.4 billion a year.

Steve McNamara, of the LTDA, said: “London is becoming more and more congested and it is high time that the Government and Transport for London take action to address this. The Government giving TfL the power to cap the number of private hire vehicles on our street is the simplest way to do this.”

The Greens have said Londoners could spend an average of 40 days per year in traffic jams by 2030 because of  congestion and traffic levels.

The number of minicabs in the capital reached a record 93,000 in December, according to the Mayor of London, and 600 licences a week are being issued. Last year, roadworks caused 1,005 hours of planned disruption and 2,663 hours of unplanned disruption. 

Department for Transport figures show the number of delivery vehicles registered in the capital rose by 12 per cent in the last decade, partly driven by internet shopping. Last year, around 7,300 entered the capital every hour during the morning rush-hour.

An Uber spokesman said: “Millions of cars and vans drive on London’s roads each day, but at any one time just 4,000 are with Uber. In the congestion zone during charging hours, Uber accounts for less than three per cent of the traffic. 

“The Department for Transport’s own figures suggest three things are responsible: delivery vans, low petrol prices and a growing economy.”


http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/record-traffic-on-londons-roads-caused-by-firms-like-uber-a3148751.html
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LONDON

“Road rage”: cab driver Daniel Wentworth allegedly knocked down a cyclist Central News
A black cab driver deliberately used his car “as a weapon” to ram a cyclist off his bike, the Old Bailey heard.

Daniel Wentworth, 52, knocked down James Williams in a road rage attack as he cycled towards Southwark Bridge, the jury was told.

CCTV shows Mr Williams making a hand gesture at Wentworth when the taxi driver pulled out suddenly, blocking the cycling lane and forcing Mr Williams to swerve out of the way.


Wentworth allegedly drove after the cyclist before ramming into him with his black cab, the court heard.

Prosecutor William Gatward said the incident happened on January 9 last year when Wentworth tried to turn off Lower Thames Street to go across the bridge. The cyclist was left with severe bruising and tissue damage to his ankle. 

Wentworth, of Coulsdon, Surrey,  went to the police himself to report the incident and admitted having a confrontation with a cyclist. He denies dangerous driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Gatward said: “The question is did Mr Wentworth deliberately run the other man down? If it’s deliberate, it’s not just dangerous driving but it’s assault because he’s using his car as a weapon, trying to frighten and injure Mr Williams.” The trial continues.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cab-driver-used-car-as-weapon-to-ram-cyclist-a3148771.html

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HULL

TAXI drivers are warning people to stay safe after reports of people offering lifts for sale on Facebook.

Licensed drivers say those accepting lifts from people who have offered low prices for lifts are putting their lives in danger.

Peter Nilsson, of Hull Hackney Carriage Drivers, said: "Not only are these people not insured, but they have not gone through the rigorous safety checks licensed drivers have to in order to become a taxi driver.

"People have no idea who they are getting into a car with.

"This is where people end up getting sexually assaulted and raped."

Drivers say the problem peaked over the Christmas and new year period, but is happening every week in Hull.

Hull Private Hire Association secretary Cally Harrison is urging people not to accept lifts from the drivers.

She said: "Not only are these people a potential danger to anyone who takes them up on the offer, but heaven forbid if they have an accident they will not be insured correctly.

"These people have not been granted a licence by Hull City Council and this, therefore, poses a huge risk.

"Our drivers have had to go through a very rigorous application process to be granted a badge to operate as a private hire driver. This is to ensure the safety of the public."

Taxi drivers are now urging Hull City Council's licensing department to take action against those offering their services in Facebook groups.

Mr Nilsson met with licensing officers at the council yesterday to discuss the problem.

He said: "The council needs intelligence on people who are offering taxi rides illegally. The more times these people are reported, the better.

"The council can then see that these people are offering their services regularly, then they can build up a case."

Hull City Council is now urging people to only use licensed taxis for their own safety and to check any vehicle before getting into it.

Licensing manager Keith Fenner said: "Using an unmarked car could put you at risk.

"Drivers who are not licensed with the council have not had any background checks, their vehicles may not be properly maintained and they will not have the proper insurance.

"Do not use unlicensed operators or get into an unlicensed vehicle under any circumstances.

"In Hull, we have a number of designated taxi ranks where people can wait for a hackney carriage and a number of private hire companies who work hard to make sure the public get home safely.

"Either use your nearest taxi rank or pre-book a private hire vehicle through a licensed company."

The council also wants people to report unlicensed vehicles or unlicensed operators advertising on Facebook to report them to the licensing team on 01482 300300.

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-taxi-drivers-warning-lifts-sale-Facebook/story-28462994-detail/story.html
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STOKE

POLICE are investigating a second incident linked to a vandal attack on a taxi transporting a mother and baby.


Officers are already looking for the man who hurled a brick through the window of a City Centre taxi in Irene Avenue, Mill Hill, on New Year's Day.

The shattered glass from the smashed window narrowly missed a mum and her baby son in the back seat.

Now it has emerged a number of cabbies drove around the area and stopped the man suspected of the vandal attack in Irene Avenue 20 minutes later. But he was joined by a second man and a fight broke out which left two cabbies with minor injuries.

It has been claimed that one of the drivers was stabbed.

A police spokesman said: "The criminal damage was caused to the taxi at 6.25pm in Irene Avenue and no description of the suspect was given.

"Colleagues of the taxi driver are then reported to have driven around the area and at around 6.45pm have stopped a man suspected to have been involved in the damage incident.

"A second man then arrived and assaulted the two taxi drivers causing minor injuries.

"Inquiries into this incident are ongoing."

Police are appealing for witnesses to both incidents.

Anyone with information should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 850 of January 1.


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STALYBRIDGE

Police hunt for taxi driver after teenager is raped after getting into black cab


The 18-year-old got into a taxi after celebrating New Year's Eve but the driver took her to wasteland and raped her

An 18-year-old woman was raped after she headed home after celebrating New Year’s Eve.

The female has told police she got into a black cab in Stalybridge to return home but the driver of the vehicle drove her away from her home.

The driver pulled up on wasteland on Castle Street near to the Texaco petrol station in Stalybridge where he raped her, reports the Manchester Evening News .

The man is described as Asian, around 27 years old, around 5ft 8in, slim/medium build with short dark hair that is longer on top and stubble.

The man was wearing jeans and spoke with an Asian accent.

It is understood the female got into the vehicle between 4.30am and 6.30am on January 1.

Det Sgt Zoe Stapleton from Greater Manchester Police's Tameside Division said: "This is a despicable act which has left a young woman completely distraught.

"We are doing everything we can to find the person responsible but we need the public’s help.

"We are currently checking CCTV in the area but we are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or have any information about the attacker to come forward.

"You may think your information is trivial, but it could be vital to our investigation, so please call us and tell us what you know."

Police are investigating whether the man was a genuine taxi driver and if the vehicle was licensed.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-hunt-taxi-driver-after-7118041
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NEW YORK 

The “Taxi of Tomorrow” is facing a new roadblock — even as the rideshare of today continues to make yellow cabs a sideshow.

By law, yellow cars must be a city-approved model — but the next choice keeps getting whipsawed by two different demands. 

To satisfy his green prejudices, then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg insisted the cab fleet become fuel-efficient hybrids. His Taxi & Limousine Commission passed that mandate, and then ordered up the Nissan NV200 — where it had traditionally OK’d several different cars.

But activists pushed for cars that would be fully wheelchair-accessible, including a trunk big enough for the chairs.

 Cue years of litigation — with the TLC yet to approve a vehicle that meets the demands of the greenies and the handicapable crew. 

The latter were set to get their way come January, after the commission endorsed several new wheelchair-friendly models. But a lawsuit filed Tuesday is pumping the brakes.

“There are currently 10 vehicle models that the TLC has approved for use as accessible vehicles,” the suit notes. “None of those 10 vehicle models is a hybrid electric vehicle . . . None of the three hybrid vehicle models that are currently approved by the TLC is wheelchair accessible.”

Of the city’s 13,587 yellow cabs, only 581 are now wheelchair accessible. Not good enough, says Jim Weisman, the president of the United Spinal Association: “The city made a deal and we expect them to live up to it and enforce the rule.”

Yet Uber is changing all the rules.By providing broader and better service, more options for riders and creating jobs, it and other app-based firms are squeezing the whole yellow-cab industry. 

Medallions are selling for as little as half what they were pre-Uber. Which leaves a lot less room for interest groups to push their own dreams on the once-flush industry.

Uber can even satisfy customers of both groups: The app tells you what car’s been assigned to you — if you want a hybrid or need a wheelchair-friendly one, reject that car and try again.

As we’ve said before, we expect the yellow-cab industry to survive the gauntlet Uber has thrown down — but not unless city regulators cut it some breaks. 

This isn’t the tomorrow Mike Bloomberg or the disabled-rights crowd envisioned. The TLC needs to recognize that reality, tell the special interests “sorry” — and settle for OK’ing taxi models that won’t crash and burn.

http://nypost.com/2016/01/02/proxy-fight-keeps-taxi-of-tomorrow-on-ice-even-as-uber-shows-real-future/
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FRANKFURT — Uber is rapidly expanding its ride-hailing operations across the globe. But here in this city of 690,000 — less than the population of San Francisco, Uber’s hometown — the company recently did something unusual: It retreated.

In early November, Uber shut its small office in Frankfurt’s centuries-old city center after just 18 months of operation, mothballing the online platform that had let people in the city hail rides through a smartphone app. The pullback was spurred in part by drivers like Hasan Kurt, the owner of a local licensed taxi business, who had refused to work with the American service.


With more than 20 years of experience as a taxi operator, Mr. Kurt said he disliked how Uber barreled into Frankfurt in early 2014, using primarily unlicensed drivers who had not passed the same exams and health checks required of licensed drivers. That low-cost service, UberPop, which is similar to UberX in the United States, faced legal challenges and was eventually outlawed, last March, by German regulators.

Uber then tried to recruit licensed operators like Mr. Kurt to build its service within the letter of the law. But Mr. Kurt would not budge.

“It’s not part of the German culture to do something like” what Uber did, Mr. Kurt, 45, said over a cup of tea last month during a break in his busy holiday schedule. “We don’t like it, the government doesn’t like it, and our customers don’t like it.”

Uber’s withdrawal from Frankfurt is just one of a multitude of retreats by the company — now valued at $62.5 billion — across Europe in recent months.

In November, Uber also pulled out of Hamburg and Düsseldorf after less than two years of operating in each of those German cities. In Amsterdam, Uber recently stopped offering UberPop.

And in other European cities, Uber faces the prospect of being beaten back — or at least contained. In Paris and Madrid, Uber has been confronted by often violent opposition from existing taxi operators, while in London, local regulators are mulling changes that could significantly hamper Uber’s ambitions there.

Frankfurt offers a case study of what can cause Uber to draw back in one place even as it expands elsewhere.

With a thriving financial center and cosmopolitan population, the city seemed like an ideal place for Uber to operate and grow. Yet the company was forced out by a mix of cultural and legal missteps. Specifically, it miscalculated how best to gain the support of skeptical locals unaccustomed to its win-at-all-costs tactics, and it underestimated the regulatory hurdles of doing business in Europe’s largest economy.

“If you want to be successful in Germany, you have to understand the regulation,” said Martin Fassnacht, a professor at the Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar, Germany. “Uber should have taken that more seriously.”

Uber has not completely withdrawn from Germany. It still operates licensed services in Berlin and Munich, and company executives say there is pent-up demand from passengers frustrated with current taxi services.

The company has argued it can add thousands of new jobs in Germany if it is allowed to operate freely, though a spokesman declined to say how many German drivers are active on its platform.

Uber has also asked the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, to intervene, and an official European investigation into Germany’s ban on UberPop — along with similar rulings in France and Spain — is expected to be completed sometime this year.

“Have we made mistakes? Absolutely,” said Mark MacGann, Uber’s head of European policy. “But the current system in Germany artificially protects incumbents who think they have the right to own the market.”

To understand why Uber expanded to Frankfurt in May 2014, you have only to visit the city’s bustling main train station. Throngs of passengers move through the station on their way to Frankfurt’s many banks and its central shopping district.

And as in many German cities, the number of licensed taxis in Frankfurt is capped, at just over 1,700 cars, which means that at peak times, there is often more demand for rides than there are available taxis.


After Uber arrived, unlicensed drivers for UberPop soon began showing up near the main entrance of the train station, enticing potential passengers with discounted rates that were roughly one-third cheaper than those of the city’s licensed operators, according to Frankfurt’s taxi unions.

Such fares quickly set off opposition. Thomas Grätz, head of the Taxi and Rental Car Association, a German trade body, said Uber’s unlicensed drivers had not passed the same lengthy exams and were not subject to similar costs, like the professional drivers’ insurance required by the city’s traditional operators. Uber said its drivers were properly vetted and had appropriate insurance.

Confronted with a growing number of UberPop competitors, Taxi Deutschland, another German trade association, filed a legal challenge against Uber in mid-2014, claiming the company’s drivers did not have licenses to operate nationwide. That led to a long court odyssey of rulings and appeals.

As the legal tension mounted, Uber’s small Frankfurt team tried to drum up interest from locals, many of whom had never booked a taxi through a smartphone app or used a credit card to pay for a taxi. Unlike the United States and other European countries, Germany still has a low level of credit card use, according to industry statistics.

To change those habits, Uber began offering free rides and other incentives to new customers. That helped draw in people like Dan Miner, 32, an American researcher in Frankfurt who signed up for the service after first hearing about it from friends in New York. For Mr. Miner, hailing a taxi through a smartphone app, particularly late at night, was easier than flagging down a licensed taxi that charged for extras like using the trunk.

“More than anything, Uber was cheaper,” Mr. Miner said.

Any momentum was short-lived. In March 2015, a Frankfurt judge ruled that all Uber drivers must hold official permits to operate. Despite the decision, Uber continued to offer its low-cost service — for a while. Then in May, the company shut down UberPop nationwide in favor of only offering licensed services. (Uber had also been offering a luxury chauffeur service in Frankfurt since early 2014.)

That was where the alienation of taxi operators like Mr. Kurt hurt Uber. Since the company had already antagonized local taxi operators by prioritizing its low-cost service, Uber could not persuade enough licensed drivers to sign up, even after it offered to pay for licenses and help with other regulatory costs that totaled as much as $400 for new drivers, according to several local taxi groups and policy makers.

Uber’s aggressive tactics also turned off potential customers like Andreas Müller, a financial analyst who tried the company’s Frankfurt service after first using Uber on a business trip in Chicago. Mr. Müller said he liked the convenience of paying through his smartphone, but soon turned against the company after reading that it had continued operating in violation of court orders and did not directly employ its drivers, who are independent contractors.

“That might work in the U.S., but that’s not how things are done here in Germany,” said Mr. Müller, 37. “Everyone must respect the rules.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/technology/ubers-no-holds-barred-expansion-strategy-fizzles-in-germany.html?_r=0