Sunday, 3 April 2016
EDINBURGH
A BOGUS taxi driver allegedly sexually assaulted a passenger while he was on the phone to his girlfriend, a court has heard.
Shabir Shaikh is said to have picked up the drunk woman in Edinburgh city centre before driving her to a secluded layby on the outskirts of the city where he attempted to grope her.
Shaikh, from Edinburgh, denies the alleged sex attack near to the Hillend ski centre in April last year.
The woman told a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court that Shaikh suddenly stopped his attack on her to answer a phone call from his girlfriend.
The 32-year-old bank worker told the court that she feared she would be “raped and murdered” after realising the car she had got into was not a taxi.
The alleged victim told the court she had been out in Edinburgh city centre with two friends celebrating a birthday.
The group had been at the capital’s Cavendish nightspot before heading to the George Street bar Why Not?
At the end of the night, the woman decided to head home through the Grassmarket area where she said she encountered 32-year-old Shaikh sitting in his car.
She said: “I had decided not to stay with my friend [who lives in Edinburgh] as I just wanted to get home.
“I was slowly staggering a bit and smoking and someone asked out of a car window if they could have a cigarette.
“I said ‘no problem’ and handed it over. He asked where I was going and I said ‘I’m heading home’ and he then said ‘I’ll take you home’. I stupidly accepted and assumed he was a taxi.
“I told him the town I live in but not sure if I told him my full address.”
The woman said she got into the front passenger seat and the pair headed to the south of the city, but alarm bells began to ring when the driver failed to take any of the exits.
She said: “When he didn’t take the junction to get on the bypass I realised something wasn’t right. He carried on towards the ski slope and I asked him a number of times to turn round.
“I remember passing the Flottertsone Inn before he pulled into a layby – it was really dark and there was no lighting.
“Before the layby I was worried about what he was going to do with me. Then when we pulled over I thought it was very possible I could be raped and murdered.”
Police officers were said to have later picked the woman up as she stood waiting in the dark on the A702 city bypass at around 4.30am.
The trial continues this week.
Shaikh denies abducting the woman while posing as a taxi driver, detaining her and assaulting her near Hillend, Edinburgh, on April 12 last year.
http://goo.gl/LJW5lj
----------------------------------------
SWINDON
A man had to be taken to the Great Western Hospital after he was hit by what he believes was a taxi.
The incident happened on Monday, March 28 at around 2.50am when the man was crossing the road at the roundabout near Jury's Inn and Halfords when he was struck by the vehicle.
Having described the incident to police it is believed the vehicle was a taxi, but it drove off after hitting him. The man suffered injuries to his leg and shoulder and was taken to hospital. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police on 101.
http://goo.gl/xTJZQF
---------------------------------------
LONDON
Gett, a global ride-hailing service that started in Israel and is a chief rival to Uber, has offered to buy Radio Taxis in a move that would bring Gett’s London car fleet to 11,500, a number the company says amounts to half of all licensed taxis in the city.
If successful, the acquisition would make Gett the largest black cab service in London, the company said in an e-mailed statement Thursday.
“We are working hard to consolidate our claim to be the best and biggest black car company in London and in the U.K. in general,” Nahshon Davidai, chief marketing officer, said in an interview, declining to comment on whether Gett planned further acquisitions in the near future. He added that the company’s focus remained global.
The deal would see Gett buying Radio Taxis’ London-based parent company, Mountview House Group, which also owns taxi brands Xeta and One Transport. The firm did not give a figure for the cash deal, which is subject to shareholder approval.
Gett’s revenue grew by 300 percent in 2015 and is projected to reach $500 million globally this year, according to the statement. The company is seeking to raise as much as $400 million in a private funding round as competition gets tougher, according to people familiar to the matter.
Top rival Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick said this week that the company was generating $1 billion in annual profit from its 30 largest cities of service, allowing it to invest more in markets such as China.
http://goo.gl/TzZTPR
Friday, 1 April 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Hundreds of taxis blocked main roads in Rio de Janeiro on Friday in a protest against Uber that underlined the potential for disruption when the city hosts the Olympics in four months' time.
"No to illegal taxis," read one of the slogans brandished by irate taxi drivers near Rio's domestic airport in the city centre.
"Whoever is against corruption doesn't use illegal taxis," read another, tapping into public disgust at a bribery scandal engulfing Brazil's government and business elite.
Some working taxis spotted with fares were stopped by their protesting colleagues. One woman told CBN radio she had to get three motorbike riders to take her, her husband and their baggage past the blockade to the airport.
The Rio taxi drivers are demanding that Uber, the successful US-based company whose ride-hailing via app is available in more than 60 countries, leave Brazil.
Uber has no authorisation to operate in Rio but continues to do so under a court injunction. It recently announced a push into emerging markets such as Brazil, and its fares undercut those of traditional taxis.
The company's passenger base in Rio has shown steady growth, as has the number of its drivers, as people seeking to escape climbing unemployment under Brazil's crushing recession sign on.
Rio's hosting of the Olympic Games in Aug 5-21 is expected to see many locals and visitors turning to Uber to get around - setting the scene for further taxi fury and possible protests.
Uber's roll-out around the world has prompted similar blowback from local taxi drivers fearing a threat to their livelihood.
They argue that Uber drivers, who are private contractors using their own vehicles, undercut them because they are not subject to the same costly training, insurance and safety laws taxi drivers face.
http://www.straitstimes.com/world/americas/anti-uber-taxi-protest-creates-chaos-in-rio
"No to illegal taxis," read one of the slogans brandished by irate taxi drivers near Rio's domestic airport in the city centre.
"Whoever is against corruption doesn't use illegal taxis," read another, tapping into public disgust at a bribery scandal engulfing Brazil's government and business elite.
Some working taxis spotted with fares were stopped by their protesting colleagues. One woman told CBN radio she had to get three motorbike riders to take her, her husband and their baggage past the blockade to the airport.
The Rio taxi drivers are demanding that Uber, the successful US-based company whose ride-hailing via app is available in more than 60 countries, leave Brazil.
Uber has no authorisation to operate in Rio but continues to do so under a court injunction. It recently announced a push into emerging markets such as Brazil, and its fares undercut those of traditional taxis.
The company's passenger base in Rio has shown steady growth, as has the number of its drivers, as people seeking to escape climbing unemployment under Brazil's crushing recession sign on.
Rio's hosting of the Olympic Games in Aug 5-21 is expected to see many locals and visitors turning to Uber to get around - setting the scene for further taxi fury and possible protests.
Uber's roll-out around the world has prompted similar blowback from local taxi drivers fearing a threat to their livelihood.
They argue that Uber drivers, who are private contractors using their own vehicles, undercut them because they are not subject to the same costly training, insurance and safety laws taxi drivers face.
http://www.straitstimes.com/world/americas/anti-uber-taxi-protest-creates-chaos-in-rio
Thursday, 31 March 2016
NEW YORK
Uber Technologies Inc.’s “genius” just backfired on the company and its co-founder Travis Kalanick.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Thursday denied Kalanick’s bid to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming the technology in Uber’s popular ride-hailing app is used to illegally coordinate high surge-pricing fares.
Rakoff rejected Kalanick’s assertion that a conspiracy involving hundreds of thousands of drivers was “wildly implausible” and “physically impossible,” an argument the executive made in filings since the suit was filed in December.
“The capacity to orchestrate such an agreement is the ‘genius’ of Mr. Kalanick and his company, which, through the magic of smartphone technology, can invite hundreds of thousands of drivers in far-flung locations to agree to Uber’s terms,” the judge said.
The ruling allows Spencer Meyer, a customer in Connecticut, to move forward with his claim that Uber’s pricing algorithm violates antitrust laws used to protect consumers from price manipulation.
Meyer’s lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of millions of U.S. riders who rely on the world’s largest ride-hailing company, and opens a new line of legal attacks on sharing-economy businesses. Uber faces other lawsuits and regulatory challenges over its business model, including demands by its drivers to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors.
Fundamentally Flawed
Uber argues the conspiracy described in the New York complaint and ruling would be physically impossible under the antitrust law, and that if Uber lost at trial then thousands of drivers would be forced to pay damages. The company also contends the case is fundamentally flawed because Kalanick would have to personally compete with Uber drivers for rides in order for the type of conspiracy alleged in the case to be true.
“These claims are unwarranted and have no basis in fact. In just five years since its founding, Uber has increased competition, lowered prices, and improved service,” Uber said in an e-mailed statement.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other regulators have also complained about Uber’s pricing algorithm, which ensures standard fares under normal conditions. In certain situations, such as heavy traffic, bad weather or on holidays, the fares rise sometimes to many times the normal rate in a practice known as surge pricing. The company pledged to limit the increases in emergencies under an agreement with Schneiderman in 2014.
Price Fixer
Meyer alleged in his complaint that Kalanick designed the company “to be a price fixer” because its drivers “do not compete” but rather charge fares set by the algorithm. Uber takes a cut of the fares. The business plan amounts to an antitrust scheme because the drivers, despite charging the same prices, are supposedly independent service providers, according to Meyer.
“Kalanick has long insisted that Uber is not a transportation company and that it does not employ drivers,” Meyer’s lawyers said in his complaint. “Instead, Uber is a technology company, whose chief product is a smartphone app.”
Rakoff said Meyer has plausibly alleged a conspiracy and the case should go to trial.
‘Disguise Itself’
“The fact that Uber goes to such lengths to portray itself -- one might even say disguise itself -- as the mere purveyor of an ‘app’ cannot shield it from the consequences of its operating as much more,” the judge said.
At this point in the case, the plaintiff doesn’t need to present “direct, ‘smoking gun’ evidence of a conspiracy,” Rakoff said.
Evan Rawley, a professor at Columbia Business School, still sees the risk to Uber as remote.
“One always has to worry about lawsuits, but this one is so far-fetched that I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it if I were Uber,” Rawley said. “However, if the plaintiff won, it would indeed be potentially costly to Uber since it would interfere with how the core of their business operates.”
Andrew Schmidt, Meyer’s lawyer, didn’t immediately respond to voicemail and e-mail messages seeking comment on the ruling.
Drivers’ Trial
Uber is set for a trial in June in San Francisco federal court in a case brought by drivers seeking to collect pay and benefits as employees. A victory for the drivers may upend Uber’s business model and cut into its more than $60 billion valuation.
The ride-hailing service launched in 2010, has grown rapidly and now has a presence in 65 countries.
Uber and its competitors are able to keep down their costs by using contractors rather than employees. Typically, contractors pay their own expenses and aren’t protected by minimum wage and overtime laws. Companies don’t pay for their unemployment insurance, workers compensation or Social Security.
The case is Meyer v. Kalanick, 1:15-cv-09796, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
http://goo.gl/3CH11X
----------------------------------------
What Life Is Like For Lady Taxi Drivers Of Dubai
This is what a day looks like for Babi, one of the lady taxi drivers of Dubai. She wakes up at 4 a.m., to get to work by 5 a.m. Her goal is to make 500 AED a day, or about $135.
Wearing a uniform that identifies her as a lady taxi driver, she picks up customers at one of the two airports in Dubai. If she’s lucky, she meets her earnings goal by 5 p.m.; if she’s unlucky, it’s 7 p.m.
Then she returns home, to a one-room apartment, plus kitchen and toilet, that she shares with her husband and two daughters, 9 and 11. Her evening is consumed with cooking, dinner for the family, plus lunches for everyone for the following day.
She works six days a week, with one day off, Friday. On that day, she does laundry and rests.
“It’s life,” she said, in English. “It’s not meant to be easy.”
The lady taxi drivers of Dubai are one of the oddities of this new world city: If you’re a woman, landing at the airport, you get offered their services. I’ve taken up the offer twice, and curious, struck up conversations with both of my lady taxi drivers. I wanted to get a small glimpse into the lives of working class people caught up in the boundless energy that seems to characterize Dubai. My lady taxi drivers were both entrepreneurs: working for themselves, on commission, like taxi, Uber or Careem drivers anywhere.
The sense I got from listening to these women is one that will feel familiar to women everywhere: There’s the question, always, of time: A wife and a mother has next to none, not even enough time to think or plan for the future. And a younger woman is very aware of time, too: This one was putting off men in the hope of saving money to start a business, but even in their 20s, most women, like this one, are aware that the clock is ticking.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2016/03/31/what-life-is-like-for-lady-taxi-drivers-of-dubai/#74d8faad3874
---------------------------------------------
OTTAWA
The City of Ottawa is embracing Uber and other ride-sharing services, proposing a major reform that is already infuriating taxi drivers who fear the value of their city-issued permits will plummet.
In a move that will be closely watched by cities across the country and internationally, Canada’s capital city is proposing to deregulate the existing cab industry and start fresh with two distinct categories that will be subject to minimum standards related to vehicle safety and insurance.
Existing licensed cabs will continue to have exclusive rights to pick up passengers who hail a ride on the street or at taxi stands. However, the city says it will not compensate taxi drivers for any loss in value of their taxi permits, which have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each because the city restricted their supply.
The draft plan, which the city says is based on overwhelming public calls for change over several months of consultations, will be voted on by council on April 13. If the plan is approved, the new rules will be in place June 30. Until then, Uber remains an illegal service and the city will continue to enforce existing bylaws.
The City of Ottawa’s announcement comes as Toronto is also expected to soon announce its own plan for dealing with the city’s taxis and ride-sharing services. Officials with the two cities have been working closely together on their plans in recent months, so it is possible Ottawa’s approach provides an indication of where Toronto is headed.
Ride-sharing programs such as Uber are creating dramatic change for municipal governments around the world as the popularity of the services forces city planners to weigh their impact on existing taxi rules, traffic patterns and public transit use.
Under Ottawa’s proposed plan, passengers would maintain the formal right to complain to the city for poor taxi service, but no municipal complaint process would exist for ride-sharing services, which will be categorized as Private Transportation Companies. The city is describing ride-sharing – which connects passengers and drivers via a cellphone app – as a “buyer beware” option that will be subject to a basic level of regulation.
“This is not fair what is happening here and we will not tolerate it. This is my promise,” shouted Unifor Local 1688 president Amrik Singh outside council chambers after hearing about the plan for the first time. Mr. Singh represents about 1,800 licensed taxi drivers in Ottawa.
Coventry Connections president Hanif Patni, who heads the city’s main taxi-dispatching company, said the plan will hurt drivers who invested their life savings so they could enter the business. Mr. Patni said there are currently 1,187 taxi licences in Ottawa, and purchasing one prior to the arrival of Uber would have cost more than $300,000.
“Of course drivers would be livid by that, and we have to be concerned about the viability of the taxi drivers and the viability of the taxi companies,” Mr. Patni said, adding that it is too soon to discuss potential legal action.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawas-proposal-to-legalize-uber-draws-ire-from-taxi-industry/article29487000/
------------------------------------
Southampton Football Club is pleased to announce Radio Taxis as the club’s first Official Taxi Supplier.
Established in 1976, Radio Taxis is the largest Taxi and Private Hire Company in Southampton, and has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the club.
Working with the club, Radio Taxis will be available on all matchdays to take supporters to and from games at St Mary’s, while Saints Foundation will also use them for travel throughout the community. They will also be the official supplier for Halo Conferences & Events.
Radio Taxis are working on a number of schemes, including the ‘We Care’ initiative that ensures safety comes first, priding themselves in providing up-to-date technology to ensure a faster and safer taxi booking service.
http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160331-southampton-radio-taxis-announcement-3035181.aspx#qiRHGOJAxQjZATrp.99
-------------------------------------------
EIRE
Complaints over taxi driver behaviour made to the National Transport Authority (NTA) accounted for more than half of the total complaints concerning taxis last year.
Among the complaint details released by the National Transport Authority (NTA), were concerns raised by a small number of customers who felt frightened by taxi driver behaviour.
In one case, a hotel worker said that a driver told the worker to f**k off several times, and that he would “see me on Monday night when I am alone”.
As a result of the complaint, the NTA issued the driver with a reminder of his duties and responsibilities as a taxi driver.
Vehicle condition
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the NTA confirmed that the number of taxi complaints last year totalled 928, compared to 952 in 2014.
The detailed breakdown shows that complaints about taxi driver behaviour totalled 491 last year, or 53 per cent of complaints, with 53 complaints about vehicle condition.
One passenger wrote to the NTA to complain that there was hair literally everywhere in a very dirty taxi, “and a smell I can only describe as days-old sweat”.
Another passenger, complaining about the condition of a taxi, said, “the car was like a fridge and the seats felt damp. When I got out of the car at Hatch St, Dublin 2, I realised that the car was missing the entire large glass panel at the rear that forms part of the boot underneath the rear windscreen”.
The outcome was that the vehicle was repaired and then inspected. The NTA stated: “All found to be in order. Advice given.”
The second most frequent reason for complaint related to fares, accounting for 297, or 32 per cent of complaints. The NTA also received 83 complaints relating to ‘hiring matters’ and four in relation to identification.
Warnings
In only 2 per cent of complaints did the NRA issue the driver with a fixed payment notice, while in another 2 per cent drivers were given warnings concerning their behaviour.
The figures show that in 58 per cent of complaints, no further action was taken, while in 29 per cent of cases, advice was given to the drivers by the NTA.The NTA said that 202 complaints were referred to the Garda last year.
However, the NRA stressed that the complaints referred are not based on the gravity of the offence, but the nature of the complaint and the powers of the Garda to deal with them.
http://goo.gl/0ZJX9S
Uber Technologies Inc.’s “genius” just backfired on the company and its co-founder Travis Kalanick.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Thursday denied Kalanick’s bid to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming the technology in Uber’s popular ride-hailing app is used to illegally coordinate high surge-pricing fares.
Rakoff rejected Kalanick’s assertion that a conspiracy involving hundreds of thousands of drivers was “wildly implausible” and “physically impossible,” an argument the executive made in filings since the suit was filed in December.
“The capacity to orchestrate such an agreement is the ‘genius’ of Mr. Kalanick and his company, which, through the magic of smartphone technology, can invite hundreds of thousands of drivers in far-flung locations to agree to Uber’s terms,” the judge said.
The ruling allows Spencer Meyer, a customer in Connecticut, to move forward with his claim that Uber’s pricing algorithm violates antitrust laws used to protect consumers from price manipulation.
Meyer’s lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of millions of U.S. riders who rely on the world’s largest ride-hailing company, and opens a new line of legal attacks on sharing-economy businesses. Uber faces other lawsuits and regulatory challenges over its business model, including demands by its drivers to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors.
Fundamentally Flawed
Uber argues the conspiracy described in the New York complaint and ruling would be physically impossible under the antitrust law, and that if Uber lost at trial then thousands of drivers would be forced to pay damages. The company also contends the case is fundamentally flawed because Kalanick would have to personally compete with Uber drivers for rides in order for the type of conspiracy alleged in the case to be true.
“These claims are unwarranted and have no basis in fact. In just five years since its founding, Uber has increased competition, lowered prices, and improved service,” Uber said in an e-mailed statement.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other regulators have also complained about Uber’s pricing algorithm, which ensures standard fares under normal conditions. In certain situations, such as heavy traffic, bad weather or on holidays, the fares rise sometimes to many times the normal rate in a practice known as surge pricing. The company pledged to limit the increases in emergencies under an agreement with Schneiderman in 2014.
Price Fixer
Meyer alleged in his complaint that Kalanick designed the company “to be a price fixer” because its drivers “do not compete” but rather charge fares set by the algorithm. Uber takes a cut of the fares. The business plan amounts to an antitrust scheme because the drivers, despite charging the same prices, are supposedly independent service providers, according to Meyer.
“Kalanick has long insisted that Uber is not a transportation company and that it does not employ drivers,” Meyer’s lawyers said in his complaint. “Instead, Uber is a technology company, whose chief product is a smartphone app.”
Rakoff said Meyer has plausibly alleged a conspiracy and the case should go to trial.
‘Disguise Itself’
“The fact that Uber goes to such lengths to portray itself -- one might even say disguise itself -- as the mere purveyor of an ‘app’ cannot shield it from the consequences of its operating as much more,” the judge said.
At this point in the case, the plaintiff doesn’t need to present “direct, ‘smoking gun’ evidence of a conspiracy,” Rakoff said.
Evan Rawley, a professor at Columbia Business School, still sees the risk to Uber as remote.
“One always has to worry about lawsuits, but this one is so far-fetched that I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it if I were Uber,” Rawley said. “However, if the plaintiff won, it would indeed be potentially costly to Uber since it would interfere with how the core of their business operates.”
Andrew Schmidt, Meyer’s lawyer, didn’t immediately respond to voicemail and e-mail messages seeking comment on the ruling.
Drivers’ Trial
Uber is set for a trial in June in San Francisco federal court in a case brought by drivers seeking to collect pay and benefits as employees. A victory for the drivers may upend Uber’s business model and cut into its more than $60 billion valuation.
The ride-hailing service launched in 2010, has grown rapidly and now has a presence in 65 countries.
Uber and its competitors are able to keep down their costs by using contractors rather than employees. Typically, contractors pay their own expenses and aren’t protected by minimum wage and overtime laws. Companies don’t pay for their unemployment insurance, workers compensation or Social Security.
The case is Meyer v. Kalanick, 1:15-cv-09796, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
http://goo.gl/3CH11X
----------------------------------------
What Life Is Like For Lady Taxi Drivers Of Dubai
This is what a day looks like for Babi, one of the lady taxi drivers of Dubai. She wakes up at 4 a.m., to get to work by 5 a.m. Her goal is to make 500 AED a day, or about $135.
Wearing a uniform that identifies her as a lady taxi driver, she picks up customers at one of the two airports in Dubai. If she’s lucky, she meets her earnings goal by 5 p.m.; if she’s unlucky, it’s 7 p.m.
Then she returns home, to a one-room apartment, plus kitchen and toilet, that she shares with her husband and two daughters, 9 and 11. Her evening is consumed with cooking, dinner for the family, plus lunches for everyone for the following day.
She works six days a week, with one day off, Friday. On that day, she does laundry and rests.
“It’s life,” she said, in English. “It’s not meant to be easy.”
The lady taxi drivers of Dubai are one of the oddities of this new world city: If you’re a woman, landing at the airport, you get offered their services. I’ve taken up the offer twice, and curious, struck up conversations with both of my lady taxi drivers. I wanted to get a small glimpse into the lives of working class people caught up in the boundless energy that seems to characterize Dubai. My lady taxi drivers were both entrepreneurs: working for themselves, on commission, like taxi, Uber or Careem drivers anywhere.
The sense I got from listening to these women is one that will feel familiar to women everywhere: There’s the question, always, of time: A wife and a mother has next to none, not even enough time to think or plan for the future. And a younger woman is very aware of time, too: This one was putting off men in the hope of saving money to start a business, but even in their 20s, most women, like this one, are aware that the clock is ticking.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2016/03/31/what-life-is-like-for-lady-taxi-drivers-of-dubai/#74d8faad3874
---------------------------------------------
OTTAWA
The City of Ottawa is embracing Uber and other ride-sharing services, proposing a major reform that is already infuriating taxi drivers who fear the value of their city-issued permits will plummet.
In a move that will be closely watched by cities across the country and internationally, Canada’s capital city is proposing to deregulate the existing cab industry and start fresh with two distinct categories that will be subject to minimum standards related to vehicle safety and insurance.
Existing licensed cabs will continue to have exclusive rights to pick up passengers who hail a ride on the street or at taxi stands. However, the city says it will not compensate taxi drivers for any loss in value of their taxi permits, which have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each because the city restricted their supply.
The draft plan, which the city says is based on overwhelming public calls for change over several months of consultations, will be voted on by council on April 13. If the plan is approved, the new rules will be in place June 30. Until then, Uber remains an illegal service and the city will continue to enforce existing bylaws.
The City of Ottawa’s announcement comes as Toronto is also expected to soon announce its own plan for dealing with the city’s taxis and ride-sharing services. Officials with the two cities have been working closely together on their plans in recent months, so it is possible Ottawa’s approach provides an indication of where Toronto is headed.
Ride-sharing programs such as Uber are creating dramatic change for municipal governments around the world as the popularity of the services forces city planners to weigh their impact on existing taxi rules, traffic patterns and public transit use.
Under Ottawa’s proposed plan, passengers would maintain the formal right to complain to the city for poor taxi service, but no municipal complaint process would exist for ride-sharing services, which will be categorized as Private Transportation Companies. The city is describing ride-sharing – which connects passengers and drivers via a cellphone app – as a “buyer beware” option that will be subject to a basic level of regulation.
“This is not fair what is happening here and we will not tolerate it. This is my promise,” shouted Unifor Local 1688 president Amrik Singh outside council chambers after hearing about the plan for the first time. Mr. Singh represents about 1,800 licensed taxi drivers in Ottawa.
Coventry Connections president Hanif Patni, who heads the city’s main taxi-dispatching company, said the plan will hurt drivers who invested their life savings so they could enter the business. Mr. Patni said there are currently 1,187 taxi licences in Ottawa, and purchasing one prior to the arrival of Uber would have cost more than $300,000.
“Of course drivers would be livid by that, and we have to be concerned about the viability of the taxi drivers and the viability of the taxi companies,” Mr. Patni said, adding that it is too soon to discuss potential legal action.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawas-proposal-to-legalize-uber-draws-ire-from-taxi-industry/article29487000/
------------------------------------
Southampton Football Club is pleased to announce Radio Taxis as the club’s first Official Taxi Supplier.
Established in 1976, Radio Taxis is the largest Taxi and Private Hire Company in Southampton, and has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the club.
Working with the club, Radio Taxis will be available on all matchdays to take supporters to and from games at St Mary’s, while Saints Foundation will also use them for travel throughout the community. They will also be the official supplier for Halo Conferences & Events.
Radio Taxis are working on a number of schemes, including the ‘We Care’ initiative that ensures safety comes first, priding themselves in providing up-to-date technology to ensure a faster and safer taxi booking service.
http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160331-southampton-radio-taxis-announcement-3035181.aspx#qiRHGOJAxQjZATrp.99
-------------------------------------------
EIRE
Complaints over taxi driver behaviour made to the National Transport Authority (NTA) accounted for more than half of the total complaints concerning taxis last year.
Among the complaint details released by the National Transport Authority (NTA), were concerns raised by a small number of customers who felt frightened by taxi driver behaviour.
In one case, a hotel worker said that a driver told the worker to f**k off several times, and that he would “see me on Monday night when I am alone”.
As a result of the complaint, the NTA issued the driver with a reminder of his duties and responsibilities as a taxi driver.
Vehicle condition
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the NTA confirmed that the number of taxi complaints last year totalled 928, compared to 952 in 2014.
The detailed breakdown shows that complaints about taxi driver behaviour totalled 491 last year, or 53 per cent of complaints, with 53 complaints about vehicle condition.
One passenger wrote to the NTA to complain that there was hair literally everywhere in a very dirty taxi, “and a smell I can only describe as days-old sweat”.
Another passenger, complaining about the condition of a taxi, said, “the car was like a fridge and the seats felt damp. When I got out of the car at Hatch St, Dublin 2, I realised that the car was missing the entire large glass panel at the rear that forms part of the boot underneath the rear windscreen”.
The outcome was that the vehicle was repaired and then inspected. The NTA stated: “All found to be in order. Advice given.”
The second most frequent reason for complaint related to fares, accounting for 297, or 32 per cent of complaints. The NTA also received 83 complaints relating to ‘hiring matters’ and four in relation to identification.
Warnings
In only 2 per cent of complaints did the NRA issue the driver with a fixed payment notice, while in another 2 per cent drivers were given warnings concerning their behaviour.
The figures show that in 58 per cent of complaints, no further action was taken, while in 29 per cent of cases, advice was given to the drivers by the NTA.The NTA said that 202 complaints were referred to the Garda last year.
However, the NRA stressed that the complaints referred are not based on the gravity of the offence, but the nature of the complaint and the powers of the Garda to deal with them.
http://goo.gl/0ZJX9S
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
FIFE
A hard-up gym instructor forced a taxi driver to rob a bank for him by threatening him with a gun and "bombs".
Andrew Patrick held a gun at petrified Alistair Rankine before giving him a bag he said had a bomb inside.
Patrick, who pretended to be Polish, ordered the driver to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Mr Rankine handed over a note to staff that claimed they had only minutes to fill the bag, and that devices would go off if police were called. The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.
When Mr Rankine eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone. Amid dramatic scenes, a team of armed police and an army bomb unit soon arrived.
The explosives were found to be fake, consisting of little more than tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.
Patrick was later caught following a high-profile media appeal, although initially denied being involved.
The 40-year-old is now behind bars after he admitted carrying out the assault and robbery. He will be sentenced next month.
The first offender had been working at the time as an instructor at the Fitness Factor gym in Kirkcaldy.
He was earning up to £300 per week, but prosecutor Allan Nicol said it appeared he had been having "some financial difficulties".
http://goo.gl/zMPmdF
------------------------------------
LONDON
An alliance of taxi drivers has abandoned a bid to have Uber’s licence in London declared illegal, in a blow for the black cab industry’s attempts to stamp out the ride-hailing app.
Action For Cabbies, a crowdfunded drive to launch a judicial review into Transport for London (TfL) awarding a minicab licence to the American technology giant in 2012, has failed to amass the £600,000 it needed to launch the first phase of the legal challenge.
The group is now planning to scupper TfL’s plans to have a contactless credit card reader installed in every taxi, planning to use the funds it has raised to order a judicial review of the rules set to be introduced in October
http://goo.gl/L9s46h
---------------------------------------
CHELMSFORD
A FURIOUS taxi firm boss is appealing against a parking fine given to one of his drivers after a video of the ticket being issued went viral
on Facebook.
Dan Robinson, 24, who owns The Chauffeur Company, shared footage of a city council traffic warden slapping a fine on an employee's windscreen who parked on double yellow lines outside Marks and Spencer in Barrack Square – less than a minute after dropping off an elderly passenger.
The Galleywood resident claimed the video, which shows the driver remonstrating with a parking warden as an elderly female customer looks on, has been viewed more than 100,000 times in less than 24 hours.
"One of my drivers was given a ticket at about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. He was given a £50 or £60 ticket but he'd only been there less than a minute," said Mr Robinson. "I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. We take customers to Marks and Spencer at least 30 times a day."
A hard-up gym instructor forced a taxi driver to rob a bank for him by threatening him with a gun and "bombs".
Andrew Patrick held a gun at petrified Alistair Rankine before giving him a bag he said had a bomb inside.
Patrick, who pretended to be Polish, ordered the driver to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Mr Rankine handed over a note to staff that claimed they had only minutes to fill the bag, and that devices would go off if police were called. The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.
When Mr Rankine eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone. Amid dramatic scenes, a team of armed police and an army bomb unit soon arrived.
The explosives were found to be fake, consisting of little more than tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.
Patrick was later caught following a high-profile media appeal, although initially denied being involved.
The 40-year-old is now behind bars after he admitted carrying out the assault and robbery. He will be sentenced next month.
The first offender had been working at the time as an instructor at the Fitness Factor gym in Kirkcaldy.
He was earning up to £300 per week, but prosecutor Allan Nicol said it appeared he had been having "some financial difficulties".
http://goo.gl/zMPmdF
------------------------------------
LONDON
An alliance of taxi drivers has abandoned a bid to have Uber’s licence in London declared illegal, in a blow for the black cab industry’s attempts to stamp out the ride-hailing app.
Action For Cabbies, a crowdfunded drive to launch a judicial review into Transport for London (TfL) awarding a minicab licence to the American technology giant in 2012, has failed to amass the £600,000 it needed to launch the first phase of the legal challenge.
The group is now planning to scupper TfL’s plans to have a contactless credit card reader installed in every taxi, planning to use the funds it has raised to order a judicial review of the rules set to be introduced in October
http://goo.gl/L9s46h
---------------------------------------
CHELMSFORD
A FURIOUS taxi firm boss is appealing against a parking fine given to one of his drivers after a video of the ticket being issued went viral
on Facebook.Dan Robinson, 24, who owns The Chauffeur Company, shared footage of a city council traffic warden slapping a fine on an employee's windscreen who parked on double yellow lines outside Marks and Spencer in Barrack Square – less than a minute after dropping off an elderly passenger.
The Galleywood resident claimed the video, which shows the driver remonstrating with a parking warden as an elderly female customer looks on, has been viewed more than 100,000 times in less than 24 hours.
"One of my drivers was given a ticket at about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. He was given a £50 or £60 ticket but he'd only been there less than a minute," said Mr Robinson. "I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. We take customers to Marks and Spencer at least 30 times a day."
The taxi driver's elderly customer can be heard calling the warden a "nasty person" in the one minute, 12 second clip and claims she wouldn't be able to go into the city centre were it not for the company.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that Chelmsford City Council raked in £329,580 from the 10,732 penalty charge notices it issues to illegally parked motorists in 2014/15.
Former Moulsham High student Dan added: "Online, it seems that 98 per cent of people are sticking up for us and feel the warden was out of order.
"We're definitely going to appeal the fine. But I've got to write a letter or email to the council.
"I can't think of any reason why my driver should have been given a ticket. The taxi is a working vehicle and my driver was simply trying to earn a living."
A spokeswoman for Chelmsford City Council said: "As can be seen in the video being circulated on social media, the taxi driver was stopped on double yellow lines.
"Although his reason for doing this was to drop off his passenger, he knew that he was in contravention of the law by doing this, and the civil enforcement officer had no choice but to issue a penalty charge notice as that is the requirement of his job.
"The fine was not directed at the passenger, and it was the taxi driver's decision to stop where he did. The offensive language used on social media to refer to one of our staff is reprehensible and unacceptable, regardless of users' personal views.
http://goo.gl/HRb87F
----------------------------------------
GEDLING
A cabbie was excused a driving ban after overcharging passengers picked up outside the Queen's Medical Centre – and having no insurance to cover them.
JPs allowed father-of-three Tahir Zia to stay in business even though he now has 12 points on his licence – the total which usually leads to a six-month disqualification.
Nottingham magistrates heard on Wednesday that his licence only enabled him to be flagged down or work as a private hire driver in the borough of Gedling.
He was not allowed to wait outside the QMC and was caught when he charged £30 to take two people and a wheelchair back to Gedling.
The new rules aim to protect vulnerable passengers from potential abuse following the town's grooming scandal.
It comes after official inquiries revealed the prominent role of taxi drivers in the widespread exploitation of children over more than a decade.
http://goo.gl/LNUhLv
------------------------------------------
UBER SPAIN
DISCOUNT taxi service Uber may have been given the boot from Spain once, but through a legal loophole the US-based company has managed to find its way back onto the grid.
The service has proven to be a big hit worldwide, thanks to significantly cheaper rates than those offered by traditional taxi companies, but a lawsuit launched by taxi drivers put the brakes on the operation in Spain back in December 2014. Uber had to pack its bags and hit the road when a Spanish judge ruled that the use of amateur drivers was a violation of national laws and unfair competition for professionally licenced cabbies.
Now Uber is popping up in Spain again, as it can get around the ban by employing professionally licenced drivers, including chauffeurs using private cars, rather than the amateur folk that were the company’s bread and butter in its previous incarnation.
The company will no doubt present stiff competition for Cabify, a similar service which already operates in Spain. The new and improved Uber is expected to have fares that will be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than traditional taxis. The service will begin in Madrid and is then expected to extend into other parts of the country.
http://goo.gl/rdu14m
BOURNEMOUTH
A Freedom of Information request revealed that Chelmsford City Council raked in £329,580 from the 10,732 penalty charge notices it issues to illegally parked motorists in 2014/15.
Former Moulsham High student Dan added: "Online, it seems that 98 per cent of people are sticking up for us and feel the warden was out of order.
"We're definitely going to appeal the fine. But I've got to write a letter or email to the council.
"I can't think of any reason why my driver should have been given a ticket. The taxi is a working vehicle and my driver was simply trying to earn a living."
A spokeswoman for Chelmsford City Council said: "As can be seen in the video being circulated on social media, the taxi driver was stopped on double yellow lines.
"Although his reason for doing this was to drop off his passenger, he knew that he was in contravention of the law by doing this, and the civil enforcement officer had no choice but to issue a penalty charge notice as that is the requirement of his job.
"The fine was not directed at the passenger, and it was the taxi driver's decision to stop where he did. The offensive language used on social media to refer to one of our staff is reprehensible and unacceptable, regardless of users' personal views.
http://goo.gl/HRb87F
----------------------------------------
GEDLING
A cabbie was excused a driving ban after overcharging passengers picked up outside the Queen's Medical Centre – and having no insurance to cover them.
JPs allowed father-of-three Tahir Zia to stay in business even though he now has 12 points on his licence – the total which usually leads to a six-month disqualification.
Nottingham magistrates heard on Wednesday that his licence only enabled him to be flagged down or work as a private hire driver in the borough of Gedling.
He was not allowed to wait outside the QMC and was caught when he charged £30 to take two people and a wheelchair back to Gedling.
The customers claimed it was double the expected charge and lodged a complaint.
That led to council staff identifying the taxi driver as Zia, 41, of Grassington Road, Aspley, the court heard. He was found guilty of using a hackney carriage without insurance and plying for hire in Nottingham without a licence on April 15 last year.
After an application by solicitor Chris Brewin for Zia, magistrates agreed not to impose a driving disqualification because it would cause "exceptional hardship" to the driver's family.
But presiding magistrate Phil Oxlade warned him: "What it means is you have to drive very carefully. Until November of this year, there will be 12 points on your licence.
"If you are brought back to court you will be on a totter and in all likelihood you will be disqualified." Zia was fined £375 with £200 prosecution costs and a government surcharge of £37.
Six points were added to his licence, adding to the six already on for earlier offences which included speeding and breach of traffic signals.
Francesca Whyley, for Gedling Borough Council, said the authority received a complaint about the fare charged for a journey back from the QMC.
"The meter for payment read £30.40. The passengers questioned it, saying it seemed high. It should have been £15. They paid the driver £30.
"He did not have a licence to pick up fares without prior arrangement in the City of Nottingham. He understood he could pick people up in the Gedling boundary," she added.
Zia told the court he had been a taxi driver for five years and earns £200 weekly. The family's income was increased by £369 when taking account of his wife's pay and state benefits.
http://goo.gl/6H3tTM
That led to council staff identifying the taxi driver as Zia, 41, of Grassington Road, Aspley, the court heard. He was found guilty of using a hackney carriage without insurance and plying for hire in Nottingham without a licence on April 15 last year.
After an application by solicitor Chris Brewin for Zia, magistrates agreed not to impose a driving disqualification because it would cause "exceptional hardship" to the driver's family.
But presiding magistrate Phil Oxlade warned him: "What it means is you have to drive very carefully. Until November of this year, there will be 12 points on your licence.
"If you are brought back to court you will be on a totter and in all likelihood you will be disqualified." Zia was fined £375 with £200 prosecution costs and a government surcharge of £37.
Six points were added to his licence, adding to the six already on for earlier offences which included speeding and breach of traffic signals.
Francesca Whyley, for Gedling Borough Council, said the authority received a complaint about the fare charged for a journey back from the QMC.
"The meter for payment read £30.40. The passengers questioned it, saying it seemed high. It should have been £15. They paid the driver £30.
"He did not have a licence to pick up fares without prior arrangement in the City of Nottingham. He understood he could pick people up in the Gedling boundary," she added.
Zia told the court he had been a taxi driver for five years and earns £200 weekly. The family's income was increased by £369 when taking account of his wife's pay and state benefits.
http://goo.gl/6H3tTM
--------------------------------------------
ROTHERHAM
All taxis in Rotherham will have to have security cameras fitted from July, the council has announced.
The new rules aim to protect vulnerable passengers from potential abuse following the town's grooming scandal.
It comes after official inquiries revealed the prominent role of taxi drivers in the widespread exploitation of children over more than a decade.
http://goo.gl/LNUhLv
------------------------------------------
UBER SPAIN
DISCOUNT taxi service Uber may have been given the boot from Spain once, but through a legal loophole the US-based company has managed to find its way back onto the grid.
The service has proven to be a big hit worldwide, thanks to significantly cheaper rates than those offered by traditional taxi companies, but a lawsuit launched by taxi drivers put the brakes on the operation in Spain back in December 2014. Uber had to pack its bags and hit the road when a Spanish judge ruled that the use of amateur drivers was a violation of national laws and unfair competition for professionally licenced cabbies.
Now Uber is popping up in Spain again, as it can get around the ban by employing professionally licenced drivers, including chauffeurs using private cars, rather than the amateur folk that were the company’s bread and butter in its previous incarnation.
The company will no doubt present stiff competition for Cabify, a similar service which already operates in Spain. The new and improved Uber is expected to have fares that will be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than traditional taxis. The service will begin in Madrid and is then expected to extend into other parts of the country.
http://goo.gl/rdu14m
----------------------------------------------------------------
BOURNEMOUTH
AN unknown hero who pulled a young woman from her burning car moments before it turned into a “fireball” has been identified.
Taxi driver Noureddine Hacib was driving Broadstone couple Darrel Priestley and Jayne Weeks home from a night out during the early hours of Saturday morning when they spotted the vehicle.
The trio were travelling along the Dorset Way towards Poole when they saw the smoking car on the side of the carriageway.
Mr Hacib, 43, who lives in the Queen's Park area of Bournemouth, has been described as a "hero" after he pulled the woman from her car even as flames began to engulf the vehicle.
http://goo.gl/riXbTx
Taxi driver Noureddine Hacib was driving Broadstone couple Darrel Priestley and Jayne Weeks home from a night out during the early hours of Saturday morning when they spotted the vehicle.
The trio were travelling along the Dorset Way towards Poole when they saw the smoking car on the side of the carriageway.
Mr Hacib, 43, who lives in the Queen's Park area of Bournemouth, has been described as a "hero" after he pulled the woman from her car even as flames began to engulf the vehicle.
http://goo.gl/riXbTx
Tuesday, 29 March 2016
GMB Professional drivers .
A members concerns in relation to interference on Insurance from those who don’t understand.
Posted on March 30, 2016
A members email to us and further comments from us:
I am writing to you to express my concerns in regards to Mr Wes Streeting (Labour Ilford North MP) Operator based Hire & Reward insurance proposal for PHV drivers.
The Bill was submitted via the ten minute rule on Tuesday the 22nd March 2016, more info can be found on the links below.
http://www.wesstreeting.org/wes_in_drive_to_improve_taxi_regulation
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/taxiandprivatehirevehicleoperatorsregulation.html
My concern is that this proposal will impact self employed drivers and small operators, I work with multiple operators at any given time and such proposal will not allow me to do so if this proposal is enacted. This proposal will restrict me to working for just one operator due to the terms and conditions of such insurance policy.
An Operator based H&R insurance policy will choke small Operators & self employed drivers, this proposal will also empower multinational/big operators even more as such operators would be able to buy H&R insurance at discount and charge PHV drivers whatever they like. Addison Lee currently charges drivers £60 per week for their Fleet Hire & Reward insurance and makes huge profits every year from such insurance policy; the driver has to pay hefty deposit of up to £3,000 and does not accumulate a penny of no claims discount on such policy.
This type of policy hinders the driver as he/she won’t be able to accumulate any NCD. This will also force the driver to work for one operator which goes against the nature of self employment.
There are other implications as well for example what will self-employed drivers do when he or she is kicked off a circuit by an operator at any given time. Operators kick drivers off their circuits all the time for whatever reason they deem fit and such proposal will give operators even more power over the driver, which can lead to even more exploitation and bullying.
I am amazed at the fact that a Labour MP worked on this proposal with a company which funds the Tory party and ignored the implications this will have on working class people like me. The bill does not resolve any of the issues PHV drivers face on a daily basis. Mr Streeting mentioned how Taxi drivers are struggling to make a good living and yet failed to mention the fact PHV drivers are also struggling to make a living let alone a good living. PHV drivers are exploited and bullied by operators and yet politicians take no notice of this fact, drivers nationwide are earning below minimum wage.
We may add the following:
The idea that such an insurance even if was possible to use could cover owner drivers and satisfy Lease, Finance and Hire companies is impossible.
Firstly there is no way a driver can suddenly enact a insurance cover for the times he is not working for a fleet.
Temporary cover is not only prohibitive in cost but leaves a driver in a financially vulnerable position.
Operators Like Addison Lee and Uber would love this as it would squeeze out more competition and create a profit stream on higher premiums based on admin and other costs.
If a fleet operator charges drivers £60 per week that’s over £3120 a year.
With some drivers with NCD paying £1200 PA do you think they will accept increased costs?
Com Cab and Radio Taxis would be forced to this market too as they are considered fleets.
In probability this would also spread to Gett and Hailo as theoretically they are fleet apps like Uber.
We have had multiple cases of deposits taken from drivers and never returned either through petty claims or in some cases closure of the company with no return only for the company directors to restart as an other operator.
On this count TFL have failed to act against the perpetrators.
Following GMB’s response for an annual policy which is mandatory for licensing we expect fraud to reduce although we will ask TFL to mandate insurers advise them of Private hire policies that lapse or are cancelled on vehicles so that the licences can be removed to not risk the public.
We hope that appropriate no claims discounts will bring down costs for all drivers overpaying for their cover.
Plan insurance are working on TIC a checking system to improve detection.
A strict Ply for hire definition is required too.
Above all we must stress that Politicians playing with private hire and taxi as if it is a toy when they have no instructions and will only cause more damage as has happened with the recent amendments to the Licensing act.
http://goo.gl/fsgF3V
-----------------------------------------------
DERRY
A petition branding the imposition of taximeters and printers an “unfair tax for Derry taxi drivers” has attracted over 100 supporters online.
John Bradley, who launched the petition just over a week ago, complains that a raft of changes to taxi regulations that will take effect from May include what will amount to a “£600 tax for the meter installation in vehicles.”
It’s an overhead drivers can’t afford, he says.
He argues that taxi women and men will have to raise fares to pay for the maintenance of the installed system.
He states: “Taxi drivers put in 50 plus hours per week to make ends meet. They work hard. They deserve to be treated fairly. Sign this petition to help raise awareness of this unfair tax on hard workers.”
Under the new rules Class A and Class B taxis must have a DoE approved taximeter and printer installed by May 31 and they must be programmed to operate within a new maximum fare structure.
Officially announcing the changes in February, Mr Durkan said: “I am modernising and improving the regulations for the taxi industry including licensing requirements, accessibility standards and installation of taximeters and imposition of maximum fares.”
He added: “In effect, these changes will mean that people in the North will get a much better taxi service. My Department will now write to all taxi drivers and operators to advise them of the changes which will be introduced as part of the implementation of the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.”
Many of the supporters of Mr Bradley’s petition disagree, saying the regulations newly penalise drivers.
Diane Tierney states: “Taximen have been trying to earn a living for years and are being held to ransom by taxi firms who are the ones profiting while the drivers do all the work. Fair pay for fair work.”
Kathy Johnston states: “My husband is a taxi driver and already we [find] it hard enough to make ends meet. Especially with five children to support too.”
Warren Macfarland states: “The government are forcing these charges on taxi drivers, these expenses should be subsidised.”
Bob McLaughlin states: “Taxi men need a break, meters are fair enough but why punish the drivers? They are only doing a job.”
http://goo.gl/GFaCmI
------------------------------------
UBER CANADA crossed a line when it submitted a draft bylaw to the city’s licensing division, says the head of a taxi lobby group.
Next week, municipal licensing staff will release the much-anticipated proposed regulations for ride-sharing services and the taxi industry. City council is set to vote on the staff recommendations in May.
“I don’t think councillors are going to like the concept of a foreign, private sector company writing the legislation to staff,” Rita Smith, executive director of the Toronto Taxi Alliance, said Tuesday.
Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said it is “standard practice” for stakeholders to provide input to a government drawing up new laws.
“Uber and all parties involved in the ground transportation industry were invited to make submissions on regulations for consideration by ML&S, (Municipal Licensing and Standards),” Heath wrote in email.
“We regularly share examples of ridesharing regulations with regulators to help them better understand how jurisdictions around the world are regulating ridesharing.”
Smith said submitting a “full deck of pre-written legislation” was not standard practice.
“I have never seen this level of detail before, at any level of government,” she said. “This has been Uber’s stealth method of operations in many other jurisdictions.”
The Uber document was included in a batch of emails Smith obtained through a freedom of information request.
Last August, Chris Schafer, Uber Canada’s public policy manager, sent an email to licensing executive director Tracey Cook that included a “City of Toronto Transportation Network Company Services Bylaw,” prepared by Uber.
According to the document, Uber wants the city to set up a separate category for itself — called Transportation Network Company, or TNC.
“TNCs or TNC drivers are not common carriers or commercial motor vehicles (as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the Province of Ontario),” the Uber document states.
“A TNC driver shall not be required to register the vehicle such driver uses for TNC services as a commercial or for hire vehicles.”
Cook said Tuesday that the city will be doing the writing of any bylaw, but has “welcomed input from all stakeholders, including through a dedicated email account. We have received written submissions from numerous taxi and limousine stakeholders.
“We take all submissions into consideration — no one submission carries more weight than another.”
The taxi industry is adamant the only way cabbies can compete with Uber is if regulations are identical, including the requirement that drivers have costly commercial insurance.
“Unfortunately for Uber, no matter what by-law the city passes, insurance companies view all transportation of passengers for compensation exactly the same,” Smith wrote in an email.
“Toronto can pass by-laws until the cows come home; they cannot make insurance companies insure these cars. And they won’t.”
Smith said taxi industry representatives who attended an licensing “stakeholder” meeting last month considered it a “sham . . . Perhaps that is because MLS had already written its report based on Uber’s desired legislation.”
On Tuesday, Uber Canada launched a campaign asking Uber supporters to urge councillors to support “smart” and “progressive” regulations.
http://goo.gl/aibIX7
-------------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's taxi authority plans new rules for drivers that will impose tougher penalties for sexually charged comments and contact with passengers amid growing concern about harassment.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses about 150,000 drivers of yellow cabs and other for-hire vehicles such as Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft, wants to curb unwanted communication and touching as the number of drivers has significantly grown.
The TLC said the regulations are meant to clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment as more drivers enter the industry.
The behavior is already prohibited under a broad definition against threats, harassment or abuse, but the commission's goal is clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg.
The agency plans to debate the proposal at an April 21 meeting.
"This rule amendment would provide clear definitions of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact, which would help TLC prosecution enforce its rules and protect our passengers," he said in a statement.
The new rules would also ban drivers from commenting on the appearance and gender of their passengers, as well as expressing desire to enter into any relationship.
Sexual harassment offenders, under the proposal, would face a $1,000 fine, three points on a driver's license and a 30-day suspension or revocation, while sexual contact would carry a $2,000 fine and a mandatory revocation.
http://goo.gl/Zmfgsk
A members concerns in relation to interference on Insurance from those who don’t understand.
Posted on March 30, 2016
A members email to us and further comments from us:
I am writing to you to express my concerns in regards to Mr Wes Streeting (Labour Ilford North MP) Operator based Hire & Reward insurance proposal for PHV drivers.
The Bill was submitted via the ten minute rule on Tuesday the 22nd March 2016, more info can be found on the links below.
http://www.wesstreeting.org/wes_in_drive_to_improve_taxi_regulation
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/taxiandprivatehirevehicleoperatorsregulation.html
My concern is that this proposal will impact self employed drivers and small operators, I work with multiple operators at any given time and such proposal will not allow me to do so if this proposal is enacted. This proposal will restrict me to working for just one operator due to the terms and conditions of such insurance policy.
An Operator based H&R insurance policy will choke small Operators & self employed drivers, this proposal will also empower multinational/big operators even more as such operators would be able to buy H&R insurance at discount and charge PHV drivers whatever they like. Addison Lee currently charges drivers £60 per week for their Fleet Hire & Reward insurance and makes huge profits every year from such insurance policy; the driver has to pay hefty deposit of up to £3,000 and does not accumulate a penny of no claims discount on such policy.
This type of policy hinders the driver as he/she won’t be able to accumulate any NCD. This will also force the driver to work for one operator which goes against the nature of self employment.
There are other implications as well for example what will self-employed drivers do when he or she is kicked off a circuit by an operator at any given time. Operators kick drivers off their circuits all the time for whatever reason they deem fit and such proposal will give operators even more power over the driver, which can lead to even more exploitation and bullying.
I am amazed at the fact that a Labour MP worked on this proposal with a company which funds the Tory party and ignored the implications this will have on working class people like me. The bill does not resolve any of the issues PHV drivers face on a daily basis. Mr Streeting mentioned how Taxi drivers are struggling to make a good living and yet failed to mention the fact PHV drivers are also struggling to make a living let alone a good living. PHV drivers are exploited and bullied by operators and yet politicians take no notice of this fact, drivers nationwide are earning below minimum wage.
We may add the following:
The idea that such an insurance even if was possible to use could cover owner drivers and satisfy Lease, Finance and Hire companies is impossible.
Firstly there is no way a driver can suddenly enact a insurance cover for the times he is not working for a fleet.
Temporary cover is not only prohibitive in cost but leaves a driver in a financially vulnerable position.
Operators Like Addison Lee and Uber would love this as it would squeeze out more competition and create a profit stream on higher premiums based on admin and other costs.
If a fleet operator charges drivers £60 per week that’s over £3120 a year.
With some drivers with NCD paying £1200 PA do you think they will accept increased costs?
Com Cab and Radio Taxis would be forced to this market too as they are considered fleets.
In probability this would also spread to Gett and Hailo as theoretically they are fleet apps like Uber.
We have had multiple cases of deposits taken from drivers and never returned either through petty claims or in some cases closure of the company with no return only for the company directors to restart as an other operator.
On this count TFL have failed to act against the perpetrators.
Following GMB’s response for an annual policy which is mandatory for licensing we expect fraud to reduce although we will ask TFL to mandate insurers advise them of Private hire policies that lapse or are cancelled on vehicles so that the licences can be removed to not risk the public.
We hope that appropriate no claims discounts will bring down costs for all drivers overpaying for their cover.
Plan insurance are working on TIC a checking system to improve detection.
A strict Ply for hire definition is required too.
Above all we must stress that Politicians playing with private hire and taxi as if it is a toy when they have no instructions and will only cause more damage as has happened with the recent amendments to the Licensing act.
http://goo.gl/fsgF3V
-----------------------------------------------
DERRY
A petition branding the imposition of taximeters and printers an “unfair tax for Derry taxi drivers” has attracted over 100 supporters online.
John Bradley, who launched the petition just over a week ago, complains that a raft of changes to taxi regulations that will take effect from May include what will amount to a “£600 tax for the meter installation in vehicles.”
It’s an overhead drivers can’t afford, he says.
He argues that taxi women and men will have to raise fares to pay for the maintenance of the installed system.
He states: “Taxi drivers put in 50 plus hours per week to make ends meet. They work hard. They deserve to be treated fairly. Sign this petition to help raise awareness of this unfair tax on hard workers.”
Under the new rules Class A and Class B taxis must have a DoE approved taximeter and printer installed by May 31 and they must be programmed to operate within a new maximum fare structure.
Officially announcing the changes in February, Mr Durkan said: “I am modernising and improving the regulations for the taxi industry including licensing requirements, accessibility standards and installation of taximeters and imposition of maximum fares.”
He added: “In effect, these changes will mean that people in the North will get a much better taxi service. My Department will now write to all taxi drivers and operators to advise them of the changes which will be introduced as part of the implementation of the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.”
Many of the supporters of Mr Bradley’s petition disagree, saying the regulations newly penalise drivers.
Diane Tierney states: “Taximen have been trying to earn a living for years and are being held to ransom by taxi firms who are the ones profiting while the drivers do all the work. Fair pay for fair work.”
Kathy Johnston states: “My husband is a taxi driver and already we [find] it hard enough to make ends meet. Especially with five children to support too.”
Warren Macfarland states: “The government are forcing these charges on taxi drivers, these expenses should be subsidised.”
Bob McLaughlin states: “Taxi men need a break, meters are fair enough but why punish the drivers? They are only doing a job.”
http://goo.gl/GFaCmI
------------------------------------
UBER CANADA crossed a line when it submitted a draft bylaw to the city’s licensing division, says the head of a taxi lobby group.
Next week, municipal licensing staff will release the much-anticipated proposed regulations for ride-sharing services and the taxi industry. City council is set to vote on the staff recommendations in May.
“I don’t think councillors are going to like the concept of a foreign, private sector company writing the legislation to staff,” Rita Smith, executive director of the Toronto Taxi Alliance, said Tuesday.
Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said it is “standard practice” for stakeholders to provide input to a government drawing up new laws.
“Uber and all parties involved in the ground transportation industry were invited to make submissions on regulations for consideration by ML&S, (Municipal Licensing and Standards),” Heath wrote in email.
“We regularly share examples of ridesharing regulations with regulators to help them better understand how jurisdictions around the world are regulating ridesharing.”
Smith said submitting a “full deck of pre-written legislation” was not standard practice.
“I have never seen this level of detail before, at any level of government,” she said. “This has been Uber’s stealth method of operations in many other jurisdictions.”
The Uber document was included in a batch of emails Smith obtained through a freedom of information request.
Last August, Chris Schafer, Uber Canada’s public policy manager, sent an email to licensing executive director Tracey Cook that included a “City of Toronto Transportation Network Company Services Bylaw,” prepared by Uber.
According to the document, Uber wants the city to set up a separate category for itself — called Transportation Network Company, or TNC.
“TNCs or TNC drivers are not common carriers or commercial motor vehicles (as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the Province of Ontario),” the Uber document states.
“A TNC driver shall not be required to register the vehicle such driver uses for TNC services as a commercial or for hire vehicles.”
Cook said Tuesday that the city will be doing the writing of any bylaw, but has “welcomed input from all stakeholders, including through a dedicated email account. We have received written submissions from numerous taxi and limousine stakeholders.
“We take all submissions into consideration — no one submission carries more weight than another.”
The taxi industry is adamant the only way cabbies can compete with Uber is if regulations are identical, including the requirement that drivers have costly commercial insurance.
“Unfortunately for Uber, no matter what by-law the city passes, insurance companies view all transportation of passengers for compensation exactly the same,” Smith wrote in an email.
“Toronto can pass by-laws until the cows come home; they cannot make insurance companies insure these cars. And they won’t.”
Smith said taxi industry representatives who attended an licensing “stakeholder” meeting last month considered it a “sham . . . Perhaps that is because MLS had already written its report based on Uber’s desired legislation.”
On Tuesday, Uber Canada launched a campaign asking Uber supporters to urge councillors to support “smart” and “progressive” regulations.
http://goo.gl/aibIX7
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's taxi authority plans new rules for drivers that will impose tougher penalties for sexually charged comments and contact with passengers amid growing concern about harassment.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses about 150,000 drivers of yellow cabs and other for-hire vehicles such as Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft, wants to curb unwanted communication and touching as the number of drivers has significantly grown.
The TLC said the regulations are meant to clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment as more drivers enter the industry.
The behavior is already prohibited under a broad definition against threats, harassment or abuse, but the commission's goal is clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg.
The agency plans to debate the proposal at an April 21 meeting.
"This rule amendment would provide clear definitions of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact, which would help TLC prosecution enforce its rules and protect our passengers," he said in a statement.
The new rules would also ban drivers from commenting on the appearance and gender of their passengers, as well as expressing desire to enter into any relationship.
Sexual harassment offenders, under the proposal, would face a $1,000 fine, three points on a driver's license and a 30-day suspension or revocation, while sexual contact would carry a $2,000 fine and a mandatory revocation.
http://goo.gl/Zmfgsk
UBER LONDON, REALLY GIVE PASSENGER THE RUN AROUND.
A Uber driver charged a drunk passenger £102.17 for a journey, after taking him on a 20-mile detour around London while he slept.
Daniel Kaizen ordered a minicab from Old Street to Wood Green, north London this weekend, a five-mile trip which he said he was told would cost around £15.
But the late-night detour around the capital meant that his journey took five times longer than he expected and the bill came to over £100.
He said that Uber has since apologised and promised to refund the money.
Mr Kaizen, 26, ordered an Uber minicab in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday morning and said that he slept most of the way back.
But instead of being driven through north London on what would have been the quickest route, he spent the night riding due east to Barking before being taken around the North Circular to his destination.
After waking up at his destination, he switched on his phone to give his driver a star rating and said “I nearly spat out my tea laughing at the route”.
Looking at his phone, he could see the round-about route the driver had taken as well as the car going beyond where he says he was dropped off.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/29/uber-driver-charges-drunk-passenger-102-for-15-journey/
A Uber driver charged a drunk passenger £102.17 for a journey, after taking him on a 20-mile detour around London while he slept.
Daniel Kaizen ordered a minicab from Old Street to Wood Green, north London this weekend, a five-mile trip which he said he was told would cost around £15.
But the late-night detour around the capital meant that his journey took five times longer than he expected and the bill came to over £100.
He said that Uber has since apologised and promised to refund the money.
Mr Kaizen, 26, ordered an Uber minicab in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday morning and said that he slept most of the way back.
But instead of being driven through north London on what would have been the quickest route, he spent the night riding due east to Barking before being taken around the North Circular to his destination.
After waking up at his destination, he switched on his phone to give his driver a star rating and said “I nearly spat out my tea laughing at the route”.
Looking at his phone, he could see the round-about route the driver had taken as well as the car going beyond where he says he was dropped off.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/29/uber-driver-charges-drunk-passenger-102-for-15-journey/
Monday, 28 March 2016
A Bradford-registered cab has been seized by police investigating the death of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah - who was stabbed after wishing friends a "very happy Easter".
The grey Volkswagen Passat mini-cab with Uber branding in the windscreen was parked opposite "man of peace" Mr Shah's shop in Glasgow, where he was killed just four hours after posting his Easter message to "my beloved Christian nation".
The vehicle - a private hire vehicle registered with Bradford Council, 200 miles from Glasgow - was within the police cordon set up at the crime scene and was removed by police forensic officers wearing white protective suits.
The forensic officers slowly drove a recovery truck into the cordon and winched the private hire saloon cab onto the back of it before driving away.
It's believed the vehicle, which is feared to have transported Mr Shah's killer to the scene, is now undergoing forensic testing.
The vehicle seizure happened at 2.30pm on Friday afternoon outside Mr Shah's shop on Minard Road in the Shawlands area of Glasgow but has only just come to light.
News of the seizure comes just hours after reports that Mr Shah's alleged killer had travelled to Scotland from Bradford. The suspect is understood to be from the Girlington area of the city.
An Uber spokesman said today that the car was registered to a private hire cab driver in Bradford who last used the Uber app on Monday, March 21.
The spokesman said the car had not been used for any Uber trips in Glasgow and said any driver given a private hire licence by Bradford City Council had to pass enhanced DBS disclosure tests.
Police Scotland today refused to comment on the seizure of the vehicle.
A West Yorkshire police spokesman said: “It is a Police Scotland investigation but they have been liaising with senior officers in Bradford about the community impact.”
Meanwhile a crowdfunding site set up to raise money for Mr Shah's family has reached £70,000 thanks to donations from across Britain and further afield.
Police said on Friday that Mr Shah's death was being treated as "religiously prejudiced".
Mr Shah was a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions.
Speaking today, Dr Mohammed Iqbal, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bradford, said: "I feel very sad for the victim and his family, for our Ahmadiyya community because we know we face these dangers and for Bradford.
"It is a tragedy not just for those directly involved but also for the wider community because it will bring negativity to Bradford which we don’t want."
Dr Bary Malik, also from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said sympathies had been sent to Mr Shah’s family.
He said he was a friend of the victim and had got to know him from time spent in Rabwah in Pakistan, where the shopkeeper had been born.
http://goo.gl/NSwxZg
The grey Volkswagen Passat mini-cab with Uber branding in the windscreen was parked opposite "man of peace" Mr Shah's shop in Glasgow, where he was killed just four hours after posting his Easter message to "my beloved Christian nation".
The vehicle - a private hire vehicle registered with Bradford Council, 200 miles from Glasgow - was within the police cordon set up at the crime scene and was removed by police forensic officers wearing white protective suits.
The forensic officers slowly drove a recovery truck into the cordon and winched the private hire saloon cab onto the back of it before driving away.
It's believed the vehicle, which is feared to have transported Mr Shah's killer to the scene, is now undergoing forensic testing.
The vehicle seizure happened at 2.30pm on Friday afternoon outside Mr Shah's shop on Minard Road in the Shawlands area of Glasgow but has only just come to light.
News of the seizure comes just hours after reports that Mr Shah's alleged killer had travelled to Scotland from Bradford. The suspect is understood to be from the Girlington area of the city.
An Uber spokesman said today that the car was registered to a private hire cab driver in Bradford who last used the Uber app on Monday, March 21.
The spokesman said the car had not been used for any Uber trips in Glasgow and said any driver given a private hire licence by Bradford City Council had to pass enhanced DBS disclosure tests.
Police Scotland today refused to comment on the seizure of the vehicle.
A West Yorkshire police spokesman said: “It is a Police Scotland investigation but they have been liaising with senior officers in Bradford about the community impact.”
Meanwhile a crowdfunding site set up to raise money for Mr Shah's family has reached £70,000 thanks to donations from across Britain and further afield.
Police said on Friday that Mr Shah's death was being treated as "religiously prejudiced".
Mr Shah was a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions.
Speaking today, Dr Mohammed Iqbal, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bradford, said: "I feel very sad for the victim and his family, for our Ahmadiyya community because we know we face these dangers and for Bradford.
"It is a tragedy not just for those directly involved but also for the wider community because it will bring negativity to Bradford which we don’t want."
Dr Bary Malik, also from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said sympathies had been sent to Mr Shah’s family.
He said he was a friend of the victim and had got to know him from time spent in Rabwah in Pakistan, where the shopkeeper had been born.
http://goo.gl/NSwxZg
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