Inside Uber’s unsettling alliance with some of New York’s shadiest car dealers

Geovanie Rosario signed the lease because it was easy. Tower Auto Mall came recommended by Uber, as one of four dealers the ride-hailing company partnered with in New York City to offer “flexible and affordable” rentals and lease-to-own contracts to drivers.

Rosario went to see Tower one morning in May 2016 and started driving a black Lincoln MKS, New York City’s standard car-service vehicle, a week later. His contract included a $3,000 service fee and weekly payments of $495 for 159 weeks, or just over three years. Tower would take the payments directly out of his Uber earnings every Monday.

Rosario had quit his position as an assistant manager at Rent-A-Center, a job with benefits and a 401(k), to drive for Uber in March 2015. Rent-A-Center paid $12.25 an hour, and, based on Uber’s ads, he figured he could double that by becoming a driver. He had tried a couple of car rental options and, by the time he went to Tower, felt confident he could make enough to come out ahead.

But a month into his lease Rosario fell ill with pneumonia. He tried to keep driving, worried his payments would pile up, but he couldn’t control his cough. With no health insurance, it was hard to get treated, and what little money he did make went straight to his lease.

It was late June when Rosario felt well enough to start working full-time again. By then he was $1,800 in debt. When he tried to start up the Lincoln, its alarm sounded.

“That’s when I realized they’d turned the car off,” Rosario said. He called Tower to ask why the dealer had remotely deactivated his vehicle. “They said, ‘You have to make a payment.’”

http://bit.ly/2u0QkcO
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A pedestrian has died after being hit by a taxi in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Police said.

Emergency services were called after the crash, at 00:04 BST on Wednesday, on the A425 at the junction with Old Warwick Road.

Police said the silver Renault taxi van had been travelling along High Street towards the railway station.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the man, 32, had been trapped beneath the vehicle with very serious injuries.

He was pronounced dead at the scene
The taxi driver has been questioned by police.
Sgt Jem Mountford said: "We would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed what happened, or who may have seen the man prior to the incident.

"Our thoughts are with his family."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-40429132 
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BIRMINGHAM UNMET DEMAND SURVEY

http://bit.ly/2sZAC1A

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Uber has been given leave to appeal regulations in London that force its drivers to pass an English test.

The controversial taxi-hailing app firm lost its original case against Transport For London in March, but has continued its legal challenge saying the new rules are discriminatory.

The firm has estimated that almost a third of its 110,000 drivers in the Capital would fail the test, which includes both written and spoken elements.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pushed for the rigorous English language criteria in response to calls from the city’s black cabs drivers who are worried about their business being hurt by Uber.

"We're pleased to have secured this appeal to defend tens of thousands of drivers who risk losing their livelihoods because they can't pass an essay writing test," Uber's London General Manager Tom Elvidge said today, according to Reuters.

"We urge TfL and the Mayor not to introduce these disproportionate and discriminatory rules before the appeal is heard," he said.

Privately-owned and estimated to be worth tens of billions, Uber has been rocked by a number of scandals this year including accusations of sexism and bullying that ended up with chief executive and founder Travis Kalanick standing down earlier this month.

http://bit.ly/2ugHzdY
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A North Hollywood Uber driver suspected of sexually assaulting an unconscious 24-year-old passenger has been arrested, and investigators think he may have more victims.

The arrest of Alaric Spence, 46, was announced at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters on Monday afternoon.

The 24-year-old victim from L.A. was taking an Uber from downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood, but she fell unconscious during the 3 a.m. trip on Friday, June 23, possibly due to alcohol intoxication, Hayes said.

Spence allegedly drove the victim to a motel room on Lankershim Boulevard where he sexually assaulted her and left, according to Capt. William Hayes, the commanding officer of LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, which handles high-profile cases.

The victim woke up in the motel room later that morning and didn’t know where she was. She called police immediately, Hayes said.

Spence was taken into custody that evening and is being held on $1 million bail, inmate records indicate. Surveillance video shows him taking the victim into the motel, the captain said. Evidence was found at his residence after a search warrant was served, according to an LAPD news release

Police provided a photograph of the suspect because they think he may have sexually assaulted other victims. Spence is described as a black man, 5 feet 11 inches tall and 225 pounds.

“It doesn’t seem feasible that this would be the first time,” Hayes said. “He went to the hotel, rented a room, and then carried her from his car into the room, where he assaulted her. To do something that brazen … we would believe it’s something he’s done before.”

The victim and investigators do not think she was drugged by the suspect.

There are no reports of similar crimes, the captain said, noting that many sex assault victims do not report being attacked.

As an Uber driver, Spence drives a 2015 silver four-door Nissan Sentra with license plate No. 7XUX293. He told police he’s been driving for the ride-hailing service for about six months, the captain said.

Spence has five felony convictions for possession of narcotics for sale in L.A., Ventura and Sacramento counties, Hayes said.

Spence was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping to commit sexual assault. The case is being presented to prosecutors for the consideration of charges.
Uber has been "extremely cooperative," the captain said.

Anyone with information about additional victims is asked to call Robbery-Homicide Division Special Assault Section Detective Carla Zuniga at 213-486-6910. After-hours calls can be made to 877-527-3247, and anonymous tips can be made at 800-222-8477.

Electrified, range-extended black cab to be seen on the move and in the metal at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed

Your first chance to see the new range-extended, electrified London Taxi will take place this weekend coming at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the London Taxi Company TX5 will make its dynamic debut on the famous Goodwood hillclimb.

For capital dwellers it’ll become a common sight in years to come, but for now it will feature in the ‘First Glance’ paddock, alongside other prototype and concept vehicles from international manufacturers.

Recently, the new TX5 has been through extreme weather testing in Arizona, and the company has release a clutch of new official pictures.

Hot weather testing is a vital phase in the development of any new vehicle, but for the part electrified new taxi it’s crucial – tests like these reveal how long the range extender TX5 can go with the climate control systems on full blast, and how the new powertrain copes with extremely hot conditions.

According to LTC, the TX5 mules are covering around 300 miles a day in these conditions – the equivalent of driving from central London to Heathrow airport 20 times, and around three times as many miles as the average London cabbie notches up in a day.

In the next few weeks, more testing in humid and mountainous environments will take place – all in a bid to ensure that the new taxi is competent around the streets of London.

The London Taxi Company will operate from a Coventry based manufacturing facility dedicated to the production of next generation black cabs – the first new car factory in the UK for over a decade.

LTC’s Chinese parent firm Geely has invested £300m in the new plant, which is the UK’s first car factory dedicated to building electric vehicles only. The new range-extender TX5 taxi will be built at the plant from later this year and exported globally, creating more than 1,000 new jobs in the UK’s automotive industry.

The site has the capacity to build up to 20,000 vehicles a year. New TX5 cabs built here will go on sale in the UK late 2017, while worldwide availability will begin early next year. In addition to building the new taxi, the site will also become a research and development hub for lightweight aluminium body structures and future electric vehicle powertrains.

Replacing a globally renowned icon is no mean feat, but that’s exactly what the London Taxi Company is doing. The Coventry-based firm is set to roll out an all-new black cab with a range-extending hybrid powertrain at the end of this year.

Called the TX5, the new London taxi is completely redesigned from the ground up, including a new platform architecture and a state-of-the-art plug-in powertrain. It uses an all-new Volvo three-cylinder petrol engine as a generator for a large battery pack and electric motors – allowing a pure-EV range of over 70 miles. It also features six passenger seats and is fully wheelchair compatible.

The London Taxi Company (LTC) was bought out by Chinese carmaker Geely back in 2012 and a large investment of £275m has been made with the aim of bringing a petrol-electric taxi to market before Transport for London brings in new emissions legislation. Auto Express has spoken to LTC’s new CEO, Chris Gubbey, who revealed further details.

Gubbey joined LTC last year, with a long global automotive background including stints at Ford and General Motors. He has ambitions beyond the UK’s capital with the TX5, and discussions are underway with a number of European cities.

“It is important that this is also rolled out across Europe, as there has been a considerable investment for this project”, Gubbey said.

“These will be very tough markets to get into, though – they are very nationalistic. But London as a city is not unique in wanting to improve local air quality”.

The high-tech new production facility (described as being “like something out of Formula 1” by bosses) has the capacity to build up to 36,000 units annually. Gubbey’s target is for 50 per cent of London’s black cab fleet to convert to the new TX5 by 2020 – that’s fewer than 12,000 vehicles.
LTC itself has doubled its research and development staff number – up to 600 – in the last year. Gubbey says that most of the engineering work for the TX5 is already done, and the staff are now in the process of “fine tuning” the production car.

Gubbey claims that LTC is also looking into using the TX5 platform for a commercial vehicle. He cites the public’s change in purchasing habits as being a “perfect opportunity” to launch a small petrol-electric van to meet the challenge of potential city centre diesel bans in future.

TX5 design – classic black cab lines reinvented
The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the black cab and iconic sight on the streets of London.

Senior vice president of Geely design, Peter Horbury, told Auto Express: “The brief was clear. It has to look like a London taxi.”

The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the interior design is still under consideration, the six-seat layout has been confirmed, alongside the large panoramic glass roof for a more “premium experience.”

David Ancona, Design Director of Geely Barcelona said: “This decision was market driven. The [Mercedes] Vito was quite successful because it had that extra seat. It allowed three couples to go out together, or people to go to airports in groups. So it was decided to go that way.”

It makes use of a new lightweight aluminium structure and composite panelling, allowing the model to achieve a “full five-star Euro NCAP score” – according to Geely bosses.

As before, the new London taxi will use a front engine, rear-wheel drive layout, allowing it to boast the same market-leading tight turning circle. Despite its obvious associations with the outgoing TX4, Geely tells us all 2,000 components have been designed from the ground up.

The taxi isn’t due to hit the streets until later this year. Despite the higher specification and complex drivetrain, Ancona insists the TX5 won’t cost any more to buy or lease than the current model – thanks to government subsidies for low emission vehicles.

source: Autoexpress.
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AN UBER taxi mounted the pavement and crashed into a wall in Southsea.

The incident happened at 6.30pm yesterday at the junction of St Simons Road and Waverley Road.

The driver was uninjured and exchanged details with the owner of the house.

Police said they were called but did not need to attend.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/uber-taxi-crashes-into-southsea-wall-1-8025469

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CROATIA

Bad Publicity for Zagreb UBERK protest Taxi strike.

http://www.total-croatia-news.com/business/19896-taxi-drivers-score-an-own-goal-with-protest

UBERK IS ABOUT TO IMPLODE.

Uberk is collapsing, no one is sure why.

However a clue from the Coast last night might explain things.

 

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ROMANIA

Mytaxi, the e-hailing app owned by German carmaker Daimler, has entered the Romanian market after purchasing local company Clever Tech, the owner of the Clever Taxi app.

The details of the transaction were not disclosed, but the two parties said it was an eight-figure sum.

Romanian businessmen Mihai Rotaru and Alex Dumitru launched Clever Taxi in 2010, and the app has grown to be the leader in the local e-hailing apps market. So far, Clever Taxi has registered more than 40 million bookings in 20 cities across the country. It has 600,000 users and 17,000 registered drivers.

With this acquisition, mytaxi strengthens its presence on the international mobility market and its leading position in the European e-hailing market.

“We are delighted to welcome Clever Taxi in the mytaxi family. Being the first taxi booking app in Romania, with 17,000 registered drivers and 600,000 passengers, Clever Taxi fits perfectly with mytaxi,” said Andrew Pinnington, CEO mytaxi.

mytaxi was launched in the summer of 2009 by the Hamburg start-up Intelligent Apps GmbH. At the beginning of 2012, Daimler took a stake in Intelligent Apps GmbH and, in the fall of 2014, purchased the mytaxi company completely.

With more than 10 million downloads and over 120,000 registered drivers, mytaxi is the leader of the e-hailing market in Europe.

The app is available in 70 cities across 11 countries in Europe, operating in Germany, Austria, Poland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, and now Romania.

In July 2016 mytaxi announced the merger with Heilo, the market leader in the UK and Ireland. Moreover, in February 2017, mytaxi announced the acquisition of Taxibeat, the leader in the Greek market.

The Clever Taxi platform will continue to work after the transaction.

https://www.romania-insider.com/daimlers-mytaxi-buys-romanian-taxi-booking-app-clever-taxi/

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The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the licensing system for taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs).

As LTT reported last month, the Government proposes a single tier regime to deal with taxis and PHVs in the same way.

It says the distinction between taxis and PHVs is perhaps more understood in London than elsewhere.

The Law Commission’s 2014 report on taxi and PHV licensing in England and Wales considered the case for treating taxis and PHVs under the...

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/53815/wales-consults-on-taxi-licensing-reforms 

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Police are looking for a Glasgow taxi driver who attempted to murder a man by driving his cab at him.

The incident took place at about 00:10 on Dalmellington Road in the Crookston area of the city.

The taxi driver's victim, a 24-year-old man, is in a critical condition in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The driver did not stop after the incident and drove off along Dalmellington Road towards Crookston Road.

The driver of the taxi has been described by police as of Asian appearance, aged 30-40, medium build, with short dark hair and wearing a pink top.

Det Insp Greig Wilkie said: "From our investigations so far, it would appear that the two men had left a party nearby and had asked the taxi driver to get a lift home, however, the driver, for whatever reason, refused to take them.

It then appears that the injured man went on to the road which is when the taxi deliberately drove at him.

"The taxi didn't stop and drove off along Dalmellington Road, towards Crookston Road at Raeswood Road.

"On hearing a commotion outside, people from nearby houses came to assist the man until the ambulance arrived arrival of the ambulance. We are in the process of tracing them and others who were in the area, including the occupants of another black Hackney taxi who had been dropped off nearby just at the time of the incident, however, we have yet to trace the driver of that taxi and indeed another Hackney taxi driver who we know, were also in the area at the time."

He added: "This was a shocking incident, which has left a young man very seriously injured.

"I would appeal to the taxi driver who involved to come forward to police himself as soon as possible."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40399642

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DUNDEE

A 25-year-old man has been charged with careless driving after a taxi was involved in a collision with a pedestrian in Dundee city centre on Thursday evening.

A Dundee University graduate was taken to hospital with minor injuries after allegedly being struck by a taxi as he walked on a pavement in Nethergate shortly after 6pm.

Police revealed a man had been charged on Friday morning.

http://bit.ly/2t8aYtx

STOKE.

A terrified taxi driver jumped from his moving cab after a passenger made death threats and grabbed him around the neck.

The cabbie was travelling at 20mph when he took the evasive action after being told he was going to die when they reached Knutton.

His out-of-control taxi then crashed into a wall before the driver managed to flag down a passing vehicle.

Now passenger John Rawlinson has been locked up for 12 months after admitting assault and making threats to kill.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the defendant had drank 'an obscene amount of alcohol' when he called a taxi to take him from Meir to Knutton at 4.05am on October 22. During the terrifying 20-minute journey, the 26-year-old, of Vincent Place, Knutton, also made sexual advances towards the cabbie and demanded cash.

Prosecutor Peter Gilmour said: "Rawlinson grabbed the driver by the neck causing the car to swerve across the road. He continued to say 'just wait until we get to Knutton, I am going to kill you'.

"While travelling on the A34 the driver decided to head to a police station. But Rawlinson again said 'I am going to kill you' and grabbed the driver around the neck for 10 seconds.

"The driver threw himself out of the vehicle to get away while driving at 20mph. He landed on his knees and damaged his shoe."

http://bit.ly/2sHDyiZ 

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DUNDEE

A taxi apparently lost control and ploughed into a group of people celebrating their graduations in the city centre on Thursday evening.

An electric Nissan taxi was seen “out of control” as it mounted the kerb at the rank on Nethergate, opposite the Old Steeple Church, shortly after 6pm.

The incident is not being treated as terrorist related at this time.

A Dundee University graduand, named locally as Kenneth Chikezie, was hit by the vehicle, along with another male who escaped serious injury.

Mr Chikezie is thought to have suffered an arm injury and was conveyed to Ninewells hospital in an ambulance to be checked over by medical staff.
His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Andrew Nyomby, a friend of Mr Chikezie, was also walking in the group, and described what he saw.

“My family and I were walking in a group along Nethergate, when a taxi seemed to swerve off the road and headed straight towards us,” he said.
“The car knocked over my friend, Kenneth – who graduated from Dundee University just this afternoon – and he was on the ground by the bench and the bin.”

Peter Nyomby, Andrew’s father, said he didn’t see what happened, but heard a loud bang when the car mounted the pavement.

He said: “My other son said he saw the vehicle failing to stop as it reached the rank.

“I don’t understand how it could have happened, I heard the bang and the next moment I turn round and see two people on the ground.”

As many as five police cars and two ambulances were in attendance, with officers from both local Tayside division and British Transport Police on the scene.

UBERK. VALUE FOR MONEY...or...WHAT ?

Sacking Travis will not stop the Major Problem at UBERK.

" When you pay Peanuts.....You only get Monkeys."

Here's another from London. A six mile Journey turn's into a £150 Tour.

This Journey on a Manchester Cab at Tariff 2 would cost £20.00

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DUMBARTON

A cabbie who fell asleep at the wheel while he had two kids in his car has had his taxi licence renewed.

Castlehill man Graeme Ness — who had an undiagnosed sleep condition at the time — dozed off while he was driving customers and was later arrested.

One of the panicking occupants tried to speak to Ness to keep him awake as he veered towards a wall and was jolted awake after clipping a kerb, licensing officials heard last week.
They were also told about an earlier incident, in 2014, when he fled the scene of an accident and vandalised his taxi to make it look like it had been stolen.

His licence was suspended following the latest allegation in 2015 and he went on trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court in November last year.

Ness, of Cumbrae Crescent South, was found not guilty of culpability after a doctor confirmed he had undiagnosed condition sleep apnea — which can cause sufferers to suddenly fall asleep.

Last week, he appeared before West Dunbartonshire’s licensing committee, where councillors agreed to renew his licence following information from Mr Ness’ doctor.

He provided a letter from his consultant physician, which provided an opinion that he is now physically fit to resume occupational driving.

Explaining the incident at the meeting last week, Sergeant Angela Walker told how an occupant in the car claimed Mr Ness fell asleep during the journey in Dumbarton and the vehicle veered towards a wall.

He hit a kerb while driving through Brucehill, which woke him up and the matter was later reported to police.

Douglas Thomson, representing Ness at the meeting, said: “Following the incident, Mr Ness undertook not to drive. “It now comes before the committee because the criminal process came to an end this year.

“Members have a letter from the doctor in their papers. The doctor gave evidence at the trial. He had undiagnosed sleep apnea. He has been attending at a sleep clinic.”

Councillor John Mooney said he was content to grant the licence as long as Ness reported any future changes in his medical condition.

He said: “My concern is not on the criminal matter but on the public safety matter. Obviously Mr Ness realises that if there are any changes in his condition he must report these to the doctor immediately so it can be looked into because that would be very important.”

The committee also heard about another incident in 2014 where Ness was disqualified from driving for six months and fined £540 after fleeing the scene of an accident and vandalising his taxi to make it look as though it had been stolen.

Mr Thomson said Ness had panicked following the crash and didn’t know what to do.

http://bit.ly/2tw4iTP 
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WARWICKSHIRE

'Most important requirement apart from driving abilities' - reaction to taxi driver English tests
This evening councillors will make a decision on whether taxi drivers in North Warwickshire will be required to take English tests.

Ahead of the decision, Telegraph readers have shared their thoughts on the plan.

North Warwickshire Borough Council’s licensing committee will meet this evening to decide whether to introduce an assessment to test drivers’ communication and language skills.

They would need to pass the assessment in order to gain a taxi license in the borough.

 In Coventry, drivers already need to pass a communication and numeracy assessment when applying for a licence and residents in Coventry agree that it should be a requirement. Many also felt that they would like tougher testing on knowledge of the area.

Caroline Jenkins said: “Yes I agree they should take English lessons, to be fair there aren’t enough English taxi drivers.

“I’ve also been in a taxi and some drivers don’t even know where they are going in and around Coventry and been taxi drivers for years, then the bill goes up because the passengers have to try and explain the route on where to go.”

Anna Rack said: “Of course! I would never get a taxi job in France/Spain or any other country if I couldn’t speak the language.”

If approved, all taxi drivers applying for Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Drivers licenses in North Warwickshire would need to be assessed at the Adult and Community Learning (ACL), which is run by Warwickshire County Council in Camp Hill.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/most-important-requirement-apart-driving-13218934
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MORAY...ABERDEEN

A Moray man has been granted a taxi driver licence to help provide for his children – despite a “disturbing” record of road offences.

Jay Lucas yesterday pleaded with Moray Council’s licensing committee to permit him to take on part-time work with a Forres cab firm.
During the hearing, he argued that wages from the weekend employment would help provide essentials for his children while he studied at Moray College.

However, police officers listed a string of driving offences and urged councillors to carefully consider the request.

Sergeant Gavin Jardine detailed offences stretching back nine years, including one occasion where Lucas almost drove into a pedestrian on Forres High Street.

Sgt Jardine said: “In 2008, Lucas was convicted of speeding at 85mph in a 60mph zone.


“The following year, he was convicted on a breach of the peace charge and fined £240, but that was related to a road traffic offence.

“He was driving at excessive speed on Forres High Street and a pedestrian had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.”

Councillors heard that Lucas had applied for a taxi driver’s licence in 2010 but it was refused based on his record.

And Sgt Jardine added the applicant had also been snared by police on a careless driving charge in February 2014.

He said: “Police accused him of overtaking and driving recklessly on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road, in excess of the speed limit.
“Lucas allegedly tailgated another vehicle in an aggressive manner.”

When questioned by police, Lucas said he was late for a dental appointment in Aberdeen.

The charges were never brought to court, but Sgt Jardine argued it was “important” that councillors were informed of them.

Lucas said he “deeply regretted” his previous misdemeanours.

He added: “I just want to support my six kids, and having a licence would be a great help to me.”
Heldon and Laich councillor, Ryan Edwards, said the police report was “disturbing”.

However, the owner of Forres’s Spot On Cabs, Steven Duncan, confirmed that he was willing to employ Lucas.

Mr Duncan added: “He is a family man, and more settled than he was three years ago.”

Councillors unanimously agreed to grant Lucas a three-year licence to work as a taxi driver.

http://bit.ly/2rENnwP
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AUSTRALIA CARD SKIMMERS

Dodgy cabbies are using state-of-the-art card skimmers to scam thousands of dollars from oblivious passengers.

The crooked drivers use the skimmers to clone credit card details and copy pin numbers before handing their passengers bogus receipts for fares across Sydney. 

The data is then uploaded on to EFTPOS cards and thousands of dollars are being withdrawn at a time, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Hayley Smith says she is a victim of the elaborate scam which sees thousands of dollars being withdrawn at a time from taxi passengers' bank accounts

Hayley Smith says she was scammed when a driver skimmed her card after she took a ride from Annadale in the city's inner west to nearby Homebush.

'Everything seemed normal until I came to pay and he swiped my card (instead of pay pass or insert) and asked me to enter my pin,' she wrote in a Facebook post.

'I thought this was strange at the time but he passed me the receipt and I didn't give it another thought.'

When the $30 transaction didn't show up on her account the next day, she said she became suspicious before receiving a phone call from her bank.

Ms Smith shared a picture of the bogus receipt she was handed for her fare to warn others of the scam
'The next day, I receive a text followed by a call from my bank asking if I have tried to debit $500 / $800 / $1000 from an ATM in Homebush,' she wrote.

'The transaction has still not appeared, which makes it clear that his terminal was to steal my details, not to debit payment.'

Ms Smith shared a picture of the bogus receipt she was handed for her fare to warn others of the scam.

'That ABN does not exist. There are no contact details, nothing that can trace you back to him,' she wrote.

'Therefore he is not only a con artist but also unlikely to be a registered taxi!'

Daily Mail Australia confirmed that the Australian Business Number doesn't exist.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4626060/Sydney-taxi-s-using-skimmers-steal-passengers.html
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