VIENNA (Reuters) - The ride-hailing service Uber is suspending operations in Vienna after an Austrian court issued a temporary injunction against it on Wednesday.
The case is one in a series of battles that taxi operators have waged across Europe against the U.S. company that they accuse of undermining their businesses.
“We respect the court’s decision and are working hard to change our operating model within the next few days,” an Uber spokeswoman said in a written statement.
Operations in the city of 1.9 million people would be stopped later on Wednesday and the company expected them to resume later this week, she added.
A spokesman for the court said earlier on Wednesday that pending a verdict in a lawsuit filed by a local taxi company it had ordered Uber to stop operations as soon as the plaintiff had paid a 200,000 euro (143,407 pounds) deposit.
The injunction requires Uber to stop operations until it can ensure orders for rides are booked centrally rather than directly with a driver, the court spokesman said. Cabs would also have to be sent from company premises and return between rides, he added.
“We are very pleased by the commercial court’s ruling,” the plaintiff, Taxi 40100, said in a statement.
The group’s lawyer said Uber faced fines of up to 100,000 euros for any violation of the injunction.
Uber launched in Europe in 2011, angering some local authorities and taxi drivers who said it did not abide by the same rules on insurance, licensing and safety.
Following widespread protests, court battles and bans, Uber has taken a more emollient stance under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, suspending operations in various cities in order to comply with local regulations.
https://reut.rs/2KhCElN
-----------------------------------------------
BARROW
FOURTEEN taxi drivers are operating in Barrow despite having 33 criminal convictions between them.
A Freedom of Information request submitted to Barrow Borough Council revealed 14 of the borough's 313 licensed hackney and private hire taxi drivers have a criminal conviction.
The council is tasked with granting taxi licences only to those considered to be a "fit and proper person" and this remit includes looking at past convictions.
In its policy, the council states it will "pay particular attention to any convictions for offences with a public safety element".
When applying for a three-year licence, cabbies are obliged to disclose any and all criminal convictions, including those which are spent, and once a year must make an annual declaration notifying the council of any new criminal convictions or endorsements.
Any applicant with a serious violent conviction within the last five years or a violent conviction within the last three years is "likely to be refused a licence" while any convictions relating to the loss of life or sex offences will automatically bar anyone from obtaining a licence.
An applicant is also likely to be refused a licence if they have any drugs or alcohol-related convictions in the last three to five years.
Taxi drivers are also required to pass a series of tests including ones which assess their knowledge of local geography, the Highway Code, disability awareness and mental arithmetic.
Since January 2013 the licensing regulatory committee has made decisions relating to 14 different taxi drivers in Barrow who have between them 33 criminal convictions.
Those convictions include: battery; GBH; harassment; wounding; arson; using public telecoms system to send menacing matter; damaging property; obstructing police; using threatening behaviour; failure to notify change of circumstances affecting entitlement to benefit; handling stolen goods; drunk and disorderly; possession of class B drugs; taking a vehicle without consent; using a vehicle while uninsured; speeding and using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
An application will normally be refused where the applicant has 12 or more penalty points although the figures from the council reveal one taxi driver has been granted a licence despite having previously accrued the maximum number of points.
Public protection manager Graham Barker, who was promoted to lead the environmental health department at Barrow Council in April following the retirement of Anne Pearson, said that many of the convictions in the list were historical.
He said: "If a taxi driver notifies the council of a new conviction we will look at their entire criminal record so some of the offences on the list will be from an individual's youth or from many years before.
"When convictions are spent we have a standard whereby an individual can still get a licence but anything beyond that is taken to the licensing regulatory committee to be decided.
"Every case has to be heard on its own merits."
Bob Mullen, of the Furness Taxi Trade Association, said: "I do know that we have very strict conditions on drivers licensing. These have been tightened up in the recent past."
http://bit.ly/2I0EXZJ
----------------------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's yellow taxi drivers on Wednesday joined with drivers for Uber and other app-based ride services at a rally to call for guaranteed minimum pay and limits on growth in the number of cars for hire in the largest U.S. city.
In a steady drizzle outside City Hall in lower Manhattan, dozens of drivers carried signs with slogans such as "Respect the Drivers," and "Stop the Race to the Bottom," before presenting their demands to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council.
"We want regulation that will create a ground so that people have a chance to stand on something and not just sink into a miserable poverty," said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the 19,000-member New York Taxi Workers Alliance. The group represents all categories of for-hire drivers.
Its demands include limiting the number of for-hire vehicles and ensuring that pay rates and regulations are the same for Uber[UBER.UL], Lyft and other app-based ride services as they are for yellow cabs, whose numbers are limited to about 13,600.
Since Uber and other app-based services came on the scene about five years ago, their category has swollen to more than 100,000 cars, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission chair Meera Joshi. About 2,000 cars a month are being added, she said.
Uber and Lyft said their services have improved travel options, while offering new jobs to New Yorkers.
"Uber has grown the transportation pie, ensuring all New Yorkers can get a ride in minutes, particularly in neighborhoods outside of Manhattan yellow taxi have long ignored," said spokeswoman Alix Anfang.
Lyft is in "ongoing conversations" with New York about its operations in the city, spokesman Campbell Matthews said in an email to Reuters.
Drivers, including those with Uber and Lyft, said they were working longer and making less, and four drivers have committed suicide in recent months, some saying heavy debts drove them to despair.
Inder Parmar, who has been driving for Uber for nearly five years, was among about a dozen cabbies who appealed to City Council Member Brad Lander for relief in a meeting shortly before the rally.
"We are making less than minimum wage," said Parmar. The city's legal minimum is $13 an hour and will rise to $15 by the end of the year.
Lander, a Democrat, hopes to propose legislation on Monday that would ensure a $15 hourly minimum for all drivers of for-hire vehicles.
https://read.bi/2I1g8Nw
Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Tuesday, 24 April 2018
CYPRUS
A new application, Taxify, which is being launched on Wednesday in Nicosia is expected to revolutionise the taxi sector in Cyprus.
The app allows users to set their location and see where the nearest partner taxi is and order it. The taxi can be tracked heading to the customer’s location and indicates how long far away it is and how long it will take to arrive.
Customers can also track their routes while inside the cab, preventing drivers from taking longer routes and overcharging for trips. Customers will also be able to pay via their phones.
Taxify, which is being used in Europe already will start operating in the capital, with an expansion of services to the whole island planned in the near future.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the application was created in Estonia and has been a great success in Europe, Central America and Africa. With 5 million users in 30 countries and with transactions over $ 1 billion, it is today the most rapidly growing technology company in Europe.
Sotiris Tigarides, head of the service in Cyprus, said the company will use only registered taxis with professional taxi drivers who are mostly self-employed and will be able to continue to work with both existing taxi offices and Taxify.
Customer safety and the legal aspects of the industry will be a priority, he said.
The app will offer different payment methods and has a ratings utility. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows phones.
Drivers are charged a commission of only 15 per cent, while other, similar applications charge 25 to 30 per cent, he explained.
http://bit.ly/2HSwfPw
---------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being offered a ‘package of incentives’ by the city council, which is seeking to boost the number of cleaner and low emission taxis operating within the city.
The council is aiming to see as many as 100 Hackney Carriage owners switch to low emission models, following an award of £449,500 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The incentives are being offered over a five-year period totalling £3,635 per proprietor, which will cover subsidies for a number of fees that are required for operating a taxi in Bristol.
Included within the five-year package are £187 per year for licencing fees, a £50 per year certificate of conformity fee, and a permit to operate at Temple Meads Railway Station, totalling £490 per year.
The subsidy announcement coincides with the current implementation of a vehicle licensing policy aimed at improving vehicle emissions that requires between 250 and 300 Hackney Carriages to be ULEVs or fitted with Euro VI standard engines.
According to the city council, should the incentives be taken up by taxi drivers, the city could benefit from a 20% reduction in emissions across the whole taxi fleet.
Councillor Mhairi Threlfall, cabinet member for transport at Bristol city council, said: “It is great news that we were successful in our bid for government funding, which will allow us to help our taxi drivers to buy electric vehicles and reduce pollution in the city.
“Hackney Carriage taxis play an important role in Bristol’s public transport system, often providing trips that are difficult to replace by other modes of transport, such as trips for elderly and disabled people.
“However, frequent travel in the central area and higher level of idling means that they do also make a significant contribution to the current unacceptable levels of air pollution in the city, which we are determined to reduce.
“We also realise that running a business often involves juggling lots of different costs, so this scheme of financial subsidies will make it much easier for our taxi drivers to make an immediate difference to our air quality by switching to electric or low emission vehicles.”
Clean Air Zone
Bristol city council has recently outlined its five potential options for the establishment of a clean air zone within the city, which include options based around either a small or medium-sized ‘Class C’ or ‘Class D’ charging clean air zone in the centre of the city, which could levy a charge for the use of buses and coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, heavy and lights goods vehicles, and potentially also private cars (see airqualitynews.com story).
A final proposal is expected to be put forward later this year, with an expected 2019 rollout of the scheme.
http://bit.ly/2JpEa4e
-----------------------------------------------
NEWBURY
A taxi driver has had to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs for breaking licensing rules.
Arshad Khaliq, 46 years old, of Martin Road, Slough had to cough up after he admitted plying for hire and driving an unlicensed vehicle while working in Newbury, Berkshire.
Mr Khaliq was caught working in a taxi rank in Newbury while driving a vehicle for which the licence had expired.
Despite no longer having a valid licence, Mr Khaliq continued to use the vehicle, and was caught doing so on three separate occasions between the end of July and beginning of August 2017.
Mr Khaliq also failed to display correct livery for the vehicle.
He was found to have broken the laws regulating taxi drivers following an investigation by the Public Protection Partnership (PPP).
He was sentenced for his crimes at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 13.
At the hearing, Mr Khaliq admitted to three offences of plying for hire and driving or standing on a taxi rank with an unlicensed vehicle.
Mr Khaliq received a fine of £1,125 and was ordered to pay a contribution towards the council’s costs of £1,500 as well as a victim surcharge of £37 amounting to a total of £2,662.
http://bit.ly/2Fdk0YL
------------------------------------------
TYNESIDE
Masked and carrying machetes: The gang who targeted Tyneside taxi drivers
"Arrogant and violent", that's how police have described a gang who used machetes and fake guns to rob taxi drivers across Tyneside.
Three men pretended to be customers and got into the back of taxis before pulling on masks and revealing their weapons once the car had moved away. The three men have been jailed for a total of 26 years.
Detectives said they targeted the drivers when they were most vulnerable, working alone at night.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how all three men were 'obsessed' with illegal weapons and posted videos brandishing them on social media.
http://bit.ly/2Ffb44Z
-------------------------------------------
A new application, Taxify, which is being launched on Wednesday in Nicosia is expected to revolutionise the taxi sector in Cyprus.
The app allows users to set their location and see where the nearest partner taxi is and order it. The taxi can be tracked heading to the customer’s location and indicates how long far away it is and how long it will take to arrive.
Customers can also track their routes while inside the cab, preventing drivers from taking longer routes and overcharging for trips. Customers will also be able to pay via their phones.
Taxify, which is being used in Europe already will start operating in the capital, with an expansion of services to the whole island planned in the near future.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the application was created in Estonia and has been a great success in Europe, Central America and Africa. With 5 million users in 30 countries and with transactions over $ 1 billion, it is today the most rapidly growing technology company in Europe.
Sotiris Tigarides, head of the service in Cyprus, said the company will use only registered taxis with professional taxi drivers who are mostly self-employed and will be able to continue to work with both existing taxi offices and Taxify.
Customer safety and the legal aspects of the industry will be a priority, he said.
The app will offer different payment methods and has a ratings utility. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows phones.
Drivers are charged a commission of only 15 per cent, while other, similar applications charge 25 to 30 per cent, he explained.
http://bit.ly/2HSwfPw
---------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being offered a ‘package of incentives’ by the city council, which is seeking to boost the number of cleaner and low emission taxis operating within the city.
The council is aiming to see as many as 100 Hackney Carriage owners switch to low emission models, following an award of £449,500 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The incentives are being offered over a five-year period totalling £3,635 per proprietor, which will cover subsidies for a number of fees that are required for operating a taxi in Bristol.
Included within the five-year package are £187 per year for licencing fees, a £50 per year certificate of conformity fee, and a permit to operate at Temple Meads Railway Station, totalling £490 per year.
The subsidy announcement coincides with the current implementation of a vehicle licensing policy aimed at improving vehicle emissions that requires between 250 and 300 Hackney Carriages to be ULEVs or fitted with Euro VI standard engines.
According to the city council, should the incentives be taken up by taxi drivers, the city could benefit from a 20% reduction in emissions across the whole taxi fleet.
Councillor Mhairi Threlfall, cabinet member for transport at Bristol city council, said: “It is great news that we were successful in our bid for government funding, which will allow us to help our taxi drivers to buy electric vehicles and reduce pollution in the city.
“Hackney Carriage taxis play an important role in Bristol’s public transport system, often providing trips that are difficult to replace by other modes of transport, such as trips for elderly and disabled people.
“However, frequent travel in the central area and higher level of idling means that they do also make a significant contribution to the current unacceptable levels of air pollution in the city, which we are determined to reduce.
“We also realise that running a business often involves juggling lots of different costs, so this scheme of financial subsidies will make it much easier for our taxi drivers to make an immediate difference to our air quality by switching to electric or low emission vehicles.”
Clean Air Zone
Bristol city council has recently outlined its five potential options for the establishment of a clean air zone within the city, which include options based around either a small or medium-sized ‘Class C’ or ‘Class D’ charging clean air zone in the centre of the city, which could levy a charge for the use of buses and coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, heavy and lights goods vehicles, and potentially also private cars (see airqualitynews.com story).
A final proposal is expected to be put forward later this year, with an expected 2019 rollout of the scheme.
http://bit.ly/2JpEa4e
-----------------------------------------------
NEWBURY
A taxi driver has had to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs for breaking licensing rules.
Arshad Khaliq, 46 years old, of Martin Road, Slough had to cough up after he admitted plying for hire and driving an unlicensed vehicle while working in Newbury, Berkshire.
Mr Khaliq was caught working in a taxi rank in Newbury while driving a vehicle for which the licence had expired.
Despite no longer having a valid licence, Mr Khaliq continued to use the vehicle, and was caught doing so on three separate occasions between the end of July and beginning of August 2017.
Mr Khaliq also failed to display correct livery for the vehicle.
He was found to have broken the laws regulating taxi drivers following an investigation by the Public Protection Partnership (PPP).
He was sentenced for his crimes at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 13.
At the hearing, Mr Khaliq admitted to three offences of plying for hire and driving or standing on a taxi rank with an unlicensed vehicle.
Mr Khaliq received a fine of £1,125 and was ordered to pay a contribution towards the council’s costs of £1,500 as well as a victim surcharge of £37 amounting to a total of £2,662.
http://bit.ly/2Fdk0YL
------------------------------------------
TYNESIDE
Masked and carrying machetes: The gang who targeted Tyneside taxi drivers
"Arrogant and violent", that's how police have described a gang who used machetes and fake guns to rob taxi drivers across Tyneside.
Three men pretended to be customers and got into the back of taxis before pulling on masks and revealing their weapons once the car had moved away. The three men have been jailed for a total of 26 years.
Detectives said they targeted the drivers when they were most vulnerable, working alone at night.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how all three men were 'obsessed' with illegal weapons and posted videos brandishing them on social media.
http://bit.ly/2Ffb44Z
-------------------------------------------
Friday, 20 April 2018
LONDON
Taxi firms face claims over drivers' rights in wake of Uber case
The battle for rights for gig economy workers is stepping up as the union behind legal action against Uber targets three taxi firms that say their drivers are not entitled to holiday pay or the minimum wage.
Green Tomato Cars, which calls itself “London’s green and ethical car service”, luxury airport transfer specialist Blacklane and Birmingham’s A2B are facing claims from former drivers who say they are “workers” and not independent contractors as the car firms insist.
The cases are backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) union, which has won a string of successful cases on worker status, including against Uber. The ride-hailing app is to challenge the ruling at the court of appeal.
An employment tribunal test case backed by the GMB union also found that some Addison Lee drivers had been wrongly classed as self-employed. Addison Lee has been granted the right to appeal against the case.
“The bogus classification of private hire drivers as independent contractors in order to deprive them of employment rights is rampant across the sector. It’s not just Uber and Addison Lee,” Jason Moyer-Lee, the general secretary of the IWGB, said.
Nelson Salei, a former driver for Green Tomato, says he is a worker and so is entitled to be reimbursed unpaid holiday pay.
Salei worked for the private hire group for several months last year, usually on five-day rolling contracts. He left after claiming he was not paid for several days of a contract after a dispute over a fare that was booked but did not turn up.
He said the non-payment just before Christmas “was really frustrating”. “I wanted to have a comfortable Christmas but I had to ask people to lend me money,” he said.
Salei earned £20 an hour on the contract, under which he promised to work only for Green Tomato and turn down work from other companies such as Uber, but estimates that he took home less than half of that after paying for petrol, insurance, maintenance and leasing his car.
He says he never asked for holiday pay. “I didn’t know much about my rights,” he said.
Green Tomato Cars said it “prides itself on being an ethical company and, in particular, in our relationship with drivers”.
“We have discussed the situation with Mr Salei and his union representative through the Acas mediation process, and maintain our position that there are no grounds for his claim,” it added.
“We will of course comply with the requirements of the tribunal, where we expect to successfully defend the claim.”
Mariusz Jakubowski, who worked for Blacklane in Glasgow, until just before Christmas last year, said he didn’t receive a set rate for jobs. The app works by offering a rate for a job in a particular area that gradually increases until a driver takes it up.
Jakubowski left after he was fined by the company when a customer complained he handed them a personal business card, something he denies doing. He said he had rented out his car and stopped private-hire driving after leaving Blacklane. “I was earning good money,” he said. But after receiving the fine and being assaulted by a passenger while working for another taxi service he said: “I realised it wasn’t worth it.”
Berlin-based Blacklane, which operates in more than 250 cities around the world and is partly backed by the carmaker Daimler, said: “We have not received any official information, documentation or filings about this case.
Therefore, we cannot comment in any meaningful way.”
A2B’s owner Veezu, which owns several private hire firms, did not respond to a request for comment.
The gig economy has proved to be a battleground for disputes about employment status involving firms such as takeaway company Deliveroo and courier firm CitySprint. Its emergence also prompted a full-blown government review into modern employment practices, led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair.
http://bit.ly/2JceBTX
-----------------------------------------
A Brighton and Hove taxi driver has lost his licence after he was accused of a serious sexual offence.
The cabbie, a 35-year-old man from Portslade, worked for Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, one of the three main taxi and private hire businesses operating in the area.
A fourth business, Uber, faces a licensing panel on Monday (23 April) in the hope of renewing its private hire licence for Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Police said: “A 35-year-old man from Portslade, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a female in a taxi in Brighton on (Sunday) 4 February, answered bail on (Wednesday) 28 March.
“He was subsequently released under investigation.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We were informed by the police that a taxi driver had been accused of a serious sexual offence and, as a result of our own inquiries, his licence to operate as a taxi driver and his vehicle licence have both been revoked.
“Public safety is a priority and we act on any intelligence regarding public safety, regardless of an arrest or charge, and take the appropriate action to protect passengers where we believe the evidence we have support this.
“General details of enforcement action taken against taxi and private hire drivers are reported to each meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee and these reports are available on the council’s website.
“The majority of the licensed taxi trade are very aware of the high responsibility of the work they do and act in a professional manner.”
http://bit.ly/2vA2dLE
=---------------------------------------
A COVENTRY taxi driver has had his licence revoked with immediate effect for failing to properly secure a disabled passenger in his cab on two separate occasions.
The hackney cab driver did not use restraining straps to secure the wheelchair and the passenger in the correct position.
He then failed to admit these failures to Coventry City Council enforcement officers when subsequently interviewed under caution.
Details of the two incidents have been heard by the Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee which took the decision to withdraw the driver’s licence.
The committee felt the driver had tried to pass the burden of responsibility onto the complainant stating it was the passenger who had requested not to be strapped in, the council says.
A Coventry council spokesperson said: “Members were unanimous in the decision to revoke the licence and wanted to send a clear message to Coventry taxi drivers that transporting any passenger in a dangerous manner would not be tolerated.
“All hackney cab drivers are trained in how to place wheelchair passengers into a vehicle.
“But the driver accepted at the hearing that he had not followed the correct procedure.
“He had loaded the passenger and wheelchair sideways into the vehicle and then stretched restraining belts over the legs of the complainant.”
In hackney cabs, a wheelchair must be turned to face the rear of the vehicle and secured using straps and the seatbelt within the vehicle.
During the hearing, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee also warned Private Hire Operators need to review procedures in relation to disabled passengers.
They also want to see a robust complaints procedure in place, as a lack of one may lead to a review of their licence.
Andrew Walster, director, Streetscene and Regulatory Services at Coventry council, believes the committee has sent a clear warning to all taxi drivers.
He said: “Members are unanimous that the council wants to ensure that all taxis operating in our city are accessible to all members of the public and that they are carried in a safe and proper manner.
“There are further enforcement operations planned in the future to ensure compliance by all our taxi operators.
“It would be clear discrimination should taxi operators decline to take wheelchair users based upon their disability.
“If reports of any refusals are received then the driver leaves themselves open to a licence review.”
http://bit.ly/2JdYu8C
----------------------------------------------
BOLTON
A TAXI driver who twice overcharged a passenger who used a wheelchair has been convicted of an offence under the Equality Act.
A taxi capable of carrying the wheelchair had been booked to take Peter Kelly, with his wife Tracy and her daughter Kerry Battersby, from their home in Westhoughton to a restaurant in Blackrod for Mrs Kelly's 50th birthday celebration.
But Bolton Magistrates' Court heard that driver Pervez Sajid, who had been sub-contracted by Timewise, charged them £17.50 for the five-and-a-half-mile journey.
Peter Horgan, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Kelly, who is disabled, and his family thought the ride, on May 19 last year, was expensive but became concerned when they learned that Mrs Kelly's son, Cllr Ryan Battersby, had made a similar journey to the restaurant in a different cab and only been charged just over £9.
After the meal 58-year-old Sajid arrived to take the Kellys back to their home in Greenfold Lane and, again, charged them £17.50.
Cllr Battersby decided to complain to Bolton Council about the charging and, on May 31, Sajid was questioned by a licensing enforcement officer.
Sajid, of Gilnow Road, Heaton, told the investigator that he had a double-sided card listing the charges for journeys.
One side was the rate for carrying up to four passengers and on the other was the charges for a minibus used for four to eight passengers.
He claimed he had looked at the wrong side of the card when asking for payment from the Kellys and told the enforcement officer he would apologise and refund the overpayment.
Mr Horgan told the court that, in total, the Kellys were overcharged by £13.35.
"It is a small amount but it is, of course, the principle to ensure there is no discrimination towards anyone who is wheelchair-bound," said Mr Horgan.
Sajid pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a duty to carry people using wheelchairs without making an additional charge, an offence under Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010, which came into force in April last year.
In a prepared statement read out in court Sajid told magistrates that this was the only complaint about him in the 31 years he has been a taxi driver.
"This has upset my reputation which I am very proud of," he said.
"I am sorry for the mistake and reading the wrong side of the fare card.
"I had no intention of overcharging passengers because one person had access needs."
Magistrates sentenced him to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay £200 towards prosecution costs, plus £13.35 in compensation.
Chairman of the bench David Hendry told him: "You have to understand that taxi drivers are under a duty of care to all their passengers and that, of course, includes disabled passengers."
However, he added: "It is important to recognise that you, Mr Sajid, have been a taxi driver in Bolton for 31 years without a blemish and you offered to apologise and reimburse the monies."
Mr Kelly has been wheelchair-bound for four years after having a leg amputated.
His wife welcomed the outcome of the court case and said she hopes it deters other drivers from overcharging and encourages more wheelchair users to complain if they are being treated unfairly.
"It is more the principle," she said.
"Why should we be charged double for the same journey?"
It is the first time Bolton Council has brought such a prosecution and executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel said: "We wrote out to every private hire and taxi driver last year to forewarn them about the new regulations contained in the Equality Act, and that we would not hesitate to enforce its provisions.
--------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH WALES
CABBIES who went on strike over a faulty app that overcharged customers have been sacked.
The 25 drivers working for V Cars were told the action was in response to a noisy protest outside the firm’s Groundwell headquarters on Monday that involved around 60 people.
In a letter to its drivers, Veezu, which owns the company said: “Unfortunately, a small minority of drivers have become disruptive. These actions are detrimental to the vast majority of drivers and affect not just the company’s reputation, but also all drivers’ work levels.”
Managing director for the south west and Wales, Ryan Owen, wrote: “These actions are not reasonable and as such we cannot condone or allow them to continue.
“We have a duty of care to our staff for their safety and wellbeing and to the majority of drivers to safeguard work levels.
“The drivers identified carrying out these actions are no longer associated with V Cars.
“Their accounts have been finalised and their private hire licences returned to the council offices for collection.”
He added: “V Cars now looks forward to finalising our driver feedback panel to engage with drivers constructively.
“We will continue to investigate concerns raised regarding the speed and signal strength of the equipment and look to decide on long term solutions shortly.”
The drivers refused to work on Monday claiming a new app that people could use to book taxis, was grossly overcharging customers and had not been fixed.
One case saw a passenger charged £120 for travelling from Wroughton to Old Town.
In a statement issued today V Cars Drivers’
Association said members were outraged with the way the firm had handled the issue.
“We have the right to protest and the management should respect our decision to do so," they said. "We are also a customer of the company as we pay for a service every week. We will be contacting the Citizen’s Advice Bureau because the way we have been treated is disgraceful.”
In the statement, they added: “Veezu has no proof to back up what they have said, if we were behaving in such a manner the police would have made arrests or dispersed us from the scene.”
Last week the drivers met the company in an attempt to resolve the issues, which included complaints that valuable jobs were only being given to favoured drivers. But it was without success.
At the time V Cars said it had received feedback from some drivers that they were experiencing signal and speed issues with the iCabbi app and that it had sent a team to Swindon to carry out testing.
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk
------------------------------------
Taxi firms face claims over drivers' rights in wake of Uber case
The battle for rights for gig economy workers is stepping up as the union behind legal action against Uber targets three taxi firms that say their drivers are not entitled to holiday pay or the minimum wage.
Green Tomato Cars, which calls itself “London’s green and ethical car service”, luxury airport transfer specialist Blacklane and Birmingham’s A2B are facing claims from former drivers who say they are “workers” and not independent contractors as the car firms insist.
The cases are backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) union, which has won a string of successful cases on worker status, including against Uber. The ride-hailing app is to challenge the ruling at the court of appeal.
An employment tribunal test case backed by the GMB union also found that some Addison Lee drivers had been wrongly classed as self-employed. Addison Lee has been granted the right to appeal against the case.
“The bogus classification of private hire drivers as independent contractors in order to deprive them of employment rights is rampant across the sector. It’s not just Uber and Addison Lee,” Jason Moyer-Lee, the general secretary of the IWGB, said.
Nelson Salei, a former driver for Green Tomato, says he is a worker and so is entitled to be reimbursed unpaid holiday pay.
Salei worked for the private hire group for several months last year, usually on five-day rolling contracts. He left after claiming he was not paid for several days of a contract after a dispute over a fare that was booked but did not turn up.
He said the non-payment just before Christmas “was really frustrating”. “I wanted to have a comfortable Christmas but I had to ask people to lend me money,” he said.
Salei earned £20 an hour on the contract, under which he promised to work only for Green Tomato and turn down work from other companies such as Uber, but estimates that he took home less than half of that after paying for petrol, insurance, maintenance and leasing his car.
He says he never asked for holiday pay. “I didn’t know much about my rights,” he said.
Green Tomato Cars said it “prides itself on being an ethical company and, in particular, in our relationship with drivers”.
“We have discussed the situation with Mr Salei and his union representative through the Acas mediation process, and maintain our position that there are no grounds for his claim,” it added.
“We will of course comply with the requirements of the tribunal, where we expect to successfully defend the claim.”
Mariusz Jakubowski, who worked for Blacklane in Glasgow, until just before Christmas last year, said he didn’t receive a set rate for jobs. The app works by offering a rate for a job in a particular area that gradually increases until a driver takes it up.
Jakubowski left after he was fined by the company when a customer complained he handed them a personal business card, something he denies doing. He said he had rented out his car and stopped private-hire driving after leaving Blacklane. “I was earning good money,” he said. But after receiving the fine and being assaulted by a passenger while working for another taxi service he said: “I realised it wasn’t worth it.”
Berlin-based Blacklane, which operates in more than 250 cities around the world and is partly backed by the carmaker Daimler, said: “We have not received any official information, documentation or filings about this case.
Therefore, we cannot comment in any meaningful way.”
A2B’s owner Veezu, which owns several private hire firms, did not respond to a request for comment.
The gig economy has proved to be a battleground for disputes about employment status involving firms such as takeaway company Deliveroo and courier firm CitySprint. Its emergence also prompted a full-blown government review into modern employment practices, led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair.
http://bit.ly/2JceBTX
-----------------------------------------
A Brighton and Hove taxi driver has lost his licence after he was accused of a serious sexual offence.
The cabbie, a 35-year-old man from Portslade, worked for Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, one of the three main taxi and private hire businesses operating in the area.
A fourth business, Uber, faces a licensing panel on Monday (23 April) in the hope of renewing its private hire licence for Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Police said: “A 35-year-old man from Portslade, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a female in a taxi in Brighton on (Sunday) 4 February, answered bail on (Wednesday) 28 March.
“He was subsequently released under investigation.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We were informed by the police that a taxi driver had been accused of a serious sexual offence and, as a result of our own inquiries, his licence to operate as a taxi driver and his vehicle licence have both been revoked.
“Public safety is a priority and we act on any intelligence regarding public safety, regardless of an arrest or charge, and take the appropriate action to protect passengers where we believe the evidence we have support this.
“General details of enforcement action taken against taxi and private hire drivers are reported to each meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee and these reports are available on the council’s website.
“The majority of the licensed taxi trade are very aware of the high responsibility of the work they do and act in a professional manner.”
http://bit.ly/2vA2dLE
=---------------------------------------
A COVENTRY taxi driver has had his licence revoked with immediate effect for failing to properly secure a disabled passenger in his cab on two separate occasions.
The hackney cab driver did not use restraining straps to secure the wheelchair and the passenger in the correct position.
He then failed to admit these failures to Coventry City Council enforcement officers when subsequently interviewed under caution.
Details of the two incidents have been heard by the Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee which took the decision to withdraw the driver’s licence.
The committee felt the driver had tried to pass the burden of responsibility onto the complainant stating it was the passenger who had requested not to be strapped in, the council says.
A Coventry council spokesperson said: “Members were unanimous in the decision to revoke the licence and wanted to send a clear message to Coventry taxi drivers that transporting any passenger in a dangerous manner would not be tolerated.
“All hackney cab drivers are trained in how to place wheelchair passengers into a vehicle.
“But the driver accepted at the hearing that he had not followed the correct procedure.
“He had loaded the passenger and wheelchair sideways into the vehicle and then stretched restraining belts over the legs of the complainant.”
In hackney cabs, a wheelchair must be turned to face the rear of the vehicle and secured using straps and the seatbelt within the vehicle.
During the hearing, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee also warned Private Hire Operators need to review procedures in relation to disabled passengers.
They also want to see a robust complaints procedure in place, as a lack of one may lead to a review of their licence.
Andrew Walster, director, Streetscene and Regulatory Services at Coventry council, believes the committee has sent a clear warning to all taxi drivers.
He said: “Members are unanimous that the council wants to ensure that all taxis operating in our city are accessible to all members of the public and that they are carried in a safe and proper manner.
“There are further enforcement operations planned in the future to ensure compliance by all our taxi operators.
“It would be clear discrimination should taxi operators decline to take wheelchair users based upon their disability.
“If reports of any refusals are received then the driver leaves themselves open to a licence review.”
http://bit.ly/2JdYu8C
----------------------------------------------
BOLTON
A TAXI driver who twice overcharged a passenger who used a wheelchair has been convicted of an offence under the Equality Act.
A taxi capable of carrying the wheelchair had been booked to take Peter Kelly, with his wife Tracy and her daughter Kerry Battersby, from their home in Westhoughton to a restaurant in Blackrod for Mrs Kelly's 50th birthday celebration.
But Bolton Magistrates' Court heard that driver Pervez Sajid, who had been sub-contracted by Timewise, charged them £17.50 for the five-and-a-half-mile journey.
Peter Horgan, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Kelly, who is disabled, and his family thought the ride, on May 19 last year, was expensive but became concerned when they learned that Mrs Kelly's son, Cllr Ryan Battersby, had made a similar journey to the restaurant in a different cab and only been charged just over £9.
After the meal 58-year-old Sajid arrived to take the Kellys back to their home in Greenfold Lane and, again, charged them £17.50.
Cllr Battersby decided to complain to Bolton Council about the charging and, on May 31, Sajid was questioned by a licensing enforcement officer.
Sajid, of Gilnow Road, Heaton, told the investigator that he had a double-sided card listing the charges for journeys.
One side was the rate for carrying up to four passengers and on the other was the charges for a minibus used for four to eight passengers.
He claimed he had looked at the wrong side of the card when asking for payment from the Kellys and told the enforcement officer he would apologise and refund the overpayment.
Mr Horgan told the court that, in total, the Kellys were overcharged by £13.35.
"It is a small amount but it is, of course, the principle to ensure there is no discrimination towards anyone who is wheelchair-bound," said Mr Horgan.
Sajid pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a duty to carry people using wheelchairs without making an additional charge, an offence under Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010, which came into force in April last year.
In a prepared statement read out in court Sajid told magistrates that this was the only complaint about him in the 31 years he has been a taxi driver.
"This has upset my reputation which I am very proud of," he said.
"I am sorry for the mistake and reading the wrong side of the fare card.
"I had no intention of overcharging passengers because one person had access needs."
Magistrates sentenced him to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay £200 towards prosecution costs, plus £13.35 in compensation.
Chairman of the bench David Hendry told him: "You have to understand that taxi drivers are under a duty of care to all their passengers and that, of course, includes disabled passengers."
However, he added: "It is important to recognise that you, Mr Sajid, have been a taxi driver in Bolton for 31 years without a blemish and you offered to apologise and reimburse the monies."
Mr Kelly has been wheelchair-bound for four years after having a leg amputated.
His wife welcomed the outcome of the court case and said she hopes it deters other drivers from overcharging and encourages more wheelchair users to complain if they are being treated unfairly.
"It is more the principle," she said.
"Why should we be charged double for the same journey?"
It is the first time Bolton Council has brought such a prosecution and executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel said: "We wrote out to every private hire and taxi driver last year to forewarn them about the new regulations contained in the Equality Act, and that we would not hesitate to enforce its provisions.
--------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH WALES
CABBIES who went on strike over a faulty app that overcharged customers have been sacked.
The 25 drivers working for V Cars were told the action was in response to a noisy protest outside the firm’s Groundwell headquarters on Monday that involved around 60 people.
In a letter to its drivers, Veezu, which owns the company said: “Unfortunately, a small minority of drivers have become disruptive. These actions are detrimental to the vast majority of drivers and affect not just the company’s reputation, but also all drivers’ work levels.”
Managing director for the south west and Wales, Ryan Owen, wrote: “These actions are not reasonable and as such we cannot condone or allow them to continue.
“We have a duty of care to our staff for their safety and wellbeing and to the majority of drivers to safeguard work levels.
“The drivers identified carrying out these actions are no longer associated with V Cars.
“Their accounts have been finalised and their private hire licences returned to the council offices for collection.”
He added: “V Cars now looks forward to finalising our driver feedback panel to engage with drivers constructively.
“We will continue to investigate concerns raised regarding the speed and signal strength of the equipment and look to decide on long term solutions shortly.”
The drivers refused to work on Monday claiming a new app that people could use to book taxis, was grossly overcharging customers and had not been fixed.
One case saw a passenger charged £120 for travelling from Wroughton to Old Town.
In a statement issued today V Cars Drivers’
Association said members were outraged with the way the firm had handled the issue.
“We have the right to protest and the management should respect our decision to do so," they said. "We are also a customer of the company as we pay for a service every week. We will be contacting the Citizen’s Advice Bureau because the way we have been treated is disgraceful.”
In the statement, they added: “Veezu has no proof to back up what they have said, if we were behaving in such a manner the police would have made arrests or dispersed us from the scene.”
Last week the drivers met the company in an attempt to resolve the issues, which included complaints that valuable jobs were only being given to favoured drivers. But it was without success.
At the time V Cars said it had received feedback from some drivers that they were experiencing signal and speed issues with the iCabbi app and that it had sent a team to Swindon to carry out testing.
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk
------------------------------------
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
There's another Uber rival in London.
ViaVan, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and US ride-sharing startup Via, has launched in the capital to offer Londoners shared journeys on demand. Think of it as being a mix between UberPOOL (Uber's carpooling service) and a bus.
The idea is that you open an app and summon a ride, just as you would for Uber. ViaVan calculates the demand for your route, matches you up with passengers travelling at a similar time, and directs you somewhere to wait for your ride.
You're then dropped off somewhere near your destination without, ViaVan promises, a lengthy detour.
ViaVan doesn't offer individual rides, so you will always be sharing with others.
The service is only available in central London Zones 1 and 2 for now, with all rides in or out of Zone 1 costing £3. The company hasn't said how much it will start charging once the discount period is over.
It's a brave move given intense ridesharing competition in London — and the fact that two services, Uber and Taxify, have now lost their licences to operate in the city.
Chris Snyder, chief executive of ViaVan, told Business Insider that the service was properly licensed. He also said the service gave a higher commission to drivers and took their safety and wellbeing seriously.
"If you could look into the textbook on exactly how you should be licenced, that is how we are licensed," he told Business Insider. "It's just like Uber, Addison Lee, or any other private hire companies. We have been through a thorough process with [regulator] Transport for London. We are confident we will launch [on Wednesday], with the full blessing from the regulators."
London is ViaVan's first UK city, but it also operates in Amsterdam.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-rival-viavan-just-launched-in-london-2018-4
------------------------------------------------
CLEETHORPES
Another woman has been dumped in the street, alone and in the dead of night by a taxi after a night out in Cleethorpes.
People trying to get home after a night out in the resort have been urged to go to taxi ranks rather than hail cabs from the street.
A woman got in a taxi around 1.30am on Sunday after friends looked after her so she could get home safe. But she was kicked out when she felt ill, and left by the roadside as the taxi drove off.
The incident is the latest in Cleethorpes which has triggered concern about people being abandoned by taxis late at night before they have reached home.
Last week it emerged a woman was dumped in the street in Holton-le-Clay just yards where tragic teenager, Liam Toner was found dead in a ditch in December after being dropped by a taxi miles from his home Ulceby after a Christmas night out with workmates.
The 24-year-old taken in a red taxi, thinking she was getting a lift home to Louth. But the driver ordered her out of his taxi, despite her repeatedly telling him she had enough money to pay the fare.
Today a friend of the woman involved in the latest incident in Cleethorpes posted a message on Facebook alerting revellers to the incident.
She said friends had got the young woman into a taxi and given the driver £10 to take her to her home in Humberston. But on the way at Hewit Circus she complained about feeling unwell and was kicked out by the driver and told to walk the rest of the way.
The friend said: "My friend was put in a taxi at around 1.30am on Sunday . She was put in the taxi in the Market Place Cleethorpes to be taken home to Humberston. Her house is near the Grosvenor pub. My other friend had given the taxi driver £10 to take her home. On the drive home the friend who was in the taxi had said she felt sick. She wasn't sick though.
"So the taxi driver pulled over and kicked her out at Hewit Circus and told her 'to walk from here' and did not give her her change.
"It was around a 20 to 30 minute walk to her house. My friend was intoxicated but luckily enough she was able to know where she was going and aware enough to get home."
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/cleethorpes-taxi-dumps-young-woman-1469214
ViaVan, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and US ride-sharing startup Via, has launched in the capital to offer Londoners shared journeys on demand. Think of it as being a mix between UberPOOL (Uber's carpooling service) and a bus.
The idea is that you open an app and summon a ride, just as you would for Uber. ViaVan calculates the demand for your route, matches you up with passengers travelling at a similar time, and directs you somewhere to wait for your ride.
You're then dropped off somewhere near your destination without, ViaVan promises, a lengthy detour.
ViaVan doesn't offer individual rides, so you will always be sharing with others.
The service is only available in central London Zones 1 and 2 for now, with all rides in or out of Zone 1 costing £3. The company hasn't said how much it will start charging once the discount period is over.
It's a brave move given intense ridesharing competition in London — and the fact that two services, Uber and Taxify, have now lost their licences to operate in the city.
Chris Snyder, chief executive of ViaVan, told Business Insider that the service was properly licensed. He also said the service gave a higher commission to drivers and took their safety and wellbeing seriously.
"If you could look into the textbook on exactly how you should be licenced, that is how we are licensed," he told Business Insider. "It's just like Uber, Addison Lee, or any other private hire companies. We have been through a thorough process with [regulator] Transport for London. We are confident we will launch [on Wednesday], with the full blessing from the regulators."
London is ViaVan's first UK city, but it also operates in Amsterdam.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-rival-viavan-just-launched-in-london-2018-4
------------------------------------------------
CLEETHORPES
Another woman has been dumped in the street, alone and in the dead of night by a taxi after a night out in Cleethorpes.
People trying to get home after a night out in the resort have been urged to go to taxi ranks rather than hail cabs from the street.
A woman got in a taxi around 1.30am on Sunday after friends looked after her so she could get home safe. But she was kicked out when she felt ill, and left by the roadside as the taxi drove off.
The incident is the latest in Cleethorpes which has triggered concern about people being abandoned by taxis late at night before they have reached home.
Last week it emerged a woman was dumped in the street in Holton-le-Clay just yards where tragic teenager, Liam Toner was found dead in a ditch in December after being dropped by a taxi miles from his home Ulceby after a Christmas night out with workmates.
The 24-year-old taken in a red taxi, thinking she was getting a lift home to Louth. But the driver ordered her out of his taxi, despite her repeatedly telling him she had enough money to pay the fare.
Today a friend of the woman involved in the latest incident in Cleethorpes posted a message on Facebook alerting revellers to the incident.
She said friends had got the young woman into a taxi and given the driver £10 to take her to her home in Humberston. But on the way at Hewit Circus she complained about feeling unwell and was kicked out by the driver and told to walk the rest of the way.
The friend said: "My friend was put in a taxi at around 1.30am on Sunday . She was put in the taxi in the Market Place Cleethorpes to be taken home to Humberston. Her house is near the Grosvenor pub. My other friend had given the taxi driver £10 to take her home. On the drive home the friend who was in the taxi had said she felt sick. She wasn't sick though.
"So the taxi driver pulled over and kicked her out at Hewit Circus and told her 'to walk from here' and did not give her her change.
"It was around a 20 to 30 minute walk to her house. My friend was intoxicated but luckily enough she was able to know where she was going and aware enough to get home."
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/cleethorpes-taxi-dumps-young-woman-1469214
Monday, 16 April 2018
OLDHAM
A taxi driver was left in agony when he was TASERED by passengers.
The 42-year-old was subjected to a vicious assault - including being shocked with a stun-gun - after asking two men for the fare upfront.
The thugs demanded the victim’s cash and keys in the attack - the latest in a string of incidents in which taxi drivers have been targeted by thugs.
The alarming incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday night.
He had picked up the two men - understood to be in their early to mid 20s from Willow Bank in Lees.
As he drove along Hanson Street, Oldham - he was victim to a brutal assault.
Speaking about the attack, the dad-of-four from Oldham, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I picked them up and they asked to be taken a short ride away. Then they changed where they wanted to go part way through the ride.
“So I asked them for the cash up front because I thought they might do a runner. That is something I would normally do if I doubted someone wouldn’t pay.
“They said they wouldn’t do that so gave me their phone as a deposit. But then all of a sudden they said ‘give me your money’.
“I said I didn’t have any money and they asked for my car keys. Then the lad in the back started punching me and so did the bloke in the passenger seat. Then I felt shocks all down my left side and realised the bloke in the back was tasering me.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
The man added: “I then managed to un-clip my seatbelt and get out of the car and I just threw my keys on the floor.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
“They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
http://bit.ly/2HtllQc
-------------------------------------------
ELECTRIFYING Questions in Parliament
James Frith Labour, Bury North
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what incentives the Government plans to provide for the purchase of electric cars; and what step his Department plans to take to stimulate the used electric car market.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 29 March 2018, cW)
Jesse Norman Jesse Norman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 in one of the most comprehensive global programmes of support for electric vehicles, with grants available for new plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charging point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.
The Government’s forthcoming zero emission road transport strategy, which will be published after the local elections, will set out its plans to support the UK transition to zero emission vehicles.
There is a developing market for second hand electric vehicles. Used electric vehicle motorists are able to take advantage of the favourable tax regime the Government has put in place and local initiatives such as free parking, as well as the Government’s grant schemes to assist with the cost of installing chargepoints.
---------------------------------------
It wants to resume its services in Bratislava as soon as possible.
A taxi driver was left in agony when he was TASERED by passengers.
The 42-year-old was subjected to a vicious assault - including being shocked with a stun-gun - after asking two men for the fare upfront.
The thugs demanded the victim’s cash and keys in the attack - the latest in a string of incidents in which taxi drivers have been targeted by thugs.
The alarming incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday night.
He had picked up the two men - understood to be in their early to mid 20s from Willow Bank in Lees.
As he drove along Hanson Street, Oldham - he was victim to a brutal assault.
Speaking about the attack, the dad-of-four from Oldham, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I picked them up and they asked to be taken a short ride away. Then they changed where they wanted to go part way through the ride.
“So I asked them for the cash up front because I thought they might do a runner. That is something I would normally do if I doubted someone wouldn’t pay.
“They said they wouldn’t do that so gave me their phone as a deposit. But then all of a sudden they said ‘give me your money’.
“I said I didn’t have any money and they asked for my car keys. Then the lad in the back started punching me and so did the bloke in the passenger seat. Then I felt shocks all down my left side and realised the bloke in the back was tasering me.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
The man added: “I then managed to un-clip my seatbelt and get out of the car and I just threw my keys on the floor.
“It hurt a lot. It was like sharp shocks. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I tried to pull over and started honking my horn in the hope that someone would come out and help me.
“They still had hold of me at this point and they had knocked off my glasses.”
Fortunately a resident came out of a house and the man in the passenger seat ran off.
http://bit.ly/2HtllQc
-------------------------------------------
ELECTRIFYING Questions in Parliament
James Frith Labour, Bury North
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what incentives the Government plans to provide for the purchase of electric cars; and what step his Department plans to take to stimulate the used electric car market.
Hansard source
(Citation: HC Deb, 29 March 2018, cW)
Jesse Norman Jesse Norman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 in one of the most comprehensive global programmes of support for electric vehicles, with grants available for new plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charging point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.
The Government’s forthcoming zero emission road transport strategy, which will be published after the local elections, will set out its plans to support the UK transition to zero emission vehicles.
There is a developing market for second hand electric vehicles. Used electric vehicle motorists are able to take advantage of the favourable tax regime the Government has put in place and local initiatives such as free parking, as well as the Government’s grant schemes to assist with the cost of installing chargepoints.
---------------------------------------
NORWICH
Late-night revellers are today being urged to double check if they are getting into a genuine taxi after a woman was sexually assaulted in Norwich.
Norfolk police is continuing its investigation into reports that a woman was attacked after being picked up by what she thought was a taxi on Sunday.
The woman, who is in her 20s, was assaulted at around 2.15am in the Norwich area on April 15.
Police said the victim was being supported at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) by specialist officers.
Now, councillors and black cab drivers in the city are urging people to ensure they are getting into a licenced vehicle.
Chris Herries, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for safer, stronger neighbourhoods, said the incident was “unsettling”.
“You should aways double check that you are getting into the taxi you have ordered,” she said.
“If it is a black cab then you know that hopefully it is going to be safe.
“But if it is a firm you are phoning, make sure you know the name of the company you have phoned and that the taxi is from them.”
Police said they had been working with the victim to obtain a full account as to what happened.
No further details about the exact location of the incident have been provided.
http://bit.ly/2JSanly
----------------------------------------------
Uber to appeal against court ban from operating taxi service in Slovakia
It wants to resume its services in Bratislava as soon as possible.
The US alternative taxi service Uber will appeal against a court order banning it from operating its taxi service in Slovakia via people and vehicles that fail to meet the requirements set by Slovak legislation. Miroslava Jozová, Uber’s spokeswoman for Slovakia and the Czech Republic, has informed.
The Bratislava I District Court failed to deliver the decision on the injunction correctly leaving room for appeal.
“The court informed us that the decision was not delivered correctly, so we now have the opportunity to appeal against it,” said Jozová, as cited by the TASR newswire on April 13. “At this point we are analysing the court’s decision and we will make an appeal as soon as possible because we believe that services such as Uber should be a standard part of the options for mobility in every modern city.”
Uber intends to do its utmost to return to Bratislava as soon as possible. Before its services were banned by the court, Uber was the most popular city mobility application in Bratislava, claims Jozova.
“A survey showed that over 80 percent of people in the Slovak capital want our application to remain here and function,” she said.
Uber had to stop operating its taxi service in Slovakia as it uses people and vehicles that fail to meet the requirements set by Slovak legislation. It’s also been banned from operating its taxi service with drivers that fail to meet the same conditions required from taxi drivers.
The Bratislava I District Court issued the respective verdict in mid-February and the company switched off its mobile application in Slovakia on March 27.
------------------------------------
Friday, 13 April 2018
PRESIDENT TRUMP TENUOUS LINK TO TAXI FRAUD
The scope of the FBI raid in which records from Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney, were seized includes a look at his taxi businesses that he previously used as collateral to take out a business loan, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
As part of a wide-ranging FBI raid on Monday, agents sought records on transactions between Cohen and the New York-based Sterling National Bank. Cohen took out a business loan there in 2014, using his three taxi companies as collateral, The Post reported. The size of that business loan is not publicly known.
Although the medallions were worth more than $1 million in 2014, their values plummeted and are now worth about $300,000 today, due to the rise of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft, which have siphoned off a significant portion of customers from traditional taxi companies.
According to a report from The Post published earlier this week, Cohen is being investigated for bank fraud, wire fraud and violations of election law. He has a long history in the taxi business that predates his work with the Trump Organization, but investigators apparently have an interest in learning about it as they get a clearer picture of his business dealings.
In addition to records of Cohen's loan, the FBI also took records related to the $130,000 nondisclosure payment Cohen made to the adult-film actress, Stormy Daniels, shortly before the 2016 US presidential election. Investigators seized a computer, phone, personal financial records, and attorney-client communications.
"You could imagine a search warrant that describes that Michael Cohen got a loan from a bank to make a payment on Trump's behalf and made misrepresentations to the bank about how the money would be used," former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Bloomberg.
https://read.bi/2JIpCgU
Thursday, 12 April 2018
CHESHIRE EAST
COUNCILLORS are urging the Government to close a loophole allowing cross-border taxi hiring in an effort to protect children.
At a Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was agreed that Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, will write to transport secretary Chris Grayling on the matter.
In his letter, Cllr Arnold will ask the Government to close the loopholes and ‘potential for abuse left open as a result of cross-border hiring’, while he will also ask the borough’s MPs to support the move.
“The current legislation relating to taxi licensing was written in 1847 and 1976,” he said.
“There are therefore various matters and situations that currently arise in today’s world that were not envisaged when the legislation was written.”
Government legislation in 2015 made cross-border taxi hiring easier, meaning vehicles licensed by other councils can lawfully work in east Cheshire without meeting CEC’s requirements, and this has become more common with the growth of mobile technology.
The council previously wrote to MPs stating its concerns about cross-border hiring, including the potential risk of child sexual exploitation, trafficking and drug dealing.
A report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting said it is not possible to establish if this risk exists in east Cheshire, and no complaints had been made to suggest this – but it highlights that investigations into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and Rotherham did identify the taxi trade as a risk.
Cllr Arnold added: “This is something, no matter what party, we [councillors] all feel strongly about this.
“The sooner we get these loopholes closed the better.”
The cabinet’s latest decision follows a motion tabled by Cllr Dorothy Flude, Labour member for Crewe South, at February’s full council meeting.
She called for all east Cheshire MPs to resubmit a bill on the matter in the House of Commons, which was ‘talked out’ by Sir Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch.
The report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting recommended that the Government ‘looked into how loopholes could be closed’, but Cllr Flude pushed for CEC to be tougher in its demands.
“I would like to ask the Government to close the loophole, not to consider how to close the loophole,” she said.
“Let’s not be under any illusions that it is not happening. There was a case of a person from Nantwich who was found guilty of doing this.”
The cabinet agreed to ask the Government to close the loophole, with CEC leader Cllr Rachel Bailey adding she has ‘no issues’ in doing so.
Fiona Bruce, Conservative MP for Congleton, previously urged Chris Grayling to resolve the matter before the Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in February.
http://bit.ly/2v8mYOr
---------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Private hire car passengers could be “at the mercy of unscrupulous, out-of-town” drivers plying for trade in Leeds, according to a councillor.
Coun Billy Flynn, a member of Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee, has drafted a report about concerns regarding “cross-border hiring” – drivers who are permitted to operate by one local authority but go to work in other areas.
The Conservative Adel and Wharfedale representative said: “I have been approached by representatives of the trade expressing serious concern about the potential danger to the travelling public of Leeds who can be at the mercy of unscrupulous, out of town taxi and private hire drivers working in the city.
“Despite several approaches to the council asking for tighter enforcement action, they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
“Although our own licensing standards are very high, this does not apply elsewhere.”
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “Working closely with partners, we remain committed and have a robust enforcement approach in place to tackling those taxi and private hire drivers from outside Leeds who are picking up illegally. This includes the council’s enforcement team working closely with two specialised police officers to tackle specifically this problem”.
Prosecutions have already been brought against out of town drivers for plying for hire and other offences since the a 12-month pilot started in October 2017, he said.
http://bit.ly/2GXj1xp
COUNCILLORS are urging the Government to close a loophole allowing cross-border taxi hiring in an effort to protect children.
At a Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was agreed that Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, will write to transport secretary Chris Grayling on the matter.
In his letter, Cllr Arnold will ask the Government to close the loopholes and ‘potential for abuse left open as a result of cross-border hiring’, while he will also ask the borough’s MPs to support the move.
“The current legislation relating to taxi licensing was written in 1847 and 1976,” he said.
“There are therefore various matters and situations that currently arise in today’s world that were not envisaged when the legislation was written.”
Government legislation in 2015 made cross-border taxi hiring easier, meaning vehicles licensed by other councils can lawfully work in east Cheshire without meeting CEC’s requirements, and this has become more common with the growth of mobile technology.
The council previously wrote to MPs stating its concerns about cross-border hiring, including the potential risk of child sexual exploitation, trafficking and drug dealing.
A report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting said it is not possible to establish if this risk exists in east Cheshire, and no complaints had been made to suggest this – but it highlights that investigations into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and Rotherham did identify the taxi trade as a risk.
Cllr Arnold added: “This is something, no matter what party, we [councillors] all feel strongly about this.
“The sooner we get these loopholes closed the better.”
The cabinet’s latest decision follows a motion tabled by Cllr Dorothy Flude, Labour member for Crewe South, at February’s full council meeting.
She called for all east Cheshire MPs to resubmit a bill on the matter in the House of Commons, which was ‘talked out’ by Sir Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch.
The report issued ahead of Tuesday’s meeting recommended that the Government ‘looked into how loopholes could be closed’, but Cllr Flude pushed for CEC to be tougher in its demands.
“I would like to ask the Government to close the loophole, not to consider how to close the loophole,” she said.
“Let’s not be under any illusions that it is not happening. There was a case of a person from Nantwich who was found guilty of doing this.”
The cabinet agreed to ask the Government to close the loophole, with CEC leader Cllr Rachel Bailey adding she has ‘no issues’ in doing so.
Fiona Bruce, Conservative MP for Congleton, previously urged Chris Grayling to resolve the matter before the Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in February.
http://bit.ly/2v8mYOr
---------------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
Private hire car passengers could be “at the mercy of unscrupulous, out-of-town” drivers plying for trade in Leeds, according to a councillor.
Coun Billy Flynn, a member of Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee, has drafted a report about concerns regarding “cross-border hiring” – drivers who are permitted to operate by one local authority but go to work in other areas.
The Conservative Adel and Wharfedale representative said: “I have been approached by representatives of the trade expressing serious concern about the potential danger to the travelling public of Leeds who can be at the mercy of unscrupulous, out of town taxi and private hire drivers working in the city.
“Despite several approaches to the council asking for tighter enforcement action, they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
“Although our own licensing standards are very high, this does not apply elsewhere.”
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “Working closely with partners, we remain committed and have a robust enforcement approach in place to tackling those taxi and private hire drivers from outside Leeds who are picking up illegally. This includes the council’s enforcement team working closely with two specialised police officers to tackle specifically this problem”.
Prosecutions have already been brought against out of town drivers for plying for hire and other offences since the a 12-month pilot started in October 2017, he said.
http://bit.ly/2GXj1xp
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)