GLASGOW UBERK
A cabby who denied ‘pirating’ and asking a female passenger about her sexual history has been branded as a “liar”.
Uber driver Mohammed Addow was effectively stripped of his cab licence after failing to persuade city bosses that he was innocent of the allegations.
He had refuted claims that he picked three women up illegally on Queen Street last year, instead insisting that they had entered his cab without permission.
Mr Addow also denied an allegation from a fellow cabby in 2016 that he had been “pirating in town all the time and taking lots of money”.
And in a third allegation, made in 2015, the driver denied asking sexually motivated questions of a female passenger at a McDonald’s drive-through on Crow Road in Jordanhill.
But licensing committee member Gary Gray said: “As far as I’m concerned, you’re a liar. I’m surprised you have a licence.”
Mr Gray’s blast came after Mr Addow changed his story about all of the incidents several times, despite providing written statements to enforcement officers.
Speaking about the Queen Street incident, Mr Addow said: “That evening was a long time ago. I told the enforcement officers clearly that I don’t remember every job I do.”
That came despite him given a detailed written submission to enforcement officers, in which he claimed the women were ushered into his car by his friend. He also told the committee that when the women entered the cab, one of his female friends was already inside – something he never mentioned to enforcement officers.
Mr Addow was extensively questioned on the 2015 incidents, when he was alleged to have picked a woman up from Queen Margaret Union. After seeing she was upset, Mr Addow admitted to enforcement officers that he took her to a McDonalds drive-through before later claiming that the fast food outlet “may not have been open”.
The woman claimed the cabby had asked her a string of questions about her sexual history and that he had boasted about sleeping with students.
Mr Addow instead told licensing chiefs that it was the woman who had behaved inappropriately and had asked him if he had ever had a threesome. He also claimed the woman had racially abused him by calling him a “black b******” after he rejected her advances.
But licensing committee member Graham Campbell described those claims as “highly unlikely”, adding: “I don’t believe she asked you any questions about your sexual history.
“You said that the woman became racially abusive. I take exception when racism is used to defend oneself when it’s not warranted. It undermines all the other times when it is true. I don’t think you’re telling the truth.”
Mr Addow then admitted that he had made up his version of events and apologised to the committee.
Muslim committee member Hanif Raja then slammed Mr Addow for embarrassing himself.
He said: “I feel embarrassed. I’m very shocked at the way you’ve behaved today. You think we’re stupid. We’re not.
“Anybody who is serving the city of Glasgow is responsible for making sure passengers are safe. The claims against you aren’t made because of your colour. It’s because you were doing these things.
“I’ve been living in this country for 52 years, I’ve never come across one person accusing me of sexually harassing people. It’s not your right to question people sexually.”
The committee suspended Mr Addow’s cab licence until it expires, meaning he’ll have to re-apply for his job when the suspension is lifted.
https://goo.gl/FHr4rj
----------------------------------------
STOCKTON
A taxi driver has been left “terrified” after a thug set him alight in an unprovoked attack.
Sean Rogan, who has been a cabby for 30 years, had only just picked up two men on Oxbridge Avenue in Stockton when he felt a burning sensation on his arm.
He quickly realised his shirt had been set alight and jumped out of his Royal Cars taxi - the culprit then tried to fight him.
In a bizarre twist, the men then attempted to order another Royal Cars taxi immediately after the episode.
“They asked me to take them from Wembley Court in Oxbridge to Greta Road in Norton and then back again”, Sean, 51, said.
“They gave me the money before they even got in the car and we set off on the journey.
“I could then smell burning and then I just felt the heat, I looked down and my shirt was on fire.
“I immediately pulled over on Oxbridge Lane and jumped out of the car and told them to get out.
“When I looked round, one of the lads was holding a lighter and putting his fists up like he wanted to fight.
“They just did it for no apparent reason. They were shouting that they wanted their money back.”
Panicking, Sean fled and pulled over in a nearby Sainsbury’s where he called the office.
“When I called the office they told me the same lads had just tried to book another taxi from the Sainsbury’s I was at.
“I’ve had people do runners from my taxi and things in the past, but nothing like this.
https://goo.gl/tnUJ54
---------------------------------------
Thursday, 11 October 2018
Wednesday, 10 October 2018
MAJORCA
At least nine people died in a devastating flood that hit the popular tourist island of Majorca overnight.
The two British victims, believed to be a couple, were reportedly in a taxi when they were caught in a flash flood.
https://goo.gl/sZUZS2
-------------------------------------
BATH
“Provocative or sexually revealing” clothing could be banned for taxi drivers in Bath and North East Somerset so no passenger feels uncomfortable.
B&NES Council is also looking to stop them wearing shorts - a move branded “pathetic, petty and vindictive” - and for equality’s sake it has extended the same rule to miniskirts.
Taxi drivers were already banned from wearing ripped or holey clothing, items with suggestive or offensive words or graphics, sports kit or track suits.
The new policy being considered by councillors next week will add shorts, miniskirts and “any clothing that could be deemed to be provocative or sexually revealing” to the list.
Lloyd Cook from the Bath Spa Taxi Association said: “Banning shorts would just make it uncomfortable for all the drivers.
"After the summer we had it would just make people more irate.
“I don’t see shorts that come below the knee as a problem.
“I’ve never seen a lady taxi driver in a miniskirt - that’s asking for problems. It’s hard enough for them in the first place.”
Other drivers at the Bath Spa taxi rank said they had never seen a cabbie in “provocative or sexually revealing” clothing.
https://goo.gl/dihg3s
-----------------------------------------
YORK
A RETIRED taxi driver claimed he “hasn’t a clue” why he has been accused of abusing four girls of the same extended family, a court heard.
Keith Ryman said three of the girls were lying when they gave evidence against him at York Crown Court.
He also alleged the third youngest was lying when she claimed she caught him in the act of abusing the fourth girl, then aged three.
“What was your response?” asked his barrister Laura Addy.
“I was amazed by her screaming out and asked 'what have I done?',” claimed Ryman.
“She gave me a load of abuse so I said 'I am going'.”
The fourth girl is too young to give evidence.
Ryman, 75, of Carnot Street, off Leeman Road, York, denies 10 charges of indecently assaulting a child, six of sexually assaulting a child and one of engaging a child in sexual activity.
The offences are alleged to have happened between 1993 and November last year.
At the conclusion of the prosecution case, Judge Simon Hickey told the jury they would not be asked to return verdicts on two more charges of sexual assault and one more charge of indecent assault.
All the four alleged victims are related to each other and are part of two generations of the same extended family.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Ryman said he had known two adults of the family since his mid-20s when he was working as a taxi driver and would regularly visit them.
He denied each allegation as Ms Addy put them to him.
In respect of the oldest girl, she asked him: “Why do you say (the girl) is saying that?”
He replied: “I haven’t a clue. It will be something she has thought up. As far as I am concerned she is lying.”
He made similar claims about each of the next two girls.
He also claimed he never went into the house where the oldest girl claimed some of the abuse took place and denied that he had told her he would abuse one of her relatives if she told adults he was abusing her.
He denied abusing one of the girls at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The trial continues.
https://goo.gl/kWr2cA
At least nine people died in a devastating flood that hit the popular tourist island of Majorca overnight.
The two British victims, believed to be a couple, were reportedly in a taxi when they were caught in a flash flood.
https://goo.gl/sZUZS2
-------------------------------------
BATH
“Provocative or sexually revealing” clothing could be banned for taxi drivers in Bath and North East Somerset so no passenger feels uncomfortable.
B&NES Council is also looking to stop them wearing shorts - a move branded “pathetic, petty and vindictive” - and for equality’s sake it has extended the same rule to miniskirts.
Taxi drivers were already banned from wearing ripped or holey clothing, items with suggestive or offensive words or graphics, sports kit or track suits.
The new policy being considered by councillors next week will add shorts, miniskirts and “any clothing that could be deemed to be provocative or sexually revealing” to the list.
Lloyd Cook from the Bath Spa Taxi Association said: “Banning shorts would just make it uncomfortable for all the drivers.
"After the summer we had it would just make people more irate.
“I don’t see shorts that come below the knee as a problem.
“I’ve never seen a lady taxi driver in a miniskirt - that’s asking for problems. It’s hard enough for them in the first place.”
Other drivers at the Bath Spa taxi rank said they had never seen a cabbie in “provocative or sexually revealing” clothing.
https://goo.gl/dihg3s
-----------------------------------------
YORK
A RETIRED taxi driver claimed he “hasn’t a clue” why he has been accused of abusing four girls of the same extended family, a court heard.
Keith Ryman said three of the girls were lying when they gave evidence against him at York Crown Court.
He also alleged the third youngest was lying when she claimed she caught him in the act of abusing the fourth girl, then aged three.
“What was your response?” asked his barrister Laura Addy.
“I was amazed by her screaming out and asked 'what have I done?',” claimed Ryman.
“She gave me a load of abuse so I said 'I am going'.”
The fourth girl is too young to give evidence.
Ryman, 75, of Carnot Street, off Leeman Road, York, denies 10 charges of indecently assaulting a child, six of sexually assaulting a child and one of engaging a child in sexual activity.
The offences are alleged to have happened between 1993 and November last year.
At the conclusion of the prosecution case, Judge Simon Hickey told the jury they would not be asked to return verdicts on two more charges of sexual assault and one more charge of indecent assault.
All the four alleged victims are related to each other and are part of two generations of the same extended family.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Ryman said he had known two adults of the family since his mid-20s when he was working as a taxi driver and would regularly visit them.
He denied each allegation as Ms Addy put them to him.
In respect of the oldest girl, she asked him: “Why do you say (the girl) is saying that?”
He replied: “I haven’t a clue. It will be something she has thought up. As far as I am concerned she is lying.”
He made similar claims about each of the next two girls.
He also claimed he never went into the house where the oldest girl claimed some of the abuse took place and denied that he had told her he would abuse one of her relatives if she told adults he was abusing her.
He denied abusing one of the girls at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The trial continues.
https://goo.gl/kWr2cA
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
Defra has launched a consultation on plans to create a national central database which will help local authorities identify taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV).
This, according to Defra, will help local authorities enforce charging Clean Air Zones (CAZ) even if the taxi or PHV has been licensed in a different area.
The plans will help local authorities identify taxis quicker
Defra added that the consultation, which closes on November 2, will help the department to decide if the creation of a centralised database to enforce CAZ is the correct approach.
CAZ defines an area where targeted action needs to be taken to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. These roads have persistently breached statutory levels and action is required in the shortest possible time.
The database will also require local authorities in England and Wales to share certain details on licensed taxis and PHVs to a central database.
The consultation was launched launched jointly with the Department for Transport and will aim to distinguish taxis and PHVs from regular cars.
Also, the consultation lays out that in some cases, local authorities will implement Clean Air Zones that apply charges to taxis and PHVs, but not to private cars.
The consultation document also outlines that local authorities may also wish to set a different level of charge for taxis and PHVs and private cars. In these circumstances, local authorities “will need to be able to distinguish private cars from taxis and PHVs”, according to Defra.
Under the proposals, when a vehicle enters or moves within a charging CAZ, its number plate will be detected and this information will then be checked against the central taxi and PHV database which will interact with the wider charging infrastructure being developed for charging Clean Air Zones.
The government proposes to mandate all licensing authorities in England and Wales to provide the taxi and PHV data to the database.
https://www.airqualitynews.com/2018/10/09/defra-launches-consultation/
-------------------------------
This, according to Defra, will help local authorities enforce charging Clean Air Zones (CAZ) even if the taxi or PHV has been licensed in a different area.
The plans will help local authorities identify taxis quicker
Defra added that the consultation, which closes on November 2, will help the department to decide if the creation of a centralised database to enforce CAZ is the correct approach.
CAZ defines an area where targeted action needs to be taken to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. These roads have persistently breached statutory levels and action is required in the shortest possible time.
The database will also require local authorities in England and Wales to share certain details on licensed taxis and PHVs to a central database.
The consultation was launched launched jointly with the Department for Transport and will aim to distinguish taxis and PHVs from regular cars.
Also, the consultation lays out that in some cases, local authorities will implement Clean Air Zones that apply charges to taxis and PHVs, but not to private cars.
The consultation document also outlines that local authorities may also wish to set a different level of charge for taxis and PHVs and private cars. In these circumstances, local authorities “will need to be able to distinguish private cars from taxis and PHVs”, according to Defra.
Under the proposals, when a vehicle enters or moves within a charging CAZ, its number plate will be detected and this information will then be checked against the central taxi and PHV database which will interact with the wider charging infrastructure being developed for charging Clean Air Zones.
The government proposes to mandate all licensing authorities in England and Wales to provide the taxi and PHV data to the database.
https://www.airqualitynews.com/2018/10/09/defra-launches-consultation/
-------------------------------
Monday, 8 October 2018
UNITE UNION PRESS RELEASE
Unite, the UK’s biggest union for car workers, called on the chancellor Philip Hammond to rule out rumoured cuts to subsidies for electric vehicles amid today’s (Monday 8 October) climate change warnings from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The landmark IPCC report says that urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to cut emissions and avoid the risk of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty. The authors lay out four pathways to ensure that global warming is kept to a maximum of 1.5C, all of which include the shift to electric transport systems.
The UN backed report follows reports that the government is planning to cut grants for electric vehicles while abolishing the £2,500 grant for hybrid plug-in vehicles altogether.
Describing the rumoured cuts as ‘ludicrous’ Unite warned that the changes would add thousands of pounds to the price of electric and hybrid vehicles and significantly undermine the drive to electric and hit government targets to reduce emissions.
Commenting Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: “Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. These rumoured self-defeating cuts will damage the UK electric car industry before it even gets off the starting grid at the same time as undermining the government’s own targets to reduce emissions.
“The UK government needs to be sprinting to catch up with the rest of the world on electric vehicles, yet ministers seem to be happy to not even break into a stroll. With dire warnings on the need to tackle climate change it is ludicrous that the government is toying with cutting support for electric and alternative powered vehicles.
“As the car industry struggles in the face of government confusion over diesel and ministers’ shambolic handling of Brexit, the last thing car workers need is yet more confusion and uncertainty.
“The chancellor Philip Hammond needs to use the budget to back the car industry and rule out cuts for electric vehicles. He needs to signal that the government will make the massive investment needed in infrastructure as part of a transition - that supports jobs - to electric and alternatively powered vehicles.
“Anything less will leave the Conservative government’s green credentials in tatters and strip the UK of the opportunity to be a global leader in electric and alternatively powered vehicles.”
ENDS
----------------------------------------------
BURNLEY
A taxi marshal has had his jaw broken in a racist attack in Burnley.
The 61-year-old was directing taxis on St James Street when he was attacked.
A man racially abused him and then punched him twice in the face, breaking the man's jaw.
Now police have released CCTV to try and find his attacker.
He is described as white, of slim build with short, red hair. He was wearing a white shirt, pink tie and black trousers.
PC Estelle James, of Blackburn Police, said:
"Do you recognise this man? We want to identify him after a serious assault in Burnley.
"The victim was racially abused before suffering a broken jaw in an unprovoked attack.
"We are keen to find the person responsible and would urge anyone with information to come forward."
If you know the man pictured, please call police on 101 or email 3510@lancashire.pnn.police.uk quoting crime reference EF1813995.
Unite, the UK’s biggest union for car workers, called on the chancellor Philip Hammond to rule out rumoured cuts to subsidies for electric vehicles amid today’s (Monday 8 October) climate change warnings from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The landmark IPCC report says that urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to cut emissions and avoid the risk of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty. The authors lay out four pathways to ensure that global warming is kept to a maximum of 1.5C, all of which include the shift to electric transport systems.
The UN backed report follows reports that the government is planning to cut grants for electric vehicles while abolishing the £2,500 grant for hybrid plug-in vehicles altogether.
Describing the rumoured cuts as ‘ludicrous’ Unite warned that the changes would add thousands of pounds to the price of electric and hybrid vehicles and significantly undermine the drive to electric and hit government targets to reduce emissions.
Commenting Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: “Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. These rumoured self-defeating cuts will damage the UK electric car industry before it even gets off the starting grid at the same time as undermining the government’s own targets to reduce emissions.
“The UK government needs to be sprinting to catch up with the rest of the world on electric vehicles, yet ministers seem to be happy to not even break into a stroll. With dire warnings on the need to tackle climate change it is ludicrous that the government is toying with cutting support for electric and alternative powered vehicles.
“As the car industry struggles in the face of government confusion over diesel and ministers’ shambolic handling of Brexit, the last thing car workers need is yet more confusion and uncertainty.
“The chancellor Philip Hammond needs to use the budget to back the car industry and rule out cuts for electric vehicles. He needs to signal that the government will make the massive investment needed in infrastructure as part of a transition - that supports jobs - to electric and alternatively powered vehicles.
“Anything less will leave the Conservative government’s green credentials in tatters and strip the UK of the opportunity to be a global leader in electric and alternatively powered vehicles.”
ENDS
----------------------------------------------
BURNLEY
A taxi marshal has had his jaw broken in a racist attack in Burnley.
The 61-year-old was directing taxis on St James Street when he was attacked.
A man racially abused him and then punched him twice in the face, breaking the man's jaw.
Now police have released CCTV to try and find his attacker.
He is described as white, of slim build with short, red hair. He was wearing a white shirt, pink tie and black trousers.
PC Estelle James, of Blackburn Police, said:
"Do you recognise this man? We want to identify him after a serious assault in Burnley.
"The victim was racially abused before suffering a broken jaw in an unprovoked attack.
"We are keen to find the person responsible and would urge anyone with information to come forward."
If you know the man pictured, please call police on 101 or email 3510@lancashire.pnn.police.uk quoting crime reference EF1813995.
Sunday, 7 October 2018
NATIONAL
Taxis (black taxis and private hire vehicles) can be an important source of road transport air pollution and CO2 emissions in cities. With the increasing pressure of improving local air quality and the establishment of Clean Air Zones, and the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, taxi operators will need to evaluate the suitability of their current vehicle(s) with regards to achieving mandatory vehicle emission standards. There are a range of fuel and technology options a taxi operator can choose in terms of shifting to a cleaner fleet, taking into account reducing NOx and PM emissions in conjunction with GHG emissions.
LowCVP have previously produced a Low Emission Bus Guide (2016) and a Low Emission Van Guide (2015) to help operators understand the suitability of different low emission technologies and fuels for their particular fleet operations. We have undertaken research over the last three years which has identified the important role that independent, informative and assessable information has in influencing the take up of low emission vehicles.
https://goo.gl/78orVQ
--------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
Proposals to charge drivers of diesel cars, taxis and HGVs in Manchester city centre will no doubt prompt an almighty backlash from many motorists.
Following a promise from the mayor not to charge individuals and the memorable vote against a congestion charge, any scheme to tackle pollution involving payments from specific drivers would be a controversial move.
So, are pollution levels really that bad in Greater Manchester?
According to scientists at Manchester University, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10s – the most noxious pollutants coughed out in exhaust fumes – contribute to at least 2,000 premature deaths in the region every year.
They are a major cause of bronchitis, asthma, heart problems and cancer. And the resulting sickness in the work place is predicted to cost the economy £20bn by 2020.
Perhaps more persuasive, though, is the damage to the children whose futures are at risk.
Across Greater Manchester, in every authority, they are breathing in dangerous fumes each day on their walk to school and during their breaks in the playground.
Many of these schools were built by our Victorian ancestors in a time when being on a main thoroughfare was only an advantage. But now those same buildings are flanked by congested roads.
At St Ambrose RC Primary on Princess Parkway, pollution levels are so bad that teachers can no longer open windows in the classroom. Teachers and children say they can taste the metallic tang of toxicity on their lips at the end of the day.
Headteacher Ruth Vayro watches in despair as traffic flows past, filthy fumes emerging from giant HGVs and diesel buses heading into town, right to Didsbury and left to Chorlton.
She's so concerned she invited scientists to test the air – and pollution levels were found to be six times above the legal EU limit.
She said: “Before then we knew it was bad – because we could taste it. On warm days it's the worst. It tastes and smells like metal. But we hadn't realise it was that bad.
“Now we can't open the windows, we can't take that risk. We have to have air conditioning all year round. The terrible irony is that air con is contributing to pollution levels.
“There are many many schools like this in Greater Manchester – they are just not all speaking out about it.”
She added: “It has a proven impact on children's long-term health. It worries me that nothing is being urgently done about it.
“Parents are walking their children to school and worrying about what they are exposed to, especially when they have asthma.”
Ruth, the schoolchildren and their parents are campaigning for more to be done. Councillors and MPs, as well as mayor Andy Burnham, have visited the school.
The children have been writing letters to politicians, pleading with them to take action.
“We are teaching our children to use their voices – to flex their very small muscles.”
In Greater Manchester, road transport contributes 75pc of emissions of nitrogen oxides and 81pc of particulates. It also accounts for 32pc of carbon dioxide emissions.
Pollution is a problem not unique to Manchester – but as other cities take action, the region runs the risk of being left behind.
It comes as the death of a nine-year-old girl from an asthma attack has been linked to high levels of air pollution.
Ella Kissi-Debrah lived 80ft from London's South Circular Road – notorious for pollution. She suffered three years of seizures and hospital stays before her death in February 2013. During that time, local air pollution levels breached EU legal limits.
According to a report from an asthma specialist, her hospital admissions coincided with spikes in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10s – the most noxious pollutants.
It's the first time an individual's death has been directly linked to air pollution.
The evidence will be submitted in an appeal to the attorney general to re-open an inquest in to Ella's death.
Professor Hugh Coe measuring pollution/particulate levels. (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Last year, the Manchester Evening News teamed up with the University of Manchester to take pollution readings around Upper Brook Street and Oxford Road.
We recorded the levels of particulate - tiny particles belched from exhausts, or the fragments of road dust churned up by tyres.
Results at two locations - outside a school and at a junction near both the hospitals and the university - exceeded those recommended by the EU.
Prof Hugh Coe, head of school of Atmospheric Composition at the University of Manchester, said today: “It's without doubt one of the biggest public health problems facing Greater Manchester today.
“We need to do something. We've got a generation of young people who are being exposed to high levels of pollution unless we do something about it now.”
Warning of increasing links between pollution and cognitive function in the very young, as well as Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases, he added: “This is on top of the more recognised issues of lung performance, asthma and so on.”
“The body of evidence mounts every day. Small children are a group at risk. They are undergoing rapid development, add a stresser like air pollution into the mix of changing brain function and physiology and it's a big risk.
"Kids in playgrounds next to roads are suffering chronic exposure. In Greater Manchester, it's impossible to keep children away from those environments.”
The key then, lies in changing the conditions our children are living in.
As Ruth, headteacher of St Ambrose, says: “We love our city, Manchester is vibrant, fabulous, up and coming. But we have to clean it up.
“We really need politicians to take action to make Manchester a cleaner and healthier place for our children.
“To be classed as one of the dirtiest cities in Europe is just appalling.”
Source= MEN
--------------------------------------------------
OXFORD
THE secretary of a taxi drivers’ association in Oxford said new arrangements have been made following the introduction of a taxi-hailing app in the city.
Last month the rapidly expanding mytaxi service picked Oxford as its latest launch destination.
Mytaxi works with existing black cab drivers to provide pick-ups within five minutes of hailing.
It is designed so drivers can balance online work while also still being available to be hailed from the roadside.
But there were initial concerns among some drivers that the use of the app would cause confusion in the rank at Oxford station, if drivers hailed by mytaxi pulled out of the rank to pick up a passenger before they reached the front of the queue.
A poster put up at the station by City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association said: “Those who wish to pick up a mytaxi job or a radio job if booked from the ranks must make arrangements with the passenger to pick them up out of sight of the rank.”
But now, Sajad Khan, secretary of the association, said a revised arrangement has been made with drivers.
Acknowledging that more drivers would be using the mytaxi app in due course, he said: “We have requested drivers to pull off the rank if they receive a mytaxi or a radio job (as many drivers are also on the traditional radio circuit) to make other drivers on the rank aware that the driver has received a job through mytaxi or the radio.
“The driver may then pick up the job from a suitable and safe location without causing any obstructions to anyone and more importantly, without burdening any passengers.”
Oxford is the sixth UK city this year where mytaxi has launched.
COLTA has now posted an updated notice at the station which says: “To avoid confusion and being accused of malpractice when accepting either radio or mytaxi app jobs, drivers are advised (if on the rank) to pull off the rank and pick up the passengers from a safe and convenient place. Drivers must not pick up from bus stops, especially the ones by the steps at the rail station, and cause obstruction to bus operations.”
Mytaxi spokesman David Savage said earlier interest from residents and support from Oxford City Council convinced bosses the time was right.
He believes the app has the potential to transform the way people in Oxford take black cabs. It follows the launch of Oxford Bus Company’s PickMeUp app.
https://goo.gl/pHTmps
---------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
A woman has died following a head-on crash with a taxi, yesterday, which left two others in hospital.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Moira Road, near Ashby, just after 6.20pm, on Saturday, October 6 and the road was closed at Shellbrook Close for several hours.
The woman, who was driving a silver Ford Fusion, was involved in a collision with a grey Skoda Octavia taxi.
Three people were taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham by ambulance. The driver of the Ford died in hospital.
https://goo.gl/BYRtjW
--------------------------------------
Taxis (black taxis and private hire vehicles) can be an important source of road transport air pollution and CO2 emissions in cities. With the increasing pressure of improving local air quality and the establishment of Clean Air Zones, and the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, taxi operators will need to evaluate the suitability of their current vehicle(s) with regards to achieving mandatory vehicle emission standards. There are a range of fuel and technology options a taxi operator can choose in terms of shifting to a cleaner fleet, taking into account reducing NOx and PM emissions in conjunction with GHG emissions.
LowCVP have previously produced a Low Emission Bus Guide (2016) and a Low Emission Van Guide (2015) to help operators understand the suitability of different low emission technologies and fuels for their particular fleet operations. We have undertaken research over the last three years which has identified the important role that independent, informative and assessable information has in influencing the take up of low emission vehicles.
https://goo.gl/78orVQ
--------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
Proposals to charge drivers of diesel cars, taxis and HGVs in Manchester city centre will no doubt prompt an almighty backlash from many motorists.
Following a promise from the mayor not to charge individuals and the memorable vote against a congestion charge, any scheme to tackle pollution involving payments from specific drivers would be a controversial move.
So, are pollution levels really that bad in Greater Manchester?
According to scientists at Manchester University, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10s – the most noxious pollutants coughed out in exhaust fumes – contribute to at least 2,000 premature deaths in the region every year.
They are a major cause of bronchitis, asthma, heart problems and cancer. And the resulting sickness in the work place is predicted to cost the economy £20bn by 2020.
Perhaps more persuasive, though, is the damage to the children whose futures are at risk.
Across Greater Manchester, in every authority, they are breathing in dangerous fumes each day on their walk to school and during their breaks in the playground.
Many of these schools were built by our Victorian ancestors in a time when being on a main thoroughfare was only an advantage. But now those same buildings are flanked by congested roads.
At St Ambrose RC Primary on Princess Parkway, pollution levels are so bad that teachers can no longer open windows in the classroom. Teachers and children say they can taste the metallic tang of toxicity on their lips at the end of the day.
Headteacher Ruth Vayro watches in despair as traffic flows past, filthy fumes emerging from giant HGVs and diesel buses heading into town, right to Didsbury and left to Chorlton.
She's so concerned she invited scientists to test the air – and pollution levels were found to be six times above the legal EU limit.
She said: “Before then we knew it was bad – because we could taste it. On warm days it's the worst. It tastes and smells like metal. But we hadn't realise it was that bad.
“Now we can't open the windows, we can't take that risk. We have to have air conditioning all year round. The terrible irony is that air con is contributing to pollution levels.
“There are many many schools like this in Greater Manchester – they are just not all speaking out about it.”
She added: “It has a proven impact on children's long-term health. It worries me that nothing is being urgently done about it.
“Parents are walking their children to school and worrying about what they are exposed to, especially when they have asthma.”
Ruth, the schoolchildren and their parents are campaigning for more to be done. Councillors and MPs, as well as mayor Andy Burnham, have visited the school.
The children have been writing letters to politicians, pleading with them to take action.
“We are teaching our children to use their voices – to flex their very small muscles.”
In Greater Manchester, road transport contributes 75pc of emissions of nitrogen oxides and 81pc of particulates. It also accounts for 32pc of carbon dioxide emissions.
Pollution is a problem not unique to Manchester – but as other cities take action, the region runs the risk of being left behind.
It comes as the death of a nine-year-old girl from an asthma attack has been linked to high levels of air pollution.
Ella Kissi-Debrah lived 80ft from London's South Circular Road – notorious for pollution. She suffered three years of seizures and hospital stays before her death in February 2013. During that time, local air pollution levels breached EU legal limits.
According to a report from an asthma specialist, her hospital admissions coincided with spikes in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10s – the most noxious pollutants.
It's the first time an individual's death has been directly linked to air pollution.
The evidence will be submitted in an appeal to the attorney general to re-open an inquest in to Ella's death.
Professor Hugh Coe measuring pollution/particulate levels. (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Last year, the Manchester Evening News teamed up with the University of Manchester to take pollution readings around Upper Brook Street and Oxford Road.
We recorded the levels of particulate - tiny particles belched from exhausts, or the fragments of road dust churned up by tyres.
Results at two locations - outside a school and at a junction near both the hospitals and the university - exceeded those recommended by the EU.
Prof Hugh Coe, head of school of Atmospheric Composition at the University of Manchester, said today: “It's without doubt one of the biggest public health problems facing Greater Manchester today.
“We need to do something. We've got a generation of young people who are being exposed to high levels of pollution unless we do something about it now.”
Warning of increasing links between pollution and cognitive function in the very young, as well as Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases, he added: “This is on top of the more recognised issues of lung performance, asthma and so on.”
“The body of evidence mounts every day. Small children are a group at risk. They are undergoing rapid development, add a stresser like air pollution into the mix of changing brain function and physiology and it's a big risk.
"Kids in playgrounds next to roads are suffering chronic exposure. In Greater Manchester, it's impossible to keep children away from those environments.”
The key then, lies in changing the conditions our children are living in.
As Ruth, headteacher of St Ambrose, says: “We love our city, Manchester is vibrant, fabulous, up and coming. But we have to clean it up.
“We really need politicians to take action to make Manchester a cleaner and healthier place for our children.
“To be classed as one of the dirtiest cities in Europe is just appalling.”
Source= MEN
--------------------------------------------------
OXFORD
THE secretary of a taxi drivers’ association in Oxford said new arrangements have been made following the introduction of a taxi-hailing app in the city.
Last month the rapidly expanding mytaxi service picked Oxford as its latest launch destination.
Mytaxi works with existing black cab drivers to provide pick-ups within five minutes of hailing.
It is designed so drivers can balance online work while also still being available to be hailed from the roadside.
But there were initial concerns among some drivers that the use of the app would cause confusion in the rank at Oxford station, if drivers hailed by mytaxi pulled out of the rank to pick up a passenger before they reached the front of the queue.
A poster put up at the station by City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association said: “Those who wish to pick up a mytaxi job or a radio job if booked from the ranks must make arrangements with the passenger to pick them up out of sight of the rank.”
But now, Sajad Khan, secretary of the association, said a revised arrangement has been made with drivers.
Acknowledging that more drivers would be using the mytaxi app in due course, he said: “We have requested drivers to pull off the rank if they receive a mytaxi or a radio job (as many drivers are also on the traditional radio circuit) to make other drivers on the rank aware that the driver has received a job through mytaxi or the radio.
“The driver may then pick up the job from a suitable and safe location without causing any obstructions to anyone and more importantly, without burdening any passengers.”
Oxford is the sixth UK city this year where mytaxi has launched.
COLTA has now posted an updated notice at the station which says: “To avoid confusion and being accused of malpractice when accepting either radio or mytaxi app jobs, drivers are advised (if on the rank) to pull off the rank and pick up the passengers from a safe and convenient place. Drivers must not pick up from bus stops, especially the ones by the steps at the rail station, and cause obstruction to bus operations.”
Mytaxi spokesman David Savage said earlier interest from residents and support from Oxford City Council convinced bosses the time was right.
He believes the app has the potential to transform the way people in Oxford take black cabs. It follows the launch of Oxford Bus Company’s PickMeUp app.
https://goo.gl/pHTmps
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NOTTINGHAM
A woman has died following a head-on crash with a taxi, yesterday, which left two others in hospital.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Moira Road, near Ashby, just after 6.20pm, on Saturday, October 6 and the road was closed at Shellbrook Close for several hours.
The woman, who was driving a silver Ford Fusion, was involved in a collision with a grey Skoda Octavia taxi.
Three people were taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham by ambulance. The driver of the Ford died in hospital.
https://goo.gl/BYRtjW
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Friday, 5 October 2018
NEW YORK
With taxicab drivers in New York City, the story has been the same for the last couple of years: many are dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts after Uber and Lyft have decimated their industry, rendered their medallions relatively worthless and made it difficult for them to pay bills.
It’s a story that we have been following in depth over the last couple of years, reporting on an increasing number of drivers who have committed suicide as a result of their livelihood being pulled out from underneath them.
The New York Times followed up on this epidemic recently, profiling cabdrivers like Nicanor Ochisor, who had to be dragged to the doctor by his wife due to his depression in March of this year. But this wasn't enough - he turned out to be one of six cabdrivers who committed suicide over the course of the last year.
These men feel overwhelmed and often watch their prospects for retirement dissolve right in front of them. Undoubtedly, it can be difficult and lonely behind the wheel of a taxi, especially with the industry under fire.
But now, New York City is trying to step in, placing a cap on Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as urging taxi drivers to seek out help when necessary. New York City is now considering a set of bills that would establish a health fund for taxi drivers, also creating "driver assistance centers" for counseling and financial advice.
One of the bills is set to offer relief to medallion owners who have a significant amount of debt. A council speaker stated that the city was considering a partial bailout or hardship fund for medallion owners who drive their own taxis.
Corey Johnson, the Council speaker, told the NY Times: "For the smaller individual medallion owners, what can we do to help them get out from under this crushing debt? We’re trying to figure out a way to do that."
The rise in suicides and the publicity that they have gotten have forced drivers to speak out about the stresses of their industry with their families. The Times caught up with one driver, Lal Singh, who said that after three years of driving a taxi, he had considered suicide.
He told the Times: "When I hear that somebody did suicide, I was thinking about me. I’m going to be one of them one day.” Singh owes about $6200 per month on the medallion he bought in 2000 and spends his day driving the length of Manhattan, top to bottom, looking for passengers.
"When you have nothing to do, we are suffering. What are you living for?" he continued.
Another driver, Muhammad Anil, who owes more than $500,000 on his medallion, had to have a talk with his children and reassure them that he was OK after they saw the headlines about the suicides.
The drivers that are most vulnerable are people between the ages of 45 and 64, according to Barbara Stanley, psychology professor at Columbia University. She noted that people with past depression issues may be more vulnerable to this stressful environment than others.
Some drivers, like 70 year old Harbans Singh, say they don’t want help from the taxi and limousine commission. He works 12 hour shifts to help pay off his medallion debt. “I don’t trust the T.L.C.,” he said.
Financial assistance is the number one type of assistance sought out by drivers. The city says they find themselves in a difficult position because a buyout of medallion owners could cost billions. The alternative ridesharing apps like Lyft have considered putting together a $100 million hardship fund for drivers. The catch? They want the city to drop the cap on the number of drivers they can have.
Unsurprisingly, cab drivers would rather see Uber and Lyft restricted.
Nicolae Hent, a friend of Nicanor Ochisor's, went to the doctor back in 2005 after he battled with his own anxiety issues. He now takes two anti-depressants and plays tennis regularly to cope. Hent is 62, owes about $130,000 on his medallion and is leading the charge to get the city to assist cab drivers.
He told the Times, "I’m not going to kill myself. I won’t kill nobody. But I’ll fight until I die."
Social Issues
https://goo.gl/SCJieJ
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EIRE
A FOREIGN NATIONAL quoted over €17,000 for taxi insurance for a year, was asked to pay nearly €5,000 upfront to keep his car on the road.
The issue of higher taxi insurance comes against the wider backdrop of much higher premiums in recent times, with the government’s working group aiming to tackle these high costs facing difficulties in bringing them down so far
Faced with a choice between not working or paying the insurance, the Dublin-based man said it left him with little option but to pay up the deposit so he could stay on the road.
His situation is one common to a number of taxi drivers looking to get insured on Irish roads, who face difficulty in affording to do so.
The man was involved in one collision on Irish roads in the past three years, although it was not while driving his taxi.
“The car is only worth €20,000,” the taxi driver told TheJournal.ie. “I had a claim against me, after a guy said he had neck pain after an accident with the car. The cost of repairing the car was only a few hundred euro.
Taxi drivers we spoke to after fare increases last year also cited insurance as a cause of complaint. One said: “My insurance went through the roof this year, with no real reason given. It’d put you off getting into this game.”
The figure drivers are quoted however, can range vastly. Another driver we spoke to, with a 10-year-old car, and nine years’ experience as a taxi driver was recently quoted €2,300 to renew his insurance.
Another, with a newer car but with much fewer years in the job, was quoted €4,500.
Jim Waldron, spokesperson from the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, told TheJournal.ie that he’s heard of costs over €10,000 for new people coming into the business, but that it wouldn’t always be the case.
Even for those not paying such costs in this bracket, many taxi drivers are still feeling the pinch in recent years, according to Waldron.
He also said that a company acquiring a number of taxi licence plates in one go is often better placed than an individual to source reasonably-priced insurance, with the individual usually facing a higher premium.
“Overall, the last three years has seen insurance go up year-on-year to about 35% higher,” he said. “As an association, we’ve been trying to bring the cost of insurance down by bringing in more competition, and there are talks going on there.
Someone going in with 50 plates could get a more favourable insurance policy where an individual driver has been crucified for the last few years… It’s a business cost, but there’s only so many hours in a day that a taxi driver can work. The last thing we’d want people to be doing is to work morning, noon and night, and then have to hand what they’ve earned over to the insurance company.
The number of taxis in Ireland has already dropped dramatically in recent years, with the high cost of insurance often cited as a deterrent.
From a high of 47,222 drivers with valid licences in 2009, there were just 26,012 licences last year.
In all, there were 400 less taxi drivers on the streets in 2017 compared to the previous year. The majority of drivers (54%) hold a Dublin licence entitlement.
Earlier this year, the National Transport Authority launched a campaign aimed at recruiting 1,600 taxi drivers.
Its CEO Anne Graham said while having 26,000 drivers licenced “might sound like a lot, but they are not all available all of the time, which means there can be shortages at certain period particularly at peak hours and weekend nights”.
According to NTA research from 2016, the average metered revenue per week for a taxi driver in Dublin was €635, with the high end stretching up to €1,189.
The question of the cost of insurance has been raised in the Oireachtas a number of times in the past year, as the government aims to arrest the cost of car insurance which has skyrocketed in recent years.
In 2015 alone, more than a third of Irish drivers saw their insurance rise by up to 50% – a situation that descended into something of a blame game between insurers and the legal profession
Work has been done to rectify the problem however, starting with the publication of a fresh Book of Quantum in 2016, the first in 12 years, which officially crystallised the level of claims being seen in Ireland.
Furthermore, a recently published report from the Personal Injuries Commission has highlighted the “stark multiples” of compensation payouts in Ireland compared to our European counterparts.
Insurers say it is these payouts that lead to higher premiums, and the report says that taking appropriate action now would help to achieve a “greater level of consistency in Ireland in the assessment of general damages”.
Waldron added that when a taxi driver has had an accident, it can be very difficult to avoid facing a spike in the cost of insurance.
“Absolutely, it shoots up,” he said. “I can understand why it would be that someone would be quoted as high as €17,000 if there’d been a claim. It’s very hard to switch insurers then too because the first thing they ask you on the form is ‘have you had an accident?’.”
Speaking at a Dáil debate last month, Independent TD for Dublin Bay North Tommy Broughan said that every deputy has been contacted “time and again by all kinds of hard-pressed constituents”.
“We have also been contacted by distressed taxi drivers, who are in the public transport mould,” he said. “Due to changes in their training and so on, they have had to come up with vast sums of money.”
‘That is insane’
Newer drivers driving their own vehicle, in particular, face higher costs.
Senator Jennifer Murnane O’Connor told the Seanad in June: “Many of us have stories of our own or have heard stories about the rising cost of insurance.
This week, I heard about a taxi driver who had been driving as a named driver on his company fleet insurance. He had his test and wanted to get a policy in his own name. He was quoted €11,000 in respect of a vehicle that is valued at €12,000. That is insane.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson for industry group Insurance Ireland said it couldn’t comment on individual cases, but added that “insurers make decisions on insurance cover based on their underwriting criteria, their risk appetite and their claims history”.
“This will include factors such as the driver’s experience, the type of vehicle, its engine size and its age, but the weighting applied to each factor is a matter for each company,” it said.
Insurance Ireland pointed to the recent report from the Personal Injuries Commission which found that the average compensation issues for soft tissue injuries in Ireland is four times higher than in the UK.
“Insurance Ireland has been very active in advocating for policies to address the cost of claims in the market that affect all motorists and will continue to press for the swift implementation of the recommendations of the Personal Injuries Commission,” it added.
http://www.thejournal.ie/taxi-driver-insurance-4262863-Oct2018/
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