HAMPSHIRE
A taxi driver who raped a sleeping customer in his cab tried to defend the attack by saying she ‘fell on him while his trousers were unbuttoned’.
Ferham Khan, 29, picked up his victim, 33, at around 1am after a night out with friends in Winchester, Hampshire, in September 2017.
Believing she was asleep in his car, he pulled over in an unknown location then sexually abused and orally raped her. She says the attack has ‘destroyed’ her life.
When questioned by officers Khan, of Southampton, claimed the attack was an ‘accident’ and ‘the woman had fallen on him whilst he had his trousers unbuttoned’.
Khan’s victim said she ‘froze in fear’ during the attack and afterwards, when the rapist believed she had passed out through having too much to drink, he phoned police.
He told officers he had an unconcious woman in his car and said he ‘wanted her removed’.
When police and paramedics arrived, the traumatised victim told them what had happened.
Khan has now been jailed for 12 years after jurors delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after a seven day trial at Southampton Crown Court.
In court, Khan admitted to having sex with the woman and said he initially lied because he did not want his wife to find out.
He denied rape and claimed in court that the sex was consensual and said his victim had ‘started touching him first’ even suggesting she ‘did it for a cheaper fare’.
https://bit.ly/2N4Xx5p
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Move over Uber! The Merseyside cab firm taking on taxi app giant
The company hopes people will switch to a firm with the same features as Uber that supports local businesses
Private hire and hackney licenses alike are set to go up (Image: Andrew James, South Wales Echo)
Uber has become a dominant force across the country - and local private hire firms are worried for their future as more and more people choose the convenient app-based technology that Uber offers.
But one famous local firm is fighting back - and believes it can take Uber on at the technology game.
After 30 years in business, Britannia Taxis - a family owned firm based in Huyton, has overhauled its technology strategy and launched a new automated service working with software provider iCabbi.
iCabbie is a taxi booking software firm based in Ireland - and Britannia bosses believe the collaboration means they will be able to compete with Uber in Merseyside.
Private hire firms - as well as hackney drivers - have become increasingly concerned about the presence of Uber in our region.
They have pointed out how many drivers are getting licensed elsewhere and coming into Liverpool on busy days to take work from local drivers.
Mayor Joe Anderson has previously threatened to ban Uber from the city as he is unhappy with how they operate.
James Aden, Director, Britannia Taxis stated: “Using iCabbi, Britannia customers can now book or pre-book via our booking app but also see their taxi’s ETA, fare estimate and pay by card.
“Partnering with iCabbi makes it easier for small firms to be able to provide these features to remain technologically relevant but also to reduce operational costs."
He added: “iCabbi has reduced our operational costs, driven growth, in fact so much so that I’ve hired 80 more drivers since going live."
Gavan Walsh, iCabbi CEO and Founder adds: “We believe that the taxi industry has an exciting future and we are here to help them.
https://bit.ly/2X3SvL5
---------------------------------------------
TAXI drivers have urged the council to act over Uber drivers working in York.
“Our public should be able to get into a well-maintained car which is clean and tidy, driven by a well-mannered and safe driver who knows the routes to take in York. This should be a matter of pride. Uber need banishing from our city.”
City of York Council’s current position means that if a private hire vehicle’s three licences - operator, vehicle and driver - have all been issued by the same authority then the driver can undertake journeys anywhere in the country, regardless of when the fare starts or ends.
But York taxi bosses commissioned a legal opinion from Gerald Gouriet QC - a barrister who specialises in licensing issues in England and Wales - which argues that out-of-town vehicles and their drivers are illegally operating in York.
Council officers said it is important to stress that this alternative view has not been tested in the courts and they have sought independent legal guidance.
The committee is expected to receive the legal advice at the end of this week and will discuss it at a meeting in March.
https://bit.ly/2ByOXYa
---------------------------------------
The company hopes people will switch to a firm with the same features as Uber that supports local businesses
Private hire and hackney licenses alike are set to go up (Image: Andrew James, South Wales Echo)
A Merseyside cab firm is looking to take on taxi-app giant Uber and is hoping local people will come with them for the ride.
But one famous local firm is fighting back - and believes it can take Uber on at the technology game.
After 30 years in business, Britannia Taxis - a family owned firm based in Huyton, has overhauled its technology strategy and launched a new automated service working with software provider iCabbi.
iCabbie is a taxi booking software firm based in Ireland - and Britannia bosses believe the collaboration means they will be able to compete with Uber in Merseyside.
Private hire firms - as well as hackney drivers - have become increasingly concerned about the presence of Uber in our region.
They have pointed out how many drivers are getting licensed elsewhere and coming into Liverpool on busy days to take work from local drivers.
Mayor Joe Anderson has previously threatened to ban Uber from the city as he is unhappy with how they operate.
Now Britannia bosses believe their new technology is one way that local firms can take on the app giant.
"These are all features that have become standardised with the arrival of rideshare giants, such as Uber.
He added: “iCabbi has reduced our operational costs, driven growth, in fact so much so that I’ve hired 80 more drivers since going live."
Gavan Walsh, iCabbi CEO and Founder adds: “We believe that the taxi industry has an exciting future and we are here to help them.
https://bit.ly/2X3SvL5
---------------------------------------------
TAXI drivers have urged the council to act over Uber drivers working in York.
The licensing committee discussed the legal position around Uber’s operations in the city at a meeting on Monday.
Mike Palmer, secretary of York Private Hire Association, told councillors at the meeting: “The cab trade you regulate are being sidelined to favour a toxic company which is out to make our business an unqualified, minimum-wage, unregulated mess.
City of York Council’s current position means that if a private hire vehicle’s three licences - operator, vehicle and driver - have all been issued by the same authority then the driver can undertake journeys anywhere in the country, regardless of when the fare starts or ends.
But York taxi bosses commissioned a legal opinion from Gerald Gouriet QC - a barrister who specialises in licensing issues in England and Wales - which argues that out-of-town vehicles and their drivers are illegally operating in York.
Council officers said it is important to stress that this alternative view has not been tested in the courts and they have sought independent legal guidance.
The committee is expected to receive the legal advice at the end of this week and will discuss it at a meeting in March.
https://bit.ly/2ByOXYa
---------------------------------------
Monday, 11 February 2019
Uber is to continue operating in Birmingham for at least another year after being granted a renewal of its operator licence by the city council.
A licensing sub committee held a meeting behind closed doors at the end of January and unanimously agreed for the firm to carry on until January 31, 2020 when it will be reviewed again.
The minicab app stated it had been 'humbled' by the reaction in Birmingham since launching in the city in 2015.
A booklet, submitted as part of their application, provided a number of statistics about the operation revealing that more than 1,000 drivers licensed by Birmingham City Council are earning money through the app.
There have been more than 15 million trips since 2015 with an average pick-up time of four minutes.
Uber also highlighted a number of their safety features including cashless transactions, the fact that all trips are recorded on GPS and a feature which requires drivers to take a six hour break if they have been 'on trip' for ten hours.
The firm stated it was looking to 'strengthen' working relationships with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council licensing enforcement.
Uber also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority to make transport data available to assist in infrastructure planning decisions in the city.
Fred Jones, director at Uber UK, said: "Since our launch in February 2015, we have been humbled by Birmingham's response to Uber.
"From carrying over a million passengers and helping over 1,000 drivers earn money via the app, we are proud to have had a positive impact on the lives of so many Brummies.
"For the next stage of our journey we are excited about better partnering with the city to help solve some of the urban transport challenges that Birmingham faces, including congestion, air quality, and providing safe, affordable and reliable transport to every corner of the city."
https://bit.ly/2BuodrT
-----------------------------------
LOCAL GOVT ASSOCIATION
LGA responds to new DFT taxi licensing guidance and reforms
“Councils have long-called for existing outdated taxi laws to be updated and strengthened so we are very pleased that so many of our recommendations have been supported in this consultation."
Responding to new guidance on taxi and minicab licensing published by the Department for Transport, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“Councils have long-called for existing outdated taxi laws to be updated and strengthened so we are very pleased that so many of our recommendations have been supported in this consultation.
“Proposals to improve safeguarding, establish national minimum standards and create national enforcement powers are essential to provide safer journeys for passengers and fairer business for drivers. The need for legislative reform to taxi laws which date back to the 19th century is now urgent.
“Councils have been doing what they can to strengthen licensing processes, such as signing up to the voluntary LGA-commissioned National Register of Revocations and Refusals. We are delighted that government recognises the value in mandating our initiatives and we look forward to working with government to develop them, including the issue of cross-border restrictions.
“However, given significant funding pressures on councils, government needs to ensure that licensing authorities can recover the costs of proportionate compliance and enforcement activity linked to these recommendations and other work, from driver and operator fees.”
https://bit.ly/2StladO
------------------------------------
GLASGOW taxi drivers are calling for tougher laws against pirating to be introduced in the city.
They believe pirating, where private hire car drivers pick someone up off the street who hasn’t pre-booked a lift, should be made a criminal offence leading to court action instead of appearing at the council’s licensing committee.
Taxi drivers are asking the City Council to look at measures taken in England, including Birmingham, where an enforcement officer works with police to catch cab drivers committing offences.
Representatives from the local authority will attend the Taxi and PHV Licensing Policy Updates and Best Practices conference in London at the end of the month to discuss how situations like these can be prevented.
Speaking about the issue Steven Grant, secretary of the Glasgow CAB Section of Unite the Union, said: “In Glasgow there is a lot of potential for crime. Drivers who pirate ask people for ridiculous sums of money.
“When you see them in front of the licensing committee for pirating, they are not even being charged with a criminal offence.
“We don’t believe a four-week suspension is enough and does not act as a deterrent. But if someone gets six penalty points on their licence for pirating they are less likely to do it again.”
Calum Anderson, chairman of the Glasgow CAB Section, added: “These people are willing to break the law and the council know this is a problem.
“This is something which needs addressed. We believe taking those who pirate to court is the way forward.
“Most motorists have three penalty points on their licence. If private hire drivers are caught pirating and given six more penalty points as a result, they won’t be able to get insurance to allow them to drive.
“We don’t think we will stamp it out completely but tougher punishments may act as a deterrent.”
Councillor Alex Wilson will attend a conference in London which looks at the latest changes to licensing policy as well as discussing public safety and what other measures can be taken to improve this.
Mr Wilson said: “It is not our job to limit the number of private hires, it is our job to protect public health and safety. I am attending the conference in London this month.
“We will be looking to see what is and isn’t working. “
https://bit.ly/2TIUEK5
A licensing sub committee held a meeting behind closed doors at the end of January and unanimously agreed for the firm to carry on until January 31, 2020 when it will be reviewed again.
The minicab app stated it had been 'humbled' by the reaction in Birmingham since launching in the city in 2015.
A booklet, submitted as part of their application, provided a number of statistics about the operation revealing that more than 1,000 drivers licensed by Birmingham City Council are earning money through the app.
There have been more than 15 million trips since 2015 with an average pick-up time of four minutes.
Uber also highlighted a number of their safety features including cashless transactions, the fact that all trips are recorded on GPS and a feature which requires drivers to take a six hour break if they have been 'on trip' for ten hours.
The firm stated it was looking to 'strengthen' working relationships with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council licensing enforcement.
Uber also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority to make transport data available to assist in infrastructure planning decisions in the city.
Fred Jones, director at Uber UK, said: "Since our launch in February 2015, we have been humbled by Birmingham's response to Uber.
"From carrying over a million passengers and helping over 1,000 drivers earn money via the app, we are proud to have had a positive impact on the lives of so many Brummies.
"For the next stage of our journey we are excited about better partnering with the city to help solve some of the urban transport challenges that Birmingham faces, including congestion, air quality, and providing safe, affordable and reliable transport to every corner of the city."
https://bit.ly/2BuodrT
-----------------------------------
LOCAL GOVT ASSOCIATION
LGA responds to new DFT taxi licensing guidance and reforms
“Councils have long-called for existing outdated taxi laws to be updated and strengthened so we are very pleased that so many of our recommendations have been supported in this consultation."
Responding to new guidance on taxi and minicab licensing published by the Department for Transport, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“Councils have long-called for existing outdated taxi laws to be updated and strengthened so we are very pleased that so many of our recommendations have been supported in this consultation.
“Proposals to improve safeguarding, establish national minimum standards and create national enforcement powers are essential to provide safer journeys for passengers and fairer business for drivers. The need for legislative reform to taxi laws which date back to the 19th century is now urgent.
“Councils have been doing what they can to strengthen licensing processes, such as signing up to the voluntary LGA-commissioned National Register of Revocations and Refusals. We are delighted that government recognises the value in mandating our initiatives and we look forward to working with government to develop them, including the issue of cross-border restrictions.
“However, given significant funding pressures on councils, government needs to ensure that licensing authorities can recover the costs of proportionate compliance and enforcement activity linked to these recommendations and other work, from driver and operator fees.”
https://bit.ly/2StladO
------------------------------------
GLASGOW taxi drivers are calling for tougher laws against pirating to be introduced in the city.
They believe pirating, where private hire car drivers pick someone up off the street who hasn’t pre-booked a lift, should be made a criminal offence leading to court action instead of appearing at the council’s licensing committee.
Taxi drivers are asking the City Council to look at measures taken in England, including Birmingham, where an enforcement officer works with police to catch cab drivers committing offences.
Representatives from the local authority will attend the Taxi and PHV Licensing Policy Updates and Best Practices conference in London at the end of the month to discuss how situations like these can be prevented.
Speaking about the issue Steven Grant, secretary of the Glasgow CAB Section of Unite the Union, said: “In Glasgow there is a lot of potential for crime. Drivers who pirate ask people for ridiculous sums of money.
“When you see them in front of the licensing committee for pirating, they are not even being charged with a criminal offence.
“We don’t believe a four-week suspension is enough and does not act as a deterrent. But if someone gets six penalty points on their licence for pirating they are less likely to do it again.”
Calum Anderson, chairman of the Glasgow CAB Section, added: “These people are willing to break the law and the council know this is a problem.
“This is something which needs addressed. We believe taking those who pirate to court is the way forward.
“Most motorists have three penalty points on their licence. If private hire drivers are caught pirating and given six more penalty points as a result, they won’t be able to get insurance to allow them to drive.
“We don’t think we will stamp it out completely but tougher punishments may act as a deterrent.”
Councillor Alex Wilson will attend a conference in London which looks at the latest changes to licensing policy as well as discussing public safety and what other measures can be taken to improve this.
Mr Wilson said: “It is not our job to limit the number of private hires, it is our job to protect public health and safety. I am attending the conference in London this month.
“We will be looking to see what is and isn’t working. “
https://bit.ly/2TIUEK5
Sunday, 10 February 2019
BOSTON LINCS
A pensioner who died after she fell backwards down a flight of steps and landed on her head may have had an epileptic seizure, in inquest heard.
Jean Lord, 71, fell from the top of eight concrete stairs outside her first-floor home in Grange Road, Bracebridge Heath.
The incident was witnessed by a taxi driver who had just dropped her off, an inquest at Boston Coroner’s Court was told.
Simon Coulson had been checking for his next fare when he looked up and saw Ms Lord, who was carrying a handbag and a shopping bag and using a walking stick, fall.
In a statement, he said: “She was actually tumbling backwards down the stairs. She landed at the bottom of the steps on her head.
“There was nobody else around at the time and I cannot see or think of any reason why she should fall backwards down those steps.”
Mr Coulson rushed to Ms Lord but she was unresponsive and he called emergency services.
He said paramedics arrived “very quickly”.
Ms Lord was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where a scan showed her to have suffered skull fractures and a “devastating and severe brain injury”.
There was evidence of a possible epileptic seizure. Attempts to stabilise her condition had no effect and it was decided that her treatment should be switched to compassionate end of life care.
She died on April 14 last year, two days after the fall.
Mr Coulson had picked up Ms Lord from the White Hart Hotel in Bailgate at about 6.45pm and described her as a “chatty, pleasant lady”. He could not smell alcohol on her.
Her GP said she had a history of epilepsy and was prone to seizures.
In a written statement, he said: “She was a vulnerable lady who tried her best to cope.
"I thought her accommodation was not suitable for her but she was quite adamant that she would not go into care home and wanted to stay in her flat with the help of carers.”
Senior coroner for Lincolnshire, Tim Brennand , said: “This is a very sad case indeed.
"A lady with pre-existing epileptic condition attempting to retain her dignity and her independence.”
He said the problem he had was deciding whether there was an accidental fall or a potential epileptic seizure.
Given the evidence, he gave a narrative conclusion: “Jean Lord died as a consequence of injuries sustained in a fall as a consequence of a presumed epileptic seizure.”
https://bit.ly/2E3GfD2
----------------------------------
GTR MANCHESTER
Taxi drivers will be required to put CCTV cameras in their cabs to prevent sex assaults.
The move is part of a Government clampdown which includes tougher criminal record checks and a national database to stop drivers operating outside the area of their licence.
The measures follow an official review after sex abuse scandals in Rotherham, S Yorks and Rochdale, Gtr Manchester.
Rochdale licensing officers said drivers were working there using licences from neighbouring Rossendale.
Rossendale has 75 taxi rank spaces yet last year it licensed 3,700 drivers.
Many had criminal convictions in areas such as York, Milton Keynes and Manchester.
It has also been revealed that Birmingham council gave licences to convicted drug dealers, child abusers and burglars.
https://bit.ly/2Glx6bm
-----------------------------------
A Wigan cabbie had a lucky escape after being sent flying by a cyclist riding illegally on the pavement.
The badly shaken taxi driver, who would only give his first name as Trevor, was coming out of the Crusader Taxis office in King Street when the headphone-wearing rider crashed into him as he rode at speed along the path.
Luckily, Trevor, 44, was unharmed in the incident which he said could have been much worse.
Other cabbies at the rank took to social media to share CCTV footage of the incident, which happened at around 10am in the morning.
Trevor, who has been a driver with Crusader Taxis since last September, said: “I was walking to my cab to go out on a job when this lad came speeding down the path and I ended up on my backside. I was so shocked I was late picking up a customer.
“He was apologetic, but when he got off his bike he was more concerned about picking up his lights which came off.
“So much money has been spent on cycle lanes in the area, so there is absolutely no excuse for him being on the pavement.
“Anybody could have come out of the doorway, and God forbid it was an older couple as the damage would have been far worse.”
Hossein Ghorbani, the owner of Crusader Taxis, said: “It could’ve been much worse.
“He only came to the office to drop some bits off, and when he came out the cyclist hit him.
“The guy shouldn’t have been on there in the first place. It is dangerous, and if that was a child it would have been 10 times worse.”
The law states that cyclists must not cycle on the pavement even when there are no specific lanes.
Cyclists can use bus lanes when permitted to by road signs.
https://bit.ly/2Ds47Pi
A pensioner who died after she fell backwards down a flight of steps and landed on her head may have had an epileptic seizure, in inquest heard.
Jean Lord, 71, fell from the top of eight concrete stairs outside her first-floor home in Grange Road, Bracebridge Heath.
The incident was witnessed by a taxi driver who had just dropped her off, an inquest at Boston Coroner’s Court was told.
Simon Coulson had been checking for his next fare when he looked up and saw Ms Lord, who was carrying a handbag and a shopping bag and using a walking stick, fall.
In a statement, he said: “She was actually tumbling backwards down the stairs. She landed at the bottom of the steps on her head.
“There was nobody else around at the time and I cannot see or think of any reason why she should fall backwards down those steps.”
Mr Coulson rushed to Ms Lord but she was unresponsive and he called emergency services.
He said paramedics arrived “very quickly”.
Ms Lord was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where a scan showed her to have suffered skull fractures and a “devastating and severe brain injury”.
There was evidence of a possible epileptic seizure. Attempts to stabilise her condition had no effect and it was decided that her treatment should be switched to compassionate end of life care.
She died on April 14 last year, two days after the fall.
Mr Coulson had picked up Ms Lord from the White Hart Hotel in Bailgate at about 6.45pm and described her as a “chatty, pleasant lady”. He could not smell alcohol on her.
Her GP said she had a history of epilepsy and was prone to seizures.
In a written statement, he said: “She was a vulnerable lady who tried her best to cope.
"I thought her accommodation was not suitable for her but she was quite adamant that she would not go into care home and wanted to stay in her flat with the help of carers.”
Senior coroner for Lincolnshire, Tim Brennand , said: “This is a very sad case indeed.
"A lady with pre-existing epileptic condition attempting to retain her dignity and her independence.”
He said the problem he had was deciding whether there was an accidental fall or a potential epileptic seizure.
Given the evidence, he gave a narrative conclusion: “Jean Lord died as a consequence of injuries sustained in a fall as a consequence of a presumed epileptic seizure.”
https://bit.ly/2E3GfD2
----------------------------------
GTR MANCHESTER
Taxi drivers will be required to put CCTV cameras in their cabs to prevent sex assaults.
The move is part of a Government clampdown which includes tougher criminal record checks and a national database to stop drivers operating outside the area of their licence.
The measures follow an official review after sex abuse scandals in Rotherham, S Yorks and Rochdale, Gtr Manchester.
Rochdale licensing officers said drivers were working there using licences from neighbouring Rossendale.
Rossendale has 75 taxi rank spaces yet last year it licensed 3,700 drivers.
Many had criminal convictions in areas such as York, Milton Keynes and Manchester.
It has also been revealed that Birmingham council gave licences to convicted drug dealers, child abusers and burglars.
https://bit.ly/2Glx6bm
-----------------------------------
A Wigan cabbie had a lucky escape after being sent flying by a cyclist riding illegally on the pavement.
The badly shaken taxi driver, who would only give his first name as Trevor, was coming out of the Crusader Taxis office in King Street when the headphone-wearing rider crashed into him as he rode at speed along the path.
Luckily, Trevor, 44, was unharmed in the incident which he said could have been much worse.
Other cabbies at the rank took to social media to share CCTV footage of the incident, which happened at around 10am in the morning.
Trevor, who has been a driver with Crusader Taxis since last September, said: “I was walking to my cab to go out on a job when this lad came speeding down the path and I ended up on my backside. I was so shocked I was late picking up a customer.
“He was apologetic, but when he got off his bike he was more concerned about picking up his lights which came off.
“So much money has been spent on cycle lanes in the area, so there is absolutely no excuse for him being on the pavement.
“Anybody could have come out of the doorway, and God forbid it was an older couple as the damage would have been far worse.”
Hossein Ghorbani, the owner of Crusader Taxis, said: “It could’ve been much worse.
“He only came to the office to drop some bits off, and when he came out the cyclist hit him.
“The guy shouldn’t have been on there in the first place. It is dangerous, and if that was a child it would have been 10 times worse.”
The law states that cyclists must not cycle on the pavement even when there are no specific lanes.
Cyclists can use bus lanes when permitted to by road signs.
https://bit.ly/2Ds47Pi
Friday, 8 February 2019
The High Court has today held that use of the Uber app does not amount to plying for hire.
Reading Borough Council had prosecuted an Uber driver, Mr Ali, who had been waiting for his next booking on the Uber app. He was parked lawfully by the roadside and doing nothing to attract the attention of passers-by.
Lord Justice Flaux said in his judgement: “In my judgment, there was no unlawful plying for hire in this case for a number of reasons. First, the mere depiction of the respondent’s vehicle on the Uber App, without either the vehicle or the driver being specifically identified or the customer using the App being able to select that vehicle, is insufficient to establish exhibition of the vehicle in the sense in which that phrase is used by Lord Parker CJ in formulating the two stage test for plying for hire in Cogley v Sherwood and Rose v Welbeck. That requires not just exhibition of the vehicle but its exhibition expressly or implicitly soliciting custom, inviting members of the public to hire the vehicle.”
Flaux LJcontinued: “It seems to me that depiction of the vehicle on the App does not involve any exhibition of that kind, but is for the assistance of the Uber customer using the App, who can see that there are vehicles in the vicinity of the type he or she wishes to hire…If I ring a minicab firm and ask for a car to come to my house within five minutes and the operator says “I’ve got five cars round the corner from you. One of them will be with you in five minutes,” there is nothing in that transaction which amounts to plying for hire. As a matter of principle, I do not consider that the position should be different because the use of internet technology avoids the need for the phone call.
“Second, it does not seem to me that the position is different because, as between Uber and the driver, the latter is a principal and Uber is an agent. Whether this agency analysis is correct has not been finally decided. However, like the Chief Magistrate and contrary to Mr Holland’s submissions, I do not consider that it has any bearing on the issue in this case. On the findings she made as to how the Uber App works, the customer has to confirm the booking after he or she is given the fare estimate and the driver in turn has to accept the booking before either of them knows the identity of the other and before the car actually comes to the pick-up point.”
He ruled that as far as Uber’s model is concerned: “…there is a pre-booking by the customer, which is recorded by Uber as PHV operator, before the specific vehicle which will perform the job is identified. This is all in accordance with the transaction being PHV business, not unlawful plying for hire. There was no soliciting by the respondent without some prior booking, as he only proceeded to the pick-up point after the customer had confirmed the booking and the respondent as driver had accepted the job.”
The Court refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Source: 7 Feb.. Stephen MaCaffrey. Kings Veiw Chambers.
Reading Borough Council had prosecuted an Uber driver, Mr Ali, who had been waiting for his next booking on the Uber app. He was parked lawfully by the roadside and doing nothing to attract the attention of passers-by.
Lord Justice Flaux said in his judgement: “In my judgment, there was no unlawful plying for hire in this case for a number of reasons. First, the mere depiction of the respondent’s vehicle on the Uber App, without either the vehicle or the driver being specifically identified or the customer using the App being able to select that vehicle, is insufficient to establish exhibition of the vehicle in the sense in which that phrase is used by Lord Parker CJ in formulating the two stage test for plying for hire in Cogley v Sherwood and Rose v Welbeck. That requires not just exhibition of the vehicle but its exhibition expressly or implicitly soliciting custom, inviting members of the public to hire the vehicle.”
Flaux LJcontinued: “It seems to me that depiction of the vehicle on the App does not involve any exhibition of that kind, but is for the assistance of the Uber customer using the App, who can see that there are vehicles in the vicinity of the type he or she wishes to hire…If I ring a minicab firm and ask for a car to come to my house within five minutes and the operator says “I’ve got five cars round the corner from you. One of them will be with you in five minutes,” there is nothing in that transaction which amounts to plying for hire. As a matter of principle, I do not consider that the position should be different because the use of internet technology avoids the need for the phone call.
“Second, it does not seem to me that the position is different because, as between Uber and the driver, the latter is a principal and Uber is an agent. Whether this agency analysis is correct has not been finally decided. However, like the Chief Magistrate and contrary to Mr Holland’s submissions, I do not consider that it has any bearing on the issue in this case. On the findings she made as to how the Uber App works, the customer has to confirm the booking after he or she is given the fare estimate and the driver in turn has to accept the booking before either of them knows the identity of the other and before the car actually comes to the pick-up point.”
He ruled that as far as Uber’s model is concerned: “…there is a pre-booking by the customer, which is recorded by Uber as PHV operator, before the specific vehicle which will perform the job is identified. This is all in accordance with the transaction being PHV business, not unlawful plying for hire. There was no soliciting by the respondent without some prior booking, as he only proceeded to the pick-up point after the customer had confirmed the booking and the respondent as driver had accepted the job.”
The Court refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Source: 7 Feb.. Stephen MaCaffrey. Kings Veiw Chambers.
Thursday, 7 February 2019
Coventry-based taxi manufacturer London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), which builds the famous black cabs, is inviting Birmingham cabbies to test-drive its electric TX Taxi for 48 hours.
LEVC is heading to Birmingham city centre today when it will have on display its new TX Taxi, the world’s first purpose-built electric taxi, which it says will meet the new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) regulations that are being introduced next year.
Drivers will also have the opportunity to ask the experts questions about the vehicle, which was introduced into London in 2018, the benefits of switching from diesel to TX, as well as speak to Octopus, about a new pay-per-mile finance deal.
The visit comes just a week after the Business Breathes website was launched – the one-stop, go-to site for fleet managers and self-employed drivers who need to prepare for January 2020, when the CAZ is introduced in Birmingham city centre.
The website, which has been launched as part of Brum Breathes, Birmingham City Council’s air quality campaign to reduce emissions of harmful pollutants, aims to encourage businesses to move over to cleaner vehicles.
Steve Cootes, commercial director of LEVC, said: “With the Clean Air Zone regulations coming into force in 12 months time in Birmingham, it’s the ideal time for Hackney cab drivers to explore what a green TX Taxi could mean for them.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to the TX from drivers across the country and hope that Birmingham cabbies take the opportunity to find out why over a thousand of their fellow drivers have made the switch.”
https://goo.gl/BnwJ6o
-------------------------------
BRADFORD
COUNCILLORS have hit back at claims that their new taxi policy was “racial profiling” that aimed to create a “hysteria” and turn the Bradford public against the Pakistani community.
The extraordinary claims, made by a member of the Unite Union at a Council meeting this morning, were branded “abhorrent,” “disgusting” and “disgraceful.”
Bradford Council is working with other authorities in West Yorkshire and York to harmonise their taxi regulations, including rules on who is classed as a “fit and proper” driver. Proposed changes included a three year ban for drivers who commit minor traffic offences.
A public consultation on the changes was held last year, with almost 700 people taking part. After the consultation the Council decided to soften some of its policies – the ban on minor offences was originally proposed to be five years.
Yesterday Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee met to decide whether to move forward with the changes.
New plans could ban serious offenders from driving a taxi in Bradford
At the meeting a Shop Warden for the local Branch of the Unite Union, named Mr Sheikh, spoke to object to the changes, launching into a furious tirade during which he accused the Council of plotting to turn people against the Pakistani community and of masterminding the Yorkshire wide policy.
Mr Sheikh said: “I have come for Political justice. I object in the strongest terms to this. The information has been manipulated – this is populism at work.
“This is racial profiling at its best. It disgusts me that you are trying to marginalise the taxi driver community and divide the public. You are trying to marginalise a certain ethnic group, the Pakistani community.”
Referring to the plans to implement changes across Yorkshire, he said: “I would like to know if Bradford was the main instigator of this – is everything coming out of Bradford? Other local authorities are being corrupted by this populist policy.
“It is offensive that again and again the Council says it has to protect the public from taxi drivers. The Council wants to cause hysteria among the public by talking about unfit drivers and unfit vehicles.
“You are trying to divide the public – it is very devious.
“If taxi drivers went on strike then this city would be brought to its knees.”
When he was asked how many drivers the union represented in Bradford, he replied: “I can’t disclose those numbers.”
Councillor Simon Cooke (Cons, Bingley Rural) I understand that some people will have concerns, but out primary duty is to protect the public. We have consulted the public, and I’m a bit taken aback by this being referred to as a racist policy.
“This was about getting a view from the public of how the Council should licence individuals who drive public vehicles in our district.
“This policy doesn’t suggest anything too problematic for a person to expect from someone who is going to drive them home.
“If I asked people I represent they would probably say the Council isn’t being tough enough.
“I’m extremely disappointed that the representative tried to make this about racism. It is nothing to do with that, it is about making sure that a person, whatever their race, feels safe getting into a taxi cab.
“It is not really clear what he was actually objecting to.”
Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) said: “I’m disappointed by some of the words being used by the union representative. All colours, all creeds, we don’t have a problem. For you to bring racism into this is abhorrent.”
Chair of the committee Councillor David Warburton (Lab, Wyke) said: “I am disgusted in the comments being made here.
“There are 4,600 registered drivers, but 500,000 people in our district our job is to protect them as well as protecting the drivers and operators.
“To make this a racial point is in extremely bad taste – it was a disgraceful comment to make. It was absolutely disgusting.”
Councillor Mohammed Amran said he agreed with the other Councillors, saying: “You haven’t actually said what in the proposal you’re unhappy with.
“With respect, you’ve just gone on one.”
Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) described the speech as an “extraordinary performance” adding: “You had a chance to make a helpful point, but you failed to take it up.”
The committee then approved the changes.
https://bit.ly/2DXBbjo
--------------------------------
Uber Technologies Inc. is more than just ride-hailing. That’s a key part of the pitch it’s making to investors as the company prepares for an initial public offering this year. In fact, some of Uber’s new lines of business may actively dissuade people from calling one of its cars.
Rachel Holt, head of the New Mobility division, says that customers who use Uber’s scooters and bikes hire 10 percent fewer cars through the app. And in at least one market on certain days -- the core of Sacramento, California -- more people took Uber’s electric bikes than used its cars. On Friday, the company plans to release 100 scooters into the city as well.
Uber says that cannibalization of its ride-hailing business is part of its master plan. Just as the startup disrupted its black car service years ago by offering lower-margin UberX rides, it now hopes to help forge the next shift in transportation. At the same time, growth is slowing in Uber’s main business -- meaning that as an IPO looms, its other ventures are becoming more important.
Besides investments in areas like food delivery and trucking, Uber is betting big on bikes and scooters. In April, it purchased Jump Bikes for $200 million. The company has also considered buying scooter front-runners Lime and Bird Rides Inc., holding talks with each, people familiar with the matter have said, but so far hasn’t done a deal. Instead, in the past few months, Uber has been cranking out its own product -- producing nearly 1,000 Jump-branded electric bikes a day. This year, the company has a $1 billion budget for scooters, bikes and other mobility initiatives, Holt said.
"Between Jan. 1 and March 1 you will see tens of thousands of Jump bikes and scooters hitting the road in the U.S.," she said.
The company’s long-term goal is to let users book all transit within its app. It’s not the only startup with a vision of a fully tech-enabled transportation future.
Other companies, including competitor Lyft Inc., are also working to integrate public transit options. Lyft riders in Santa Monica, California, for example, can now use the app to look up route information for local transportation.
“It’s part of them subscribing to a vision that in a few years there will be one or two apps through which we access all of our transportation modes,” said Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New York University’s business school. That could mean, for example, using one app to coordinate taking a bike to the train and then a car to the office, instead of just taking a car.
If urban transit does eventually shift marginally away from cars to bikes or scooters, Uber aims to stay competitive. In at least one market, the company has already seen a decrease in ride-hailing. "If we look at our early San Francisco data, we’re seeing a decline in Uber rides,”
Holt said. "But the increase we are seeing in bike trips vastly outweighs it."
Still, bike trips are much cheaper than car rides, and Uber’s path to diversification promises to be an expensive one. As the company dabbles in an increasingly wide array of businesses, it’s spending quickly. Uber lost $1.1 billion in the third quarter of last year alone. It’s now in the phase of "building mind share and changing behaviors,” Sundararajan said, “and that is frequently accompanied by losing money.”
https://bloom.bg/2DY1GFj
LEVC is heading to Birmingham city centre today when it will have on display its new TX Taxi, the world’s first purpose-built electric taxi, which it says will meet the new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) regulations that are being introduced next year.
Drivers will also have the opportunity to ask the experts questions about the vehicle, which was introduced into London in 2018, the benefits of switching from diesel to TX, as well as speak to Octopus, about a new pay-per-mile finance deal.
The visit comes just a week after the Business Breathes website was launched – the one-stop, go-to site for fleet managers and self-employed drivers who need to prepare for January 2020, when the CAZ is introduced in Birmingham city centre.
The website, which has been launched as part of Brum Breathes, Birmingham City Council’s air quality campaign to reduce emissions of harmful pollutants, aims to encourage businesses to move over to cleaner vehicles.
Steve Cootes, commercial director of LEVC, said: “With the Clean Air Zone regulations coming into force in 12 months time in Birmingham, it’s the ideal time for Hackney cab drivers to explore what a green TX Taxi could mean for them.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to the TX from drivers across the country and hope that Birmingham cabbies take the opportunity to find out why over a thousand of their fellow drivers have made the switch.”
https://goo.gl/BnwJ6o
-------------------------------
BRADFORD
COUNCILLORS have hit back at claims that their new taxi policy was “racial profiling” that aimed to create a “hysteria” and turn the Bradford public against the Pakistani community.
The extraordinary claims, made by a member of the Unite Union at a Council meeting this morning, were branded “abhorrent,” “disgusting” and “disgraceful.”
Bradford Council is working with other authorities in West Yorkshire and York to harmonise their taxi regulations, including rules on who is classed as a “fit and proper” driver. Proposed changes included a three year ban for drivers who commit minor traffic offences.
A public consultation on the changes was held last year, with almost 700 people taking part. After the consultation the Council decided to soften some of its policies – the ban on minor offences was originally proposed to be five years.
Yesterday Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee met to decide whether to move forward with the changes.
New plans could ban serious offenders from driving a taxi in Bradford
At the meeting a Shop Warden for the local Branch of the Unite Union, named Mr Sheikh, spoke to object to the changes, launching into a furious tirade during which he accused the Council of plotting to turn people against the Pakistani community and of masterminding the Yorkshire wide policy.
Mr Sheikh said: “I have come for Political justice. I object in the strongest terms to this. The information has been manipulated – this is populism at work.
“This is racial profiling at its best. It disgusts me that you are trying to marginalise the taxi driver community and divide the public. You are trying to marginalise a certain ethnic group, the Pakistani community.”
Referring to the plans to implement changes across Yorkshire, he said: “I would like to know if Bradford was the main instigator of this – is everything coming out of Bradford? Other local authorities are being corrupted by this populist policy.
“It is offensive that again and again the Council says it has to protect the public from taxi drivers. The Council wants to cause hysteria among the public by talking about unfit drivers and unfit vehicles.
“You are trying to divide the public – it is very devious.
“If taxi drivers went on strike then this city would be brought to its knees.”
When he was asked how many drivers the union represented in Bradford, he replied: “I can’t disclose those numbers.”
Councillor Simon Cooke (Cons, Bingley Rural) I understand that some people will have concerns, but out primary duty is to protect the public. We have consulted the public, and I’m a bit taken aback by this being referred to as a racist policy.
“This was about getting a view from the public of how the Council should licence individuals who drive public vehicles in our district.
“This policy doesn’t suggest anything too problematic for a person to expect from someone who is going to drive them home.
“If I asked people I represent they would probably say the Council isn’t being tough enough.
“I’m extremely disappointed that the representative tried to make this about racism. It is nothing to do with that, it is about making sure that a person, whatever their race, feels safe getting into a taxi cab.
“It is not really clear what he was actually objecting to.”
Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) said: “I’m disappointed by some of the words being used by the union representative. All colours, all creeds, we don’t have a problem. For you to bring racism into this is abhorrent.”
Chair of the committee Councillor David Warburton (Lab, Wyke) said: “I am disgusted in the comments being made here.
“There are 4,600 registered drivers, but 500,000 people in our district our job is to protect them as well as protecting the drivers and operators.
“To make this a racial point is in extremely bad taste – it was a disgraceful comment to make. It was absolutely disgusting.”
Councillor Mohammed Amran said he agreed with the other Councillors, saying: “You haven’t actually said what in the proposal you’re unhappy with.
“With respect, you’ve just gone on one.”
Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) described the speech as an “extraordinary performance” adding: “You had a chance to make a helpful point, but you failed to take it up.”
The committee then approved the changes.
https://bit.ly/2DXBbjo
--------------------------------
Uber Technologies Inc. is more than just ride-hailing. That’s a key part of the pitch it’s making to investors as the company prepares for an initial public offering this year. In fact, some of Uber’s new lines of business may actively dissuade people from calling one of its cars.
Rachel Holt, head of the New Mobility division, says that customers who use Uber’s scooters and bikes hire 10 percent fewer cars through the app. And in at least one market on certain days -- the core of Sacramento, California -- more people took Uber’s electric bikes than used its cars. On Friday, the company plans to release 100 scooters into the city as well.
Uber says that cannibalization of its ride-hailing business is part of its master plan. Just as the startup disrupted its black car service years ago by offering lower-margin UberX rides, it now hopes to help forge the next shift in transportation. At the same time, growth is slowing in Uber’s main business -- meaning that as an IPO looms, its other ventures are becoming more important.
Besides investments in areas like food delivery and trucking, Uber is betting big on bikes and scooters. In April, it purchased Jump Bikes for $200 million. The company has also considered buying scooter front-runners Lime and Bird Rides Inc., holding talks with each, people familiar with the matter have said, but so far hasn’t done a deal. Instead, in the past few months, Uber has been cranking out its own product -- producing nearly 1,000 Jump-branded electric bikes a day. This year, the company has a $1 billion budget for scooters, bikes and other mobility initiatives, Holt said.
"Between Jan. 1 and March 1 you will see tens of thousands of Jump bikes and scooters hitting the road in the U.S.," she said.
The company’s long-term goal is to let users book all transit within its app. It’s not the only startup with a vision of a fully tech-enabled transportation future.
Other companies, including competitor Lyft Inc., are also working to integrate public transit options. Lyft riders in Santa Monica, California, for example, can now use the app to look up route information for local transportation.
“It’s part of them subscribing to a vision that in a few years there will be one or two apps through which we access all of our transportation modes,” said Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New York University’s business school. That could mean, for example, using one app to coordinate taking a bike to the train and then a car to the office, instead of just taking a car.
If urban transit does eventually shift marginally away from cars to bikes or scooters, Uber aims to stay competitive. In at least one market, the company has already seen a decrease in ride-hailing. "If we look at our early San Francisco data, we’re seeing a decline in Uber rides,”
Holt said. "But the increase we are seeing in bike trips vastly outweighs it."
Still, bike trips are much cheaper than car rides, and Uber’s path to diversification promises to be an expensive one. As the company dabbles in an increasingly wide array of businesses, it’s spending quickly. Uber lost $1.1 billion in the third quarter of last year alone. It’s now in the phase of "building mind share and changing behaviors,” Sundararajan said, “and that is frequently accompanied by losing money.”
https://bloom.bg/2DY1GFj
Wednesday, 6 February 2019
December 04, 2018, LONDON, UK. Press Dispensary.
CabNET, the world’s largest private network of licensed taxi companies, announces it is now accepting cashless payments via smartphone for taxi bookings anywhere on its growing roster of more than 600 towns and cities in 70+ countries worldwide.
Customers can pay using their smartphone, whether they are taking a short, local ride or booking a taxi at the other end of the country or on the other side of the globe.
The service works with any taxi that is a member of CabNET, which represents almost 11,000 carriers from London to Lusaka, Iceland to Auckland. Carriers range from major licensed taxi firms, with hundreds of cars and drivers, to sole licenced drivers.
To make a payment, customers simply use the CabNET app, which can be used in any country and is free to download from the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android.
The CabNET app will search for licensed taxi providers in a specified geographic area and manage the booking process, including payment. It can also be used when a cab has been hailed or booked without using the app – customers can pay by scanning the driver’s barcode or using their mobile phone number. The CabNET app also includes ‘taxisafe’ route tracking, for added personal security during a journey, and enables customers to review their journey and provider.
What sets CabNET apart from other international providers is that its members are all locally licensed operators who work for their local taxi companies or themselves, not for CabNET. These operators set their own fares, according to local regulations. CabNet boosts their bookings by linking them to the network ..
CabNET CEO Neil Hallett said: “CabNET is unique. There is no other service where a single app lets you book pay for, track and review licensed taxi rides – no matter where you are or plan to be – but offers the know-how and experience of long-established, properly licensed local taxi providers.
“It has all the benefits of Uber and the like but can work in so many places where those companies aren’t licensed to operate and, with the introduction of cardless payment, it enhances the established taxi experience by offering a single app that works anywhere, with no need for cash.”
To download the app and get started free of charge, customers should visit www.cabnettaxi.com .
Taxi operators and drivers that wish to join CabNET can register at
https://www.cabnettaxi.com/driverregistration
and pay a nominal setup fee to start accepting bookings and payments.
https://goo.gl/ZgjvDz
-------------------------------------
BOLTON
TAXI drivers are being targeted with bricks in a spate of attacks by vandals, leaving one passenger needing stitches to their face.
On Thursday night, Metro Cars taxi driver Raja Talat Mahmood was driving along Winchester Way in Breightmet when his windscreen was smashed by a brick thrown at his car.
The incident occurred at around 10pm as he was travelling with a customer.
Mr Mahmood said: "It totally smashed the windscreen.
"I was thinking that some [glass] had gone in my eye."
The driver has encountered the vandals before.
He added: "It was a group of lads that are always there. They know the taxi is coming. They can see from a distance the taxi is coming because of the signs."
Mr Mahmood added: "I'm losing a lot of the work because I have to wait for the repairs. [The repairs] are going out of my pocket."
He said: "I'm so scared, anything bad could happen. We have elderly people. It could be you or it could be me in the taxi."
Metro Cars say that Mr Mahmood's case was just one of many in the Thicketford Brow and Breightmet Community Church area.
Another driver, Mahmood Khan, had his car windows shattered by bricks on two occasions in the same place. One attack cost him £230 in repairs and a full weekend out of work.
He said: "It's every night. They're by the church because it's high up and they can smash things and run away. If you stop right there, they just throw more."
A spokesperson for Metro Cars said: "In the last couple of months, we would say it's about 25 to 30 cars it's happened to. It's very constant. It's more night time.
"We had one where [a brick] hit a passenger. The passenger has had to have stitches in his face. There was another where a woman had a two month-old with her in the back."
https://goo.gl/P9uzpQ
---------------------------------------
CARLISLE
Two men who carried out a terrifying early-morning knifepoint robbery of a taxi driver in Carlisle have been jailed for a total of almost eight years.
The city's crown court heard how their victim went to pick up a fare in darkness at Alexander Street at 5.30am on December 11.
Lexi Elliott and James Thompson - both aged 23 - got in with jacket hoods pulled tight around their faces. They asked to be taken to a B&M Bargains store, on Wigton Road, where Thompson - high on alcohol and cocaine - got out and brandished a Stanley knife with the blade concealed, forcing the frightened driver to flee.
His Skoda vehicle was driven off and found several hours later in the Dalston area, "totally destroyed" by fire.
In a deeply moving victim impact statement read to court today, the driver spoke of being "fragile" and "already at the brink" following the death of his wife two years previously. On his mobile phone - taken in the robbery but never recovered - were "the last years I had with my wife".
"Being robbed at knifepoint tipped me over the edge," stated the taxi driver.
Of the missing phone, he added: "They have taken a significant part of my life away from me."
Elliott and Thompson, both of Highfield Avenue, Carlisle, were jailed for 49 months and 41 months, respectively. They had admitted robbery and arson, with Thompson also admitting illegal knife possession.
Passing sentence, Judge James Adkin told the pair: "It just goes to show the fact that those who commit offences of knifepoint robbery can never know exactly the condition of their victims."
He added: "You both are responsible for the lingering upset and pain that the loss of that telephone has caused."
After the case, Detective Constable Andrew Metcalf said: “I am pleased that both have been brought before the courts within months of the offence.
“This was a pre-meditated attack on a person who serves the public and taken their means of income.
“Today’s sentencing shows how seriously both the police and the courts take such attacks and that they will not be tolerated.”
https://goo.gl/wHfZjY
CabNET, the world’s largest private network of licensed taxi companies, announces it is now accepting cashless payments via smartphone for taxi bookings anywhere on its growing roster of more than 600 towns and cities in 70+ countries worldwide.
Customers can pay using their smartphone, whether they are taking a short, local ride or booking a taxi at the other end of the country or on the other side of the globe.
The service works with any taxi that is a member of CabNET, which represents almost 11,000 carriers from London to Lusaka, Iceland to Auckland. Carriers range from major licensed taxi firms, with hundreds of cars and drivers, to sole licenced drivers.
To make a payment, customers simply use the CabNET app, which can be used in any country and is free to download from the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android.
The CabNET app will search for licensed taxi providers in a specified geographic area and manage the booking process, including payment. It can also be used when a cab has been hailed or booked without using the app – customers can pay by scanning the driver’s barcode or using their mobile phone number. The CabNET app also includes ‘taxisafe’ route tracking, for added personal security during a journey, and enables customers to review their journey and provider.
What sets CabNET apart from other international providers is that its members are all locally licensed operators who work for their local taxi companies or themselves, not for CabNET. These operators set their own fares, according to local regulations. CabNet boosts their bookings by linking them to the network ..
CabNET CEO Neil Hallett said: “CabNET is unique. There is no other service where a single app lets you book pay for, track and review licensed taxi rides – no matter where you are or plan to be – but offers the know-how and experience of long-established, properly licensed local taxi providers.
“It has all the benefits of Uber and the like but can work in so many places where those companies aren’t licensed to operate and, with the introduction of cardless payment, it enhances the established taxi experience by offering a single app that works anywhere, with no need for cash.”
To download the app and get started free of charge, customers should visit www.cabnettaxi.com .
Taxi operators and drivers that wish to join CabNET can register at
https://www.cabnettaxi.com/driverregistration
and pay a nominal setup fee to start accepting bookings and payments.
https://goo.gl/ZgjvDz
-------------------------------------
BOLTON
TAXI drivers are being targeted with bricks in a spate of attacks by vandals, leaving one passenger needing stitches to their face.
On Thursday night, Metro Cars taxi driver Raja Talat Mahmood was driving along Winchester Way in Breightmet when his windscreen was smashed by a brick thrown at his car.
The incident occurred at around 10pm as he was travelling with a customer.
Mr Mahmood said: "It totally smashed the windscreen.
"I was thinking that some [glass] had gone in my eye."
The driver has encountered the vandals before.
He added: "It was a group of lads that are always there. They know the taxi is coming. They can see from a distance the taxi is coming because of the signs."
Mr Mahmood added: "I'm losing a lot of the work because I have to wait for the repairs. [The repairs] are going out of my pocket."
He said: "I'm so scared, anything bad could happen. We have elderly people. It could be you or it could be me in the taxi."
Metro Cars say that Mr Mahmood's case was just one of many in the Thicketford Brow and Breightmet Community Church area.
Another driver, Mahmood Khan, had his car windows shattered by bricks on two occasions in the same place. One attack cost him £230 in repairs and a full weekend out of work.
He said: "It's every night. They're by the church because it's high up and they can smash things and run away. If you stop right there, they just throw more."
A spokesperson for Metro Cars said: "In the last couple of months, we would say it's about 25 to 30 cars it's happened to. It's very constant. It's more night time.
"We had one where [a brick] hit a passenger. The passenger has had to have stitches in his face. There was another where a woman had a two month-old with her in the back."
https://goo.gl/P9uzpQ
---------------------------------------
CARLISLE
Two men who carried out a terrifying early-morning knifepoint robbery of a taxi driver in Carlisle have been jailed for a total of almost eight years.
The city's crown court heard how their victim went to pick up a fare in darkness at Alexander Street at 5.30am on December 11.
Lexi Elliott and James Thompson - both aged 23 - got in with jacket hoods pulled tight around their faces. They asked to be taken to a B&M Bargains store, on Wigton Road, where Thompson - high on alcohol and cocaine - got out and brandished a Stanley knife with the blade concealed, forcing the frightened driver to flee.
His Skoda vehicle was driven off and found several hours later in the Dalston area, "totally destroyed" by fire.
In a deeply moving victim impact statement read to court today, the driver spoke of being "fragile" and "already at the brink" following the death of his wife two years previously. On his mobile phone - taken in the robbery but never recovered - were "the last years I had with my wife".
"Being robbed at knifepoint tipped me over the edge," stated the taxi driver.
Of the missing phone, he added: "They have taken a significant part of my life away from me."
Elliott and Thompson, both of Highfield Avenue, Carlisle, were jailed for 49 months and 41 months, respectively. They had admitted robbery and arson, with Thompson also admitting illegal knife possession.
Passing sentence, Judge James Adkin told the pair: "It just goes to show the fact that those who commit offences of knifepoint robbery can never know exactly the condition of their victims."
He added: "You both are responsible for the lingering upset and pain that the loss of that telephone has caused."
After the case, Detective Constable Andrew Metcalf said: “I am pleased that both have been brought before the courts within months of the offence.
“This was a pre-meditated attack on a person who serves the public and taken their means of income.
“Today’s sentencing shows how seriously both the police and the courts take such attacks and that they will not be tolerated.”
https://goo.gl/wHfZjY
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