COVENTRY
All taxis and private hire vehicles in Coventry will be obliged to take card payments under new policies set to be agreed by the council.
Coventry City Council said it wants to “move with the times” by updating its policies due to the rise in card payments across the country.
Currently some taxis and other private hire vehicles already accept card payments, but they are not obliged to under existing council policy.
New rules, set to be passed next Monday, October 21, state “functioning cashless facilities must be carried and cashless payments cannot be refused and must not incur the passenger additional costs”.
Councillor Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Black cabs and private hire provide a great service here in Coventry but it’s important that we move with the times.
“Lots already provide the option to pay on a card but if approved this move will mean that all providers have to take cashless payment by the end of the year.
“The trade have been consulted on this move and it has real support.
“Moving towards the City of Culture in 2021, we are expecting an increase in visitors to our city, it is therefore important that taxis are offering a warm welcome to make getting around easy and trouble-free.”
Tuk-tuks and pedicabs will also be obliged to accept card payments.
The city council agreed in November 2018 to introduce tuk-tuks and pedicabs and hopes to have them ready to use for the City of Culture 2021 year.
http://bit.ly/36jLxq4
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
The LGA is calling on the Government to strengthen taxi and private hire legislation - some of which dates back to 1847 and horse-drawn hackney carriages - to improve passenger safety in light of the proliferation of app-based taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) companies and increased out-of-area working.
It comes as the latest figures show:
The total number of licensed taxi and PHVs in England increased to 291,800 in 2019, an increase of 58 per cent on the 184,500 licensed vehicles in 2005 when comparable records were first collected.
These figures have largely been driven by a surge in licensed PHVs, which have risen to 221,200 in 2019, a staggering increase of 83 per cent on the 120,400 PHVs in 2005.
The number of people licensed to drive taxis and PHVs also increased substantially over the same period, rising by 50 per cent, from 242,000 people to 362,000.
The LGA is warning that due to outdated legislation and new technology, councils cannot take enforcement action against the rising numbers of unlicensed drivers operating in their area.
Councils argue that revamped taxi laws could make enforcement easier through introducing a common set of licensing standards and be updated to reflect new technology which would help reduce the risk of child sexual exploitation, improve passenger safety, and create a level playing field for drivers by tackling out-of-area working.
The LGA is also calling for national minimum licensing standards for drivers of taxis and PHVs, and a mandatory national database of all licensed taxi and PHV drivers.
In order to strengthen licensing processes, the LGA last year launched its own national register of taxi and PHV licences which have been refused or revoked so councils can check new applicants against the database and update it with their own information.
But whilst updated statutory guidance for councils around taxi licensing is a positive step, it says ultimately the best way to strengthen safeguarding measures and ensure a level playing field for all drivers is for government to update taxi laws.
Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“Updating outdated and flawed taxi licensing laws has never been more urgent to provide safer journeys for the public and fairer business for drivers.
“The Government must stick to the commitment that was made earlier this year to reform taxi legislation.
“Reforms are needed to reflect the increasing use of mobile phone apps to book taxis and private hire vehicles and to give councils national enforcement powers so they can take action against any vehicles operating in their areas irrespective of where they are licensed.
“Safeguarding legislation needs to be strengthened following well-documented child exploitation cases where taxi and PHV drivers have abused the trust placed in them.
“Undue delay risks public safety.”
http://bit.ly/2WxGbD8
The boss of Wolverhampton’s Private Hire Taxi Association has given his backing to the requirement for drivers to undergo random drug and alcohol testing, as a way to improve safety measures for passengers.
Mr Raheel Shah, the association’s chairman and founder, also said that business for many firms and individual drivers in the city had not been good since around 2015, and called for a firmer course of action to improve conditions for drivers.
He said that too many drivers were not up the strict standards of the job, and endorsed the legislation from the council’s licensing chiefs.
“It is also incredibly important that any new drivers inform the council if they are ever arrested for anything or have any work or alterations carried out on their vehicles,” said Mr Shah, who is the association’s chairman and founder.
In recent months, the council has been in consultation with the local private hire trade group over proposed alterations in the way companies conduct business in terms of base, driver and vehicle procedures.
“Any assistance we can get from the council will be greatly appreciated,” said Mr Shah.
“These days it is a lot simpler and cheaper for drivers to get a licence, and unfortunately this has resulted in a lot of non-professional drivers taking up work.
“This is problematic for us and can give a lot of us a bad name as private hire drivers. A lot of the new drivers don’t know the roads, the correct health and safety procedures, and haven’t taken a proper practical test.
“Also, with self-employment rights, drivers can now work for more than one firm, meaning a lot of drivers in the city don’t make a decent living because there simply isn’t enough work to go round. There are more private hire cars on the roads than ever before,” he added.
Licensing chiefs say amendments are necessary due to new technology being taken up by many businesses, alongside the introduction of cross-border hiring with neighbouring counties.
A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council’s Licensing Services said: “Although there is no legal requirement to consult with the private hire trade groups, we are doing this in the interest of positive working relationships in the city.
“The onset of technology within the trade and also the intricacy of cross-border hiring means that several changes are necessary.
“Base operators will now need to provide drivers with each customer’s contact details to enable them to have immediate access to satellite offices and systems, as well as being able to use interactive voice response.”
Private hire taxis differ from the black Hackney cabs at the city centre ranks in that they must be pre-booked by telephone in advance and cannot be flagged down or picked up on the street.
http://bit.ly/36iHSJd
EDINBURGH
Warring taxi firms could be for the history books after Edinburgh Airport announced a £6m project for a new taxi rank and drop-off area.
The investment and construction is part of a wider £20m transport improvement scheme at the airport which includes a new road from Gogar to ease congestion on Eastfield Road.
It comes after historic frustrations from taxi firms and private hire companies about touting from rogue firms in the current drop-off area at the airport, sparking a move from the airport in November last year to tell drivers to stay in their cars to stop arguments breaking out.
The new East Terminus will have a horseshoe design where vehicles dropping off customers must rejoin the back of a taxi rank away from the terminal exit, reducing the opportunity for touting to take place.
Cameras had been installed in the drop-off points to track taxis or private hires contravening bylaws by picking up passengers in the wrong area in June this year, and could be moved to the new terminus if problems persist.
The £6m new terminus should be completed by May next year and will also see a new passenger bridge, a new passenger with reduced mobility waiting area for those who may need special assistance, and a self-service kiosk for booking private taxis.
The current rank will move from the ground floor of the multi-storey car park to the east side of the airport, adjacent to the tram stop.
Taxis will be able to access the facility by using the road over the old runway, reducing congestion on Eastfield Road at peak times.
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport pledged that the new terminus would make it easier and for people to find licensed taxis when leaving the airport.
He said: “As an airport, we provide quick and easy travel to destinations all over the world – that trip starts and ends here, so making it easier for people to get to and from the airport is important to us.
“As well as making it easier for licensed taxis to drop off and pick up passengers, this multi-million pound project will also see the construction of a new access road, helping to ease the congestion we currently see on Eastfield Road at peak times.
http://bit.ly/2po8ckh
GOOGLE MAPS
There are many reasons why Apple's overhauled web mapping service still has a long way to go before challenging the popularity of Google Maps and Waze, with a big one perfectly illustrated by a new feature that appears to be rolling out across a number of different global markets as we speak.
Then again, Big G didn't make a lot of noise when moving the feature out of testing and into the wild in India in the first place, as Google Maps just so happened to be in the midst of a wider update process back in June as well. In any case, if you notice the option being added to the wildly popular mapping and navigation app on your Android handset, you should definitely take it for a test drive the next time you hop into a cab.
Basically, you can track your trip to make sure your taxi driver doesn't go off route for some shady reason, and in case that happens, your phone will buzz with a prominent notification to warn you of a possible danger to your wellbeing or just the risk of getting fleeced. This way, you can quickly tell if you're about to be overcharged (or worse) without having to keep an eye on your route from the beginning to the end of a suspicious trip. And don't worry, false alarms shouldn't be a problem, as Google Maps will only alert you if your driver deviates from the best available route by more than 500 meters (546 yards).
It's honestly surprising that this incredibly useful Stay Safer tool is still not available for Google Maps users worldwide, but it's certainly nice to hear it's rolling out in more places, including the US.
https://citylodge.org/google/google-maps-feature-stay-safer-cab-rides-28842842
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THAMES VALLEY
People travelling by taxi as the nights draw in are advised that the council has been spot-checking drivers to make sure they are hitting high standards.
Cherwell District Council licensing officers and Thames Valley Police traffic officers stopped 18 cars in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington on October 9. Two thirds of the drivers were fully compliant with the conditions of their licences.
It compares well with the results of previous spot-checks which had seen drivers suspended over safety issues.
Six drivers were issued with improvement notices for minor infringements, such as display of tariff cards and standards of upholstery, none of which would have affected public safety.
Cllr Andrew McHugh, Cherwell’s executive member with responsibility for licensing, said: “In the two and a half years since we launched our new taxi policy we have been consistently training and checking taxi drivers, to make sure they offer a safe, reliable and pleasant experience.
“We can’t be complacent about safety and the experience of taxi customers, but this operation shows a big improvement, with no need to suspend drivers’ licences, which had happened in the past.”
The Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy came into effect in January 2017, introducing a penalty points scheme to keep track of infringements and strengthening the council’s power to revoke licences in cases of serious or repeated offences.
Council officers checked that the vehicles’ plates matched the drivers’ registration documents and that the latter were up to date. They also ensured that hackney meters were sealed, and roof lights switched on.
During the same week, the team investigated a complaint against a vehicle trading from a layby near Caversfield. It was found to be untaxed, uninsured, unroadworthy and not registered with the DVLA. It was seized by the police and the driver will face prosecution.
The council plans to run further taxi spot-checking operations at regular intervals over the coming months.
http://bit.ly/2NcY6uq
BIRMINGHAM
An idiotic banned driver was caught behind the wheel - after illegally parking in a taxi rank... at a probation appointment.
Officers have hit out after the motorist who had been jailed for causing serious injury through dangerous driving was spotted behind the wheel of a motor in Birmingham – despite being banned.
West Midlands Police said the motorist – who was released having served half his 22-month sentence for causing serious injury – was caught driving the Black Vauxhall Astra while visiting his probation officer.
The car was also parked in a taxi rank in Theatre Approach in Birmingham City Centre, a spokesman said.
They took to social media to say: "A male who has just been released from prison having served half his 22-month sentence for causing serious injury by dangerous driving and disqualified driving is back in the cells.
"He drove this cloned vehicle to probation and parked in a taxi rank. #neverlearn #tooleanient.
http://bit.ly/2ohLMkk
LONDON
It can travel 187miles on one charge, so even longer fares shouldn’t be a problem for the new all-electric black cab.
The Dynamo taxi has been given the green light by Transport for London as part of an attempt to slash carbon emissions in the city.
The capital’s 21,000 black cabs account for 16 per cent of all vehicle nitrogen oxide emissions in central London.
TfL began adding hybrid taxis to the fleet in 2017, but these have a 1.5-litre petrol engine to extend their range.
The £55,495 Dynamo, which is based on a Nissan e-NV200, is solely electric.
Fully electric cabs first appeared in London in 1897. However, the firm behind the the 10mph Bersey taxis collapsed just two years later.
The Dynamo will be unveiled today at the International Clean Air Conference in London.
https://dailym.ai/33TpPHh
LONDON
Regulators Transport for London (TfL), have recognised that there have been delays with LPG conversions being completed prior to the November deadline through no fault of vehicle owners.
Sources are suggesting that TfL will now consider applications for a 20 year exemption on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants providing evidence that they made a booking and paid a deposit for a conversion the 1 November, WOULD now qualify for a 20 year age limit exemption. Drivers must then have the conversion completed within a 3 month period following the 1 November deadline.
According to Autogas Limited, a UK wide company that specialises in turning diesel taxis into LPG green machines, the fuel helps reduce Particulate Matter by 99% and cut NOx by 80%. Whilst LPG offers less drastic changes to CO2 emissions, a reduction of 7% respectively, the taxis converted to LPG would meet Euro 6 vehicle standards. This would mean all taxis would meet the current strict emission rulings despite their age.
Further benefits highlighted by the firm include a low initial investment (it costs roughly £10,000 to convert) as taxi drivers can keep their existing vehicle, lower maintenance costs compared to the diesel, and also substantial 20-30% lower fuel costs.
Autogas also claim that transition from diesel to LPG is made easier by the robust existing refuelling infrastructure and offers a 300 – 400 mile driving range.
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Liverpool’s taxi and private hire licensing officers had a busy Saturday night clamping down on several rogue minicabs.
Licensing Enforcement Officers dealt with a number of private hire issues ranging from parking on taxi ranks, incorrect licence plate fittings and illegally worn tyres.
According to Liverpool City Council (LCC) Licensing, a Sefton minicab driver was found parked on a Liverpool taxi rank, with its licence plate not fixed to the vehicle correctly.
A Liverpool private hire vehicle (PHV) was found working in the early hours with two illegal front tyres. The minicab was suspended and the driver is to be reported.
Two further PHV’s were stopped for issues surrounding the display of their licence plate.
Last month it was revealed that LCC have issued in excess of 1,800 parking fines to vehicles that have blocked taxi ranks in less than two years.
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ROCHDALE
An initiative in the borough of Rochdale has shown huge cost savings await taxi firms that switch to electric vehicles.
Rochdale Borough Council’s licensing team engaged the services of Electric Blue to understand the practical and financial impact of introducing electric vehicles to the private hire and taxi trade.
Drivers at three private hire operators and five independent taxi proprietors took part in the EVolve project. Their vehicles were fitted with telematics devices for one month which captured their routes and stopping points and calculated the running costs of their current vehicles.
The results showed that drivers would save almost 66% on their current running costs by converting to an electric vehicle. On average their costs would reduce from £6,188 to £2,201 if they switched to an electric vehicle and the saving would generate an extra £45,000 income across 21 vehicles.
The results also showed that 99.9% of all shifts could be completed in an electric vehicle with just one rapid charge top up for less than 30 minutes needed.
Michael Hare, owner of Middleton Cars and participant in the project, said: “The industry is going towards electric so we were keen to take this opportunity to find out what the future might look like for us and the reductions in running costs look really promising.
“We’ve got 38 cars so the cost of purchasing electric vehicles is a current barrier. We’ve already got a few hybrids and we need the whole industry to get on board with electric so the range of vehicles improves and vehicle prices come down.”
The analysis was conducted as part of the council’s commitment to improving the environment and air quality, making the borough a cleaner place to work and live. The borough is working with other Greater Manchester local authorities to reduce air pollution and emissions from transport through the development of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.
Councillor Sara Rowbotham, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We know that switching to electric vehicles will have a huge impact on our air quality and wider environment.
“It’s great that this analysis has shown substantial benefits for businesses in making the switch and that the long term benefits will be felt by those in the trade for years to come. Our region now needs to see the right financial support from central government to support all taxi drivers to make changes in the coming years.”
Individual reports have been provided to the firms that took part to demonstrate the feasibility of converting to electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.
To find out more about Greater Manchester’s proposals to clean up the air, and how the public and businesses can play their part, visit:
