Scarborough
Taxi bosses have moaned about the timing of legal council safety checks
On a busy Saturday night in Scarborough, you wouldn’t expect too much trouble flagging down a taxi.
Hundreds of drivers are roaming the roads as they compete for fares, in a trade that many say is becoming harder and harder to make ends meet.
And it’s this ongoing struggle that has riled taxi firm bosses, after the council took the “truly stupid” step of hauling vehicles off the road during the heart of Saturday night.
In total, safety checks were carried out on 26 vehicles between 8pm and 10pm on Saturday February 15, with the councillor at the helm of the snap inspections branding the operation a success – and vowing to have more in future.
However, with thousands of revellers braving stormy conditions for a night on the tiles, as well as an influx of visitors for the annual Coastival festival, a taxi boss said they are “baffled” at the timing of the legal checks.
“Here is a Saturday, already the busiest night of the week, but with an extra 4,000 people in town for Coastival, and they decide to take my drivers off the road – I was lost for words,” said the business owner, who has asked not to be named.
“Saturday is really the only night of the week drivers have a chance of making decent money.
“There really is just no logic in it.”
But the council claims there is, and that it needs to ensure that vehicles are not only fit for the road, but that they are also following the law.
The authority points to the results of the inspections, which found a number of drivers to be in breach of their licenses by failing to display or wear any ID, with the council admitting it is looking at taking further action against the culprits.
“I am pleased with the way the operation has been conducted,” said Cllr Brian Watson, Scarborough Borough Council Licensing Committee Chairman.
“We take the safety of the travelling public very seriously and it is important that licensed drivers adhere to the law with regard to vehicle maintenance, tax and insurance to ensure the safety of all road users.”
And he added: “We shall be organising more snap inspections in the near future and we will be taking firm action where vehicles are found not to be fully roadworthy.”
Overall, the council says that approximately two thirds of the vehicles checked out at the Dean Road council depot were given a clean bill of health or a simple advisory notice.
But 11 drivers were told that their vehicle may fail its next MOT, mainly for dodgy lights – although two cars were found to have illegal tires.
Scarborough Council says the results of the Saturday night inspection compare “favourably” to previous spot checks.
And Una Faithfull, Scarborough Borough Council’s Licensing Manager, said weekend checks had been carried out before, adding: “The timing of inspections largely relates to the availability of all the different agencies that have to be involved and therefore the time slots we can work to are limited.
“The detailed inspections were carried out as quickly as possible to allow drivers to return to work and all cars were inspected well before 10pm, as we appreciate after that time is usually the busiest for drivers.”
The operation was carried out by the council, with involvement from other bodies such as North Yorkshire Police.
Sgt Peter Wood, North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group, added: “The results of the operation show the value of partnership working to increase the safety of road users, in this particular instance ensuring that the taxi and private hire vehicles operating in the Scarborough area are safe and compliant with regulations.
“This has the benefit of increasing the professional standing of the
vehicles, operators and drivers, and making them as safe as possible for their customers.
“It is pleasing to see that only a small number of vehicles had any safety issues, however it is a reminder for all concerned that they should not become complacent with vehicle safety, and to ensure that regular safety checks are carried out and any defects remedied straight away.”
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Kendal
A TAXI driver has been sent to prison for a year and banned from driving for 18 months for deliberately reversing a minibus into a woman’s car after she parked in a turning bay outside Kendal’s main post office.
Carlisle Crown Court heard that 37-year-old Robert Atkinson was angry because Mrs Lee Bell was stopping him getting his minibus out of the car park after she dropped off her grown-up daughter behind the Stricklandgate Centre on July 23 last year.
He tried to do an “impatient” three-point turn, prosecutor Becky McGregor told the court, but when he failed he deliberately threw the minibus into reverse and rammed into the front of Mrs Bell’s car, causing £400 damage.
All the time, Ms McGregor said, Atkinson was shouting four-letter insults at Mrs Bell.
And afterwards, when she got out of her car to remonstrate with him, he blamed her for not moving her car by using foul and abusive language.
When she told him she was going to call the police, the court heard, he replied “I’d have no problem with punching you in the face” before driving off.
He was arrested soon afterwards at K Cars taxis, where he worked.
He admitted to the police that he had been “a little bit aggressive” but said he was just “agitated” because he wanted to get the minibus out so he could do his job.
Ms McGregor said that Mr Neil Barry, who witnessed the incident, later told the police: “He was using every swear word in the book.”
The court heard that Mrs Berry was so upset by what happened that she had to give up her job as a hotel manager.
She was now “fearful” and suffered panic attacks and was no longer as outgoing as she used to be, Ms McGregor said.
Atkinson - who used to live in Empson Road, Kendal, but has since moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire –pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
In mitigation his barrister Chris Evans said the incident was the culmination of “two or three very difficult years”, which had included the collapse of his marriage.
“He had had a particularly stressful day,” he said.
He said he now accepted he had over-reacted “to a set of circumstances with which he should just have been patient”, he said.
Judge Paul Batty QC told Atkinson his behaviour had been “appalling and disgraceful”.
He said: “The courts simply will not tolerate this aggressive bullying of vulnerable women. It was quite outrageous conduct.”
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Croyden
STAFF who lost their jobs when a coach firm serving hundreds of special needs children went out of business are considering legal action.
Ruskin Private Hire ceased trading last Friday (February 21) after a deal to save the company failed to materialise.
Its staff were told they had lost their jobs that afternoon and were advised to contact the firms drafted in by the council to cover the routes when schools returned from half term this week.
Some drivers and guides were transferred across without issue but others were told there were only part-time positions available.
Unions Unite and GMB claim the council has attempted to shed its legal responsibility for staff who were originally local authority employees before the service was outsourced in 2010.
Unite represents at least ten staff in dispute with one of 12 companies called in by Croydon Council when it became clear that Ruskin Private Hire, which employed around 300 people, would have to cease trading.
The union believes regulations, which protect employees when they transfer to another business, known as TUPE, should apply.
Kevin Simmons, branch secretary, said: "The council had a responsibility to bring the contract back in-house and then re-tender because that would have protected the staff who have worked in these roles for thirty years. At the very least it should have been making it clear to the replacement companies that TUPE should apply.
"The firms in question are current contractors so staff should have transferred on Monday with their terms and conditions intact. Instead they were told they might have a job, it might be part-time and TUPE won't apply.
"They are being treated abysmally and the council can rest assured we will do whatever it takes to support them."
Mick Simpkin, GMB's regional organiser for Croydon, said: "The legal advice we have been given is that TUPE applies. The council is demonstrating they are want to relinquish all their obligations to look after these workers.
"When it became clear Ruskin was in difficulty, the council should have sat down and consulted with the trade unions as to what the possibilities would be."
The council said it did not have the resources to take on a contract of that nature at short notice.
A spokesman added: "We had ample contingency plans in place to make use of the spare capacity available with our existing suppliers and this was the most sensible approach when it became clear no rescue package could be put together by administrators. TUPE considerations are the direct responsibility of the employer and the administrators."
The council said it was supporting former Ruskin staff, who have been told they will only receive one week's pay for the last month's work, by directing them to new suppliers and providing contacts for Jobcentre Plus
Several spoke to the Advertiser after being advised to contact replacement supplier Impact Group. A driver for 26 years said: "I received a call from the administrator at 4.30pm last Friday. He said: 'Sorry to say this but you haven't got a job'.
"He said that I would get a week's pay and could send forms off to apply for the other three weeks and redundancy. Then I was told to call Impact and ask for my jobs, basically."
A driver for 24 years said: "A few of us went to see Impact and were offered half the money we were getting and only part-time work.
"We're gutted but we're going to have to accept it because we have mortgages to pay. To think of all the service we've put in and now we're being shat on from a great height."
Ruskin Private Hire operated around a third of the school run and taxi routes for special needs children in Croydon.
Parents were left guessing for much of last week as to whether their children would be picked up by their regular guides and drivers after the company went into administration on February 14.
They were informed of the new arrangements late on Friday but the transition was less than smooth come Monday.
A number of coaches were late and several parents kept their children off school due to the stress caused by a change in routine.
The council said 100 per cent of the service was covered by Tuesday when the majority of pupils returned to school.
Luca Rendle, three, was so distressed by the prospect of being taken to school by a different guide and driver on Monday that he tore off his clothes.
By the time the replacement minibus arrived an hour late he was so unsettled that his parents, Andrew and Caroline, decided he should not go to the child development unit he attends at Winterbourne Nursery and Infants School in Thornton Heath.
“Luca was ready to go to school but, after waiting for an hour, he was very distressed and in the end we didn’t send him,” said Mr Rendle, from Woodside.
“He was very upset and when he gets like that he starts to strip his clothes off.
“Even if our regular guide was late, Luca would have calmed down when he saw him.
“I spoke to a number of other parents and they didn’t send their children because they were distressed. It’s not easy for parents who haven’t experienced autism to comprehend, but routine is vitally important.”
Lee Lewis’s four-year-old son Logan was also taken to Winterbourne by Ruskin Private Hire with his guide John.
Mr Lewis Logan kept his son at home on Monday because he was concerned how he would react to being looked after by new people.
“Something that’s so easy for me and you to get over is like the world is ending for an autistic child,” he said.
“He’s got to cope with the fact that the person who knocks on his door in the morning is not going to be John.
“I was worried about how he would react. The first thing he does when he comes out of the house is he says a massive ‘hello’ to John, then he would go to the bus and, at the top of his voice, he would say the same to the driver, Hassan. That was his routine.
“Now he has to cope with that fact that it’s not going to be ‘hello John’ or Hassan.
“It wasn’t a case of him not wanting to go to school, but he hasn’t come to terms with the fact that it’s his usual routine.”
The routes Ruskin Private Hire provided for Croydon Council
Friday 28 February 2014
Thursday 27 February 2014
Liverpool
Delta taxi bosses give evidence in commercial pilot and currency trader Jason Osu murder trial
Court hears how one of the men accused of killing the city dad was taking an "unhealthy interest" in his south Liverpool home
Delta taxis bosses gave evidence in the trial of three men accused of murdering a Liverpool dad who was ambushed and shot to death on his driveway.
Paul Croxton, who is accused of being one of the masked men who assassinated Jason Osu in a hail of bullets, was a Delta taxi driver at the time and much of the evidence centres around the GPS system he had installed in his cab.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Croxton’s black Ford Mondeo taxi was fitted with a GPS system that operated non-stop, unless it was disconnected, transmitting data to Delta’s computer servers.
Prosecutors said that, based on that data, for three months leading up the shooting of Jason Osu on November 19 2012 Croxton, 21, was taking an “unhealthy interest” in his home address on Woolton Road, Wavertree .
Brian Cummings, QC, said that Croxton’s taxi would pass the house on Woolton Road and Beauclair Drive, did laps of the block and parked up near the house for more than an hour two nights running less than a month before the shootings.
After shooting 31-year-old Jason Osu, who was hit by seven bullets as he returned home in his car, prosecutors say the gunmen travelled in a stolen car to Halsnead Avenue, Whiston, and that Croxton’s taxi had made exactly the same journey two days before in what Mr Cummings called “a dry run of the getaway route”.
Mr Cummings also accused Croxton of deliberately disabling his taxi’s GPS on the night of the murder, and a week before when he was planning it, because he did not want his whereabouts to be known.
On the third day of the trial Barry Lord, who is in charge of communications for Delta’s 2,100 taxis, said that GPS data was transferred by their two-way radios and as a back up by a 3G mobile network.
Mr Cummings asked how many times it had failed. He replied: “It has happened four times (in four years) and every time in a car park, mostly in Manchester airport.”
Asked for a possible explanation why Croxton’s GPS wasn’t on he replied: “If someone has pulled the fuses out of the battery or from the fuse box. You’ve got to physically take the fuse out.”
Neil Flewitt, QC, defending Croxton, suggested it was possible that signals bouncing off buildings could give a false reading as to where the car was and Mr Lord agreed in principle.
Asked if he could tell that the system had been disconnected he said: “No, because it’s not a software issue.”
Croxton, Thomas White, 29, and George McGovern, 54, deny murder. Their addresses cannot be published.
Paul Croxton also denies possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, relating to a series of shootings around Maghull, and the attempted murder of Darren Alcock, a friend of Jason Osu, in April last year.
Delta taxi bosses give evidence in commercial pilot and currency trader Jason Osu murder trial
Court hears how one of the men accused of killing the city dad was taking an "unhealthy interest" in his south Liverpool home
Delta taxis bosses gave evidence in the trial of three men accused of murdering a Liverpool dad who was ambushed and shot to death on his driveway.
Paul Croxton, who is accused of being one of the masked men who assassinated Jason Osu in a hail of bullets, was a Delta taxi driver at the time and much of the evidence centres around the GPS system he had installed in his cab.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Croxton’s black Ford Mondeo taxi was fitted with a GPS system that operated non-stop, unless it was disconnected, transmitting data to Delta’s computer servers.
Prosecutors said that, based on that data, for three months leading up the shooting of Jason Osu on November 19 2012 Croxton, 21, was taking an “unhealthy interest” in his home address on Woolton Road, Wavertree .
Brian Cummings, QC, said that Croxton’s taxi would pass the house on Woolton Road and Beauclair Drive, did laps of the block and parked up near the house for more than an hour two nights running less than a month before the shootings.
After shooting 31-year-old Jason Osu, who was hit by seven bullets as he returned home in his car, prosecutors say the gunmen travelled in a stolen car to Halsnead Avenue, Whiston, and that Croxton’s taxi had made exactly the same journey two days before in what Mr Cummings called “a dry run of the getaway route”.
Mr Cummings also accused Croxton of deliberately disabling his taxi’s GPS on the night of the murder, and a week before when he was planning it, because he did not want his whereabouts to be known.
On the third day of the trial Barry Lord, who is in charge of communications for Delta’s 2,100 taxis, said that GPS data was transferred by their two-way radios and as a back up by a 3G mobile network.
Mr Cummings asked how many times it had failed. He replied: “It has happened four times (in four years) and every time in a car park, mostly in Manchester airport.”
Asked for a possible explanation why Croxton’s GPS wasn’t on he replied: “If someone has pulled the fuses out of the battery or from the fuse box. You’ve got to physically take the fuse out.”
Neil Flewitt, QC, defending Croxton, suggested it was possible that signals bouncing off buildings could give a false reading as to where the car was and Mr Lord agreed in principle.
Asked if he could tell that the system had been disconnected he said: “No, because it’s not a software issue.”
Croxton, Thomas White, 29, and George McGovern, 54, deny murder. Their addresses cannot be published.
Paul Croxton also denies possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, relating to a series of shootings around Maghull, and the attempted murder of Darren Alcock, a friend of Jason Osu, in April last year.
Manchester
A man who thought for years that he’d got away with rape has been jailed a decade later, thanks to a DNA match.
Ibrahim Khan (born 05/10/1968) of St Albans Avenue, Ashton-under-Lyne was found guilty of rape following a trial in December 2013.
On Thursday 27 February 2014, he was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court to eight years imprisonment.
In the early hours of Sunday 31 October 2004, a 19-year-old girl had been out in Altrincham town centre and flagged down a private hire taxi to take her home.
The taxi driver, Ibrahim Khan, told the young woman to get into the front passenger seat as it was warmer, which she did, and the taxi set off to take her home.
The 19-year-old quickly fell asleep in the passenger seat and woke a short time later to find that Khan was on top of her and was raping her.
The girl shouted at him to get off and managed to escape from the car and run home.
Following this attack, a full investigation was launched by police in Trafford, appeals were run in the media and a DNA sample of the offender was taken, but the culprit was never identified.
In November 2012, Khan was arrested for an unrelated matter and his DNA sample was obtained. This was quickly matched to the DNA profile taken from the rape in 2004 and he was subsequently arrested by GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit.
Further investigation revealed that in 2004, Khan was working as a taxi driver in Ashton-Under-Lyne and had dropped off passengers in Altrincham that evening in October when he spotted the victim.
Detective Constable Rachel Ostick from GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “I would firstly like to commend the bravery shown by the victim in this case, who gave evidence at this trial nine years after the attack took place, forcing her to relive her rape ordeal once more in court. Finally today, justice has been served.
“On that night back in 2004, Khan knowingly accepted the fare when he was out of his area of operating. He took advantage of a vulnerable young woman who was fast asleep and raped her. The public rely on taxi drivers to take them home safely, even when they are in vulnerable states and Khan abused this position of trust.
“I hope that today’s sentence will encourage other victims of rape to come forward and tell us about what has happened to them. We will investigate all reports thoroughly in order to bring justice to those men or women who have been raped, and there is wide-ranging support on offer to victims from both within the police and from other agencies.
“As this case demonstrates, we will also continue to utilise every tool and developing technology available to us to track down those responsible for carrying out these despicable crimes, no matter how long it takes.”
Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.
- If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.
- You can call Greater Manchester Police on 101, or alternatively people can refer themselves to St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515.
A man who thought for years that he’d got away with rape has been jailed a decade later, thanks to a DNA match.
Ibrahim Khan (born 05/10/1968) of St Albans Avenue, Ashton-under-Lyne was found guilty of rape following a trial in December 2013.
On Thursday 27 February 2014, he was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court to eight years imprisonment.
In the early hours of Sunday 31 October 2004, a 19-year-old girl had been out in Altrincham town centre and flagged down a private hire taxi to take her home.
The taxi driver, Ibrahim Khan, told the young woman to get into the front passenger seat as it was warmer, which she did, and the taxi set off to take her home.
The 19-year-old quickly fell asleep in the passenger seat and woke a short time later to find that Khan was on top of her and was raping her.
The girl shouted at him to get off and managed to escape from the car and run home.
Following this attack, a full investigation was launched by police in Trafford, appeals were run in the media and a DNA sample of the offender was taken, but the culprit was never identified.
In November 2012, Khan was arrested for an unrelated matter and his DNA sample was obtained. This was quickly matched to the DNA profile taken from the rape in 2004 and he was subsequently arrested by GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit.
Further investigation revealed that in 2004, Khan was working as a taxi driver in Ashton-Under-Lyne and had dropped off passengers in Altrincham that evening in October when he spotted the victim.
Detective Constable Rachel Ostick from GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “I would firstly like to commend the bravery shown by the victim in this case, who gave evidence at this trial nine years after the attack took place, forcing her to relive her rape ordeal once more in court. Finally today, justice has been served.
“On that night back in 2004, Khan knowingly accepted the fare when he was out of his area of operating. He took advantage of a vulnerable young woman who was fast asleep and raped her. The public rely on taxi drivers to take them home safely, even when they are in vulnerable states and Khan abused this position of trust.
“I hope that today’s sentence will encourage other victims of rape to come forward and tell us about what has happened to them. We will investigate all reports thoroughly in order to bring justice to those men or women who have been raped, and there is wide-ranging support on offer to victims from both within the police and from other agencies.
“As this case demonstrates, we will also continue to utilise every tool and developing technology available to us to track down those responsible for carrying out these despicable crimes, no matter how long it takes.”
Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.
- If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.
- You can call Greater Manchester Police on 101, or alternatively people can refer themselves to St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515.
Tuesday 25 February 2014
Dublin
A Meath taxi driver has been jailed for twenty months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexually assaulting a drunk passager in south Dublin.
Liam Flynn (49) of Hermitage Glen, Kells was driving the woman home when he stopped the car and attacked her.
Judge Nolan called it a “deeply reprehsible offence” on a woman who was entitled to expect she would be taken home safely. He said Flynn had taken advantage of the woman in her drunken state.
He refused a defence application to impose a suspended sentence on the basis that the attack “was a one off fall from grace.” Judge Nolan also ordered that Flynn be registered as a sex offender.
Flynn pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of the woman near her Dublin home on December 2, 2012.
Prosecuting counsel, Gerardine Small BL, told the court that the victim was at a nightclub and had consumed a few drinks when she decided she wanted to go home.
She got in Flynn’s taxi and he took her to close to where she lived. He then got out, walked around to the back passager door and opened it. There was some dispute about whether the woman had gotten sick in the car.
Flynn then put his hand up her skirt and digitally penetrated her before “having a form of oral sex with her” against her will.
Defence counsel, Mary Rose Gearty SC, said her client has no previous convictions and is a hard working, family man. She asked the judge to take into account that registering Flynn as a sexual offender will be a punishment in itself and that he will probably never work as a taxi driver again.
She added that he is taking “all steps” to rehabilitate himself and ensure the incident never happens again.
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County Durham
A MOTORIST blamed a sneezing fit while at the wheel of a van for a head-on collision with an oncoming taxi.
Kevin Metcalf today (Tuesday February 25) admitted a charge of dangerous driving, arising from the accident on Commercial Street, Willington, County Durham, on August 26 last year.
But, Durham Crown Court heard it was on a basis that he suffered the sneezing fit as he was driving the Ford Transit immediately prior to the collision.
Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the court: “When he was interviewed he said the initial collision was as a result of him having the sneezing fit and he then reversed and drove onto the pavement, causing difficulty to pedestrians.
“The Crown does not accept that version.”
Mr Towers said the decision was made by the reviewing lawyer in the case.
Recorder Ian Atherton adjourned the case for a trial of issue, or Newton hearing, prior to sentence.
He told Metcalf: “I can’t say what the sentence will be, so I’ll make no promises.”
Metcalf, 33, of Sycamore Grove, Willington, was bailed to return for the trial of issue followed by sentencing, on May 1.
Recorder Atherton imposed an interim driving ban on Metcalf, the full length of which will also be settled at the sentencing hearing.
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Bolton Council tightens taxi regulations after Rochdale child sex ring scandal
LICENSING bosses at Bolton Council are tightening their guidelines to make sure private hire drivers are “fit and proper” people before they get behind the wheel.
As well as looking into complaints of inappropriate or indecent behaviour by private hire drivers passed on by the police, councillors will also listen to child safeguarding agencies, licensing bodies and passengers.
The recommendations come from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in the wake of the Rochdale child exploitation ring scandal, which saw young girls groomed and sexually assaulted by employees of local taxi firms.
The licensing board has heard several cases involving allegations of indecent behaviour from Bolton taxi drivers over the past year, including a case in October where a driver tricked a 13-year-old into giving him her phone number.
Cllr Nick Peel, Bolton council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, said the regulations were about protecting vulnerable people using taxi services.
He added: “There’s a great deal of responsibility on private hire drivers. This is about tightening up the regulations with particular regard to vulnerable people and actions around inappropriate behaviour.”
In the case of a complaint, drivers would be immediately suspended pending an investigation.
Possible scenarios that might lead to suspension include asking inappropriate or personal questions, asking a passenger for their mobile phone number or making sexually explicit statements.
Asif Vali, chairman of Bolton Private Hire Operators Association and owner of Rapid Private Hire, said he was delighted the council was leading the way with these proposals.
He added: “It’s a great idea for the council to make these changes, to make sure that the Bolton public is looked after as best as possible and we have the best drivers in the borough.
“People’s lives are in our hands and it’s easy to complain, but the truth always prevails. As long as the local authority deals with complaints quickly, none of our drivers will mind waiting.”
The policy will come into force on April 1.
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A Meath taxi driver has been jailed for twenty months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexually assaulting a drunk passager in south Dublin.
Liam Flynn (49) of Hermitage Glen, Kells was driving the woman home when he stopped the car and attacked her.
Judge Nolan called it a “deeply reprehsible offence” on a woman who was entitled to expect she would be taken home safely. He said Flynn had taken advantage of the woman in her drunken state.
He refused a defence application to impose a suspended sentence on the basis that the attack “was a one off fall from grace.” Judge Nolan also ordered that Flynn be registered as a sex offender.
Flynn pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of the woman near her Dublin home on December 2, 2012.
Prosecuting counsel, Gerardine Small BL, told the court that the victim was at a nightclub and had consumed a few drinks when she decided she wanted to go home.
She got in Flynn’s taxi and he took her to close to where she lived. He then got out, walked around to the back passager door and opened it. There was some dispute about whether the woman had gotten sick in the car.
Flynn then put his hand up her skirt and digitally penetrated her before “having a form of oral sex with her” against her will.
Defence counsel, Mary Rose Gearty SC, said her client has no previous convictions and is a hard working, family man. She asked the judge to take into account that registering Flynn as a sexual offender will be a punishment in itself and that he will probably never work as a taxi driver again.
She added that he is taking “all steps” to rehabilitate himself and ensure the incident never happens again.
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County Durham
A MOTORIST blamed a sneezing fit while at the wheel of a van for a head-on collision with an oncoming taxi.
Kevin Metcalf today (Tuesday February 25) admitted a charge of dangerous driving, arising from the accident on Commercial Street, Willington, County Durham, on August 26 last year.
But, Durham Crown Court heard it was on a basis that he suffered the sneezing fit as he was driving the Ford Transit immediately prior to the collision.
Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the court: “When he was interviewed he said the initial collision was as a result of him having the sneezing fit and he then reversed and drove onto the pavement, causing difficulty to pedestrians.
“The Crown does not accept that version.”
Mr Towers said the decision was made by the reviewing lawyer in the case.
Recorder Ian Atherton adjourned the case for a trial of issue, or Newton hearing, prior to sentence.
He told Metcalf: “I can’t say what the sentence will be, so I’ll make no promises.”
Metcalf, 33, of Sycamore Grove, Willington, was bailed to return for the trial of issue followed by sentencing, on May 1.
Recorder Atherton imposed an interim driving ban on Metcalf, the full length of which will also be settled at the sentencing hearing.
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Bolton Council tightens taxi regulations after Rochdale child sex ring scandal
LICENSING bosses at Bolton Council are tightening their guidelines to make sure private hire drivers are “fit and proper” people before they get behind the wheel.
As well as looking into complaints of inappropriate or indecent behaviour by private hire drivers passed on by the police, councillors will also listen to child safeguarding agencies, licensing bodies and passengers.
The recommendations come from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in the wake of the Rochdale child exploitation ring scandal, which saw young girls groomed and sexually assaulted by employees of local taxi firms.
The licensing board has heard several cases involving allegations of indecent behaviour from Bolton taxi drivers over the past year, including a case in October where a driver tricked a 13-year-old into giving him her phone number.
Cllr Nick Peel, Bolton council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, said the regulations were about protecting vulnerable people using taxi services.
He added: “There’s a great deal of responsibility on private hire drivers. This is about tightening up the regulations with particular regard to vulnerable people and actions around inappropriate behaviour.”
In the case of a complaint, drivers would be immediately suspended pending an investigation.
Possible scenarios that might lead to suspension include asking inappropriate or personal questions, asking a passenger for their mobile phone number or making sexually explicit statements.
Asif Vali, chairman of Bolton Private Hire Operators Association and owner of Rapid Private Hire, said he was delighted the council was leading the way with these proposals.
He added: “It’s a great idea for the council to make these changes, to make sure that the Bolton public is looked after as best as possible and we have the best drivers in the borough.
“People’s lives are in our hands and it’s easy to complain, but the truth always prevails. As long as the local authority deals with complaints quickly, none of our drivers will mind waiting.”
The policy will come into force on April 1.
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Liverpool.
Taxi driver allegedly among two assassins who gunned down Liverpool dad Jason Osu, court hears
A taxi driver was allegedly among two assassins who gunned down a Liverpool dad-of-two in a hail of bullets.
Delta driver Paul Croxton was allegedly one of the hooded figures who emerged from the shadows to execute trained pilot Jason Osu as he parked in the driveway of his Wavertree house.
The 31-year-old was shot seven times – including in the head, neck, chest, back and left arm - and succumbed to his injuries in hospital a week later.
A trial began at Liverpool Crown Court today of three men charged with Mr Osu’s murder in November 2012.
Paul Croxton, 21, Thomas White, 29, and George McGovern, 54, deny the charge.
Their addresses cannot be published.
Reread: Jason Osu murder trial from Liverpool Crown Court
Dramatic CCTV footage of the killers on their mission to murder was played in court after Brian Cummins, QC, prosecuting, warned: “It’s not going to be a pleasant experience.”
The footage showed Mr Osu – who also went by the name Lawrence Chambers – parking his Mercedes in the driveway of his house on the corner of Beauclair Drive and Woolton Road as two men ambushed the car and sprayed it with bullets.
Mr Cummins told how a car had lay in wait outside Mr Osu’s home for 40 minutes.
When the men saw Mr Osu turn into the driveway at around 5.30pm on November 19, they pounced, armed with a revolver and a self-loading pistol.
Mr Cummins said: “Two figures – which we say are Paul Croxton and Thomas White – ran through the still open roller shutters, one to each side of the Mercedes."
Both men were armed with handguns and both proceeded to fire a number of rounds into the car, at very close quarters before running back out again."
Passers-by saw the men run to a vehicle, which was parked further along Beauclair Drive which was then driven away."
Jurors heard how the gunmen were back in their getaway car within just 20 seconds.
Minutes later a stolen Citroen C4 was found abandoned and set on fire in Waldgrave Road, a mile away.
A suspected second getaway car, a stolen Audi A4, was later found burnt out in Whiston.
Jurors were told that Paul Croxton had taken an “unhealthy interest” in Mr Osu’s home address in the three months leading up to his death.
Mr Cummins told how GPS equipment seized from his black Mondeo taxi had enabled police to track the movement of his car.
He said: “Paul Croxton’s taxi would on occasions go out of its way to pass by that address – not just on Woolton Road itself but on Beauclair Drive.
“There were occasions when the taxi did laps of the block and occasions when it was parked up on Beauclair Drive for significant lengths of time – for over an hour, for example, on two nights running less than a month before the shooting.”
Jurors heard that the GPS data also detailed trips to Waldgrave Road, where the Citroen was set on fire, and to Warnerville Road, where the stolen Audi was parked up, two days before the killing.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that this was Paul Croxton and Thomas White carrying out a dry run of the getaway route that they would be taking.”
Jurors were told that the GPS data revealed how Croxton had visited White’s home address in the lead up to the shooting and to lock-up garages where it is alleged the stolen getaway vehicles were stored.
On the morning of the murder, it is claimed Croxton drove from St Helens in his taxi with the stolen silver Audi behind him in convoy to Warnerville Road, where it was parked up for its intended use as a getaway vehicle.
Mr Cummins alleged that White parked the Audi and then got in the taxi with Croxton.
McGovern, who was said to have met Croxton on a number of occasions, was arrested at a lock up garage in Huyton one week before Mr Osu was shot.
He was found with a key to a stolen Vauxhall Zafira which contained four bottles of petrol, a mop head and a lighter.
The prosecution believe that was the planned getaway vehicle from the murder scene and was replaced instead by the Citroen C4.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that by November 12 the decision had been taken to kill Jason Osu, and that what Croxton and McGovern were doing on this date was making final preparations for the shooting.
"George McGovern was obviously compromised by his arrest on November 12. The heat was on, he had been detained by police in possession of a key to a stolen Zafira with bottles of petrol in the boot.”
After being released on bail following his arrest, Mr Cummins said McGovern remained “in the shadows” of the murder plot.
He told jurors: “The prosecution say he is a party to the murder of Jason Osu.
“We allege he was involved with others – certainly including Paul Croxton – in planning the murder of Jason Osu, who was ultimately murdered according to that plan, albeit a week later than originally intended."
Upon his arrest Croxton put forward a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement.
He made no comment to any questions.
White also made no comment as did McGovern, who put forward a statement denying involvement in the murder.
Jurors heard how after being remanded into prison, Croxton made a telephone call to his girlfriend, Natalie Hughes.
Mr Cummins said that in the call Mr Croxton told how he had spoken to “the other two” and that he feared that he would be blamed as “the main man”.
He said he was “going to have to put a guilty plea in” and tell the police what happened to “get me down to a lesser role”.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution say this was an admission of guilt.”
The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-dad-jason-osu-murder-6746086
Taxi driver allegedly among two assassins who gunned down Liverpool dad Jason Osu, court hears
A taxi driver was allegedly among two assassins who gunned down a Liverpool dad-of-two in a hail of bullets.
Delta driver Paul Croxton was allegedly one of the hooded figures who emerged from the shadows to execute trained pilot Jason Osu as he parked in the driveway of his Wavertree house.
The 31-year-old was shot seven times – including in the head, neck, chest, back and left arm - and succumbed to his injuries in hospital a week later.
A trial began at Liverpool Crown Court today of three men charged with Mr Osu’s murder in November 2012.
Paul Croxton, 21, Thomas White, 29, and George McGovern, 54, deny the charge.
Their addresses cannot be published.
Reread: Jason Osu murder trial from Liverpool Crown Court
Dramatic CCTV footage of the killers on their mission to murder was played in court after Brian Cummins, QC, prosecuting, warned: “It’s not going to be a pleasant experience.”
The footage showed Mr Osu – who also went by the name Lawrence Chambers – parking his Mercedes in the driveway of his house on the corner of Beauclair Drive and Woolton Road as two men ambushed the car and sprayed it with bullets.
Mr Cummins told how a car had lay in wait outside Mr Osu’s home for 40 minutes.
When the men saw Mr Osu turn into the driveway at around 5.30pm on November 19, they pounced, armed with a revolver and a self-loading pistol.
Mr Cummins said: “Two figures – which we say are Paul Croxton and Thomas White – ran through the still open roller shutters, one to each side of the Mercedes."
Both men were armed with handguns and both proceeded to fire a number of rounds into the car, at very close quarters before running back out again."
Passers-by saw the men run to a vehicle, which was parked further along Beauclair Drive which was then driven away."
Jurors heard how the gunmen were back in their getaway car within just 20 seconds.
Minutes later a stolen Citroen C4 was found abandoned and set on fire in Waldgrave Road, a mile away.
A suspected second getaway car, a stolen Audi A4, was later found burnt out in Whiston.
Jurors were told that Paul Croxton had taken an “unhealthy interest” in Mr Osu’s home address in the three months leading up to his death.
Mr Cummins told how GPS equipment seized from his black Mondeo taxi had enabled police to track the movement of his car.
He said: “Paul Croxton’s taxi would on occasions go out of its way to pass by that address – not just on Woolton Road itself but on Beauclair Drive.
“There were occasions when the taxi did laps of the block and occasions when it was parked up on Beauclair Drive for significant lengths of time – for over an hour, for example, on two nights running less than a month before the shooting.”
Jurors heard that the GPS data also detailed trips to Waldgrave Road, where the Citroen was set on fire, and to Warnerville Road, where the stolen Audi was parked up, two days before the killing.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that this was Paul Croxton and Thomas White carrying out a dry run of the getaway route that they would be taking.”
Jurors were told that the GPS data revealed how Croxton had visited White’s home address in the lead up to the shooting and to lock-up garages where it is alleged the stolen getaway vehicles were stored.
On the morning of the murder, it is claimed Croxton drove from St Helens in his taxi with the stolen silver Audi behind him in convoy to Warnerville Road, where it was parked up for its intended use as a getaway vehicle.
Mr Cummins alleged that White parked the Audi and then got in the taxi with Croxton.
McGovern, who was said to have met Croxton on a number of occasions, was arrested at a lock up garage in Huyton one week before Mr Osu was shot.
He was found with a key to a stolen Vauxhall Zafira which contained four bottles of petrol, a mop head and a lighter.
The prosecution believe that was the planned getaway vehicle from the murder scene and was replaced instead by the Citroen C4.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that by November 12 the decision had been taken to kill Jason Osu, and that what Croxton and McGovern were doing on this date was making final preparations for the shooting.
"George McGovern was obviously compromised by his arrest on November 12. The heat was on, he had been detained by police in possession of a key to a stolen Zafira with bottles of petrol in the boot.”
After being released on bail following his arrest, Mr Cummins said McGovern remained “in the shadows” of the murder plot.
He told jurors: “The prosecution say he is a party to the murder of Jason Osu.
“We allege he was involved with others – certainly including Paul Croxton – in planning the murder of Jason Osu, who was ultimately murdered according to that plan, albeit a week later than originally intended."
Upon his arrest Croxton put forward a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement.
He made no comment to any questions.
White also made no comment as did McGovern, who put forward a statement denying involvement in the murder.
Jurors heard how after being remanded into prison, Croxton made a telephone call to his girlfriend, Natalie Hughes.
Mr Cummins said that in the call Mr Croxton told how he had spoken to “the other two” and that he feared that he would be blamed as “the main man”.
He said he was “going to have to put a guilty plea in” and tell the police what happened to “get me down to a lesser role”.
Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution say this was an admission of guilt.”
The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-dad-jason-osu-murder-6746086
Today In Parliament
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative).
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to discourage the use of unlicensed taxi cabs.
Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat)
The Government’s principal role in relation to taxis and private hire vehicles is to ensure that the legislative framework is fit for purpose and to provide guidance to licensing authorities. On the former, we have asked the Law Commission to review the legislation and they will be reporting to us in April 2014. On the latter, we have published Best Practice Guidance for licensing authorities. The Guidance stresses the importance of enforcement in ensuring that passengers use only properly licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative).
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to discourage the use of unlicensed taxi cabs.
Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat)
The Government’s principal role in relation to taxis and private hire vehicles is to ensure that the legislative framework is fit for purpose and to provide guidance to licensing authorities. On the former, we have asked the Law Commission to review the legislation and they will be reporting to us in April 2014. On the latter, we have published Best Practice Guidance for licensing authorities. The Guidance stresses the importance of enforcement in ensuring that passengers use only properly licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.
Manchester.
Oxford Road remains closed following serious crash
The road was shut following the crash between a car and a taxi which happened outside the Kilburn university building just after 10.30am
A city centre road remains closed this afternoon following a serious crash between a car and a taxi.
Two men had to be cut out of their vehicles following the crash which caused Oxford Road to shut.
The crash, which involved a red Lexus and silver Toyota Avensis, took place just outside the Kilburn university building just after 10.30am.
The red Lexus had overturned onto its roof.
Two men, believed to be in their 30s, were taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary for further treatment.
There is no further update on the nature of their injuries.
Crews from Moss Side, Salford and Ashton stations attended the scene.
Watch manager Ian Melville from Moss Side station, who was in charge of the incident, said: “The crews did a really good job to cut the two men from their vehicles.
“We were faced with a collision involving two cars one was a taxi, which was upright and the other car was on its roof.
“Two men, both in their thirties, were trapped - one in each car.
"The man in the overturned vehicle was unconscious and in a bad way, so we had to cut him out very quickly.
“The man in the taxi was trapped by his steering wheel.
"Both casualties have gone to the Manchester Royal Infirmary.”
Fire crews left the scene at around 11.30am but police are still at the scene while the road is cleared.
Oxford Road is closed between the junctions of Brook Street West and Brunswick Street.
It is expected to remain shut until later this afternoon.
Transport for Greater Manchester said the crash has caused heavy congestion around the town centre and has affected bus services which use the road.
Buses and cars have been using a diversion route along Booth Street West and Lloyd Street.
IT WAS A TRAFFORD PH CAR. NOT A TAXI !!!
-----------------------------------
Stockport
An angry taxi driver says he has been told to stop wearing his favourite peaked driving cap – or risk losing his job.
Maurice Ross, 52, has been a cabbie for four years and always worn his favourite black flat cap behind the wheel.
Although he is a self-employed private hire driver, he works through Metro Taxis, which provides a black shirt with a company logo on it to be worn on duty.
And Maurice says he has been told the only headgear he can wear is a black beanie hat the company has given him, otherwise he can no longer operate under the Metro name.
He said: “It is unbelievable, you would have thought there are much more important issues in what makes a good taxi driver than what type of hat someone wears while behind the wheel.
“Mine is perfectly smart and appropriate and I always like to have it on, yet I’ve been told I can’t wear it. I don’t understand, I represent the company in the proper way – I’m warm and friendly, that’s what matters.
“I’ve worn this hat for years and no customers have ever complained to me.”
Maurice, who lives on Tamworth Green, Portwood, has only been working with Metro for just over two weeks and has previously driven a black cab for most of his taxi career.
He says he wears black trousers and shoes with the provided shirt so always looks smart while on duty.
When contacted, no one from Metro Taxis was available for comment.
If Metro are so Professional, why do they have West Lindsay vehicles working there ??
------------------------------------------
Milngarvie (somewhere up north)
Taxi driver Patrick Cullen jailed for sex attack
Cullen claimed he had "consenting" sex with the terrified woman
A taxi driver has been jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting a young woman after being linked to the crime through a relative's DNA sample.
Patrick Cullen, 44, forced his 24-year-old victim to perform a sex act in a lane in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, in February 2011.
Despite a police e-fit appeal, Cullen was only traced when a relative appeared on the national DNA database.
He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Matthews said the assault was "serious" adding: "The aggravating feature was that you were a taxi driver - your job was to take the woman home."
A smiling Cullen gave a thumbs-up to his wife in court as he was led handcuffed to the cells.
During his trial, Cullen insisted that the woman agreed to what happened in his car and that she "enjoyed" it.
He said: "It was two consenting adults performing a sex act."
Cullen also claimed - despite media appeals and the e-fit - that he had never been asked about the incident until police came to his door.
'Rude questions'
The trial heard how Cullen, of Moodiesburn, North Lanarkshire, had been working for the former Strathclyde Radio Cars at the time of the attack.
He picked up his victim in Glassford Street, Glasgow, in the early hours of 19 February 2011.
Soon into the journey, Cullen - who claimed his name was Gary - began quizzing his passenger on her sexuality and asking "rude questions".
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "He was going about how girls have sex, things like that. I felt uncomfortable - I don't like when people ask questions like that."
Cullen then told the worried woman that he was "feeling horny". He soon drove his private hire Chrysler vehicle into a quiet area in Finlay Rise, Milngavie, before halting the vehicle.
Victim 'scared'
Recalling her ordeal, the woman said: "He told me to get into the back of the car. I was scared, but I did it."
Cullen then indecently assaulted his victim and made her perform a sex act on him while ignoring her loud sobs.
She only escaped when he dropped her home and demanded she hand over the £7 fare.
The victim called police and a hunt began to catch Cullen.
DNA was found near the scene and the woman was also able to help construct an e-fit of her attacker - which bore a resemblance to Cullen.
He went undetected until more than 18 months after the attack when a relative - for a reason unstated in court - had a DNA check.
It is thought the DNA had similarities to that discovered at the scene and police eventually arrested Cullen in September 2012.
-------------------------------------
CARLISLE TAXI DRIVER DENIES RAPE CHARGE
A Carlisle taxi driver has appeared before a judge at the city's crown court accused of rape.
Darius Kowalczyk, 47, is alleged to have committed the offence against a female student.
Kowalczyk, who came to this country from his native Poland six years ago, was assisted in court by a female interpreter.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail on condition that he lives at his home in Esther Street, Carlisle, and does not contact his alleged victim.
He will go on trial on July 14.
Oxford Road remains closed following serious crash
The road was shut following the crash between a car and a taxi which happened outside the Kilburn university building just after 10.30am
A city centre road remains closed this afternoon following a serious crash between a car and a taxi.
Two men had to be cut out of their vehicles following the crash which caused Oxford Road to shut.
The crash, which involved a red Lexus and silver Toyota Avensis, took place just outside the Kilburn university building just after 10.30am.
The red Lexus had overturned onto its roof.
Two men, believed to be in their 30s, were taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary for further treatment.
There is no further update on the nature of their injuries.
Crews from Moss Side, Salford and Ashton stations attended the scene.
Watch manager Ian Melville from Moss Side station, who was in charge of the incident, said: “The crews did a really good job to cut the two men from their vehicles.
“We were faced with a collision involving two cars one was a taxi, which was upright and the other car was on its roof.
“Two men, both in their thirties, were trapped - one in each car.
"The man in the overturned vehicle was unconscious and in a bad way, so we had to cut him out very quickly.
“The man in the taxi was trapped by his steering wheel.
"Both casualties have gone to the Manchester Royal Infirmary.”
Fire crews left the scene at around 11.30am but police are still at the scene while the road is cleared.
Oxford Road is closed between the junctions of Brook Street West and Brunswick Street.
It is expected to remain shut until later this afternoon.
Transport for Greater Manchester said the crash has caused heavy congestion around the town centre and has affected bus services which use the road.
Buses and cars have been using a diversion route along Booth Street West and Lloyd Street.
IT WAS A TRAFFORD PH CAR. NOT A TAXI !!!
-----------------------------------
Stockport
An angry taxi driver says he has been told to stop wearing his favourite peaked driving cap – or risk losing his job.
Maurice Ross, 52, has been a cabbie for four years and always worn his favourite black flat cap behind the wheel.
Although he is a self-employed private hire driver, he works through Metro Taxis, which provides a black shirt with a company logo on it to be worn on duty.
And Maurice says he has been told the only headgear he can wear is a black beanie hat the company has given him, otherwise he can no longer operate under the Metro name.
He said: “It is unbelievable, you would have thought there are much more important issues in what makes a good taxi driver than what type of hat someone wears while behind the wheel.
“Mine is perfectly smart and appropriate and I always like to have it on, yet I’ve been told I can’t wear it. I don’t understand, I represent the company in the proper way – I’m warm and friendly, that’s what matters.
“I’ve worn this hat for years and no customers have ever complained to me.”
Maurice, who lives on Tamworth Green, Portwood, has only been working with Metro for just over two weeks and has previously driven a black cab for most of his taxi career.
He says he wears black trousers and shoes with the provided shirt so always looks smart while on duty.
When contacted, no one from Metro Taxis was available for comment.
If Metro are so Professional, why do they have West Lindsay vehicles working there ??
------------------------------------------
Milngarvie (somewhere up north)
Taxi driver Patrick Cullen jailed for sex attack
Cullen claimed he had "consenting" sex with the terrified woman
A taxi driver has been jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting a young woman after being linked to the crime through a relative's DNA sample.
Patrick Cullen, 44, forced his 24-year-old victim to perform a sex act in a lane in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, in February 2011.
Despite a police e-fit appeal, Cullen was only traced when a relative appeared on the national DNA database.
He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Matthews said the assault was "serious" adding: "The aggravating feature was that you were a taxi driver - your job was to take the woman home."
A smiling Cullen gave a thumbs-up to his wife in court as he was led handcuffed to the cells.
During his trial, Cullen insisted that the woman agreed to what happened in his car and that she "enjoyed" it.
He said: "It was two consenting adults performing a sex act."
Cullen also claimed - despite media appeals and the e-fit - that he had never been asked about the incident until police came to his door.
'Rude questions'
The trial heard how Cullen, of Moodiesburn, North Lanarkshire, had been working for the former Strathclyde Radio Cars at the time of the attack.
He picked up his victim in Glassford Street, Glasgow, in the early hours of 19 February 2011.
Soon into the journey, Cullen - who claimed his name was Gary - began quizzing his passenger on her sexuality and asking "rude questions".
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "He was going about how girls have sex, things like that. I felt uncomfortable - I don't like when people ask questions like that."
Cullen then told the worried woman that he was "feeling horny". He soon drove his private hire Chrysler vehicle into a quiet area in Finlay Rise, Milngavie, before halting the vehicle.
Victim 'scared'
Recalling her ordeal, the woman said: "He told me to get into the back of the car. I was scared, but I did it."
Cullen then indecently assaulted his victim and made her perform a sex act on him while ignoring her loud sobs.
She only escaped when he dropped her home and demanded she hand over the £7 fare.
The victim called police and a hunt began to catch Cullen.
DNA was found near the scene and the woman was also able to help construct an e-fit of her attacker - which bore a resemblance to Cullen.
He went undetected until more than 18 months after the attack when a relative - for a reason unstated in court - had a DNA check.
It is thought the DNA had similarities to that discovered at the scene and police eventually arrested Cullen in September 2012.
-------------------------------------
CARLISLE TAXI DRIVER DENIES RAPE CHARGE
A Carlisle taxi driver has appeared before a judge at the city's crown court accused of rape.
Darius Kowalczyk, 47, is alleged to have committed the offence against a female student.
Kowalczyk, who came to this country from his native Poland six years ago, was assisted in court by a female interpreter.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail on condition that he lives at his home in Esther Street, Carlisle, and does not contact his alleged victim.
He will go on trial on July 14.
Sunday 23 February 2014
Woman held over Dunfermline taxi driver murder bid
Police investigating the attempted murder of a taxi driver in Dunfermline have detained a 46-year-old woman.
Officers said the 59-year-old male taxi driver suffered serious injuries as a result of the incident, which happened in Appin Crescent in the early hours of Sunday.
They said the detained woman was from the local area.
Det Insp John Anderson said there was no threat to the wider community.
He added: "The local community will see a high visibility police presence in the area while we conduct this investigation and we appreciate their patience and cooperation.
"I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the public that we have no information to suggest there is any threat to the wider community."
----------------------------------------------
Leeds
A BURGLAR was caught thanks to the suspicions of a taxi driver who was called to pick him
up from a house he had broken into.
Hashim Ali was jailed for 18 months over the burglary of a house in Stanmore Street, Burley, Leeds.
Leeds Crown Court heard Ali and a 15-year-old boy forced their way into the house through a window in the early hours of October 31 last year as the people who lived there slept.
They stole a large TV screen, a Playstation, mobile phones and other valuables. Neighbours saw them leaving the property with the items and the pair called a taxi to take them away.
The driver was then asked to take them to another property before dropping them off at a house in Ashley Avenue, Harehills.
Richard Smith, prosecuting, said: “The taxi driver became suspicious and drove around looking for a police car.”
Police went to the property later that day and arrested Ali and the youth after finding the stolen items in the house.
Mr Smith added: “In interview the defendant denied burglary. He said he had gone out with the co-accused and they had found the items.”
He later admitted the offence.
The court heard Ali was out of prison on licence for two offences of robbery at the time of the break-in.
He also has previous convictions for burglary and violence.
Ali, of Oakwood Lane, Leeds, pleaded guilty to burglary.
The court heard the teenager also admitted the offence and was made the subject of a youth rehabilitation order and a curfew.
-------------------------------------------------------
Nelson taxi driver pulled out sword during row with motorcyclist
A TAXI driver pulled out an ornamental sword from the boot of his car during a row with a motorcyclist.
Preston Crown Court was told that Mohammed Bukhari, 37, took the weapon out of his car in a street in Nelson after a disagreement with Barry Linden.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said the defendant had to be restrained from swinging the sword at his victim, leaving him fearful of another attack.
Reading a statement by Mr Linden to the court, Mr Fryman said: "I see his car. It is in my mind he may seek revenge.
"It is in the back of my mind that there may be some further trouble."
Defending, Mohammed Nawaz said his client, of Walton Lane, did not seek retribution.
He said: "It was an incident that was impulsive and extremely out of character. His life normally resolves around his family and his work."
Bukhari was sentenced to a six-month custodial sentence, which was suspended for 12 months. Bukhari must also pay £250 towards the prosecution's costs.
The statutory surcharge also applied in his case. The court was told how Bukhari had been arrested alongside a woman who was sentenced at an earlier hearing to a 12-month conditional discharge for obstructing a police officer.
Judge Jonathan Gibson told Bukhari: "You had an altercation with somebody else, it seemed to relate to his motorcycle, and you in the end took an ornamental sword from the boot of your car."
He said that a custodial sentenced was justified for anybody 'who wields a weapon, even if for a short time, on the streets in anger'.
Birmingham
Birmingham Police show a clever use of Twitter, their name Tag ( @Bhamtaxicop) suggests it is a lone cop on a mission, however it is a large well funded operation.
The following pics suggest they had a very busy time, last night
Manchester had their own Taxi Cop in the late 80's and early 90's a guy called Roger Birtles, his was closed down and reassigned to other duties, since that day Manchester's fleet,both Hack and PH has nosed dived whilst Sex attacks have soared.
Come back Roger...."Rodger and out"
Birmingham Police show a clever use of Twitter, their name Tag ( @Bhamtaxicop) suggests it is a lone cop on a mission, however it is a large well funded operation.
The following pics suggest they had a very busy time, last night
Manchester had their own Taxi Cop in the late 80's and early 90's a guy called Roger Birtles, his was closed down and reassigned to other duties, since that day Manchester's fleet,both Hack and PH has nosed dived whilst Sex attacks have soared.
Come back Roger...."Rodger and out"
Thursday 20 February 2014
Newcastle, Staffs.
FURIOUS taxi drivers have launched a petition to fight plans to tighten age restrictions on their vehicles.
Newcastle Borough Council is looking to stop re-licensing hackney carriage cars when they are eight-years-old.
But 87 cabbies have added their names to a campaign s against the proposals.
Members of the Newcastle and Kidsgrove Taxi Association fear the cost of buying a new vehicle will put many of them out of business.
Chairman Tariq Mahmood, aged 50, of North Road, Cobridge, who has been working as a cabbie taxi driver for eight years, said: “A lot of won’t be able to afford to buy new cars if this restriction is passed. Just because a car is old, it doesn’t mean it is unsafe.
“There are buses still operating which are older than 20 years and we don’t put an age limit on those.
“It just doesn’t make sense why they are targeting taxis.
“At the end of the day, it is our livelihoods at stake and it would be devastating for a lot of drivers if this was passed.
“At the moment, it is a struggle for many of us to keep afloat and if this policy is passed, we will be out of business.”
Saloon cars can currently remain licensed as hackney carriages as long as they pass an annual MOT, while those licensed as private hire vehicles have to be ‘retired’ after eight years.
Officers believe applying the same rule to all saloon taxis will ensure their safety and reliability.
Plans for the rule change come after the council temporarily shut Hassell Street in the town centre as part of a major project to upgrade and relocate the town market.
Cabbies have been complaining the closure is also damaging their trade.
The work – which will see a new night-time taxi rank created – began last month and is expected to be completed by mid-April.
Group secretary Teresa Jones said: “I have no idea who has complained about the state of hackney carriages because we have had a good fleet for the last five years.
“Hackney carriages are part of the national transport system.
“We have got buses running around in Newcastle which are older that don’t get taken off so I can’t see where it is coming from that the vehicles should be taken off the road.
“There are currently more than 157 hackney carriages in Newcastle and these cars are tested by the council and they have MOTS and they are kept in good condition.
“A car which is five-years-old could have done more miles than an eight-year-old car.
“We are talking about a massive increase in fares if every eight-year-old vehicle is taken off the road meaning that taxi drivers will have to buy a new car.
“The drivers have already suffered with the closure of Hassell Street and this is just another blow for them.”
Members of the council’s public protection committee will make a decision on the age rules next month.
-----------------------------------------
Sutton
River suspected of falling asleep at the wheel.
The taxi crashed onto Mrs Crossby's driveway and into her car.
A cab driver ploughed into three parked cars after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel.
Grandparents Jean, 64, and Robert Crossby, 71, were woken up by a loud thud in the early hours of Sunday morning after a taxi careered into their drive and crashed into their Volkswagen Touareg, in Middleton Road, Carshalton.
Mrs Crossby, who has lived in the house for 40 years, looked out the window to see a taxi where her car normally sat while hers had been pushed sideways into the house.
She said: "I thought someone was breaking in. I woke my husband up and I thought someone was trying to break the door down.
"The back wheel was on my next door neighbour’s car. Luckily enough we’ve got a drive that’s got a step down - that’s the only thing that stopped it going through my house.
"It still hit the house but would have been worse - it would have gone straight through.
"I said to him, when I opened the door, ‘what have you done?’ and he said ‘I have had an accident’. I said ‘well you can see that’.
"My husband said ‘have you been drinking?’and he said ‘I fell asleep’.
"It is a dangerous road anyway. But you don’t expect that. It was a freak accident.
"The police breathalysed him and he was clear. We had to go and knock on the other neighbour’s doors and let them know their cars were involved. It was pretty unbelievable."
Mrs Crossby is set to get a replacement car and has reported the crash to Sutton Housing Partnership as a precaution - to make sure the house is still structurally sound.
A spokesperson for Sutton Police said they were called at 5.30am to reports of a car being involved in a collision with four parked vehicles and added: "One of the vehicles ended up in a resident’s garden.
"The driver’s details have been taken and sent to the Met’s traffic team for further investigation."
-----------------------------------------
Chicago
The rise of the Taxi Snatchers.
Ray Markovich started driving a taxi in Chicago three years ago after shuttering his struggling wireless phone store. Driving a cab wasn’t particularly gratifying or lucrative—he had to pay $400 a week just to lease his 2011 white Ford Escape. It was predictable if monotonous work.
Well, there’s nothing monotonous about it now. In June, Markovich, a thin, well-dressed man with short brown hair and spots of gray in his mustache and goatee, walked into the local office of Uber, the San Francisco-based taxi technology startup. Uber put him through an hour of orientation, gave him a free iPhone that carries its car dispatch app and some gear to mount it on the windshield, and sent him on his way.
Since then, Markovich has had to dodge flak from traditional cabbies who complain that they can no longer pick up riders in the city’s tonier neighborhoods, and he’s receiving a constant flood of e-mails from Uber itself, offering steep discounts on new cars and other perks to secure his loyalty. At the same time, he has increased his earnings by about 20 percent and says he’s simply evolving along with his customers. “No one under the age of 40 with a smartphone is going out and getting a cab anymore,” says Markovich. “I say if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
There’s a battle for the future of transportation being waged outside our offices and homes. Uber and a growing collection of well-funded startups, such as the ride-sharing service Lyft, are trying to make getting a taxi as easy as booking a reservation on OpenTable (OPEN) or checking a price on Amazon.com (AMZN)—just another thing you do with your smartphone. Flush with Silicon Valley venture capital, these companies have an even grander ambition: They want to make owning a car completely unnecessary. They’re battling each other, city regulators, entrenched taxi interests, and critics who claim they are succeeding only because they run roughshod over laws meant to protect public safety. “Being out in front of the taxi industry, putting a bull’s-eye on our back, has not been easy,” says Travis Kalanick, the 37-year-old chief executive of Uber. “The taxi industry has been ripe for disruption for decades. But only technology has allowed it to really kick in.”
“I pushed a freaking button, and a car showed up, and now I’m a pimp,” is how Kalanick described to colleagues the vibe he wanted
Nearly four years ago, Uber introduced the idea of allowing passengers to book the nearest town car by smartphone, then track the vehicle on a map as it approaches their location. After the ride, the service automatically compensates the driver from the customer’s preloaded credit card—no awkward tipping required. It’s a simple experience and a much more pleasant way to get a ride than stepping onto a busy street and waving at oncoming traffic.
Uber has raised $307 million from a group of backers that include Google Ventures, Google’s (GOOG) investment arm, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. It operates in 70 cities around the world and was on track to book more than $1 billion annually in rides in 2013, according to financial information that leaked to the gossip website Valleywag last November. In February alone, Uber expanded to Dubai, Honolulu, Lyon, Manila, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Ariz., and Durban, South Africa.
In the process, Uber has managed to become one of the most loved and hated startups of the smartphone age. Its customers rave about the reliability and speed of the service even as they bitterly complain about so-called surge pricing, the elevated rates Uber charges during hours of high demand. Uber has also been blocked from operating in several markets, including Miami and Austin, Tex., by regulators out to protect the interests of consumers or entrenched incumbents, depending on whom you ask. In Boston and Chicago, taxi operators have sued their cities for allowing unregulated companies to devalue million-dollar operating permits. Things grew especially heated recently in Paris, when incensed taxi drivers shut down highway exits to the main airports and gridlocked city traffic.
Kalanick calls the cab industry a “protectionist scheme.” He says these protests are not about the drivers but cab companies “that would prefer not to compete at all and like things the way they are.”
His opponents are equally critical. They accuse Uber of risking passengers’ lives by putting untested drivers on the road, offering questionable insurance, and lowering prices as part of a long-term conspiracy to kill the competition, among other alleged transgressions. Fueling the anti-Uber cause is the tragic case of a 6-year-old girl in San Francisco who was struck and killed by an Uber driver. “Would you feel comfortable if you had a 21-year-old daughter living alone in the city, using a smartphone app to get in a vehicle for hire, and that vehicle ends up being a 2001 Chevy Astro van with 300,000 miles on it?” says Trevor Johnson, one of the directors of the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association. “I’ve made it my personal mission to make it as difficult as possible for these guys to operate.”
http://tinyurl.com/mtzs4ep
-----------------------------------------------------
Retford, Notts
Police are urging the public to come forward after a woman was dumped at the side of the road just outside Retford by a bogus taxi driver who returned to rob her.
The force would like to speak to witnesses after the 24-year-old victim was robbed near North View Farm, between Retford United's ground and the Welham/Little Gringley crossroads on Leverton Road, at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, February 11.
The victim was in Retford when she got into the attacker's car, thought to be a dark saloon, mistakenly thinking it was a taxi.
While they were driving along Leverton Road, the man pulled over and got her out of the car. He drove off before returning to take her phone and handbag.
The man was Asian in appearance, in his late 20s/ early 30s, with dark hair. He was clean shaven, just under 6ft, and of medium build. He wore dark clothing, including a polo shirt with a jumper or cardigan on top.
When the Times reported the attack on www.retford times.co.uk readers reacted with shock and concern.
'This is terrible,' wrote one. 'What is the world coming to?'
Another said: 'What's happening in our little town? The poor woman. Take care ladies when travelling home.'
The reaction was so strong because the incident was initially announced as a sexual assault - which would have been the second such crime in a matter of days in the town.
But two days later the Times was told by Chief Inspector Paul Murphy that the police were no longer pursuing the sexual nature of the attack.
"We are investigating the matter as a robbery and keeping an open mind," he said. "We'd like people to keep an eye on how much they're drinking and think about how they're going to get home.
"Before getting into what you think is a taxi, check it has a licence plate and make a note of the registration number."
Chief Insp Murphy said officers were out in Retford on Saturday night to reassure people about the two crimes, both of which he said were isolated and unconnected. Police are appealing for witnesses to the Leverton Road attack to come forward.
Did you see the dark saloon? Did you see the woman on the side of the road? Or perhaps you recognise the suspect's description?
If so, you can call Notts Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
-------------------------------------
Glasgow's taxi drivers have the knowledge when it comes to issues that matter in the city
They have an answer or solution to any problem, their general knowledge is astounding, they have the best gossip when it comes to famous people getting cabs when they've obviously had one or two sherries (unfortunately in my experience the stories are usually about me, a kebab and serenading them with the one Celine Dion song I know in French at 3am in the morning) and they are now the 'go to' men and women for Independence debates.
In the last week I've had two or three drivers debate the upcoming referendum with such passion and gusto while sitting in the back of their cars I'm certain even Jeremy Paxman would have found it hard to outsmart them when it comes to the bare facts or lack of them.
Yes our taxi drivers are a force to be reckoned with and I'm sure everyone of us has a funny or embarrassing story they could recount, I have many although one does stand head and shoulders above the rest.
It was 1998 and my parents and three younger sisters were in Spain on holiday leaving myself and my younger sister Lynsey home alone for the first time ever and in charge of the house.
My mother had spent the best part of an hour before she left carefully describing to us the world of pain we were in for if we even dared to misbehave or step out of line.
We both promised to be perfect angels but of course the reality was that only three hours after waving them all goodbye our house had 40 teenagers squeezed into it for the party of the century.
I awoke the next day with a phone call from my manager asking why I hadn't turned up for work that morning to which I responded with some wild excuse and promised to be at my desk within the hour.
I jumped into a shower and opened my wardrobe door to find all of my clothes gone and one single coat hanger swinging on the rail.
Turns out my younger sisters had emptied every wardrobe and drawer into their suitcases and left us with nothing.
I've always been on the bigger side and must have been a good size 18 even back then but I managed to find an oversized silk shirt (it was the 90s) and a Lycra size 12 skirt.
It took all my strength to get the skirt over my hips and backside but even Dynamo couldn't get the zip to close which was fine as the shirt covered most of the skirt anyway.
I called a taxi and in no time was zooming over the M8 and on my way to work.
Now to this day I'm still not quite sure what exactly happened but I think I tried to cross my legs while sitting in the back seat chatting to the driver when my skirt gave up the fight and split completely up the back through the zip and because it was made from Lycra flew off my body and into the passenger seat of the car leaving me wearing nothing but a satin shirt and a pair of 15 denier tights which now had a huge ladder up them caused by the force and speed of which the skirt was ripped off my body.
To say that poor taxi driver almost went into cardiac arrest would be an understatement and I spent the remainder of the cab journey back to my house trying to convince him that I didn't take my skirt off and throw it at him.
Yes that's my embarrassing taxi story so if you were that taxi driver and you're still in therapy I apologise and for future drivers fear not my clothes will remain firmly on unless of course you start asking me questions such as 'what's that Simon Cowell was really like?", then I'm afraid all bets are off.
http://tinyurl.com/o7zu2fc
------------------------------------------------------
New york
Plans to switch off Taxi meter's if Cab goes over speed limit.
City officials have no clue who will foot the bill to outfit taxis with a device to turn off the meter whenever the driver is speeding — and the technology may not even exist yet.
The proposal is part of a sweeping, 63-point safety plan called “Vision Zero” that the city says will likely cost tens of millions of dollars in an ambitious effort to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024.
Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg said Wednesday that critical details of Mayor de Blasio’s meter-shutdown idea have yet to be addressed, including determining whether the technology on which it would rely has been invented.
“It’s unclear if it exists as to exactly what we will want to accomplish,” Fromberg said.
The TLC spokesman also said the issue of cost — and who would pay to put the gear in each of the city’s 13,000-plus yellow cabs — “will be part and parcel of the exploratory process.”
De Blasio spokesman Phil Walzak said “final cost determinations” for Vision Zero would be included in de Blasio’s executive budget, expected by early May.
Taxi-meter experts said they hadn’t heard of the type of technology that de Blasio wants, but said it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.
“Technically, anything can be done,” an industry source said.
“The only question is how much the engineering costs.”
Michael Aula, a technician at American Taximeter and Communications in Long Island City, Queens, said the “simplest way” would be to tinker with the onboard computer that collects trip data using global-positioning satellites.
Two high-ranking NYPD sources were skeptical of the mayor’s proposal, saying well-heeled riders could easily pay their drivers to ignore the meter and speed them to their destinations.
“I don’t see how this is going to work,” one source said. “They really need to think this out more.”
Another police source said “it could really complicate things both for the driver and the passenger” and “lead to fighting over the fare” if the meter shuts down.
Meanwhile, an internal Department of Transportation report obtained by The Post reveals that despite de Blasio’s stated goal of zero traffic deaths by 2024, the DOT set targets of more than 100 fatalities a year past 2030.
According to the Feb. 4 report, titled “NYC Traffic Fatalities Dashboard,” the DOT set a “target” of 229 deaths last year — but a total of 289 pedestrians, drivers, passengers, motorcyclists and bike riders were actually killed on city streets and highways.
A DOT spokesman insisted, “As the mayor announced this week, the goal is to eliminate fatalities on New York City streets.”
--------------------------------
FURIOUS taxi drivers have launched a petition to fight plans to tighten age restrictions on their vehicles.
Newcastle Borough Council is looking to stop re-licensing hackney carriage cars when they are eight-years-old.
But 87 cabbies have added their names to a campaign s against the proposals.
Members of the Newcastle and Kidsgrove Taxi Association fear the cost of buying a new vehicle will put many of them out of business.
Chairman Tariq Mahmood, aged 50, of North Road, Cobridge, who has been working as a cabbie taxi driver for eight years, said: “A lot of won’t be able to afford to buy new cars if this restriction is passed. Just because a car is old, it doesn’t mean it is unsafe.
“There are buses still operating which are older than 20 years and we don’t put an age limit on those.
“It just doesn’t make sense why they are targeting taxis.
“At the end of the day, it is our livelihoods at stake and it would be devastating for a lot of drivers if this was passed.
“At the moment, it is a struggle for many of us to keep afloat and if this policy is passed, we will be out of business.”
Saloon cars can currently remain licensed as hackney carriages as long as they pass an annual MOT, while those licensed as private hire vehicles have to be ‘retired’ after eight years.
Officers believe applying the same rule to all saloon taxis will ensure their safety and reliability.
Plans for the rule change come after the council temporarily shut Hassell Street in the town centre as part of a major project to upgrade and relocate the town market.
Cabbies have been complaining the closure is also damaging their trade.
The work – which will see a new night-time taxi rank created – began last month and is expected to be completed by mid-April.
Group secretary Teresa Jones said: “I have no idea who has complained about the state of hackney carriages because we have had a good fleet for the last five years.
“Hackney carriages are part of the national transport system.
“We have got buses running around in Newcastle which are older that don’t get taken off so I can’t see where it is coming from that the vehicles should be taken off the road.
“There are currently more than 157 hackney carriages in Newcastle and these cars are tested by the council and they have MOTS and they are kept in good condition.
“A car which is five-years-old could have done more miles than an eight-year-old car.
“We are talking about a massive increase in fares if every eight-year-old vehicle is taken off the road meaning that taxi drivers will have to buy a new car.
“The drivers have already suffered with the closure of Hassell Street and this is just another blow for them.”
Members of the council’s public protection committee will make a decision on the age rules next month.
-----------------------------------------
Sutton
River suspected of falling asleep at the wheel.
The taxi crashed onto Mrs Crossby's driveway and into her car.
A cab driver ploughed into three parked cars after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel.
Grandparents Jean, 64, and Robert Crossby, 71, were woken up by a loud thud in the early hours of Sunday morning after a taxi careered into their drive and crashed into their Volkswagen Touareg, in Middleton Road, Carshalton.
Mrs Crossby, who has lived in the house for 40 years, looked out the window to see a taxi where her car normally sat while hers had been pushed sideways into the house.
She said: "I thought someone was breaking in. I woke my husband up and I thought someone was trying to break the door down.
"The back wheel was on my next door neighbour’s car. Luckily enough we’ve got a drive that’s got a step down - that’s the only thing that stopped it going through my house.
"It still hit the house but would have been worse - it would have gone straight through.
"I said to him, when I opened the door, ‘what have you done?’ and he said ‘I have had an accident’. I said ‘well you can see that’.
"My husband said ‘have you been drinking?’and he said ‘I fell asleep’.
"It is a dangerous road anyway. But you don’t expect that. It was a freak accident.
"The police breathalysed him and he was clear. We had to go and knock on the other neighbour’s doors and let them know their cars were involved. It was pretty unbelievable."
Mrs Crossby is set to get a replacement car and has reported the crash to Sutton Housing Partnership as a precaution - to make sure the house is still structurally sound.
A spokesperson for Sutton Police said they were called at 5.30am to reports of a car being involved in a collision with four parked vehicles and added: "One of the vehicles ended up in a resident’s garden.
"The driver’s details have been taken and sent to the Met’s traffic team for further investigation."
-----------------------------------------
Chicago
The rise of the Taxi Snatchers.
Ray Markovich started driving a taxi in Chicago three years ago after shuttering his struggling wireless phone store. Driving a cab wasn’t particularly gratifying or lucrative—he had to pay $400 a week just to lease his 2011 white Ford Escape. It was predictable if monotonous work.
Well, there’s nothing monotonous about it now. In June, Markovich, a thin, well-dressed man with short brown hair and spots of gray in his mustache and goatee, walked into the local office of Uber, the San Francisco-based taxi technology startup. Uber put him through an hour of orientation, gave him a free iPhone that carries its car dispatch app and some gear to mount it on the windshield, and sent him on his way.
Since then, Markovich has had to dodge flak from traditional cabbies who complain that they can no longer pick up riders in the city’s tonier neighborhoods, and he’s receiving a constant flood of e-mails from Uber itself, offering steep discounts on new cars and other perks to secure his loyalty. At the same time, he has increased his earnings by about 20 percent and says he’s simply evolving along with his customers. “No one under the age of 40 with a smartphone is going out and getting a cab anymore,” says Markovich. “I say if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
There’s a battle for the future of transportation being waged outside our offices and homes. Uber and a growing collection of well-funded startups, such as the ride-sharing service Lyft, are trying to make getting a taxi as easy as booking a reservation on OpenTable (OPEN) or checking a price on Amazon.com (AMZN)—just another thing you do with your smartphone. Flush with Silicon Valley venture capital, these companies have an even grander ambition: They want to make owning a car completely unnecessary. They’re battling each other, city regulators, entrenched taxi interests, and critics who claim they are succeeding only because they run roughshod over laws meant to protect public safety. “Being out in front of the taxi industry, putting a bull’s-eye on our back, has not been easy,” says Travis Kalanick, the 37-year-old chief executive of Uber. “The taxi industry has been ripe for disruption for decades. But only technology has allowed it to really kick in.”
“I pushed a freaking button, and a car showed up, and now I’m a pimp,” is how Kalanick described to colleagues the vibe he wanted
Nearly four years ago, Uber introduced the idea of allowing passengers to book the nearest town car by smartphone, then track the vehicle on a map as it approaches their location. After the ride, the service automatically compensates the driver from the customer’s preloaded credit card—no awkward tipping required. It’s a simple experience and a much more pleasant way to get a ride than stepping onto a busy street and waving at oncoming traffic.
Uber has raised $307 million from a group of backers that include Google Ventures, Google’s (GOOG) investment arm, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. It operates in 70 cities around the world and was on track to book more than $1 billion annually in rides in 2013, according to financial information that leaked to the gossip website Valleywag last November. In February alone, Uber expanded to Dubai, Honolulu, Lyon, Manila, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Ariz., and Durban, South Africa.
In the process, Uber has managed to become one of the most loved and hated startups of the smartphone age. Its customers rave about the reliability and speed of the service even as they bitterly complain about so-called surge pricing, the elevated rates Uber charges during hours of high demand. Uber has also been blocked from operating in several markets, including Miami and Austin, Tex., by regulators out to protect the interests of consumers or entrenched incumbents, depending on whom you ask. In Boston and Chicago, taxi operators have sued their cities for allowing unregulated companies to devalue million-dollar operating permits. Things grew especially heated recently in Paris, when incensed taxi drivers shut down highway exits to the main airports and gridlocked city traffic.
Kalanick calls the cab industry a “protectionist scheme.” He says these protests are not about the drivers but cab companies “that would prefer not to compete at all and like things the way they are.”
His opponents are equally critical. They accuse Uber of risking passengers’ lives by putting untested drivers on the road, offering questionable insurance, and lowering prices as part of a long-term conspiracy to kill the competition, among other alleged transgressions. Fueling the anti-Uber cause is the tragic case of a 6-year-old girl in San Francisco who was struck and killed by an Uber driver. “Would you feel comfortable if you had a 21-year-old daughter living alone in the city, using a smartphone app to get in a vehicle for hire, and that vehicle ends up being a 2001 Chevy Astro van with 300,000 miles on it?” says Trevor Johnson, one of the directors of the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association. “I’ve made it my personal mission to make it as difficult as possible for these guys to operate.”
http://tinyurl.com/mtzs4ep
-----------------------------------------------------
Retford, Notts
Police are urging the public to come forward after a woman was dumped at the side of the road just outside Retford by a bogus taxi driver who returned to rob her.
The force would like to speak to witnesses after the 24-year-old victim was robbed near North View Farm, between Retford United's ground and the Welham/Little Gringley crossroads on Leverton Road, at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, February 11.
The victim was in Retford when she got into the attacker's car, thought to be a dark saloon, mistakenly thinking it was a taxi.
While they were driving along Leverton Road, the man pulled over and got her out of the car. He drove off before returning to take her phone and handbag.
The man was Asian in appearance, in his late 20s/ early 30s, with dark hair. He was clean shaven, just under 6ft, and of medium build. He wore dark clothing, including a polo shirt with a jumper or cardigan on top.
When the Times reported the attack on www.retford times.co.uk readers reacted with shock and concern.
'This is terrible,' wrote one. 'What is the world coming to?'
Another said: 'What's happening in our little town? The poor woman. Take care ladies when travelling home.'
The reaction was so strong because the incident was initially announced as a sexual assault - which would have been the second such crime in a matter of days in the town.
But two days later the Times was told by Chief Inspector Paul Murphy that the police were no longer pursuing the sexual nature of the attack.
"We are investigating the matter as a robbery and keeping an open mind," he said. "We'd like people to keep an eye on how much they're drinking and think about how they're going to get home.
"Before getting into what you think is a taxi, check it has a licence plate and make a note of the registration number."
Chief Insp Murphy said officers were out in Retford on Saturday night to reassure people about the two crimes, both of which he said were isolated and unconnected. Police are appealing for witnesses to the Leverton Road attack to come forward.
Did you see the dark saloon? Did you see the woman on the side of the road? Or perhaps you recognise the suspect's description?
If so, you can call Notts Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
-------------------------------------
Glasgow's taxi drivers have the knowledge when it comes to issues that matter in the city
They have an answer or solution to any problem, their general knowledge is astounding, they have the best gossip when it comes to famous people getting cabs when they've obviously had one or two sherries (unfortunately in my experience the stories are usually about me, a kebab and serenading them with the one Celine Dion song I know in French at 3am in the morning) and they are now the 'go to' men and women for Independence debates.
In the last week I've had two or three drivers debate the upcoming referendum with such passion and gusto while sitting in the back of their cars I'm certain even Jeremy Paxman would have found it hard to outsmart them when it comes to the bare facts or lack of them.
Yes our taxi drivers are a force to be reckoned with and I'm sure everyone of us has a funny or embarrassing story they could recount, I have many although one does stand head and shoulders above the rest.
It was 1998 and my parents and three younger sisters were in Spain on holiday leaving myself and my younger sister Lynsey home alone for the first time ever and in charge of the house.
My mother had spent the best part of an hour before she left carefully describing to us the world of pain we were in for if we even dared to misbehave or step out of line.
We both promised to be perfect angels but of course the reality was that only three hours after waving them all goodbye our house had 40 teenagers squeezed into it for the party of the century.
I awoke the next day with a phone call from my manager asking why I hadn't turned up for work that morning to which I responded with some wild excuse and promised to be at my desk within the hour.
I jumped into a shower and opened my wardrobe door to find all of my clothes gone and one single coat hanger swinging on the rail.
Turns out my younger sisters had emptied every wardrobe and drawer into their suitcases and left us with nothing.
I've always been on the bigger side and must have been a good size 18 even back then but I managed to find an oversized silk shirt (it was the 90s) and a Lycra size 12 skirt.
It took all my strength to get the skirt over my hips and backside but even Dynamo couldn't get the zip to close which was fine as the shirt covered most of the skirt anyway.
I called a taxi and in no time was zooming over the M8 and on my way to work.
Now to this day I'm still not quite sure what exactly happened but I think I tried to cross my legs while sitting in the back seat chatting to the driver when my skirt gave up the fight and split completely up the back through the zip and because it was made from Lycra flew off my body and into the passenger seat of the car leaving me wearing nothing but a satin shirt and a pair of 15 denier tights which now had a huge ladder up them caused by the force and speed of which the skirt was ripped off my body.
To say that poor taxi driver almost went into cardiac arrest would be an understatement and I spent the remainder of the cab journey back to my house trying to convince him that I didn't take my skirt off and throw it at him.
Yes that's my embarrassing taxi story so if you were that taxi driver and you're still in therapy I apologise and for future drivers fear not my clothes will remain firmly on unless of course you start asking me questions such as 'what's that Simon Cowell was really like?", then I'm afraid all bets are off.
http://tinyurl.com/o7zu2fc
------------------------------------------------------
New york
Plans to switch off Taxi meter's if Cab goes over speed limit.
City officials have no clue who will foot the bill to outfit taxis with a device to turn off the meter whenever the driver is speeding — and the technology may not even exist yet.
The proposal is part of a sweeping, 63-point safety plan called “Vision Zero” that the city says will likely cost tens of millions of dollars in an ambitious effort to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024.
Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg said Wednesday that critical details of Mayor de Blasio’s meter-shutdown idea have yet to be addressed, including determining whether the technology on which it would rely has been invented.
“It’s unclear if it exists as to exactly what we will want to accomplish,” Fromberg said.
The TLC spokesman also said the issue of cost — and who would pay to put the gear in each of the city’s 13,000-plus yellow cabs — “will be part and parcel of the exploratory process.”
De Blasio spokesman Phil Walzak said “final cost determinations” for Vision Zero would be included in de Blasio’s executive budget, expected by early May.
Taxi-meter experts said they hadn’t heard of the type of technology that de Blasio wants, but said it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.
“Technically, anything can be done,” an industry source said.
“The only question is how much the engineering costs.”
Michael Aula, a technician at American Taximeter and Communications in Long Island City, Queens, said the “simplest way” would be to tinker with the onboard computer that collects trip data using global-positioning satellites.
Two high-ranking NYPD sources were skeptical of the mayor’s proposal, saying well-heeled riders could easily pay their drivers to ignore the meter and speed them to their destinations.
“I don’t see how this is going to work,” one source said. “They really need to think this out more.”
Another police source said “it could really complicate things both for the driver and the passenger” and “lead to fighting over the fare” if the meter shuts down.
Meanwhile, an internal Department of Transportation report obtained by The Post reveals that despite de Blasio’s stated goal of zero traffic deaths by 2024, the DOT set targets of more than 100 fatalities a year past 2030.
According to the Feb. 4 report, titled “NYC Traffic Fatalities Dashboard,” the DOT set a “target” of 229 deaths last year — but a total of 289 pedestrians, drivers, passengers, motorcyclists and bike riders were actually killed on city streets and highways.
A DOT spokesman insisted, “As the mayor announced this week, the goal is to eliminate fatalities on New York City streets.”
--------------------------------
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