AYLESBURY
A ‘rude, insulting and threatening’ taxi driver has been fined £1,000 and failed in his bid to win back his licence.
And in the court case involving Mohammed Yusif of Belgrave Road, Aylesbury, the district council’s licensing team was praised for its thoroughness of investigation and quality of evidence.
The comments were made by magistrates following Yusif’s appeal against his taxi licence being revoked by AVDC.
However, during the case on January 27, he was judged to have demonstrated rude, insulting and threatening behaviour towards both the police and the council.
He was fined £1,000 and his appeal against the council’s decision to revoke his taxi licence was dismiss
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/more-news/rude-taxi-driver-from-aylesbury-loses-appeal-against-revoked-licence-1-7187868#ixzz3ytkhYOuP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
A private hire taxi driver, who was found guilty of picking up illegal passengers in Manchester, has been ordered to pay £682 and handed six penalty points for driving without a license.
26-year-old Arfan Waheed of Wythenshawe was fined £335 with costs of £300. He was also given a £27 victim of crime surcharge.
In the early hours of Sunday 10 May city council officers who were working on a routine night shift in the city centre, saw a private hire vehicle driven by Waheed drop off its passengers on Whitworth Street West.
The officers then observed on as two people approached Waheed’s vehicle and engaged him in conversation, before getting in to the vehicle. It is illegal for private hire taxi drivers to pick up passengers who flag them down on the street, and doing so may invalidate their insurance. All journeys taken in private hire taxis must be pre-arranged through the base operator.
Investigating officers later enquired with the private hire operator that Waheed worked for and discovered that no booking had been logged by the operator, for a pick up at that time, date and location. At the hearing Waheed pleaded guilty to the offences of driving without valid insurance and illegally plying for hire.
Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods Councillor Nigel Murphy, has remarked, “We regard illegally plying for hire as a serious offence and the punishment handed out by the court shows they agree. Let this send a warning to rogue drivers that the consequences for illegally operating any taxi are both serious and costly”.
Mr. Murphy also added “When looking for a taxi remember, only Manchester licensed hackney carriage drivers are allowed to pick passengers up from the side of the road within our city boundaries”.
http://www.blacknet.co.uk/illegal-taxi-driver-receives-penalty-and-fine/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 31 January 2016
Saturday 30 January 2016
HULL
A TAXI driver smashed his partner's head against a kitchen unit so hard that he left her skull exposed, a court heard. Adrian Lees, 46, had been arguing with his girlfriend of eight years at their home in Hamlyn Avenue, west Hull, over money struggles, on August 23, last year.
The argument turned into a fight, which resulted in his partner sustaining the horrific injury.
The court heard he grabbed her hair with such force that it pulled clumps out. During the scuffle, he hit her head on the unit.
She was taken to hospital and required 42 stitches to her head.
Despite being left permanently scarred, the woman plans to reunite with Lees.
Prosecuting, Megan Rhys said: "At the time of the incident, [the victim] did not want to get the police involved and said she was unable to remember what happened.
"She told police they had both been drinking alcohol in the afternoon. She started to have a go at the defendant, which led to an argument. "She told him to shut up and go away, before they started pushing and shoving each other.
"When the defendant was arrested at his mother's house, he said [the victim] had pushed him and he fell backwards, grabbing her, which caused her to fall and hit her head."
When police officers attended the couple's home to carry out their investigation, they discovered a small cannabis farm.
Officers uncovered ten plants with a street value of £2,571, and growing equipment.
The couple both denied having any connection to the cannabis.
Lees pleaded guilty to wounding and permitting his premises to be used for the production of cannabis.
In mitigation, John Thackray said Lees was mortified with the injury his partner sustained and blamed alcohol for causing problems in their relationship.
Mr Thackray said: "The reality is that these two are going to get back together.
"In the defendant's own words, 'without drink, we are in a loving relationship'.
"He is mortified with the injury to [the victim].
"They had stresses in life and were dealing with them in the wrong way and drinking heavily.
"We are not dealing with deliberate punches or kicks."
Judge Mark Bury described Lees's behaviour as an "appalling incident of domestic violence" and sentenced him to 27 months in prison.
He said: "This incident is extremely serious. You and your long-term partner were at home, you had both been drinking and you were arguing.
"You were arguing over money and the fact you were having to work long hours to make your mortgage payments and she had other commitments which meant she could not work.
"They are commonplace arguments in households across the country, but what happened next is not. This was despicable behaviour.
"I accept there may have been some provocation but then you grabbed her by the hair with so much force you pulled it out and you banged her head."
http://goo.gl/JYTXLr
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHESHIRE East is lobbying the Government for a change in taxi driver licensing laws because it fears a loophole could put children at risk from sexual predators.
The council says it is confident in its own rigorous checks on the drivers it licenses – but is not happy that drivers licensed by other local authorities are allowed to operate in Cheshire East.
It fears this could be used by criminals involved in child sexual exploitation and trafficking children from one area to another.
Cllr Rhoda Bailey (Con) told Tuesday’s cabinet meeting: “Cheshire East is very good, adept, vigilant, at making sure that applicants for taxi and private hire vehicle licenses are fit and proper people...
“The law now allows people who have been refused licences in this authority to go to another authority and get one there. We know this has happened in some cases.”
She continued: “Those operators from other areas, can be operating in Cheshire East. Where those drivers and operators acquire criminal convictions, we wouldn’t know about it because only the licensing authority granting the licence would be told by the police.
“The law is frankly too lax in relation to this situation. It’s a gap which is not in the interests of the fare paying public, it’s not in the interest of vulnerable travellers.”
Cllr Rachel Bailey, who has responsibility for safeguarding children, told the meeting: “With regard to child sexual exploitation and any connection to taxi drivers, my understanding is that, within Cheshire East, there has been one case but one case is one too many.”
The council first expressed its concerns over the licensing loophole nearly a year ago when leader Michael Jones wrote to the Government. He didn’t get a response.
Deputy leader David Brown (Con) said this week the council would write immediately to all local MPs, the Local Government Association and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin pushing for a change to the law.
Crewe councillor Dorothy Flude (Lab) told the meeting she was disappointed the Government hadn’t responded to Cllr Jones’ letter.
“We’re an authority that does look seriously at who actually gets a licence in our authority and this is not assisted by our neighbouring local authorities,” she said.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Flude reiterated she had every confidence in the way Cheshire East licensed its drivers and wanted a system which meant there was nationwide confidence.
She said she wanted a change in the legislation because ‘we want to be 100% sure that people who have criminal convictions are not being able to come and work in Cheshire East’.
http://goo.gl/aq7EKA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A 36-year-old man from Dukinfield has been arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed pending further enquiries as police continue to appeal for witnesses
A man has been arrested after a woman was raped in Stalybridge on New Year’s Day.
The 18-year-old was attacked after getting into a ‘minibus-style’ cab between 4.30am and 6.30am on January 1 after celebrating the New Year.
The man behind the wheel drove the woman away from her home before stopping on wasteland on Castle Street, near to the Texaco petrol station, and raping her.
A 36-year-old man from Dukinfield has been arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed pending further enquiries.
Officers launched an investigation with Tameside council licensing bosses in a bid to track down the black or dark blue ‘minibus-style’ taxi.
It is unclear whether the vehicle was a genuine taxi or the man was posing as a cab driver in an unlicensed car.
After the incident the police appealed for information on the woman’s attacker, describing him as Asian around 27-years-old, about 5ft 8ins, of a slim or medium build, with short dark hair longer on the top, and stubble.
He was wearing jeans and spoke with an Asian accent.
Police are still urging anyone with information about the taxi - or the attack - to come forward.
Det Insp Richard Ennis from GMP’s Tameside Division said: “We are continuing to work alongside Tameside council to investigate the events of the night and we have had a really good response from the public following our earlier appeal.
“While we have made an arrest our enquiries are ongoing and we would still urge anyone with information or any witnesses to contact police.
“The vehicle that the victim got into has been described as a black or dark blue minibus-style taxi, possibly with a rear sliding passenger door.
“We are making significant enquiries alongside Tameside council to try and identify this vehicle, but we cannot be definite that this was a genuine taxi, or whether it was someone posing as a taxi.”
http://goo.gl/CCmjOU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DERBY
Taxi drivers who have their licence revoked in one area could get one in another without anyone knowing about their previous misdemeanors, a Derby MP has warned the Commons.
Mid-Derbyshire's Pauline Latham said there was a "very serious" loophole in the taxi licensing process.
The current system forces applicants to disclose if they have had a licence refused or revoked but there is no way of telling if the applicant is telling the truth.
Taxi drivers are thoroughly checked for a criminal record but issues that wouldn't show up on police records may not be known about.
Mrs Latham said the loophole had meant that a driver who has had a licence revoked by the council in one area for asking out young girls who used his taxi was successful in getting a new licence from a neighbouring authority.
She asked for a statement by the Department for Transport on the "possibility of a register of taxi drivers" so councils can check applicants to see if they have had a licence refused or revoked by another authority.
In his reply, Chris Grayling MP, leader of the House of Commons, agreed it was a "very real problem" that had been identified and said he would make sure the Secretary of State for Transport was fully briefed on the issue.
Mrs Latham said: "The majority of taxi drivers would be truthful but there would be some that slip the net and there's no way of checking.
"This loophole is potentially very serious as is shown in the case of a driver who had his licence revoked being able to get another one because there is no mechanism to check the record of a driver.
"I am grateful for the vigilance of Councillor Jane Orton, from Amber Valley Borough Council, in identifying the problem and bringing it to my attention.
"I hope the Department of Transport will look seriously and report back to the House of Commons on the possibility of creating a national register of taxi drivers so authorities can be sure the applicants are telling the truth about their history."
Mrs Orton said the incident where a taxi driver had been asking out young girls was not in Derbyshire.
She said she had been told about it by a councillor from another part of the country.
http://goo.gl/tewNxL
A TAXI driver smashed his partner's head against a kitchen unit so hard that he left her skull exposed, a court heard. Adrian Lees, 46, had been arguing with his girlfriend of eight years at their home in Hamlyn Avenue, west Hull, over money struggles, on August 23, last year.
The argument turned into a fight, which resulted in his partner sustaining the horrific injury.
The court heard he grabbed her hair with such force that it pulled clumps out. During the scuffle, he hit her head on the unit.
She was taken to hospital and required 42 stitches to her head.
Despite being left permanently scarred, the woman plans to reunite with Lees.
Prosecuting, Megan Rhys said: "At the time of the incident, [the victim] did not want to get the police involved and said she was unable to remember what happened.
"She told police they had both been drinking alcohol in the afternoon. She started to have a go at the defendant, which led to an argument. "She told him to shut up and go away, before they started pushing and shoving each other.
"When the defendant was arrested at his mother's house, he said [the victim] had pushed him and he fell backwards, grabbing her, which caused her to fall and hit her head."
When police officers attended the couple's home to carry out their investigation, they discovered a small cannabis farm.
Officers uncovered ten plants with a street value of £2,571, and growing equipment.
The couple both denied having any connection to the cannabis.
Lees pleaded guilty to wounding and permitting his premises to be used for the production of cannabis.
In mitigation, John Thackray said Lees was mortified with the injury his partner sustained and blamed alcohol for causing problems in their relationship.
Mr Thackray said: "The reality is that these two are going to get back together.
"In the defendant's own words, 'without drink, we are in a loving relationship'.
"He is mortified with the injury to [the victim].
"They had stresses in life and were dealing with them in the wrong way and drinking heavily.
"We are not dealing with deliberate punches or kicks."
Judge Mark Bury described Lees's behaviour as an "appalling incident of domestic violence" and sentenced him to 27 months in prison.
He said: "This incident is extremely serious. You and your long-term partner were at home, you had both been drinking and you were arguing.
"You were arguing over money and the fact you were having to work long hours to make your mortgage payments and she had other commitments which meant she could not work.
"They are commonplace arguments in households across the country, but what happened next is not. This was despicable behaviour.
"I accept there may have been some provocation but then you grabbed her by the hair with so much force you pulled it out and you banged her head."
http://goo.gl/JYTXLr
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHESHIRE East is lobbying the Government for a change in taxi driver licensing laws because it fears a loophole could put children at risk from sexual predators.
The council says it is confident in its own rigorous checks on the drivers it licenses – but is not happy that drivers licensed by other local authorities are allowed to operate in Cheshire East.
It fears this could be used by criminals involved in child sexual exploitation and trafficking children from one area to another.
Cllr Rhoda Bailey (Con) told Tuesday’s cabinet meeting: “Cheshire East is very good, adept, vigilant, at making sure that applicants for taxi and private hire vehicle licenses are fit and proper people...
“The law now allows people who have been refused licences in this authority to go to another authority and get one there. We know this has happened in some cases.”
She continued: “Those operators from other areas, can be operating in Cheshire East. Where those drivers and operators acquire criminal convictions, we wouldn’t know about it because only the licensing authority granting the licence would be told by the police.
“The law is frankly too lax in relation to this situation. It’s a gap which is not in the interests of the fare paying public, it’s not in the interest of vulnerable travellers.”
Cllr Rachel Bailey, who has responsibility for safeguarding children, told the meeting: “With regard to child sexual exploitation and any connection to taxi drivers, my understanding is that, within Cheshire East, there has been one case but one case is one too many.”
The council first expressed its concerns over the licensing loophole nearly a year ago when leader Michael Jones wrote to the Government. He didn’t get a response.
Deputy leader David Brown (Con) said this week the council would write immediately to all local MPs, the Local Government Association and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin pushing for a change to the law.
Crewe councillor Dorothy Flude (Lab) told the meeting she was disappointed the Government hadn’t responded to Cllr Jones’ letter.
“We’re an authority that does look seriously at who actually gets a licence in our authority and this is not assisted by our neighbouring local authorities,” she said.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Flude reiterated she had every confidence in the way Cheshire East licensed its drivers and wanted a system which meant there was nationwide confidence.
She said she wanted a change in the legislation because ‘we want to be 100% sure that people who have criminal convictions are not being able to come and work in Cheshire East’.
http://goo.gl/aq7EKA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A 36-year-old man from Dukinfield has been arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed pending further enquiries as police continue to appeal for witnesses
A man has been arrested after a woman was raped in Stalybridge on New Year’s Day.
The 18-year-old was attacked after getting into a ‘minibus-style’ cab between 4.30am and 6.30am on January 1 after celebrating the New Year.
The man behind the wheel drove the woman away from her home before stopping on wasteland on Castle Street, near to the Texaco petrol station, and raping her.
A 36-year-old man from Dukinfield has been arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed pending further enquiries.
Officers launched an investigation with Tameside council licensing bosses in a bid to track down the black or dark blue ‘minibus-style’ taxi.
It is unclear whether the vehicle was a genuine taxi or the man was posing as a cab driver in an unlicensed car.
After the incident the police appealed for information on the woman’s attacker, describing him as Asian around 27-years-old, about 5ft 8ins, of a slim or medium build, with short dark hair longer on the top, and stubble.
He was wearing jeans and spoke with an Asian accent.
Police are still urging anyone with information about the taxi - or the attack - to come forward.
Det Insp Richard Ennis from GMP’s Tameside Division said: “We are continuing to work alongside Tameside council to investigate the events of the night and we have had a really good response from the public following our earlier appeal.
“While we have made an arrest our enquiries are ongoing and we would still urge anyone with information or any witnesses to contact police.
“The vehicle that the victim got into has been described as a black or dark blue minibus-style taxi, possibly with a rear sliding passenger door.
“We are making significant enquiries alongside Tameside council to try and identify this vehicle, but we cannot be definite that this was a genuine taxi, or whether it was someone posing as a taxi.”
http://goo.gl/CCmjOU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DERBY
Taxi drivers who have their licence revoked in one area could get one in another without anyone knowing about their previous misdemeanors, a Derby MP has warned the Commons.
Mid-Derbyshire's Pauline Latham said there was a "very serious" loophole in the taxi licensing process.
The current system forces applicants to disclose if they have had a licence refused or revoked but there is no way of telling if the applicant is telling the truth.
Taxi drivers are thoroughly checked for a criminal record but issues that wouldn't show up on police records may not be known about.
Mrs Latham said the loophole had meant that a driver who has had a licence revoked by the council in one area for asking out young girls who used his taxi was successful in getting a new licence from a neighbouring authority.
She asked for a statement by the Department for Transport on the "possibility of a register of taxi drivers" so councils can check applicants to see if they have had a licence refused or revoked by another authority.
In his reply, Chris Grayling MP, leader of the House of Commons, agreed it was a "very real problem" that had been identified and said he would make sure the Secretary of State for Transport was fully briefed on the issue.
Mrs Latham said: "The majority of taxi drivers would be truthful but there would be some that slip the net and there's no way of checking.
"This loophole is potentially very serious as is shown in the case of a driver who had his licence revoked being able to get another one because there is no mechanism to check the record of a driver.
"I am grateful for the vigilance of Councillor Jane Orton, from Amber Valley Borough Council, in identifying the problem and bringing it to my attention.
"I hope the Department of Transport will look seriously and report back to the House of Commons on the possibility of creating a national register of taxi drivers so authorities can be sure the applicants are telling the truth about their history."
Mrs Orton said the incident where a taxi driver had been asking out young girls was not in Derbyshire.
She said she had been told about it by a councillor from another part of the country.
http://goo.gl/tewNxL
Friday 29 January 2016
A former drag queen DJ from Manchester has launched his own, openly gay, taxi business in Penzance.
Barry Mould is now the man behind Rainbow Cars after working as a taxi-driver in the town for the past six years.
Brought up in Manchester's Moss Side, Barry spent 16 years working in the city's gay bars as a DJ and helping to establish the Gay Pride marches there but moved to Cornwall after encountering problems in a former relationship.
"Originally I just came down here for six weeks to see my brother when things went wrong with the relationship," he said.
"But as soon as I went back to Manchester I had a really strong feeling that I should move permanently to Penzance."
Originally encouraged to get behind the wheel by taxi company owner Bob Gallie, Barry has worked for a number of firms in the town and believes he has built up a good relationship with his customers.
"A few of them have told me that I should branch out on my own and at Christmas I decided to take the plunge.
"I've taken out a loan which has paid for the car, my plate and for business cards and flyers so this is a new beginning for me.
"I have no qualms about my sexuality and I am very happy in Penzance – although it is hard for a gay man to find date – and I just want to build a life here.
"I hope that people find me approachable – if people want to keep themselves to themselves then fine but I am more than ready to have a chat and a laugh with customers."
http://goo.gl/BMFcmn
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PARIS (AP) — Paris police are clearing out protesting taxi drivers around airports and key intersections following government promises to help them cope with rising competition from app-based services like Uber.
Striking taxi drivers disrupted traffic around Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and marched on a major highway this week. Some threatened Uber drivers and kicked and spraypainted traditional taxis whose drivers refused to strike.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls met late Thursday with taxi representatives to defuse the crisis. In a statement, he pledged new controls next week to ensure car services aren't violating tax and other rules, and suggested potential financial help for taxi drivers.
The Paris police department said traffic was returning to normal Friday morning around the airports and a major interchange at Porte Maillot in western Paris.
---------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
A water taxi service for tourists and shoppers is set to be launched on a Manchester canal from June.
Manchester Water Taxis (MWT) has been given a two-year licence to run two boats on Bridgewater Canal.
The 25ft (7.62m) boats - or Waxis - will be able to carry 12 passengers between Dukes 92 bar in Castlefield and the Trafford Centre, via Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium.
Tickets are expected to start at £5.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35381832
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DERBY
Taxi drivers who have their licence revoked in one area could get one in another without anyone knowing about their previous misdemeanors, a Derby MP has warned the Commons.
Mid-Derbyshire's Pauline Latham said there was a "very serious" loophole in the taxi licensing process.
The current system forces applicants to disclose if they have had a licence refused or revoked but there is no way of telling if the applicant is telling the truth.
Taxi drivers are thoroughly checked for a criminal record but issues that wouldn't show up on police records may not be known about.
Mrs Latham said the loophole had meant that a driver who has had a licence revoked by the council in one area for asking out young girls who used his taxi was successful in getting a new licence from a neighbouring authority.
She asked for a statement by the Department for Transport on the "possibility of a register of taxi drivers" so councils can check applicants to see if they have had a licence refused or revoked by another authority.
In his reply, Chris Grayling MP, leader of the House of Commons, agreed it was a "very real problem" that had been identified and said he would make sure the Secretary of State for Transport was fully briefed on the issue.
Mrs Latham said: "The majority of taxi drivers would be truthful but there would be some that slip the net and there's no way of checking.
"This loophole is potentially very serious as is shown in the case of a driver who had his licence revoked being able to get another one because there is no mechanism to check the record of a driver.
"I am grateful for the vigilance of Councillor Jane Orton, from Amber Valley Borough Council, in identifying the problem and bringing it to my attention.
"I hope the Department of Transport will look seriously and report back to the House of Commons on the possibility of creating a national register of taxi drivers so authorities can be sure the applicants are telling the truth about their history."
Mrs Orton said the incident where a taxi driver had been asking out young girls was not in Derbyshire.
She said she had been told about it by a councillor from another part of the country.
http://goo.gl/tewNxL
Thursday 28 January 2016
UBER ASSIST TO LAUNCH IN BRUM< MANCHESTER< LEEDS AND SHEFFIELD TODAY AT 3PM.
Taxi app Uber is launching its new accessibility service in Birmingham.
UberASSIST aims to provide extra help to taxi users with disabilities or access needs.
It is going live in Birmingham and three other cities from 3pm today after launching in London last October.
Users of the app can request a vehicle driven by an uberASSIST partner-driver who arrives ready to give additional assistance to riders.
All drivers have completed a disability equality course, developed and delivered by disabled trainers working for charity Transport for All.
Research by the Extra Costs Commission said disabled people used taxi and private hire services more often than non-disabled people and many said they had been overcharged while travelling.
Uber's general manager for Birmingham Fouzan Ali said: "We want everybody to be able to get a convenient, safe and affordable ride at the push of a button.
"The expansion of uberASSIST is an important step towards making our service even more accessible for riders across the country.
"We're always working hard to make sure we can serve every part of every community in every city.
"Following the launch in London, we have received great feedback both from riders who use the service and partner-drivers who are proud to be able to offer additional assistance."
Faryal Velmi, director at Transport for All, added: "We are happy to continue our work with Uber.
"The training provided to drivers means that they have a greater understanding of the challenges that disabled passengers face and are aware of how people may want to be assisted when travelling."
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/creative/uber-launches-new-taxi-service-10801891?
Comment
This service will need the facility of Wheelchair access at some point.
Do not be surprised if Licensed Hackneys in these area's sign up for the service. We know that many scabs have already done so in London.
----------------------------------------------
A former Gravesend taxi driver has been jailed for 25 years, after murdering his wife and burying her under the patio at their home in Portugal with their dead pets.
Nigel Jackson, 60, repeatedly beat his 72-year-old wife Brenda Davidson over the head before burying her in a shallow grave, in a scheme to replace her with a younger, wealthy woman.
Ms Davidson was found wrapped in a blanket and plastic tarpaulin under a concrete slab, at the couple's home of 10 years in the Algarve, on January 6 last year.
She had been missing since November 2014, with her husband telling neighbours she was in the UK being treated for a hacking cough.
He denied murder but was found guilty of his crimes and was sentenced at a court in Portimão today (January 28) - according to local paper Correio Damanha.
http://goo.gl/Iy7okv
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLYMOUTH
A care worker has criticised taxi companies for failing to provide enough wheelchair accessible vehicles at weekends – which she claims amounts to discrimination.
Sabrina Jones looks after a severely disabled woman who relies entirely on adapted taxis to get around.
But she added that on three occasions on Saturdays and Sundays over the last three months she has been unable to get a vehicle despite trying different companies.
Twice she has had to cancel hospital appointments for the woman and once they have had to go to an earlier screening of a different film because a taxi has not been available later.
Mrs Jones, who said she could not give any details of her client, said: “I think this is discrimination against disabled people not being able to access the community.”
She said that sometimes a taxi had been available for an outward journey but not the trip back.
Mrs Jones said one Saturday she was told no vehicle would be available after 1pm.
She added: “I have tried different phone numbers but on each occasion I was told no taxis were available. It is really annoying.
“The hospital appointments had to be rescheduled and it took several weeks for her to get there.”
The Herald contacted Crownhill Taxi’s, one of the companies Mrs Jones claims she had been in touch with to try and get a taxi for her and her care patient.
Managing Director, Andy Wheeler said: “There would have been no need for us to give a call back to a customer who was enquiring about one of our wheelchair access vehicles as our staff are trained correctly and we would have been able to help there and then.
“We are contracted to Plymouth City Council and have a high demand for our special access vehicles as we are needed in peak times for school help and care homes.
“If needing a special access vehicle, we would recommend to book at least a day in advance so we can accommodate the booking.”
Chairman of Plymouth Taxi’s, Philip Cramer said he found it “quite astonishing” that this supposed event happened.
“All of our vehicles have special access, and we accommodate for a lot of disabled travel throughout the city.
“As the weekends are the busiest period for us, we ensure we have a maximum amount of drivers on the road to accommodate any travel.
“I find it unbelievable that we weren't able to help and would urge Mrs Jones to contact us so we are able to listen to the call and can assist if there was a problem.
“Transport with disabled access is a core part of our business, and although we may not be able to get a special access vehicle to a customer immediately, we can usually accommodate within 20 minutes to half an hour.”
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Care-worker-slams-Plymouth-taxi-firms-lack/story-28626694-detail/story.html#ixzz3yc0Tvg1B
Taxi app Uber is launching its new accessibility service in Birmingham.
UberASSIST aims to provide extra help to taxi users with disabilities or access needs.
It is going live in Birmingham and three other cities from 3pm today after launching in London last October.
Users of the app can request a vehicle driven by an uberASSIST partner-driver who arrives ready to give additional assistance to riders.
All drivers have completed a disability equality course, developed and delivered by disabled trainers working for charity Transport for All.
Research by the Extra Costs Commission said disabled people used taxi and private hire services more often than non-disabled people and many said they had been overcharged while travelling.
Uber's general manager for Birmingham Fouzan Ali said: "We want everybody to be able to get a convenient, safe and affordable ride at the push of a button.
"The expansion of uberASSIST is an important step towards making our service even more accessible for riders across the country.
"We're always working hard to make sure we can serve every part of every community in every city.
"Following the launch in London, we have received great feedback both from riders who use the service and partner-drivers who are proud to be able to offer additional assistance."
Faryal Velmi, director at Transport for All, added: "We are happy to continue our work with Uber.
"The training provided to drivers means that they have a greater understanding of the challenges that disabled passengers face and are aware of how people may want to be assisted when travelling."
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/creative/uber-launches-new-taxi-service-10801891?
Comment
This service will need the facility of Wheelchair access at some point.
Do not be surprised if Licensed Hackneys in these area's sign up for the service. We know that many scabs have already done so in London.
----------------------------------------------
A former Gravesend taxi driver has been jailed for 25 years, after murdering his wife and burying her under the patio at their home in Portugal with their dead pets.
Nigel Jackson, 60, repeatedly beat his 72-year-old wife Brenda Davidson over the head before burying her in a shallow grave, in a scheme to replace her with a younger, wealthy woman.
Ms Davidson was found wrapped in a blanket and plastic tarpaulin under a concrete slab, at the couple's home of 10 years in the Algarve, on January 6 last year.
She had been missing since November 2014, with her husband telling neighbours she was in the UK being treated for a hacking cough.
He denied murder but was found guilty of his crimes and was sentenced at a court in Portimão today (January 28) - according to local paper Correio Damanha.
http://goo.gl/Iy7okv
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLYMOUTH
A care worker has criticised taxi companies for failing to provide enough wheelchair accessible vehicles at weekends – which she claims amounts to discrimination.
Sabrina Jones looks after a severely disabled woman who relies entirely on adapted taxis to get around.
But she added that on three occasions on Saturdays and Sundays over the last three months she has been unable to get a vehicle despite trying different companies.
Twice she has had to cancel hospital appointments for the woman and once they have had to go to an earlier screening of a different film because a taxi has not been available later.
Mrs Jones, who said she could not give any details of her client, said: “I think this is discrimination against disabled people not being able to access the community.”
She said that sometimes a taxi had been available for an outward journey but not the trip back.
Mrs Jones said one Saturday she was told no vehicle would be available after 1pm.
She added: “I have tried different phone numbers but on each occasion I was told no taxis were available. It is really annoying.
“The hospital appointments had to be rescheduled and it took several weeks for her to get there.”
The Herald contacted Crownhill Taxi’s, one of the companies Mrs Jones claims she had been in touch with to try and get a taxi for her and her care patient.
Managing Director, Andy Wheeler said: “There would have been no need for us to give a call back to a customer who was enquiring about one of our wheelchair access vehicles as our staff are trained correctly and we would have been able to help there and then.
“We are contracted to Plymouth City Council and have a high demand for our special access vehicles as we are needed in peak times for school help and care homes.
“If needing a special access vehicle, we would recommend to book at least a day in advance so we can accommodate the booking.”
Chairman of Plymouth Taxi’s, Philip Cramer said he found it “quite astonishing” that this supposed event happened.
“All of our vehicles have special access, and we accommodate for a lot of disabled travel throughout the city.
“As the weekends are the busiest period for us, we ensure we have a maximum amount of drivers on the road to accommodate any travel.
“I find it unbelievable that we weren't able to help and would urge Mrs Jones to contact us so we are able to listen to the call and can assist if there was a problem.
“Transport with disabled access is a core part of our business, and although we may not be able to get a special access vehicle to a customer immediately, we can usually accommodate within 20 minutes to half an hour.”
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Care-worker-slams-Plymouth-taxi-firms-lack/story-28626694-detail/story.html#ixzz3yc0Tvg1B
Wednesday 27 January 2016
TENDRING, NORTH EAST ESSEX
A Walton taxi driver feared he may be put out of business by a “ludicrous” council rule before securing victory in a court battle.
Tendring Council tried to revoke the taxi licence held by Derek Hicks, owner of Walton-based Shore Taxis, after discovering its own cab seat mistake.
The council has a 12-year-old policy in place restricting taxi drivers with certain vehicles – including the Ford Galaxy – to carrying five passengers.
Mr Hicks has been driving his Ford Galaxy taxi for several years and was given a six-seater licence by the council in error – breaching its own regulations.
But last year the council realised its mistake and tried to strip him of his licence.
Mr Hicks would have been ruined by the move and vowed to fight the council in court.
He said: “If this went ahead I would have had to remortgage my house. It would have had an awful effect on me and the business.
“I couldn’t believe the council wanted to do all this, and spend taxpayers’ money on fighting over what is a really ludicrous rule in the first place.
“I just knew I wasn’t going to back down and had to fight it.”
Mr Hicks clinched victory in court at the end of last year with the help of Powells Walton Solicitors and can now legally use his car as a taxi again.
A judge overturned Tendring Council’s decision to revoke the licence and ordered the authority to pay compensation, as well as the court and legal fees.
The council decided not to appeal the decision.
Mr Hicks said: “When the decision came in it was just overwhelming relief.
“It wasn’t a case of hands in the air and celebrating victory, I was just glad it was over. If it had gone the other way I could have lost everything.
“Hopefully the council will look at this and realise the rules need to change, but it’s a shame it has taken something like this for them to sit up and take notice.”
Tendring Council says its seat policy was created to make sure passengers are safe – but has now launched a consultation to explore updating it.
Members of the council’s licensing and registration committee have decided it is time for an update due to developments in vehicle technology and safety.
Committee chairman Mark Platt said the court decision only applies to Mr Hicks, but feels it is the right time for a full policy review.
“Times have changed and these type of vehicles seating up to eight people have improved and been upgraded in so many ways,” he said.
“The committee believes it is only right and proper to look into the issues again and take on board the views of all interested parties.
“The aim is to decide whether we need to make changes or keep things as they are with all options open.
“The over-riding consideration will be the safety of fare paying passengers in licensed multi-purpose vehicles in the Tendring district.”
The 12-week consultation will take on board views from taxi drivers and firm bosses, the Tendring District Taxi Association, the fire service, as well as mobility groups, safety groups and the wider public.
http://goo.gl/5C49Dg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CANADA
After a series of meetings over a bylaw that would allow ride-sharing companies like Uber to operate in Edmonton legally, that bylaw was passed by City Council Wednesday.
With eight councillors voting in favour, the bylaw passed third reading late Wednesday afternoon.
The bylaw includes the creating of two licences: one for ride-sharing companies like Uber, the other for taxis. Plus, Uber would pay $70,000 every year for all of their cars to operate in Edmonton, in addition to six cents per trip, while taxis would have to pay $410 per year for their licence.
Discussion on the bylaw has been met with protests from taxi drivers – two separate council meetings on the subject were interrupted when the taxi drivers in attendance started protesting.
The bylaw passed Wednesday will go into effect March 1.
Shortly after the decision was made, a statement was released on behalf of Uber’s General Manager for Alberta, Ramit Kar.
“Uber applauds the City of Edmonton for its leadership in being the first Canadian jurisdiction to adopt progressive regulations that embrace ridesharing.
“While these newly adopted regulations contain concessions for ridesharing service providers, the rules put in place a workable regulatory approach.”
Later the Alberta Taxi Group issued a statement in response to the vote, saying the group was disappointed, and the decision leaves Edmontonians “at the mercy of an unregulated market”.
In the statement, the group said Uber “set the agenda” and operated in the City illegally “without regard for the democratic process”.
Pascal Ryffel, spokesperson for the group, called the bylaw “essentially exactly what Uber has asked for since the beginning.
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/uber-applauds-city-for-passing-vehicle-for-hire-bylaw-taxi-group-disappointed-1.2754940
------------------------------------------------------------------
The owners of a Middlesbrough taxi firm have been landed with a court bill of more than £13,000 for operating vehicles without insurance.
The owners of Euro Cars – based in Marsh Road – were fined for causing or permitting the use of their vehicles without valid insurance.
Appearing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Friday Zaber Elahi and Zubair Elahi, owners of the private hire operator, were fined £2,400 and £1,200 respectively.
The court heard how, despite a restriction on their insurance policy which did not authorise them to be driven by anyone under 25, council officers found the pair had, on a number of occasions, given permission for drivers under 25 to carry out private hire work which involved transporting members of the public.
The restriction on the policy effectively meant that there would have been no insurance cover on those vehicles in the event of an accident.
Zubair Elahi was fined a total of £1,200, made up of £300 for each of four offences, and ordered to pay £4,795 in costs. He was also banned from driving for six months.
Zaber Elahi was fined £2,400, made up of £300 for each of eight offences, and also ordered to pay costs of £4,795.
The court allowed him to keep his driving licence due to exceptional circumstances.
Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for adult health and social care, said: “Private hire operators provide an important service in and around Middlesbrough, and the vast majority are law-abiding and well run.
“However it is essential for public confidence and safety that they abide by the regulations attached to their operating licences and insurance certificates as these are there for a reason.
“This case shows that where breaches occur and the safety of the travelling public is potentially compromised, we will take action.”
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/middlesbrough-taxi-firm-owners-facing-10799318
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A Walton taxi driver feared he may be put out of business by a “ludicrous” council rule before securing victory in a court battle.
Tendring Council tried to revoke the taxi licence held by Derek Hicks, owner of Walton-based Shore Taxis, after discovering its own cab seat mistake.
The council has a 12-year-old policy in place restricting taxi drivers with certain vehicles – including the Ford Galaxy – to carrying five passengers.
Mr Hicks has been driving his Ford Galaxy taxi for several years and was given a six-seater licence by the council in error – breaching its own regulations.
But last year the council realised its mistake and tried to strip him of his licence.
Mr Hicks would have been ruined by the move and vowed to fight the council in court.
He said: “If this went ahead I would have had to remortgage my house. It would have had an awful effect on me and the business.
“I couldn’t believe the council wanted to do all this, and spend taxpayers’ money on fighting over what is a really ludicrous rule in the first place.
“I just knew I wasn’t going to back down and had to fight it.”
Mr Hicks clinched victory in court at the end of last year with the help of Powells Walton Solicitors and can now legally use his car as a taxi again.
A judge overturned Tendring Council’s decision to revoke the licence and ordered the authority to pay compensation, as well as the court and legal fees.
The council decided not to appeal the decision.
Mr Hicks said: “When the decision came in it was just overwhelming relief.
“It wasn’t a case of hands in the air and celebrating victory, I was just glad it was over. If it had gone the other way I could have lost everything.
“Hopefully the council will look at this and realise the rules need to change, but it’s a shame it has taken something like this for them to sit up and take notice.”
Tendring Council says its seat policy was created to make sure passengers are safe – but has now launched a consultation to explore updating it.
Members of the council’s licensing and registration committee have decided it is time for an update due to developments in vehicle technology and safety.
Committee chairman Mark Platt said the court decision only applies to Mr Hicks, but feels it is the right time for a full policy review.
“Times have changed and these type of vehicles seating up to eight people have improved and been upgraded in so many ways,” he said.
“The committee believes it is only right and proper to look into the issues again and take on board the views of all interested parties.
“The aim is to decide whether we need to make changes or keep things as they are with all options open.
“The over-riding consideration will be the safety of fare paying passengers in licensed multi-purpose vehicles in the Tendring district.”
The 12-week consultation will take on board views from taxi drivers and firm bosses, the Tendring District Taxi Association, the fire service, as well as mobility groups, safety groups and the wider public.
http://goo.gl/5C49Dg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CANADA
After a series of meetings over a bylaw that would allow ride-sharing companies like Uber to operate in Edmonton legally, that bylaw was passed by City Council Wednesday.
With eight councillors voting in favour, the bylaw passed third reading late Wednesday afternoon.
The bylaw includes the creating of two licences: one for ride-sharing companies like Uber, the other for taxis. Plus, Uber would pay $70,000 every year for all of their cars to operate in Edmonton, in addition to six cents per trip, while taxis would have to pay $410 per year for their licence.
Discussion on the bylaw has been met with protests from taxi drivers – two separate council meetings on the subject were interrupted when the taxi drivers in attendance started protesting.
The bylaw passed Wednesday will go into effect March 1.
Shortly after the decision was made, a statement was released on behalf of Uber’s General Manager for Alberta, Ramit Kar.
“Uber applauds the City of Edmonton for its leadership in being the first Canadian jurisdiction to adopt progressive regulations that embrace ridesharing.
“While these newly adopted regulations contain concessions for ridesharing service providers, the rules put in place a workable regulatory approach.”
Later the Alberta Taxi Group issued a statement in response to the vote, saying the group was disappointed, and the decision leaves Edmontonians “at the mercy of an unregulated market”.
In the statement, the group said Uber “set the agenda” and operated in the City illegally “without regard for the democratic process”.
Pascal Ryffel, spokesperson for the group, called the bylaw “essentially exactly what Uber has asked for since the beginning.
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/uber-applauds-city-for-passing-vehicle-for-hire-bylaw-taxi-group-disappointed-1.2754940
------------------------------------------------------------------
The owners of a Middlesbrough taxi firm have been landed with a court bill of more than £13,000 for operating vehicles without insurance.
The owners of Euro Cars – based in Marsh Road – were fined for causing or permitting the use of their vehicles without valid insurance.
Appearing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Friday Zaber Elahi and Zubair Elahi, owners of the private hire operator, were fined £2,400 and £1,200 respectively.
The court heard how, despite a restriction on their insurance policy which did not authorise them to be driven by anyone under 25, council officers found the pair had, on a number of occasions, given permission for drivers under 25 to carry out private hire work which involved transporting members of the public.
The restriction on the policy effectively meant that there would have been no insurance cover on those vehicles in the event of an accident.
Zubair Elahi was fined a total of £1,200, made up of £300 for each of four offences, and ordered to pay £4,795 in costs. He was also banned from driving for six months.
Zaber Elahi was fined £2,400, made up of £300 for each of eight offences, and also ordered to pay costs of £4,795.
The court allowed him to keep his driving licence due to exceptional circumstances.
Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for adult health and social care, said: “Private hire operators provide an important service in and around Middlesbrough, and the vast majority are law-abiding and well run.
“However it is essential for public confidence and safety that they abide by the regulations attached to their operating licences and insurance certificates as these are there for a reason.
“This case shows that where breaches occur and the safety of the travelling public is potentially compromised, we will take action.”
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/middlesbrough-taxi-firm-owners-facing-10799318
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Questions in Parliament Yesterday
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UBER to check bad driving by Phone.
For months, Uber has been using smartphone sensors to monitor its Houston drivers’ movements in an effort to verify rider feedback. The pilot program, which has been underway since November, relies on the GPS, accelerometers, and gyrometers built into today’s smartphones to monitor a vehicle’s speed as well as how often it stops and starts.
Uber says the program is a means of verifying the accuracy of poor ratings and complaints. If smartphone data confirms a complaint about a driver who repeatedly stopped short, Uber sends that driver an email alert with supporting data. But if the data does not support a complaint, the poor rating associated with it can be stricken from a driver’s record. The system is intended to provide drivers a form of recourse against unfair or heavy-handed complaints.
Uber’s driver agreement notes that the company may collect geolocation and GPS data, but it says nothing about associated gyrometer and accelerometer data. The company told BuzzFeed News that drivers received no advance notice that their movement data would be used in this particular pilot and are only notified when they receive an email notifying them of a rider complaint and the associated data used to verify that information.
While the verification of rider complaints is the primary focus of this pilot program, there are other uses for the movement data Uber is gathering. Uber could follow in the footsteps of some automakers and use this information to inform the autonomous technology it’s developing at R&D centers at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Arizona. General Motors is already in the beginning stages of gathering information about human instincts in specific driving conditions through its partnership with Mobileye. Using the vehicle’s external cameras and its GPS data, GM is gathering and analyzing anonymized data about human behavior that could later inform the behavior of the autonomous technology it’s developing.
In a driver agreement that was updated in December 2015, Uber reserves the right to collect personal data, which can then be “accessed by Company and its Affiliates, third parties, and service providers for business purposes, including for marketing, lead generation, service development and improvement, analytics, industry and market research, and such other purposes consistent with Company’s and its Affiliates’ legitimate business needs.” The language allows for a very broad range of uses for the location and movement data collected but an Uber spokesperson said “the data in this pilot is not being shared with third parties.”
Comment: its an "Old one, but a gold one" The following video shows Uber Managemnet reaction to driver complaints over mileage rate cuts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E1ElCQUy5Q&feature=youtu.be
Monday 25 January 2016
A taxi driver who was caught driving around Southport peddling drugs was jailed for three years today.
A court heard that John Freeman had got into the illicit trade to pay off the £1,000 Christmas debt he had run up.
“It started with the desire to give his family as good a Christmas as possible and it ended badly. He made a very bad mistake and he is very ashamed,” said Michael Davies, defending.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that police had been tipped off that Freeman was selling drugs. In the early hours of February 7 last year officers saw him driving a silver Vauxhall Vectra and followed it around until it stopped outside his home in Duke Street.
When officers spoke to him he admitted he had cocaine wraps worth £228 on him and when searched he was also found to have £3,145 cash and three mobile phones, said Nigel Beeson, prosecuting.
Police also spotted a plastic case he had disposed of on the the pavement just in front of the car. This was found to contain a further 58 wraps of the drug with a street value of £1,600.
38-year-old Freeman pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Mr Davies said that he has three children from his first marriage and two with his fiancee, who was sitting crying in the public gallery.
He worked hard to provide for both families and borrowed a £1,000 for Christmas. The person he borrowed if from spotted a weakness and kept adding interest and got him involved in drugs supply, said Mr Davies, who added that Freeman will be unable to return to his taxi driving work.
Jailing him the judge, Recorder John Gibson, said that he accepted he was a conscientious and caring father but it was a serious offence and he had to impose custodial sentence.
http://goo.gl/H9HoLK
A court heard that John Freeman had got into the illicit trade to pay off the £1,000 Christmas debt he had run up.
“It started with the desire to give his family as good a Christmas as possible and it ended badly. He made a very bad mistake and he is very ashamed,” said Michael Davies, defending.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that police had been tipped off that Freeman was selling drugs. In the early hours of February 7 last year officers saw him driving a silver Vauxhall Vectra and followed it around until it stopped outside his home in Duke Street.
When officers spoke to him he admitted he had cocaine wraps worth £228 on him and when searched he was also found to have £3,145 cash and three mobile phones, said Nigel Beeson, prosecuting.
Police also spotted a plastic case he had disposed of on the the pavement just in front of the car. This was found to contain a further 58 wraps of the drug with a street value of £1,600.
38-year-old Freeman pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Mr Davies said that he has three children from his first marriage and two with his fiancee, who was sitting crying in the public gallery.
He worked hard to provide for both families and borrowed a £1,000 for Christmas. The person he borrowed if from spotted a weakness and kept adding interest and got him involved in drugs supply, said Mr Davies, who added that Freeman will be unable to return to his taxi driving work.
Jailing him the judge, Recorder John Gibson, said that he accepted he was a conscientious and caring father but it was a serious offence and he had to impose custodial sentence.
http://goo.gl/H9HoLK
DEWSBURY
A taxi driver has been jailed for a total of three years after he assaulted his wife – and then tried to get her to drop her complaint.
Leeds Crown Court heard the victim Touqueer Un-Nisa Butt described her husband Raheel Akhtar Butt as ‘very controlling’ over family finances.
On July 21 last year they argued about money and he slapped her twice then threatened her with a kitchen knife.
Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, told the court Butt, 42, only put the knife down when their nine-year-old son told him to “stop it.”
But he then picked up an object like a remote control and struck his wife twice on the head with it causing her forehead to bleed from a 3cm cut. She eventually managed to ring the police and when they arrived Butt just said: “We had a fight.”
Butt was bailed with a condition not to go to the matrimonial home or contact his wife but “that fell on deaf ears,” Mr Ahmed told the court.
On November 1 he called her several times during the day wanting her to meet him but she refused and turned off her phone. When she later turned it back on she found several missed calls from him and when she rang him to say he should not contact her he said he wanted her to drop the charges.
Mr Ahmed said the matter did not end there because Butt then turned up at the house in Ravens Avenue, Dewsbury, and she reluctantly let him in.
He called her foolish, blamed her and said her parents would get to know and he would stop her seeing them. She recorded some of his threats including that he would “split her head in two.”
When he was arrested again he denied being in contact with his wife.
Christopher Dunn, representing Butt, said the two incidents had only happened when feelings were running high “and he was not able to control himself.”
He deeply regretted what had happened and was now likely to lose his taxi licence.
Butt was jailed for two years after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and a further 12 months consecutive for witness intimidation.
Judge Tom Bayliss QC described the offence as “appalling.”
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/dewsbury-taxi-driver-raheel-akhtar-10786240?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two men have been arrested following an assault in Leigh.
A 24-year-old man was standing at the taxi rank on Railway Road at around 4.30am on September 11, when he was approached by a man who punched him in the face.
The man tried to defend himself, shielding his face with his hand, but a second man approached him and joined in the attack.
The victim tried to get away, but a third man walked up to him and punched him in the ribs.
The man suffered a dislocated finger and injuries to his face.
Two 20-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of section 47 assault and have been bailed until the end of February pending further enquiries.
A 19-year-old man - who was arrested previously on suspicion of a section 47 assault in connection with the assault - has been bailed until March 29.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/two-arrested-man-attacked-leigh-10787185?
A taxi driver has been jailed for a total of three years after he assaulted his wife – and then tried to get her to drop her complaint.
Leeds Crown Court heard the victim Touqueer Un-Nisa Butt described her husband Raheel Akhtar Butt as ‘very controlling’ over family finances.
On July 21 last year they argued about money and he slapped her twice then threatened her with a kitchen knife.
Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, told the court Butt, 42, only put the knife down when their nine-year-old son told him to “stop it.”
But he then picked up an object like a remote control and struck his wife twice on the head with it causing her forehead to bleed from a 3cm cut. She eventually managed to ring the police and when they arrived Butt just said: “We had a fight.”
Butt was bailed with a condition not to go to the matrimonial home or contact his wife but “that fell on deaf ears,” Mr Ahmed told the court.
On November 1 he called her several times during the day wanting her to meet him but she refused and turned off her phone. When she later turned it back on she found several missed calls from him and when she rang him to say he should not contact her he said he wanted her to drop the charges.
Mr Ahmed said the matter did not end there because Butt then turned up at the house in Ravens Avenue, Dewsbury, and she reluctantly let him in.
He called her foolish, blamed her and said her parents would get to know and he would stop her seeing them. She recorded some of his threats including that he would “split her head in two.”
When he was arrested again he denied being in contact with his wife.
Christopher Dunn, representing Butt, said the two incidents had only happened when feelings were running high “and he was not able to control himself.”
He deeply regretted what had happened and was now likely to lose his taxi licence.
Butt was jailed for two years after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and a further 12 months consecutive for witness intimidation.
Judge Tom Bayliss QC described the offence as “appalling.”
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/dewsbury-taxi-driver-raheel-akhtar-10786240?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two men have been arrested following an assault in Leigh.
A 24-year-old man was standing at the taxi rank on Railway Road at around 4.30am on September 11, when he was approached by a man who punched him in the face.
The man tried to defend himself, shielding his face with his hand, but a second man approached him and joined in the attack.
The victim tried to get away, but a third man walked up to him and punched him in the ribs.
The man suffered a dislocated finger and injuries to his face.
Two 20-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of section 47 assault and have been bailed until the end of February pending further enquiries.
A 19-year-old man - who was arrested previously on suspicion of a section 47 assault in connection with the assault - has been bailed until March 29.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/two-arrested-man-attacked-leigh-10787185?
Sunday 24 January 2016
Facing a Price War, Uber Bets on Volume
The U.S. operation cuts fares while promising imminent profit.
It’s becoming a bit of a holiday tradition for Uber: ringing in the new year by lowering fares. Amid a price war with rival Lyft, the ride-hailing leader reduced its rates by 10 percent to 45 percent in 100 cities across North America. In Detroit, Uber drivers’ per-mile rate is less than it takes to cover their gas and the depreciation of their cars, according to IRS figures. “It’s depressing,” says Bill Scroggins, an Uber driver in Indianapolis. “I’m not even sure I want to drive anymore. It feels like I’m doing it for free.”
This is the third year in a row Uber has discounted fares in January. It calls the cuts seasonal but says they could last indefinitely. Last year rates never rose again in almost a third of cities; only in two did they return to precut prices. Uber has instituted temporary hourly wage guarantees to limit drivers’ earnings declines. It’s assured Scroggins and other outraged drivers they’ll come out ahead by making more trips an hour thanks to increased demand.
That may be what Uber is telling itself, too. A few months ago, Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick told employees that North American operations would turn a profit in the second quarter of this year. The goal sounds less realistic in light of the price cuts. “Uber has to sacrifice profits for growth,” says Evan Rawley, a professor at Columbia Business School.
“We care deeply about driver earnings,” says Andrew MacDonald, a regional general manager for Uber. “We believe in price cuts when demand slows.”
On Jan. 15, Lyft said it would cut fares, too. “With recent price changes from the competition, we need to take action,” Lyft wrote in an e-mail to drivers. The company also announced a $1 billion round of funding on Jan. 4 to help keep its pink-mustachioed cars on the road. That brought Lyft’s fundraising total to about $2 billion—a ways from Uber’s $10 billion, but enough to dash Kalanick’s hopes of knocking Lyft out of the market.
Uber is also churning through cash a lot faster than Lyft, having said it will spend billions to push its way into China, India, and Southeast Asia. In the first quarter of 2015, Uber lost $385.1 million on $287.3 million in revenue, according to leaked figures published by the Information, a tech news site. And losses are growing: In the third quarter, Uber lost $697 million on $498 million in revenue, according to a person briefed on the numbers.
Over the first three quarters of 2015, Uber lost $1.7 billion on $1.2 billion in revenue. For perspective, during Amazon.com’s worst-ever four quarters, in 2000, it lost $1.4 billion on $2.8 billion in revenue. CEO Jeff Bezos responded by firing more than 15 percent of his workforce.
As it tries to expand abroad, Uber is counting on North America as a moneymaker. Kalanick predicted the continent’s imminent profitability last September, during a companywide gathering in Las Vegas. (Beyoncé also performed.) Globally, Uber tends to lose money per ride, but ridership is growing. Total trips increased about 40 percent from the second to the third quarter of 2015, says a person familiar with the data. On a November call with investors, acting Chief Financial Officer Gautam Gupta said the company is profitable in two of its biggest countries, though he wouldn’t name them.
In North America, Uber has inched toward profit, even with lower fares, in large part by leaning harder on drivers. It takes as much as 30 percent of a driver’s fares now, up from 20 percent two years ago. Since 2014 it’s been charging riders an upfront Safe Rides fee, which goes directly to Uber. The fee started at $1 per ride; it’s up to $2.50 in some cities. Uber has said it uses the charge to help fund things such as safety education and background checks.
If drivers win rights as employees or manage to form unions, Uber may have to change strategies. For now, a steady influx of contractors means the company can get away with added fees and rate cuts, says Simon Kwok, a Boston driver who runs a blog about Uber and Lyft. While veterans complain that rates used to be higher, he says, “the new guys just don’t know.”
The bottom line: Uber’s third year of January rate cuts is complicating its efforts to eke out a profit in North America by June.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-21/facing-a-price-war-uber-bets-on-volume
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uber has announced that it will stop offering flat rates to customers travelling to London airports.
The private hire company previously offered a series of set fares for trips to Heathrow and Gatwick.
Rates to Heathrow started at just £30 for a journey from west London, while passengers could travel to Gatwick from south east London for £50.
In an email to customers Uber said: "Flat rate fares between London airports and central London will no longer apply — instead, fares will be calculated using Uber's time and distance rates — just as they are for normal Uber trips.
"Whether you're heading off on a business trip or coming back from holiday, you can always get a fare estimate in–app to see how much your ride will cost."
The email also warned that airport pick-ups will incur an additional surcharge to cover minimum parking costs.
Several customers took to social media to voice their disappointment at the news.
Jon Tarsey tweeted: "Very disappointed that Uber are moving to calculated airport fares - the flat rates were one less thing to worry about when travelling."
The flat rates will be scrapped from tomorrow - Monday January 25.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/uber-scraps-flat-rate-fares-to-london-airports-a3163876.html
The U.S. operation cuts fares while promising imminent profit.
It’s becoming a bit of a holiday tradition for Uber: ringing in the new year by lowering fares. Amid a price war with rival Lyft, the ride-hailing leader reduced its rates by 10 percent to 45 percent in 100 cities across North America. In Detroit, Uber drivers’ per-mile rate is less than it takes to cover their gas and the depreciation of their cars, according to IRS figures. “It’s depressing,” says Bill Scroggins, an Uber driver in Indianapolis. “I’m not even sure I want to drive anymore. It feels like I’m doing it for free.”
This is the third year in a row Uber has discounted fares in January. It calls the cuts seasonal but says they could last indefinitely. Last year rates never rose again in almost a third of cities; only in two did they return to precut prices. Uber has instituted temporary hourly wage guarantees to limit drivers’ earnings declines. It’s assured Scroggins and other outraged drivers they’ll come out ahead by making more trips an hour thanks to increased demand.
That may be what Uber is telling itself, too. A few months ago, Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick told employees that North American operations would turn a profit in the second quarter of this year. The goal sounds less realistic in light of the price cuts. “Uber has to sacrifice profits for growth,” says Evan Rawley, a professor at Columbia Business School.
“We care deeply about driver earnings,” says Andrew MacDonald, a regional general manager for Uber. “We believe in price cuts when demand slows.”
On Jan. 15, Lyft said it would cut fares, too. “With recent price changes from the competition, we need to take action,” Lyft wrote in an e-mail to drivers. The company also announced a $1 billion round of funding on Jan. 4 to help keep its pink-mustachioed cars on the road. That brought Lyft’s fundraising total to about $2 billion—a ways from Uber’s $10 billion, but enough to dash Kalanick’s hopes of knocking Lyft out of the market.
Uber is also churning through cash a lot faster than Lyft, having said it will spend billions to push its way into China, India, and Southeast Asia. In the first quarter of 2015, Uber lost $385.1 million on $287.3 million in revenue, according to leaked figures published by the Information, a tech news site. And losses are growing: In the third quarter, Uber lost $697 million on $498 million in revenue, according to a person briefed on the numbers.
Over the first three quarters of 2015, Uber lost $1.7 billion on $1.2 billion in revenue. For perspective, during Amazon.com’s worst-ever four quarters, in 2000, it lost $1.4 billion on $2.8 billion in revenue. CEO Jeff Bezos responded by firing more than 15 percent of his workforce.
As it tries to expand abroad, Uber is counting on North America as a moneymaker. Kalanick predicted the continent’s imminent profitability last September, during a companywide gathering in Las Vegas. (Beyoncé also performed.) Globally, Uber tends to lose money per ride, but ridership is growing. Total trips increased about 40 percent from the second to the third quarter of 2015, says a person familiar with the data. On a November call with investors, acting Chief Financial Officer Gautam Gupta said the company is profitable in two of its biggest countries, though he wouldn’t name them.
In North America, Uber has inched toward profit, even with lower fares, in large part by leaning harder on drivers. It takes as much as 30 percent of a driver’s fares now, up from 20 percent two years ago. Since 2014 it’s been charging riders an upfront Safe Rides fee, which goes directly to Uber. The fee started at $1 per ride; it’s up to $2.50 in some cities. Uber has said it uses the charge to help fund things such as safety education and background checks.
If drivers win rights as employees or manage to form unions, Uber may have to change strategies. For now, a steady influx of contractors means the company can get away with added fees and rate cuts, says Simon Kwok, a Boston driver who runs a blog about Uber and Lyft. While veterans complain that rates used to be higher, he says, “the new guys just don’t know.”
The bottom line: Uber’s third year of January rate cuts is complicating its efforts to eke out a profit in North America by June.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-21/facing-a-price-war-uber-bets-on-volume
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uber has announced that it will stop offering flat rates to customers travelling to London airports.
The private hire company previously offered a series of set fares for trips to Heathrow and Gatwick.
Rates to Heathrow started at just £30 for a journey from west London, while passengers could travel to Gatwick from south east London for £50.
In an email to customers Uber said: "Flat rate fares between London airports and central London will no longer apply — instead, fares will be calculated using Uber's time and distance rates — just as they are for normal Uber trips.
"Whether you're heading off on a business trip or coming back from holiday, you can always get a fare estimate in–app to see how much your ride will cost."
The email also warned that airport pick-ups will incur an additional surcharge to cover minimum parking costs.
Several customers took to social media to voice their disappointment at the news.
Jon Tarsey tweeted: "Very disappointed that Uber are moving to calculated airport fares - the flat rates were one less thing to worry about when travelling."
The flat rates will be scrapped from tomorrow - Monday January 25.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/uber-scraps-flat-rate-fares-to-london-airports-a3163876.html
Friday 22 January 2016
THREE cab drivers who failed in a legal challenge to the deregulation of the taxi industry in 2000 face a huge legal costs bill following an order of the High Court.
Mr Justice Michael Peart, who heard the case for more than 30 days, today awarded costs against the three, which are expected to run into the millions.
The judge granted their counsel a 28-day on the costs order in the event of an appeal.
Alphonsus Muldoon and Vincent Malone sued the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Dublin City Council, and the State while Thomas Kelly sued the Minister, Ennis Town Council and the State. Theirs were test cases for more than 1,100 similar claims by taxi drivers.
The three sought damages and declaratory orders claiming that because the Minister and/or the local authorities permitted a licensing regime to operate as it did over so many years, they suffered immediate and significant losses as a result of overnight deregulation and liberalisation of the market.
Mr Muldoon and Mr Kelly claimed the Minister and the State acted beyond his powers by delegating the role of deciding on the number of licences to the local authorities and in breach of their right to earn a livelihood and their constitutional rights.
Mr Muldoon also sought declarations including that the City Council acted contrary to competition law and that the defendants, or some of them, had been unjustly enriched as a result of the regulatory regime operated and/or approved by them.
The defendants denied the claims.
Last October, Mr Justice Peart ruled the claims made by all three men must be dismissed.
Dealing with the costs issue, he declined to certify for two senior counsel for the State and Dublin City Council after lawyers argued a great deal of work had had to be put into the matter which was important not just for the taxi sector but for the whole of the regulated industries.
The judge said the issue of whether there should be costs for two senior counsel was within the power of the the Taxing Master, who decides what level of costs there should be where there is a dispute about them. While it was a long case, that issue will be a matter for the Taxing Master and his order would remain silent in relation to it.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/three-taxi-drivers-who-failed-in-legal-bid-over-deregulation-of-taxi-industry-face-massive-legal-costs-34384332.html?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Las Vegas-area cabs are overcharging customers to the tune of $47 million a year, according to an audit released Tuesday of the Nevada Taxicab Authority, which regulates the rides in Clark County.
Auditors for the governor's finance office blamed a $3 credit card processing fee that they say is much higher than in other cities and probably shouldn't exist. They also criticized a decision to increase a fuel surcharge even as gas prices are tanking, saying having the surcharge at all is unique among the 12 major Western cities that the taxi board tracks.
"The board's decision is a windfall for the industry," the audit says. "These are mostly tourist/visitor dollars that would otherwise likely be spent elsewhere in the local economy."
The criticism comes a few months after ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft started operating in Nevada with promises of cheaper and more convenient rides. The taxi industry, which makes big bucks taking tourists on a 5-mile trip from the airport to the Strip, fought hard against allowing the companies before losing its battle in the Legislature last spring.
Cynthia Kulak, 43, who was visiting Las Vegas from Raleigh, North Carolina, said a taxi ride from the airport to the Bellagio casino-hotel was $21 with tip on Wednesday.
"Once you're in there and you're driving, what else are you going to do but pay it?" she said, adding that she will probably use Uber next time.
Denver resident Dominick Lovely, 37, said he paid $9 for a cab ride of 5 minutes or less from the Sands convention center to the Bellagio, calling the cost a rip-off.
"Three dollars doesn't sound like a lot, but aggregated over an entire population of people in Las Vegas taking cabs, it's not a fair deal," he said, referring to the credit card fee.
Representatives of a union for many area taxi drivers said they have long fought to end the fee, arguing it enriches the cab company but hurts drivers. For example, some passengers mistakenly believe it is a tip for the driver and skip the gratuity.
"It is absolutely, utterly ridiculous to have a credit card fee of $3. That's absurd," said Sam Moffitt, a union organizer representing drivers of the large taxi company Yellow-Checker-Star. "The drivers do not get any portion of that money."
Gene Auffert, CEO of Yellow-Checker-Star, declined to comment.
The audit panned the fee, saying it far exceeds the cost of cab companies accepting cards. State agencies pay 8.5 cents to Wells Fargo per credit card transaction, auditors said, and taxicab regulatory agencies in other cities allow fees between 3.8 percent and 5 percent of the total fare.
The $3 fee accounts for about 17 percent of the total average cab fare in Clark County and should be immediately reduced to 90 cents at most or halted altogether, auditors said.
They also said a cab fuel surcharge that regulators approved last summer is based on a federal gas-price average that's higher than Las Vegas rates. The fee structure, which the taxi industry supports, is designed so customers pay a full 12 cents more per mile once gas hits $3.25 a gallon, instead of kicking in gradually depending on how high gas prices rise, the audit said.
Auditors were so critical of the Nevada Taxicab Authority that they recommended abolishing it and turning over its duties to another agency.
Ron Grogan, chief of the authority, said the taxi board would have to discuss the recommendations before making changes. But he acknowledged that his agency had probably outlasted its usefulness and struggled amid complex regulations.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-01-20/audit-vegas-area-cabs-overcharging-public-by-47m-a-year
Mr Justice Michael Peart, who heard the case for more than 30 days, today awarded costs against the three, which are expected to run into the millions.
The judge granted their counsel a 28-day on the costs order in the event of an appeal.
Alphonsus Muldoon and Vincent Malone sued the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Dublin City Council, and the State while Thomas Kelly sued the Minister, Ennis Town Council and the State. Theirs were test cases for more than 1,100 similar claims by taxi drivers.
The three sought damages and declaratory orders claiming that because the Minister and/or the local authorities permitted a licensing regime to operate as it did over so many years, they suffered immediate and significant losses as a result of overnight deregulation and liberalisation of the market.
Mr Muldoon and Mr Kelly claimed the Minister and the State acted beyond his powers by delegating the role of deciding on the number of licences to the local authorities and in breach of their right to earn a livelihood and their constitutional rights.
Mr Muldoon also sought declarations including that the City Council acted contrary to competition law and that the defendants, or some of them, had been unjustly enriched as a result of the regulatory regime operated and/or approved by them.
The defendants denied the claims.
Last October, Mr Justice Peart ruled the claims made by all three men must be dismissed.
Dealing with the costs issue, he declined to certify for two senior counsel for the State and Dublin City Council after lawyers argued a great deal of work had had to be put into the matter which was important not just for the taxi sector but for the whole of the regulated industries.
The judge said the issue of whether there should be costs for two senior counsel was within the power of the the Taxing Master, who decides what level of costs there should be where there is a dispute about them. While it was a long case, that issue will be a matter for the Taxing Master and his order would remain silent in relation to it.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/three-taxi-drivers-who-failed-in-legal-bid-over-deregulation-of-taxi-industry-face-massive-legal-costs-34384332.html?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Las Vegas-area cabs are overcharging customers to the tune of $47 million a year, according to an audit released Tuesday of the Nevada Taxicab Authority, which regulates the rides in Clark County.
Auditors for the governor's finance office blamed a $3 credit card processing fee that they say is much higher than in other cities and probably shouldn't exist. They also criticized a decision to increase a fuel surcharge even as gas prices are tanking, saying having the surcharge at all is unique among the 12 major Western cities that the taxi board tracks.
"The board's decision is a windfall for the industry," the audit says. "These are mostly tourist/visitor dollars that would otherwise likely be spent elsewhere in the local economy."
The criticism comes a few months after ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft started operating in Nevada with promises of cheaper and more convenient rides. The taxi industry, which makes big bucks taking tourists on a 5-mile trip from the airport to the Strip, fought hard against allowing the companies before losing its battle in the Legislature last spring.
Cynthia Kulak, 43, who was visiting Las Vegas from Raleigh, North Carolina, said a taxi ride from the airport to the Bellagio casino-hotel was $21 with tip on Wednesday.
"Once you're in there and you're driving, what else are you going to do but pay it?" she said, adding that she will probably use Uber next time.
Denver resident Dominick Lovely, 37, said he paid $9 for a cab ride of 5 minutes or less from the Sands convention center to the Bellagio, calling the cost a rip-off.
"Three dollars doesn't sound like a lot, but aggregated over an entire population of people in Las Vegas taking cabs, it's not a fair deal," he said, referring to the credit card fee.
Representatives of a union for many area taxi drivers said they have long fought to end the fee, arguing it enriches the cab company but hurts drivers. For example, some passengers mistakenly believe it is a tip for the driver and skip the gratuity.
"It is absolutely, utterly ridiculous to have a credit card fee of $3. That's absurd," said Sam Moffitt, a union organizer representing drivers of the large taxi company Yellow-Checker-Star. "The drivers do not get any portion of that money."
Gene Auffert, CEO of Yellow-Checker-Star, declined to comment.
The audit panned the fee, saying it far exceeds the cost of cab companies accepting cards. State agencies pay 8.5 cents to Wells Fargo per credit card transaction, auditors said, and taxicab regulatory agencies in other cities allow fees between 3.8 percent and 5 percent of the total fare.
The $3 fee accounts for about 17 percent of the total average cab fare in Clark County and should be immediately reduced to 90 cents at most or halted altogether, auditors said.
They also said a cab fuel surcharge that regulators approved last summer is based on a federal gas-price average that's higher than Las Vegas rates. The fee structure, which the taxi industry supports, is designed so customers pay a full 12 cents more per mile once gas hits $3.25 a gallon, instead of kicking in gradually depending on how high gas prices rise, the audit said.
Auditors were so critical of the Nevada Taxicab Authority that they recommended abolishing it and turning over its duties to another agency.
Ron Grogan, chief of the authority, said the taxi board would have to discuss the recommendations before making changes. But he acknowledged that his agency had probably outlasted its usefulness and struggled amid complex regulations.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-01-20/audit-vegas-area-cabs-overcharging-public-by-47m-a-year
Wednesday 20 January 2016
Uber France announced on Wednesday that it wants to open its app-based reservation platform up to taxi drivers.
The move comes one week after France’s Constitutional Court ruled that taxi drivers also have the right to work as minicabs, known in France as Véhicules de Tourisme Avec Chauffeur (VTC).
“Given the situation, what we want is to open Uber up to taxis,” Thibaud Simphal, director-general of Uber France, said at a conference in Paris. “We encourage all other existing platforms, not just Uber, but our competition Chauffeur-Privé, SnapCar, etc. to do the same.”
Simphal said that by opening up Uber’s platform, taxi drivers would be allowed to accept reservations “on a VTC platform, as a VTC driver, using a car that is not a taxi”.
“They can do it, last week’s decision confirms it, the government is going in this direction and we would like to do something concrete with this opportunity,” he added.
Uber has had a tumultuous year in France, coming up against a number of legal obstacles. In December, an appeals court fined the California-based company €150,000 for “misleading commercial practices” over its now defunct low-cost service UberPop, which allowed unlicensed drivers to work as cabbies using their own cars.
In its decision, the court said that Uber had misrepresented UberPop by claiming it was a ride-sharing service when it was first launched in 2014.
Although Uberpop was officially banned in France in January 2015, the company continued to run the low-cost service for several months, sparking a series of violent protests by taxi unions in June.
Uber finally shut it down in July 2015 after Simphal and another executive were arrested and charged with "misleading commercial practices (and) complicity in the illegal exercise of the taxi profession”. The pair are expected to go on trial in mid-February.
One of the world’s most valuable startups, Uber is worth an estimated $50 billion and operates in more than 50 countries.
http://www.france24.com/en/20160120-france-uber-wants-open-reservation-platform-taxi-drivers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
YORK CITY Council have advised people to be vigilant after a string of reports of drivers falsely claiming they work for a taxi firm that has a contract with the University and York St John.
A council statement confirmed the bogus cabs “have been seen on student nights,” and drivers are specifically approaching “young women”.
University Registrar David Duncan told York Vision: “In the light of this statement, all students are urged to take extra care with their travel arrangements.”
Duncan said students “should use reputable taxi firms which display recognised company logos, or better still, book taxis via recognised booking services.”
He encouraged students to download SafeZone, an app that allows for security services and the police to be called quickly.
He also added: “The University has preferred rates with 659 Taxis (dial 01904 659659), which all staff and students are entitled to make use of.”
Councillor David Carr said: “If you are approached by or believe an unlicensed vehicle is operating please don’t get in it.”
He encouraged concerned students to notify North Yorkshire Police or the council “as soon as possible” if they suspected they were being targeted.
Police are interested to know the registration number, make, model and colour of any suspect vehicle; as well as the sex, age, hair colour, ethnicity and build of the driver.
“Unlicensed vehicles are not insured to carry passengers, they may not be roadworthy and drivers may not have passed a ‘fit and proper’ person test,” Carr added.
All licensed drivers should have a photo ID badge issued by the council, which will list their name, their license number and an expiry date.
A private hire vehicle will have ‘Private Hire Vehicle, Pre Booked Only’ plates on its rear doors, and a maroon ‘City of York Private Hire’ license plate on the front and rear, listing its license number and how many people it can carry.
A Hackney Carriage will have a ‘Taxi’ roof light, the York crest on the front doors, a meter inside, and a yellow ‘City of York Hackney Carriage’ rear plate, also listing its license number and the number of people it can carry.
Students with information or concerns about these taxis have been told to contact the council on 01904 551438, or North Yorkshire Police on 101.
http://goo.gl/3yRyBO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHAMPTON
Surely the time has come to modernise our old-fashioned, restrictive, monopolistic, unsatisfactory taxi and private hire industry.
Anyone should be entitled in a free competitive market to offer a taxi service, summoned by phone or on the street.
However, he would need to be a “fit and proper person”, speak English and pass a training course.
The vehicle would need to be in excellent condition, meet minimum standards, checked annually and subject, at any time, to inspection by the police and local authority.
The vehicle would need to be fitted with GPS or satnav, a black box recording all journeys, a sound recording device, a camera device and safety buttons for the protection of both passenger and driver.
The vehicle in service would have to carry suitable visible marks, such as a prominent sign or plate.
Naturally fully comprehensive public liability insurance would be required.
Being part of public transport, the taxi fares should be regulated, displayed on a meter, with a meter receipt giving full details issued to the passenger at the end of every journey. The parties could always agree a fare less than the meter.
Bus lanes should be open to the taxis, unless for good reason the local authority prohibited the use.
Taxi ranks on the highway should be provided according to need, and it may be necessary to regulate their use, on a non-discriminating and fair basis.
Taxis waiting for a phone call from potential customers would need to wait at suitable places; but in order to avoid congestion and unwelcome parking the local authority might need to regulate the roads, e.g. waiting by taxis prohibited in certain specified roads between certain specified times.
Similarly cruising for trade might have to be controlled in certain roads.
A modern system would mean a better service available for the public, more opportunities for employment for taxi drivers, fewer private cars, less congestion, an improved economy. Win-win.
http://goo.gl/1MTZZz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Hungarian government says it supports taxi drivers in their protest against ride-hailing apps like Uber.
Officials said Wednesday they would initiate talks with drivers to draft legislation aimed at unifying regulations for taxis and other passenger services, like Uber.
Uber said in a statement that it welcomed the government's position about the need for "a new, modern regulatory framework" and also welcomed the opportunity to participate in the talks.
State Secretary Bence Tuzson, however, told Hungarian state news wire MTI that Uber would not be invited to the talks and that it could be banned if it did not respect the laws.
Since Monday, dozens of taxi drivers have been blocking off several lanes of a key intersection in downtown Budapest demanding that authorities ban Uber.
http://goo.gl/sKdLI8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LONDON HIGH COURT, LONDON CAB CO- V- METROCAB
Judge says traditional cabs are ‘devoid of inherent distinctive character’, in legal row involving new eco-friendly taxi group
A high court judge has ruled that one of London’s most famous sights, the black cab, is not that unique after all, concluding that they are “devoid of inherent distinctive character”.
Mr Justice Arnold said that the taxis are “merely a variation of the typical shape of a car” and ruled that trademarks exclusively relating to its shape should be deemed invalid.
He made the judgment on Wednesday after a legal row between the manufacturer of the traditional London taxi and the group behind a new eco-friendly cab. The ruling paves the way for the “green” taxis to hit London’s roads over the next few years.
Arnold said: “In my view the CTM [the design of the black cab] would have been perceived by the average consumer of taxis as merely a variation of the typical shape of a taxi.
“I should make it clear that, if one considers the question from the perspective of the average consumer of cars, in my view the CTM would be perceived as merely a variation of the typical shape of a car.”
The two trademarks in question during the hearing related to three-dimensional drawings of the exterior of the typical black cab.
The London Taxi Company, which is owned by Chinese group Geely, had claimed the new Metrocab was “substantially copied” from the design of the TX4, the latest version of the hackney carriage.
The Metrocab is a hybrid-powered taxi developed by Frazer-Nash Research and Ecotive. The zero-emissions vehicle uses an electric battery and a petrol engine, which extends the range of the battery.
The judge dismissed fraud allegations by the London Taxi Company as “deeply implausible” and said that even if the trademarks were valid then the Metrocab was not simply a copy of the TX4.
The Metrocab is scheduled to go into bulk production later this year and is at the forefront of a drive by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, to ensure that all new taxis are zero-emission by 2018. Geely has pledged to invest £250m into a new facility in Coventry to produce greener versions of its black cab.
Peter Johansen, the chief executive of the London Taxi Company, said: “We are understandably disappointed by the judge’s ruling. We will review the ruling to determine our way forward.”
The London Taxi Company has been in operation since 1899, with black cabs going on to become one of the symbols of London.
A fleet of black cabs featured in the closing ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, and last year it was voted as London’s favourite transport “design icon” in a survey conducted by Transport for London (TfL) and the London Transport Museum.
It represents another blow for the traditional London taxi as it battles against the rise of Uber, the car-hire smartphone app.
TfL announced on Wednesday that after conducting a consultation it would not be introducing proposed new regulations that would have affected Uber, including forcing minicab operators to provide booking confirmation details to the passenger at least five minutes before a journey starts.
The high court decision follows a similar ruling on Wednesday about KitKat, with the same judge deciding that Nestlé could not trademark the shape of its chocolate bar.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/20/black-cabs-not-unique-high-court-rules-green-taxis
The move comes one week after France’s Constitutional Court ruled that taxi drivers also have the right to work as minicabs, known in France as Véhicules de Tourisme Avec Chauffeur (VTC).
“Given the situation, what we want is to open Uber up to taxis,” Thibaud Simphal, director-general of Uber France, said at a conference in Paris. “We encourage all other existing platforms, not just Uber, but our competition Chauffeur-Privé, SnapCar, etc. to do the same.”
Simphal said that by opening up Uber’s platform, taxi drivers would be allowed to accept reservations “on a VTC platform, as a VTC driver, using a car that is not a taxi”.
“They can do it, last week’s decision confirms it, the government is going in this direction and we would like to do something concrete with this opportunity,” he added.
Uber has had a tumultuous year in France, coming up against a number of legal obstacles. In December, an appeals court fined the California-based company €150,000 for “misleading commercial practices” over its now defunct low-cost service UberPop, which allowed unlicensed drivers to work as cabbies using their own cars.
In its decision, the court said that Uber had misrepresented UberPop by claiming it was a ride-sharing service when it was first launched in 2014.
Although Uberpop was officially banned in France in January 2015, the company continued to run the low-cost service for several months, sparking a series of violent protests by taxi unions in June.
Uber finally shut it down in July 2015 after Simphal and another executive were arrested and charged with "misleading commercial practices (and) complicity in the illegal exercise of the taxi profession”. The pair are expected to go on trial in mid-February.
One of the world’s most valuable startups, Uber is worth an estimated $50 billion and operates in more than 50 countries.
http://www.france24.com/en/20160120-france-uber-wants-open-reservation-platform-taxi-drivers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
YORK CITY Council have advised people to be vigilant after a string of reports of drivers falsely claiming they work for a taxi firm that has a contract with the University and York St John.
A council statement confirmed the bogus cabs “have been seen on student nights,” and drivers are specifically approaching “young women”.
University Registrar David Duncan told York Vision: “In the light of this statement, all students are urged to take extra care with their travel arrangements.”
Duncan said students “should use reputable taxi firms which display recognised company logos, or better still, book taxis via recognised booking services.”
He encouraged students to download SafeZone, an app that allows for security services and the police to be called quickly.
He also added: “The University has preferred rates with 659 Taxis (dial 01904 659659), which all staff and students are entitled to make use of.”
Councillor David Carr said: “If you are approached by or believe an unlicensed vehicle is operating please don’t get in it.”
He encouraged concerned students to notify North Yorkshire Police or the council “as soon as possible” if they suspected they were being targeted.
Police are interested to know the registration number, make, model and colour of any suspect vehicle; as well as the sex, age, hair colour, ethnicity and build of the driver.
“Unlicensed vehicles are not insured to carry passengers, they may not be roadworthy and drivers may not have passed a ‘fit and proper’ person test,” Carr added.
All licensed drivers should have a photo ID badge issued by the council, which will list their name, their license number and an expiry date.
A private hire vehicle will have ‘Private Hire Vehicle, Pre Booked Only’ plates on its rear doors, and a maroon ‘City of York Private Hire’ license plate on the front and rear, listing its license number and how many people it can carry.
A Hackney Carriage will have a ‘Taxi’ roof light, the York crest on the front doors, a meter inside, and a yellow ‘City of York Hackney Carriage’ rear plate, also listing its license number and the number of people it can carry.
Students with information or concerns about these taxis have been told to contact the council on 01904 551438, or North Yorkshire Police on 101.
http://goo.gl/3yRyBO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHAMPTON
Surely the time has come to modernise our old-fashioned, restrictive, monopolistic, unsatisfactory taxi and private hire industry.
Anyone should be entitled in a free competitive market to offer a taxi service, summoned by phone or on the street.
However, he would need to be a “fit and proper person”, speak English and pass a training course.
The vehicle would need to be in excellent condition, meet minimum standards, checked annually and subject, at any time, to inspection by the police and local authority.
The vehicle would need to be fitted with GPS or satnav, a black box recording all journeys, a sound recording device, a camera device and safety buttons for the protection of both passenger and driver.
The vehicle in service would have to carry suitable visible marks, such as a prominent sign or plate.
Naturally fully comprehensive public liability insurance would be required.
Being part of public transport, the taxi fares should be regulated, displayed on a meter, with a meter receipt giving full details issued to the passenger at the end of every journey. The parties could always agree a fare less than the meter.
Bus lanes should be open to the taxis, unless for good reason the local authority prohibited the use.
Taxi ranks on the highway should be provided according to need, and it may be necessary to regulate their use, on a non-discriminating and fair basis.
Taxis waiting for a phone call from potential customers would need to wait at suitable places; but in order to avoid congestion and unwelcome parking the local authority might need to regulate the roads, e.g. waiting by taxis prohibited in certain specified roads between certain specified times.
Similarly cruising for trade might have to be controlled in certain roads.
A modern system would mean a better service available for the public, more opportunities for employment for taxi drivers, fewer private cars, less congestion, an improved economy. Win-win.
http://goo.gl/1MTZZz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Hungarian government says it supports taxi drivers in their protest against ride-hailing apps like Uber.
Officials said Wednesday they would initiate talks with drivers to draft legislation aimed at unifying regulations for taxis and other passenger services, like Uber.
Uber said in a statement that it welcomed the government's position about the need for "a new, modern regulatory framework" and also welcomed the opportunity to participate in the talks.
State Secretary Bence Tuzson, however, told Hungarian state news wire MTI that Uber would not be invited to the talks and that it could be banned if it did not respect the laws.
Since Monday, dozens of taxi drivers have been blocking off several lanes of a key intersection in downtown Budapest demanding that authorities ban Uber.
http://goo.gl/sKdLI8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LONDON HIGH COURT, LONDON CAB CO- V- METROCAB
Judge says traditional cabs are ‘devoid of inherent distinctive character’, in legal row involving new eco-friendly taxi group
A high court judge has ruled that one of London’s most famous sights, the black cab, is not that unique after all, concluding that they are “devoid of inherent distinctive character”.
Mr Justice Arnold said that the taxis are “merely a variation of the typical shape of a car” and ruled that trademarks exclusively relating to its shape should be deemed invalid.
He made the judgment on Wednesday after a legal row between the manufacturer of the traditional London taxi and the group behind a new eco-friendly cab. The ruling paves the way for the “green” taxis to hit London’s roads over the next few years.
Arnold said: “In my view the CTM [the design of the black cab] would have been perceived by the average consumer of taxis as merely a variation of the typical shape of a taxi.
“I should make it clear that, if one considers the question from the perspective of the average consumer of cars, in my view the CTM would be perceived as merely a variation of the typical shape of a car.”
The two trademarks in question during the hearing related to three-dimensional drawings of the exterior of the typical black cab.
The London Taxi Company, which is owned by Chinese group Geely, had claimed the new Metrocab was “substantially copied” from the design of the TX4, the latest version of the hackney carriage.
The Metrocab is a hybrid-powered taxi developed by Frazer-Nash Research and Ecotive. The zero-emissions vehicle uses an electric battery and a petrol engine, which extends the range of the battery.
The judge dismissed fraud allegations by the London Taxi Company as “deeply implausible” and said that even if the trademarks were valid then the Metrocab was not simply a copy of the TX4.
The Metrocab is scheduled to go into bulk production later this year and is at the forefront of a drive by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, to ensure that all new taxis are zero-emission by 2018. Geely has pledged to invest £250m into a new facility in Coventry to produce greener versions of its black cab.
Peter Johansen, the chief executive of the London Taxi Company, said: “We are understandably disappointed by the judge’s ruling. We will review the ruling to determine our way forward.”
The London Taxi Company has been in operation since 1899, with black cabs going on to become one of the symbols of London.
A fleet of black cabs featured in the closing ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, and last year it was voted as London’s favourite transport “design icon” in a survey conducted by Transport for London (TfL) and the London Transport Museum.
It represents another blow for the traditional London taxi as it battles against the rise of Uber, the car-hire smartphone app.
TfL announced on Wednesday that after conducting a consultation it would not be introducing proposed new regulations that would have affected Uber, including forcing minicab operators to provide booking confirmation details to the passenger at least five minutes before a journey starts.
The high court decision follows a similar ruling on Wednesday about KitKat, with the same judge deciding that Nestlé could not trademark the shape of its chocolate bar.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/20/black-cabs-not-unique-high-court-rules-green-taxis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)