NEW YORK
Uber Technologies Inc.’s “genius” just backfired on the company and its co-founder Travis Kalanick.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Thursday denied Kalanick’s bid to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming the technology in Uber’s popular ride-hailing app is used to illegally coordinate high surge-pricing fares.
Rakoff rejected Kalanick’s assertion that a conspiracy involving hundreds of thousands of drivers was “wildly implausible” and “physically impossible,” an argument the executive made in filings since the suit was filed in December.
“The capacity to orchestrate such an agreement is the ‘genius’ of Mr. Kalanick and his company, which, through the magic of smartphone technology, can invite hundreds of thousands of drivers in far-flung locations to agree to Uber’s terms,” the judge said.
The ruling allows Spencer Meyer, a customer in Connecticut, to move forward with his claim that Uber’s pricing algorithm violates antitrust laws used to protect consumers from price manipulation.
Meyer’s lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of millions of U.S. riders who rely on the world’s largest ride-hailing company, and opens a new line of legal attacks on sharing-economy businesses. Uber faces other lawsuits and regulatory challenges over its business model, including demands by its drivers to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors.
Fundamentally Flawed
Uber argues the conspiracy described in the New York complaint and ruling would be physically impossible under the antitrust law, and that if Uber lost at trial then thousands of drivers would be forced to pay damages. The company also contends the case is fundamentally flawed because Kalanick would have to personally compete with Uber drivers for rides in order for the type of conspiracy alleged in the case to be true.
“These claims are unwarranted and have no basis in fact. In just five years since its founding, Uber has increased competition, lowered prices, and improved service,” Uber said in an e-mailed statement.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other regulators have also complained about Uber’s pricing algorithm, which ensures standard fares under normal conditions. In certain situations, such as heavy traffic, bad weather or on holidays, the fares rise sometimes to many times the normal rate in a practice known as surge pricing. The company pledged to limit the increases in emergencies under an agreement with Schneiderman in 2014.
Price Fixer
Meyer alleged in his complaint that Kalanick designed the company “to be a price fixer” because its drivers “do not compete” but rather charge fares set by the algorithm. Uber takes a cut of the fares. The business plan amounts to an antitrust scheme because the drivers, despite charging the same prices, are supposedly independent service providers, according to Meyer.
“Kalanick has long insisted that Uber is not a transportation company and that it does not employ drivers,” Meyer’s lawyers said in his complaint. “Instead, Uber is a technology company, whose chief product is a smartphone app.”
Rakoff said Meyer has plausibly alleged a conspiracy and the case should go to trial.
‘Disguise Itself’
“The fact that Uber goes to such lengths to portray itself -- one might even say disguise itself -- as the mere purveyor of an ‘app’ cannot shield it from the consequences of its operating as much more,” the judge said.
At this point in the case, the plaintiff doesn’t need to present “direct, ‘smoking gun’ evidence of a conspiracy,” Rakoff said.
Evan Rawley, a professor at Columbia Business School, still sees the risk to Uber as remote.
“One always has to worry about lawsuits, but this one is so far-fetched that I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it if I were Uber,” Rawley said. “However, if the plaintiff won, it would indeed be potentially costly to Uber since it would interfere with how the core of their business operates.”
Andrew Schmidt, Meyer’s lawyer, didn’t immediately respond to voicemail and e-mail messages seeking comment on the ruling.
Drivers’ Trial
Uber is set for a trial in June in San Francisco federal court in a case brought by drivers seeking to collect pay and benefits as employees. A victory for the drivers may upend Uber’s business model and cut into its more than $60 billion valuation.
The ride-hailing service launched in 2010, has grown rapidly and now has a presence in 65 countries.
Uber and its competitors are able to keep down their costs by using contractors rather than employees. Typically, contractors pay their own expenses and aren’t protected by minimum wage and overtime laws. Companies don’t pay for their unemployment insurance, workers compensation or Social Security.
The case is Meyer v. Kalanick, 1:15-cv-09796, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
http://goo.gl/3CH11X
----------------------------------------
What Life Is Like For Lady Taxi Drivers Of Dubai
This is what a day looks like for Babi, one of the lady taxi drivers of Dubai. She wakes up at 4 a.m., to get to work by 5 a.m. Her goal is to make 500 AED a day, or about $135.
Wearing a uniform that identifies her as a lady taxi driver, she picks up customers at one of the two airports in Dubai. If she’s lucky, she meets her earnings goal by 5 p.m.; if she’s unlucky, it’s 7 p.m.
Then she returns home, to a one-room apartment, plus kitchen and toilet, that she shares with her husband and two daughters, 9 and 11. Her evening is consumed with cooking, dinner for the family, plus lunches for everyone for the following day.
She works six days a week, with one day off, Friday. On that day, she does laundry and rests.
“It’s life,” she said, in English. “It’s not meant to be easy.”
The lady taxi drivers of Dubai are one of the oddities of this new world city: If you’re a woman, landing at the airport, you get offered their services. I’ve taken up the offer twice, and curious, struck up conversations with both of my lady taxi drivers. I wanted to get a small glimpse into the lives of working class people caught up in the boundless energy that seems to characterize Dubai. My lady taxi drivers were both entrepreneurs: working for themselves, on commission, like taxi, Uber or Careem drivers anywhere.
The sense I got from listening to these women is one that will feel familiar to women everywhere: There’s the question, always, of time: A wife and a mother has next to none, not even enough time to think or plan for the future. And a younger woman is very aware of time, too: This one was putting off men in the hope of saving money to start a business, but even in their 20s, most women, like this one, are aware that the clock is ticking.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2016/03/31/what-life-is-like-for-lady-taxi-drivers-of-dubai/#74d8faad3874
---------------------------------------------
OTTAWA
The City of Ottawa is embracing Uber and other ride-sharing services, proposing a major reform that is already infuriating taxi drivers who fear the value of their city-issued permits will plummet.
In a move that will be closely watched by cities across the country and internationally, Canada’s capital city is proposing to deregulate the existing cab industry and start fresh with two distinct categories that will be subject to minimum standards related to vehicle safety and insurance.
Existing licensed cabs will continue to have exclusive rights to pick up passengers who hail a ride on the street or at taxi stands. However, the city says it will not compensate taxi drivers for any loss in value of their taxi permits, which have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each because the city restricted their supply.
The draft plan, which the city says is based on overwhelming public calls for change over several months of consultations, will be voted on by council on April 13. If the plan is approved, the new rules will be in place June 30. Until then, Uber remains an illegal service and the city will continue to enforce existing bylaws.
The City of Ottawa’s announcement comes as Toronto is also expected to soon announce its own plan for dealing with the city’s taxis and ride-sharing services. Officials with the two cities have been working closely together on their plans in recent months, so it is possible Ottawa’s approach provides an indication of where Toronto is headed.
Ride-sharing programs such as Uber are creating dramatic change for municipal governments around the world as the popularity of the services forces city planners to weigh their impact on existing taxi rules, traffic patterns and public transit use.
Under Ottawa’s proposed plan, passengers would maintain the formal right to complain to the city for poor taxi service, but no municipal complaint process would exist for ride-sharing services, which will be categorized as Private Transportation Companies. The city is describing ride-sharing – which connects passengers and drivers via a cellphone app – as a “buyer beware” option that will be subject to a basic level of regulation.
“This is not fair what is happening here and we will not tolerate it. This is my promise,” shouted Unifor Local 1688 president Amrik Singh outside council chambers after hearing about the plan for the first time. Mr. Singh represents about 1,800 licensed taxi drivers in Ottawa.
Coventry Connections president Hanif Patni, who heads the city’s main taxi-dispatching company, said the plan will hurt drivers who invested their life savings so they could enter the business. Mr. Patni said there are currently 1,187 taxi licences in Ottawa, and purchasing one prior to the arrival of Uber would have cost more than $300,000.
“Of course drivers would be livid by that, and we have to be concerned about the viability of the taxi drivers and the viability of the taxi companies,” Mr. Patni said, adding that it is too soon to discuss potential legal action.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawas-proposal-to-legalize-uber-draws-ire-from-taxi-industry/article29487000/
------------------------------------
Southampton Football Club is pleased to announce Radio Taxis as the club’s first Official Taxi Supplier.
Established in 1976, Radio Taxis is the largest Taxi and Private Hire Company in Southampton, and has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the club.
Working with the club, Radio Taxis will be available on all matchdays to take supporters to and from games at St Mary’s, while Saints Foundation will also use them for travel throughout the community. They will also be the official supplier for Halo Conferences & Events.
Radio Taxis are working on a number of schemes, including the ‘We Care’ initiative that ensures safety comes first, priding themselves in providing up-to-date technology to ensure a faster and safer taxi booking service.
http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160331-southampton-radio-taxis-announcement-3035181.aspx#qiRHGOJAxQjZATrp.99
-------------------------------------------
EIRE
Complaints over taxi driver behaviour made to the National Transport Authority (NTA) accounted for more than half of the total complaints concerning taxis last year.
Among the complaint details released by the National Transport Authority (NTA), were concerns raised by a small number of customers who felt frightened by taxi driver behaviour.
In one case, a hotel worker said that a driver told the worker to f**k off several times, and that he would “see me on Monday night when I am alone”.
As a result of the complaint, the NTA issued the driver with a reminder of his duties and responsibilities as a taxi driver.
Vehicle condition
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the NTA confirmed that the number of taxi complaints last year totalled 928, compared to 952 in 2014.
The detailed breakdown shows that complaints about taxi driver behaviour totalled 491 last year, or 53 per cent of complaints, with 53 complaints about vehicle condition.
One passenger wrote to the NTA to complain that there was hair literally everywhere in a very dirty taxi, “and a smell I can only describe as days-old sweat”.
Another passenger, complaining about the condition of a taxi, said, “the car was like a fridge and the seats felt damp. When I got out of the car at Hatch St, Dublin 2, I realised that the car was missing the entire large glass panel at the rear that forms part of the boot underneath the rear windscreen”.
The outcome was that the vehicle was repaired and then inspected. The NTA stated: “All found to be in order. Advice given.”
The second most frequent reason for complaint related to fares, accounting for 297, or 32 per cent of complaints. The NTA also received 83 complaints relating to ‘hiring matters’ and four in relation to identification.
Warnings
In only 2 per cent of complaints did the NRA issue the driver with a fixed payment notice, while in another 2 per cent drivers were given warnings concerning their behaviour.
The figures show that in 58 per cent of complaints, no further action was taken, while in 29 per cent of cases, advice was given to the drivers by the NTA.The NTA said that 202 complaints were referred to the Garda last year.
However, the NRA stressed that the complaints referred are not based on the gravity of the offence, but the nature of the complaint and the powers of the Garda to deal with them.
http://goo.gl/0ZJX9S
Thursday 31 March 2016
Wednesday 30 March 2016
FIFE
A hard-up gym instructor forced a taxi driver to rob a bank for him by threatening him with a gun and "bombs".
Andrew Patrick held a gun at petrified Alistair Rankine before giving him a bag he said had a bomb inside.
Patrick, who pretended to be Polish, ordered the driver to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Mr Rankine handed over a note to staff that claimed they had only minutes to fill the bag, and that devices would go off if police were called. The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.
When Mr Rankine eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone. Amid dramatic scenes, a team of armed police and an army bomb unit soon arrived.
The explosives were found to be fake, consisting of little more than tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.
Patrick was later caught following a high-profile media appeal, although initially denied being involved.
The 40-year-old is now behind bars after he admitted carrying out the assault and robbery. He will be sentenced next month.
The first offender had been working at the time as an instructor at the Fitness Factor gym in Kirkcaldy.
He was earning up to £300 per week, but prosecutor Allan Nicol said it appeared he had been having "some financial difficulties".
http://goo.gl/zMPmdF
------------------------------------
LONDON
An alliance of taxi drivers has abandoned a bid to have Uber’s licence in London declared illegal, in a blow for the black cab industry’s attempts to stamp out the ride-hailing app.
Action For Cabbies, a crowdfunded drive to launch a judicial review into Transport for London (TfL) awarding a minicab licence to the American technology giant in 2012, has failed to amass the £600,000 it needed to launch the first phase of the legal challenge.
The group is now planning to scupper TfL’s plans to have a contactless credit card reader installed in every taxi, planning to use the funds it has raised to order a judicial review of the rules set to be introduced in October
http://goo.gl/L9s46h
---------------------------------------
CHELMSFORD
A FURIOUS taxi firm boss is appealing against a parking fine given to one of his drivers after a video of the ticket being issued went viral
on Facebook.
Dan Robinson, 24, who owns The Chauffeur Company, shared footage of a city council traffic warden slapping a fine on an employee's windscreen who parked on double yellow lines outside Marks and Spencer in Barrack Square – less than a minute after dropping off an elderly passenger.
The Galleywood resident claimed the video, which shows the driver remonstrating with a parking warden as an elderly female customer looks on, has been viewed more than 100,000 times in less than 24 hours.
"One of my drivers was given a ticket at about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. He was given a £50 or £60 ticket but he'd only been there less than a minute," said Mr Robinson. "I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. We take customers to Marks and Spencer at least 30 times a day."
A hard-up gym instructor forced a taxi driver to rob a bank for him by threatening him with a gun and "bombs".
Andrew Patrick held a gun at petrified Alistair Rankine before giving him a bag he said had a bomb inside.
Patrick, who pretended to be Polish, ordered the driver to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Mr Rankine handed over a note to staff that claimed they had only minutes to fill the bag, and that devices would go off if police were called. The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.
When Mr Rankine eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone. Amid dramatic scenes, a team of armed police and an army bomb unit soon arrived.
The explosives were found to be fake, consisting of little more than tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.
Patrick was later caught following a high-profile media appeal, although initially denied being involved.
The 40-year-old is now behind bars after he admitted carrying out the assault and robbery. He will be sentenced next month.
The first offender had been working at the time as an instructor at the Fitness Factor gym in Kirkcaldy.
He was earning up to £300 per week, but prosecutor Allan Nicol said it appeared he had been having "some financial difficulties".
http://goo.gl/zMPmdF
------------------------------------
LONDON
An alliance of taxi drivers has abandoned a bid to have Uber’s licence in London declared illegal, in a blow for the black cab industry’s attempts to stamp out the ride-hailing app.
Action For Cabbies, a crowdfunded drive to launch a judicial review into Transport for London (TfL) awarding a minicab licence to the American technology giant in 2012, has failed to amass the £600,000 it needed to launch the first phase of the legal challenge.
The group is now planning to scupper TfL’s plans to have a contactless credit card reader installed in every taxi, planning to use the funds it has raised to order a judicial review of the rules set to be introduced in October
http://goo.gl/L9s46h
---------------------------------------
CHELMSFORD
A FURIOUS taxi firm boss is appealing against a parking fine given to one of his drivers after a video of the ticket being issued went viral
on Facebook.Dan Robinson, 24, who owns The Chauffeur Company, shared footage of a city council traffic warden slapping a fine on an employee's windscreen who parked on double yellow lines outside Marks and Spencer in Barrack Square – less than a minute after dropping off an elderly passenger.
The Galleywood resident claimed the video, which shows the driver remonstrating with a parking warden as an elderly female customer looks on, has been viewed more than 100,000 times in less than 24 hours.
"One of my drivers was given a ticket at about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. He was given a £50 or £60 ticket but he'd only been there less than a minute," said Mr Robinson. "I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. We take customers to Marks and Spencer at least 30 times a day."
The taxi driver's elderly customer can be heard calling the warden a "nasty person" in the one minute, 12 second clip and claims she wouldn't be able to go into the city centre were it not for the company.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that Chelmsford City Council raked in £329,580 from the 10,732 penalty charge notices it issues to illegally parked motorists in 2014/15.
Former Moulsham High student Dan added: "Online, it seems that 98 per cent of people are sticking up for us and feel the warden was out of order.
"We're definitely going to appeal the fine. But I've got to write a letter or email to the council.
"I can't think of any reason why my driver should have been given a ticket. The taxi is a working vehicle and my driver was simply trying to earn a living."
A spokeswoman for Chelmsford City Council said: "As can be seen in the video being circulated on social media, the taxi driver was stopped on double yellow lines.
"Although his reason for doing this was to drop off his passenger, he knew that he was in contravention of the law by doing this, and the civil enforcement officer had no choice but to issue a penalty charge notice as that is the requirement of his job.
"The fine was not directed at the passenger, and it was the taxi driver's decision to stop where he did. The offensive language used on social media to refer to one of our staff is reprehensible and unacceptable, regardless of users' personal views.
http://goo.gl/HRb87F
----------------------------------------
GEDLING
A cabbie was excused a driving ban after overcharging passengers picked up outside the Queen's Medical Centre – and having no insurance to cover them.
JPs allowed father-of-three Tahir Zia to stay in business even though he now has 12 points on his licence – the total which usually leads to a six-month disqualification.
Nottingham magistrates heard on Wednesday that his licence only enabled him to be flagged down or work as a private hire driver in the borough of Gedling.
He was not allowed to wait outside the QMC and was caught when he charged £30 to take two people and a wheelchair back to Gedling.
The new rules aim to protect vulnerable passengers from potential abuse following the town's grooming scandal.
It comes after official inquiries revealed the prominent role of taxi drivers in the widespread exploitation of children over more than a decade.
http://goo.gl/LNUhLv
------------------------------------------
UBER SPAIN
DISCOUNT taxi service Uber may have been given the boot from Spain once, but through a legal loophole the US-based company has managed to find its way back onto the grid.
The service has proven to be a big hit worldwide, thanks to significantly cheaper rates than those offered by traditional taxi companies, but a lawsuit launched by taxi drivers put the brakes on the operation in Spain back in December 2014. Uber had to pack its bags and hit the road when a Spanish judge ruled that the use of amateur drivers was a violation of national laws and unfair competition for professionally licenced cabbies.
Now Uber is popping up in Spain again, as it can get around the ban by employing professionally licenced drivers, including chauffeurs using private cars, rather than the amateur folk that were the company’s bread and butter in its previous incarnation.
The company will no doubt present stiff competition for Cabify, a similar service which already operates in Spain. The new and improved Uber is expected to have fares that will be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than traditional taxis. The service will begin in Madrid and is then expected to extend into other parts of the country.
http://goo.gl/rdu14m
BOURNEMOUTH
A Freedom of Information request revealed that Chelmsford City Council raked in £329,580 from the 10,732 penalty charge notices it issues to illegally parked motorists in 2014/15.
Former Moulsham High student Dan added: "Online, it seems that 98 per cent of people are sticking up for us and feel the warden was out of order.
"We're definitely going to appeal the fine. But I've got to write a letter or email to the council.
"I can't think of any reason why my driver should have been given a ticket. The taxi is a working vehicle and my driver was simply trying to earn a living."
A spokeswoman for Chelmsford City Council said: "As can be seen in the video being circulated on social media, the taxi driver was stopped on double yellow lines.
"Although his reason for doing this was to drop off his passenger, he knew that he was in contravention of the law by doing this, and the civil enforcement officer had no choice but to issue a penalty charge notice as that is the requirement of his job.
"The fine was not directed at the passenger, and it was the taxi driver's decision to stop where he did. The offensive language used on social media to refer to one of our staff is reprehensible and unacceptable, regardless of users' personal views.
http://goo.gl/HRb87F
----------------------------------------
GEDLING
A cabbie was excused a driving ban after overcharging passengers picked up outside the Queen's Medical Centre – and having no insurance to cover them.
JPs allowed father-of-three Tahir Zia to stay in business even though he now has 12 points on his licence – the total which usually leads to a six-month disqualification.
Nottingham magistrates heard on Wednesday that his licence only enabled him to be flagged down or work as a private hire driver in the borough of Gedling.
He was not allowed to wait outside the QMC and was caught when he charged £30 to take two people and a wheelchair back to Gedling.
The customers claimed it was double the expected charge and lodged a complaint.
That led to council staff identifying the taxi driver as Zia, 41, of Grassington Road, Aspley, the court heard. He was found guilty of using a hackney carriage without insurance and plying for hire in Nottingham without a licence on April 15 last year.
After an application by solicitor Chris Brewin for Zia, magistrates agreed not to impose a driving disqualification because it would cause "exceptional hardship" to the driver's family.
But presiding magistrate Phil Oxlade warned him: "What it means is you have to drive very carefully. Until November of this year, there will be 12 points on your licence.
"If you are brought back to court you will be on a totter and in all likelihood you will be disqualified." Zia was fined £375 with £200 prosecution costs and a government surcharge of £37.
Six points were added to his licence, adding to the six already on for earlier offences which included speeding and breach of traffic signals.
Francesca Whyley, for Gedling Borough Council, said the authority received a complaint about the fare charged for a journey back from the QMC.
"The meter for payment read £30.40. The passengers questioned it, saying it seemed high. It should have been £15. They paid the driver £30.
"He did not have a licence to pick up fares without prior arrangement in the City of Nottingham. He understood he could pick people up in the Gedling boundary," she added.
Zia told the court he had been a taxi driver for five years and earns £200 weekly. The family's income was increased by £369 when taking account of his wife's pay and state benefits.
http://goo.gl/6H3tTM
That led to council staff identifying the taxi driver as Zia, 41, of Grassington Road, Aspley, the court heard. He was found guilty of using a hackney carriage without insurance and plying for hire in Nottingham without a licence on April 15 last year.
After an application by solicitor Chris Brewin for Zia, magistrates agreed not to impose a driving disqualification because it would cause "exceptional hardship" to the driver's family.
But presiding magistrate Phil Oxlade warned him: "What it means is you have to drive very carefully. Until November of this year, there will be 12 points on your licence.
"If you are brought back to court you will be on a totter and in all likelihood you will be disqualified." Zia was fined £375 with £200 prosecution costs and a government surcharge of £37.
Six points were added to his licence, adding to the six already on for earlier offences which included speeding and breach of traffic signals.
Francesca Whyley, for Gedling Borough Council, said the authority received a complaint about the fare charged for a journey back from the QMC.
"The meter for payment read £30.40. The passengers questioned it, saying it seemed high. It should have been £15. They paid the driver £30.
"He did not have a licence to pick up fares without prior arrangement in the City of Nottingham. He understood he could pick people up in the Gedling boundary," she added.
Zia told the court he had been a taxi driver for five years and earns £200 weekly. The family's income was increased by £369 when taking account of his wife's pay and state benefits.
http://goo.gl/6H3tTM
--------------------------------------------
ROTHERHAM
All taxis in Rotherham will have to have security cameras fitted from July, the council has announced.
The new rules aim to protect vulnerable passengers from potential abuse following the town's grooming scandal.
It comes after official inquiries revealed the prominent role of taxi drivers in the widespread exploitation of children over more than a decade.
http://goo.gl/LNUhLv
------------------------------------------
UBER SPAIN
DISCOUNT taxi service Uber may have been given the boot from Spain once, but through a legal loophole the US-based company has managed to find its way back onto the grid.
The service has proven to be a big hit worldwide, thanks to significantly cheaper rates than those offered by traditional taxi companies, but a lawsuit launched by taxi drivers put the brakes on the operation in Spain back in December 2014. Uber had to pack its bags and hit the road when a Spanish judge ruled that the use of amateur drivers was a violation of national laws and unfair competition for professionally licenced cabbies.
Now Uber is popping up in Spain again, as it can get around the ban by employing professionally licenced drivers, including chauffeurs using private cars, rather than the amateur folk that were the company’s bread and butter in its previous incarnation.
The company will no doubt present stiff competition for Cabify, a similar service which already operates in Spain. The new and improved Uber is expected to have fares that will be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than traditional taxis. The service will begin in Madrid and is then expected to extend into other parts of the country.
http://goo.gl/rdu14m
----------------------------------------------------------------
BOURNEMOUTH
AN unknown hero who pulled a young woman from her burning car moments before it turned into a “fireball” has been identified.
Taxi driver Noureddine Hacib was driving Broadstone couple Darrel Priestley and Jayne Weeks home from a night out during the early hours of Saturday morning when they spotted the vehicle.
The trio were travelling along the Dorset Way towards Poole when they saw the smoking car on the side of the carriageway.
Mr Hacib, 43, who lives in the Queen's Park area of Bournemouth, has been described as a "hero" after he pulled the woman from her car even as flames began to engulf the vehicle.
http://goo.gl/riXbTx
Taxi driver Noureddine Hacib was driving Broadstone couple Darrel Priestley and Jayne Weeks home from a night out during the early hours of Saturday morning when they spotted the vehicle.
The trio were travelling along the Dorset Way towards Poole when they saw the smoking car on the side of the carriageway.
Mr Hacib, 43, who lives in the Queen's Park area of Bournemouth, has been described as a "hero" after he pulled the woman from her car even as flames began to engulf the vehicle.
http://goo.gl/riXbTx
Tuesday 29 March 2016
GMB Professional drivers .
A members concerns in relation to interference on Insurance from those who don’t understand.
Posted on March 30, 2016
A members email to us and further comments from us:
I am writing to you to express my concerns in regards to Mr Wes Streeting (Labour Ilford North MP) Operator based Hire & Reward insurance proposal for PHV drivers.
The Bill was submitted via the ten minute rule on Tuesday the 22nd March 2016, more info can be found on the links below.
http://www.wesstreeting.org/wes_in_drive_to_improve_taxi_regulation
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/taxiandprivatehirevehicleoperatorsregulation.html
My concern is that this proposal will impact self employed drivers and small operators, I work with multiple operators at any given time and such proposal will not allow me to do so if this proposal is enacted. This proposal will restrict me to working for just one operator due to the terms and conditions of such insurance policy.
An Operator based H&R insurance policy will choke small Operators & self employed drivers, this proposal will also empower multinational/big operators even more as such operators would be able to buy H&R insurance at discount and charge PHV drivers whatever they like. Addison Lee currently charges drivers £60 per week for their Fleet Hire & Reward insurance and makes huge profits every year from such insurance policy; the driver has to pay hefty deposit of up to £3,000 and does not accumulate a penny of no claims discount on such policy.
This type of policy hinders the driver as he/she won’t be able to accumulate any NCD. This will also force the driver to work for one operator which goes against the nature of self employment.
There are other implications as well for example what will self-employed drivers do when he or she is kicked off a circuit by an operator at any given time. Operators kick drivers off their circuits all the time for whatever reason they deem fit and such proposal will give operators even more power over the driver, which can lead to even more exploitation and bullying.
I am amazed at the fact that a Labour MP worked on this proposal with a company which funds the Tory party and ignored the implications this will have on working class people like me. The bill does not resolve any of the issues PHV drivers face on a daily basis. Mr Streeting mentioned how Taxi drivers are struggling to make a good living and yet failed to mention the fact PHV drivers are also struggling to make a living let alone a good living. PHV drivers are exploited and bullied by operators and yet politicians take no notice of this fact, drivers nationwide are earning below minimum wage.
We may add the following:
The idea that such an insurance even if was possible to use could cover owner drivers and satisfy Lease, Finance and Hire companies is impossible.
Firstly there is no way a driver can suddenly enact a insurance cover for the times he is not working for a fleet.
Temporary cover is not only prohibitive in cost but leaves a driver in a financially vulnerable position.
Operators Like Addison Lee and Uber would love this as it would squeeze out more competition and create a profit stream on higher premiums based on admin and other costs.
If a fleet operator charges drivers £60 per week that’s over £3120 a year.
With some drivers with NCD paying £1200 PA do you think they will accept increased costs?
Com Cab and Radio Taxis would be forced to this market too as they are considered fleets.
In probability this would also spread to Gett and Hailo as theoretically they are fleet apps like Uber.
We have had multiple cases of deposits taken from drivers and never returned either through petty claims or in some cases closure of the company with no return only for the company directors to restart as an other operator.
On this count TFL have failed to act against the perpetrators.
Following GMB’s response for an annual policy which is mandatory for licensing we expect fraud to reduce although we will ask TFL to mandate insurers advise them of Private hire policies that lapse or are cancelled on vehicles so that the licences can be removed to not risk the public.
We hope that appropriate no claims discounts will bring down costs for all drivers overpaying for their cover.
Plan insurance are working on TIC a checking system to improve detection.
A strict Ply for hire definition is required too.
Above all we must stress that Politicians playing with private hire and taxi as if it is a toy when they have no instructions and will only cause more damage as has happened with the recent amendments to the Licensing act.
http://goo.gl/fsgF3V
-----------------------------------------------
DERRY
A petition branding the imposition of taximeters and printers an “unfair tax for Derry taxi drivers” has attracted over 100 supporters online.
John Bradley, who launched the petition just over a week ago, complains that a raft of changes to taxi regulations that will take effect from May include what will amount to a “£600 tax for the meter installation in vehicles.”
It’s an overhead drivers can’t afford, he says.
He argues that taxi women and men will have to raise fares to pay for the maintenance of the installed system.
He states: “Taxi drivers put in 50 plus hours per week to make ends meet. They work hard. They deserve to be treated fairly. Sign this petition to help raise awareness of this unfair tax on hard workers.”
Under the new rules Class A and Class B taxis must have a DoE approved taximeter and printer installed by May 31 and they must be programmed to operate within a new maximum fare structure.
Officially announcing the changes in February, Mr Durkan said: “I am modernising and improving the regulations for the taxi industry including licensing requirements, accessibility standards and installation of taximeters and imposition of maximum fares.”
He added: “In effect, these changes will mean that people in the North will get a much better taxi service. My Department will now write to all taxi drivers and operators to advise them of the changes which will be introduced as part of the implementation of the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.”
Many of the supporters of Mr Bradley’s petition disagree, saying the regulations newly penalise drivers.
Diane Tierney states: “Taximen have been trying to earn a living for years and are being held to ransom by taxi firms who are the ones profiting while the drivers do all the work. Fair pay for fair work.”
Kathy Johnston states: “My husband is a taxi driver and already we [find] it hard enough to make ends meet. Especially with five children to support too.”
Warren Macfarland states: “The government are forcing these charges on taxi drivers, these expenses should be subsidised.”
Bob McLaughlin states: “Taxi men need a break, meters are fair enough but why punish the drivers? They are only doing a job.”
http://goo.gl/GFaCmI
------------------------------------
UBER CANADA crossed a line when it submitted a draft bylaw to the city’s licensing division, says the head of a taxi lobby group.
Next week, municipal licensing staff will release the much-anticipated proposed regulations for ride-sharing services and the taxi industry. City council is set to vote on the staff recommendations in May.
“I don’t think councillors are going to like the concept of a foreign, private sector company writing the legislation to staff,” Rita Smith, executive director of the Toronto Taxi Alliance, said Tuesday.
Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said it is “standard practice” for stakeholders to provide input to a government drawing up new laws.
“Uber and all parties involved in the ground transportation industry were invited to make submissions on regulations for consideration by ML&S, (Municipal Licensing and Standards),” Heath wrote in email.
“We regularly share examples of ridesharing regulations with regulators to help them better understand how jurisdictions around the world are regulating ridesharing.”
Smith said submitting a “full deck of pre-written legislation” was not standard practice.
“I have never seen this level of detail before, at any level of government,” she said. “This has been Uber’s stealth method of operations in many other jurisdictions.”
The Uber document was included in a batch of emails Smith obtained through a freedom of information request.
Last August, Chris Schafer, Uber Canada’s public policy manager, sent an email to licensing executive director Tracey Cook that included a “City of Toronto Transportation Network Company Services Bylaw,” prepared by Uber.
According to the document, Uber wants the city to set up a separate category for itself — called Transportation Network Company, or TNC.
“TNCs or TNC drivers are not common carriers or commercial motor vehicles (as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the Province of Ontario),” the Uber document states.
“A TNC driver shall not be required to register the vehicle such driver uses for TNC services as a commercial or for hire vehicles.”
Cook said Tuesday that the city will be doing the writing of any bylaw, but has “welcomed input from all stakeholders, including through a dedicated email account. We have received written submissions from numerous taxi and limousine stakeholders.
“We take all submissions into consideration — no one submission carries more weight than another.”
The taxi industry is adamant the only way cabbies can compete with Uber is if regulations are identical, including the requirement that drivers have costly commercial insurance.
“Unfortunately for Uber, no matter what by-law the city passes, insurance companies view all transportation of passengers for compensation exactly the same,” Smith wrote in an email.
“Toronto can pass by-laws until the cows come home; they cannot make insurance companies insure these cars. And they won’t.”
Smith said taxi industry representatives who attended an licensing “stakeholder” meeting last month considered it a “sham . . . Perhaps that is because MLS had already written its report based on Uber’s desired legislation.”
On Tuesday, Uber Canada launched a campaign asking Uber supporters to urge councillors to support “smart” and “progressive” regulations.
http://goo.gl/aibIX7
-------------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's taxi authority plans new rules for drivers that will impose tougher penalties for sexually charged comments and contact with passengers amid growing concern about harassment.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses about 150,000 drivers of yellow cabs and other for-hire vehicles such as Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft, wants to curb unwanted communication and touching as the number of drivers has significantly grown.
The TLC said the regulations are meant to clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment as more drivers enter the industry.
The behavior is already prohibited under a broad definition against threats, harassment or abuse, but the commission's goal is clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg.
The agency plans to debate the proposal at an April 21 meeting.
"This rule amendment would provide clear definitions of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact, which would help TLC prosecution enforce its rules and protect our passengers," he said in a statement.
The new rules would also ban drivers from commenting on the appearance and gender of their passengers, as well as expressing desire to enter into any relationship.
Sexual harassment offenders, under the proposal, would face a $1,000 fine, three points on a driver's license and a 30-day suspension or revocation, while sexual contact would carry a $2,000 fine and a mandatory revocation.
http://goo.gl/Zmfgsk
A members concerns in relation to interference on Insurance from those who don’t understand.
Posted on March 30, 2016
A members email to us and further comments from us:
I am writing to you to express my concerns in regards to Mr Wes Streeting (Labour Ilford North MP) Operator based Hire & Reward insurance proposal for PHV drivers.
The Bill was submitted via the ten minute rule on Tuesday the 22nd March 2016, more info can be found on the links below.
http://www.wesstreeting.org/wes_in_drive_to_improve_taxi_regulation
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/taxiandprivatehirevehicleoperatorsregulation.html
My concern is that this proposal will impact self employed drivers and small operators, I work with multiple operators at any given time and such proposal will not allow me to do so if this proposal is enacted. This proposal will restrict me to working for just one operator due to the terms and conditions of such insurance policy.
An Operator based H&R insurance policy will choke small Operators & self employed drivers, this proposal will also empower multinational/big operators even more as such operators would be able to buy H&R insurance at discount and charge PHV drivers whatever they like. Addison Lee currently charges drivers £60 per week for their Fleet Hire & Reward insurance and makes huge profits every year from such insurance policy; the driver has to pay hefty deposit of up to £3,000 and does not accumulate a penny of no claims discount on such policy.
This type of policy hinders the driver as he/she won’t be able to accumulate any NCD. This will also force the driver to work for one operator which goes against the nature of self employment.
There are other implications as well for example what will self-employed drivers do when he or she is kicked off a circuit by an operator at any given time. Operators kick drivers off their circuits all the time for whatever reason they deem fit and such proposal will give operators even more power over the driver, which can lead to even more exploitation and bullying.
I am amazed at the fact that a Labour MP worked on this proposal with a company which funds the Tory party and ignored the implications this will have on working class people like me. The bill does not resolve any of the issues PHV drivers face on a daily basis. Mr Streeting mentioned how Taxi drivers are struggling to make a good living and yet failed to mention the fact PHV drivers are also struggling to make a living let alone a good living. PHV drivers are exploited and bullied by operators and yet politicians take no notice of this fact, drivers nationwide are earning below minimum wage.
We may add the following:
The idea that such an insurance even if was possible to use could cover owner drivers and satisfy Lease, Finance and Hire companies is impossible.
Firstly there is no way a driver can suddenly enact a insurance cover for the times he is not working for a fleet.
Temporary cover is not only prohibitive in cost but leaves a driver in a financially vulnerable position.
Operators Like Addison Lee and Uber would love this as it would squeeze out more competition and create a profit stream on higher premiums based on admin and other costs.
If a fleet operator charges drivers £60 per week that’s over £3120 a year.
With some drivers with NCD paying £1200 PA do you think they will accept increased costs?
Com Cab and Radio Taxis would be forced to this market too as they are considered fleets.
In probability this would also spread to Gett and Hailo as theoretically they are fleet apps like Uber.
We have had multiple cases of deposits taken from drivers and never returned either through petty claims or in some cases closure of the company with no return only for the company directors to restart as an other operator.
On this count TFL have failed to act against the perpetrators.
Following GMB’s response for an annual policy which is mandatory for licensing we expect fraud to reduce although we will ask TFL to mandate insurers advise them of Private hire policies that lapse or are cancelled on vehicles so that the licences can be removed to not risk the public.
We hope that appropriate no claims discounts will bring down costs for all drivers overpaying for their cover.
Plan insurance are working on TIC a checking system to improve detection.
A strict Ply for hire definition is required too.
Above all we must stress that Politicians playing with private hire and taxi as if it is a toy when they have no instructions and will only cause more damage as has happened with the recent amendments to the Licensing act.
http://goo.gl/fsgF3V
-----------------------------------------------
DERRY
A petition branding the imposition of taximeters and printers an “unfair tax for Derry taxi drivers” has attracted over 100 supporters online.
John Bradley, who launched the petition just over a week ago, complains that a raft of changes to taxi regulations that will take effect from May include what will amount to a “£600 tax for the meter installation in vehicles.”
It’s an overhead drivers can’t afford, he says.
He argues that taxi women and men will have to raise fares to pay for the maintenance of the installed system.
He states: “Taxi drivers put in 50 plus hours per week to make ends meet. They work hard. They deserve to be treated fairly. Sign this petition to help raise awareness of this unfair tax on hard workers.”
Under the new rules Class A and Class B taxis must have a DoE approved taximeter and printer installed by May 31 and they must be programmed to operate within a new maximum fare structure.
Officially announcing the changes in February, Mr Durkan said: “I am modernising and improving the regulations for the taxi industry including licensing requirements, accessibility standards and installation of taximeters and imposition of maximum fares.”
He added: “In effect, these changes will mean that people in the North will get a much better taxi service. My Department will now write to all taxi drivers and operators to advise them of the changes which will be introduced as part of the implementation of the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.”
Many of the supporters of Mr Bradley’s petition disagree, saying the regulations newly penalise drivers.
Diane Tierney states: “Taximen have been trying to earn a living for years and are being held to ransom by taxi firms who are the ones profiting while the drivers do all the work. Fair pay for fair work.”
Kathy Johnston states: “My husband is a taxi driver and already we [find] it hard enough to make ends meet. Especially with five children to support too.”
Warren Macfarland states: “The government are forcing these charges on taxi drivers, these expenses should be subsidised.”
Bob McLaughlin states: “Taxi men need a break, meters are fair enough but why punish the drivers? They are only doing a job.”
http://goo.gl/GFaCmI
------------------------------------
UBER CANADA crossed a line when it submitted a draft bylaw to the city’s licensing division, says the head of a taxi lobby group.
Next week, municipal licensing staff will release the much-anticipated proposed regulations for ride-sharing services and the taxi industry. City council is set to vote on the staff recommendations in May.
“I don’t think councillors are going to like the concept of a foreign, private sector company writing the legislation to staff,” Rita Smith, executive director of the Toronto Taxi Alliance, said Tuesday.
Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said it is “standard practice” for stakeholders to provide input to a government drawing up new laws.
“Uber and all parties involved in the ground transportation industry were invited to make submissions on regulations for consideration by ML&S, (Municipal Licensing and Standards),” Heath wrote in email.
“We regularly share examples of ridesharing regulations with regulators to help them better understand how jurisdictions around the world are regulating ridesharing.”
Smith said submitting a “full deck of pre-written legislation” was not standard practice.
“I have never seen this level of detail before, at any level of government,” she said. “This has been Uber’s stealth method of operations in many other jurisdictions.”
The Uber document was included in a batch of emails Smith obtained through a freedom of information request.
Last August, Chris Schafer, Uber Canada’s public policy manager, sent an email to licensing executive director Tracey Cook that included a “City of Toronto Transportation Network Company Services Bylaw,” prepared by Uber.
According to the document, Uber wants the city to set up a separate category for itself — called Transportation Network Company, or TNC.
“TNCs or TNC drivers are not common carriers or commercial motor vehicles (as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the Province of Ontario),” the Uber document states.
“A TNC driver shall not be required to register the vehicle such driver uses for TNC services as a commercial or for hire vehicles.”
Cook said Tuesday that the city will be doing the writing of any bylaw, but has “welcomed input from all stakeholders, including through a dedicated email account. We have received written submissions from numerous taxi and limousine stakeholders.
“We take all submissions into consideration — no one submission carries more weight than another.”
The taxi industry is adamant the only way cabbies can compete with Uber is if regulations are identical, including the requirement that drivers have costly commercial insurance.
“Unfortunately for Uber, no matter what by-law the city passes, insurance companies view all transportation of passengers for compensation exactly the same,” Smith wrote in an email.
“Toronto can pass by-laws until the cows come home; they cannot make insurance companies insure these cars. And they won’t.”
Smith said taxi industry representatives who attended an licensing “stakeholder” meeting last month considered it a “sham . . . Perhaps that is because MLS had already written its report based on Uber’s desired legislation.”
On Tuesday, Uber Canada launched a campaign asking Uber supporters to urge councillors to support “smart” and “progressive” regulations.
http://goo.gl/aibIX7
-------------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's taxi authority plans new rules for drivers that will impose tougher penalties for sexually charged comments and contact with passengers amid growing concern about harassment.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses about 150,000 drivers of yellow cabs and other for-hire vehicles such as Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft, wants to curb unwanted communication and touching as the number of drivers has significantly grown.
The TLC said the regulations are meant to clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment as more drivers enter the industry.
The behavior is already prohibited under a broad definition against threats, harassment or abuse, but the commission's goal is clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg.
The agency plans to debate the proposal at an April 21 meeting.
"This rule amendment would provide clear definitions of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact, which would help TLC prosecution enforce its rules and protect our passengers," he said in a statement.
The new rules would also ban drivers from commenting on the appearance and gender of their passengers, as well as expressing desire to enter into any relationship.
Sexual harassment offenders, under the proposal, would face a $1,000 fine, three points on a driver's license and a 30-day suspension or revocation, while sexual contact would carry a $2,000 fine and a mandatory revocation.
http://goo.gl/Zmfgsk
UBER LONDON, REALLY GIVE PASSENGER THE RUN AROUND.
A Uber driver charged a drunk passenger £102.17 for a journey, after taking him on a 20-mile detour around London while he slept.
Daniel Kaizen ordered a minicab from Old Street to Wood Green, north London this weekend, a five-mile trip which he said he was told would cost around £15.
But the late-night detour around the capital meant that his journey took five times longer than he expected and the bill came to over £100.
He said that Uber has since apologised and promised to refund the money.
Mr Kaizen, 26, ordered an Uber minicab in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday morning and said that he slept most of the way back.
But instead of being driven through north London on what would have been the quickest route, he spent the night riding due east to Barking before being taken around the North Circular to his destination.
After waking up at his destination, he switched on his phone to give his driver a star rating and said “I nearly spat out my tea laughing at the route”.
Looking at his phone, he could see the round-about route the driver had taken as well as the car going beyond where he says he was dropped off.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/29/uber-driver-charges-drunk-passenger-102-for-15-journey/
A Uber driver charged a drunk passenger £102.17 for a journey, after taking him on a 20-mile detour around London while he slept.
Daniel Kaizen ordered a minicab from Old Street to Wood Green, north London this weekend, a five-mile trip which he said he was told would cost around £15.
But the late-night detour around the capital meant that his journey took five times longer than he expected and the bill came to over £100.
He said that Uber has since apologised and promised to refund the money.
Mr Kaizen, 26, ordered an Uber minicab in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday morning and said that he slept most of the way back.
But instead of being driven through north London on what would have been the quickest route, he spent the night riding due east to Barking before being taken around the North Circular to his destination.
After waking up at his destination, he switched on his phone to give his driver a star rating and said “I nearly spat out my tea laughing at the route”.
Looking at his phone, he could see the round-about route the driver had taken as well as the car going beyond where he says he was dropped off.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/29/uber-driver-charges-drunk-passenger-102-for-15-journey/
Monday 28 March 2016
A Bradford-registered cab has been seized by police investigating the death of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah - who was stabbed after wishing friends a "very happy Easter".
The grey Volkswagen Passat mini-cab with Uber branding in the windscreen was parked opposite "man of peace" Mr Shah's shop in Glasgow, where he was killed just four hours after posting his Easter message to "my beloved Christian nation".
The vehicle - a private hire vehicle registered with Bradford Council, 200 miles from Glasgow - was within the police cordon set up at the crime scene and was removed by police forensic officers wearing white protective suits.
The forensic officers slowly drove a recovery truck into the cordon and winched the private hire saloon cab onto the back of it before driving away.
It's believed the vehicle, which is feared to have transported Mr Shah's killer to the scene, is now undergoing forensic testing.
The vehicle seizure happened at 2.30pm on Friday afternoon outside Mr Shah's shop on Minard Road in the Shawlands area of Glasgow but has only just come to light.
News of the seizure comes just hours after reports that Mr Shah's alleged killer had travelled to Scotland from Bradford. The suspect is understood to be from the Girlington area of the city.
An Uber spokesman said today that the car was registered to a private hire cab driver in Bradford who last used the Uber app on Monday, March 21.
The spokesman said the car had not been used for any Uber trips in Glasgow and said any driver given a private hire licence by Bradford City Council had to pass enhanced DBS disclosure tests.
Police Scotland today refused to comment on the seizure of the vehicle.
A West Yorkshire police spokesman said: “It is a Police Scotland investigation but they have been liaising with senior officers in Bradford about the community impact.”
Meanwhile a crowdfunding site set up to raise money for Mr Shah's family has reached £70,000 thanks to donations from across Britain and further afield.
Police said on Friday that Mr Shah's death was being treated as "religiously prejudiced".
Mr Shah was a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions.
Speaking today, Dr Mohammed Iqbal, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bradford, said: "I feel very sad for the victim and his family, for our Ahmadiyya community because we know we face these dangers and for Bradford.
"It is a tragedy not just for those directly involved but also for the wider community because it will bring negativity to Bradford which we don’t want."
Dr Bary Malik, also from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said sympathies had been sent to Mr Shah’s family.
He said he was a friend of the victim and had got to know him from time spent in Rabwah in Pakistan, where the shopkeeper had been born.
http://goo.gl/NSwxZg
The grey Volkswagen Passat mini-cab with Uber branding in the windscreen was parked opposite "man of peace" Mr Shah's shop in Glasgow, where he was killed just four hours after posting his Easter message to "my beloved Christian nation".
The vehicle - a private hire vehicle registered with Bradford Council, 200 miles from Glasgow - was within the police cordon set up at the crime scene and was removed by police forensic officers wearing white protective suits.
The forensic officers slowly drove a recovery truck into the cordon and winched the private hire saloon cab onto the back of it before driving away.
It's believed the vehicle, which is feared to have transported Mr Shah's killer to the scene, is now undergoing forensic testing.
The vehicle seizure happened at 2.30pm on Friday afternoon outside Mr Shah's shop on Minard Road in the Shawlands area of Glasgow but has only just come to light.
News of the seizure comes just hours after reports that Mr Shah's alleged killer had travelled to Scotland from Bradford. The suspect is understood to be from the Girlington area of the city.
An Uber spokesman said today that the car was registered to a private hire cab driver in Bradford who last used the Uber app on Monday, March 21.
The spokesman said the car had not been used for any Uber trips in Glasgow and said any driver given a private hire licence by Bradford City Council had to pass enhanced DBS disclosure tests.
Police Scotland today refused to comment on the seizure of the vehicle.
A West Yorkshire police spokesman said: “It is a Police Scotland investigation but they have been liaising with senior officers in Bradford about the community impact.”
Meanwhile a crowdfunding site set up to raise money for Mr Shah's family has reached £70,000 thanks to donations from across Britain and further afield.
Police said on Friday that Mr Shah's death was being treated as "religiously prejudiced".
Mr Shah was a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions.
Speaking today, Dr Mohammed Iqbal, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bradford, said: "I feel very sad for the victim and his family, for our Ahmadiyya community because we know we face these dangers and for Bradford.
"It is a tragedy not just for those directly involved but also for the wider community because it will bring negativity to Bradford which we don’t want."
Dr Bary Malik, also from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said sympathies had been sent to Mr Shah’s family.
He said he was a friend of the victim and had got to know him from time spent in Rabwah in Pakistan, where the shopkeeper had been born.
http://goo.gl/NSwxZg
GOSPORT
Shocking footage of a boy hanging out of the rear window of a moving car has sparked an outcry – as police have said no action will be taken.
Driving instructor Mike Light, 47, was teaching a student in Heritage Way, Gosport, when the rear-facing dashcam captured the video.
When the car drew closer and he stopped at traffic lights he turned around and saw that it was a young boy hanging out of the window.
Hampshire police’s Collision Assessment Team said no offence was committed and no action was taken.
Brake – the road safety charity – said the boy should have been wearing a seat belt.
Mr Light, who has nine years of experience teaching drivers, said: ‘It was surprising but what’s more disgusting is the response from Hampshire police.
‘I didn’t expect anything else to be honest. He was hanging out the window, he could quite easily have fallen out.
‘I’m a driving instructor and trying to promote road safety, I’m passionate about it.’
http://goo.gl/qMT6yE
----------------------------------------
NEWCASTLE
Police are appealing for help after reports that a woman was put into a taxi against her will in Newcastle city centre.
A member of the public saw the woman on Saint Nicholas Street outside of Tup Tup bar at 1.20am this morning being put into the taxi by two men. She appeared not to know the men and did not want to get into the black cab.
The woman had previously been on the floor outside of the Tup Tup bar when the two men helped her up and got into a taxi with her and possibly another woman.
The two men are described as both being black, aged mid 20’s, 5ft 9" tall, muscular build and with short black hair. One was wearing a red long sleeved top, possibly a jumper. The second man was wearing a white long sleeved shirt/top.
The woman is described as white, aged 18 – 21 years, 5ft 8" tall, slim build, long blonde hair which was worn down past her shoulders, and was wearing a white or gold coloured sparkley dress.
Enquiries are ongoing into the incident including checking CCTV and making enquiries with local taxi firms.
Officers want to speak to the people involved in the incident, or anyone who was in the area this morning and who might have seen something.
Chief Inspector Ron Charlton said:
Witnesses have told us that they think they saw the woman being forced into the taxi and that she may have not known who these two men were, this is very concerning and we want to find this woman and make sure she is ok.
This could potentially be a misunderstanding but it's important we find those involved and make sure everything is ok. I'd urge this woman, the two men, or anyone who might know who this is to contact us as soon as possible."
– Chief Inspector Ron Charlton
http://goo.gl/2VHooo
----------------------------------------
STOKE
THE driver and a passenger in a stolen Mercedes fled the scene after smashing into a taxi leaving the cabbie hurt.
The pair also abandoned a second passenger after the late-night crash in North Road, Cobridge.
Police and ambulance crews were called at 4.20am yesterday to the scene of the collision, which flipped the Mercedes onto its roof.
The road was closed for several hours while the vehicles were recovered.
Paramedics took a 22-year-old man who was travelling in the Mercedes to the Royal Stoke University Hospital where he is understood to have undergone an operation after suffering a collapsed lung and injuries to his head and arm.
The taxi driver was also taken to the same hospital suffering with neck and back pain, but he has since been allowed home.
http://goo.gl/Pr6sE4
----------------------------------
DORSET
A Heroic taxi driver and his passenger pulled a young woman from her burning car moments before it turned into a “fireball” on Saturday.
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that it received reports of the blaze on Dorset Way, Poole, at 3.30am and that two passers-by had freed the vehicle’s driver prior to their arrival.
One of those passers-by was 32-year-old Darrel Priestley who was travelling back to his Broadstone home after an evening out with his fiancée, Jayne Weeks, when they saw a smoking car on the side of the carriageway.
http://goo.gl/UIFBa0
------------------------------------
NEW YORK
A taxi medallion owner has been caught taking drivers for a ride.
Andrew Rosenberg, a medallion owner and manager of 142 medallions, will have to pay $750,000 to more than a thousand burned drivers for skimming from fares paid by credit card and overcharging them on cab leasing fees, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
The credit card rounding to even numbers — stiffing drivers an average of .73 cents per payout — was a bonanza for Rosenberg, allowing his company, Style Management Corp., to take about $159,000 between October 2010 and April 2014.
Meanwhile, drivers were paying too much to lease cabs through Rosenberg’s Style Management. Some drivers who leased a cab for daily 12-hour periods paid $6.23 a shift above the capped rate. When taxi rules changed in 2012 to further limit these lease fees on drivers, hacks were overcharged up to $140 a week on top of the limit.
"Taxi drivers work hard every day to keep New York moving and their earnings should not be squeezed by taxi companies which own or manage medallions," Schneiderman said in a statement.
Under a deal with the attorney general's office, Rosenberg agreed to stop rounding payments and keep lease fees to drivers within the cap. Rosenberg will also have to show the attorney general’s office it’s in compliance with taxi rules for the next two years.
City Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Meera Joshi, whose agency referred the case to the attorney general, said the enforcement effort sends a "powerful message of support to TLC drivers and an equally strong warning to those who would contemplate depriving them of their hard-earned pay.”
Rosenberg, of Armonk in Westchester County, did not return request for comment left at his business and could not be reached at other numbers.
http://goo.gl/ZaztYg
----------------------------------
Thursday 24 March 2016
A Shrewsbury taxi driver who admitted indecently assaulting two young girls more than 20 years ago has been jailed for five years.
Tommasso Picardo was arrested after one of the girls, now an adult who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to police in February last year.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard she told police the 56-year-old, of Crewe Street, had sexually assaulted her in the summer of 1995.
Mr Anthony Potter, prosecuting, said Picardo initially told police: “I wholeheartedly deny these allegations.”
But in a second interview last month, he told officers he had also assaulted another girl at the same time as the assault on the first victim in 1995.
Picardo had pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault at a previous court hearing and appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced.
Judge Robin Onions told him: “It is impossible to understand why you behaved the way you did. You had not done it before and have not done it since.”
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2016/03/24/jailed-shrewsbury-taxi-driver-indecently-assaulted-young-girls/
---------------------------------------
West Bromwich.
Sandwell’s first bus lane cameras will be installed to capture motorists using lanes illegally through West Bromwich.
But private hire taxi drivers have hit out the move saying it causes ‘discrimination’ between cab drivers as Hackney Carriages will still be allowed to use the lane.
Council officials want to enforce a ban on the stretch of New Street outside Sandwell College’s Central Sixth campus with CCTV cameras.
Around 3,000 cars have been using New Street, past Sandwell College’s Central Sixth campus.
Sandwell Council wants to enforce a ban already in place and say the cameras will deter motorists flouting the ban.
The new proposal will see only Hackney Carriages allowed through the zone on New Street, in a move cabinet member for highways and environment councillor Maria Crompton has described as ‘best for public safety’.
Congestion
She said: “I believe that Hackney Carriages entering the bus only street can do so without significantly increasing the number of cars that add to the congestion, which isn’t the case for private hire vehicles.
“There are fewer Hackney Carriages in comparison, and private hire vehicles have the advantage of a pre-booking system where they can pick up customers from any point, rather than use the taxi ranks assigned for Hackney Carriages.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2016/03/24/sandwell-taxi-drivers-hit-out-at-bus-lane-cameras/
------------------------------------
A PENSIONER who fraudulently claimed more than £50,000 in benefits “to make ends meet” while working as a taxi driver has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Grandfather David Rivett, 77, dishonestly claimed pension credit and housing and council tax benefits for around ten years from 2005, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor, Richard Woolfall, said Rivett, of Westfield Court, Burley, Leeds, originally claimed for the benefits in early 2005 when he stated he was single and unemployed.
Mr Woolfall said in April 2005, Rivett applied for a taxi licence and renewed that licence every year until 2014.
Rivett worked as a private hire driver until 2015 when he failed his medical and was no longer able to continue.
Father-of-four Rivett admitted two charges of failing to notify a change in circumstances affecting entitlement to social security benefits.
Mitigating Genan Hashim, said: “He had very little income coming in from his taxi driver services. This is not a man who has lived a luxurious lifestyle as a result of this.
“He lives alone in a two-bedroom flat. He didn’t have holidays. He has very little in the way of savings. I’m told this was just to make ends meet.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/leeds-oap-taxi-driver-in-51-000-benefit-fraud-1-7815639#ixzz43tLFxtpf
----------------------------------
Brussels
The taxi driver who drove the Brussels suicide bombers to the airport was not allowed to touch their explosives-laden bags and they sat in silence during the journey, Belgian newspaper DH reported citing unidentified sources.
Brahim El Bakraoui and two other men suspected of carrying out the attack on Tuesday travelled from the Brussels district of Schaerbeek to the airport.
The airport bombs and a suicide bombing at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre, which prosecutors said was carried out by El Bakraoui's brother Khalid, killed at least 31 people and injured 270.
A man wearing a hat and light-coloured jacket did chat with the taxi driver, talking about his anger towards the United States and how he disagreed with some of its actions, DH said.
A bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and black hat ran out of the airport terminal, federal prosecutors said, before a third suitcase bomb exploded in the departures area as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties.
The man, captured on film with the suicide bombers, is being sought by police.
DH said the taxi driver smelled ammonia during the journey and when he dropped the men off at the airport noticed their bags had traces of white powder on them.
He heard about the explosions while driving his next passenger and immediately went to the police, it said.
On Wednesday, DH reported that a mix-up by a Brussels taxi dispatcher meant a small car was sent to pick up the bombers instead of the minivan they had ordered and the passengers were forced to leave one bag behind. Police later found a nail bomb in an apartment in Schaerbeek.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-belgium-blast-taxi-idUKKCN0WQ1JZ
-----------------------------------
HERTFORDSHIRE
A 21-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by the driver of a silver taxi after being picked up from Market Place in Hitchin and dropped off in Letchworth between 2.30am and 4am on Sunday, March 20.
In a second assault police believe is linked, a 33-year-old woman got into a taxi near The Drapers Arms pub in Stevenage High Street between 12.05am and 12.20am on Saturday, March 19, and was allegedly sexually assaulted by the driver during the journey.
Det Con Kirsty Rusbridge, from the Herts police sexual offences investigation team, said: “I fully appreciate that these incidents will, understandably, cause concern and I would like to reassure people that a full investigation is under way.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have any information which could assist our enquiries to please come forward.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to remind people to remain vigilant when out and about. Keep the number of a reputable taxi firm saved in your phone and try and pre-book to ensure that the driver is genuine. Avoid travelling alone if possible and make sure that the driver has a valid taxi license on display.”
Anyone with information should contact DC Rusbridge on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
-----------------------------------
USA, Verifone
Curb, the app formerly known as Taxi Magic, is getting a fresh coat of paint and some unique features. The relaunch comes under its new owner, Verifone Systems, a public company based in San Jose that operates the entertainment and payment systems in about half of New York City's yellow and green taxis. When it goes live next month, Curb will allow users to hail and pay for a metered taxi ride, as well as —€” for the first time ever —€” book a yellow cab in advance. The app is re-launching in New York City, but is already available in Chicago and Boston. Verifone says it hopes to eventually bring Curb to all 60 cities in which the company operates across the US.
Verifone's app Way2Ride, which debuted in September 2015, will be folded into Curb and eventually phased out, said Jason Gross, head of product and marketing for the company. There will be a $1.95 fee every time you use the app to book a taxi. Riders can rate their drivers, just like with Uber. And drivers will get notices about possible trips through the systems already installed in their taxis.
Starting out, Curb will only be compatible with the 14,000 yellow and green cabs that use Verifone's credit card machines and in-taxi entertainment systems, but Gross said that by summer, the app should work in every yellow and green cab in the city under an agreement with Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT), the city's other taxi technology company.
"If you've got that 8AM flight tomorrow morning and you need a cab at 6, it's going to be there waiting for you," Gross said of Curb's pre-arrangement feature. "It's raising the level of service that yellow and green cabs can provide."
http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/23/11294758/curb-app-taxi-hail-uber-nyc-verifone
------------------------------------------------
CROYDEN
A POLICE officer has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 after a jury found her guilty of jumping a taxi without paying in Croydon.
PC Nicola Elston, 28, a serving Metropolitan Police officer attached to Lambeth borough, was found guilty today following a three-day trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The jury found her guilty of making off without payment of a taxi fare in Croydon on June 27, but not guilty of assault. She had pleaded not guilty to both offences.
PC Elston was sentenced to a £3,150 fine and £1,000 costs.
A Met spokesman said the officer remains restricted. "Now that the cr iminal proceedings have been completed we will be able to complete our misconduct process," he said.
----------------------------------------------
NATIONAL
Taxis are to be given a legal duty to carry wheelchair-using passengers - 20 years after the law was first approved by Parliament.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said he aimed to implement anti-discrimination measures by the end of the year after bowing to pressure to end two decades of inaction.
The move came hours before the publication of a House of Lords report about disability which was expected to strongly criticise his failure to commit to the measure.
Rights for guide dog and wheelchair users not to be refused access to taxis and other private hire vehicles were first put into legislation in the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act.
But only the guide dog sections were ever brought into force, despite the wheelchair provisions being included in the Equality Act of 2010.
They say a taxi must carry a passenger in their chair at no extra charge and "take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort".
Drivers must also transport the wheelchair if the passenger wants to travel in a passenger seat and " give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required".
In evidence to the Lords committee examining the impact of the Equality Act on disabled people, Mr Jones had declined to commit to the move.
He said the Government wanted to avoid unnecessary regulation on business and "need to consider whether there are alternative ways of improving driver behaviour and the service the public receives before implementing legislation" but that he was " quite supportive of the basic principle".
The committee found his reasoning "entirely unconvincing".
The move will be welcomed by disability campaigners but doubts will remain about the enforcement of the rules as many guide dog owners complain that they are still refused by some drivers.
Mr Jones said: "Everyone has the right to access public transport. We have made progress but there is a long way to go before there is equal access.
"We are in the process of strengthening the law, placing a clear duty on taxi drivers to assist passengers with wheelchairs and making it a criminal offence to charge them extra.
"We are also working with transport operators to improve access to buses and train stations across the country and will continue to work with disability groups and local authorities as we make further improvements."
Baroness Deech, who chaired the committee that examined the Act, said: "I am very pleased that the imminent issue of our report, in which they must have realised they were going to be severely criticised, has jolted them into action.
"But I will only be satisfied when I see it actually happen.
"Our report says that taxi drivers should be trained and that local authorities should not give them licences unless they comply with the terms of the Equality Act.
"If they breach it they should be sanctioned."
Tommasso Picardo was arrested after one of the girls, now an adult who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to police in February last year.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard she told police the 56-year-old, of Crewe Street, had sexually assaulted her in the summer of 1995.
Mr Anthony Potter, prosecuting, said Picardo initially told police: “I wholeheartedly deny these allegations.”
But in a second interview last month, he told officers he had also assaulted another girl at the same time as the assault on the first victim in 1995.
Picardo had pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault at a previous court hearing and appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced.
Judge Robin Onions told him: “It is impossible to understand why you behaved the way you did. You had not done it before and have not done it since.”
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2016/03/24/jailed-shrewsbury-taxi-driver-indecently-assaulted-young-girls/
---------------------------------------
West Bromwich.
Sandwell’s first bus lane cameras will be installed to capture motorists using lanes illegally through West Bromwich.
But private hire taxi drivers have hit out the move saying it causes ‘discrimination’ between cab drivers as Hackney Carriages will still be allowed to use the lane.
Council officials want to enforce a ban on the stretch of New Street outside Sandwell College’s Central Sixth campus with CCTV cameras.
Around 3,000 cars have been using New Street, past Sandwell College’s Central Sixth campus.
Sandwell Council wants to enforce a ban already in place and say the cameras will deter motorists flouting the ban.
The new proposal will see only Hackney Carriages allowed through the zone on New Street, in a move cabinet member for highways and environment councillor Maria Crompton has described as ‘best for public safety’.
Congestion
She said: “I believe that Hackney Carriages entering the bus only street can do so without significantly increasing the number of cars that add to the congestion, which isn’t the case for private hire vehicles.
“There are fewer Hackney Carriages in comparison, and private hire vehicles have the advantage of a pre-booking system where they can pick up customers from any point, rather than use the taxi ranks assigned for Hackney Carriages.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2016/03/24/sandwell-taxi-drivers-hit-out-at-bus-lane-cameras/
------------------------------------
A PENSIONER who fraudulently claimed more than £50,000 in benefits “to make ends meet” while working as a taxi driver has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Grandfather David Rivett, 77, dishonestly claimed pension credit and housing and council tax benefits for around ten years from 2005, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor, Richard Woolfall, said Rivett, of Westfield Court, Burley, Leeds, originally claimed for the benefits in early 2005 when he stated he was single and unemployed.
Mr Woolfall said in April 2005, Rivett applied for a taxi licence and renewed that licence every year until 2014.
Rivett worked as a private hire driver until 2015 when he failed his medical and was no longer able to continue.
Father-of-four Rivett admitted two charges of failing to notify a change in circumstances affecting entitlement to social security benefits.
Mitigating Genan Hashim, said: “He had very little income coming in from his taxi driver services. This is not a man who has lived a luxurious lifestyle as a result of this.
“He lives alone in a two-bedroom flat. He didn’t have holidays. He has very little in the way of savings. I’m told this was just to make ends meet.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/leeds-oap-taxi-driver-in-51-000-benefit-fraud-1-7815639#ixzz43tLFxtpf
----------------------------------
Brussels
The taxi driver who drove the Brussels suicide bombers to the airport was not allowed to touch their explosives-laden bags and they sat in silence during the journey, Belgian newspaper DH reported citing unidentified sources.
Brahim El Bakraoui and two other men suspected of carrying out the attack on Tuesday travelled from the Brussels district of Schaerbeek to the airport.
The airport bombs and a suicide bombing at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre, which prosecutors said was carried out by El Bakraoui's brother Khalid, killed at least 31 people and injured 270.
A man wearing a hat and light-coloured jacket did chat with the taxi driver, talking about his anger towards the United States and how he disagreed with some of its actions, DH said.
A bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and black hat ran out of the airport terminal, federal prosecutors said, before a third suitcase bomb exploded in the departures area as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties.
The man, captured on film with the suicide bombers, is being sought by police.
DH said the taxi driver smelled ammonia during the journey and when he dropped the men off at the airport noticed their bags had traces of white powder on them.
He heard about the explosions while driving his next passenger and immediately went to the police, it said.
On Wednesday, DH reported that a mix-up by a Brussels taxi dispatcher meant a small car was sent to pick up the bombers instead of the minivan they had ordered and the passengers were forced to leave one bag behind. Police later found a nail bomb in an apartment in Schaerbeek.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-belgium-blast-taxi-idUKKCN0WQ1JZ
-----------------------------------
HERTFORDSHIRE
A 21-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by the driver of a silver taxi after being picked up from Market Place in Hitchin and dropped off in Letchworth between 2.30am and 4am on Sunday, March 20.
In a second assault police believe is linked, a 33-year-old woman got into a taxi near The Drapers Arms pub in Stevenage High Street between 12.05am and 12.20am on Saturday, March 19, and was allegedly sexually assaulted by the driver during the journey.
Det Con Kirsty Rusbridge, from the Herts police sexual offences investigation team, said: “I fully appreciate that these incidents will, understandably, cause concern and I would like to reassure people that a full investigation is under way.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have any information which could assist our enquiries to please come forward.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to remind people to remain vigilant when out and about. Keep the number of a reputable taxi firm saved in your phone and try and pre-book to ensure that the driver is genuine. Avoid travelling alone if possible and make sure that the driver has a valid taxi license on display.”
Anyone with information should contact DC Rusbridge on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
-----------------------------------
USA, Verifone
Curb, the app formerly known as Taxi Magic, is getting a fresh coat of paint and some unique features. The relaunch comes under its new owner, Verifone Systems, a public company based in San Jose that operates the entertainment and payment systems in about half of New York City's yellow and green taxis. When it goes live next month, Curb will allow users to hail and pay for a metered taxi ride, as well as —€” for the first time ever —€” book a yellow cab in advance. The app is re-launching in New York City, but is already available in Chicago and Boston. Verifone says it hopes to eventually bring Curb to all 60 cities in which the company operates across the US.
Verifone's app Way2Ride, which debuted in September 2015, will be folded into Curb and eventually phased out, said Jason Gross, head of product and marketing for the company. There will be a $1.95 fee every time you use the app to book a taxi. Riders can rate their drivers, just like with Uber. And drivers will get notices about possible trips through the systems already installed in their taxis.
Starting out, Curb will only be compatible with the 14,000 yellow and green cabs that use Verifone's credit card machines and in-taxi entertainment systems, but Gross said that by summer, the app should work in every yellow and green cab in the city under an agreement with Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT), the city's other taxi technology company.
"If you've got that 8AM flight tomorrow morning and you need a cab at 6, it's going to be there waiting for you," Gross said of Curb's pre-arrangement feature. "It's raising the level of service that yellow and green cabs can provide."
http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/23/11294758/curb-app-taxi-hail-uber-nyc-verifone
------------------------------------------------
CROYDEN
A POLICE officer has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 after a jury found her guilty of jumping a taxi without paying in Croydon.
PC Nicola Elston, 28, a serving Metropolitan Police officer attached to Lambeth borough, was found guilty today following a three-day trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The jury found her guilty of making off without payment of a taxi fare in Croydon on June 27, but not guilty of assault. She had pleaded not guilty to both offences.
PC Elston was sentenced to a £3,150 fine and £1,000 costs.
A Met spokesman said the officer remains restricted. "Now that the cr iminal proceedings have been completed we will be able to complete our misconduct process," he said.
----------------------------------------------
NATIONAL
Taxis are to be given a legal duty to carry wheelchair-using passengers - 20 years after the law was first approved by Parliament.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said he aimed to implement anti-discrimination measures by the end of the year after bowing to pressure to end two decades of inaction.
The move came hours before the publication of a House of Lords report about disability which was expected to strongly criticise his failure to commit to the measure.
Rights for guide dog and wheelchair users not to be refused access to taxis and other private hire vehicles were first put into legislation in the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act.
But only the guide dog sections were ever brought into force, despite the wheelchair provisions being included in the Equality Act of 2010.
They say a taxi must carry a passenger in their chair at no extra charge and "take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort".
Drivers must also transport the wheelchair if the passenger wants to travel in a passenger seat and " give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required".
In evidence to the Lords committee examining the impact of the Equality Act on disabled people, Mr Jones had declined to commit to the move.
He said the Government wanted to avoid unnecessary regulation on business and "need to consider whether there are alternative ways of improving driver behaviour and the service the public receives before implementing legislation" but that he was " quite supportive of the basic principle".
The committee found his reasoning "entirely unconvincing".
The move will be welcomed by disability campaigners but doubts will remain about the enforcement of the rules as many guide dog owners complain that they are still refused by some drivers.
Mr Jones said: "Everyone has the right to access public transport. We have made progress but there is a long way to go before there is equal access.
"We are in the process of strengthening the law, placing a clear duty on taxi drivers to assist passengers with wheelchairs and making it a criminal offence to charge them extra.
"We are also working with transport operators to improve access to buses and train stations across the country and will continue to work with disability groups and local authorities as we make further improvements."
Baroness Deech, who chaired the committee that examined the Act, said: "I am very pleased that the imminent issue of our report, in which they must have realised they were going to be severely criticised, has jolted them into action.
"But I will only be satisfied when I see it actually happen.
"Our report says that taxi drivers should be trained and that local authorities should not give them licences unless they comply with the terms of the Equality Act.
"If they breach it they should be sanctioned."
Wednesday 23 March 2016
ABERDEEN
A student union at an Aberdeen university has won a national award for a taxi scheme.
Robert Gordon University Students’ Union won the Campaign of the Year award at the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland awards for its taxi scheme which it established last year with Rainbow City Taxis.
The scheme allows students who find themselves in an unsafe situation without cash to book a designated “safe taxi” by calling Rainbow City Taxis and quoting their university and student number as a temporary payment.
Edward Pollock, RGU’s Student President for Communication and Democracy, said: “We are delighted that our safe taxi scheme has been recognised at a national level, which is testament to the success and importance of the initiative.
“We strive to continually enhance the university experience and as a students’ union the welfare of students is a key concern so it’s fantastic that our hard work and dedication in ensuring our students stay safe has been awarded.”
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/taxi-initiative-wins-top-safety-award/
-----------------------------------------
BRUSSELS
The Brussels airport suicide bombers forced to leave two explosives at home when their taxi arrived to collect them and only had room for three bags.
Brahim El Bakraoui, on-the-run suspect Najim Laachraoui, along with an unidentified bomber, reacted angrily when the cab driver told them they would have to leave the suitcases behind, it's reported.
The three suspects, pictured, reportedly had to leave behind two suitcases
The Brussels airport suicide bombers forced to leave two explosives at home when their taxi arrived to collect them and only had room for three bags.
Brahim El Bakraoui, on-the-run suspect Najim Laachraoui, along with an unidentified bomber, reacted angrily when the cab driver told them they would have to leave the suitcases behind, it's reported.
The men also wouldn't allow the unwitting driver to load the suitcases - packed with explosives - into the car, according to Belgian media.
Police released CCTV images of the men after the devastating attack left 14 people dead and several injured during yesterday morning's rush hour.
The driver quickly realised he had been the person to collect the trio from the Schaerbeek district of Brussels and take them to Zaventum airport and called police.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brussels-attacks-bombers-forced-leave-7615090
COMMENT: Good job Brussels does not have any TX4's...All cases could be carried in those vehicles.
----------------------------------------------------
A student union at an Aberdeen university has won a national award for a taxi scheme.
Robert Gordon University Students’ Union won the Campaign of the Year award at the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland awards for its taxi scheme which it established last year with Rainbow City Taxis.
The scheme allows students who find themselves in an unsafe situation without cash to book a designated “safe taxi” by calling Rainbow City Taxis and quoting their university and student number as a temporary payment.
Edward Pollock, RGU’s Student President for Communication and Democracy, said: “We are delighted that our safe taxi scheme has been recognised at a national level, which is testament to the success and importance of the initiative.
“We strive to continually enhance the university experience and as a students’ union the welfare of students is a key concern so it’s fantastic that our hard work and dedication in ensuring our students stay safe has been awarded.”
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/taxi-initiative-wins-top-safety-award/
-----------------------------------------
BRUSSELS
The Brussels airport suicide bombers forced to leave two explosives at home when their taxi arrived to collect them and only had room for three bags.
Brahim El Bakraoui, on-the-run suspect Najim Laachraoui, along with an unidentified bomber, reacted angrily when the cab driver told them they would have to leave the suitcases behind, it's reported.
The three suspects, pictured, reportedly had to leave behind two suitcases
The Brussels airport suicide bombers forced to leave two explosives at home when their taxi arrived to collect them and only had room for three bags.
Brahim El Bakraoui, on-the-run suspect Najim Laachraoui, along with an unidentified bomber, reacted angrily when the cab driver told them they would have to leave the suitcases behind, it's reported.
The men also wouldn't allow the unwitting driver to load the suitcases - packed with explosives - into the car, according to Belgian media.
Police released CCTV images of the men after the devastating attack left 14 people dead and several injured during yesterday morning's rush hour.
The driver quickly realised he had been the person to collect the trio from the Schaerbeek district of Brussels and take them to Zaventum airport and called police.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brussels-attacks-bombers-forced-leave-7615090
COMMENT: Good job Brussels does not have any TX4's...All cases could be carried in those vehicles.
----------------------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
Taxi drivers criticise change in direction of Station Street traffic
Confused by the new traffic system in Station Street? So were we. We've tried to make sense of it for you below.
Drivers will have to get used to a new direction for traffic on Station Street as improvement works reach the next stage.
The £1.37million project involves pedestrianising Station Street at the entrance to Nottingham Railway Station, between Trent Street and Carrington Street.
The rest of Station Street, between London Road and Trent Street, will become one-way to improve the flow of traffic around the station.
What will happen?
On Wednesday, the direction of traffic was switched, meaning cars will now enter Trent Street from Canal Street and exit Station Street onto London Road.
The taxi rank on Station Street will also be relocated to Trent Street.
Taxi drivers have criticised the move, and told they fear for the safety of disabled passengers who would have to cross the busy road to hail a cab.
http://goo.gl/LR7ZZm
------------------------------------
Taxi drivers criticise change in direction of Station Street traffic
Confused by the new traffic system in Station Street? So were we. We've tried to make sense of it for you below.
Drivers will have to get used to a new direction for traffic on Station Street as improvement works reach the next stage.
The £1.37million project involves pedestrianising Station Street at the entrance to Nottingham Railway Station, between Trent Street and Carrington Street.
The rest of Station Street, between London Road and Trent Street, will become one-way to improve the flow of traffic around the station.
What will happen?
On Wednesday, the direction of traffic was switched, meaning cars will now enter Trent Street from Canal Street and exit Station Street onto London Road.
The taxi rank on Station Street will also be relocated to Trent Street.
Taxi drivers have criticised the move, and told they fear for the safety of disabled passengers who would have to cross the busy road to hail a cab.
http://goo.gl/LR7ZZm
------------------------------------
Tuesday 22 March 2016
York taxi driver subjected to terrifying attack by knifeman and thug
A TAXI driver was threatened with a knife and punched in what he described as the worst experience of his 18-year career.
Benjamin Watson and Harry Radcliffe attacked cabbie Ian Hunter after he came to collect two women the pair had been arguing with.
Katy Rafter, prosecuting, told York Crown Court yesterday that Watson, 21, and Radcliffe, 18, had been drinking at a house in Etty Avenue, Tang Hall, on March 6 last year.
The women, who had also been at the house, called a taxi to go for a night out and asked Watson and Radcliffe to leave.
But they refused and an argument was still continuing when the taxi arrived at 1am.
Ms Rafter said: "Benjamin Watson threw a brick or a stone at the taxi and the taxi driver stopped to investigate.
"Both defendants shouted at him and started dancing around him as though they were boxers.
"All of a sudden, Benjamin Watson ran towards Mr Hunter, the taxi driver, and shouted 'do you want some?'
"He was carrying a knife that was described as having a four to five inch blade."
Watson moved the knife towards Mr Hunter and again shouted 'do you want some?'.
He then threw the knife down and it was recovered by police from the road side.
Ms Rafter added: "Harry Radcliffe then ran up at this stage and threw punches towards Mr Hunter, some of which connected around Mr Hunter's head area.
"Mr Hunter was able to get inside his taxi, but was kicked in the leg by one of the defendants and had the taxi door slammed on him.
"He said that in his 18 years of being a taxi driver he has never had an experience as bad as this one.
"The incident left him shaken and with a sore jaw where Mr Watson punched him."
Watson and Radcliffe had denied four counts relating to the attack, with their trial listed for February 23.
But on the day it was due to start they both admitted one charge of affray, which the prosecution accepted.
The court heard that Watson had 30 previous conviction for 53 offences, including shoplifting and common assault.
Radcliffe had one previous conviction for criminal damage.
Defending Watson, Julian Tanikal, said he has had behavioural problems since being expelled from school at 14.
At the time, he was living with his mother in "a very unstable situation", but he was now living with his grandfather and working as a labourer.
"That stability has changed this young man," said Mr Tanikal.
"He realises that if he doesn't seize an opportunity soon, then he may not get another one."
Defending Radcliffe, Victoria Smith-Swain, said the attack took place on the night of his 17th birthday.
"He accepts it was a silly decision to consume such a large amount of alcohol that evening," she said.
"He does have some aggressive tendencies which are exacerbated by the use of alcohol."
She added: "Mr Watson was the main instigator and aggressor during this incident."
The Probation Service said Radcliffe, who is working as a labourer on the former Terry's chocolate factory site, was progressing "exceptionally well".
Ms Smith-Swain added: "He is extremely remorseful and keen to give back for his behaviour."
Jailing Watson for 14 months, Recorder Alistair Macdonald QC said: "It must have been utterly terrifying for Mr Hunter.
"It goes way beyond the custody threshold."
Sentencing Radcliffe, Mr Macdonald said: "You must understand how serious this is."
Radcliffe received a 12-month youth rehabilitation order and must observe a 10pm to 6am curfew for three months.
He was ordered to pay £200 compensation.
Mr Macdonald added: "This is an opportunity for you - you'd better take it."
http://goo.gl/COHd1l
-----------------------------------------
UBER INDIA
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of ANI Technologies, which runs app-based cab service under the name of Ola, on its competitor Uber's plea seeking Rs 49.61 crore as damages from Ola for allegedly interfering in its business by making fake accounts to book rides and then cancelling them.
Ola denied the allegations made by Uber and told the court it has no intention of indulging in any of the actions attributed to it by its competitor.
In view of the submission made by Ola, Justice Vipin Sanghi directed Ola to abide by its statement and listed the matter for further hearing on September 14.
"Defendants (Ola and its subsidiary Serendipity Cabs) emphatically deny the allegations. Counsel for defendants states they have not done anything to interfere with plaintiff's (Uber) business as alleged, or its system by making false accounts, bookings or cancellations... nor has any intention of doing so.
"Defendants, their agents and employees shall abide by this statement...,"the court said, and issued notice to Ola and Serendipity asking them to file their written statement, reply and submit documents within four weeks.
Uber was asked to file its rejoinder to Ola's reply in another four weeks and the matter was listed for hearing on September 14.
Uber in its plea alleged that Ola's employees have created over 93,000 fake accounts across India on Uber's platform and were using them to make false bookings which were later cancelled and thus, causing loss to Uber which has to pay the cancellation charges.
It has claimed to have paid over Rs 5 lakh as cancellation charges and alleged that by making false bookings, Ola was "squatting" on cabs associated with Uber.
Ola, on the other hand, contended in the court that Uber's plea is an "offshoot" of the contempt petition filed against it by Ola for allegedly not complying with court directions to phase out diesel cabs.
It also argued that Uber's plea was based on assumptions that Ola's employees were creating the false accounts to make bookings and then cancel them.
It also said Uber was not paying any cancellation charges as the customer is charged if he/she does not cancel booking within five minutes of making it.
Uber in its plea claimed that over four lakh bookings have been made and cancelled by Ola employees across the country, with more than 50,000 such alleged incidents in Delhi, from August last year till March which has led to more than 23,000 drivers associated with it not working for it anymore.
It alleged this amounts to "stifling the competition in an irregular manner".
Uber alleged Ola was exploiting a "loophole" in its system by using data only numbers, to which calls cannot be made, to create multiple false accounts and has sought damages of Rs 49.61 crore for loss of -- service fee due to cancellations, investment made on drivers who have left, trip fare and reputation.
To this the court said Uber should fix the loophole.
http://goo.gl/uaQ8IN
---------------------------------------------
BRUSSELS.
Police in Brussels are raiding a number of properties tonight following a tip-off from a taxi driver 'who drove the suspected bombers to the airport'.
Three blasts left at least 31 people dead and 198 injured at the capital’s airport and a carriage at Maelbeek subway station this morning.
Police in Belgium have launched a massive manhunt to find at one suspect captured on airport CCTV moments before the blasts who police believe is still at large.
Belgian authorites fear two or more men could be on the run - with armed raids taking place at addresses across the city in the wake of the bombing as Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Live updates as ISIS bombers caught on CCTV seconds before blasts
Belgian newspaper HLN reports a taxi driver came forward to police saying he believes he unwittingly drove the bombers to the airport.
http://goo.gl/OKliSA
A TAXI driver was threatened with a knife and punched in what he described as the worst experience of his 18-year career.
Benjamin Watson and Harry Radcliffe attacked cabbie Ian Hunter after he came to collect two women the pair had been arguing with.
Katy Rafter, prosecuting, told York Crown Court yesterday that Watson, 21, and Radcliffe, 18, had been drinking at a house in Etty Avenue, Tang Hall, on March 6 last year.
The women, who had also been at the house, called a taxi to go for a night out and asked Watson and Radcliffe to leave.
But they refused and an argument was still continuing when the taxi arrived at 1am.
Ms Rafter said: "Benjamin Watson threw a brick or a stone at the taxi and the taxi driver stopped to investigate.
"Both defendants shouted at him and started dancing around him as though they were boxers.
"All of a sudden, Benjamin Watson ran towards Mr Hunter, the taxi driver, and shouted 'do you want some?'
"He was carrying a knife that was described as having a four to five inch blade."
Watson moved the knife towards Mr Hunter and again shouted 'do you want some?'.
He then threw the knife down and it was recovered by police from the road side.
Ms Rafter added: "Harry Radcliffe then ran up at this stage and threw punches towards Mr Hunter, some of which connected around Mr Hunter's head area.
"Mr Hunter was able to get inside his taxi, but was kicked in the leg by one of the defendants and had the taxi door slammed on him.
"He said that in his 18 years of being a taxi driver he has never had an experience as bad as this one.
"The incident left him shaken and with a sore jaw where Mr Watson punched him."
Watson and Radcliffe had denied four counts relating to the attack, with their trial listed for February 23.
But on the day it was due to start they both admitted one charge of affray, which the prosecution accepted.
The court heard that Watson had 30 previous conviction for 53 offences, including shoplifting and common assault.
Radcliffe had one previous conviction for criminal damage.
Defending Watson, Julian Tanikal, said he has had behavioural problems since being expelled from school at 14.
At the time, he was living with his mother in "a very unstable situation", but he was now living with his grandfather and working as a labourer.
"That stability has changed this young man," said Mr Tanikal.
"He realises that if he doesn't seize an opportunity soon, then he may not get another one."
Defending Radcliffe, Victoria Smith-Swain, said the attack took place on the night of his 17th birthday.
"He accepts it was a silly decision to consume such a large amount of alcohol that evening," she said.
"He does have some aggressive tendencies which are exacerbated by the use of alcohol."
She added: "Mr Watson was the main instigator and aggressor during this incident."
The Probation Service said Radcliffe, who is working as a labourer on the former Terry's chocolate factory site, was progressing "exceptionally well".
Ms Smith-Swain added: "He is extremely remorseful and keen to give back for his behaviour."
Jailing Watson for 14 months, Recorder Alistair Macdonald QC said: "It must have been utterly terrifying for Mr Hunter.
"It goes way beyond the custody threshold."
Sentencing Radcliffe, Mr Macdonald said: "You must understand how serious this is."
Radcliffe received a 12-month youth rehabilitation order and must observe a 10pm to 6am curfew for three months.
He was ordered to pay £200 compensation.
Mr Macdonald added: "This is an opportunity for you - you'd better take it."
http://goo.gl/COHd1l
-----------------------------------------
UBER INDIA
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of ANI Technologies, which runs app-based cab service under the name of Ola, on its competitor Uber's plea seeking Rs 49.61 crore as damages from Ola for allegedly interfering in its business by making fake accounts to book rides and then cancelling them.
Ola denied the allegations made by Uber and told the court it has no intention of indulging in any of the actions attributed to it by its competitor.
In view of the submission made by Ola, Justice Vipin Sanghi directed Ola to abide by its statement and listed the matter for further hearing on September 14.
"Defendants (Ola and its subsidiary Serendipity Cabs) emphatically deny the allegations. Counsel for defendants states they have not done anything to interfere with plaintiff's (Uber) business as alleged, or its system by making false accounts, bookings or cancellations... nor has any intention of doing so.
"Defendants, their agents and employees shall abide by this statement...,"the court said, and issued notice to Ola and Serendipity asking them to file their written statement, reply and submit documents within four weeks.
Uber was asked to file its rejoinder to Ola's reply in another four weeks and the matter was listed for hearing on September 14.
Uber in its plea alleged that Ola's employees have created over 93,000 fake accounts across India on Uber's platform and were using them to make false bookings which were later cancelled and thus, causing loss to Uber which has to pay the cancellation charges.
It has claimed to have paid over Rs 5 lakh as cancellation charges and alleged that by making false bookings, Ola was "squatting" on cabs associated with Uber.
Ola, on the other hand, contended in the court that Uber's plea is an "offshoot" of the contempt petition filed against it by Ola for allegedly not complying with court directions to phase out diesel cabs.
It also argued that Uber's plea was based on assumptions that Ola's employees were creating the false accounts to make bookings and then cancel them.
It also said Uber was not paying any cancellation charges as the customer is charged if he/she does not cancel booking within five minutes of making it.
Uber in its plea claimed that over four lakh bookings have been made and cancelled by Ola employees across the country, with more than 50,000 such alleged incidents in Delhi, from August last year till March which has led to more than 23,000 drivers associated with it not working for it anymore.
It alleged this amounts to "stifling the competition in an irregular manner".
Uber alleged Ola was exploiting a "loophole" in its system by using data only numbers, to which calls cannot be made, to create multiple false accounts and has sought damages of Rs 49.61 crore for loss of -- service fee due to cancellations, investment made on drivers who have left, trip fare and reputation.
To this the court said Uber should fix the loophole.
http://goo.gl/uaQ8IN
---------------------------------------------
BRUSSELS.
Police in Brussels are raiding a number of properties tonight following a tip-off from a taxi driver 'who drove the suspected bombers to the airport'.
Three blasts left at least 31 people dead and 198 injured at the capital’s airport and a carriage at Maelbeek subway station this morning.
Police in Belgium have launched a massive manhunt to find at one suspect captured on airport CCTV moments before the blasts who police believe is still at large.
Belgian authorites fear two or more men could be on the run - with armed raids taking place at addresses across the city in the wake of the bombing as Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Live updates as ISIS bombers caught on CCTV seconds before blasts
Belgian newspaper HLN reports a taxi driver came forward to police saying he believes he unwittingly drove the bombers to the airport.
http://goo.gl/OKliSA
London Evening Standards. Letters.
The debate about the future of our black-taxi trade and the advent of new app-based providers such as Uber has, for too long, been played out as an argument between those who support competition and innovation and those who are clinging to the past. The reality is far more complicated.
London’s tech industry is a strength of our city and increased competition and new technology offers consumers great potential. But the explosion in the number of private- hire vehicles on London’s streets has led to too many drivers with insufficient insurance and poor training, leaving regulators running to catch up. It has also become clear that some operators are trying to beat their competition by offering lower fares while taking advantage of tax loopholes and offshore tax arrangements. This is unacceptable and if we are not careful, London’s iconic black cabs will be driven off the road by shoddy competitors.
My message is simple: insure your drivers, train your drivers and pay your taxes or get off our streets. That is why I have put forward proposals to Parliament that promote fair competition and passenger safety. Every Londoner should be able to get into a cab knowing that it is insured, that the driver is well trained and that the operator pays its fair share of taxes.
Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North
It is a scandal that at least one in 10 minicabs operating in the capital is uninsured and that Transport for London is allowed to get away with doing nothing about it. Last week, it ratified a new set of PHV regulations that do absolutely nothing to address the problem of uninsured minicabs picking up unsuspecting passengers across the capital.
Passenger safety is paramount, yet as a result of undue influence, TfL shied away from its regulatory responsibility. Operator insurance is the only way to guarantee minicabs are insured, yet TfL didn’t think it was worth introducing. It is playing Russian Roulette with Londoners’ safety.
It is the job of a regulator to ensure that markets are fair, encourage competition and clamp down on those who flout the rules. But TfL is encouraging a race to the bottom where the cheapest provider who takes on the least responsibility wins. Is that what we want?
Steve McNamara, general secretary, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA)
While it is important for private- hire vehicles to be insured, any additional costs to drivers will not prevent Uber from blowing black cabs out of the water. Of course it is imperative to maintain the authenticity of London’s transport, but most Londoners won’t care about this. It is the convenience that makes Uber hugely successful, and providing it can keep its prices down, it will continue to trump the service offered by black-cab drivers.
WES STREETING MP.
Today in Parliament
parliamentlive.tv/event/index/d32599c4-5705-46f1-be88-ed2a40dd319e?in=12:45:50&out=12:56:42
The debate about the future of our black-taxi trade and the advent of new app-based providers such as Uber has, for too long, been played out as an argument between those who support competition and innovation and those who are clinging to the past. The reality is far more complicated.
London’s tech industry is a strength of our city and increased competition and new technology offers consumers great potential. But the explosion in the number of private- hire vehicles on London’s streets has led to too many drivers with insufficient insurance and poor training, leaving regulators running to catch up. It has also become clear that some operators are trying to beat their competition by offering lower fares while taking advantage of tax loopholes and offshore tax arrangements. This is unacceptable and if we are not careful, London’s iconic black cabs will be driven off the road by shoddy competitors.
My message is simple: insure your drivers, train your drivers and pay your taxes or get off our streets. That is why I have put forward proposals to Parliament that promote fair competition and passenger safety. Every Londoner should be able to get into a cab knowing that it is insured, that the driver is well trained and that the operator pays its fair share of taxes.
Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North
It is a scandal that at least one in 10 minicabs operating in the capital is uninsured and that Transport for London is allowed to get away with doing nothing about it. Last week, it ratified a new set of PHV regulations that do absolutely nothing to address the problem of uninsured minicabs picking up unsuspecting passengers across the capital.
Passenger safety is paramount, yet as a result of undue influence, TfL shied away from its regulatory responsibility. Operator insurance is the only way to guarantee minicabs are insured, yet TfL didn’t think it was worth introducing. It is playing Russian Roulette with Londoners’ safety.
It is the job of a regulator to ensure that markets are fair, encourage competition and clamp down on those who flout the rules. But TfL is encouraging a race to the bottom where the cheapest provider who takes on the least responsibility wins. Is that what we want?
Steve McNamara, general secretary, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA)
While it is important for private- hire vehicles to be insured, any additional costs to drivers will not prevent Uber from blowing black cabs out of the water. Of course it is imperative to maintain the authenticity of London’s transport, but most Londoners won’t care about this. It is the convenience that makes Uber hugely successful, and providing it can keep its prices down, it will continue to trump the service offered by black-cab drivers.
WES STREETING MP.
Today in Parliament
parliamentlive.tv/event/index/d32599c4-5705-46f1-be88-ed2a40dd319e?in=12:45:50&out=12:56:42
Monday 21 March 2016
UBER SAN FRANCISCO FIND A WAY TO GRAB 84.9% COMMISSION
This is an extrodinary read, but have a butchers.
I add a screen grab to show the maths.
Read the full story : https://goo.gl/4bPWei
-------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
A taxi driver who knocked down an 88-year-old woman has been spared jail after she asked for him not to be punished on her death bed.
Mary Johnson forgave Ronald Singleton, 62, for the careless driving which led to her death.
The private hire driver hit the 88-year-old when he failed to see her crossing Ullet Road in Liverpool on March 13 last year.
The Liverpool Echo reports Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said: “This is a tragic case. Ms Johnson was truly a remarkable lady.
“Even when injured by the defendant’s driving, her thoughts were not of herself, but of the defendant, for whose livelihood she was concerned.
Read more: Double death driver smashed into wall and fled as pals burned in wreckage
“She was from a generation who faced adversity and setbacks with courage and fortitude. We can learn a lesson from her stoicism and dignity.
“She clearly would not have wanted this defendant to go to prison. Although wishes of victims cannot influence sentencing, in this case it would be wrong to ignore them."
Liverpool Crown Court heard the incident happened at around midday, when Singleton, of East Prescot Road, Dovecot, was in his Peugeot 406.
A rear-seat passenger said the dad-of-two was driving safely and she had no concerns as he slowed to approach the junction and turn right.
Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said cars heading in the opposite direction along Ullet Road stopped to allow Ms Johnson to cross, with the help of a walking aid.
The passenger could “clearly” see Ms Johnson but she believed Singleton did not see her in the middle of the road, less than six metres away.
After the crash he stopped his car, got out and was heard to say “you stepped out” before police and an ambulance were called.
Ms Johnson suffered serious leg injuries and contracted an infection in hospital before dying of multiple organ failure on April 10.
Pathologists said the crash and surgery put extra strain on her heart and the accident was “highly likely to have accelerated her death”.
Investigators said visibility was clear and only the A-pillar in Singleton’s car and electronic devices on his windscreen would have restricted his view.
Singleton denied driving carelessly or dangerously in police interview, but later admitted causing death by careless driving.
Ms Snowdon said: “When asked if he gave a cursory glance to the right and pulled out without seeing her, he said that was a possibility.”
Read more: Musician murdered concert pianist wife after becoming jealous of career
Helen Rickets visited her aunt twice in hospital following the accident.
Ms Snowdon said: “On each occasion she said she did not wish the driver of the car to be punished.
“She said he should not lose his livelihood and she did not want his family’s security to be jeopardised.”
Ms Rickets told the court: “She was the kindest, nicest lady, who always saw the best in everyone.
“She would feel the driver and his family have suffered enough and he could continue with his job and support his family.”
Jason Smith, defending, said his client was “extremely remorseful”.
He said the sentiments expressed by Ms Johnson were testament to her “good nature and to her humanity” but sadly even if he was not jailed, Singleton would lose his job.
Mr Smith said: “The reality is it’s extremely unlikely he will be able to trade or work as a taxi driver ever again.”
Judge Conrad said his sentence would have been different had Singleton been guilty of dangerous, rather than careless, driving.
He handed him six months in prison, suspended for a year, and a two-month home curfew from 9pm to 6am.
The judge banned him from driving for a year and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/taxi-driver-who-knocked-down-7604754?
-----------------------------------------
BIRMINGHAM and LEEDS
Private hire and taxi group Veezu has strengthened its operations through the acquisition of two taxi companies in Birmingham and Leeds.
In the West Midlands, Veezu-owned A2B Radio Cars has acquired Able Senator Cars, bringing its fleet to more than 600 vehicles to help service its growing customer base in Birmingham, Solihull and surrounding areas.
The six-figure purchase has seen an additional 65 cars join A2B, add around 10 new geographical locations to its patch with an anticipated 5,000 extra bookings per week.
Meanwhile in Leeds, Veezu’s Amber Cars has acquired A1 Taxis, seeing 15 drivers joining its fleet to bring its pool of drivers to 860.
The five-figure deal is expected to create up to 1,500 extra bookings for the business every week in locations such as Holbeck and Beeston, which are areas of Leeds that Amber hasn’t previously had a strong presence in.
Customers of both Able Senator Cars and A1 Taxis will now benefit from Veezu’s investment into its company infrastructure, in which all of its taxi firms offer electronic booking methods such as through a mobile app, the internet and an interactive voice response system as well as maintaining traditional methods of ordering a taxi be it over the phone, walk-ins or on account.
Paul Ragan, chief executive officer of Veezu, said: “Bringing Able Senator Cars and A1 Taxis into the Veezu group enables us to increase our geographical footprint and the number of drivers we have on the road. This sees Amber strengthen even further the areas in which we operate.
“In Birmingham, there was already a lot of synergy between the operating areas of Able and A2B, although Able’s stronghold was undoubtedly south Birmingham, so for us this purchase is not necessarily about expanding the areas in which we operate but making sure we remain ‘best in class‘ to our loyal customers.
“Whereas in Leeds, the purchase will bolster our current offering as A1 Taxis’ drivers bring with them a wealth of knowledge of areas that Amber Cars hasn’t traditionally worked in day-to-day as much.
http://goo.gl/6Q4rp5
This is an extrodinary read, but have a butchers.
I add a screen grab to show the maths.
Read the full story : https://goo.gl/4bPWei
-------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
A taxi driver who knocked down an 88-year-old woman has been spared jail after she asked for him not to be punished on her death bed.
Mary Johnson forgave Ronald Singleton, 62, for the careless driving which led to her death.
The private hire driver hit the 88-year-old when he failed to see her crossing Ullet Road in Liverpool on March 13 last year.
The Liverpool Echo reports Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said: “This is a tragic case. Ms Johnson was truly a remarkable lady.
“Even when injured by the defendant’s driving, her thoughts were not of herself, but of the defendant, for whose livelihood she was concerned.
Read more: Double death driver smashed into wall and fled as pals burned in wreckage
“She was from a generation who faced adversity and setbacks with courage and fortitude. We can learn a lesson from her stoicism and dignity.
“She clearly would not have wanted this defendant to go to prison. Although wishes of victims cannot influence sentencing, in this case it would be wrong to ignore them."
Liverpool Crown Court heard the incident happened at around midday, when Singleton, of East Prescot Road, Dovecot, was in his Peugeot 406.
A rear-seat passenger said the dad-of-two was driving safely and she had no concerns as he slowed to approach the junction and turn right.
Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said cars heading in the opposite direction along Ullet Road stopped to allow Ms Johnson to cross, with the help of a walking aid.
The passenger could “clearly” see Ms Johnson but she believed Singleton did not see her in the middle of the road, less than six metres away.
After the crash he stopped his car, got out and was heard to say “you stepped out” before police and an ambulance were called.
Ms Johnson suffered serious leg injuries and contracted an infection in hospital before dying of multiple organ failure on April 10.
Pathologists said the crash and surgery put extra strain on her heart and the accident was “highly likely to have accelerated her death”.
Investigators said visibility was clear and only the A-pillar in Singleton’s car and electronic devices on his windscreen would have restricted his view.
Singleton denied driving carelessly or dangerously in police interview, but later admitted causing death by careless driving.
Ms Snowdon said: “When asked if he gave a cursory glance to the right and pulled out without seeing her, he said that was a possibility.”
Read more: Musician murdered concert pianist wife after becoming jealous of career
Helen Rickets visited her aunt twice in hospital following the accident.
Ms Snowdon said: “On each occasion she said she did not wish the driver of the car to be punished.
“She said he should not lose his livelihood and she did not want his family’s security to be jeopardised.”
Ms Rickets told the court: “She was the kindest, nicest lady, who always saw the best in everyone.
“She would feel the driver and his family have suffered enough and he could continue with his job and support his family.”
Jason Smith, defending, said his client was “extremely remorseful”.
He said the sentiments expressed by Ms Johnson were testament to her “good nature and to her humanity” but sadly even if he was not jailed, Singleton would lose his job.
Mr Smith said: “The reality is it’s extremely unlikely he will be able to trade or work as a taxi driver ever again.”
Judge Conrad said his sentence would have been different had Singleton been guilty of dangerous, rather than careless, driving.
He handed him six months in prison, suspended for a year, and a two-month home curfew from 9pm to 6am.
The judge banned him from driving for a year and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/taxi-driver-who-knocked-down-7604754?
-----------------------------------------
BIRMINGHAM and LEEDS
Private hire and taxi group Veezu has strengthened its operations through the acquisition of two taxi companies in Birmingham and Leeds.
In the West Midlands, Veezu-owned A2B Radio Cars has acquired Able Senator Cars, bringing its fleet to more than 600 vehicles to help service its growing customer base in Birmingham, Solihull and surrounding areas.
The six-figure purchase has seen an additional 65 cars join A2B, add around 10 new geographical locations to its patch with an anticipated 5,000 extra bookings per week.
Meanwhile in Leeds, Veezu’s Amber Cars has acquired A1 Taxis, seeing 15 drivers joining its fleet to bring its pool of drivers to 860.
The five-figure deal is expected to create up to 1,500 extra bookings for the business every week in locations such as Holbeck and Beeston, which are areas of Leeds that Amber hasn’t previously had a strong presence in.
Customers of both Able Senator Cars and A1 Taxis will now benefit from Veezu’s investment into its company infrastructure, in which all of its taxi firms offer electronic booking methods such as through a mobile app, the internet and an interactive voice response system as well as maintaining traditional methods of ordering a taxi be it over the phone, walk-ins or on account.
Paul Ragan, chief executive officer of Veezu, said: “Bringing Able Senator Cars and A1 Taxis into the Veezu group enables us to increase our geographical footprint and the number of drivers we have on the road. This sees Amber strengthen even further the areas in which we operate.
“In Birmingham, there was already a lot of synergy between the operating areas of Able and A2B, although Able’s stronghold was undoubtedly south Birmingham, so for us this purchase is not necessarily about expanding the areas in which we operate but making sure we remain ‘best in class‘ to our loyal customers.
“Whereas in Leeds, the purchase will bolster our current offering as A1 Taxis’ drivers bring with them a wealth of knowledge of areas that Amber Cars hasn’t traditionally worked in day-to-day as much.
http://goo.gl/6Q4rp5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)