EAST STAFFORDSHIRE
PAEDOPHILES, burglars and a kidnapper were among those who applied to become taxi drivers across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire.
Figures from the Disclosure and Barring Service show that between 2012 and 2015, 2,890 disclosure orders were applied for.
Anyone applying to become a licence holder of a private hire vehicle or a hackney carriage must have a check carried out by the DBS which they must present as part of their application.
From the applications made, more than 17 per cent were found to have a conviction; 514 applicants in total with 2,003 convictions, cautions or reprimands between them.
Offences include indecent assault on a female under the age of 14, sexual intercourse with a female under the age of 16 and kidnapping.
There was also a host of driving offences including not wearing a seatbelt and driving while disqualified.
Policies from East Staffordshire Borough Council and South Derbyshire District Council mirror one another with major offences such as sexual assault or violence leaving it 'unlikely' that a licence will be accepted.
A spokesman from South Derbyshire District Council said: "Our main priority is protecting the public and making South Derbyshire a safe place to be. A full DBS check is required for all new drivers applying to us for a licence and the law requires that this check must be renewed every three years. Drivers are required to notify us of any new convictions they may have.
"The council's policy is that when anyone with a previous criminal conviction applies for a private hire licence, the case is referred to the Licensing and Appeals Sub-Committee.
"Our private hire licensing policy, which can be viewed on our website, is then applied in each individual case to inform prior to any decision made."
The DBS is not able to state whether any of the individuals were employed as that decision is down to the local authority.
A spokesman from East Staffordshire Borough Council said: "Following the appropriate legislation the general licensing committee consider whether the applicant is a fit and proper person.
"Each case must be dealt with on its own merits. The committee follow Home Office guidance for particular offences and periods free from conviction will be taken into account.
"The principal objective for the licensing authority is the safety and protection of the public."
http://goo.gl/ZNpSXF
-------------------------------------------
DERRY
A taxi driver who was caught with over £3,000 worth of Cocaine in his car has received a suspended sentence.
Canice Joseph Cunningham, of Agahmore Park, Strathfoyle, pleaded guilty to possessing Cocaine with intent to supply and possessing Tramadol with intent to supply on December 19, 2014.
Derry Crown Court heard that Cunningham’s taxi was stopped at a picnic area on the Foreglen Road when it was searched by police.
Officers seized multiple bags containing a white powder. In total over 63 grams of Cocaine were seized, with a street value of £3,161.
Police also found a paper bag in the car containing 116 capsules of Tramadol.
Cunningham’s home address was also searched and police found £2,600 and 480 euro.
During police interview, the 42-year-old stated that he bought the Cocaine and bagged it to monitor how much he was taking.
He admitted that he would give some Cocaine to friends if they needed it.
http://goo.gl/M8o7K2
---------------------------------------
NEW DELHI, April 29 (Reuters) - A flurry of complaints from Uber drivers about an unusually high number of cancelled bookings was the spark that ignited a bitter legal fight with Ola, Uber's rival for dominance of India's $12 billion taxi market, according to court documents and a source with direct knowledge of Uber's case.
A seven-member internal team was set up to investigate the drivers' complaints in November, and its findings are the basis of a lawsuit filed by Uber accusing Ola of a campaign to disrupt its business and poach its drivers, said the source.
Ola, an Indian company backed by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp , denies any wrongdoing.
Uber is suing Ola for $7.5 million to compensate for lost revenue and goodwill, alleging the Indian market leader created about 94,000 fake user accounts with the ride-hailing service and used them to make more than 405,000 false bookings.
The broad outlines of the lawsuit were reported when it was filed last month, but a Reuters review of court filings and interviews with sources close to both sides have uncovered new details about how Uber says it was able to trace fake bookings and calls to Ola employees, and Ola's response to the allegations.
It paints a picture of a no-holds-barred corporate battle between the two start-ups in one of the world's fastest growing taxi markets, where both have been burning millions of dollars of investor money as they seek to undercut each other with cheaper fares.
A source close to Ola said the case against it had been fabricated in retaliation for a lawsuit it had filed earlier this year accusing Uber of flouting a court order to switch to clean-fuel cars in the Indian capital.
Uber said it could not comment on a matter that was still before the courts, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the allegations made by either side.
SoftBank, one of Ola's largest investors, declined to comment on the case.
http://goo.gl/DSioRQ
----------------------------------------
CORK
GARDAÍ ARE APPEALING for information after a man in his 30s was struck and injured by a car as he got out of a taxi at Cork’s Kent Station.
It happened on the Lower Glanmire Road near the station at 2.05am this morning.
According to gardaí:
“A pedestrian, man in his 30s, received serious injuries when he was struck by a car that failed to remain at the scene.
“The victim was exiting a taxi just beyond Kent Train Station when he was struck.
“Witnesses describe the offending car as a grey Toyota, possibly a Starlet or a Corolla.
It is possible the offending vehicle left in the direction of Grattan Hill.
The man was taken to Cork University Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Witnesses to the incident are asked to contact Mayfield Garda Station on 021 4558510.
http://www.thejournal.ie/cork-hit-and-run-2743267-Apr2016/
Saturday 30 April 2016
Thursday 28 April 2016
UBER buys off some bad Press
Uber yesterday announced that Huffington Post Editor in Chief Arianna Huffington would be joining its board of directors, a move that put the site’s reporters in an instant bind. To fight the notion that Huffington Post would somehow take it easy on Uber because of these ties, Huffington’s folks noted that her news operation has churned out various hard-hitting stories on Uber while the announcement was “impending,” as spokeswoman Lena Auerbuch put it.
There was an omission, however.
On April 6, reporter Sarah Digiulio sent a note to some colleagues apprising them of this story in the New York Times: “Uber Driver Napped as His Passenger Led Highway Chase, Police Say.”
An editor replied: “Thanks, Sarah. Let’s hold on this one please as we’re partnering with Uber on our drowsy driving campaign.” That editor is Gregory Beyer, according to two Huffington Post sources and confirmed by spokeswoman Lena Auerbuch. Beyer is listed on the Huffington Post masthead as executive features editor. According to his LinkedIn profile, he formerly served as “senior editor to Arianna Huffington,” and a newsroom source says he’s still a top lieutenant of the boss.
The day before Digiulio’s note, Huffington and Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick jointly published a piece on Huffington Post titled “A Wake-Up Call to End Drowsy Driving.” The piece outlined a partnership among the Huffington Post, Uber and Toyota “to raise awareness of the issue and help save lives.” For this particular venture, Huffington pledged to do some miles. “If you’re interested in a sleep tutorial, order a ride with Uber and you could win a chance to have Arianna ride along with you,” noted the piece. The arrangement was pegged to the launch of Huffington’s book, “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time,” as well as to a college sleep tour for the Huffington Post. The site’s top editor tweeted:
The brush-off received by Digiulio should end any fanciful thinking that somehow a news organization can cover the news with a conflicted boss. According to several sources familiar with these events at the Huffington Post, Huffington was not directly involved in the decision to refrain from aggregating the New York Times story. Someone possibly looking to protect the Uber partnership, however, was standing right over the Huffington Post spike. Yesterday Huffington said she’d stay out of editorial deliberations involving Uber. The email exchange above, however, suggests that extracting her influence will require construction equipment.
https://goo.gl/AiPlr3
----------------------------------
BISHOP STORTFORD
A traumatised young woman has issued a personal safety warning after she was attacked by a taxi driver in Bishop's Stortford.
The pretty 20-she year-old unwittingly climbed into his cab after a night out with two pals and had to run home after he pounced in the early hours of Saturday morning.
She described her ordeal on Facebook: "Last night, a taxi picked me up and my two friends from Bishop's Stortford town at just past 3am.
"From the outside it looked normal and also had a meter inside. He dropped my two friends off and once we arrived in my road he invited me into the front seat, after I refused he forced his way into the back and attempted to assault me. Luckily I managed to free myself and run to my house."
She warned: "Please, please be aware of any taxis you get into tonight and make sure you only enter a taxi that you booked! Please don't get into any taxi that is waiting outside pubs etc as I do not wish for the same or worse to happen to anyone else!"
Although her warning has been shared more than 2,000 times on the social media site, the Observer has decided not to name her.
She reassured concerned friends and family that she was not physically harmed and that police had taken a statement and swabs.
A spokeswoman for Herts Constabulary confirmed the incident between 3am and 3.30am on April 23.
She said: "A 20 year old woman has got into a vehicle believed to be a taxi with friends outside the Rose and Crown pub in Bishop's Stortford. During the journey, after her friends have already left the vehicle, the driver has pulled up in Dove Close and has grabbed the victim by her head and has attempted to kiss her. She has turned her face away and the man has licked her cheek. The victim got out of the car and ran away from the vehicle."
The suspect is described as Asian, aged between 20 and 39, of slim build, clean shaven and with short black spiked hair.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or who has any information about the incident should contact Herts Constabulary via the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference A2/16/670.
http://goo.gl/htp1Qv
-----------------------------------
STOKE
A Taxi driver lost his job after he punched a passer-by who told him to move his cab.
Waheed Sadiq left the victim needing stitches following the attack in Stoke.
Sadiq has since had his taxi licence revoked and has now received a suspended prison sentence.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Sadiq's taxi was double parked in Glebe Street – blocking one of the two lanes – when a bus stopped alongside him to let passengers off.
This blocked the road, and one of the disembarking bus passengers complained to Sadiq, who then struck the victim in the face.
The single blow caused the man to fall to the ground, and he required stitches to a mouth wound.
Sadiq, of Erskine Street, Dresden, was arrested following the incident which happened on the afternoon of February 7, 2015.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council then revoked his taxi licence, despite his denial of the wounding charge.
Councillor Joy Garner, chairwoman of the licensing and general purposes committee said: "We treat any incidents of this nature extremely seriously. In this instance we moved swiftly to put Sadiq's case before the earliest licensing panel meeting, last June.
"Sadiq's taxi licence was immediately revoked.
"The safety of the public is our number one priority and we will use our powers to take action quickly in the interests of public protection."
Sadiq, who has two previous convictions including an assault by beating, was found guilty last month after a trial.
The 35-year-old is now working at a local restaurant.
Sadiq was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court this week where Judge David Fletcher handed him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Judge Fletcher said: "You knew you were parked there for longer than you should have been. It's a busy, one way street.
"When the bus stopped it stopped the traffic, that annoyed people. This gentleman spoke to you and you responded by punching him.
"You behaved in a boorish and arrogant manner."
Sadiq – whose wife is about to have a baby – was also ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work, pay £500 compensation to the victim and complete 30 sessions of a rehabilitation activity requirement.
The city has around 1,800 licensed taxi drivers. Any driver who is charged with a crime is required to inform the city council within seven days.
http://goo.gl/eJj3b2
-----------------------------------------
TELFORD
A woman pulled the handbrake three times as a taxi driver attempted to drive her to the police station because she had not paid the fare, a court heard.
Rebecca Louisa Spragg was told her actions could have had “disastrous consequences” as Telford Magistrates Court heard the final pull of the handbrake caused the car to completely spin and end up in the middle of the road facing the wrong way.
She also yanked a Bluetooth headset from Rubinder Bal Singh’s ear while he was driving and then pulled his taxi licence card off the windscreen before ripping it into several pieces.
Spragg, 25, of Wildwood in Woodside, Telford, admitted endangering road users by interfering with a motor vehicle and criminal damage when she appeared at court yesterday.
Mr Mike Phillips, prosecuting, said police were on patrol in the early hours of January 7 this year when they came across a silver Toyota Avensis facing the wrong way in the middle of the road in Port Way, Madeley.
“The driver flagged down police officers and told them the defendant had refused to pay the fare,” the prosecutor said.
“He said she had grabbed him by the ear and damaged his bluetooth headset, and had also grabbed hold of his taxi licence from windscreen and snapped it several times.
“The officers were told by Mr Singh that on three occasions the defendant had pulled the handbrake, causing him to lose control of the car.
“The third time was when officers chanced upon the taxi, facing the wrong way.”
Miss Jenni Hancocks, for Spragg, said her client had been in Telford drinking with her sister and a friend.
“On the way home they got a taxi together, but it soon became apparent they didn’t have any cash with them,” she told the court.
“When they got to the house the two of them said they were going in to get some cash, and Miss Spragg stayed in the car to reassure the driver they would not be running off without paying.
“After a couple of minutes the taxi driver told Miss Spragg that he was going to drive her to the police station for non-payment of the fare. She fully accepts causing the damage and pulling the handbrake, and said it was out of frustration. She is fully remorseful for her actions and wants to apologise to the court and the taxi driver.”
Spragg was sentenced to a community order for 12 months to include a two-month curfew banning her from leaving the house between 8pm and 8am. She must also undergo alcohol treatment programmes and was ordered to pay a total of £260 in compensation and court costs.
Mr Arnold England, chairman of the bench, told her: “This could have had disastrous consequences.”
http://goo.gl/8afxUF
------------------------------------
SYDNEY
Taxis would become more commonplace on Sydney's streets to ensure passengers who book cabs are picked up more quickly, under a controversial proposal by Cabcharge to scrap the cap on plates.
In a call that puts it at odds with the NSW Taxi Council, Cabcharge chief executive Andrew Skelton said the cap on the number of plates meant a "capacity constraint" had been placed on a part of the market to protect licence-plate holders.
"To arbitrarily go, 'right, no more licences for four more years, you can't grow' – I think that's nuts," he told Fairfax Media.
Taxis have to be able to evolve and grow into this massive transport opportunity … not at some contrived pace to protect some licence holders. The taxi industry is not licence holders."
As part of the legalisation of ride-sharing services such as UberX in December, the Baird government placed a four-year freeze on the release of taxi licences in Sydney to "help the industry adjust".
Taxi licence holders have watched the value of their investments in plates plunge since reaching a high of about $430,000 in 2012.
The average transfer value of a taxi licence in Sydney has slumped by 41 per cent to $210,000 over the past year, the latest government figures show.
The state has almost 7300 taxi licence plates, about 5700 of which are in Sydney.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Roy Wakelin-King said the priority should be to let the market settle before the government considered releasing more taxi licences.
"We are all looking for a strong and viable industry … but we just have to make sure we chart a very careful pathway," he said.
Mr Wakelin-King said the government's recent decision to put a freeze on taxi licences was sensible because a large number had been released in recent years, resulting in an oversupply of cabs.
However, he said the council was open to changes to the number of taxi licences at some point in the future to ensure the industry did not put itself at a disadvantage to competitors.
In December, the government announced payments of $20,000 to owners of taxi licence plates in perpetuity. The one-off payment has been capped at $40,000 for owners of multiple plates.
The compensation package includes a fund of up to $142 million for taxi licensees who face hardship as a result of the changes, and a buyback scheme for perpetual hire-car licences. It is to be funded by a $1 levy on taxi and ride-sharing operators for five years.
A spokesman for Transport Minister Andrew Constance said there was no evidence that the decision to put a stop to new taxi licences for four years was holding back the industry from reform.
"[It] will help stabilise the market for taxi licences, particularly for mum and dad investors," he said.
Facing intense competition from ride-sharing operators and a cut to revenue from fees on card payments for taxis, Cabcharge is eager to highlight its focus on customers and the need for more taxis to ensure passengers are picked up promptly once they book cabs.
It is a similar strategy to ride-sharing companies such as Uber and GoCar, which aim for a critical mass of vehicles at any one time.
Mr Skelton said he wanted the removal of the "artificial limit on the taxi industry's ability to service customers" because it risked losing customers if it did not adapt.
"The less relevant you make taxis, the less value there is in a licence," he said.
Cabcharge, one of the Taxi Council's most influential members, still makes the lion's share of its revenue from the service fees on passengers who pay for taxis with credit or debit cards.
However, the sharemarket-listed company has been hit over the past 18 months by state governments, including NSW, halving the fee it can charge for processing taxi payments to 5 per cent.
The freeze on plates in NSW does not apply to wheelchair-accessible taxi licences.
http://goo.gl/3oY3zc
---------------------------------------------------
WEST NORFOLK
Council officials may have acted illegally by delisting a West Norfolk taxi testing station, an industry body has claimed.
The warning from the National Private Hire Association (NPHA) is the latest phase of the row over Silena Automotive in Setch.
But West Norfolk Council chiefs have rejected the suggestion, claiming the association has not been given a full picture of the dispute.
Silena Automotive was removed from the council’s accredited list of taxi testing centres last month in the latest phase of a long-running dispute between the authority and the proprietor, Simon Nash.
But, in letters seen by the Lynn News, the NPHA has urged the council to reinstate the site’s accreditation, arguing its decision to withdraw it may be unlawful.
It also claimed the authority was in breach of competition law, by abusing a dominant position, in delisting Silena and criticised the decision to issue penalty points to a taxi driver for allowing a mechanic to drive his licensed vehicle.
Secretary Donna Short said the move to strike off the garage would be illegal if it was connected to the movement of the vehicle in question.
She said: “Mr Nash is doing nothing wrong in law in this regard.
“It would constitute a commercial nonsense if every mechanic and vehicle tester connected with garages – or indeed personnel collecting vehicles from these facilities – had to hold a taxi licence.”
But the council’s chief executive, Ray Harding, replied: “I do not believe that we are at odds in our interpretation of the legislation.”
He also claimed the NPHA had not been made aware of the full facts of the matter, alleging that the person who drove the taxi at the centre of the points row was neither approved to undertake taxi tests nor employed by an approved business.
Mr Harding also claimed the decision to remove Silena Automotive from its list of test centres was not related to the licensing issue but to Mr Nash’s conduct towards council officers.
He said that had made it “impossible for the council to continue Silena Autos’ relationship with us as an approved testing station.”
Mr Nash claims the council has failed to comply with its own codes of practice.
http://goo.gl/Q0ULmV
---------------------------------
HOUSTON - Uber's threat to stop service in Houston because of strict rules imposed by the city has Uber drivers concerned.
On Thursday, top city leaders are speaking out on this issue, while staff say fewer potential drivers are showing up at the processing center. Many are uncertain if that job will even be here after Uber threatens to leave.
"Murder, sexual assault, assault and battery," just a few of the items Lara Cottingham says the city's fingerprint background checks caught on the criminal records of potential drivers that Uber's background checks had already cleared.
The head of Houston's police officers union is one of several city leaders siding with Mayor Sylvester Turner the day after he drew a firm line in the sand on keeping the city's current background check system in place. "If they don't have the fingerprints, then I cannot possibly support them staying here," said Michael Kubosh, City Council member.
Uber called Houston's rules some of the toughest in the country, claiming it takes an average of four months for new drivers to sign up, which the city disputes.
Uber claims that the current rules have discouraged around 20,000 drivers from signing up, in a city where they say demand for drivers is far outpacing supply.
Many drivers hope after a seemingly never-ending battle, the two sides can work something out.
http://goo.gl/QFX6rn
Uber yesterday announced that Huffington Post Editor in Chief Arianna Huffington would be joining its board of directors, a move that put the site’s reporters in an instant bind. To fight the notion that Huffington Post would somehow take it easy on Uber because of these ties, Huffington’s folks noted that her news operation has churned out various hard-hitting stories on Uber while the announcement was “impending,” as spokeswoman Lena Auerbuch put it.
There was an omission, however.
On April 6, reporter Sarah Digiulio sent a note to some colleagues apprising them of this story in the New York Times: “Uber Driver Napped as His Passenger Led Highway Chase, Police Say.”
An editor replied: “Thanks, Sarah. Let’s hold on this one please as we’re partnering with Uber on our drowsy driving campaign.” That editor is Gregory Beyer, according to two Huffington Post sources and confirmed by spokeswoman Lena Auerbuch. Beyer is listed on the Huffington Post masthead as executive features editor. According to his LinkedIn profile, he formerly served as “senior editor to Arianna Huffington,” and a newsroom source says he’s still a top lieutenant of the boss.
The day before Digiulio’s note, Huffington and Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick jointly published a piece on Huffington Post titled “A Wake-Up Call to End Drowsy Driving.” The piece outlined a partnership among the Huffington Post, Uber and Toyota “to raise awareness of the issue and help save lives.” For this particular venture, Huffington pledged to do some miles. “If you’re interested in a sleep tutorial, order a ride with Uber and you could win a chance to have Arianna ride along with you,” noted the piece. The arrangement was pegged to the launch of Huffington’s book, “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time,” as well as to a college sleep tour for the Huffington Post. The site’s top editor tweeted:
The brush-off received by Digiulio should end any fanciful thinking that somehow a news organization can cover the news with a conflicted boss. According to several sources familiar with these events at the Huffington Post, Huffington was not directly involved in the decision to refrain from aggregating the New York Times story. Someone possibly looking to protect the Uber partnership, however, was standing right over the Huffington Post spike. Yesterday Huffington said she’d stay out of editorial deliberations involving Uber. The email exchange above, however, suggests that extracting her influence will require construction equipment.
https://goo.gl/AiPlr3
----------------------------------
BISHOP STORTFORD
A traumatised young woman has issued a personal safety warning after she was attacked by a taxi driver in Bishop's Stortford.
The pretty 20-she year-old unwittingly climbed into his cab after a night out with two pals and had to run home after he pounced in the early hours of Saturday morning.
She described her ordeal on Facebook: "Last night, a taxi picked me up and my two friends from Bishop's Stortford town at just past 3am.
"From the outside it looked normal and also had a meter inside. He dropped my two friends off and once we arrived in my road he invited me into the front seat, after I refused he forced his way into the back and attempted to assault me. Luckily I managed to free myself and run to my house."
She warned: "Please, please be aware of any taxis you get into tonight and make sure you only enter a taxi that you booked! Please don't get into any taxi that is waiting outside pubs etc as I do not wish for the same or worse to happen to anyone else!"
Although her warning has been shared more than 2,000 times on the social media site, the Observer has decided not to name her.
She reassured concerned friends and family that she was not physically harmed and that police had taken a statement and swabs.
A spokeswoman for Herts Constabulary confirmed the incident between 3am and 3.30am on April 23.
She said: "A 20 year old woman has got into a vehicle believed to be a taxi with friends outside the Rose and Crown pub in Bishop's Stortford. During the journey, after her friends have already left the vehicle, the driver has pulled up in Dove Close and has grabbed the victim by her head and has attempted to kiss her. She has turned her face away and the man has licked her cheek. The victim got out of the car and ran away from the vehicle."
The suspect is described as Asian, aged between 20 and 39, of slim build, clean shaven and with short black spiked hair.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or who has any information about the incident should contact Herts Constabulary via the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference A2/16/670.
http://goo.gl/htp1Qv
-----------------------------------
STOKE
A Taxi driver lost his job after he punched a passer-by who told him to move his cab.
Waheed Sadiq left the victim needing stitches following the attack in Stoke.
Sadiq has since had his taxi licence revoked and has now received a suspended prison sentence.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Sadiq's taxi was double parked in Glebe Street – blocking one of the two lanes – when a bus stopped alongside him to let passengers off.
This blocked the road, and one of the disembarking bus passengers complained to Sadiq, who then struck the victim in the face.
The single blow caused the man to fall to the ground, and he required stitches to a mouth wound.
Sadiq, of Erskine Street, Dresden, was arrested following the incident which happened on the afternoon of February 7, 2015.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council then revoked his taxi licence, despite his denial of the wounding charge.
Councillor Joy Garner, chairwoman of the licensing and general purposes committee said: "We treat any incidents of this nature extremely seriously. In this instance we moved swiftly to put Sadiq's case before the earliest licensing panel meeting, last June.
"Sadiq's taxi licence was immediately revoked.
"The safety of the public is our number one priority and we will use our powers to take action quickly in the interests of public protection."
Sadiq, who has two previous convictions including an assault by beating, was found guilty last month after a trial.
The 35-year-old is now working at a local restaurant.
Sadiq was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court this week where Judge David Fletcher handed him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Judge Fletcher said: "You knew you were parked there for longer than you should have been. It's a busy, one way street.
"When the bus stopped it stopped the traffic, that annoyed people. This gentleman spoke to you and you responded by punching him.
"You behaved in a boorish and arrogant manner."
Sadiq – whose wife is about to have a baby – was also ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work, pay £500 compensation to the victim and complete 30 sessions of a rehabilitation activity requirement.
The city has around 1,800 licensed taxi drivers. Any driver who is charged with a crime is required to inform the city council within seven days.
http://goo.gl/eJj3b2
-----------------------------------------
TELFORD
A woman pulled the handbrake three times as a taxi driver attempted to drive her to the police station because she had not paid the fare, a court heard.
Rebecca Louisa Spragg was told her actions could have had “disastrous consequences” as Telford Magistrates Court heard the final pull of the handbrake caused the car to completely spin and end up in the middle of the road facing the wrong way.
She also yanked a Bluetooth headset from Rubinder Bal Singh’s ear while he was driving and then pulled his taxi licence card off the windscreen before ripping it into several pieces.
Spragg, 25, of Wildwood in Woodside, Telford, admitted endangering road users by interfering with a motor vehicle and criminal damage when she appeared at court yesterday.
Mr Mike Phillips, prosecuting, said police were on patrol in the early hours of January 7 this year when they came across a silver Toyota Avensis facing the wrong way in the middle of the road in Port Way, Madeley.
“The driver flagged down police officers and told them the defendant had refused to pay the fare,” the prosecutor said.
“He said she had grabbed him by the ear and damaged his bluetooth headset, and had also grabbed hold of his taxi licence from windscreen and snapped it several times.
“The officers were told by Mr Singh that on three occasions the defendant had pulled the handbrake, causing him to lose control of the car.
“The third time was when officers chanced upon the taxi, facing the wrong way.”
Miss Jenni Hancocks, for Spragg, said her client had been in Telford drinking with her sister and a friend.
“On the way home they got a taxi together, but it soon became apparent they didn’t have any cash with them,” she told the court.
“When they got to the house the two of them said they were going in to get some cash, and Miss Spragg stayed in the car to reassure the driver they would not be running off without paying.
“After a couple of minutes the taxi driver told Miss Spragg that he was going to drive her to the police station for non-payment of the fare. She fully accepts causing the damage and pulling the handbrake, and said it was out of frustration. She is fully remorseful for her actions and wants to apologise to the court and the taxi driver.”
Spragg was sentenced to a community order for 12 months to include a two-month curfew banning her from leaving the house between 8pm and 8am. She must also undergo alcohol treatment programmes and was ordered to pay a total of £260 in compensation and court costs.
Mr Arnold England, chairman of the bench, told her: “This could have had disastrous consequences.”
http://goo.gl/8afxUF
------------------------------------
SYDNEY
Taxis would become more commonplace on Sydney's streets to ensure passengers who book cabs are picked up more quickly, under a controversial proposal by Cabcharge to scrap the cap on plates.
In a call that puts it at odds with the NSW Taxi Council, Cabcharge chief executive Andrew Skelton said the cap on the number of plates meant a "capacity constraint" had been placed on a part of the market to protect licence-plate holders.
"To arbitrarily go, 'right, no more licences for four more years, you can't grow' – I think that's nuts," he told Fairfax Media.
Taxis have to be able to evolve and grow into this massive transport opportunity … not at some contrived pace to protect some licence holders. The taxi industry is not licence holders."
As part of the legalisation of ride-sharing services such as UberX in December, the Baird government placed a four-year freeze on the release of taxi licences in Sydney to "help the industry adjust".
Taxi licence holders have watched the value of their investments in plates plunge since reaching a high of about $430,000 in 2012.
The average transfer value of a taxi licence in Sydney has slumped by 41 per cent to $210,000 over the past year, the latest government figures show.
The state has almost 7300 taxi licence plates, about 5700 of which are in Sydney.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Roy Wakelin-King said the priority should be to let the market settle before the government considered releasing more taxi licences.
"We are all looking for a strong and viable industry … but we just have to make sure we chart a very careful pathway," he said.
Mr Wakelin-King said the government's recent decision to put a freeze on taxi licences was sensible because a large number had been released in recent years, resulting in an oversupply of cabs.
However, he said the council was open to changes to the number of taxi licences at some point in the future to ensure the industry did not put itself at a disadvantage to competitors.
In December, the government announced payments of $20,000 to owners of taxi licence plates in perpetuity. The one-off payment has been capped at $40,000 for owners of multiple plates.
The compensation package includes a fund of up to $142 million for taxi licensees who face hardship as a result of the changes, and a buyback scheme for perpetual hire-car licences. It is to be funded by a $1 levy on taxi and ride-sharing operators for five years.
A spokesman for Transport Minister Andrew Constance said there was no evidence that the decision to put a stop to new taxi licences for four years was holding back the industry from reform.
"[It] will help stabilise the market for taxi licences, particularly for mum and dad investors," he said.
Facing intense competition from ride-sharing operators and a cut to revenue from fees on card payments for taxis, Cabcharge is eager to highlight its focus on customers and the need for more taxis to ensure passengers are picked up promptly once they book cabs.
It is a similar strategy to ride-sharing companies such as Uber and GoCar, which aim for a critical mass of vehicles at any one time.
Mr Skelton said he wanted the removal of the "artificial limit on the taxi industry's ability to service customers" because it risked losing customers if it did not adapt.
"The less relevant you make taxis, the less value there is in a licence," he said.
Cabcharge, one of the Taxi Council's most influential members, still makes the lion's share of its revenue from the service fees on passengers who pay for taxis with credit or debit cards.
However, the sharemarket-listed company has been hit over the past 18 months by state governments, including NSW, halving the fee it can charge for processing taxi payments to 5 per cent.
The freeze on plates in NSW does not apply to wheelchair-accessible taxi licences.
http://goo.gl/3oY3zc
---------------------------------------------------
WEST NORFOLK
Council officials may have acted illegally by delisting a West Norfolk taxi testing station, an industry body has claimed.
The warning from the National Private Hire Association (NPHA) is the latest phase of the row over Silena Automotive in Setch.
But West Norfolk Council chiefs have rejected the suggestion, claiming the association has not been given a full picture of the dispute.
Silena Automotive was removed from the council’s accredited list of taxi testing centres last month in the latest phase of a long-running dispute between the authority and the proprietor, Simon Nash.
But, in letters seen by the Lynn News, the NPHA has urged the council to reinstate the site’s accreditation, arguing its decision to withdraw it may be unlawful.
It also claimed the authority was in breach of competition law, by abusing a dominant position, in delisting Silena and criticised the decision to issue penalty points to a taxi driver for allowing a mechanic to drive his licensed vehicle.
Secretary Donna Short said the move to strike off the garage would be illegal if it was connected to the movement of the vehicle in question.
She said: “Mr Nash is doing nothing wrong in law in this regard.
“It would constitute a commercial nonsense if every mechanic and vehicle tester connected with garages – or indeed personnel collecting vehicles from these facilities – had to hold a taxi licence.”
But the council’s chief executive, Ray Harding, replied: “I do not believe that we are at odds in our interpretation of the legislation.”
He also claimed the NPHA had not been made aware of the full facts of the matter, alleging that the person who drove the taxi at the centre of the points row was neither approved to undertake taxi tests nor employed by an approved business.
Mr Harding also claimed the decision to remove Silena Automotive from its list of test centres was not related to the licensing issue but to Mr Nash’s conduct towards council officers.
He said that had made it “impossible for the council to continue Silena Autos’ relationship with us as an approved testing station.”
Mr Nash claims the council has failed to comply with its own codes of practice.
http://goo.gl/Q0ULmV
---------------------------------
HOUSTON - Uber's threat to stop service in Houston because of strict rules imposed by the city has Uber drivers concerned.
On Thursday, top city leaders are speaking out on this issue, while staff say fewer potential drivers are showing up at the processing center. Many are uncertain if that job will even be here after Uber threatens to leave.
"Murder, sexual assault, assault and battery," just a few of the items Lara Cottingham says the city's fingerprint background checks caught on the criminal records of potential drivers that Uber's background checks had already cleared.
The head of Houston's police officers union is one of several city leaders siding with Mayor Sylvester Turner the day after he drew a firm line in the sand on keeping the city's current background check system in place. "If they don't have the fingerprints, then I cannot possibly support them staying here," said Michael Kubosh, City Council member.
Uber called Houston's rules some of the toughest in the country, claiming it takes an average of four months for new drivers to sign up, which the city disputes.
Uber claims that the current rules have discouraged around 20,000 drivers from signing up, in a city where they say demand for drivers is far outpacing supply.
Many drivers hope after a seemingly never-ending battle, the two sides can work something out.
http://goo.gl/QFX6rn
Wednesday 27 April 2016
BOLTON Council has produced new guidance to make sure taxi drivers in the borough are 'fit and proper' people.
The authority has carried out a review of its policy on providing licences to both private hire and hackney carriage drivers, which will help to decide if a person qualifies as appropriate to drive such a vehicle in Bolton or operate a private hire business in the town.
The guidance takes into account a range of different issues including the previous convictions, cautions and warnings of anyone applying for a licence.
There is also a large section dedicated to matters concerning safeguarding and Child Sexual Exploitation.
The guidance — which also applies to social needs transport — states: “Licence holders are in a unique position of trust and are often in one to one contact with children, young persons and vulnerable adults.
“They often have custody of property belonging to others, or have knowledge which might facilitate crime.”
In the statement, the council has stated that it is committed to ensuring that anyone operating a private hire or hackney carriage vehicle in Bolton are both “safe and suitable” and that the public are not exposed to anyone with “a history of dishonesty, indecency or violence” or any other offence or inappropriate behaviour.
The guidance stresses that one key aim is to make sure that the safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults is protected.
When it comes to applicants with convictions, cautions or other formal action against their name, the council will consider aspects including the nature of any offence, when it was committed, the individual’s age when the offence was committed and whether or not it represents a pattern of behaviour.
A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “Following changes to legislation and to support safeguarding we have undertaken a review of the policy applied to the licensing of both private hire and hackney carriage.
“The new statement of fitness and suitability sets out a range of information and factors, which will be considered by the licensing committee when deciding whether an applicant or licence holder is a ‘fit and proper person’ to drive a private hire or hackney carriage — or operate a private hire business. The policy will also apply to social needs transport.”
Operators and drivers have said they are in broad agreement with the guidance, but believe more work needs to be done to make the process more "efficient" and to protect drivers.
Nick Astley runs Bolton's biggest private hire firm, Metro, he said: "There has always been guidance in place and I think the council have tweaked it and perhaps made it more apparent and clear.
"Obviously passenger safety is paramount for all of us and anyone driving a taxi should be a fit and proper person, anything that improves that has got to be welcomed."
He added: "I think that the only problem comes with the amount of time it can take for drivers to be checked and cleared, which can leave them off the road and struggling.
"If that process could be speeded up and made more efficient, particularly for drivers who have years of experience, that would be ideal."
Yasif Khan is the secretary of the Bolton Private Hire Association, he said: "We are currently looking into this new guidance and talking to our members about it.
"We are in agreement with much of it and of course believe that everything should be done to make sure passengers are kept safe.
"But there are some things we are not happy about, we feel sometimes drivers are being punished and having their badges taken and names published before there is any evidence that they have done anything wrong.
"Of course if a driver is convicted of an offence, they should be punished and named and shamed - but the council shouldn't act as judge, jury and executioner if there is no proper evidence."
http://goo.gl/YX9c7y
------------------------------------------
BRISTOL
Uber cars from London are flooding into Bristol for work, leaving local taxi drivers angry and out of pocket. Dozens of the private hire cars have been spotted taking fares in the city – even though they are licensed in the capital.
Taxi drivers based in Bristol say it is damaging to point they have considered strike action in a bid for authorities to clamp down on the influx.
It is not illegal for Uber drivers based elsewhere to work in Bristol, as long as they fill the right licensing criteria. But Transport for London, which licenses taxis in the capital, said a 'grey area' could make it easier for cabbies based in the capital to take jobs in Bristol.
Photos sent to the Post reveal scores of Uber cabs registered to TfL working in Bristol.
"It's affected everyone's earnings to a point where I'm probably at least 10 to 15 per cent down on what I was earning last year," said Bristol-based driver Bill Sawyer, who has been taking fares in the city for 26 years.
"They're quite clearly working here full time and nothing is being done about it."
Mr Sawyer, who drives for V Cars and also works for Uber occasionally, is one of dozens of drivers angry that London-drivers are taking fares in Bristol. A WhatsApp group used by more than 250 taxi drivers in Bristol is now being used regularly to point out TfL-licensed cars.
An Uber spokesman said the company, which works in 60 countries, encourages its drivers to work in the authority they are licensed – but 'does not instruct partners on where they should work'.
http://goo.gl/HceU2W
----------------------------------------
CRAWLEY
A disabled woman has criticised Crawley’s health service planners after staff at new hospital transport provider Coperforma asked her, ‘Can’t you just take a taxi?’.
Vanessa Kirby, 67, of Bewbush, missed an appointment at East Surrey Hospital she booked months in advance after she stopped breathing three times on her birthday in February.
She criticised Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as Coperforma’s delays and missed appointments have continued for almost a month.
Vanessa was told repeatedly that Coperforma would pick her up when she called ahead of her appointment on April 21.
More than four hours and ten calls later, she said staff told her no transport was coming and asked her, ‘Can’t you just take a taxi?’.
Coperforma took over from previous provider South East Coast Ambulances Services on April 1. Vanessa claimed it used a cheaper, less ‘person-orientated’ booking system. She said: “This was the first time I’ve used the new Coperforma service and it hasn’t worked. I was stressed enough that I was going to this appointment, the fact I didn’t was even more stressful.
“The CCG have hired these people because they’ve said they can do the job but they are not doing it.
“It’s not working, you keep getting these people that are saying, ‘Yes, yes, it’s fine everything’s working fine,’ but now it’s been going since the beginning of April - it should be sorted.”
She added: “What’s the point of making appointment if I cannot get there, it’s ridiculous.
“If this happens next time I just won’t go, a lot of people just won’t go.”
Dr Amit Bhargava, chief clinical officer for the Crawley CCG, said: “We are very sorry to hear of Ms Kirby’s experiences with the Patient Transport Service. Crawley CCG is always working on behalf of the population, especially the most vulnerable and frail, to ensure they receive safe and effective health services. We have been working with our co-commissioners in Sussex right from the beginning of the month to ensure that the deficiencies in Coperforma’s service are addressed speedily for all patients, particularly those going to hospital for dialysis and cancer care.
All the Sussex CCGs are holding regular operational meetings with Coperforma to monitor the local position, and the on-going impact on our patients. Coperforma now has service delivery teams in hospitals across the county dealing with PTS issues and working with each individual hospital to develop local action plans specific to individual sites and localities.”
http://goo.gl/FyU0Cp
-----------------------------------------------
Young women left abandoned as St Albans taxi drivers refuse short fares
Taxis are obliged to accept any fare as part of their licence but a group of young women were recently denied a safe journey home from a nightclub by 10 taxi drivers before securing a cab home.
They were trying to return to a home on Harpenden Road, which is located near the nightclub in question, Club Batchwood, but were refused on the grounds that the address was too close.
The women had to get a bus into the city centre and a taxi from the St Peter’s Street rank in order to avoid the 2km walk home down a dark driveway.
Sarah Howell, 20, of Gustard Wood, said: “We came out at peak time so there were lots of people trying to get a taxi, so I think the marshals were slightly overwhelmed.
“We were all staying at my friend’s house in Harpenden Road and every single taxi we approached said they would not take us back and waited until someone else came along with a better fare.
“It’s not right, taxi drivers have a duty to ensure people get home safe.”
Taxis are not permitted to turn down a fare on this premise. Mudassar Yasin, general secretary of the St Albans and Harpenden Taxi Association (SAHTA), said that he did not condone such behaviour from drivers.
He added: “It is wrong for the driver to do this not only legally but on a moral basis too.”
St Albans district council, which provides taxi drivers with their licence, employs taxi marshals at peak times to control the crowds wanting to get a taxi home.
The council’s head of legal, democratic and regulatory services, Michael Lovelady, said: “Licensed hackney carriage drivers are not allowed to turn down fares on the grounds that the journey is too short.
“If anyone is turned down for that reason, they should note as many details as they can about the driver and vehicle. This could be the number of the taxi plate at the side and rear of the vehicle.
“If they inform us, we can investigate and take appropriate action. We have not had any complaints of this sort for some time.”
He added that the marshals were to receive refresher training soon on what to do if a taxi driver refused a short fare.
http://goo.gl/GlLwBs
---------------------------------------------
CANADA
Shocking footage of Polish taxi driver running over teen released by judge in hit and run trial
This distressing dash cam footage shows the moment a taxi driver runs over a teenage girl as she is lying in the middle of the road.
It was released by a judge presiding over the trial of 70-year-old Polish man Stanislaw Maguder, who is standing trial for killing Tyla Chipaway.
Mr Maguder is charged with hit and run knowing a death occurred.
The trial has heard that he committed 25 driving offences are hitting the girl, running red lights, failing to stop at road signs and changing lanes erratically.
He then washed his taxi before driving home after the accident which happened at around 3am on March 18, last year in Calgry, Canada.
The footage taken from two different cameras in the cab shows the girl lying in the road, then the movement of the car from inside, then follows his journey after the crash occurred.
It is not known why the 16-year-old girl was lying in the middle of the road, and Mr Maguder admits hitting her with his car.
The issue at trial was his intent, and whether his actions in driving away was to avoid criminal prosection.
Witnesses who were driving by stopped, tried to help Chipaway and called 911.
Maguder was arrested about 16 hours after the crash.
The trial continues.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/shocking-footage-polish-taxi-driver-7843674
---------------------------------------
DURHAM
A TAXI company owner claims the county council is "killing the trade" with tough and costly tests putting off prospective drivers.
James Crowe, who runs Newton Aycliffe-based Horndale Taxis, has called for a meeting with Durham County Councillors and MP Phil Wilson to discuss the raft of hoops that he says would-be taxi drivers are forced to jump through.
Figures from Durham County Council (DCC) show from the beginning of January 2015 until April 21 this year, 122 applications for licences were received and 86 applications were approved.
"It's killing the trade in County Durham," said Mr Crowe. "People come to me (for a job) and say it's too much hassle and they aren't interested.
"There are people out there who want to work but they don't want to do the test because it's a mammoth task."
Mr Crowe believes the low number of qualifying drivers is leading to a county-wide shortage with around 20 "needed to bridge the gap" in Newton Aycliffe.
A representative for the Hackney carriage trade in the town, he has six vehicles and five drivers but is still looking for three further full-time employees.
However, he says he is unable to fill the vacancies as a result of the difficult nature and overall cost of the tests which can come in at around £300.
To gain a badge in the county, drivers have to pass a medical check, criminal record check, advanced driver course, a knowledge test and locality test.
Mr Crowe said the latter requires knowledge for across the county which he believes is unfair.
"I've been doing this job for 20 years and I wouldn't be able to pass this test," he added.
Mr Crowe believes the answer could be to issue drivers with a temporary badge to give them time to learn the roads and earn money before embarking on the various tests.
Deborah Plews, one of the owners of Ferryhill's Clarks Taxis, also believes the cost and "difficult" tests were turning people away.
"With the locality test you don't learn most of it until you do the job and with sat navs you don't need it," she said.
http://goo.gl/Z7hcrC
----------------------------------------
The authority has carried out a review of its policy on providing licences to both private hire and hackney carriage drivers, which will help to decide if a person qualifies as appropriate to drive such a vehicle in Bolton or operate a private hire business in the town.
The guidance takes into account a range of different issues including the previous convictions, cautions and warnings of anyone applying for a licence.
There is also a large section dedicated to matters concerning safeguarding and Child Sexual Exploitation.
The guidance — which also applies to social needs transport — states: “Licence holders are in a unique position of trust and are often in one to one contact with children, young persons and vulnerable adults.
“They often have custody of property belonging to others, or have knowledge which might facilitate crime.”
In the statement, the council has stated that it is committed to ensuring that anyone operating a private hire or hackney carriage vehicle in Bolton are both “safe and suitable” and that the public are not exposed to anyone with “a history of dishonesty, indecency or violence” or any other offence or inappropriate behaviour.
The guidance stresses that one key aim is to make sure that the safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults is protected.
When it comes to applicants with convictions, cautions or other formal action against their name, the council will consider aspects including the nature of any offence, when it was committed, the individual’s age when the offence was committed and whether or not it represents a pattern of behaviour.
A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “Following changes to legislation and to support safeguarding we have undertaken a review of the policy applied to the licensing of both private hire and hackney carriage.
“The new statement of fitness and suitability sets out a range of information and factors, which will be considered by the licensing committee when deciding whether an applicant or licence holder is a ‘fit and proper person’ to drive a private hire or hackney carriage — or operate a private hire business. The policy will also apply to social needs transport.”
Operators and drivers have said they are in broad agreement with the guidance, but believe more work needs to be done to make the process more "efficient" and to protect drivers.
Nick Astley runs Bolton's biggest private hire firm, Metro, he said: "There has always been guidance in place and I think the council have tweaked it and perhaps made it more apparent and clear.
"Obviously passenger safety is paramount for all of us and anyone driving a taxi should be a fit and proper person, anything that improves that has got to be welcomed."
He added: "I think that the only problem comes with the amount of time it can take for drivers to be checked and cleared, which can leave them off the road and struggling.
"If that process could be speeded up and made more efficient, particularly for drivers who have years of experience, that would be ideal."
Yasif Khan is the secretary of the Bolton Private Hire Association, he said: "We are currently looking into this new guidance and talking to our members about it.
"We are in agreement with much of it and of course believe that everything should be done to make sure passengers are kept safe.
"But there are some things we are not happy about, we feel sometimes drivers are being punished and having their badges taken and names published before there is any evidence that they have done anything wrong.
"Of course if a driver is convicted of an offence, they should be punished and named and shamed - but the council shouldn't act as judge, jury and executioner if there is no proper evidence."
http://goo.gl/YX9c7y
------------------------------------------
BRISTOL
Uber cars from London are flooding into Bristol for work, leaving local taxi drivers angry and out of pocket. Dozens of the private hire cars have been spotted taking fares in the city – even though they are licensed in the capital.
Taxi drivers based in Bristol say it is damaging to point they have considered strike action in a bid for authorities to clamp down on the influx.
It is not illegal for Uber drivers based elsewhere to work in Bristol, as long as they fill the right licensing criteria. But Transport for London, which licenses taxis in the capital, said a 'grey area' could make it easier for cabbies based in the capital to take jobs in Bristol.
Photos sent to the Post reveal scores of Uber cabs registered to TfL working in Bristol.
"It's affected everyone's earnings to a point where I'm probably at least 10 to 15 per cent down on what I was earning last year," said Bristol-based driver Bill Sawyer, who has been taking fares in the city for 26 years.
"They're quite clearly working here full time and nothing is being done about it."
Mr Sawyer, who drives for V Cars and also works for Uber occasionally, is one of dozens of drivers angry that London-drivers are taking fares in Bristol. A WhatsApp group used by more than 250 taxi drivers in Bristol is now being used regularly to point out TfL-licensed cars.
An Uber spokesman said the company, which works in 60 countries, encourages its drivers to work in the authority they are licensed – but 'does not instruct partners on where they should work'.
http://goo.gl/HceU2W
----------------------------------------
CRAWLEY
A disabled woman has criticised Crawley’s health service planners after staff at new hospital transport provider Coperforma asked her, ‘Can’t you just take a taxi?’.
Vanessa Kirby, 67, of Bewbush, missed an appointment at East Surrey Hospital she booked months in advance after she stopped breathing three times on her birthday in February.
She criticised Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as Coperforma’s delays and missed appointments have continued for almost a month.
Vanessa was told repeatedly that Coperforma would pick her up when she called ahead of her appointment on April 21.
More than four hours and ten calls later, she said staff told her no transport was coming and asked her, ‘Can’t you just take a taxi?’.
Coperforma took over from previous provider South East Coast Ambulances Services on April 1. Vanessa claimed it used a cheaper, less ‘person-orientated’ booking system. She said: “This was the first time I’ve used the new Coperforma service and it hasn’t worked. I was stressed enough that I was going to this appointment, the fact I didn’t was even more stressful.
“The CCG have hired these people because they’ve said they can do the job but they are not doing it.
“It’s not working, you keep getting these people that are saying, ‘Yes, yes, it’s fine everything’s working fine,’ but now it’s been going since the beginning of April - it should be sorted.”
She added: “What’s the point of making appointment if I cannot get there, it’s ridiculous.
“If this happens next time I just won’t go, a lot of people just won’t go.”
Dr Amit Bhargava, chief clinical officer for the Crawley CCG, said: “We are very sorry to hear of Ms Kirby’s experiences with the Patient Transport Service. Crawley CCG is always working on behalf of the population, especially the most vulnerable and frail, to ensure they receive safe and effective health services. We have been working with our co-commissioners in Sussex right from the beginning of the month to ensure that the deficiencies in Coperforma’s service are addressed speedily for all patients, particularly those going to hospital for dialysis and cancer care.
All the Sussex CCGs are holding regular operational meetings with Coperforma to monitor the local position, and the on-going impact on our patients. Coperforma now has service delivery teams in hospitals across the county dealing with PTS issues and working with each individual hospital to develop local action plans specific to individual sites and localities.”
http://goo.gl/FyU0Cp
-----------------------------------------------
Young women left abandoned as St Albans taxi drivers refuse short fares
Taxis are obliged to accept any fare as part of their licence but a group of young women were recently denied a safe journey home from a nightclub by 10 taxi drivers before securing a cab home.
They were trying to return to a home on Harpenden Road, which is located near the nightclub in question, Club Batchwood, but were refused on the grounds that the address was too close.
The women had to get a bus into the city centre and a taxi from the St Peter’s Street rank in order to avoid the 2km walk home down a dark driveway.
Sarah Howell, 20, of Gustard Wood, said: “We came out at peak time so there were lots of people trying to get a taxi, so I think the marshals were slightly overwhelmed.
“We were all staying at my friend’s house in Harpenden Road and every single taxi we approached said they would not take us back and waited until someone else came along with a better fare.
“It’s not right, taxi drivers have a duty to ensure people get home safe.”
Taxis are not permitted to turn down a fare on this premise. Mudassar Yasin, general secretary of the St Albans and Harpenden Taxi Association (SAHTA), said that he did not condone such behaviour from drivers.
He added: “It is wrong for the driver to do this not only legally but on a moral basis too.”
St Albans district council, which provides taxi drivers with their licence, employs taxi marshals at peak times to control the crowds wanting to get a taxi home.
The council’s head of legal, democratic and regulatory services, Michael Lovelady, said: “Licensed hackney carriage drivers are not allowed to turn down fares on the grounds that the journey is too short.
“If anyone is turned down for that reason, they should note as many details as they can about the driver and vehicle. This could be the number of the taxi plate at the side and rear of the vehicle.
“If they inform us, we can investigate and take appropriate action. We have not had any complaints of this sort for some time.”
He added that the marshals were to receive refresher training soon on what to do if a taxi driver refused a short fare.
http://goo.gl/GlLwBs
---------------------------------------------
CANADA
Shocking footage of Polish taxi driver running over teen released by judge in hit and run trial
This distressing dash cam footage shows the moment a taxi driver runs over a teenage girl as she is lying in the middle of the road.
It was released by a judge presiding over the trial of 70-year-old Polish man Stanislaw Maguder, who is standing trial for killing Tyla Chipaway.
Mr Maguder is charged with hit and run knowing a death occurred.
The trial has heard that he committed 25 driving offences are hitting the girl, running red lights, failing to stop at road signs and changing lanes erratically.
He then washed his taxi before driving home after the accident which happened at around 3am on March 18, last year in Calgry, Canada.
The footage taken from two different cameras in the cab shows the girl lying in the road, then the movement of the car from inside, then follows his journey after the crash occurred.
It is not known why the 16-year-old girl was lying in the middle of the road, and Mr Maguder admits hitting her with his car.
The issue at trial was his intent, and whether his actions in driving away was to avoid criminal prosection.
Witnesses who were driving by stopped, tried to help Chipaway and called 911.
Maguder was arrested about 16 hours after the crash.
The trial continues.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/shocking-footage-polish-taxi-driver-7843674
---------------------------------------
DURHAM
A TAXI company owner claims the county council is "killing the trade" with tough and costly tests putting off prospective drivers.
James Crowe, who runs Newton Aycliffe-based Horndale Taxis, has called for a meeting with Durham County Councillors and MP Phil Wilson to discuss the raft of hoops that he says would-be taxi drivers are forced to jump through.
Figures from Durham County Council (DCC) show from the beginning of January 2015 until April 21 this year, 122 applications for licences were received and 86 applications were approved.
"It's killing the trade in County Durham," said Mr Crowe. "People come to me (for a job) and say it's too much hassle and they aren't interested.
"There are people out there who want to work but they don't want to do the test because it's a mammoth task."
Mr Crowe believes the low number of qualifying drivers is leading to a county-wide shortage with around 20 "needed to bridge the gap" in Newton Aycliffe.
A representative for the Hackney carriage trade in the town, he has six vehicles and five drivers but is still looking for three further full-time employees.
However, he says he is unable to fill the vacancies as a result of the difficult nature and overall cost of the tests which can come in at around £300.
To gain a badge in the county, drivers have to pass a medical check, criminal record check, advanced driver course, a knowledge test and locality test.
Mr Crowe said the latter requires knowledge for across the county which he believes is unfair.
"I've been doing this job for 20 years and I wouldn't be able to pass this test," he added.
Mr Crowe believes the answer could be to issue drivers with a temporary badge to give them time to learn the roads and earn money before embarking on the various tests.
Deborah Plews, one of the owners of Ferryhill's Clarks Taxis, also believes the cost and "difficult" tests were turning people away.
"With the locality test you don't learn most of it until you do the job and with sat navs you don't need it," she said.
http://goo.gl/Z7hcrC
----------------------------------------
Tuesday 26 April 2016
London. A Crude attempt to Blackmail Addison Lee.
This letter appeared on Social Media last night.
It attemps to Blackmail the Entire board of Addison Lee to resign.
I doubt it will have any chance.
------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH SOMERSET
A TAXI driver has warned that a huge hike in the licencing fees that cabbies have to pay to the district council could put firms out of business.
Councillors voted 7-1 in favour of implementing the rise – with one abstention – at a meeting of South Somerset District Council's licencing committee on Tuesday morning.
The amount that taxi drivers will have to pay in private hire operator charges over the next five years is £820, up from just £85 over a three year period, while the cost of a drivers' badge for three years has increased from £80 to £260.
Under the new system, drivers will be given the option of paying the fees in instalments rather than in one lump sum.
The new fees will take effect on May 1.
The issue has caused much controversy among taxi drivers, not least when the meeting had to be rescheduled from its original date two weeks ago after an administrative error resulted in the council failing to notify cabbies that the issue was due to be discussed.
Roger Woodland, owner of CR Taxis, believes that the quality of services that taxi drivers across South Somerset can offer will decline as a result of the committee's decision.
He said: "It is going to come as a shock when these new fees start and there is a strong possibility that the number of taxi operators in the area may decline and service levels drop, which is a shame because I firmly believe that we provide a very valuable service to the community, especially school children, the elderly and the infirm."
"Having spoken to a few taxi drivers in the last week it was apparent that almost all of them had no idea the meeting was taking place this morning and a large majority of them did not know that the fee increases were going to happen."
A spokesman for South Somerset District Council said: "Once the licensing committee agreed the fees and charges for 2016/17, they were recommended to full council as part of the budget setting process.
"A note was published in the Western Gazette, in accordance with legislative requirements, which stated the proposed fees. Any objections which were received, but not withdrawn, were considered at licensing committee."
http://goo.gl/W8Vj2T
---------------------------------------------
ABERDEEN
The worried wife of an Aberdeen taxi driver has warned cabbies could be unable to keep working if controversial plans to make all vehicles wheelchair-accessible are adopted.
Aberdeen City Council wants all hackney drivers to make their vehicles wheelchair accessible by next year.
Union Unite has argued there is already enough provision, while others have argued that not everyone with a disability uses a wheelchair so the policy could discriminate against those with other mobility issues.
And last night Maureen Smith said the new rules could cost her husband Stuart more than £20,000 to switch from his saloon vehicle to a new wheelchair accessible type.
Mr Smith, 63, is saving for retirement after 35 years behind the wheel but could be forced to work for many more years according to his wife.
She said: “The cost of a second hand wheelchair accessible car can be as much as £22,000.
“If every taxi has to be wheelchair accessible then why not every toilet? Where does it all end?
“Everyone is suffering now with the oil crash so I don’t know why they would do this when it could put lots of people out of work.”
Taxi driver union Unite has claimed there is already sufficient wheelchair provision in the Granite City, with more than 500 vehicles equipped for wheelchair users.
After a stormy debate at the last meeting of the licensing committee, SNP councillor Michael Hutchison pushed for a motion to investigate the operations of the Dundee trade which operates with a “mixed fleet”.
The future of taxi provision will be decided by all councillors at a meeting of the full council on May 11.
https://goo.gl/SKUPt9
---------------------------------------
PLYMOUTH
A TAXI driver has been jailed for repeatedly striking a man with a bottle in pub toilets after taking a legal high.
Terry Cretch, aged 51, hit the reveller around the head in a cubicle after a minor disagreement, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
Victim Robert Clarke was left badly bleeding from a series of cuts but was able to walk away covered in blood, as shown on the pub's CCTV coverage.
Cretch admitted that his behaviour completely changed after he took a legal high on top of alcohol.
Judge Ian Lawrie jailed him for three years for what he called "appalling behaviour".
He told Cretch: "It is astonishing bearing in mind the advantages you have had in life, a loving wife and loving children, and the responsibilities you bear, that you resort to violence of the worst sort, involving a weapon and inflicting serious injury."
http://goo.gl/kYGtxf
------------------------------------------
BUDAPEST
This is the second anti-Uber demonstration the Hungarian capital had to get through this year already, but the problem isn’t really with the cheap way everybody likes to travel nowadays.
Taxi drivers in Budapest aren’t exactly fans of Uber because taxis are heavily regulated in the Hungarian capital, meaning that the government is telling them what kind of cars they can use (not too small ones) for how long (ten years), how those taxis have to look (a certain yellow) and on top of that, the fare is also fixed and set by the city (about a dollar per kilometer).
Satisfying all those rules leaves a very thin margin for profits, while taxis outside of Budapest, and alternatives like Uber, don’t have to follow these regulations at all. And of course there are those on both sides who don’t follow any rules. We Hungarians call them hyaenas, and yes, they will rip you off.
But with Uber, at least you might get a refund.
http://goo.gl/3MXsHS
This letter appeared on Social Media last night.
It attemps to Blackmail the Entire board of Addison Lee to resign.
I doubt it will have any chance.
SOUTH SOMERSET
A TAXI driver has warned that a huge hike in the licencing fees that cabbies have to pay to the district council could put firms out of business.
Councillors voted 7-1 in favour of implementing the rise – with one abstention – at a meeting of South Somerset District Council's licencing committee on Tuesday morning.
The amount that taxi drivers will have to pay in private hire operator charges over the next five years is £820, up from just £85 over a three year period, while the cost of a drivers' badge for three years has increased from £80 to £260.
Under the new system, drivers will be given the option of paying the fees in instalments rather than in one lump sum.
The new fees will take effect on May 1.
The issue has caused much controversy among taxi drivers, not least when the meeting had to be rescheduled from its original date two weeks ago after an administrative error resulted in the council failing to notify cabbies that the issue was due to be discussed.
Roger Woodland, owner of CR Taxis, believes that the quality of services that taxi drivers across South Somerset can offer will decline as a result of the committee's decision.
He said: "It is going to come as a shock when these new fees start and there is a strong possibility that the number of taxi operators in the area may decline and service levels drop, which is a shame because I firmly believe that we provide a very valuable service to the community, especially school children, the elderly and the infirm."
"Having spoken to a few taxi drivers in the last week it was apparent that almost all of them had no idea the meeting was taking place this morning and a large majority of them did not know that the fee increases were going to happen."
A spokesman for South Somerset District Council said: "Once the licensing committee agreed the fees and charges for 2016/17, they were recommended to full council as part of the budget setting process.
"A note was published in the Western Gazette, in accordance with legislative requirements, which stated the proposed fees. Any objections which were received, but not withdrawn, were considered at licensing committee."
http://goo.gl/W8Vj2T
---------------------------------------------
ABERDEEN
The worried wife of an Aberdeen taxi driver has warned cabbies could be unable to keep working if controversial plans to make all vehicles wheelchair-accessible are adopted.
Aberdeen City Council wants all hackney drivers to make their vehicles wheelchair accessible by next year.
Union Unite has argued there is already enough provision, while others have argued that not everyone with a disability uses a wheelchair so the policy could discriminate against those with other mobility issues.
And last night Maureen Smith said the new rules could cost her husband Stuart more than £20,000 to switch from his saloon vehicle to a new wheelchair accessible type.
Mr Smith, 63, is saving for retirement after 35 years behind the wheel but could be forced to work for many more years according to his wife.
She said: “The cost of a second hand wheelchair accessible car can be as much as £22,000.
“If every taxi has to be wheelchair accessible then why not every toilet? Where does it all end?
“Everyone is suffering now with the oil crash so I don’t know why they would do this when it could put lots of people out of work.”
Taxi driver union Unite has claimed there is already sufficient wheelchair provision in the Granite City, with more than 500 vehicles equipped for wheelchair users.
After a stormy debate at the last meeting of the licensing committee, SNP councillor Michael Hutchison pushed for a motion to investigate the operations of the Dundee trade which operates with a “mixed fleet”.
The future of taxi provision will be decided by all councillors at a meeting of the full council on May 11.
https://goo.gl/SKUPt9
---------------------------------------
PLYMOUTH
A TAXI driver has been jailed for repeatedly striking a man with a bottle in pub toilets after taking a legal high.
Terry Cretch, aged 51, hit the reveller around the head in a cubicle after a minor disagreement, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
Victim Robert Clarke was left badly bleeding from a series of cuts but was able to walk away covered in blood, as shown on the pub's CCTV coverage.
Cretch admitted that his behaviour completely changed after he took a legal high on top of alcohol.
Judge Ian Lawrie jailed him for three years for what he called "appalling behaviour".
He told Cretch: "It is astonishing bearing in mind the advantages you have had in life, a loving wife and loving children, and the responsibilities you bear, that you resort to violence of the worst sort, involving a weapon and inflicting serious injury."
http://goo.gl/kYGtxf
------------------------------------------
BUDAPEST
This is the second anti-Uber demonstration the Hungarian capital had to get through this year already, but the problem isn’t really with the cheap way everybody likes to travel nowadays.
Taxi drivers in Budapest aren’t exactly fans of Uber because taxis are heavily regulated in the Hungarian capital, meaning that the government is telling them what kind of cars they can use (not too small ones) for how long (ten years), how those taxis have to look (a certain yellow) and on top of that, the fare is also fixed and set by the city (about a dollar per kilometer).
Satisfying all those rules leaves a very thin margin for profits, while taxis outside of Budapest, and alternatives like Uber, don’t have to follow these regulations at all. And of course there are those on both sides who don’t follow any rules. We Hungarians call them hyaenas, and yes, they will rip you off.
But with Uber, at least you might get a refund.
http://goo.gl/3MXsHS
Monday 25 April 2016
DUMFRIES
A plan to increase "civic pride and confidence" in taxi services in Dumfries and Galloway aims to be completed by the summer.
A dress code, a "knowledge" test of local routes, stricter medical standards and encouraging the use of in-car CCTV are among the proposals.
Talks over the plans will be held with the trade next month.
Dumfries and Galloway Council hopes to make a decision on the way forward at a meeting on 16 June.
A panel has been created from a wide group of representatives, from a range of organisations, to draw up the proposals.
Its recommendations include:
compulsory signage on vehicles
customer care conditions to avoid discrimination
extra assistance for passengers with a disability
permission for advertising on vehicles
It has also decided against the introduction of prescribed taxi meters or any restrictions on vehicle age as long as they comply with inspections.
Willie Taylor, service manager for licensing at the council, said: "We are looking forward to meeting with the trade to discuss the proposals openly and constructively.
"The aspiration of the review is that the taxi and private hire fleet and their drivers provide a safe, fair and customer-focused service which inspires civic pride and confidence within the local communities and gives an excellent first impression of Dumfries and Galloway to those visiting our area."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-36129868
---------------------------------------------
MINICABIT
SKYSCANNER has announced a partnership with taxi cab price comparison site minicabit.
The deal enables Skyscanner’s 50 million monthly users to compare and book the most competitively priced airport transfers.
minicabit’s cab comparison technology will be integrated with Skyscanner’s flight comparison website. It will be accessed via the airport transfer tab and cross sell panels on flight searches.
The firm was founded by Amer Hasan, ex-global head of apps and internet partnerships at Vodafone.
In November last year, minicabit successfully completed a £1.5 million fundraising round, led by investors at Hambro Perks and Oakley Capital. In December it secured further investment from KKR UK boss and Alliance Boots director Dominic Murphy and Marek Gumienny, former chairman of Candover Partners.
Minicabit said that its revenues are now running into double digit millions annually, achieving a 265 per cent uplift in new customer bookings compared to this time last year. Mr Hasan said the company made its first pre-tax profit last year and it is on track to hit its goal of £100 million in annual UK revenues by 2020.
The company has embarked on a number of high-profile partnerships recently including Barclays Pingit, Big Yellow, The O2 Arena, London City Airport and Heathrow Airport.
Paul Cumins, car hire senior business development at Skyscanner, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve our customers’ experience and by collaborating with minicabit, we can now offer our customers the ability to search for and book the most convenient and affordable cabs to and from airports UK wide.”
http://goo.gl/Dj9UOD
-------------------------------------
GLASGOW
TAXI drivers have been trained to spot signs of child sexual exploitation.
The move came as part of a multi-agency effort in Glasgow to tackle the numbers of children at risk of abuse.
A council report nearly one year on from the setting up of a city-wide scheme to stop young people being exploited says training has taken place across Glasgow.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are working very closely with partners to address the challenge of child sexual exploitation in Glasgow.
“We are fully committed to learning from our experiences and using that knowledge to help us improve the systems that provide protection for vulnerable young people."
The decision followed a police operation that found 97 children and teenagers who were victims of or at risk of being sexually exploited.
Members of the working group were tasked with looking at: training and awareness raising; creating practical guidance; procedures; delivering services; and disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators.
http://goo.gl/m9d3oU
A plan to increase "civic pride and confidence" in taxi services in Dumfries and Galloway aims to be completed by the summer.
A dress code, a "knowledge" test of local routes, stricter medical standards and encouraging the use of in-car CCTV are among the proposals.
Talks over the plans will be held with the trade next month.
Dumfries and Galloway Council hopes to make a decision on the way forward at a meeting on 16 June.
A panel has been created from a wide group of representatives, from a range of organisations, to draw up the proposals.
Its recommendations include:
compulsory signage on vehicles
customer care conditions to avoid discrimination
extra assistance for passengers with a disability
permission for advertising on vehicles
It has also decided against the introduction of prescribed taxi meters or any restrictions on vehicle age as long as they comply with inspections.
Willie Taylor, service manager for licensing at the council, said: "We are looking forward to meeting with the trade to discuss the proposals openly and constructively.
"The aspiration of the review is that the taxi and private hire fleet and their drivers provide a safe, fair and customer-focused service which inspires civic pride and confidence within the local communities and gives an excellent first impression of Dumfries and Galloway to those visiting our area."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-36129868
---------------------------------------------
MINICABIT
SKYSCANNER has announced a partnership with taxi cab price comparison site minicabit.
The deal enables Skyscanner’s 50 million monthly users to compare and book the most competitively priced airport transfers.
minicabit’s cab comparison technology will be integrated with Skyscanner’s flight comparison website. It will be accessed via the airport transfer tab and cross sell panels on flight searches.
The firm was founded by Amer Hasan, ex-global head of apps and internet partnerships at Vodafone.
In November last year, minicabit successfully completed a £1.5 million fundraising round, led by investors at Hambro Perks and Oakley Capital. In December it secured further investment from KKR UK boss and Alliance Boots director Dominic Murphy and Marek Gumienny, former chairman of Candover Partners.
Minicabit said that its revenues are now running into double digit millions annually, achieving a 265 per cent uplift in new customer bookings compared to this time last year. Mr Hasan said the company made its first pre-tax profit last year and it is on track to hit its goal of £100 million in annual UK revenues by 2020.
The company has embarked on a number of high-profile partnerships recently including Barclays Pingit, Big Yellow, The O2 Arena, London City Airport and Heathrow Airport.
Paul Cumins, car hire senior business development at Skyscanner, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve our customers’ experience and by collaborating with minicabit, we can now offer our customers the ability to search for and book the most convenient and affordable cabs to and from airports UK wide.”
http://goo.gl/Dj9UOD
-------------------------------------
GLASGOW
TAXI drivers have been trained to spot signs of child sexual exploitation.
The move came as part of a multi-agency effort in Glasgow to tackle the numbers of children at risk of abuse.
A council report nearly one year on from the setting up of a city-wide scheme to stop young people being exploited says training has taken place across Glasgow.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are working very closely with partners to address the challenge of child sexual exploitation in Glasgow.
“We are fully committed to learning from our experiences and using that knowledge to help us improve the systems that provide protection for vulnerable young people."
The decision followed a police operation that found 97 children and teenagers who were victims of or at risk of being sexually exploited.
Members of the working group were tasked with looking at: training and awareness raising; creating practical guidance; procedures; delivering services; and disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators.
http://goo.gl/m9d3oU
RMT Newcastle taxi drivers launch fight over rip-off permit charges from Virgin East Coast
RMT taxi drivers in Newcastle have launched a major fight with one of the UK’s biggest train operators, Virgin East Coast, over rip-off permit charges that the union says could force members out of their jobs.
RMT drivers held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to discuss a campaign of action against Virgin, including direct action, to stop this attack on the trade.
The taxi drivers anger is focused on the jacking up the cost of a permit to ply for hire on the short stay car park outside Newcastle Central Station. The new Virgin permit is priced at £2,030 per year- more than the cost of a train station permit in Leicester, Birmingham and Preston combined.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said that over 130 drivers angry RMT driver attended a meeting on Thursday to discuss their next steps in the campaign.
He said: “Our members are being exploited by Virgin – a wealthy global corporation - with hard working taxi drivers being expected cough up excess of £2,000. That is one of the highest permit prices in the country and is nothing short of extortionate.
“Drivers in Newcastle are paying considerably more than in Leicester, Birmingham and Preston combined where the price of a permit is £675. All of this fits in with a national trend to try and rob taxi drivers through rip-off fees at a time when the trade is already under severe pressure from cowboy operations like Uber and lightly-regulated private hire outfits who get away with breaking the rules and using the short-term car parks free of charge. It is a scandal that threatens the livelihoods of our members.
“RMT will stand up for our taxi-driver members and the union is currently taking seeking legal advice and will consider direct action if that is what it takes. We remain available for serious and meaningful talks.”
http://goo.gl/jt6l09
-----------------------------------------
LONDON
Monday, April 25, 2016
GMB To Hold Static Protest For Addison Lee Drivers On Tuesday 26 April Over Low Rates
Addison Lee is the market leader in the business world and so does not need to compete with companies like Uber says GMB.
GMB, the union for private hire drivers, will hold a static protest tomorrow, Tuesday 26th April 2016, for Addison Lee drivers over increased costs and low fare rates set by the company.
GMB has raised a number of concerns with Addison Lee including increased commission from the company, fixed rate insurance and reduced fares, particularly at peak times.
GMB members will meet at 12pm on Tuesday 26th April 2016 at the address as follows:
Berkeley Square,
Mayfair,
London,
W1J 6AF
Steve Garelick, branch secretary for professional drivers, said “We know times are tough, but Addison Lee drivers are the best trained in the industry and are part of a premium brand in London that is being damaged by excessively low fares.
Addison Lee is the market leader in the business world and so does not need to compete with companies like Uber.
Dragging down the brand by reducing rates will mean the loss of high quality drivers, whose replacements will likely be untrained with little experience, which will, in turn, lead to the loss of major accounts, a loss that will be felt by all.”
End
http://goo.gl/wCNIDS
RMT taxi drivers in Newcastle have launched a major fight with one of the UK’s biggest train operators, Virgin East Coast, over rip-off permit charges that the union says could force members out of their jobs.
RMT drivers held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to discuss a campaign of action against Virgin, including direct action, to stop this attack on the trade.
The taxi drivers anger is focused on the jacking up the cost of a permit to ply for hire on the short stay car park outside Newcastle Central Station. The new Virgin permit is priced at £2,030 per year- more than the cost of a train station permit in Leicester, Birmingham and Preston combined.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said that over 130 drivers angry RMT driver attended a meeting on Thursday to discuss their next steps in the campaign.
He said: “Our members are being exploited by Virgin – a wealthy global corporation - with hard working taxi drivers being expected cough up excess of £2,000. That is one of the highest permit prices in the country and is nothing short of extortionate.
“Drivers in Newcastle are paying considerably more than in Leicester, Birmingham and Preston combined where the price of a permit is £675. All of this fits in with a national trend to try and rob taxi drivers through rip-off fees at a time when the trade is already under severe pressure from cowboy operations like Uber and lightly-regulated private hire outfits who get away with breaking the rules and using the short-term car parks free of charge. It is a scandal that threatens the livelihoods of our members.
“RMT will stand up for our taxi-driver members and the union is currently taking seeking legal advice and will consider direct action if that is what it takes. We remain available for serious and meaningful talks.”
http://goo.gl/jt6l09
-----------------------------------------
LONDON
Monday, April 25, 2016
GMB To Hold Static Protest For Addison Lee Drivers On Tuesday 26 April Over Low Rates
Addison Lee is the market leader in the business world and so does not need to compete with companies like Uber says GMB.
GMB, the union for private hire drivers, will hold a static protest tomorrow, Tuesday 26th April 2016, for Addison Lee drivers over increased costs and low fare rates set by the company.
GMB has raised a number of concerns with Addison Lee including increased commission from the company, fixed rate insurance and reduced fares, particularly at peak times.
GMB members will meet at 12pm on Tuesday 26th April 2016 at the address as follows:
Berkeley Square,
Mayfair,
London,
W1J 6AF
Steve Garelick, branch secretary for professional drivers, said “We know times are tough, but Addison Lee drivers are the best trained in the industry and are part of a premium brand in London that is being damaged by excessively low fares.
Addison Lee is the market leader in the business world and so does not need to compete with companies like Uber.
Dragging down the brand by reducing rates will mean the loss of high quality drivers, whose replacements will likely be untrained with little experience, which will, in turn, lead to the loss of major accounts, a loss that will be felt by all.”
End
http://goo.gl/wCNIDS
UBER STORY FROM CHICAGO
You not gonna believe this here...
I'm out here working this Uber BullCrap
I get a ping on 71st in the South Shore Area.
Get to the Location its Italian Fiesta
This guy hops in the car with 5 pizza and begins to direct me on his route to do his delivery.
I'm like WTH !!
This fool got me riding around the east side as his driver while he dropping off orders.
So we halfway in the route on delivery number 3 & we get a ping.
This cheap ass fool doing a car pool while he on delivery.
So the 2nd passenger gets in and says ...
"Uhmmmm it smells good in here,
Yall got pizza ?"
This fool then attempts to sell her a slice of pizza for $1 out of somebody box of pizza.
But she didn't want it because he tried to give her the corner slices so his customers want be mad.
So she gets out & I ask him
Do you do this often?
He then says, " I aint got no car, no license but imma hustler
He says he does this all the time he makes 3.50 per delivery plus tips uber pool cost him $ 4.00 & he cracking cards so he like I'm winning" ..
On the 4th delivery I drove off on his ass
Stupid **** not going to get rich off me
Needless to say and I'm full now....
Cheap bastard
Screw uber pool
REPLY FROM PHEONIX ARIZONA
I don't believe the the story but the math works out. You could hire an uber to deliver pizzas and still make money.
How sad is that. Uber rates are that low. In Phx our rates are $0.90/mile and 9 cents/minute with $1.80 SRF.
He could hire an uber for 3 hours and drive 50 miles for $63.45. If he delivered 20 pizzas at $3.50/delivery that's $70. Tips on 20 deliveries is at least $60.
That dude just made $66.55 in 3 hours. The uber driver made $66.45 - $1.80SRF - 25% - $5 for 2 gallons of gas = $43.50.
A pizza delivery guy can hire an uber driver for 3 hours straight and still make $23 more than the uber driver. That's how crazy low the rates are. Great story.
----------------------------------------
An Aberdeen taxi driver narrowly escaped serious injury when a lamppost crashed into his car, landing just inches away from his seat.
The blue Peugeot Horizon taxi hit the lamppost after colliding with a grey Land Rover Freelander at a busy roundabout at about 11am yesterday.
The pole toppled into the overturned taxi, tearing through the engine.
The accident happened at the roundabout where Rosehill Drive meets Hilton Drive, with the car blocking the middle of the road.
Meanwhile, the Land Rover continued up Rosehill Drive before coming to a stop at a wall, a few feet from the Co-Op.
The woman driving the vehicle was unscathed, with the rear bumper bearing the brunt of the collision and falling onto the road.
Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene.
Nine firefighters smashed open the taxi windscreen and helped free the motorist from the car.
The crews left the scene at about 11.40am after making the scene safe.
Several onlookers stood and watched as about six police officers taped off the area around the taxi and directed traffic through the roundabout.
Traffic began to build up as police were forced to close off part of Hilton Drive and Hilton Street.
Meanwhile, another pair of officers helped the woman driving the Land Rover, who did not require medical treatment.
The taxi driver was later taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was treated for minor injuries.
Officers remained at the scene till just after 1pm to allow council teams to remove the damaged vehicle.
https://goo.gl/vlt1p6
---------------------------------------
You not gonna believe this here...
I'm out here working this Uber BullCrap
I get a ping on 71st in the South Shore Area.
Get to the Location its Italian Fiesta
This guy hops in the car with 5 pizza and begins to direct me on his route to do his delivery.
I'm like WTH !!
This fool got me riding around the east side as his driver while he dropping off orders.
So we halfway in the route on delivery number 3 & we get a ping.
This cheap ass fool doing a car pool while he on delivery.
So the 2nd passenger gets in and says ...
"Uhmmmm it smells good in here,
Yall got pizza ?"
This fool then attempts to sell her a slice of pizza for $1 out of somebody box of pizza.
But she didn't want it because he tried to give her the corner slices so his customers want be mad.
So she gets out & I ask him
Do you do this often?
He then says, " I aint got no car, no license but imma hustler
He says he does this all the time he makes 3.50 per delivery plus tips uber pool cost him $ 4.00 & he cracking cards so he like I'm winning" ..
On the 4th delivery I drove off on his ass
Stupid **** not going to get rich off me
Needless to say and I'm full now....
Cheap bastard
Screw uber pool
REPLY FROM PHEONIX ARIZONA
I don't believe the the story but the math works out. You could hire an uber to deliver pizzas and still make money.
How sad is that. Uber rates are that low. In Phx our rates are $0.90/mile and 9 cents/minute with $1.80 SRF.
He could hire an uber for 3 hours and drive 50 miles for $63.45. If he delivered 20 pizzas at $3.50/delivery that's $70. Tips on 20 deliveries is at least $60.
That dude just made $66.55 in 3 hours. The uber driver made $66.45 - $1.80SRF - 25% - $5 for 2 gallons of gas = $43.50.
A pizza delivery guy can hire an uber driver for 3 hours straight and still make $23 more than the uber driver. That's how crazy low the rates are. Great story.
----------------------------------------
An Aberdeen taxi driver narrowly escaped serious injury when a lamppost crashed into his car, landing just inches away from his seat.
The blue Peugeot Horizon taxi hit the lamppost after colliding with a grey Land Rover Freelander at a busy roundabout at about 11am yesterday.
The pole toppled into the overturned taxi, tearing through the engine.
The accident happened at the roundabout where Rosehill Drive meets Hilton Drive, with the car blocking the middle of the road.
Meanwhile, the Land Rover continued up Rosehill Drive before coming to a stop at a wall, a few feet from the Co-Op.
The woman driving the vehicle was unscathed, with the rear bumper bearing the brunt of the collision and falling onto the road.
Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene.
Nine firefighters smashed open the taxi windscreen and helped free the motorist from the car.
The crews left the scene at about 11.40am after making the scene safe.
Several onlookers stood and watched as about six police officers taped off the area around the taxi and directed traffic through the roundabout.
Traffic began to build up as police were forced to close off part of Hilton Drive and Hilton Street.
Meanwhile, another pair of officers helped the woman driving the Land Rover, who did not require medical treatment.
The taxi driver was later taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was treated for minor injuries.
Officers remained at the scene till just after 1pm to allow council teams to remove the damaged vehicle.
https://goo.gl/vlt1p6
---------------------------------------
Friday 22 April 2016
Uber Cardiff launch: £34.61 for three-mile journey
Taxi-hailing app Uber has officially come to Cardiff.
Uber, which connects passengers with drivers via a smartphone app, launched on Friday.
It is the first time it has come to Wales after being granted an operator's licence in January and an Uber spokesman said more than 100 drivers had signed up in the city.
Reporter Sophie Gidley tried it out, but was mistakenly charged £34.61 for a 3.24-mile trip after a GPS glitch.
----------------------------------------
The head of Uber in Quebec is convinced the provincial government is going to pull the plug on app-based car services.
Jean-Nicolas Guillemette said his company is ready to pull out of Quebec if the demands the province makes on its drivers are too onerous.
Over the past few months the provincial government has floated several ideas about how to regulate Uber, and it seems to be settling on the notion of making Uber drivers rent taxi permits on a day-by-day basis.
That's similar to the by-law enacted earlier this year in Calgary, which requires Uber drivers to purchase a $220 permit every year.
Uber said that fee was too high and stopped operating in that city.
Instead, Guillemette said Uber prefers the legislation passed in Edmonton, which has the company paying 6 cents per each ride taken.
"People need more choice and more affordable choices in Quebec and what will happen if they regulate us in a way that we cannot operate is that again in Quebec we will be the place across North America who pays the most for taxi rides and to move across the city and this is not acceptable so the government needs to think first about the citizens and and not being influenced by the taxi lobby," said Guillemette.
Taxi drivers in Quebec have been pressuring the provincial government to crack down on Uber drivers, saying they should be subject to the same rules and fees as taxi drivers if they want to transport passengers.
Transportation Minister Jacques Daoust reiterated Wednesday that he is planning to table legislation in the coming weeks.
"My plan is still to present a bill before the end of the session, and having it enforced before the end of the session," said Daoust.
"I'm saying you will have to respect the law, they say 'If I have to respect the law, I'm gone,' so it's [their] decision, not my decision."
Mayor Denis Coderre was even more succinct when asked about Uber threatening to leave.
"Bye bye," he replied, and shrugged.
Guillemette said because many Uber drivers only work part-time, many will not drive if the startup costs are too high.
http://goo.gl/Cb2sco
-------------------------------------------
UBER USA
Uber drivers say $84m settlement is too timid
Lawyers for Uber drivers cheered their $84 million settlement with the ride-hailing company this week as a landmark win that will make it easier for drivers in Massachusetts and California to earn a living.
A number of Boston-area drivers who spoke with the Globe, however, weren’t convinced.
To begin with, most didn’t realize that the agreement probably applies to them. Others complained that the deal failed to extract any meaningful concessions from Uber. And while frequent drivers could receive around $4,000, many were upset to learn that they are likely to receive only modest payments of a few hundred dollars, while drivers in California would get about twice as much.
“A friend of mine asked me, ‘What happens with that 100 million? Who gets it?’ ” said Berhanu Shelkute, who drives up to 14 hours a day for Uber. “Not me.”
If it’s approved by a judge in June, the agreement announced Thursday would end lawsuits that claimed Uber misclassified drivers in Massachusetts and California as independent contractors instead of employees entitled to benefits and other protections. The case was led by well-known Boston-based labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan.
Under the settlement, Uber would pay $84 million to drivers — $100 million if the company goes public later on — in proportion to how many miles each drove. The company also agreed to stop removing drivers that refuse too many potential fares from its network, to only “deactivate” drivers for violating specific clauses in a new driver policy, and to stop suggesting to passengers that tips are included in the fares (they aren’t).
Drivers who believe they have been deactivated for no good reason could appeal their cases. They also will be able to join Uber-recognized “Driver Associations,” pseudo-unions that will meet quarterly with Uber.
Massachusetts Uber drivers said those changes were positive, especially the protection from permanent deactivation for having a low ride-acceptance rate. But the biggest problem, they said, remains unaddressed: Uber takes a hefty 20 percent to 25 percent cut of fares that are already too low.
“I’m really unhappy with the rates,” said driver Duane Mitchell, 63. “They’re so low I can barely justify going out.”
Mitchell and most of the other drivers who spoke with the Globe said they are driving more for competitors such as Lyft or Boston-based Fasten, which is aggressively recruiting drivers by promising to let them keep more of the fares. The only advantage Uber offers, they said, is a larger customer base.
Liss-Riordan admitted low driver pay is a problem but said it would have been hard sue just on those grounds. She also acknowledged that each California driver is set to receive nearly double what a Massachusetts driver would get, thanks to differences between the states’ laws and because that case was further along.
Still, Liss-Riordan defended the deal, saying it was the best one possible given the uncertainties of continuing to trial. She argued that it solves several issues drivers have long complained about and noted that the Driver Associations provide a means for drivers to keep fighting for further improvements. The settlement could also increase drivers’ incomes, she said, because it allows drivers to place signs in their vehicles explaining that tips are not included.
Some drivers, however, said signs asking for tips will only anger passengers. They want the Uber app to include an option to add tips, something the company told the Globe it is not considering.
https://goo.gl/pbV64w
-----------------------------------------
BRISTOL
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being urged to convert their engines in a bid to help ease air pollution in the city.
Calor Gas is asking taxi drivers to consider re-fitting their cars to run from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
LPG is considered a cheaper and greener alternative to petrol and diesel. Tests have shown that LPG run vehicles produce 80 per cent less nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx).
Bristol's air pollution problems are well documented and the Post revealed earlier this year that 200 people a year die as a result of poor air quality in the city.
It is hoped that converting many taxis in the city to LPG will provide a short term solution to Bristol's pollution problems as opposed to a longer term electric or hybrid option.
Paul Blacklock, head of corporate affairs at Calor Gas said: "electric cars and taxis may be the long term future but LPG is for the here and now. Electric may work in five to 10 years, but LPG can make an immediate difference."
"Air quality is a big problem in Bristol and I would urge the council to seriously consider LPG as an alternative to conventional fuel."
"An LPG taxi would also provide a much smoother ride for passengers."
"We're not aware of any taxi's running on LPG in the city in the last few years, but expect to see this increase as Bristol follows the example of cities like Birmingham and London."
The conversion from petrol or diesel to LPG would cost about £8,000 and at present there is no funding available for drivers in Bristol.
But a precedent has recently been set in Birmingham where the government gave financial backing from its Clean Vehicle Technology Fund to convert 80 of the city's taxis to run on LPG.
Mr Blacklock said: "Despite the initial cost, we expect that an average taxi could expect to make their money back within two years due to cheaper prices at the pumps."
The average price of LPG in the UK is currently 55 pence a litre - almost half the price of diesel and petrol.
Tim Lloyd, the former chairman of the Bristol branch of the National Taxi Association says he can see the benefits of LPG but would like to see hybrid taxis becoming popular.
"I think a hybrid would work well because I could use the electric motor for short trips in the city centre and then change to the diesel or petrol motor for longer trips. This would help the air pollution in the city centre."
Calor presented their vision for LPG taxis to members of the Unite union earlier this year.
Unite have said that they are supporting LPG conversions as they believe "it is a quick, easy solution that improves air quality very quickly."
Unite also said: "All drivers at the LPG presentation supported better air quality, whether through LPG conversions or by purchasing a future low emission taxi.
"But there needs to be financial help to drivers to make a real difference."
Calor Gas is the UK's leading supplier of LPG and says their priority is to "highlight LPG to elected representatives and officials in Bristol to help them meet their air quality targets."
http://goo.gl/LPmYvu
-------------------------------------
KEIGHLEY
A TAXI driver was taken to hospital with a minor neck injury after a two-car crash in Keighley.
A fire crew from Keighley were called to a crash involving a Nissan Micra and his Vauxhall Vectra taxi in Hanover Street at around 8.10pm tonight.
The Nissan Micra crashed into the taxi and turned on its side.
No-one was in the Nissan Micra when the emergency services arrived at the scene.
http://goo.gl/LPmYvu
------------------------------------------
SUNDERLAND
Fare fights could break out with Wearside’s taxi customers as Uber launches today.
The service is moving into Sunderland as it builds on its trade in the UK.
It is pledging to offer its “most affordable” version of the service with uberX, which is said to be its “low-cost” option and already runs in Newcastle.
A fully-licensed private hire driver can be booked through the cashless app, with a sample fare of £3.50 from Park Lane to the Stadium of Light.
They can see the driver’s photo, name and car reg and watch their four-seater car arrive in real-time.
The company says drivers are licensed through Sunderland City Council and have passed an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
But city firms say while customers like a bargain, Uber’s dynamic pricing – a surge in charges when demand is high – will not find favour.
The council does not have the power to set private hire tariffs.
Trevor Hines is managing director of Station Taxis, which runs 200 cars, a round-the-clock call centre, has 400 self-employed drivers and 34 staff.
Speaking about the competition, he said: “With Uber, its app is pretty basic, and fine if you have no more than four passengers.
“Our app is far better than that because you can book as far as a year ahead, you can pick a four-seater, seven-seater or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
“It will tell you who your driver is, reg, model of car and even colour.
“We work with Northumbria Police and its Operation Sanctuary, we’ve been here since 1901, all our drivers are experienced and fully DBS checked and we have that customer care.
“I’m not going to say that Uber won’t affect us.
“I think the people of Sunderland are very savvy and know enough when it comes to these surge prices.
“They might get a fare for £1 one day, but they might see that goes up to £6 or £7 next time, and I think if they find that once, they won’t want to again.”
Uber is following in the footsteps of firms with its support for charity, with a promotion with Grace House, with £15 off their first trip and £5 donation.
Chris Yiu, Uber’s general manager, said: “We’re really excited to be launching in Sunderland today.
“Nearly 10,000 people in the city have opened the app in the last 90 days, so we know there is real demand for the service here.”
http://goo.gl/NlM6fi
------------------------------------------
MUMBAI: Taxi apps Uber and Ola may face roadblocks on surge pricing and general operations in Maharashtra after the state transport department recommended a cap on surge pricing and a ceiling of 4,000 vehicles per operator. The state transport department, which is in the process of drafting a new state transport legislation, made the recommendation some months ago and the Maharashtra government will take a call on the issue soon.
Transport Commissioner Shyam Wardhane confirmed nature of the recommendation to ET. "We have asked the state to put a cap on surge pricing. However a final call will have to be taken by the cabinet," said Wardhane.
Maharashtra principal secretary (home) Vijay Satbir Singh told ET a decision will be taken after consulting all stakeholders. "We have got recommendations for a cap on surge pricing the issue is under our consideration and we will soon take a decision on it, " said Singh.
Delhi has already banned surge pricing while Karnataka has cracked down hard on Uber and Ola drivers in Bengaluru. A cap on surge pricing means that Uber and Ola cannot charge more than a prescribed rate during peak hours.
The ceiling on 4,000 vehicles is a far more serious issue as both aggregators will be forced to let go of many drivers if recommendations are adopted. Industry officials believe only Uber and Ola could together be having about 10,000 operators each in Maharashtra — a large, rich and very urbanised state.
The move comes after a demand by anumber of local rickshaw and taxi unions that the government reign in aggregators, as they are not following rules. Uber when contacted said that they would not like to comment on the state mulling a ban on putting a cap on surge prices. Ola did not respond till the time of going to press.
http://goo.gl/6bpJLY
-----------------------------------------
CHICAGO (AP) - The city of Chicago is offering financial incentives to encourage the taxi and ride-hailing industries to add more wheelchair-accessible vehicles to their fleets.
There are 170 wheelchair-accessible cabs operating in Chicago. Another 200 will be added by 2018 under requirements being phased in for companies that own taxi medallions.
The city is hoping its incentives will speed that up and put another 100 accessible vehicles on the road by the end of this year.
The incentives announced Friday include doing away with a dispatch fee for wheelchair-accessible taxis. Among other incentives, the city is offering medallion owners a $20,000 subsidy toward the purchase of factory-built accessible vehicles.
Money for the incentives comes from a fund the industry pays into with fees for all trips taken by non-wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
http://goo.gl/yIsMTX
---------------------------------------------
BOURNMOUTH
A TAXI driver who "posed a threat to public safety" will pay Bournemouth council more than £1,000 after taking the case to court.
Ayoub Farahmand was one of two drivers banned from picking up fares after a behind-closed-doors town hall hearing in December.
It was heard that the two had repeatedly ignored the night-time road closures at Horseshoe Common in a bid to find customers.
As a result, members of the licensing sub-committee decided the pair were not "fit and proper" to hold a Hackney Carriage Drivers' Licence.
The area was redeveloped into a shared space in 2014, and as a result, a taxi rank close to pubs and nightclubs on Old Christchurch Road was shut between midnight and 5am.
The two drivers with revoked licences were told they could appeal against the decision at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court, or reapply for their licence after a year has passed.
However, on Monday, April 11, magistrates upheld the council's decision to bar Mr Farahmand, and he was ordered to pay costs to the council of £1,254.59.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, chair of the licensing board, said: “I am pleased that the courts have supported our decision to revoke this taxi driver’s licence.
"The new road arrangements at Horseshoe Common have been widely publicised and clearly marked so no drivers can claim to be ignorant of them.
"The licensing board has a duty to protect the public, including those pedestrians in the closed zone, who will not be expecting vehicles in the road at that hour, and are therefore at risk.
"We will continue to enforce the restrictions at this location and will not hesitate to pursue drivers who ignore these lawful restrictions and enter the zone, thereby putting the public at risk.”
http://goo.gl/iOlTvy
Taxi-hailing app Uber has officially come to Cardiff.
Uber, which connects passengers with drivers via a smartphone app, launched on Friday.
It is the first time it has come to Wales after being granted an operator's licence in January and an Uber spokesman said more than 100 drivers had signed up in the city.
Reporter Sophie Gidley tried it out, but was mistakenly charged £34.61 for a 3.24-mile trip after a GPS glitch.
----------------------------------------
The head of Uber in Quebec is convinced the provincial government is going to pull the plug on app-based car services.
Jean-Nicolas Guillemette said his company is ready to pull out of Quebec if the demands the province makes on its drivers are too onerous.
Over the past few months the provincial government has floated several ideas about how to regulate Uber, and it seems to be settling on the notion of making Uber drivers rent taxi permits on a day-by-day basis.
That's similar to the by-law enacted earlier this year in Calgary, which requires Uber drivers to purchase a $220 permit every year.
Uber said that fee was too high and stopped operating in that city.
Instead, Guillemette said Uber prefers the legislation passed in Edmonton, which has the company paying 6 cents per each ride taken.
"People need more choice and more affordable choices in Quebec and what will happen if they regulate us in a way that we cannot operate is that again in Quebec we will be the place across North America who pays the most for taxi rides and to move across the city and this is not acceptable so the government needs to think first about the citizens and and not being influenced by the taxi lobby," said Guillemette.
Taxi drivers in Quebec have been pressuring the provincial government to crack down on Uber drivers, saying they should be subject to the same rules and fees as taxi drivers if they want to transport passengers.
Transportation Minister Jacques Daoust reiterated Wednesday that he is planning to table legislation in the coming weeks.
"My plan is still to present a bill before the end of the session, and having it enforced before the end of the session," said Daoust.
"I'm saying you will have to respect the law, they say 'If I have to respect the law, I'm gone,' so it's [their] decision, not my decision."
Mayor Denis Coderre was even more succinct when asked about Uber threatening to leave.
"Bye bye," he replied, and shrugged.
Guillemette said because many Uber drivers only work part-time, many will not drive if the startup costs are too high.
http://goo.gl/Cb2sco
-------------------------------------------
UBER USA
Uber drivers say $84m settlement is too timid
Lawyers for Uber drivers cheered their $84 million settlement with the ride-hailing company this week as a landmark win that will make it easier for drivers in Massachusetts and California to earn a living.
A number of Boston-area drivers who spoke with the Globe, however, weren’t convinced.
To begin with, most didn’t realize that the agreement probably applies to them. Others complained that the deal failed to extract any meaningful concessions from Uber. And while frequent drivers could receive around $4,000, many were upset to learn that they are likely to receive only modest payments of a few hundred dollars, while drivers in California would get about twice as much.
“A friend of mine asked me, ‘What happens with that 100 million? Who gets it?’ ” said Berhanu Shelkute, who drives up to 14 hours a day for Uber. “Not me.”
If it’s approved by a judge in June, the agreement announced Thursday would end lawsuits that claimed Uber misclassified drivers in Massachusetts and California as independent contractors instead of employees entitled to benefits and other protections. The case was led by well-known Boston-based labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan.
Under the settlement, Uber would pay $84 million to drivers — $100 million if the company goes public later on — in proportion to how many miles each drove. The company also agreed to stop removing drivers that refuse too many potential fares from its network, to only “deactivate” drivers for violating specific clauses in a new driver policy, and to stop suggesting to passengers that tips are included in the fares (they aren’t).
Drivers who believe they have been deactivated for no good reason could appeal their cases. They also will be able to join Uber-recognized “Driver Associations,” pseudo-unions that will meet quarterly with Uber.
Massachusetts Uber drivers said those changes were positive, especially the protection from permanent deactivation for having a low ride-acceptance rate. But the biggest problem, they said, remains unaddressed: Uber takes a hefty 20 percent to 25 percent cut of fares that are already too low.
“I’m really unhappy with the rates,” said driver Duane Mitchell, 63. “They’re so low I can barely justify going out.”
Mitchell and most of the other drivers who spoke with the Globe said they are driving more for competitors such as Lyft or Boston-based Fasten, which is aggressively recruiting drivers by promising to let them keep more of the fares. The only advantage Uber offers, they said, is a larger customer base.
Liss-Riordan admitted low driver pay is a problem but said it would have been hard sue just on those grounds. She also acknowledged that each California driver is set to receive nearly double what a Massachusetts driver would get, thanks to differences between the states’ laws and because that case was further along.
Still, Liss-Riordan defended the deal, saying it was the best one possible given the uncertainties of continuing to trial. She argued that it solves several issues drivers have long complained about and noted that the Driver Associations provide a means for drivers to keep fighting for further improvements. The settlement could also increase drivers’ incomes, she said, because it allows drivers to place signs in their vehicles explaining that tips are not included.
Some drivers, however, said signs asking for tips will only anger passengers. They want the Uber app to include an option to add tips, something the company told the Globe it is not considering.
https://goo.gl/pbV64w
-----------------------------------------
BRISTOL
Taxi drivers in Bristol are being urged to convert their engines in a bid to help ease air pollution in the city.
Calor Gas is asking taxi drivers to consider re-fitting their cars to run from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
LPG is considered a cheaper and greener alternative to petrol and diesel. Tests have shown that LPG run vehicles produce 80 per cent less nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx).
Bristol's air pollution problems are well documented and the Post revealed earlier this year that 200 people a year die as a result of poor air quality in the city.
It is hoped that converting many taxis in the city to LPG will provide a short term solution to Bristol's pollution problems as opposed to a longer term electric or hybrid option.
Paul Blacklock, head of corporate affairs at Calor Gas said: "electric cars and taxis may be the long term future but LPG is for the here and now. Electric may work in five to 10 years, but LPG can make an immediate difference."
"Air quality is a big problem in Bristol and I would urge the council to seriously consider LPG as an alternative to conventional fuel."
"An LPG taxi would also provide a much smoother ride for passengers."
"We're not aware of any taxi's running on LPG in the city in the last few years, but expect to see this increase as Bristol follows the example of cities like Birmingham and London."
The conversion from petrol or diesel to LPG would cost about £8,000 and at present there is no funding available for drivers in Bristol.
But a precedent has recently been set in Birmingham where the government gave financial backing from its Clean Vehicle Technology Fund to convert 80 of the city's taxis to run on LPG.
Mr Blacklock said: "Despite the initial cost, we expect that an average taxi could expect to make their money back within two years due to cheaper prices at the pumps."
The average price of LPG in the UK is currently 55 pence a litre - almost half the price of diesel and petrol.
Tim Lloyd, the former chairman of the Bristol branch of the National Taxi Association says he can see the benefits of LPG but would like to see hybrid taxis becoming popular.
"I think a hybrid would work well because I could use the electric motor for short trips in the city centre and then change to the diesel or petrol motor for longer trips. This would help the air pollution in the city centre."
Calor presented their vision for LPG taxis to members of the Unite union earlier this year.
Unite have said that they are supporting LPG conversions as they believe "it is a quick, easy solution that improves air quality very quickly."
Unite also said: "All drivers at the LPG presentation supported better air quality, whether through LPG conversions or by purchasing a future low emission taxi.
"But there needs to be financial help to drivers to make a real difference."
Calor Gas is the UK's leading supplier of LPG and says their priority is to "highlight LPG to elected representatives and officials in Bristol to help them meet their air quality targets."
http://goo.gl/LPmYvu
-------------------------------------
KEIGHLEY
A TAXI driver was taken to hospital with a minor neck injury after a two-car crash in Keighley.
A fire crew from Keighley were called to a crash involving a Nissan Micra and his Vauxhall Vectra taxi in Hanover Street at around 8.10pm tonight.
The Nissan Micra crashed into the taxi and turned on its side.
No-one was in the Nissan Micra when the emergency services arrived at the scene.
http://goo.gl/LPmYvu
------------------------------------------
SUNDERLAND
Fare fights could break out with Wearside’s taxi customers as Uber launches today.
The service is moving into Sunderland as it builds on its trade in the UK.
It is pledging to offer its “most affordable” version of the service with uberX, which is said to be its “low-cost” option and already runs in Newcastle.
A fully-licensed private hire driver can be booked through the cashless app, with a sample fare of £3.50 from Park Lane to the Stadium of Light.
They can see the driver’s photo, name and car reg and watch their four-seater car arrive in real-time.
The company says drivers are licensed through Sunderland City Council and have passed an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
But city firms say while customers like a bargain, Uber’s dynamic pricing – a surge in charges when demand is high – will not find favour.
The council does not have the power to set private hire tariffs.
Trevor Hines is managing director of Station Taxis, which runs 200 cars, a round-the-clock call centre, has 400 self-employed drivers and 34 staff.
Speaking about the competition, he said: “With Uber, its app is pretty basic, and fine if you have no more than four passengers.
“Our app is far better than that because you can book as far as a year ahead, you can pick a four-seater, seven-seater or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
“It will tell you who your driver is, reg, model of car and even colour.
“We work with Northumbria Police and its Operation Sanctuary, we’ve been here since 1901, all our drivers are experienced and fully DBS checked and we have that customer care.
“I’m not going to say that Uber won’t affect us.
“I think the people of Sunderland are very savvy and know enough when it comes to these surge prices.
“They might get a fare for £1 one day, but they might see that goes up to £6 or £7 next time, and I think if they find that once, they won’t want to again.”
Uber is following in the footsteps of firms with its support for charity, with a promotion with Grace House, with £15 off their first trip and £5 donation.
Chris Yiu, Uber’s general manager, said: “We’re really excited to be launching in Sunderland today.
“Nearly 10,000 people in the city have opened the app in the last 90 days, so we know there is real demand for the service here.”
http://goo.gl/NlM6fi
------------------------------------------
MUMBAI: Taxi apps Uber and Ola may face roadblocks on surge pricing and general operations in Maharashtra after the state transport department recommended a cap on surge pricing and a ceiling of 4,000 vehicles per operator. The state transport department, which is in the process of drafting a new state transport legislation, made the recommendation some months ago and the Maharashtra government will take a call on the issue soon.
Transport Commissioner Shyam Wardhane confirmed nature of the recommendation to ET. "We have asked the state to put a cap on surge pricing. However a final call will have to be taken by the cabinet," said Wardhane.
Maharashtra principal secretary (home) Vijay Satbir Singh told ET a decision will be taken after consulting all stakeholders. "We have got recommendations for a cap on surge pricing the issue is under our consideration and we will soon take a decision on it, " said Singh.
Delhi has already banned surge pricing while Karnataka has cracked down hard on Uber and Ola drivers in Bengaluru. A cap on surge pricing means that Uber and Ola cannot charge more than a prescribed rate during peak hours.
The ceiling on 4,000 vehicles is a far more serious issue as both aggregators will be forced to let go of many drivers if recommendations are adopted. Industry officials believe only Uber and Ola could together be having about 10,000 operators each in Maharashtra — a large, rich and very urbanised state.
The move comes after a demand by anumber of local rickshaw and taxi unions that the government reign in aggregators, as they are not following rules. Uber when contacted said that they would not like to comment on the state mulling a ban on putting a cap on surge prices. Ola did not respond till the time of going to press.
http://goo.gl/6bpJLY
-----------------------------------------
CHICAGO (AP) - The city of Chicago is offering financial incentives to encourage the taxi and ride-hailing industries to add more wheelchair-accessible vehicles to their fleets.
There are 170 wheelchair-accessible cabs operating in Chicago. Another 200 will be added by 2018 under requirements being phased in for companies that own taxi medallions.
The city is hoping its incentives will speed that up and put another 100 accessible vehicles on the road by the end of this year.
The incentives announced Friday include doing away with a dispatch fee for wheelchair-accessible taxis. Among other incentives, the city is offering medallion owners a $20,000 subsidy toward the purchase of factory-built accessible vehicles.
Money for the incentives comes from a fund the industry pays into with fees for all trips taken by non-wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
http://goo.gl/yIsMTX
---------------------------------------------
BOURNMOUTH
A TAXI driver who "posed a threat to public safety" will pay Bournemouth council more than £1,000 after taking the case to court.
Ayoub Farahmand was one of two drivers banned from picking up fares after a behind-closed-doors town hall hearing in December.
It was heard that the two had repeatedly ignored the night-time road closures at Horseshoe Common in a bid to find customers.
As a result, members of the licensing sub-committee decided the pair were not "fit and proper" to hold a Hackney Carriage Drivers' Licence.
The area was redeveloped into a shared space in 2014, and as a result, a taxi rank close to pubs and nightclubs on Old Christchurch Road was shut between midnight and 5am.
The two drivers with revoked licences were told they could appeal against the decision at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court, or reapply for their licence after a year has passed.
However, on Monday, April 11, magistrates upheld the council's decision to bar Mr Farahmand, and he was ordered to pay costs to the council of £1,254.59.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, chair of the licensing board, said: “I am pleased that the courts have supported our decision to revoke this taxi driver’s licence.
"The new road arrangements at Horseshoe Common have been widely publicised and clearly marked so no drivers can claim to be ignorant of them.
"The licensing board has a duty to protect the public, including those pedestrians in the closed zone, who will not be expecting vehicles in the road at that hour, and are therefore at risk.
"We will continue to enforce the restrictions at this location and will not hesitate to pursue drivers who ignore these lawful restrictions and enter the zone, thereby putting the public at risk.”
http://goo.gl/iOlTvy
Thursday 21 April 2016
Hackney Drivers around the Country have been disgusted by the huge rise in Sex Attacks which are often quoted by the press as committed by Taxi drivers.
In Parliament last week, amendments were made to the Crime and Policing Bill 2015.
Sections of the LGMPA 1976 and The London Cab Act have been changed to place a duty on Licensing Authorities to consider implications of Sex offences when issuing Licenses.
The ammendments are not considered enough and a new fresh set of regulations are promised.
Read the debate abnd consider for yourself.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/pbc/2015-16/Policing_and_Crime_Bill/07-0_2016-04-12a.330.2?s=taxi#g330.4
---------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
Taxi driver accused of raping stranger on the back seat of his cab
Nottingham driver Shapoor Azimi allegedly raped a former student on the back seat of his taxi in Sneinton, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
He is on trial facing two rape charges involving a passenger in his private-hire taxi - but claims the stranger actually sexually assaulted him in his car.
The jury heard that he had received a caution for kerb-crawling in 2006, and was convicted in 2011 for soliciting a lone female for sex.
He allegedly attacked the victim in this case, after she got into his car outside a Nottingham city centre club last October.
The ex-graduate fitted the description of another woman Azimi was said to have researched online only days earlier.
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden told the jury the defendant was a man in his mid-thirties who had an intense and persistent interest in seeking out, soliciting, kerb-crawling, and accosting young women.
"It is a sexual compulsion which manifests itself both in public and in private, at work and at leisure, in daylight and in darkness," he told the trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
"His motive, you may conclude, is a powerful desire to engage in sexual activity with young women who are strangers. The purpose purely his sexual gratification. Such contact is clearly to his taste.
"There is an unhealthy, unsavoury interest in deviant and abnormal sexual behaviour towards women, and a deeply ingrained fixation with their sexual exploitation.
"His car, of course, plays an integral part in all this sexual behaviour. It is the place where he indulges himself; the mobile vantage point from which he can observe young women as he cruises around the city."
http://goo.gl/xPb45B
----------------------------------
PERTH
A taxi driver raced emergency vehicles as they responded to a 999 call.
Colin McFarlane obstructed two police cars and a van as they tried to respond to a violent incident in Perth on May 1 last year.
Perth Sheriff Court was told his driving was so obstructive the third police vehicle gave up trying to get past him because it was too dangerous to try to overtake.
Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson said: "At 1.10am, there was a call from police control about a violent incident taking place. Three police vehicles were on patrol in the city centre.
"Two cars and a van all decided to head in the direction of where the disturbance was taking place. The van driver was in Feus Road when he noticed Mr McFarlane's taxi in front of him.
"He put on blue flashing lights and sirens, expecting Mr McFarlane to move to the side of the road. He didn't - he simply kept travelling along in front of the police.
"It became a case of the police vehicle trying to overtake the taxi and he had to increase his speed to 50mph to eventually get past Mr McFarlane."
Mr Richardson said McFarlane was "well aware" of the police presence but continued to increase his speed to an estimated 60mph.
McFarlane was not stopped at the time because the officers were all busy dealing with the violent incident but he was traced later in the day.
The court was told the cabbie felt he had been "stitched up" by police officers during an earlier incident.
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said McFarlane had been given points previously after pulling through a red light to let officers past, only for them to slow down and charge him instead.
He said: "They booked him for running a red light. That has had a bearing on this. He got himself into a fankle in how to deal with the vehicles behind him."
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis noted McFarlane already had six penalty points on his licence and imposed a further eight along with a £500 fine.
He rejected McFarlane's bid to avoid a ban and disqualified him for five months under totting up procedures.
McFarlane told the court he had been suspended from his job for two months and would face severe financial problems as a result of being disqualified.
http://goo.gl/pXC8x2
---------------------------------------
East Cambs and Fenland taxi drivers protest as they hand community transport funding ‘dossier’ to Cambridgeshire County Council
Around 20 drivers from across the area lobbied county councillors at Shire Hall, Cambridge on Tuesday where they presented a 38 page report by a private investigation firm.
Cambridgeshire Bus, Coach and Taxi Association has funded a £1,000 report by Woodgate Investigations into concerns that FACT (Fenland Association for Community Transport) and community transport groups including Ely and Soham Community Transport (EACT) and Huntingdonshire Association for Community Transport (HACT) have been given an unfair commercial advantage over members of the association.
Association leader Dave Humphrey, who has led a three-and-a-half-year campaign to highlight what he terms “the unfairness of the way county council transport contracts are awarded to community transport groups” presented the document to Councillor Ian Bates, chairman of the economic and environment committee and Graham Hughes, executive director of economy, transport and environment.
Mr Hughes said the documents will now be looked at and discussed internally and they will report back on their findings.
Taxi drivers and firms from Fenland and the Ely area helped fund the report following the launch of the association in September last year.
Councillor Paul Clapp said: “If corruption has been carried out by, officers should be sacked and so should councillors.”
Councillor Alan Lay branded the document as “dynamite” and said “the allegations must be thoroughly investigated”.
Gregory Page, director of Woodcote Investigations, whose credentials include being a retired detective with Cambridgeshire police, said in summary of his findings: “It’s my professional opinion the evidence is supportive of a far more in-depth investigation than can be identified to have previously taken place.
“Only such an investigation would give the transparency the documented evidence indicates is needed.”
Wisbech taxi driver, parish councillor Dave Patrick said: “This is a very comprehensive report and the findings now need to be verified as either true or false.”
In the past Mr Humphrey working with two or three fellow taxi drivers have been dismissed as simply being “vexatious” and have been accused of running an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated vendetta”.
Mr Humphrey said: “We were dismissed as just a couple of taxi drivers, that’s why we have employed a professional investigator.”
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: “The council has been made aware of some potentially serious allegations regarding the misuse of grant funding. “Whilst, we the council, have confidence in the diligence and propriety of its officers, given the nature of the allegations the information provided is currently under review to establish whether further action is warranted.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this point.”
------------------------------------------
A Mansfield taxi driver lost his livelihood when he was banned for moving his cab to avoid a parking ticket while drunk.
Witnesses saw Jon Phillips strike two parked vehicles near his on home on Welbeck Street, on April 1, and called police.
Lee Shepherd, prosecuting, said: “Police tried to speak to him and he ignored them.
“He failed the roadside breath test and was found to be twice over the legal limit.”
Phillips, 43, admitted the offence.
Tim Haynes, mitigating, said Phillips, a single parent, had 22 years of experience as a taxi driver and had a clean licence.
“He was simply trying to move his vehicle to avoid a parking ticket,” he said. “This is clearly a one-off aberration on his part.
“He apologises to the court and shows genuine remorse.”
He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
http://goo.gl/PB0BA4
------------------------------------------
NEW YORK
Taxi partitions are about to go the way of the checkered cab in New York City.
The Taxi & Limousine Commission officials said Thursday that cabbies can do away with their partitions — so that they can better compete with Uber by seeming friendlier.
The move also will help the hacks make better tips, the officials said.
“When there’s no partition, a driver can have a conversation with the passenger,” said TLC board member Nora Marino.
Partitions were mandated for yellow cabs in 1994 as a safety precaution for drivers in the city’s sky-high crime era.
Cabbies who take down their partitions will now be required to install a security camera instead.
http://goo.gl/jgGJlv
In Parliament last week, amendments were made to the Crime and Policing Bill 2015.
Sections of the LGMPA 1976 and The London Cab Act have been changed to place a duty on Licensing Authorities to consider implications of Sex offences when issuing Licenses.
The ammendments are not considered enough and a new fresh set of regulations are promised.
Read the debate abnd consider for yourself.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/pbc/2015-16/Policing_and_Crime_Bill/07-0_2016-04-12a.330.2?s=taxi#g330.4
---------------------------------------
NOTTINGHAM
Taxi driver accused of raping stranger on the back seat of his cab
Nottingham driver Shapoor Azimi allegedly raped a former student on the back seat of his taxi in Sneinton, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
He is on trial facing two rape charges involving a passenger in his private-hire taxi - but claims the stranger actually sexually assaulted him in his car.
The jury heard that he had received a caution for kerb-crawling in 2006, and was convicted in 2011 for soliciting a lone female for sex.
He allegedly attacked the victim in this case, after she got into his car outside a Nottingham city centre club last October.
The ex-graduate fitted the description of another woman Azimi was said to have researched online only days earlier.
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden told the jury the defendant was a man in his mid-thirties who had an intense and persistent interest in seeking out, soliciting, kerb-crawling, and accosting young women.
"It is a sexual compulsion which manifests itself both in public and in private, at work and at leisure, in daylight and in darkness," he told the trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
"His motive, you may conclude, is a powerful desire to engage in sexual activity with young women who are strangers. The purpose purely his sexual gratification. Such contact is clearly to his taste.
"There is an unhealthy, unsavoury interest in deviant and abnormal sexual behaviour towards women, and a deeply ingrained fixation with their sexual exploitation.
"His car, of course, plays an integral part in all this sexual behaviour. It is the place where he indulges himself; the mobile vantage point from which he can observe young women as he cruises around the city."
http://goo.gl/xPb45B
----------------------------------
PERTH
A taxi driver raced emergency vehicles as they responded to a 999 call.
Colin McFarlane obstructed two police cars and a van as they tried to respond to a violent incident in Perth on May 1 last year.
Perth Sheriff Court was told his driving was so obstructive the third police vehicle gave up trying to get past him because it was too dangerous to try to overtake.
Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson said: "At 1.10am, there was a call from police control about a violent incident taking place. Three police vehicles were on patrol in the city centre.
"Two cars and a van all decided to head in the direction of where the disturbance was taking place. The van driver was in Feus Road when he noticed Mr McFarlane's taxi in front of him.
"He put on blue flashing lights and sirens, expecting Mr McFarlane to move to the side of the road. He didn't - he simply kept travelling along in front of the police.
"It became a case of the police vehicle trying to overtake the taxi and he had to increase his speed to 50mph to eventually get past Mr McFarlane."
Mr Richardson said McFarlane was "well aware" of the police presence but continued to increase his speed to an estimated 60mph.
McFarlane was not stopped at the time because the officers were all busy dealing with the violent incident but he was traced later in the day.
The court was told the cabbie felt he had been "stitched up" by police officers during an earlier incident.
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said McFarlane had been given points previously after pulling through a red light to let officers past, only for them to slow down and charge him instead.
He said: "They booked him for running a red light. That has had a bearing on this. He got himself into a fankle in how to deal with the vehicles behind him."
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis noted McFarlane already had six penalty points on his licence and imposed a further eight along with a £500 fine.
He rejected McFarlane's bid to avoid a ban and disqualified him for five months under totting up procedures.
McFarlane told the court he had been suspended from his job for two months and would face severe financial problems as a result of being disqualified.
http://goo.gl/pXC8x2
---------------------------------------
East Cambs and Fenland taxi drivers protest as they hand community transport funding ‘dossier’ to Cambridgeshire County Council
Around 20 drivers from across the area lobbied county councillors at Shire Hall, Cambridge on Tuesday where they presented a 38 page report by a private investigation firm.
Cambridgeshire Bus, Coach and Taxi Association has funded a £1,000 report by Woodgate Investigations into concerns that FACT (Fenland Association for Community Transport) and community transport groups including Ely and Soham Community Transport (EACT) and Huntingdonshire Association for Community Transport (HACT) have been given an unfair commercial advantage over members of the association.
Association leader Dave Humphrey, who has led a three-and-a-half-year campaign to highlight what he terms “the unfairness of the way county council transport contracts are awarded to community transport groups” presented the document to Councillor Ian Bates, chairman of the economic and environment committee and Graham Hughes, executive director of economy, transport and environment.
Mr Hughes said the documents will now be looked at and discussed internally and they will report back on their findings.
Taxi drivers and firms from Fenland and the Ely area helped fund the report following the launch of the association in September last year.
Councillor Paul Clapp said: “If corruption has been carried out by, officers should be sacked and so should councillors.”
Councillor Alan Lay branded the document as “dynamite” and said “the allegations must be thoroughly investigated”.
Gregory Page, director of Woodcote Investigations, whose credentials include being a retired detective with Cambridgeshire police, said in summary of his findings: “It’s my professional opinion the evidence is supportive of a far more in-depth investigation than can be identified to have previously taken place.
“Only such an investigation would give the transparency the documented evidence indicates is needed.”
Wisbech taxi driver, parish councillor Dave Patrick said: “This is a very comprehensive report and the findings now need to be verified as either true or false.”
In the past Mr Humphrey working with two or three fellow taxi drivers have been dismissed as simply being “vexatious” and have been accused of running an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated vendetta”.
Mr Humphrey said: “We were dismissed as just a couple of taxi drivers, that’s why we have employed a professional investigator.”
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: “The council has been made aware of some potentially serious allegations regarding the misuse of grant funding. “Whilst, we the council, have confidence in the diligence and propriety of its officers, given the nature of the allegations the information provided is currently under review to establish whether further action is warranted.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this point.”
------------------------------------------
A Mansfield taxi driver lost his livelihood when he was banned for moving his cab to avoid a parking ticket while drunk.
Witnesses saw Jon Phillips strike two parked vehicles near his on home on Welbeck Street, on April 1, and called police.
Lee Shepherd, prosecuting, said: “Police tried to speak to him and he ignored them.
“He failed the roadside breath test and was found to be twice over the legal limit.”
Phillips, 43, admitted the offence.
Tim Haynes, mitigating, said Phillips, a single parent, had 22 years of experience as a taxi driver and had a clean licence.
“He was simply trying to move his vehicle to avoid a parking ticket,” he said. “This is clearly a one-off aberration on his part.
“He apologises to the court and shows genuine remorse.”
He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
http://goo.gl/PB0BA4
------------------------------------------
NEW YORK
Taxi partitions are about to go the way of the checkered cab in New York City.
The Taxi & Limousine Commission officials said Thursday that cabbies can do away with their partitions — so that they can better compete with Uber by seeming friendlier.
The move also will help the hacks make better tips, the officials said.
“When there’s no partition, a driver can have a conversation with the passenger,” said TLC board member Nora Marino.
Partitions were mandated for yellow cabs in 1994 as a safety precaution for drivers in the city’s sky-high crime era.
Cabbies who take down their partitions will now be required to install a security camera instead.
http://goo.gl/jgGJlv
Tuesday 19 April 2016
Uber in Newcastle sees taxi driver numbers increase from handful to more than 300
Taxi app firm says after successful first year in Newcastle its ambition is to offer a full-service in other parts of the region
Cab firm Uber is hailing a successful first year in Newcastle after its driver numbers increased from just a handful to more than 300.
It has now set its sights on expanding throughout the North East
Uber customers use a mobile app to order and pay for private hire taxis without needing cash. From Newcastle, it takes passengers as far out as Hexham, Sunderland and Durham.
It is possible to use Uber in Sunderland and Durham, but the firm does not yet have a full presence in either city and can only offer a limited service.
Full expansion would help it increase its presence in the likes of Sunderland and Durham, and allow it to serve a bigger area.
When asked if there are any plans to roll its service out to other parts of the region, a spokesman said: “It’s our ambition to launch in other cities in the North East.”
Uber offers three types of cab in Newcastle. UberX is the cheapest, the premium UberExec offers rides in high-end vehicles and while UberXL drivers use larger cars. It uses “surge pricing” to increase the cost of a ride when demand is high.
Uber says it has enjoyed “huge growth” since launching in Newcastle. It now has a full-time operations team based in the city centre.
The average time it takes to order a cab and get in the car has fallen from over five minutes to under 3.5 minutes.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/uber-newcastle-sees-taxi-driver-11208486?
-----------------------------------------
West Denton lad Bobby Suttle faces weeks in a wheelchair after allegedly being struck by taxi
Cabbie 'helping police with enquiries' after six-year-old seriously injured outside his West Denton home
Wheelchair-bound, frustrated and in pain, little taxi crash casualty Bobby Suttle has a long road to recovery ahead of him
With his shattered leg held together with a foot-to-thigh plaster cast the six-year-old is today recovering at home from the collision that could have cost him his life.
Bobby also suffered a broken elbow and bruises and grazes all over his body after he was allegedly struck by a cab while playing near his home on Naworth Drive in West Denton, Newcastle, at around 6pm, on Saturday April 9.
The youngster’s family fear he would have been killed had he not still been wearing his cycling helmet after riding his bike earlier.
Bobby had to undergo surgery after being rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. He was discharged on Tuesday and is now recovering at home. And his mum, Michelle says her little boy remains in agony and needs round-the-clock care.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/west-denton-lad-bobby-suttle-11206980?
---------------------------------------
HARTLEPOOL
A SPECIAL tribute has been paid by council officials to a legendary Hartlepool taxi boss.
Hartlepool Borough Council has 'retired' Ray Tweddle's licence number so it can never be used again in the future.
Mr Tweddle's wife, Julie, also paid tribute to Mr Tweddle, a father and grandfather, who built up Streamline taxis from just one cab to more than 130 at its height.
She said: "Ray was a larger than life character who worked incredibly hard all his life. He ate, slept and fed taxis and everyone loved him, all his employees. He always had a story to tell and was so, so funny. He was ill the last three years of his life, but he never complained and all his carers just adored him. He leaves behind a loads and loads of very happy memories."
Ian Harrison, Hartlepool Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, said: “This is the first time the Council has taken a decision to 'retire' a particular licence number and we believe it is the most fitting way to recognise Ray’s special status in the history of the town’s taxi trade.
“We hope he would be happy to know that his number - which represents so much of what he worked for in his life - is to be set aside and kept special just for him and his family.”
Mr Tweddle's funeral will be held tomorrowWED and a fleet of cabs are due to follow the funeral cortege from Ray’s home at Hartfields to All Saints’ Church.
As well as daughter, Lindsey, step-daughter, Jane, he leaves grandchildren Katie and Taylor-Ray
http://goo.gl/VWf8Ey
-----------------------------------------
SWANSEA
Taxi app company Uber says it has "no set plans" to launch its service in Swansea.
The US-based firm's smartphone app, which connects drivers with passengers via GPS technology, will become available to the public in Cardiff to use on Friday.
Last week, drivers in the Welsh capital met to register ahead of the launch - the date of which was being kept secret. But now a message has gone out to drivers telling them the launch will be on Friday.
http://goo.gl/kZDGOW
---------------------------------------
NORTH WALES
A man who was banned from driving for five years more than 20 years ago has failed in his bid to get a taxi licence.
An application by Frederick Roberts, 46, was previously rejected by Flintshire Council’s licensing sub-committee, which ruled he was not a “fit and proper person”.
On Monday, his appeal against the decision at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold was rejected and he was ordered to pay £1,470 in costs.
Roberts, of Llys y Coed in Wrexham, had built up a successful garage business which he had since handed over to his son, his solicitor Euros Jones explained.
His client was a family man who worked for his son at the TTS Services Garage at Dobshill. His son was planning to develop a modern taxi business where customers could book via a mobile phone app and pay via their iwatches, and Mr Roberts wanted to be able to drive to help his son out at short notice as and when required.
Mr Jones said his client had not been in trouble for 16 years.
He was jailed in 2002 for bootlegging cigarettes which dated back to the year 2000.
The five-year ban, imposed for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, went back to 1995.
His client had been punished at the time – and had not received a life sentence, he argued.
Under the rehabilitation of offender’s act if his client wished to apply for a job in his law firm then he would not have to disclose the convictions because they were so old they were spent.
The man who committed the offences all those years ago may have not have been a fit and proper person to have a taxi licence, “but Frederick Roberts in 2016 certainly is,” he argued.
He handed in a large number of personal references which he said included references from councillors on both Wrexham and Flintshire authorities, professional people and business associates.
Barrister Abigail Hudson, for the council, said the committee did have a discretion.
Members had considered that with his record, particularly the five year ban, then Mr Roberts’ application should be rejected.
The policy said applications would not be entertained from people who had been banned for five years or more.
She said Mr Roberts had been jailed for three years and banned from driving for five years in October 1995 for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
There were other convictions including a three-and-a-half year prison sentence in March 2002 for cigarette smuggling when he had also been banned from driving for two years.
The authority had no details of the offences but had found a media story of the cigarette case on the internet and relied on applicants to give details of their convictions.
Miss Hudson said it should be remembered that taxi drivers were trusted members of society.
They operated a cash business and were in a position where they could drive at all times of the day and night without rousing suspicion
In evidence, Mr Roberts denied her claims that he had tried to minimise his involvement in the offences and said he had answered members’ questions honestly.
“I have changed. I have grown up. I have not even committed a speeding offence since,” he declared.
He was employed by his son now, he had worked as a mechanic but now worked more on the hire side of the company and they had 70 vehicles out on long term hire.
Mr Roberts said he had not tried to hide anything.
goo.gl/fzzydU
-----------------------------------------
LONDON private hire company Carrot Cars has gone live with a real time scheduling and despatch system from Magenta Technology – the company behind Addison Lee’s Shamrock solution. Magenta’s Echo platform supports the award winning east London based minicab operator with a range of functionality, including auto-allocation and scheduling, capacity management and reporting.
The system is also driving improvements in customer service, with an advanced call management solution and an online customer booking portal. Carrot Cars customers can also take advantage of a newly launched customer booking app which allows them to book, track and pay for journeys via their smartphone or other mobile device.
From day one of implementation, Carrot Cars has benefited from Echo’s auto-allocation and scheduling engine which allows controllers to plan existing and expected jobs with an intelligent distribution of jobs among drivers. With up to 97 percent of jobs automatically dispatched, this allows for a reduction in driving time, optimisation of fuel economies and a reduced back office staff requirement. Peaks in bookings can be predicted using Echo’s Capacity Management Module, and parity of individual driver usage can be maintained based on idle times and earnings to date.
“Our previous system was very basic and simply did not offer the capabilities we required to support the continued growth and expansion of the business,” commented Ivo Aulik, Managing Director of Ivory Enterprise trading as Carrot Cars. “By working in partnership with Magenta, we have been able to benefit from the advanced functionality of the Echo platform already on offer and customise new features to meet our specific and exacting requirements.”
Carrot Cars is also taking advantage of Echo’s customer facing features, including an advanced Call Management module including caller identification, call history management and call monitoring, with call playbacks automatically attached to bookings. Working with Carrot Cars, Magenta has also developed a Customer Web Booking Portal for corporate clients and a newly launched Customer Booking App. Additional customer service functionality includes Dynamic Delays for the automatic calculation of response time, Flight Lookup and Validation for passengers with time critical onward journeys, and integration with Carrot Cars CRM and management reporting.
“In the first week of implementation we were all blown away by the functionality and ease of use of the Echo platform,” added Bradley Lok, Co-Director. “We have received first class support at every stage of the development cycle and implementation project and we are confident we have chosen the best solution available.”
http://goo.gl/poryWk
----------------------------------
Taxi app firm says after successful first year in Newcastle its ambition is to offer a full-service in other parts of the region
Cab firm Uber is hailing a successful first year in Newcastle after its driver numbers increased from just a handful to more than 300.
It has now set its sights on expanding throughout the North East
Uber customers use a mobile app to order and pay for private hire taxis without needing cash. From Newcastle, it takes passengers as far out as Hexham, Sunderland and Durham.
It is possible to use Uber in Sunderland and Durham, but the firm does not yet have a full presence in either city and can only offer a limited service.
Full expansion would help it increase its presence in the likes of Sunderland and Durham, and allow it to serve a bigger area.
When asked if there are any plans to roll its service out to other parts of the region, a spokesman said: “It’s our ambition to launch in other cities in the North East.”
Uber offers three types of cab in Newcastle. UberX is the cheapest, the premium UberExec offers rides in high-end vehicles and while UberXL drivers use larger cars. It uses “surge pricing” to increase the cost of a ride when demand is high.
Uber says it has enjoyed “huge growth” since launching in Newcastle. It now has a full-time operations team based in the city centre.
The average time it takes to order a cab and get in the car has fallen from over five minutes to under 3.5 minutes.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/uber-newcastle-sees-taxi-driver-11208486?
-----------------------------------------
West Denton lad Bobby Suttle faces weeks in a wheelchair after allegedly being struck by taxi
Cabbie 'helping police with enquiries' after six-year-old seriously injured outside his West Denton home
Wheelchair-bound, frustrated and in pain, little taxi crash casualty Bobby Suttle has a long road to recovery ahead of him
With his shattered leg held together with a foot-to-thigh plaster cast the six-year-old is today recovering at home from the collision that could have cost him his life.
Bobby also suffered a broken elbow and bruises and grazes all over his body after he was allegedly struck by a cab while playing near his home on Naworth Drive in West Denton, Newcastle, at around 6pm, on Saturday April 9.
The youngster’s family fear he would have been killed had he not still been wearing his cycling helmet after riding his bike earlier.
Bobby had to undergo surgery after being rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. He was discharged on Tuesday and is now recovering at home. And his mum, Michelle says her little boy remains in agony and needs round-the-clock care.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/west-denton-lad-bobby-suttle-11206980?
---------------------------------------
HARTLEPOOL
A SPECIAL tribute has been paid by council officials to a legendary Hartlepool taxi boss.
Hartlepool Borough Council has 'retired' Ray Tweddle's licence number so it can never be used again in the future.
Mr Tweddle's wife, Julie, also paid tribute to Mr Tweddle, a father and grandfather, who built up Streamline taxis from just one cab to more than 130 at its height.
She said: "Ray was a larger than life character who worked incredibly hard all his life. He ate, slept and fed taxis and everyone loved him, all his employees. He always had a story to tell and was so, so funny. He was ill the last three years of his life, but he never complained and all his carers just adored him. He leaves behind a loads and loads of very happy memories."
Ian Harrison, Hartlepool Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, said: “This is the first time the Council has taken a decision to 'retire' a particular licence number and we believe it is the most fitting way to recognise Ray’s special status in the history of the town’s taxi trade.
“We hope he would be happy to know that his number - which represents so much of what he worked for in his life - is to be set aside and kept special just for him and his family.”
Mr Tweddle's funeral will be held tomorrowWED and a fleet of cabs are due to follow the funeral cortege from Ray’s home at Hartfields to All Saints’ Church.
As well as daughter, Lindsey, step-daughter, Jane, he leaves grandchildren Katie and Taylor-Ray
http://goo.gl/VWf8Ey
-----------------------------------------
SWANSEA
Taxi app company Uber says it has "no set plans" to launch its service in Swansea.
The US-based firm's smartphone app, which connects drivers with passengers via GPS technology, will become available to the public in Cardiff to use on Friday.
Last week, drivers in the Welsh capital met to register ahead of the launch - the date of which was being kept secret. But now a message has gone out to drivers telling them the launch will be on Friday.
http://goo.gl/kZDGOW
---------------------------------------
NORTH WALES
A man who was banned from driving for five years more than 20 years ago has failed in his bid to get a taxi licence.
An application by Frederick Roberts, 46, was previously rejected by Flintshire Council’s licensing sub-committee, which ruled he was not a “fit and proper person”.
On Monday, his appeal against the decision at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold was rejected and he was ordered to pay £1,470 in costs.
Roberts, of Llys y Coed in Wrexham, had built up a successful garage business which he had since handed over to his son, his solicitor Euros Jones explained.
His client was a family man who worked for his son at the TTS Services Garage at Dobshill. His son was planning to develop a modern taxi business where customers could book via a mobile phone app and pay via their iwatches, and Mr Roberts wanted to be able to drive to help his son out at short notice as and when required.
Mr Jones said his client had not been in trouble for 16 years.
He was jailed in 2002 for bootlegging cigarettes which dated back to the year 2000.
The five-year ban, imposed for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, went back to 1995.
His client had been punished at the time – and had not received a life sentence, he argued.
Under the rehabilitation of offender’s act if his client wished to apply for a job in his law firm then he would not have to disclose the convictions because they were so old they were spent.
The man who committed the offences all those years ago may have not have been a fit and proper person to have a taxi licence, “but Frederick Roberts in 2016 certainly is,” he argued.
He handed in a large number of personal references which he said included references from councillors on both Wrexham and Flintshire authorities, professional people and business associates.
Barrister Abigail Hudson, for the council, said the committee did have a discretion.
Members had considered that with his record, particularly the five year ban, then Mr Roberts’ application should be rejected.
The policy said applications would not be entertained from people who had been banned for five years or more.
She said Mr Roberts had been jailed for three years and banned from driving for five years in October 1995 for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
There were other convictions including a three-and-a-half year prison sentence in March 2002 for cigarette smuggling when he had also been banned from driving for two years.
The authority had no details of the offences but had found a media story of the cigarette case on the internet and relied on applicants to give details of their convictions.
Miss Hudson said it should be remembered that taxi drivers were trusted members of society.
They operated a cash business and were in a position where they could drive at all times of the day and night without rousing suspicion
In evidence, Mr Roberts denied her claims that he had tried to minimise his involvement in the offences and said he had answered members’ questions honestly.
“I have changed. I have grown up. I have not even committed a speeding offence since,” he declared.
He was employed by his son now, he had worked as a mechanic but now worked more on the hire side of the company and they had 70 vehicles out on long term hire.
Mr Roberts said he had not tried to hide anything.
goo.gl/fzzydU
-----------------------------------------
LONDON private hire company Carrot Cars has gone live with a real time scheduling and despatch system from Magenta Technology – the company behind Addison Lee’s Shamrock solution. Magenta’s Echo platform supports the award winning east London based minicab operator with a range of functionality, including auto-allocation and scheduling, capacity management and reporting.
The system is also driving improvements in customer service, with an advanced call management solution and an online customer booking portal. Carrot Cars customers can also take advantage of a newly launched customer booking app which allows them to book, track and pay for journeys via their smartphone or other mobile device.
From day one of implementation, Carrot Cars has benefited from Echo’s auto-allocation and scheduling engine which allows controllers to plan existing and expected jobs with an intelligent distribution of jobs among drivers. With up to 97 percent of jobs automatically dispatched, this allows for a reduction in driving time, optimisation of fuel economies and a reduced back office staff requirement. Peaks in bookings can be predicted using Echo’s Capacity Management Module, and parity of individual driver usage can be maintained based on idle times and earnings to date.
“Our previous system was very basic and simply did not offer the capabilities we required to support the continued growth and expansion of the business,” commented Ivo Aulik, Managing Director of Ivory Enterprise trading as Carrot Cars. “By working in partnership with Magenta, we have been able to benefit from the advanced functionality of the Echo platform already on offer and customise new features to meet our specific and exacting requirements.”
Carrot Cars is also taking advantage of Echo’s customer facing features, including an advanced Call Management module including caller identification, call history management and call monitoring, with call playbacks automatically attached to bookings. Working with Carrot Cars, Magenta has also developed a Customer Web Booking Portal for corporate clients and a newly launched Customer Booking App. Additional customer service functionality includes Dynamic Delays for the automatic calculation of response time, Flight Lookup and Validation for passengers with time critical onward journeys, and integration with Carrot Cars CRM and management reporting.
“In the first week of implementation we were all blown away by the functionality and ease of use of the Echo platform,” added Bradley Lok, Co-Director. “We have received first class support at every stage of the development cycle and implementation project and we are confident we have chosen the best solution available.”
http://goo.gl/poryWk
----------------------------------
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