A TAXI driver drove off after mounting the kerb, crashing into a lamp post and causing thousands of pounds of damage, York magistrates heard.
David Stanley Birch, 53, already had three points on his driving licence for speeding.
Prosecuting, Kathryn Reeve said CCTV filmed the moment at 4.57am on September 8 when he crashed into the post at the junction of Piccadilly and Merchantgate in York city centre and drove off towards Coppergate in a damaged car.
Part of the wreckage flew into the air and smashed the nearby Tesco Express plate glass window, which cost £2,000 to replace.
His solicitor Mark Dooley said he expects to keep his Hackney carriage licence.
Magistrates put eight points on Birch’s driving licence and warned him that any more law-breaking will put him off the road for at least six months because he will then have at least 12 points.
Birch, of Celandine Rise, Swinton near Rotherham, but who who works for a York taxi firm, pleaded guilty to careless driving, failure to stop and failure to report an accident.
In addition to the points, he was ordered to pay £1,020 consisting of an £850 fine, £85 prosecution costs and an £85 statutory surcharge.
Mr Dooley said: “The taxi licensing (authorities) appear to be aware of this incident. They have given him a second chance.”
Birch had started working for the taxi firm in September 2015 after hearing that York was “crying out for taxi drivers”.
He had been on his way back to the office and didn’t have a passenger when the crash occurred.
“He had lost control of the vehicle momentarily. He must have mounted the kerb,” said Mr Dooley.
“He knew he had hit something and he was aware there was some damage caused to his vehicle on this occasion. He was very thankful it wasn’t a person he had hit.”
http://bit.ly/2ijIAiW
Wednesday 28 December 2016
Tuesday 27 December 2016
Uber has launched a website for a service called Uber Freight. Little has been revealed about the company’s expansion from ride-hailing, but if the announcements it’s made over the last year are any indicator, chances are good that Uber Freight is meant to prepare the world for autonomous delivery trucks.
Uber acquired a startup called Otto, which planned to bring the first self-driving trucks to market, in August. Since then the company has used its trucks to deliver 50,000 cans of beer and hundreds of Christmas trees in San Francisco.
This new service won’t use those trucks, at least not at the beginning. Instead it will function much like Uber’s existing platform: Some people will sign up to drive items across the country, and others will join so they can send packages without having to sign a contract with established shipping companies. The service will likely bring “surge pricing” to trucking, too.
Uber Freight could also help Otto’s trucks by using data gathered from drivers on the platform. This would allow the self-driving vehicles to learn from experienced people while regulators figure out how to govern autonomous trucks and the technology catches up to all of the promises made by its creators. Why put off entering a whole new market — shipping and commuting don’t tend to overlap — when the company could just use human drivers until its semi-trucks are ready?
It turns out that Otto had similar plans. Business Insider reported in October that the startup eventually wanted to introduce a platform like Uber’s. The acquisition didn’t just give Otto access to more resources or help Uber work on self-driving vehicles; it let the companies work together instead of trying to compete with each other. (I suspect the more business-inclined would call this “synergy.”)
Uber Freight’s launch coincides with growing interest in trucking from many tech companies. Nikola Motor Company wants to use tech to make trucking more environmentally friendly and appealing to millennials; Tesla’s working on self-driving trucks; the list could go on.
https://www.inverse.com/article/25698-uber-freight-just-launched-change-trucking-otto
-------------------------------------
BOLTON
Drunk taxi driver three times over limit' smashes into lamppost on flyover sending it plunging onto motorway below
Cabbie was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after flooring a lamp post which nearly hit passing cars
A 'drunk' taxi driver smashed into a lamp post so hard the pole flew over a bridge onto a motorway lane - narrowly missing cars passing below.
Cops arrested the man on suspicion of being three times over the drink driving limit after the near-fatal incident.
The driver floored the lamp post on a motorway slip road bridge on the M60, near Prestwich, Manchester, just before 9.50am on Tuesday.
He was breathalysed at the scene and blew 105mg - nearly three times over the national limit of 35.
Identification checks showed the car was a licensed taxi vehicle, Manchester Evening News reported.
The 34-year-old man from Bolton was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/drunk-taxi-driver-three-times-9523710
----------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A Manhunt is on for a rapist taxi driver who could be caught by DNA evidence.
More than 80 drivers are being contacted and asked to provide mouth swabs by gardai investigating the alleged sex attack in Dublin.
The call is being made to cabbies whose cars match the make and model of the suspect’s vehicle.
It is understood this is the first case of its kind since the DNA database was estab- lished in November last year.
The Irish Times reported the mass screening relates to an attack reported by a woman after a night out in Dublin last year.
The victim claimed she was collected from the Harcourt Street area of the south inner city and asked to be driven to her home in the north of the city.
It is believed around 84 drivers were working in a vehicle similar to the suspect’s car – thought to be a dark coloured Toyota and the model was registered between 2004 and 2009.
http://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/more-80-taxi-drivers-dna-12375908
----------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
Rapist cabbie was allowed to keep driving taxi despite kerb-crawling conviction
Yassar Murat Ayuc, who raped a victim after giving her a lift, was previously handed a one-month suspension for soliciting prostitutes
A rapist cabbie was allowed to keep working as a taxi driver and doorman despite being caught kerb-crawling.
Yassar Murat Ayuc raped a victim near Rock Ferry oil terminal and when she “played dead”, covered her with leaves and branches.
The burly 49-year-old later said the drunken woman forced herself on him, was “too strong” and he feared she would damage his penis.
A jury rejected his claims and found Ayuc – known as Turkish Tony – guilty of raping her in the early hours of Sunday, June 5.
The ECHO revealed he was banned from the road for six months in 2015 after driving hen parties around in an illegal stretch limousine.
But that was not his first brush with the law, as he was previously caught in an undercover police sting, when out looking for prostitutes.
The unsuspecting cabbie, of no fixed abode, repeatedly tried to entice a policewoman into his car in Devon Street, Islington.
He was fined £50 for persistently soliciting a woman for prostitution from a motor vehicle at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court in January 2007.
Ayuc was then hauled before Liverpool council’s taxi driver licensing panel, which could have revoked his licence.
He begged for mercy, arguing he had lived in England for 20 years and worked as a bouncer and cabbie “with no problems”.
Minutes from the April meeting recorded: “He stated that he feels ashamed, it was a stupid thing to do.
“He realised that it was wrong and drove away, but it was too late, he was stopped by the police.
“He has been punished by the courts, he deeply apologises and states it will never happen again.
“His only skill is driving. He has never assaulted anyone or used violence in his jobs as a doorman or a taxi driver.”
Having “carefully considered” Ayuc’s explanation, the panel decided to suspend his licence for just one month.
Judge Brian Cummings, QC, was informed of Ayuc’s previous conviction during his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
He demanded to know why the rapist was allowed to keep both his licences, which he still holds to this day.
A Liverpool council spokesman said: “When we are notified of arrests or convictions we review the driver’s licence and the facts are submitted to a committee and they decide whether to suspend or revoke it.
“Safeguarding the public is our number one priority and we are one of the few authorities in the UK to implement mandatory training for hackney and private hire drivers.
“This not only ensures the safety of passengers but also increases the driver’s awareness and understanding of safeguarding issues.”
The ECHO was unable to speak to anyone at the Security Industry Authority, despite numerous attempts to contact the body, which manages the licensing of doormen.
Ayuc, formerly of County Road in Walton, was convicted of raping the woman after driving her to a secluded spot near The Refreshment Rooms pub.
The woman described herself as being ‘10 out of 10’ on a scale of drunkenness when she got in Ayuc’s car in Argyle Street, Birkenhead at around 4.20am.
She wanted to go to a friend’s home, but Ayuc started to touch her leg and headed to Bedford Road East, where he raped her.
After Ayuc drove off she went looking for help, making her way onto Rock Ferry bypass, where a taxi driver found her at 5.10am.
Forensic examination revealed Ayuc’s DNA on her jacket, jeans and knickers.
Judge Cummings adjourned sentencing until January 13 next year and remanded him in custody.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/rapist-cabbie-allowed-keep-driving-12373574
----------------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers across North West Leicestershire found themselves in trouble with the police after officers joined members of the district council to check the standard of taxis in the area.
Seven out of the 12 taxis checked had some form of defect, and two of them were so severe their licence plates were removed and their licences suspended. North West Leicestershire District Council joined forces with Leicestershire Police to check the vehicles, but only three were found with no defects at all.
One fixed penalty notice was served to a driver for smoking inside a licensed vehicle, and another driver had to be sent home to collect his badge after it was evident he had not got it with him.
Five taxis were found with minor defects and given seven days to repair them and re-present their taxi to the council. Just three taxis were found with no defects at all.
http://bit.ly/2hrK7Ck
Uber acquired a startup called Otto, which planned to bring the first self-driving trucks to market, in August. Since then the company has used its trucks to deliver 50,000 cans of beer and hundreds of Christmas trees in San Francisco.
This new service won’t use those trucks, at least not at the beginning. Instead it will function much like Uber’s existing platform: Some people will sign up to drive items across the country, and others will join so they can send packages without having to sign a contract with established shipping companies. The service will likely bring “surge pricing” to trucking, too.
Uber Freight could also help Otto’s trucks by using data gathered from drivers on the platform. This would allow the self-driving vehicles to learn from experienced people while regulators figure out how to govern autonomous trucks and the technology catches up to all of the promises made by its creators. Why put off entering a whole new market — shipping and commuting don’t tend to overlap — when the company could just use human drivers until its semi-trucks are ready?
It turns out that Otto had similar plans. Business Insider reported in October that the startup eventually wanted to introduce a platform like Uber’s. The acquisition didn’t just give Otto access to more resources or help Uber work on self-driving vehicles; it let the companies work together instead of trying to compete with each other. (I suspect the more business-inclined would call this “synergy.”)
Uber Freight’s launch coincides with growing interest in trucking from many tech companies. Nikola Motor Company wants to use tech to make trucking more environmentally friendly and appealing to millennials; Tesla’s working on self-driving trucks; the list could go on.
https://www.inverse.com/article/25698-uber-freight-just-launched-change-trucking-otto
-------------------------------------
BOLTON
Drunk taxi driver three times over limit' smashes into lamppost on flyover sending it plunging onto motorway below
Cabbie was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after flooring a lamp post which nearly hit passing cars
A 'drunk' taxi driver smashed into a lamp post so hard the pole flew over a bridge onto a motorway lane - narrowly missing cars passing below.
Cops arrested the man on suspicion of being three times over the drink driving limit after the near-fatal incident.
The driver floored the lamp post on a motorway slip road bridge on the M60, near Prestwich, Manchester, just before 9.50am on Tuesday.
He was breathalysed at the scene and blew 105mg - nearly three times over the national limit of 35.
Identification checks showed the car was a licensed taxi vehicle, Manchester Evening News reported.
The 34-year-old man from Bolton was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/drunk-taxi-driver-three-times-9523710
----------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A Manhunt is on for a rapist taxi driver who could be caught by DNA evidence.
More than 80 drivers are being contacted and asked to provide mouth swabs by gardai investigating the alleged sex attack in Dublin.
The call is being made to cabbies whose cars match the make and model of the suspect’s vehicle.
It is understood this is the first case of its kind since the DNA database was estab- lished in November last year.
The Irish Times reported the mass screening relates to an attack reported by a woman after a night out in Dublin last year.
The victim claimed she was collected from the Harcourt Street area of the south inner city and asked to be driven to her home in the north of the city.
It is believed around 84 drivers were working in a vehicle similar to the suspect’s car – thought to be a dark coloured Toyota and the model was registered between 2004 and 2009.
http://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/more-80-taxi-drivers-dna-12375908
----------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL
Rapist cabbie was allowed to keep driving taxi despite kerb-crawling conviction
Yassar Murat Ayuc, who raped a victim after giving her a lift, was previously handed a one-month suspension for soliciting prostitutes
A rapist cabbie was allowed to keep working as a taxi driver and doorman despite being caught kerb-crawling.
Yassar Murat Ayuc raped a victim near Rock Ferry oil terminal and when she “played dead”, covered her with leaves and branches.
The burly 49-year-old later said the drunken woman forced herself on him, was “too strong” and he feared she would damage his penis.
A jury rejected his claims and found Ayuc – known as Turkish Tony – guilty of raping her in the early hours of Sunday, June 5.
The ECHO revealed he was banned from the road for six months in 2015 after driving hen parties around in an illegal stretch limousine.
But that was not his first brush with the law, as he was previously caught in an undercover police sting, when out looking for prostitutes.
The unsuspecting cabbie, of no fixed abode, repeatedly tried to entice a policewoman into his car in Devon Street, Islington.
He was fined £50 for persistently soliciting a woman for prostitution from a motor vehicle at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court in January 2007.
Ayuc was then hauled before Liverpool council’s taxi driver licensing panel, which could have revoked his licence.
He begged for mercy, arguing he had lived in England for 20 years and worked as a bouncer and cabbie “with no problems”.
Minutes from the April meeting recorded: “He stated that he feels ashamed, it was a stupid thing to do.
“He realised that it was wrong and drove away, but it was too late, he was stopped by the police.
“He has been punished by the courts, he deeply apologises and states it will never happen again.
“His only skill is driving. He has never assaulted anyone or used violence in his jobs as a doorman or a taxi driver.”
Having “carefully considered” Ayuc’s explanation, the panel decided to suspend his licence for just one month.
Judge Brian Cummings, QC, was informed of Ayuc’s previous conviction during his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
He demanded to know why the rapist was allowed to keep both his licences, which he still holds to this day.
A Liverpool council spokesman said: “When we are notified of arrests or convictions we review the driver’s licence and the facts are submitted to a committee and they decide whether to suspend or revoke it.
“Safeguarding the public is our number one priority and we are one of the few authorities in the UK to implement mandatory training for hackney and private hire drivers.
“This not only ensures the safety of passengers but also increases the driver’s awareness and understanding of safeguarding issues.”
The ECHO was unable to speak to anyone at the Security Industry Authority, despite numerous attempts to contact the body, which manages the licensing of doormen.
Ayuc, formerly of County Road in Walton, was convicted of raping the woman after driving her to a secluded spot near The Refreshment Rooms pub.
The woman described herself as being ‘10 out of 10’ on a scale of drunkenness when she got in Ayuc’s car in Argyle Street, Birkenhead at around 4.20am.
She wanted to go to a friend’s home, but Ayuc started to touch her leg and headed to Bedford Road East, where he raped her.
After Ayuc drove off she went looking for help, making her way onto Rock Ferry bypass, where a taxi driver found her at 5.10am.
Forensic examination revealed Ayuc’s DNA on her jacket, jeans and knickers.
Judge Cummings adjourned sentencing until January 13 next year and remanded him in custody.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/rapist-cabbie-allowed-keep-driving-12373574
----------------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers across North West Leicestershire found themselves in trouble with the police after officers joined members of the district council to check the standard of taxis in the area.
Seven out of the 12 taxis checked had some form of defect, and two of them were so severe their licence plates were removed and their licences suspended. North West Leicestershire District Council joined forces with Leicestershire Police to check the vehicles, but only three were found with no defects at all.
One fixed penalty notice was served to a driver for smoking inside a licensed vehicle, and another driver had to be sent home to collect his badge after it was evident he had not got it with him.
Five taxis were found with minor defects and given seven days to repair them and re-present their taxi to the council. Just three taxis were found with no defects at all.
http://bit.ly/2hrK7Ck
Friday 23 December 2016
PARIS
Uber drivers demanding higher fares blocked roads to Paris airports, creating gigantic traffic jams that forced Christmas travellers to walk the final few hundred yards to terminals.
Hundreds of striking drivers blocked the main road to Charles de Gaulle Airport for about five hours on Friday morning before driving slowly to Uber’s offices, further disrupting Paris traffic on one of the busiest days of the year.
It was the largest of a series of recent protests by French drivers who say Uber’s low fares are “disgraceful” and “degrading”.
Uber cut the minimum fare was to €5 (£4.25) last year, because of what the company said was heightened competition from other taxi apps. Drivers, some of whom say they earn as little as €3.75 an hour, want it raised to €8.
They also oppose the ride-hailing app’s move to increase the commission it charges drivers from 20 to 25 per cent.
Sayah Baaroun of the Unsa-VTC union urged “all minicab drivers to stop working on Friday morning and boycott Uber.”
Clashes broke out between strikers and drivers who kept working in earlier protests.
About 120 drivers were fined for obstructing traffic, Paris airport officials said. Dozens of drivers also blocked roads in Lyon.
Uber, the most popular taxi app in more than 100 countries, works with 15,000 drivers in France.
Uber announced that it was willing to resume negotiations as the French government named a mediator. Talks between the company and drivers collapsed earlier in the week.
Uber’s announcement that it was creating a €2 million (£1.7 million) “aid fund” for drivers infuriated union leaders, who said they wanted drivers to be able to earn a decent living, not to be given handouts.
Thibaud Simphal, Uber’s general manager for western Europe, said: “We’re prepared to cut our margins and/or increase our prices for users provided the whole sector follows us. For the time being, we’re the only ones making this offer.”
Mr Simphal said Uber drivers could choose to work for rival services and rejected claims by some that they cannot make a living because of the low fares.
“They’re free to work with us or our competitors, or to leave when they wish,” he said. “The only thing that allows us to keep them is the profitability of their work with us and the reliability of our app.”
Mr Simphal said “numerous studies… show that drivers do earn a living.”
The mediator, Jacques Rapoport, a former senior executive with the national French rail company, has been given until the end of January to try to settle the dispute.
http://bit.ly/2il7wqO
Uber drivers demanding higher fares blocked roads to Paris airports, creating gigantic traffic jams that forced Christmas travellers to walk the final few hundred yards to terminals.
Hundreds of striking drivers blocked the main road to Charles de Gaulle Airport for about five hours on Friday morning before driving slowly to Uber’s offices, further disrupting Paris traffic on one of the busiest days of the year.
It was the largest of a series of recent protests by French drivers who say Uber’s low fares are “disgraceful” and “degrading”.
Uber cut the minimum fare was to €5 (£4.25) last year, because of what the company said was heightened competition from other taxi apps. Drivers, some of whom say they earn as little as €3.75 an hour, want it raised to €8.
They also oppose the ride-hailing app’s move to increase the commission it charges drivers from 20 to 25 per cent.
Sayah Baaroun of the Unsa-VTC union urged “all minicab drivers to stop working on Friday morning and boycott Uber.”
Clashes broke out between strikers and drivers who kept working in earlier protests.
About 120 drivers were fined for obstructing traffic, Paris airport officials said. Dozens of drivers also blocked roads in Lyon.
Uber, the most popular taxi app in more than 100 countries, works with 15,000 drivers in France.
Uber announced that it was willing to resume negotiations as the French government named a mediator. Talks between the company and drivers collapsed earlier in the week.
Uber’s announcement that it was creating a €2 million (£1.7 million) “aid fund” for drivers infuriated union leaders, who said they wanted drivers to be able to earn a decent living, not to be given handouts.
Thibaud Simphal, Uber’s general manager for western Europe, said: “We’re prepared to cut our margins and/or increase our prices for users provided the whole sector follows us. For the time being, we’re the only ones making this offer.”
Mr Simphal said Uber drivers could choose to work for rival services and rejected claims by some that they cannot make a living because of the low fares.
“They’re free to work with us or our competitors, or to leave when they wish,” he said. “The only thing that allows us to keep them is the profitability of their work with us and the reliability of our app.”
Mr Simphal said “numerous studies… show that drivers do earn a living.”
The mediator, Jacques Rapoport, a former senior executive with the national French rail company, has been given until the end of January to try to settle the dispute.
http://bit.ly/2il7wqO
Thursday 22 December 2016
AN OXFORD cabbie hit by an 'out-of-town' taxi may never return to work, his son fears, as the city council revealed its frustrations over 'illegal' pick ups.
Zamir Akhtar, a taxi driver in the city for more than 30 years, is still in hospital with three fractures to his skull after being hit by a taxi at the rank at Oxford train station on Sunday morning.
The collision left the 68-year-old in hospital and involved three taxis, which - as they were not Hackney Carriages licensed by Oxford City Council - should not have been waiting at the station.
Mr Akhtar's son Wasim, 32, said the driver of a taxi waiting at the station drove into the vehicle in front following a conversation with a Great Western Railway official, causing his own car to mount the pavement and hit his dad.
He added that none of the vehicles belonged to his father, who had walked over from his black cab to talk to the drivers.
He said: "He was knocked over and hit his head on the pavement, right on his temple, and was unconscious for about five minutes - he doesn't remember anything at all.
"He has three fractures to his face and will need to stay in the trauma unit for a few more days now.
"I'm not sure whether he will able to return to work."
He added: "Obviously there is an issue with taxis not properly licensed but this highlights the issue of reckless driving."
British Transport Police said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Earlier this week the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association warned revellers over the Christmas and New Year period to steer clear of 'out-of-town' taxis as they were not allowed to pick up passengers from ranks or anywhere in the city without a booking.
Secretary Sajad Khan warned passengers would not be insured if they got into these vehicles without booking.
As the taxi war intensified yesterday Oxford City Council said it was 'frustrated' with the situation and that it could not take action against vehicles licensed outside the city.
Colin Cook, chairman of the council's hackney carriages and private hire licensing sub-committee, called for members of the public to report those breaching the rules immediately.
He said: "This is a national problem affecting many cities.
"Frustratingly, only the local authority that licensed the vehicle can take action against these out-of-town drivers.
“Therefore, we encourage people to use London-style taxis or private hire vehicles that are licensed by Oxford City Council.
“If you get into a private hire vehicle that you haven’t pre-booked you are not covered by the driver’s insurance and the driver is breaching their licence conditions, please take note of their licence number and the local authority that issued the plate."
http://bit.ly/2ie4Mr6
---------------------------------------------------
FRUSTRATED taxi drivers have met with a York MP about the online Uber service.
Rachael Maskell MP for York Central, has written to City of York Council to call for Uber’s taxi licence to be deferred until a series of checks have been carried out on its drivers.
Complaints about Uber drivers and their cars have been reported and Ms Maskell says these must be addressed before the council issue a taxi licence to the company.
She said: “I am urging all passengers to ensure that their taxi driver is fully licensed...and to highlight the failure of the council to manage the situation. You cannot be too cautious when it comes to passenger safety”.
http://bit.ly/2ime2d0
Zamir Akhtar, a taxi driver in the city for more than 30 years, is still in hospital with three fractures to his skull after being hit by a taxi at the rank at Oxford train station on Sunday morning.
The collision left the 68-year-old in hospital and involved three taxis, which - as they were not Hackney Carriages licensed by Oxford City Council - should not have been waiting at the station.
Mr Akhtar's son Wasim, 32, said the driver of a taxi waiting at the station drove into the vehicle in front following a conversation with a Great Western Railway official, causing his own car to mount the pavement and hit his dad.
He added that none of the vehicles belonged to his father, who had walked over from his black cab to talk to the drivers.
He said: "He was knocked over and hit his head on the pavement, right on his temple, and was unconscious for about five minutes - he doesn't remember anything at all.
"He has three fractures to his face and will need to stay in the trauma unit for a few more days now.
"I'm not sure whether he will able to return to work."
He added: "Obviously there is an issue with taxis not properly licensed but this highlights the issue of reckless driving."
British Transport Police said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Earlier this week the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association warned revellers over the Christmas and New Year period to steer clear of 'out-of-town' taxis as they were not allowed to pick up passengers from ranks or anywhere in the city without a booking.
Secretary Sajad Khan warned passengers would not be insured if they got into these vehicles without booking.
As the taxi war intensified yesterday Oxford City Council said it was 'frustrated' with the situation and that it could not take action against vehicles licensed outside the city.
Colin Cook, chairman of the council's hackney carriages and private hire licensing sub-committee, called for members of the public to report those breaching the rules immediately.
He said: "This is a national problem affecting many cities.
"Frustratingly, only the local authority that licensed the vehicle can take action against these out-of-town drivers.
“Therefore, we encourage people to use London-style taxis or private hire vehicles that are licensed by Oxford City Council.
“If you get into a private hire vehicle that you haven’t pre-booked you are not covered by the driver’s insurance and the driver is breaching their licence conditions, please take note of their licence number and the local authority that issued the plate."
http://bit.ly/2ie4Mr6
---------------------------------------------------
FRUSTRATED taxi drivers have met with a York MP about the online Uber service.
Rachael Maskell MP for York Central, has written to City of York Council to call for Uber’s taxi licence to be deferred until a series of checks have been carried out on its drivers.
Complaints about Uber drivers and their cars have been reported and Ms Maskell says these must be addressed before the council issue a taxi licence to the company.
She said: “I am urging all passengers to ensure that their taxi driver is fully licensed...and to highlight the failure of the council to manage the situation. You cannot be too cautious when it comes to passenger safety”.
http://bit.ly/2ime2d0
Tuesday 20 December 2016
TAXI firms have called for Uber’s licence to operate in Brighton and Hove to be revoked.
Taxi drivers claim Uber drivers are illegally using taxi ranks to pick up customers while less than a quarter of the company’s drivers are licensed in the city.
It is also claimed that Uber drivers are obtaining licences from councils with lower standards hundreds of miles away to operate in Brighton and Hove.
Rising tension between Uber and taxi drivers boiled over this month with police investigating a scuffle at a taxi rank.
Uber said the taxi drivers’ complaints were based on city firms' fear of competition and claimed its drivers had faced intimidation and abuse.
The firm was granted a licence in October 2015 and began operating in the city 12 months later.
Within a month, licensing chairwoman Jackie O'Quinn called for a meeting with Uber in response to the number of Transport for London (TfL) licensed taxi drivers operating in the city.
She said the firm only received the licence to operate in the city on the grounds that they would use Brighton and Hove licensed drivers.
A taxi drivers’ forum will be held today [Wednesday] with bosses calling for their licence to be revoked and TfL inspectors to enforce regulations against Uber drivers because the city council’s enforcement team is powerless to intervene.
John Streeter, of Streamline Taxis, said: "We want the council to revoke their licence until they stand by their commitment to use Brighton and Hove licensed taxi drivers.
"They are not a fit and proper company to hold a licence.
"We don’t mind competition but it has to be a fair playing field.
"What Uber drivers are doing is going to the cheapest councils with the lowest standards in the country to get a licence even though they have no intention of operating there.
"We have got the highest standards of anywhere in the country and we don’t want them to drop."
An Uber spokesman said: “Since launching in Brighton we have been blown away with the demand we’ve seen for Uber, and more Brighton and Hove licensed private hire drivers are signing up to the app every week to help meet this demand.
"We have a good relationship with the council and have met the licensing committee who are happy with the way we’re operating under the conditions of our license.
"Uber is attending the meeting to discuss the intimidation and violence some drivers using our app have received in the city.”
A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "Taxi licensing officers are currently investigating complaints of vehicles other than Hackney Carriages parking on ranks and enforcement action will be taken in accordance with the council’s enforcement policy.
"The situation is being monitored. Uber was given a licence for a period of one year to enable the authority to monitor their operation."
http://bit.ly/2idWS0P
-------------------------------------------
UBERK
Uber has reportedly racked up losses of more than £1.8billion in the first nine months of 2016 despite seeing a jump in bookings and revenues.
The San-Francisco-based taxi-hailing app is said to have sunk into the red by more than £649million in the third quarter as it has been hit by a price war with rival Lyft in America and spending on ambitious growth plans.
The figures, first reported by technology news site The Information, suggest Uber is on track for full-year losses of £2.4billion this year.
But the leaked financials are understood to show net revenue climbing to around £3.1billion in the first nine months and is set to reach more than £4.5billion over the full year.
http://dailym.ai/2ie5NQ1
---------------------------------------------
A Watford man has been convicted as part of a gang which committed a series of conspiracy and fraud offences to illegally obtain taxi licences.
Traian Badea, 44, of Devon Road, Watford, received a four-month suspended prison sentence, an 80 hour unpaid work order, and was required to pay £200 in costs.
He and eight others appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday December 15 following a complex year-long police investigation into how a number private hire taxi licences were obtained by fraudulent means.
The court heard how former Stevenage Borough Council employee Alison Derrouiche had dishonestly allowed people to sit and pass English language tests on behalf of others applying for taxi licences.
The fraud was identified through internal verifications undertaken by staff within the council’s licensing team, and referred to its anti-fraud service for further investigation.
All nine – seven from Stevenage and one from Manchester – pleaded guilty to all the charges against them at an earlier hearing in November.
Councillor Chris Hayward, responsible for resources at Stevenage Borough Council, said: “Regulations relating to the licencing of private hire taxis are put in place to protect the public.
“These people set out to cheat the system with the assistance of a dishonest former member of staff and I’m pleased that they have now paid the price in court.”
http://bit.ly/2hTrQPu
----------------------------------------------------
The mother of an Aberdeen boy with a mechanical heart who is currently in hospital has said a taxi firm’s offer of free journeys to see her son had “saved” her Christmas.
Six-year-old Ashton Hutcheson will spend the festive season at Royal Aberdeen Children’s hospital, due to his condition – dilated cardiomyopathy – an illness which restricts the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently and can have knock-on effects to the lungs, liver and other vital organs.
His mum, Shanna Hutcheson, 24, cannot drive, and had to take taxis to visit her boy in hospital.
But now, Rainbow City Taxis have offered Miss Hutcheson free return trips to the hospital to help cover the costs of being there for her son this Christmas after one of the company’s drivers heard her story.
Miss Hutcheson said: “He went into hospital last Wednesday with a blood clot and an infection attacking his heart.
“We’ve been told he could be out by January 19 – but we’ll have to wait and see.
“On Friday, I decided to get a couple of hours away from the hospital at the bingo, so me and my partner took a taxi.
“The driver asked us about our day, and I told him it wasn’t going so well because we’re all so worried about Ashton.
“When we got there, I handed over my bank card to pay, and he told us to keep our money and buy something for our little one and have a merry Christmas.
“I insisted, but he just told me to give Ashton his best wishes.”
After hearing about their driver’s act of kindness, bosses at the taxi company offered Miss Hutcheson free trips to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
She added: “I was totally overwhelmed. We’ve had so much support from the community.
“Rosehill chipper, the closest fish and chip shop to the hospital, has offered us free food whenever we want it – and they’ve even bought Ashton an iPad.
“I would just be lost without everyone’s help. I don’t drive, and getting good food is so hard in the hospital, so everything I’ve been worrying about is fine now.
“Our Christmas has been saved, even though we’re going to have to spend it in hospital.”
http://bit.ly/2ie4Mr6
Taxi drivers claim Uber drivers are illegally using taxi ranks to pick up customers while less than a quarter of the company’s drivers are licensed in the city.
It is also claimed that Uber drivers are obtaining licences from councils with lower standards hundreds of miles away to operate in Brighton and Hove.
Rising tension between Uber and taxi drivers boiled over this month with police investigating a scuffle at a taxi rank.
Uber said the taxi drivers’ complaints were based on city firms' fear of competition and claimed its drivers had faced intimidation and abuse.
The firm was granted a licence in October 2015 and began operating in the city 12 months later.
Within a month, licensing chairwoman Jackie O'Quinn called for a meeting with Uber in response to the number of Transport for London (TfL) licensed taxi drivers operating in the city.
She said the firm only received the licence to operate in the city on the grounds that they would use Brighton and Hove licensed drivers.
A taxi drivers’ forum will be held today [Wednesday] with bosses calling for their licence to be revoked and TfL inspectors to enforce regulations against Uber drivers because the city council’s enforcement team is powerless to intervene.
John Streeter, of Streamline Taxis, said: "We want the council to revoke their licence until they stand by their commitment to use Brighton and Hove licensed taxi drivers.
"They are not a fit and proper company to hold a licence.
"We don’t mind competition but it has to be a fair playing field.
"What Uber drivers are doing is going to the cheapest councils with the lowest standards in the country to get a licence even though they have no intention of operating there.
"We have got the highest standards of anywhere in the country and we don’t want them to drop."
An Uber spokesman said: “Since launching in Brighton we have been blown away with the demand we’ve seen for Uber, and more Brighton and Hove licensed private hire drivers are signing up to the app every week to help meet this demand.
"We have a good relationship with the council and have met the licensing committee who are happy with the way we’re operating under the conditions of our license.
"Uber is attending the meeting to discuss the intimidation and violence some drivers using our app have received in the city.”
A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "Taxi licensing officers are currently investigating complaints of vehicles other than Hackney Carriages parking on ranks and enforcement action will be taken in accordance with the council’s enforcement policy.
"The situation is being monitored. Uber was given a licence for a period of one year to enable the authority to monitor their operation."
http://bit.ly/2idWS0P
-------------------------------------------
UBERK
Uber has reportedly racked up losses of more than £1.8billion in the first nine months of 2016 despite seeing a jump in bookings and revenues.
The San-Francisco-based taxi-hailing app is said to have sunk into the red by more than £649million in the third quarter as it has been hit by a price war with rival Lyft in America and spending on ambitious growth plans.
The figures, first reported by technology news site The Information, suggest Uber is on track for full-year losses of £2.4billion this year.
But the leaked financials are understood to show net revenue climbing to around £3.1billion in the first nine months and is set to reach more than £4.5billion over the full year.
http://dailym.ai/2ie5NQ1
---------------------------------------------
A Watford man has been convicted as part of a gang which committed a series of conspiracy and fraud offences to illegally obtain taxi licences.
Traian Badea, 44, of Devon Road, Watford, received a four-month suspended prison sentence, an 80 hour unpaid work order, and was required to pay £200 in costs.
He and eight others appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday December 15 following a complex year-long police investigation into how a number private hire taxi licences were obtained by fraudulent means.
The court heard how former Stevenage Borough Council employee Alison Derrouiche had dishonestly allowed people to sit and pass English language tests on behalf of others applying for taxi licences.
The fraud was identified through internal verifications undertaken by staff within the council’s licensing team, and referred to its anti-fraud service for further investigation.
All nine – seven from Stevenage and one from Manchester – pleaded guilty to all the charges against them at an earlier hearing in November.
Councillor Chris Hayward, responsible for resources at Stevenage Borough Council, said: “Regulations relating to the licencing of private hire taxis are put in place to protect the public.
“These people set out to cheat the system with the assistance of a dishonest former member of staff and I’m pleased that they have now paid the price in court.”
http://bit.ly/2hTrQPu
----------------------------------------------------
The mother of an Aberdeen boy with a mechanical heart who is currently in hospital has said a taxi firm’s offer of free journeys to see her son had “saved” her Christmas.
Six-year-old Ashton Hutcheson will spend the festive season at Royal Aberdeen Children’s hospital, due to his condition – dilated cardiomyopathy – an illness which restricts the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently and can have knock-on effects to the lungs, liver and other vital organs.
His mum, Shanna Hutcheson, 24, cannot drive, and had to take taxis to visit her boy in hospital.
But now, Rainbow City Taxis have offered Miss Hutcheson free return trips to the hospital to help cover the costs of being there for her son this Christmas after one of the company’s drivers heard her story.
Miss Hutcheson said: “He went into hospital last Wednesday with a blood clot and an infection attacking his heart.
“We’ve been told he could be out by January 19 – but we’ll have to wait and see.
“On Friday, I decided to get a couple of hours away from the hospital at the bingo, so me and my partner took a taxi.
“The driver asked us about our day, and I told him it wasn’t going so well because we’re all so worried about Ashton.
“When we got there, I handed over my bank card to pay, and he told us to keep our money and buy something for our little one and have a merry Christmas.
“I insisted, but he just told me to give Ashton his best wishes.”
After hearing about their driver’s act of kindness, bosses at the taxi company offered Miss Hutcheson free trips to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
She added: “I was totally overwhelmed. We’ve had so much support from the community.
“Rosehill chipper, the closest fish and chip shop to the hospital, has offered us free food whenever we want it – and they’ve even bought Ashton an iPad.
“I would just be lost without everyone’s help. I don’t drive, and getting good food is so hard in the hospital, so everything I’ve been worrying about is fine now.
“Our Christmas has been saved, even though we’re going to have to spend it in hospital.”
http://bit.ly/2ie4Mr6
Monday 19 December 2016
UBERK LONDON
Charges against an Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger are reviving the debate about whether Uber vehicles should have security cameras.
A London man is charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement, Middlesex OPP said Monday.
“We’re not surprised that sooner or later this time of incident would happen in the London region,” Orest Katolyk, chief municipal law enforcement officer for the city, said Monday.
City officials have been reviewing the ride-sharing industry for more than a year, including newsfeeds that track incidents involving Uber drivers — violence both against them and against their riders, he said.
“As a regulator of the industry, could a camera (inside the vehicle) have prevented this alleged assault? Common sense suggests, possibly,” Katolyk said.
Uber, an online app that matches people needing rides with drivers who pick them up in their private vehicles for a fee, has been a bylaw-busting operation since arriving in London in 2015.
City council recently approved several tweaks to the taxi bylaw that will regulate Uber and other transportation network companies. Unlike traditional taxis, though, the rules won’t require Uber drivers to have security cameras in their vehicles.
Police said a 21-year-old woman from London was sexually assaulted by a male Uber driver in a vehicle as she was being driven earlier this month to a destination in Southwest Middlesex.
Officers arrested the driver at the scene about 1:45 a.m. on Dec. 4, police said. Middlesex OPP Const. Liz Melvin declined to say where the arrest was made and if the woman called the authorities.
Police didn’t explain the delay of more than two weeks in releasing information about the charges.
Islam Soliman, 41, is in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on the charges Dec. 22.
Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling said the company is co-operating with police and ready to provide information.
“We became aware of this on the day it was said to have allegedly occurred and immediately removed this driver’s access to Uber,” she said.
Police recommend a passenger take a friend along when using transportation services and public transit.
If that isn’t possible, police said, a passenger should let family or friends know the route they’re taking. A passenger should call when they arrive or arrange to have someone meet them at their stop.
http://www.lfpress.com/2016/12/19/uber-driver-faces-charge-of-sexual-assault-near-london
Charges against an Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger are reviving the debate about whether Uber vehicles should have security cameras.
A London man is charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement, Middlesex OPP said Monday.
“We’re not surprised that sooner or later this time of incident would happen in the London region,” Orest Katolyk, chief municipal law enforcement officer for the city, said Monday.
City officials have been reviewing the ride-sharing industry for more than a year, including newsfeeds that track incidents involving Uber drivers — violence both against them and against their riders, he said.
“As a regulator of the industry, could a camera (inside the vehicle) have prevented this alleged assault? Common sense suggests, possibly,” Katolyk said.
Uber, an online app that matches people needing rides with drivers who pick them up in their private vehicles for a fee, has been a bylaw-busting operation since arriving in London in 2015.
City council recently approved several tweaks to the taxi bylaw that will regulate Uber and other transportation network companies. Unlike traditional taxis, though, the rules won’t require Uber drivers to have security cameras in their vehicles.
Police said a 21-year-old woman from London was sexually assaulted by a male Uber driver in a vehicle as she was being driven earlier this month to a destination in Southwest Middlesex.
Officers arrested the driver at the scene about 1:45 a.m. on Dec. 4, police said. Middlesex OPP Const. Liz Melvin declined to say where the arrest was made and if the woman called the authorities.
Police didn’t explain the delay of more than two weeks in releasing information about the charges.
Islam Soliman, 41, is in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on the charges Dec. 22.
Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling said the company is co-operating with police and ready to provide information.
“We became aware of this on the day it was said to have allegedly occurred and immediately removed this driver’s access to Uber,” she said.
Police recommend a passenger take a friend along when using transportation services and public transit.
If that isn’t possible, police said, a passenger should let family or friends know the route they’re taking. A passenger should call when they arrive or arrange to have someone meet them at their stop.
http://www.lfpress.com/2016/12/19/uber-driver-faces-charge-of-sexual-assault-near-london
AVENTURA, FLA. (WSVN) - - Police are investigating after an Uber driver shot and killed a person who was attempting to rob him in Aventura, early Sunday.
According to Aventura Police, an Uber driver had picked up a customer to take him to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just off the William Lehman Causeway, just before 6 a.m.. Shortly after he got on the causeway, investigators said, his black Toyota sedan was cut off by a gray Dodge Caravan.
“The driver of the Caravan exited the vehicle. He has two firearms; he pointed them at the Uber driver and demanded items,” said Aventura Police Sgt. Chris Goranitis.
However, the driver, who has a concealed weapons permit, went straight for his gun. “He shot that subject four times. He was pronounced deceased on the scene,” said Goranitis.
Police said a passenger inside the Caravan jumped into the driver’s seat and took off.
No one else was hurt.
The shooting left area residents dumbfounded. “Honestly I feel really shocked. I can’t believe this has happened during the holiday season,” said Sandra Tuman.
Area resident Andre Carpenter said he heard gunfire. “I just heard like five gunshots,” he said. “I was like, ‘It’s not the holiday,’ and I’m like, ‘Where did it come from?'”
Traffic was backed up along the Lehman Causeway all morning as detectives worked the scene.
“You have to be careful,” said Carpenter. “You have to be very aware of your surroundings nowadays.”
Police pulled the Uber driver and his passenger in for questioning.
Later in the day, officials said the Caravan was found in Fort Lauderdale. They have impounded the vehicle, and they described it as a key part of the case.
Investigators are interviewing a person of interest, but they did not specify whether it was the second person in the minivan.
The Uber driver will not face any charges. “It’s a blessing that he was able to defend himself,” said Carpenter. “Unfortunately, someone lost their life.”
Uber company policy prohibits both drivers and passengers from carrying firearms while on the job.
http://bit.ly/2i5i1KB
According to Aventura Police, an Uber driver had picked up a customer to take him to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just off the William Lehman Causeway, just before 6 a.m.. Shortly after he got on the causeway, investigators said, his black Toyota sedan was cut off by a gray Dodge Caravan.
“The driver of the Caravan exited the vehicle. He has two firearms; he pointed them at the Uber driver and demanded items,” said Aventura Police Sgt. Chris Goranitis.
However, the driver, who has a concealed weapons permit, went straight for his gun. “He shot that subject four times. He was pronounced deceased on the scene,” said Goranitis.
Police said a passenger inside the Caravan jumped into the driver’s seat and took off.
No one else was hurt.
The shooting left area residents dumbfounded. “Honestly I feel really shocked. I can’t believe this has happened during the holiday season,” said Sandra Tuman.
Area resident Andre Carpenter said he heard gunfire. “I just heard like five gunshots,” he said. “I was like, ‘It’s not the holiday,’ and I’m like, ‘Where did it come from?'”
Traffic was backed up along the Lehman Causeway all morning as detectives worked the scene.
“You have to be careful,” said Carpenter. “You have to be very aware of your surroundings nowadays.”
Police pulled the Uber driver and his passenger in for questioning.
Later in the day, officials said the Caravan was found in Fort Lauderdale. They have impounded the vehicle, and they described it as a key part of the case.
Investigators are interviewing a person of interest, but they did not specify whether it was the second person in the minivan.
The Uber driver will not face any charges. “It’s a blessing that he was able to defend himself,” said Carpenter. “Unfortunately, someone lost their life.”
Uber company policy prohibits both drivers and passengers from carrying firearms while on the job.
http://bit.ly/2i5i1KB
Sunday 18 December 2016
Three day strike of VTC (P.H.) drivers in France
The French government waded into a row over Uber’s cut-price taxi service on Friday, urging local representatives of the U.S. app-based business to give its drivers a proper hearing after two days of noisy protests over their working conditions.
The California-based startup whose cab service has expanded exponentially worldwide stands accused in France and elsewhere of bypassing national labour protection standards and shunning collective negotiation with drivers who work on freelance terms.
The French government appeal came as protesting Uber drivers jammed access roads to the two main airports outside Paris, in some cases provoking heated exchanges with motorists and people obliged to finish their journeys to the airport on foot.
--------------------
Two Twitter Video's
https://twitter.com/MalikZaza2/status/810143170545721344
https://twitter.com/Deurboussi/status/810203774954459138
-----------------------------------
The drivers want Uber, the biggest of several app-based car services that have sprouted in competition with traditional licensed taxi firms, to heed their grievances over pricing and work conditions, saying it is increasingly hard to make a living.
http://fortune.com/2016/12/16/france-uber-protest/
The French government waded into a row over Uber’s cut-price taxi service on Friday, urging local representatives of the U.S. app-based business to give its drivers a proper hearing after two days of noisy protests over their working conditions.
The California-based startup whose cab service has expanded exponentially worldwide stands accused in France and elsewhere of bypassing national labour protection standards and shunning collective negotiation with drivers who work on freelance terms.
The French government appeal came as protesting Uber drivers jammed access roads to the two main airports outside Paris, in some cases provoking heated exchanges with motorists and people obliged to finish their journeys to the airport on foot.
--------------------
Two Twitter Video's
https://twitter.com/MalikZaza2/status/810143170545721344
https://twitter.com/Deurboussi/status/810203774954459138
-----------------------------------
The drivers want Uber, the biggest of several app-based car services that have sprouted in competition with traditional licensed taxi firms, to heed their grievances over pricing and work conditions, saying it is increasingly hard to make a living.
http://fortune.com/2016/12/16/france-uber-protest/
Friday 16 December 2016
The Fourth Industrial Revolution....UBERK
Quite a Prophesy..But one discussed this week in the House of Lords
However it does make our prospects look bleak
Read :
We are certainly in the beginning stages of the digital revolution, the fourth industrial revolution. I take the view that this industrial revolution, unlike the others, will destroy more jobs than it creates. This is unhistorical. As a Technology Minister in the Thatcher Government I made endless speeches saying, “Accept technology. It’s going to create more jobs than the Industrial Revolution, the car revolution and the computer revolution”. The digital revolution will not do that, because the agents of this revolution are much more widespread. They are artificial intelligence; big data; driverless cars, lorries and taxis; the internet of things; the growth of vast businesses in a matter of five or 10 years, such as Twitter, Facebook and Uber; virtual reality; cybersecurity; and hacking. These will all have huge effects on jobs.
I am not alone in thinking this. This is not an eccentric, lone view. The Davos meeting in January this year produced a devastating report, forecasting huge job losses right across the world in various countries, in two groups in particular: unskilled workers and middle management. For example, in America there are 3 million truck drivers and 8 million people in stopovers and sandwich bars. If the Mercedes lorries that are now being experimented with are driverless, most of those will go, so a lot of unskilled workers will go. Warehousing has already gone. The only time a human hand is likely to touch an Amazon order is when it knocks on your door and says it has a delivery for you. That will soon disappear because it is experimenting with drones for delivery in certain urban areas. A continuing massive amount of change is going on. There are also two reports from McKinsey that echo this. Only last week the Governor of the Bank of England, Mr Carney, expressed the views of his chief economist, Mr Haldane, who said that automation in Britain is likely to cost 15 million jobs.
Lord Baker of Dorking Conservative 4:35 pm, 13th December 2016
http://bit.ly/2hRezY4
Quite a Prophesy..But one discussed this week in the House of Lords
However it does make our prospects look bleak
Read :
We are certainly in the beginning stages of the digital revolution, the fourth industrial revolution. I take the view that this industrial revolution, unlike the others, will destroy more jobs than it creates. This is unhistorical. As a Technology Minister in the Thatcher Government I made endless speeches saying, “Accept technology. It’s going to create more jobs than the Industrial Revolution, the car revolution and the computer revolution”. The digital revolution will not do that, because the agents of this revolution are much more widespread. They are artificial intelligence; big data; driverless cars, lorries and taxis; the internet of things; the growth of vast businesses in a matter of five or 10 years, such as Twitter, Facebook and Uber; virtual reality; cybersecurity; and hacking. These will all have huge effects on jobs.
I am not alone in thinking this. This is not an eccentric, lone view. The Davos meeting in January this year produced a devastating report, forecasting huge job losses right across the world in various countries, in two groups in particular: unskilled workers and middle management. For example, in America there are 3 million truck drivers and 8 million people in stopovers and sandwich bars. If the Mercedes lorries that are now being experimented with are driverless, most of those will go, so a lot of unskilled workers will go. Warehousing has already gone. The only time a human hand is likely to touch an Amazon order is when it knocks on your door and says it has a delivery for you. That will soon disappear because it is experimenting with drones for delivery in certain urban areas. A continuing massive amount of change is going on. There are also two reports from McKinsey that echo this. Only last week the Governor of the Bank of England, Mr Carney, expressed the views of his chief economist, Mr Haldane, who said that automation in Britain is likely to cost 15 million jobs.
Lord Baker of Dorking Conservative 4:35 pm, 13th December 2016
http://bit.ly/2hRezY4
A ground-breaking initiative is underway in Birmingham that has seen the unlikely hero of the black cab take centre stage in a pioneering campaign to tackle urban air quality.
LPG as a fuel has long been recognised for being greener than both petrol and diesel and the Birmingham NOx Reduction Champions initiative will see more than 60 black cabs converted to run on cheaper, greener LPG by February 2017.
The Department for Transport Clean Technology fund has committed £500,000 to a partnership between Birmingham City Council and Autogas Limited-approved converter, Harborne Garage in Selly Oak. It is designed to significantly improve air quality in inner cities under the Government’s strategy to introduce Clean Air Zones and bring the country into line with emissions legislation.
A newly converted Euro 6 compliant TX4 black cab running on LPG emits 80% less NOx emissions compared with a normal diesel powered version, in addition to achieving significant reductions of particulate matter, known to be hazardous to health.
The new taxi engines are the result of an 18-month collaboration between the green fleet team at Birmingham City Council, co-ordinated by Autogas Limited, and engine manufacturer Kronenberg Management Systems (KMS) to develop the engine technology, along with European LPG taxi conversion kit experts Vogel and converters Harborne Garages in Birmingham.
Autogas Limited also funded rigorous testing in both the UK and Germany, based on Public Carriage Office (PCO) – Cenex London Taxi drive cycle to ensure that the new taxi engines delivered on emissions targets and would bring Birmingham’s taxis in line with Euro 6 low particulate and low NOx pollution levels.
The conversion team at Harborne Garages was trained to retrofit the new engines, with each conversion costing £8,000 and taking 2.5 days to complete.
Anne Shaw, assistant director for transportation at Birmingham City Council, said: “The fact our city has an ageing fleet of cabs means we need to look at how we can work with drivers to re-profile the vehicles serving customers in the city as their impact on air quality is significant.
“Through the funding the council has successfully unlocked from the Government, we’ve been able to play a part in forming links with technology providers and engineers to come up with part of the solution to one of the city’s major public health issues.”
Rob Shuttleworth, chief executive of UKLPG, the trade association for the liquefied petroleum gas industry comments: “The need to tackle urban air pollution is pressing and it is great to see this collaborative initiative, funded by the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund, working so effectively to achieve success in Birmingham.
“The value of LPG as a greener alternative to petrol and diesel has long been recognised in the UK and at around half the price of diesel, it delivers a rapid return on investment for each conversion. The replacement engine also significantly increases the life of the vehicle.”
Mr Shuttleworth added: “The pioneering programme is already attracting the attention of other cities trying to clean up pollution levels, with plans in place to train a national network of approved converters so that LPG taxis can be introduced around the country ahead of the Government’s 2020 deadline.
“With the refuelling infrastructure already in place and well-established, retrofitting hundreds of TX1, TX2 and TX4 diesel taxi cabs with LPG engines is a quick and cost-effective way to cut emissions.
“Dramatic improvements in air quality can also be achieved by reducing the large number of diesel small vans operating in our cities and promoting a mix of cleaner reliable fleets which include LPG and this is another route being explored by local authorities.”
http://www.airqualitynews.com/2016/12/15/viewpoint-taxi-drivers-champion-lpg-boost-air-quality/
-----------------------------------------------
LONDON
The first wave of new minicab enforcement officers will hit the streets within days to crack down on illegal vehicles and protect the public from touts.
The 50 newly trained officers will target illegal activity such as touting and plying for hire, as well checking vehicles and drivers’ paperwork and advising the public on safe routes home.
They were recruited under plans by Sadiq Khan, who is quadrupling the size of the uniformed Transport for London team from 82, to enforce rigorous safety standards.
It comes as the number of minicabs on the capital’s streets soared by 28 per cent to 160,000 in the last ten years.
Since April TfL has stopped around 37,000 black taxis and minicabs to check drivers are carrying the correct ID and paperwork, and checking their vehicles for defects.
Mr Khan said: “Drivers who are unlicensed or flout the rules not only pose a risk to Londoners’ safety, but also undermine the work of the hard-working and professional drivers who provide a vital service to millions of Londoners every year. Every Londoner and visitor to our city must feel safe getting around London."
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/minicab-enforcers-to-hit-streets-of-london-within-days-a3419721.html
---------------------------------------------
LONDON
Taxi drivers are up in arms about proposals to stop them driving through Bank junction.
The City of London Corporation has proposed that taxis and other vehicles should be excluded from the junction between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. Buses and bicycles, however, would be allowed through.
Various committees of the City of London will meet in the coming weeks to vote on the scheme, and if it is approved, it could come into effect in April next year.
But taxi drivers are furious, with the United Cabbies Group planning a demo at Bank junction on 12 January.
http://bit.ly/2hC6a84
---------------------------------------------------
LIMERICK
A father of three who was charged with robbing a taxi driver and threatening to kill him was granted bail, allowing him to rob another man at knifepoint.
Ger Ward (40) was jailed for six years at Limerick Circuit Court. Ward, of Glenma, Croom, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to taxi driver Chinidu Orji in Limerick on January 25, 2013.
Ward also pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Orji of €50 in cab fares, and stealing two mobile phones. He also admitted possessing an iron bar during the robbery.
On the night, Ward asked the taxi driver to drive him home from Limerick city.
Mr Orji told gardaà Ward "seemed friendly" at first, but suddenly turned on him.
Ward told him he had a knife and demanded cash and that he would kill him if he looked at his face. Ward ordered him out of the car and told him he was going to rape his wife and kids, the court heard.
Ward held a knife to a man's stomach during an attempted robbery while he was on bail to the first offence.
Judge Tom O'Donnell jailed Ward for four years for robbing and threatening Mr Orji.
He imposed a consecutive three-year sentence for the attempted robbery charge, suspending the final 12 months, provided Ward not reoffend for the next six years.
http://bit.ly/2hAQ5Ss
LPG as a fuel has long been recognised for being greener than both petrol and diesel and the Birmingham NOx Reduction Champions initiative will see more than 60 black cabs converted to run on cheaper, greener LPG by February 2017.
The Department for Transport Clean Technology fund has committed £500,000 to a partnership between Birmingham City Council and Autogas Limited-approved converter, Harborne Garage in Selly Oak. It is designed to significantly improve air quality in inner cities under the Government’s strategy to introduce Clean Air Zones and bring the country into line with emissions legislation.
A newly converted Euro 6 compliant TX4 black cab running on LPG emits 80% less NOx emissions compared with a normal diesel powered version, in addition to achieving significant reductions of particulate matter, known to be hazardous to health.
The new taxi engines are the result of an 18-month collaboration between the green fleet team at Birmingham City Council, co-ordinated by Autogas Limited, and engine manufacturer Kronenberg Management Systems (KMS) to develop the engine technology, along with European LPG taxi conversion kit experts Vogel and converters Harborne Garages in Birmingham.
Autogas Limited also funded rigorous testing in both the UK and Germany, based on Public Carriage Office (PCO) – Cenex London Taxi drive cycle to ensure that the new taxi engines delivered on emissions targets and would bring Birmingham’s taxis in line with Euro 6 low particulate and low NOx pollution levels.
The conversion team at Harborne Garages was trained to retrofit the new engines, with each conversion costing £8,000 and taking 2.5 days to complete.
Anne Shaw, assistant director for transportation at Birmingham City Council, said: “The fact our city has an ageing fleet of cabs means we need to look at how we can work with drivers to re-profile the vehicles serving customers in the city as their impact on air quality is significant.
“Through the funding the council has successfully unlocked from the Government, we’ve been able to play a part in forming links with technology providers and engineers to come up with part of the solution to one of the city’s major public health issues.”
Rob Shuttleworth, chief executive of UKLPG, the trade association for the liquefied petroleum gas industry comments: “The need to tackle urban air pollution is pressing and it is great to see this collaborative initiative, funded by the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund, working so effectively to achieve success in Birmingham.
“The value of LPG as a greener alternative to petrol and diesel has long been recognised in the UK and at around half the price of diesel, it delivers a rapid return on investment for each conversion. The replacement engine also significantly increases the life of the vehicle.”
Mr Shuttleworth added: “The pioneering programme is already attracting the attention of other cities trying to clean up pollution levels, with plans in place to train a national network of approved converters so that LPG taxis can be introduced around the country ahead of the Government’s 2020 deadline.
“With the refuelling infrastructure already in place and well-established, retrofitting hundreds of TX1, TX2 and TX4 diesel taxi cabs with LPG engines is a quick and cost-effective way to cut emissions.
“Dramatic improvements in air quality can also be achieved by reducing the large number of diesel small vans operating in our cities and promoting a mix of cleaner reliable fleets which include LPG and this is another route being explored by local authorities.”
http://www.airqualitynews.com/2016/12/15/viewpoint-taxi-drivers-champion-lpg-boost-air-quality/
-----------------------------------------------
LONDON
The first wave of new minicab enforcement officers will hit the streets within days to crack down on illegal vehicles and protect the public from touts.
The 50 newly trained officers will target illegal activity such as touting and plying for hire, as well checking vehicles and drivers’ paperwork and advising the public on safe routes home.
They were recruited under plans by Sadiq Khan, who is quadrupling the size of the uniformed Transport for London team from 82, to enforce rigorous safety standards.
It comes as the number of minicabs on the capital’s streets soared by 28 per cent to 160,000 in the last ten years.
Since April TfL has stopped around 37,000 black taxis and minicabs to check drivers are carrying the correct ID and paperwork, and checking their vehicles for defects.
Mr Khan said: “Drivers who are unlicensed or flout the rules not only pose a risk to Londoners’ safety, but also undermine the work of the hard-working and professional drivers who provide a vital service to millions of Londoners every year. Every Londoner and visitor to our city must feel safe getting around London."
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/minicab-enforcers-to-hit-streets-of-london-within-days-a3419721.html
---------------------------------------------
LONDON
Taxi drivers are up in arms about proposals to stop them driving through Bank junction.
The City of London Corporation has proposed that taxis and other vehicles should be excluded from the junction between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. Buses and bicycles, however, would be allowed through.
Various committees of the City of London will meet in the coming weeks to vote on the scheme, and if it is approved, it could come into effect in April next year.
But taxi drivers are furious, with the United Cabbies Group planning a demo at Bank junction on 12 January.
http://bit.ly/2hC6a84
---------------------------------------------------
LIMERICK
A father of three who was charged with robbing a taxi driver and threatening to kill him was granted bail, allowing him to rob another man at knifepoint.
Ger Ward (40) was jailed for six years at Limerick Circuit Court. Ward, of Glenma, Croom, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to taxi driver Chinidu Orji in Limerick on January 25, 2013.
Ward also pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Orji of €50 in cab fares, and stealing two mobile phones. He also admitted possessing an iron bar during the robbery.
On the night, Ward asked the taxi driver to drive him home from Limerick city.
Mr Orji told gardaà Ward "seemed friendly" at first, but suddenly turned on him.
Ward told him he had a knife and demanded cash and that he would kill him if he looked at his face. Ward ordered him out of the car and told him he was going to rape his wife and kids, the court heard.
Ward held a knife to a man's stomach during an attempted robbery while he was on bail to the first offence.
Judge Tom O'Donnell jailed Ward for four years for robbing and threatening Mr Orji.
He imposed a consecutive three-year sentence for the attempted robbery charge, suspending the final 12 months, provided Ward not reoffend for the next six years.
http://bit.ly/2hAQ5Ss
Monday 12 December 2016
AN UBER taxi driver in the U.S took on what is believed to be the longest Uber ride in the history of the app, driving a customer 400 miles from Williamsburg, Virginia to Brooklyn, New York.
The driver, Janis Rogers, made just $9 an hour on the seven hour and 42 minute journey after paying for petrol and tolls.
When she picked up a young female passenger at midday on June 9 outside a Ben and Jerry's in Williamsburg, Virginia, little did she know the journey would be considerably longer than the average 5.4-mile Uber ride.
Rogers said she took on the record-breaking job as "it was an adventure."
The young woman asked how far north Rogers could take her. “I said, ‘Well, I’m not doing too much today, so I’ll take you all the way,’" 64-year-old Rogers told the New York Post.
She then made the almost eight-hour journey without taking a single break, not even making a rest stop.
"I was wide awake and kept on going. I don't have a problem with going for a long time," said Rogers.
Meanwhile, her passenger spent the entire journey asleep in the back.
The young woman was making the 397-mile trip to see her boyfriend - but according to Rogers, she didn't seem that excited to see him.
"She was kind of blasé. She looked tired," said Rogers.
Despite the length of the journey, which passed through three states, the woman didn't tip Rogers when they arrived at the Putnam Avenue address that evening.
Once she'd made the drop off, Rogers immediately turned around and headed back to Virginia where she lives, arriving home at 3.45am.
Despite the total fare coming to $294.04, Rogers said that the 15 and a half hour round trip wasn't "lucrative" by the time she'd paid for petrol and road tolls. She calculated she made about $9 an hour on the job.
A New York City yellow cab making the same trip in reverse would have cost $1,182.
http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/742525/Uber-taxi-news-update-fare-cost
-------------------------------------------
An Uber driver has been charged after a 19-year-old passenger was sexually assaulted over the weekend, said Toronto police.
The assault happened at around 12:50 a.m. Saturday morning after the woman ordered a ride, police said.
Orjon Leska, 38, of Toronto, is charged with one count of sexual assault.
Leska is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 16.
Uber said it has banned the suspect from accessing its app, and is assisting police in their investigation.
http://on.thestar.com/2hyqcmP
-----------------------------------------------------
A controversial disciplinary scheme for Leicester taxi drivers is to be reviewed 12 months after angry cabbies brought the city centre to a stand still with a string of rush hour go slow protests.
The city council brought in the pilot points regime which works in a similar way to driving licence penalties.
Various infractions carry a points score and any cabby accumulating 12 points faces being brought before a committee of councillors for punishments ranging from an official warning to having their badge revoked.
Some 300 hackney cab drivers affiliated to the RMT union argued the scheme would lead to them possibly losing their licences for minor offences and launched a series of attacks on city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby who hit back with equally severe criticism.
Now, as promised, the scheme is being reviewed after 12 months to see if it should become permanent.
A public consultation is being launched to give people the chance to say whether they think the scheme has worked to improve taxi standards, as well as giving details of any complaints or concerns they have raised.
The six-week consultation, known as Driving Up Standards, runs until January 31.
During the pilot scheme has been running, there have been 99 instances of penalty points being issued, with 382 points issued in total.
No drivers have lost their licences for totting up 12 points.
A total of 208 points were issued for a total of 52 instances concerning parking offences.
A further 120 points were issued in 31 instances related to drivers not attending regular six-monthly tests.
Twenty seven points were issued in nine cases where drivers did not display proper plates or signs, and 24 points were issued for six cases concerning driving unroadworthy taxis. One case involved a driver not wearing an identification badge, for which three points were issued.
The highest number of points issued to any one driver was seven, for two offences – a parking contravention and failing to display proper signs or plates.
The Mercury has so far been able to contact Leicestershire RMT secretary Umar Khan for comment.
Sir Peter told the Mercury: "We said we would review this after a year and we are.
"We have given out a some points and generally the feedback has been positive and that it has led to a better service from taxi drivers.
"There were a lot of scare stories put around and at the time I said the protesters were being totally unreasonable.
"All they ever needed to do was stick to the rules.
To take part in the consultation online visit: consultations.leicester.gov.uk
Paper copies of the consultation are also due to be made available shortly from libraries and the Granby Street Customer Service Centre.
-------------------------------------------------
A woman has been assaulted in a taxi in Salisbury.
The incident took place in the Rowbarrow area in the early hours on Saturday 26th November.
A 39-year-old man, arrested in connection with the assault, has been released on bail until January 4th 2017.
Police still want to speak with anyone who may have seen what happened between 3.10 - 3.30 a.m.
Investigating officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the offence or who may have information.
Please call PC Jeannette Brownsea at Wiltshire Police on 101 or anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
http://bit.ly/2hyu3Qq
----------------------------------------------
ASIA
This is only happening in Asia at the moment (well, it’ll only be in Asia when it eventually gets underway proper, but for now let’s focus on the fact that it’s in Asia at the mo), but the global reach of the team-up between Honda and a motorcycle-based Uber type of personal bike taxi service could be big news.
It was announced today (Monday) that Honda has invested in Southeast Asian motorcycle-hailing service Grab. It’s not clear how much money has been invested by Honda but it is known that Grab has come in for some $750 million worth of investment from various businesses.
Grab is a large, direct rival to Uber in Southeast Asia and the company said that Honda had decided to invest in the company which would see the two outfits expand the ride-sharing technology and road user education programmes.
Grab currently provides ride-shares in both car taxis and motorbike services. President at Grab, Ming Maa, said that the Honda share IS part of the $750 million lump of cash invested by various businesses that was announced in September, but up until now the identity of those investors has been kept quiet.
Maa told news agency Reuters: “We are in the planning stages of what a full partnership will look like and there are many prongs of that. One prong would include selling Honda motorbikes within the region.”
http://bit.ly/2gG6pQy
---------------------------------------------------
A taxi driver allegedly ran his hand up the skirt of a young female passenger as he took her and two friends to a club in Exeter.
Wahib Tameem was tracked down by police after one of the three customers used her mobile phone to snap a picture of his cab as he drove off down Fore Street.
He had agreed a cut price fare to take the group to a village in East Devon and then back to Exeter and the alleged assault happened as they approached the city centre.
Tameem, aged 59, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, denies two offences of sexually assaulting the same woman passenger during the journey on June 18, 2016.
Iraqi-born Tameem was not in the dock at Exeter Crown Court for the start of his trial but Judge Graham Cottle told the jury they should not speculate about his absence or hold it against him.
Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said the young woman passenger contacted the police shortly after being dropped off at the EX4 club at the top of Fore Street.
The three friends were in Exeter and needed to go back to a village near Honiton before returning to the city and agreed a fare of £50 for the round trip.
She alleged he had tried to put his hand up her skirt on two occasions and had tried to force his fingers into her underwear on the first.
He was arrested after police traced his cab from the mobile phone photograph and denied any inappropriate behaviour.
He said the only contact with the passenger came when she tried to change the channel on the radio and he moved his hand across to stop her.
The front seat passenger told the jury:"The first time he touched me it was not for too long, just a couple of seconds. The second time he moved his hand up my skirt and I pushed it away again.
"His hand got to my underwear and he was trying to get his hand underneath it. I pushed it away. It was about five minutes before the end of the journey and he dropped us near the EX4 club.
"We all got out and there was a conversation between the three of us which led to one of the others taking a picture of his registration and us calling the police. I was just shocked by what happened."
http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/taxi-driver-denies-groping-woman-on-exeter-night-club-trip/story-29977094-detail/story.html#mUKkTA5HdXfV0IBz.99
-------------------------------------------------------
The driver, Janis Rogers, made just $9 an hour on the seven hour and 42 minute journey after paying for petrol and tolls.
When she picked up a young female passenger at midday on June 9 outside a Ben and Jerry's in Williamsburg, Virginia, little did she know the journey would be considerably longer than the average 5.4-mile Uber ride.
Rogers said she took on the record-breaking job as "it was an adventure."
The young woman asked how far north Rogers could take her. “I said, ‘Well, I’m not doing too much today, so I’ll take you all the way,’" 64-year-old Rogers told the New York Post.
She then made the almost eight-hour journey without taking a single break, not even making a rest stop.
"I was wide awake and kept on going. I don't have a problem with going for a long time," said Rogers.
Meanwhile, her passenger spent the entire journey asleep in the back.
The young woman was making the 397-mile trip to see her boyfriend - but according to Rogers, she didn't seem that excited to see him.
"She was kind of blasé. She looked tired," said Rogers.
Despite the length of the journey, which passed through three states, the woman didn't tip Rogers when they arrived at the Putnam Avenue address that evening.
Once she'd made the drop off, Rogers immediately turned around and headed back to Virginia where she lives, arriving home at 3.45am.
Despite the total fare coming to $294.04, Rogers said that the 15 and a half hour round trip wasn't "lucrative" by the time she'd paid for petrol and road tolls. She calculated she made about $9 an hour on the job.
A New York City yellow cab making the same trip in reverse would have cost $1,182.
http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/742525/Uber-taxi-news-update-fare-cost
-------------------------------------------
An Uber driver has been charged after a 19-year-old passenger was sexually assaulted over the weekend, said Toronto police.
The assault happened at around 12:50 a.m. Saturday morning after the woman ordered a ride, police said.
Orjon Leska, 38, of Toronto, is charged with one count of sexual assault.
Leska is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 16.
Uber said it has banned the suspect from accessing its app, and is assisting police in their investigation.
http://on.thestar.com/2hyqcmP
-----------------------------------------------------
A controversial disciplinary scheme for Leicester taxi drivers is to be reviewed 12 months after angry cabbies brought the city centre to a stand still with a string of rush hour go slow protests.
The city council brought in the pilot points regime which works in a similar way to driving licence penalties.
Various infractions carry a points score and any cabby accumulating 12 points faces being brought before a committee of councillors for punishments ranging from an official warning to having their badge revoked.
Some 300 hackney cab drivers affiliated to the RMT union argued the scheme would lead to them possibly losing their licences for minor offences and launched a series of attacks on city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby who hit back with equally severe criticism.
Now, as promised, the scheme is being reviewed after 12 months to see if it should become permanent.
A public consultation is being launched to give people the chance to say whether they think the scheme has worked to improve taxi standards, as well as giving details of any complaints or concerns they have raised.
The six-week consultation, known as Driving Up Standards, runs until January 31.
During the pilot scheme has been running, there have been 99 instances of penalty points being issued, with 382 points issued in total.
No drivers have lost their licences for totting up 12 points.
A total of 208 points were issued for a total of 52 instances concerning parking offences.
A further 120 points were issued in 31 instances related to drivers not attending regular six-monthly tests.
Twenty seven points were issued in nine cases where drivers did not display proper plates or signs, and 24 points were issued for six cases concerning driving unroadworthy taxis. One case involved a driver not wearing an identification badge, for which three points were issued.
The highest number of points issued to any one driver was seven, for two offences – a parking contravention and failing to display proper signs or plates.
The Mercury has so far been able to contact Leicestershire RMT secretary Umar Khan for comment.
Sir Peter told the Mercury: "We said we would review this after a year and we are.
"We have given out a some points and generally the feedback has been positive and that it has led to a better service from taxi drivers.
"There were a lot of scare stories put around and at the time I said the protesters were being totally unreasonable.
"All they ever needed to do was stick to the rules.
To take part in the consultation online visit: consultations.leicester.gov.uk
Paper copies of the consultation are also due to be made available shortly from libraries and the Granby Street Customer Service Centre.
-------------------------------------------------
A woman has been assaulted in a taxi in Salisbury.
The incident took place in the Rowbarrow area in the early hours on Saturday 26th November.
A 39-year-old man, arrested in connection with the assault, has been released on bail until January 4th 2017.
Police still want to speak with anyone who may have seen what happened between 3.10 - 3.30 a.m.
Investigating officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the offence or who may have information.
Please call PC Jeannette Brownsea at Wiltshire Police on 101 or anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
http://bit.ly/2hyu3Qq
----------------------------------------------
ASIA
This is only happening in Asia at the moment (well, it’ll only be in Asia when it eventually gets underway proper, but for now let’s focus on the fact that it’s in Asia at the mo), but the global reach of the team-up between Honda and a motorcycle-based Uber type of personal bike taxi service could be big news.
It was announced today (Monday) that Honda has invested in Southeast Asian motorcycle-hailing service Grab. It’s not clear how much money has been invested by Honda but it is known that Grab has come in for some $750 million worth of investment from various businesses.
Grab is a large, direct rival to Uber in Southeast Asia and the company said that Honda had decided to invest in the company which would see the two outfits expand the ride-sharing technology and road user education programmes.
Grab currently provides ride-shares in both car taxis and motorbike services. President at Grab, Ming Maa, said that the Honda share IS part of the $750 million lump of cash invested by various businesses that was announced in September, but up until now the identity of those investors has been kept quiet.
Maa told news agency Reuters: “We are in the planning stages of what a full partnership will look like and there are many prongs of that. One prong would include selling Honda motorbikes within the region.”
http://bit.ly/2gG6pQy
---------------------------------------------------
A taxi driver allegedly ran his hand up the skirt of a young female passenger as he took her and two friends to a club in Exeter.
Wahib Tameem was tracked down by police after one of the three customers used her mobile phone to snap a picture of his cab as he drove off down Fore Street.
He had agreed a cut price fare to take the group to a village in East Devon and then back to Exeter and the alleged assault happened as they approached the city centre.
Tameem, aged 59, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, denies two offences of sexually assaulting the same woman passenger during the journey on June 18, 2016.
Iraqi-born Tameem was not in the dock at Exeter Crown Court for the start of his trial but Judge Graham Cottle told the jury they should not speculate about his absence or hold it against him.
Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said the young woman passenger contacted the police shortly after being dropped off at the EX4 club at the top of Fore Street.
The three friends were in Exeter and needed to go back to a village near Honiton before returning to the city and agreed a fare of £50 for the round trip.
She alleged he had tried to put his hand up her skirt on two occasions and had tried to force his fingers into her underwear on the first.
He was arrested after police traced his cab from the mobile phone photograph and denied any inappropriate behaviour.
He said the only contact with the passenger came when she tried to change the channel on the radio and he moved his hand across to stop her.
The front seat passenger told the jury:"The first time he touched me it was not for too long, just a couple of seconds. The second time he moved his hand up my skirt and I pushed it away again.
"His hand got to my underwear and he was trying to get his hand underneath it. I pushed it away. It was about five minutes before the end of the journey and he dropped us near the EX4 club.
"We all got out and there was a conversation between the three of us which led to one of the others taking a picture of his registration and us calling the police. I was just shocked by what happened."
http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/taxi-driver-denies-groping-woman-on-exeter-night-club-trip/story-29977094-detail/story.html#mUKkTA5HdXfV0IBz.99
-------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 11 December 2016
This advert ran at half time on TV Yesterday during the Man Utd Spurs game.
Apparently it also ran across the USA during this years Superbowl.
Dame Helen Mirren is not cheap to hire. I wonder how much this advert cost UBERK
-----------------------------------------------------
LEEDS
A report to Wednesday’s meeting of Leeds City Council’s executive board states the changes were part of measures introduced following issues raised in the 2014 report into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham about safeguarding controls in taxi and private hire licensing.
From 5,369 checks made a total of 70 new convictions or cautions were revealed which had not been previously disclosed. Of these, officers revoked the licences of five drivers, with the remainder requiring formal warnings or additional training.
The executive board will hear that the actions already taken include compulsory safeguarding training for all drivers and a change in policy for applicants born outside of the UK.
http://bit.ly/2guUDKg
-------------------------------------------
INVERNESS
FESTIVE revellers are now able to get their car driven home for them so they don’t risk getting behind the wheel after a night out.
Inverness Taxis has launched a new “Butler Service” that will allow members of the public to hand over their keys and have their vehicle driven safely to their home.
And if the new Christmas service is a success, the firm could make it permanent.
The firm’s owner, Gavin Johnstone, said: “It’s something we have been thinking about for quite some time, especially with the new lower drink-driving limits in Scotland where it can be difficult to know if you’re safe to drive, even the morning after.
“We’ve called it the butler service because it’s totally tailored to the individual.
“If you get caught up and you feel you don’t want to risk taking the car home or go for it the next morning we can do it for you.
“You just give us your keys and we’ll send two drivers out – one to drive your car and the other to bring them back when it’s been delivered right to your front door.
“We will have it back to you by 6am the next morning.”
Mr Johnstone said the Inverness Taxis drivers who will be used to provide the service are fully insured for driving vehicles valued up to £50,000 and all are experienced and over 30 years of age.
“We’ve launched it here and also in Aberdeen over Christmas and if the take-up is great enough we’ll certainly continue it after that,” he said.
Mr Johnstone said the scheme is part and parcel of the company’s drive to provide the public with what they want – namely convenience.
And as part of this drive the company also recently joined the Urpal app that provides details of accommodation and events across Inverness and the Highlands.
“When people are paying for a service they want things to be as easy as possible for them, which is completely understandable,” he said.
“Through the app people can book taxis and pay for them online and also get quotes for journeys so they know what they’re paying up front.
“I think people like the transparent nature of that, especially when they’re going on a longer, less familiar journey.”
http://bit.ly/2hujmPd
----------------------------------------------
A Derby taxi driver says he feels angry and upset after the windows of his cab have been smashed again.
Imtiaz Choudhary works for Albatross Cars, but owns his own car which has been damaged or targeted by thieves three times in the last 18 months.
Mr Choudhary's car windows were smashed last Sunday night outside his home Livingstone Road in Normanton. He woke up the next morning to find them smashed and glass all over the floor.
It comes as Inspector Ranjit Dol said the force launched an operation in the summer to crack-down on taxi crime and he said the police work with taxi companies.
http://bit.ly/2gQajnF
Friday 9 December 2016
A taxi driver who picked a teenage woman up from outside a pub in Birmingham and then subjected her to a sustained rape ordeal has been jailed for 10 years.
The 18-year-old victim was left profoundly traumatised by the attack and had considered committing suicide.
Insanullah Sarfaraz, 33, of Newmarket Way, Hodge Hill, who had previously admitted three charges of rape, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Judge Mukherjee also made an indefinite sexual harm prevention order banning Sarfaraz, who is married and has four children, from working as a taxi driver in the UK.
http://bit.ly/2hoTYKt
-------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A taxi driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman as he was bringing her home from a city centre pub.
Augustin Ion (49) groped the woman's breast and held her head back against the car seat outside her house. He also asked her to come with him into the back seat and asked if he could come into her house with her.
A jury with a 11 to one majority rejected Ion's claims that the woman was extremely aggressive, told him to “f**k off and drive” and refused to pay the fare.
He claimed she only made a complaint to gardaà because she thought he was going to report her for not paying him. Prosecuting counsel Eilis Brennan BL told the jury this was a “tissue of lies.”
The jury took just under three hours to return the guilty verdict following a single day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ion has been released on bail pending sentence on January 23 next. The prosecution consented to bail on condition that Ion agreed not to drive a taxi in the meantime or to apply for a new passport.
Ion of Garrynisk Square, Tallaght, Dublin and originally from Romania had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman outside her home on the night of November 20, 2014.
http://bit.ly/2heaTMH
-----------------------------------
UBERK
Abdurzak Hadi has worked as a minicab driver for 10 years, and as an Uber driver in London for nearly three. He came to the UK as a child refugee from Somalia in 1992 and now has a young family but is struggling to support them.
His low pay is, like that of many Uber drivers, topped up by the state with working tax credits. His 10-year-old son has been receiving treatment for leukaemia and he hoped that being an Uber driver would allow him the flexibility to arrange his work around hospital appointments and collecting his other children from school, sharing the caring with his wife, but he says the reality has been very different.
Hadi regularly works about 40 hours a week for Uber. He says most of the drivers he knows work much longer hours to make ends meet but his children’s needs prevent him from doing so. Last week, after paying Uber 20% commission, he earned £557 before costs for a full working week; some weeks it has been much less. Newer drivers have 25% deducted.
He estimates that the costs for hiring his vehicle, paying public hire vehicle insurance, fuel, his licence fees, car cleaning and phone hire are about £285 a week, so his hourly earnings fell below the statutory “national living wage” of £7.20 an hour, if it applied.
In his previous job he could ask the operator to give him local jobs when he needed to come to the end of a shift, but he says he is unable to do that with Uber because he is penalised by being logged out if he turns down jobs that are too far away. “If I am self-employed I ought to be able to take jobs I want or not, but you don’t even know where the passenger is going.”
Hadi is one of 19 drivers who took Uber to an employment tribunal, which ruled that they were not self-employed, but workers entitled to basic rights, including the national living wage. Uber is appealing against the decision.
Although he has worked for different operators in the past, he says they have been undercut by Uber so are no longer recruiting, and he has nowhere else to go.
“At the beginning the money was really good because fares were higher but now they have cut them and flooded the market. Sometimes I have to wait well over an hour for a job. It’s taxpayers like you who are funding Uber at the moment because we are not earning enough and having to go to the government to ask for benefits.”
http://bit.ly/2gtnTzk
---------------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Scarborough borough look set to be forced to have their MOT tests done at a council depot.
The proposals are included in a new taxi policy, which a final decision will be made on in the new year.
In a recent public consultation, 75% of people said they disagreed with the idea.
Councillor Bill Chatt said:
"We have noticed there has been some serious issues lately, such as bald tyres, one car had a really bad brake pipe. Some of these vehicles were just two days, three days or a week through a test and they were found to have substantial faults. We're saying in other councils we've looked round, they do manage their own taxi MOT tests."
http://bit.ly/2hoSFeF
-------------------------------------------------
GLASGOW
A TAXI driver has hit out after a woman who falsely accused him of attempted rape was today jailed for 13 months.
Willam Millar, 56, turned up at Glasgow Sheriff Court to see Fiona Scanlan, 40, jailed for her lies but admitted he didn’t think her sentence was long enough.
He said: “I’m relieved to a certain extent, personally I don’t think it was long enough.
“Hopefully it will send out a message that this kind of thing can’t be allowed to happen.
“Taxi drivers are vulnerable – hence the reason I got CCTV installed.
“To a certain extent she’s put women in danger, because now drivers are not wanting to pick up single drunk females.”
Scheming Scanlan, from Rutherglen, claimed William, 57, pulled into a secluded area before she was assaulted as he drove her home from a wedding.
http://bit.ly/2hoTYKt
The 18-year-old victim was left profoundly traumatised by the attack and had considered committing suicide.
Insanullah Sarfaraz, 33, of Newmarket Way, Hodge Hill, who had previously admitted three charges of rape, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Judge Mukherjee also made an indefinite sexual harm prevention order banning Sarfaraz, who is married and has four children, from working as a taxi driver in the UK.
http://bit.ly/2hoTYKt
-------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A taxi driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman as he was bringing her home from a city centre pub.
Augustin Ion (49) groped the woman's breast and held her head back against the car seat outside her house. He also asked her to come with him into the back seat and asked if he could come into her house with her.
A jury with a 11 to one majority rejected Ion's claims that the woman was extremely aggressive, told him to “f**k off and drive” and refused to pay the fare.
He claimed she only made a complaint to gardaà because she thought he was going to report her for not paying him. Prosecuting counsel Eilis Brennan BL told the jury this was a “tissue of lies.”
The jury took just under three hours to return the guilty verdict following a single day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ion has been released on bail pending sentence on January 23 next. The prosecution consented to bail on condition that Ion agreed not to drive a taxi in the meantime or to apply for a new passport.
Ion of Garrynisk Square, Tallaght, Dublin and originally from Romania had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman outside her home on the night of November 20, 2014.
http://bit.ly/2heaTMH
-----------------------------------
UBERK
Abdurzak Hadi has worked as a minicab driver for 10 years, and as an Uber driver in London for nearly three. He came to the UK as a child refugee from Somalia in 1992 and now has a young family but is struggling to support them.
His low pay is, like that of many Uber drivers, topped up by the state with working tax credits. His 10-year-old son has been receiving treatment for leukaemia and he hoped that being an Uber driver would allow him the flexibility to arrange his work around hospital appointments and collecting his other children from school, sharing the caring with his wife, but he says the reality has been very different.
Hadi regularly works about 40 hours a week for Uber. He says most of the drivers he knows work much longer hours to make ends meet but his children’s needs prevent him from doing so. Last week, after paying Uber 20% commission, he earned £557 before costs for a full working week; some weeks it has been much less. Newer drivers have 25% deducted.
He estimates that the costs for hiring his vehicle, paying public hire vehicle insurance, fuel, his licence fees, car cleaning and phone hire are about £285 a week, so his hourly earnings fell below the statutory “national living wage” of £7.20 an hour, if it applied.
In his previous job he could ask the operator to give him local jobs when he needed to come to the end of a shift, but he says he is unable to do that with Uber because he is penalised by being logged out if he turns down jobs that are too far away. “If I am self-employed I ought to be able to take jobs I want or not, but you don’t even know where the passenger is going.”
Hadi is one of 19 drivers who took Uber to an employment tribunal, which ruled that they were not self-employed, but workers entitled to basic rights, including the national living wage. Uber is appealing against the decision.
Although he has worked for different operators in the past, he says they have been undercut by Uber so are no longer recruiting, and he has nowhere else to go.
“At the beginning the money was really good because fares were higher but now they have cut them and flooded the market. Sometimes I have to wait well over an hour for a job. It’s taxpayers like you who are funding Uber at the moment because we are not earning enough and having to go to the government to ask for benefits.”
http://bit.ly/2gtnTzk
---------------------------------------------------
Taxi drivers in Scarborough borough look set to be forced to have their MOT tests done at a council depot.
The proposals are included in a new taxi policy, which a final decision will be made on in the new year.
In a recent public consultation, 75% of people said they disagreed with the idea.
Councillor Bill Chatt said:
"We have noticed there has been some serious issues lately, such as bald tyres, one car had a really bad brake pipe. Some of these vehicles were just two days, three days or a week through a test and they were found to have substantial faults. We're saying in other councils we've looked round, they do manage their own taxi MOT tests."
http://bit.ly/2hoSFeF
-------------------------------------------------
GLASGOW
A TAXI driver has hit out after a woman who falsely accused him of attempted rape was today jailed for 13 months.
Willam Millar, 56, turned up at Glasgow Sheriff Court to see Fiona Scanlan, 40, jailed for her lies but admitted he didn’t think her sentence was long enough.
He said: “I’m relieved to a certain extent, personally I don’t think it was long enough.
“Hopefully it will send out a message that this kind of thing can’t be allowed to happen.
“Taxi drivers are vulnerable – hence the reason I got CCTV installed.
“To a certain extent she’s put women in danger, because now drivers are not wanting to pick up single drunk females.”
Scheming Scanlan, from Rutherglen, claimed William, 57, pulled into a secluded area before she was assaulted as he drove her home from a wedding.
http://bit.ly/2hoTYKt
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Wigan’s hackney carriage drivers will have to stump up the £7,000 cost of an independent survey that found there was no need for more vehicles. As reported in the Evening Post last month, town hall officers had commissioned a report to see if the current amount of Hackney Carriages in service in the borough was suitable.
The independent assessment found there could have been a case for “significant unmet demand” but the closure of Morrisons in The Galleries has had a negative impact. Several licence holders, who asked not to be named, questioned whether the town hall was correct in recovering the cost of survey from an increase to this year’s fee. They claimed in the years since the last survey, hackney carriage drivers had been paying towards a fresh one, meaning those funds should have been used rather adding to next year’s payment.
However, town hall officers have moved to clarify the situation, explaining the fees paid in previous years had been spent on other “operational costs.”
A spokesman told the Evening Post: “The costs of all taxi licensing fees are reviewed on an annual basis and fees are calculated based on the costs incurred for the particular licence category. “The cost of the previous survey was recovered through an increase in the hackney carriage vehicle licence fee at the time. “All fees that vehicle owners have been paying since then have been to cover normal operational costs including licence processing, vehicle testing, enforcement and provision of taxi ranks. “We have clearly explained this to vehicle owners over the past few months in detail to reassure them.”
A town hall committee last year ruled the borough was not in need of more hackney carriages following recommendations from council officers. But the authority is required to carry out an independent review to ensure the correct decision had been made. Specialists CTS carried out the survey, which included almost 300 hours of observation of taxi ranks across the borough. It concluded there no demand for more hackney carriage licences to be issued in the borough.
Licence holders are required by law to pay for such surveys and a recent council report reveals the £7,000 total will be recovered from the borough’s 136 drivers, at a rate of £51 each.
http://bit.ly/2h4m0YM
----------------------------------------------------
A teenage moped rider has died following a collision in Hayes.
Police were called to Baston Road shortly before 4.30pm yesterday following the crash, which also involved a taxi, near the junction with Five Elms Road.
Officers and the ambulance service attended but the moped rider, an 18-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been informed.
The driver of the car - a white Toyota Auris mini-cab - stopped at the scene. He was not arrested and has been assisting officers with their enquiries.
Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage are investigating.
Any witnesses, or anyone with any information about the collision, are asked to call the witness line on 020 8285 1574.
http://bit.ly/2gRlRcV
---------------------------------------------
LEEDS.
A MINICAB driver was caught watching a Bollywood movie on his tablet as he drove a horrified passenger at 30mph.
Stunned passenger David Johnson, 44, began filming the distracted cabbie after spying his front seat flick.
Horrified David, who holds both HGV and coach licences, said: “He kept looking down to his right and I got curious.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the tablet.
“His earphones were in and he wasn’t paying any attention to the road
"He was putting my life, his life and other people's lives in danger.
"What would have happened had someone walked out in front of him?
"What if he veered off the road and crashed into a house or worse still a group of pedestrians?
"It only takes a second."
http://bit.ly/2h1AsjU
-----------------------------------------------
NORFOLK
Calls have been made for better enforcement of the city’s taxi ranks after one driver was allegedly hit by a member of the public.
Father-of-one Paul Duddell suffered injuries to his left knee when an illegally parked motorist attempted to run him down.
The hackney cab driver had been trying to pull up onto the taxi feeder rank on Gaol Hill at around 5.30pm on Friday.
But he was prevented from doing so by a man in his 50s who was waiting inside what Mr Duddell believed to be a silver car.
When Mr Duddell asked the driver to move on, he was met with verbal abuse, before being rammed by the car as he walked onto the pavement.
“He just deliberately drove at me and knocked my off my balance,” the 52-year-old said. “I couldn’t move my knee because it was in so much pain.
“I’m just thankful nothing was broken. It could have snapped my leg and would have been 28 years of taxi driving gone.”
Mr Duddell, who lives near Queens Road, is now calling for better signage and more frequent traffic warden patrols around the ranks.
He said police were contacted after the incident, but was told by officers that a CCTV camera monitoring the area was facing the other way at the time.
Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle which hit him, sped off as Mr Duddell’s colleagues - parked near Guildhall - came to his assistance.
“This happening more and more, where members of the public are parking on our taxi ranks and when you ask them to move, they turn aggressive,” Mr Duddell said.
A spokesman for Norfolk police confirmed they were investigating the incident during which it is alleged a suspect has driven into the taxi driver causing minor injuries to his leg.
The spokesman, who confirmed CCTV cameras did not pick up the incident, said it was thought a silver car was involved and urged anyone with information to contact police on 101.
http://bit.ly/2h4vUcG
---------------------------------------------------
RUNCORN
A car thief who stole keys from inside a house and drove off in his victim’s taxi from Runcorn was sentenced to more than two years in a young offenders institute.
Callum Quirk, 18, of The Knoll, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, November 29.
He pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of a motor vehicle and was sentenced, receiving 876 days in a young offenders institution for burglary and three months concurrent for theft of a motor vehicle.
Police said the case related to a burglary at a semi-detached house on Saltwood Drive in the early hours of Tuesday, September 29, in which access was gained via a conservatory and keys to a Ford Mondeo taxi were taken, with the vehicle then being driven off from the driveway and leaving the owner without their vehicle.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/taxi-thief-who-burgled-house-12262528
The independent assessment found there could have been a case for “significant unmet demand” but the closure of Morrisons in The Galleries has had a negative impact. Several licence holders, who asked not to be named, questioned whether the town hall was correct in recovering the cost of survey from an increase to this year’s fee. They claimed in the years since the last survey, hackney carriage drivers had been paying towards a fresh one, meaning those funds should have been used rather adding to next year’s payment.
However, town hall officers have moved to clarify the situation, explaining the fees paid in previous years had been spent on other “operational costs.”
A spokesman told the Evening Post: “The costs of all taxi licensing fees are reviewed on an annual basis and fees are calculated based on the costs incurred for the particular licence category. “The cost of the previous survey was recovered through an increase in the hackney carriage vehicle licence fee at the time. “All fees that vehicle owners have been paying since then have been to cover normal operational costs including licence processing, vehicle testing, enforcement and provision of taxi ranks. “We have clearly explained this to vehicle owners over the past few months in detail to reassure them.”
A town hall committee last year ruled the borough was not in need of more hackney carriages following recommendations from council officers. But the authority is required to carry out an independent review to ensure the correct decision had been made. Specialists CTS carried out the survey, which included almost 300 hours of observation of taxi ranks across the borough. It concluded there no demand for more hackney carriage licences to be issued in the borough.
Licence holders are required by law to pay for such surveys and a recent council report reveals the £7,000 total will be recovered from the borough’s 136 drivers, at a rate of £51 each.
http://bit.ly/2h4m0YM
----------------------------------------------------
A teenage moped rider has died following a collision in Hayes.
Police were called to Baston Road shortly before 4.30pm yesterday following the crash, which also involved a taxi, near the junction with Five Elms Road.
Officers and the ambulance service attended but the moped rider, an 18-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been informed.
The driver of the car - a white Toyota Auris mini-cab - stopped at the scene. He was not arrested and has been assisting officers with their enquiries.
Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage are investigating.
Any witnesses, or anyone with any information about the collision, are asked to call the witness line on 020 8285 1574.
http://bit.ly/2gRlRcV
---------------------------------------------
LEEDS.
A MINICAB driver was caught watching a Bollywood movie on his tablet as he drove a horrified passenger at 30mph.
Stunned passenger David Johnson, 44, began filming the distracted cabbie after spying his front seat flick.
Horrified David, who holds both HGV and coach licences, said: “He kept looking down to his right and I got curious.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the tablet.
“His earphones were in and he wasn’t paying any attention to the road
"He was putting my life, his life and other people's lives in danger.
"What would have happened had someone walked out in front of him?
"What if he veered off the road and crashed into a house or worse still a group of pedestrians?
"It only takes a second."
http://bit.ly/2h1AsjU
-----------------------------------------------
NORFOLK
Calls have been made for better enforcement of the city’s taxi ranks after one driver was allegedly hit by a member of the public.
Father-of-one Paul Duddell suffered injuries to his left knee when an illegally parked motorist attempted to run him down.
The hackney cab driver had been trying to pull up onto the taxi feeder rank on Gaol Hill at around 5.30pm on Friday.
But he was prevented from doing so by a man in his 50s who was waiting inside what Mr Duddell believed to be a silver car.
When Mr Duddell asked the driver to move on, he was met with verbal abuse, before being rammed by the car as he walked onto the pavement.
“He just deliberately drove at me and knocked my off my balance,” the 52-year-old said. “I couldn’t move my knee because it was in so much pain.
“I’m just thankful nothing was broken. It could have snapped my leg and would have been 28 years of taxi driving gone.”
Mr Duddell, who lives near Queens Road, is now calling for better signage and more frequent traffic warden patrols around the ranks.
He said police were contacted after the incident, but was told by officers that a CCTV camera monitoring the area was facing the other way at the time.
Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle which hit him, sped off as Mr Duddell’s colleagues - parked near Guildhall - came to his assistance.
“This happening more and more, where members of the public are parking on our taxi ranks and when you ask them to move, they turn aggressive,” Mr Duddell said.
A spokesman for Norfolk police confirmed they were investigating the incident during which it is alleged a suspect has driven into the taxi driver causing minor injuries to his leg.
The spokesman, who confirmed CCTV cameras did not pick up the incident, said it was thought a silver car was involved and urged anyone with information to contact police on 101.
http://bit.ly/2h4vUcG
---------------------------------------------------
RUNCORN
A car thief who stole keys from inside a house and drove off in his victim’s taxi from Runcorn was sentenced to more than two years in a young offenders institute.
Callum Quirk, 18, of The Knoll, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, November 29.
He pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of a motor vehicle and was sentenced, receiving 876 days in a young offenders institution for burglary and three months concurrent for theft of a motor vehicle.
Police said the case related to a burglary at a semi-detached house on Saltwood Drive in the early hours of Tuesday, September 29, in which access was gained via a conservatory and keys to a Ford Mondeo taxi were taken, with the vehicle then being driven off from the driveway and leaving the owner without their vehicle.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/taxi-thief-who-burgled-house-12262528
Monday 5 December 2016
GLASGOW’s top cops have told festive would-be criminals that Stewart Street police office is ready for them.
Chief Inspector Brian Gibson and Inspector Andrew Small unveiled the city centre policing plan for the festive period - and both officers have warned would-be criminals they will be locked up at Stewart Street for Christmas if they break the law.
Chief Inspector Gibson said: “The officers at Glasgow City Centre police office are absolutely ready.
“We have done the background work on what we have dealt with before during the festive period
“We have linked with all our partners including the licensing trade, Glasgow City Council and Community Safety Glasgow.
“We know what to expect and we have the appropriate level of officers out there to ensure that people have a fantastic time, enjoy themselves but keep safe.”
Inspector Andrew Small, who is also based at Stewart Street police office, confirmed an additional 50 police officers will take on the city centre beat during Fridays and Saturdays throughout the festive period.
Those cops will come from sub division offices from across the city and will cover the busiest festive hotspots including Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street, George Square, Royal Exchange Square and the Four Corners area.
In addition, the new city centre problem solving teams, who officially began their roles in November, will also be tackling festive crime issues.
The two teams of 26 officers will be in plain clothes and uniform to address any of the issues that may arise.
Chief Inspector Brian Gibson said: “My problem solving team are out there working in plain clothes and uniform.
“They are identifying those individuals who are intent on committing crime, and ensuring they get caught and dealt with”
Inspector Andrew Small also explained that city centre police officers will be travelling on buses to issue safety advice.
He outlined that the officers will travel a few stops to ensure revellers are getting in and out of the city safely.
He said: “We are going to be doing stuff on buses this year.
“We will have officers randomly getting on buses at the weekend just to see people and give advice.”
The city’s illegal taxi trade will also be a priority for city centre police who will work closely with enforcement officers.
Inspector Small said: “We will be working with the Taxi Enforcement Officers.
“There are a lot of issues with private hires coming in to the city who are not licensed.”
The crackdown on those illegal taxis will be from around December 15 with dedicated officers working on the issue everyday from then and throughout the rest of the festive period.
Visits to pubs and clubs will also be part of city centre police rounds with officers aiming to identify and deal with any issues that may occur.
The specialist Divisional Violence Reduction Unit, who operate out of Castlemilk, will also be available to the city centre office should any major issues arise.
Inspector Gibson warned: “I can reassure you if there is people out there committing crime - they will end up at Stewart Street.
http://bit.ly/2hckO8y
---------------------------
BIRMINGHAM
As the festive party season begins, Birmingham City Council is encouraging Christmas revellers to stay safe and pre-book their taxis.
People are being reminded to check private hire drivers have their name before getting into the vehicle after a night out – and not to flag down private hire vehicles, which are not allowed to pick up fares on the street.
Make sure you get home safely by pre-booking your journey home before going out or make your way to an official taxi rank. The ranks in Broad Street and Hurst Street/Ladywell Walk are marshalled for added security. You can also flag down a black cab.
Private hire drivers who accept fares on the street are not only committing an offence, but putting passengers at risk – as they would not be insured if it was involved in an accident.
During the party season, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police will be keeping Christmas revellers safe by clamping down on private hire drivers who ply for hire and looking for unlicensed motorists posing as private hire drivers.
http://bit.ly/2geRNHF
----------------------------
MANCHESTER
--------------------------------------------------------------
NEARLY half of all assistance dog owners have had to battle taxi drivers who are flouting the law.
It is illegal for someone to be turned away by a taxi or minicab driver because they have a guide dog – but six in ten owners say they have had such an experience in the past year. In comparison only three per cent of people without a dog were turned away by drivers according to a YouGov survey.
Guide dog owners also reported being asked to pay an extra fare, and many said they felt they had received a second-class service even when a driver did agree to take them with their dog.
Guide Dogs campaign manager James White said: “Imagine you were turned away by a taxi driver or asked to pay an extra fare, for no good reason. Despite legal protection, this regularly happens to people living with sight loss because they are travelling with a guide dog.
“This discrimination is not only illegal, it knocks people’s confidence and can stop them doing the everyday things that most people take for granted.”
Under the Equality Act it is illegal for taxi and minicabs to refuse to carry a guide dog unless they have a medical exemption certificate.
A Private Members Bill debate was recently held in parliament. It could lead to all taxi drivers being required to take part In disability equality training.
Mr White added: “We would like to see the law changed and training introduced for all taxi and minicab drivers to help them understand the law and how to welcome assistance dog owners.”
http://bit.ly/2g3D5om
-----------------------------------------
SALFORD
A 'beautiful, intelligent and caring' woman tragically died after being hit by a taxi in a horror collision on a busy city centre street.
Mikayla Ferguson-Burns, 33, lost her fight for life in hospital on Saturday evening after the incident in Trinity Way, Salford, Greater Manchester.
Tributes have poured in for the woman, reports Manchester Evening News .
In a statement, her family said: “Mikayla was amazing, simply amazing. She has so many family members and friends that are going to miss her dearly.
“She was beautiful, intelligent, hilarious and so so caring. Mikayla always put others before herself and she will never be forgotten”.
http://bit.ly/2gKpmlx
-----------------------------------------------------
CHESSINGTON
The boss of a transport firm which takes about 230 disabled children to school each day says his company will be forced out of London by TfL’s new language test.
All taxi and private hire drivers now have to demonstrate their ability to write and speak English in order to gain a licence to work in the capital.
Drivers must pay £180 for a written essay and speaking test when they renew their licence if they are unable to produce evidence of GCSE-level qualifications.
Martin Cullip, co-owner of family business Supreme Freedom to Travel, said he is considering moving its operations to Surrey to avoid the “crippling” fees for his 77 drivers.
Mr Cullip, 49, has run the business in Chessington for 21 years and provides transport for three special needs schools every day.
He said: “Because TfL doesn’t have separate regulation for our industry we are lumped in with minicabs.
http://bit.ly/2gxp8LD
---------------------------------------------------
NORTHAMPTON
Andreas Jakob died a week after he was struck by Armadepp Kaur’s private hire vehicle at low speed in Byfield.
Mr Jakob, 44, and who had a long standing addiction to alcohol and a poorly functioning liver, was four times over the drink-drive limit when he emerged into the road from behind a parked bus on Woodford Road at around 1.30pm on Sunday, January 20.
He had been visiting his partner Shirale Gale in Byfield and was due to catch a bus to Banbury for an interview with the job centre.
An inquest at County Hall in Northampton heard how Mrs Kaur, who was on a call-out with Daventry firm Lake Hire, would have been travelling at around 15 miles per hour as she passed the bus on the opposite side of the road.
“The next thing I saw was something appearing on the near side of the car and rolling over the bonnet,” she said.
“He appeared before I could stop.
http://bit.ly/2hcx6xK
--------------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A taxi driver has been hailed a hero after saving a young family as their home in Swords went up in flames.
Derek Malone, 40, was dropping off a fare in the Knocksedan estate when his passenger noticed flames and smoke.
Heroic Derek rushed to help the family, but was unable to break through the front door which appeared to be locked from the inside.
He told the Irish Independent: "The woman was inside with her daughter and I told them to go into the sitting room and lifted the daughter and mam through the window.
"The family were dazed but the neighbours were very good."
The woman's husband managed to leave the home without any help and thanks to Mr Malone, his family also managed to escape without injury.
The passenger in Mr Malone's taxi called emergency services while he helped the family from the blaze, which broke out at around 4.30am.
http://bit.ly/2hafjmI
---------------------------------------------
Chief Inspector Brian Gibson and Inspector Andrew Small unveiled the city centre policing plan for the festive period - and both officers have warned would-be criminals they will be locked up at Stewart Street for Christmas if they break the law.
Chief Inspector Gibson said: “The officers at Glasgow City Centre police office are absolutely ready.
“We have done the background work on what we have dealt with before during the festive period
“We have linked with all our partners including the licensing trade, Glasgow City Council and Community Safety Glasgow.
“We know what to expect and we have the appropriate level of officers out there to ensure that people have a fantastic time, enjoy themselves but keep safe.”
Inspector Andrew Small, who is also based at Stewart Street police office, confirmed an additional 50 police officers will take on the city centre beat during Fridays and Saturdays throughout the festive period.
Those cops will come from sub division offices from across the city and will cover the busiest festive hotspots including Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street, George Square, Royal Exchange Square and the Four Corners area.
In addition, the new city centre problem solving teams, who officially began their roles in November, will also be tackling festive crime issues.
The two teams of 26 officers will be in plain clothes and uniform to address any of the issues that may arise.
Chief Inspector Brian Gibson said: “My problem solving team are out there working in plain clothes and uniform.
“They are identifying those individuals who are intent on committing crime, and ensuring they get caught and dealt with”
Inspector Andrew Small also explained that city centre police officers will be travelling on buses to issue safety advice.
He outlined that the officers will travel a few stops to ensure revellers are getting in and out of the city safely.
He said: “We are going to be doing stuff on buses this year.
“We will have officers randomly getting on buses at the weekend just to see people and give advice.”
The city’s illegal taxi trade will also be a priority for city centre police who will work closely with enforcement officers.
Inspector Small said: “We will be working with the Taxi Enforcement Officers.
“There are a lot of issues with private hires coming in to the city who are not licensed.”
The crackdown on those illegal taxis will be from around December 15 with dedicated officers working on the issue everyday from then and throughout the rest of the festive period.
Visits to pubs and clubs will also be part of city centre police rounds with officers aiming to identify and deal with any issues that may occur.
The specialist Divisional Violence Reduction Unit, who operate out of Castlemilk, will also be available to the city centre office should any major issues arise.
Inspector Gibson warned: “I can reassure you if there is people out there committing crime - they will end up at Stewart Street.
http://bit.ly/2hckO8y
---------------------------
BIRMINGHAM
As the festive party season begins, Birmingham City Council is encouraging Christmas revellers to stay safe and pre-book their taxis.
People are being reminded to check private hire drivers have their name before getting into the vehicle after a night out – and not to flag down private hire vehicles, which are not allowed to pick up fares on the street.
Make sure you get home safely by pre-booking your journey home before going out or make your way to an official taxi rank. The ranks in Broad Street and Hurst Street/Ladywell Walk are marshalled for added security. You can also flag down a black cab.
Private hire drivers who accept fares on the street are not only committing an offence, but putting passengers at risk – as they would not be insured if it was involved in an accident.
During the party season, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police will be keeping Christmas revellers safe by clamping down on private hire drivers who ply for hire and looking for unlicensed motorists posing as private hire drivers.
http://bit.ly/2geRNHF
----------------------------
MANCHESTER
--------------------------------------------------------------
NEARLY half of all assistance dog owners have had to battle taxi drivers who are flouting the law.
It is illegal for someone to be turned away by a taxi or minicab driver because they have a guide dog – but six in ten owners say they have had such an experience in the past year. In comparison only three per cent of people without a dog were turned away by drivers according to a YouGov survey.
Guide dog owners also reported being asked to pay an extra fare, and many said they felt they had received a second-class service even when a driver did agree to take them with their dog.
Guide Dogs campaign manager James White said: “Imagine you were turned away by a taxi driver or asked to pay an extra fare, for no good reason. Despite legal protection, this regularly happens to people living with sight loss because they are travelling with a guide dog.
“This discrimination is not only illegal, it knocks people’s confidence and can stop them doing the everyday things that most people take for granted.”
Under the Equality Act it is illegal for taxi and minicabs to refuse to carry a guide dog unless they have a medical exemption certificate.
A Private Members Bill debate was recently held in parliament. It could lead to all taxi drivers being required to take part In disability equality training.
Mr White added: “We would like to see the law changed and training introduced for all taxi and minicab drivers to help them understand the law and how to welcome assistance dog owners.”
http://bit.ly/2g3D5om
-----------------------------------------
SALFORD
A 'beautiful, intelligent and caring' woman tragically died after being hit by a taxi in a horror collision on a busy city centre street.
Mikayla Ferguson-Burns, 33, lost her fight for life in hospital on Saturday evening after the incident in Trinity Way, Salford, Greater Manchester.
Tributes have poured in for the woman, reports Manchester Evening News .
In a statement, her family said: “Mikayla was amazing, simply amazing. She has so many family members and friends that are going to miss her dearly.
“She was beautiful, intelligent, hilarious and so so caring. Mikayla always put others before herself and she will never be forgotten”.
http://bit.ly/2gKpmlx
-----------------------------------------------------
CHESSINGTON
The boss of a transport firm which takes about 230 disabled children to school each day says his company will be forced out of London by TfL’s new language test.
All taxi and private hire drivers now have to demonstrate their ability to write and speak English in order to gain a licence to work in the capital.
Drivers must pay £180 for a written essay and speaking test when they renew their licence if they are unable to produce evidence of GCSE-level qualifications.
Martin Cullip, co-owner of family business Supreme Freedom to Travel, said he is considering moving its operations to Surrey to avoid the “crippling” fees for his 77 drivers.
Mr Cullip, 49, has run the business in Chessington for 21 years and provides transport for three special needs schools every day.
He said: “Because TfL doesn’t have separate regulation for our industry we are lumped in with minicabs.
http://bit.ly/2gxp8LD
---------------------------------------------------
NORTHAMPTON
Andreas Jakob died a week after he was struck by Armadepp Kaur’s private hire vehicle at low speed in Byfield.
Mr Jakob, 44, and who had a long standing addiction to alcohol and a poorly functioning liver, was four times over the drink-drive limit when he emerged into the road from behind a parked bus on Woodford Road at around 1.30pm on Sunday, January 20.
He had been visiting his partner Shirale Gale in Byfield and was due to catch a bus to Banbury for an interview with the job centre.
An inquest at County Hall in Northampton heard how Mrs Kaur, who was on a call-out with Daventry firm Lake Hire, would have been travelling at around 15 miles per hour as she passed the bus on the opposite side of the road.
“The next thing I saw was something appearing on the near side of the car and rolling over the bonnet,” she said.
“He appeared before I could stop.
http://bit.ly/2hcx6xK
--------------------------------------------------------
DUBLIN
A taxi driver has been hailed a hero after saving a young family as their home in Swords went up in flames.
Derek Malone, 40, was dropping off a fare in the Knocksedan estate when his passenger noticed flames and smoke.
Heroic Derek rushed to help the family, but was unable to break through the front door which appeared to be locked from the inside.
He told the Irish Independent: "The woman was inside with her daughter and I told them to go into the sitting room and lifted the daughter and mam through the window.
"The family were dazed but the neighbours were very good."
The woman's husband managed to leave the home without any help and thanks to Mr Malone, his family also managed to escape without injury.
The passenger in Mr Malone's taxi called emergency services while he helped the family from the blaze, which broke out at around 4.30am.
http://bit.ly/2hafjmI
---------------------------------------------
Sunday 4 December 2016
UBERK...... DENMARK
Ride-hailing group Uber Technologies' [UBER.UL] European business has been indicted in Denmark on charges of assisting two drivers in violating taxi laws, the Copenhagen police's head of public prosecutions said on Friday.
The indictment of Uber BV is a test case seeking judicial assessment of possible complicity by the company in illegal acts by its drivers, Copenhagen police's top prosecutor Vibeke Thorkil-Jensen's said in a news release.
An Uber driver in Denmark was convicted last month of violating taxi laws and fined 6,000 Danish crowns ($855), the latest blow to the ride-hailing service that has stirred protest and legal action worldwide. A second driver was sentenced in absentia after failing to appear in court.
Uber has run into legal hurdles in numerous countries and some of its drivers, who are not covered by strict licensing and safety rules, have been convicted of operating illegal taxi services.
This is the first time Uber itself has been indicted in Denmark.
"We welcome the opportunity to clarify our legal position to the prosecutor," an Uber spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the company is encouraged by recent indications that the Danish government intends to "modernize" regulations.
The Copenhagen prosecutor will initially seek to fine Uber 30,000 Danish crowns, Thorkil-Jensen said. If the court rules against Uber, the prosecutor said that separate fines could be sought for any future violations by Uber drivers.
A date has yet to be set for the case to be heard in Copenhagen's city court, the prosecutor said.
Uber that said its ride-hailing app will continue to be available in Denmark while the process is ongoing.
http://reut.rs/2fYIvRn
---------------------------------------------
WYTHENSHAWE. MANCHESTER
Two ‘teenage’ girls have been arrested after a taxi driver was ‘beaten to a pulp’ in Wythenshawe.
Witnesses say the 47-year-old victim was attacked by a gang of youths after telling them he was booked.
They told the M.E.N the group – two girls and two boys – first tried to take the driver’s keys, before launching a vicious assault.
The victim managed to escape and run off up the road, but is said to have been followed by one of the girls who began hitting him again, knocking him to the floor, before stamping on his head.
It happened at around 9.30am on Sunday morning on Lullington Close.
http://bit.ly/2grskYZ
-------------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
A black cab driver has been jailed after he sped away with a woman clinging to the window of a vehicle, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
Karamat Ali sensed ‘trouble’ when a 22-year-old politics student stepped backwards in front of his hackney carriage after a night out drinking, so he locked the doors and refused to take her, Manchester Crown Court heard.
She then grabbed hold of the lowered front passenger side window, but the Stockport 56-year-old put his foot down and sped off. The woman was dragged 57 yards down the road before falling off and suffering a severe head injury, prosecutor Michael Morley said.
Ali left the scene and made no attempt to report the accident. Now the cabbie, of Craig Road, Heaton Mersey, has been jailed for 18 months after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to report an accident.
The incident only lasted around five to ten seconds, at 4.37am on September 20 last year, at Chester Street, off Oxford Road, and was witnessed by passers-by.
Umar Ali described the victim being ‘dragged along’ after the cab accelerated ‘really quickly’ while clinging to the window. Mr Ali said at one point her her legs were ‘lifted off the floor’.
Another witness, Paul Stakes, said he saw a woman shouting at the driver as she held onto the cab, and thought it was ‘some kind of student prank’ until she fell off in an ‘horrific’ way.
Following his arrest, Ali said he was aware the victim had been clinging to the vehicle, but said driving off in the way he had was routinely done by taxi drivers who didn’t want drunk fares.
Prosecutor Michael Morley said: “Whatever the state of this young lady’s inebriation, she wasn’t acting unlawfully - the responsibility lies with he who was in control of the vehicle.”
The victim, who had been a ‘high-flying’ post-graduate student, was taken to hospital in a ‘very poorly state’.
She had suffered a brain injury so severe that a piece of her skull had to be removed. She has lost her sense of smell and at one stage doctors feared paralysis.
However, although her functioning remains impaired, she has made enough of a recovery to resume studying a masters at Manchester University, the court heard.
Paul Prior, defending, said despite being disabled by childhood polio, Ali was a hardworking family man who volunteered with the homeless, had not had an accident in 25 years, and had an unblemished 12 years as a cabbie until that morning.
Describing the father-of-four as ‘profoundly sorry’, Mr Prior appealed for a community punishment, adding: “I do not suggest for a moment (the victim) had contributed to this, but it is Mr Ali’s previous bad experiences with individuals early in the morning which gave him an antennae to when people might be trouble.
"If he could turn the clock back he would. His perception was that she would let go without any difficulty, tragically she did not. He made an awful, impulsive decision.”
Sentencing, Judge Martin Rudland said he had no doubt about the situations cab drivers faced, but added that ‘no-one was criticising’ the victim’s behaviour.
http://bit.ly/2gFnmLv
Ride-hailing group Uber Technologies' [UBER.UL] European business has been indicted in Denmark on charges of assisting two drivers in violating taxi laws, the Copenhagen police's head of public prosecutions said on Friday.
The indictment of Uber BV is a test case seeking judicial assessment of possible complicity by the company in illegal acts by its drivers, Copenhagen police's top prosecutor Vibeke Thorkil-Jensen's said in a news release.
An Uber driver in Denmark was convicted last month of violating taxi laws and fined 6,000 Danish crowns ($855), the latest blow to the ride-hailing service that has stirred protest and legal action worldwide. A second driver was sentenced in absentia after failing to appear in court.
Uber has run into legal hurdles in numerous countries and some of its drivers, who are not covered by strict licensing and safety rules, have been convicted of operating illegal taxi services.
This is the first time Uber itself has been indicted in Denmark.
"We welcome the opportunity to clarify our legal position to the prosecutor," an Uber spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the company is encouraged by recent indications that the Danish government intends to "modernize" regulations.
The Copenhagen prosecutor will initially seek to fine Uber 30,000 Danish crowns, Thorkil-Jensen said. If the court rules against Uber, the prosecutor said that separate fines could be sought for any future violations by Uber drivers.
A date has yet to be set for the case to be heard in Copenhagen's city court, the prosecutor said.
Uber that said its ride-hailing app will continue to be available in Denmark while the process is ongoing.
http://reut.rs/2fYIvRn
---------------------------------------------
WYTHENSHAWE. MANCHESTER
Two ‘teenage’ girls have been arrested after a taxi driver was ‘beaten to a pulp’ in Wythenshawe.
Witnesses say the 47-year-old victim was attacked by a gang of youths after telling them he was booked.
They told the M.E.N the group – two girls and two boys – first tried to take the driver’s keys, before launching a vicious assault.
The victim managed to escape and run off up the road, but is said to have been followed by one of the girls who began hitting him again, knocking him to the floor, before stamping on his head.
It happened at around 9.30am on Sunday morning on Lullington Close.
http://bit.ly/2grskYZ
-------------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER
A black cab driver has been jailed after he sped away with a woman clinging to the window of a vehicle, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
Karamat Ali sensed ‘trouble’ when a 22-year-old politics student stepped backwards in front of his hackney carriage after a night out drinking, so he locked the doors and refused to take her, Manchester Crown Court heard.
She then grabbed hold of the lowered front passenger side window, but the Stockport 56-year-old put his foot down and sped off. The woman was dragged 57 yards down the road before falling off and suffering a severe head injury, prosecutor Michael Morley said.
Ali left the scene and made no attempt to report the accident. Now the cabbie, of Craig Road, Heaton Mersey, has been jailed for 18 months after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to report an accident.
The incident only lasted around five to ten seconds, at 4.37am on September 20 last year, at Chester Street, off Oxford Road, and was witnessed by passers-by.
Umar Ali described the victim being ‘dragged along’ after the cab accelerated ‘really quickly’ while clinging to the window. Mr Ali said at one point her her legs were ‘lifted off the floor’.
Another witness, Paul Stakes, said he saw a woman shouting at the driver as she held onto the cab, and thought it was ‘some kind of student prank’ until she fell off in an ‘horrific’ way.
Following his arrest, Ali said he was aware the victim had been clinging to the vehicle, but said driving off in the way he had was routinely done by taxi drivers who didn’t want drunk fares.
Prosecutor Michael Morley said: “Whatever the state of this young lady’s inebriation, she wasn’t acting unlawfully - the responsibility lies with he who was in control of the vehicle.”
The victim, who had been a ‘high-flying’ post-graduate student, was taken to hospital in a ‘very poorly state’.
She had suffered a brain injury so severe that a piece of her skull had to be removed. She has lost her sense of smell and at one stage doctors feared paralysis.
However, although her functioning remains impaired, she has made enough of a recovery to resume studying a masters at Manchester University, the court heard.
Paul Prior, defending, said despite being disabled by childhood polio, Ali was a hardworking family man who volunteered with the homeless, had not had an accident in 25 years, and had an unblemished 12 years as a cabbie until that morning.
Describing the father-of-four as ‘profoundly sorry’, Mr Prior appealed for a community punishment, adding: “I do not suggest for a moment (the victim) had contributed to this, but it is Mr Ali’s previous bad experiences with individuals early in the morning which gave him an antennae to when people might be trouble.
"If he could turn the clock back he would. His perception was that she would let go without any difficulty, tragically she did not. He made an awful, impulsive decision.”
Sentencing, Judge Martin Rudland said he had no doubt about the situations cab drivers faced, but added that ‘no-one was criticising’ the victim’s behaviour.
http://bit.ly/2gFnmLv
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