BOGUS APPS
Security researchers have warned of a rise in malicious apps masquerading as legitimate taxi-hailing services, as cyber-criminals look to capitalize on Transport for London (TfL)’s recent decision to ban Uber.
TfL issued its controversial decree last Friday, immediately leading to strong calls from all sides to have the private hire company reinstated. A petition has so-far accrued over 820,000 signatures from irate users of the service.
As with most things, it appears as if the black hats are already trying to coat-tail on the news, in a bid to lure Uber users looking for an alternative way to get around London.
Official apps for Addison Lee, Gett and MyTaxi saw downloads collectively soar by 159% over the week, according to App Annie figures seen by the BBC.
However, RiskID said it looked at five taxi hailing apps and found 56 instances of each app with the company’s brand in the title.
“These apps were on average found in 20 different app stores, with an average of two apps per brand that are flagged as serving adware or directing to known bad sites,” warned EMEA VP, Fabian Libeau. “Users need to be aware of their existence and potential growth in number.”
He urged users to visit only official app stores when downloading apps, and to check the developer to make sure they’re legitimate.
“Checking out the number of downloads and reviews it has received will also help. Finally, inspect the permissions the app is asking for,” he concluded. “While a taxi app will require more than others, beware of requested permissions that don’t seem necessary. For example, during our initial insight, we saw camera or Bluetooth access, as well as admin privileges and download without a notification.”
In reality, there’s no rush to find a new app. Uber is still allowed to operate in the capital while it prepares its appeal and won’t be officially banned until the current license expires on September 30 2018.
The ban was levied due to concerns over Uber’s approach to reporting serious driver offences, driver safety and medical checks, and its use of controversial Greyball software to evade TfL officials.
However, many have leaped to the defense of the service, which is used by an estimated 40,000 drivers and 3.5 million customers in London. Many punters complain London’s black cabs are expensive, slow, dirty and unsafe.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uber-london-ban-sees-rise/
----------------------------------
NEW INVESTMENT IN TX eCity
(ShareCast News) - Tube manipulation specialist Tricorn Group announced on Friday that its UK operation, Maxpower Automotive, has secured a long-term supply agreement with the London Electric Vehicle Company - formerly the London Taxi Company.
The AIM-traded firm said the agreement, which is for seven years, was for the supply of brake pipe assemblies for the new TX eCity electric taxi and was expected to generate around £5m of revenue.
"This is the latest in a number of long term agreements we have secured with major customers and reflects our growing reputation for outstanding operational performance and responsiveness," said Tricorn's sales director David Leakey.
"We are delighted to be working with LEVC, for the first time, on this prestigious project."
http://www.hl.co.uk/shares/stock-market-news/aim-and-small-cap-news/aim-bulletin/tricorn-group-wins-seven-year-deal-for-new-electric-london-taxi
---------------------------------------
A former Winsford taxi driver who sexually molested a young autistic boy has been jailed for four years.
Peter Icely disputed the allegations against him but was convicted after a trial by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
He had abused the boy, who was aged four or five, when they were alone in his vehicle after the chaperone had briefly left to escort other vulnerable children to their destination.
Jailing him Judge Thomas Teague, QC, said that he had been convicted of two specimen offences of sexual assault on the victim involving him getting out of the driver’s seat into the back of his car and forcibly grabbing the boy’s genitals over his clothing causing pain and distress.
“There is an element of targeting of a particularly vulnerable child,” he said.
The boy had communication difficulties but later revealed what had happened and Icely was arrested.
The court heard that 57-year-old Icely, of Spinney Close, Winsford, who has since been working as an auditor, has no relevant previous convictions.
Patrick Williamson, defending, said that Icely, who still denies the offences, is the carer for his sick wife and although his family will help in his inevitable absence it will cause difficulties.
His incarceration will also mean that they will lose the matrimonial home, he added.
http://bit.ly/2kat7UL
---------------------------------------
Friday 29 September 2017
Thursday 28 September 2017
UBER APPEAL TO RESUME NOW 2:10 pm.
Uber can't classify itself as an "agent" in the UK because there is no document between Uber drivers and the taxi company to support this, a lawyer representing Uber drivers told an employment tribunal appeal on Thursday.
Uber is currently appealing a court ruling passed last October that found British Uber drivers are entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay.
The San Francisco company's key argument is that it acts as a driver's agent (like many traditional taxi companies) and not their employer.
But Jason Galbraith-Marten QC, a former labour and employment lawyer of the year winner, told Judge Eady QC in court on Thursday that "there is no document in which drivers appoint Uber as their agent," before going on to state a number of other reasons which illustrate Uber is not an agent.
In a bid to further dismiss Uber's claim that its drivers are not workers, Galbraith-Marten QC pointed to the fact that drivers can "breach" their contract with Uber by cancelling trips.
He continued to pick apart Uber's appeal point-by-point and was on his feet for around two and a half hours before the courtroom broke for lunch.
http://read.bi/2hxuuMj
Uber can't classify itself as an "agent" in the UK because there is no document between Uber drivers and the taxi company to support this, a lawyer representing Uber drivers told an employment tribunal appeal on Thursday.
Uber is currently appealing a court ruling passed last October that found British Uber drivers are entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay.
The San Francisco company's key argument is that it acts as a driver's agent (like many traditional taxi companies) and not their employer.
But Jason Galbraith-Marten QC, a former labour and employment lawyer of the year winner, told Judge Eady QC in court on Thursday that "there is no document in which drivers appoint Uber as their agent," before going on to state a number of other reasons which illustrate Uber is not an agent.
In a bid to further dismiss Uber's claim that its drivers are not workers, Galbraith-Marten QC pointed to the fact that drivers can "breach" their contract with Uber by cancelling trips.
He continued to pick apart Uber's appeal point-by-point and was on his feet for around two and a half hours before the courtroom broke for lunch.
http://read.bi/2hxuuMj
Wednesday 27 September 2017
The Scotsman (quite a good read)
For many outside London, Glasgow or Edinburgh the Uber taxis debate will seem irrelevant. After all, in most other areas there are just the local taxi companies, and the issue is accessing them.
Choice is limited and cost the set tariff. Even the licensed cab or private hire divide is of no consequence, where hailing a cab isn’t an option and where every pick-up has to be booked.
However, there are plans by Uber to expand into Aberdeen and other areas may thereafter follow. So the decision by Transport for London to refuse to renew their licence is of interest nationwide. It’s also being appealed and could well be overturned with changes or assurances given. So, the roll-out could continue.
The model came from America but hasn’t been without its issues there. Uber has threatened to withdraw from Montreal and Quebec after the Provincial Government indicated it was increasing the training hours required before becoming a cabbie and having the police conduct security vetting.
It has caused a deep divide in London between those who support and oppose Uber. Some complain about being deprived of the opportunity for cheaper fares. On the other side there’s the evident delight of many cabbies who feel threatened by competition.
In many ways, though, it’s not just a London or taxi issue but a microcosm of changes ongoing in our society. The Uber format is part of a wider debate on the direction of our economy. It could be called the Uberisation effect, or after any number of other new economy operators who have moved into spheres of life and transformed them through their apps or their format.
Many products and services have been made more widely available in some ways and often at a cheaper price. However, it’s also affected regulation of trades or markets. It’s undermined trades unions, closed down local shops or traders and atomised a workforce whether employed on a large site or operating individually in their cars or vans.
The effect on them hasn’t been so pleasant and far from benign. It’s not just left-wing trade unions but trade and small business federations who are now fearful for their future. It’s part of a change in society from being citizens in a community where services are local and regulated, even if slightly more expensive, to becoming individual consumers where all that matters is the bottom price.
Of course, much change is both inevitable and beneficial. There can be no 21st century Luddism and, mixing my metaphors, the genie is out of the bottle. These apps and formats are here and can’t be uninvented. But that doesn’t mean that they still shouldn’t be regulated and that the lowest price must always be best.
Uber will argue whether in London, Montreal or anywhere that they are regulated, but in many ways, they’ve driven a coach and horses through the rules. Regulation of taxis is complex, as I recall from being Justice Secretary, and requires trying to protect the rights of the trade, consumers and wider society. In many ways the trade is the master of some of its own misfortune.
Initially there were just taxi licenses and drivers were vetted and in many areas required to undergo examinations such as “the knowledge” as it’s termed in London, to ensure they knew the city and its sights. Plates were also issued for vehicles and were limited to protect from over-provision, though regular sampling was undertaken to ensure a sufficiency for public need.
However, for whatever reason private hire was invoked running a parallel service with fewer requirements for drivers and lower supervision of vehicles. That was initially meant to be limited and for hotel and airport transfers, but subsequently has become a duplicate trade simply by phone bookings and available apps.
Technology has blurred the lines between the two, as anyone seeking a cab at an airport will know, where the difference is hard to spot. Private hire and mini cabs boomed not just in London but in some Scottish cities, undermining the licensed black cab trade and also being targeted by organised crime looking to launder cash.
To be fair, the private hire trade has largely been cleaned up but regulation of both cabs and vehicles is still less rigid for private hire than for the black cab trade, yet they compete for the same custom and drive on the same roads. Then came Uber, who could be described as private hire on speed.
Some will say ‘so what, I simply want a cab and the cheapest’. But there are dangers from an unregulated market and not just the issues in security and quality highlighted in London and Montreal. Even in Scotland the major issues tend to have predominated within the private hire rather than black cab trade.
An entirely free market can be counterproductive. Many years ago Dublin decided to deregulate. It resulted in many seeking to make an extra euro or two on a Friday or Saturday night doing taxi work. There were more cabs perhaps, and maybe even an effect on fares. But it undermined the professional trade as they were driven off the road through being unable to make a living. The service became worse as there were then fewer cabs at non-peak times such as a rainy Tuesday morning when the weekend extra shifters were doing their other jobs.
Regulation isn’t simply about protecting society from nefarious individuals. The limitation on numbers is about adequate public provision, not trade protectionism. Of course, not just apps but sat nav has changed some aspects. But having properly accredited drivers with appropriate skills and in vehicles independently scrutinised is a good thing.
Uber sees itself as opening up the market for the benefit of individuals, whether new drivers or customers seeking cheaper fares. But it undermines a regulated trade that’s served us well.
As my mother was fond of saying: “You can know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
http://bit.ly/2xCMsks
Kenny MacAskill (former)
Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
Tuesday 26 September 2017
THE HEAD of a London taxi union has shared his concerns about the rise in "fake" taxi drivers - which he claims are an increasingly worrying problem.
Steve McNamara, head of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, revealed that previously owned private hire cars are popular with London families and commuters as they are Congestion Charge exempt - but they also attract the attention of less wholesome drivers.
Speaking to The Sun Online, he said: "We at the LTDA are worried about TfL licensed Private Hire Vehicles being sold with the licence roundel [identifying logo], it's a major concern of ours.
"The reason the seller leaves the roundels in - even though they're not meant to, is because whilst it has the roundel it is congestion charge exempt.
"If you as an individual - forget you being a potential rapist or attacker - are doing the school run every morning, and could buy one of these cars and not pay the Congestion Charge for a year, it would save you thousands.
"That's why they do it, to add more value to the vehicle."
London's Congestion Charge is an £11.50 daily fee for driving a vehicle within the city's designated charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. There is a £1 discount if you set up a credit card payment that triggers every time you enter the zone.
By the end of 2017, there will have been 260 working days.
Assuming you enter the Congestion Charge zone on each of those days, you could be paying £2990 a year - more if you forget a day and pay the next day charge of £14, or forget altogether and get slapped with a £120 fine - reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.
A quick search online shows hundreds of London cabs for sale priced anywhere between £400, and £30,000, but Steve doesn't think that they are as attractive to criminals as cars that were once used for minicabbing.
He admits that it's easy to buy a second hand black cab, but adds that it's not uncommon for some folks to use them as a daily runaround.
"Plenty of people have got them as normal cars. Stephen Fry, Bez from the Happy Mondays and even Prince Phillip.
"You might get away with driving it down the bus lane if the cameras don't pick you up, but you'd stand out like a sore thumb to our members.
"There is a much lesser problem of second hand black cabs being sold after they have finished service.
"This is primarily because our members instantly spot an unlicensed taxi and watch and instantly report any suspicious behaviour to the police."
http://bit.ly/2y8DaQs
---------------------------------------
MORE PAIN FOR UBERK
London Uber: A female driver has issued sex discrimination proceedings against the taxi company
The 44-year-old Uber driver issued proceedings at the Employment Tribunal, claiming the company’s practices unfairly disadvantage women.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the way the San Francisco-based firm operate is putting her and other female drivers at risk.
She claimed Uber drivers do not know their passenger’s destination until the the traveller is already in the car, and do not have the option to cancel the journey if the final point is to a remote or unsafe area.
The female driver added if a customer becomes aggressive in the car, the driver cannot cancel the journey - and if she asks the passenger to leave the vehicle, she faces customer complaints and low ratings which could affect future work.
The claim is being brought by the GMB union and represented by law firm Leigh Day.
Nigel Mackay, a lawyer at Leigh Day, said: “We believe that Uber’s policies do not do enough to protect female drivers.
“Our client no longer feels able to drive in the evening or at night time, suffering a loss of income as a result.
“We believe that Uber should not only ensure the safety of its passengers but also all of its drivers, and provide as much protection as possible to women to ensure that they are not vulnerable to assaults from passengers.”
http://bit.ly/2yrPQxN
-------------------------------------------
Veezu establishes fourth UK taxi hub
Veezu has acquired V Cars, which has operations in Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon, from founder Dave Scaramanga who remains in the business in a senior management role.
The Wales-based taxi group has three existing taxi hubs throughout the UK operating under their local brand names – Dragon Taxis in south Wales, A2B in Solihull and Birmingham and Amber Cars in Leeds.
The establishment of the fourth taxi hub not only gives Veezu a presence in the South West of England for the first time, but also increases the number of drivers it provides dispatch services to across the group by 40%, up to approximately 3,500.
Joel Hope-Bell, chief executive officer at Veezu, said: “A core element of our growth strategy is to increase the number of regional taxi hubs in the Veezu group and the acquisition of V Cars sees us continuing to deliver on this.
“The South West is of strategic importance to Veezu as it further bolsters our presence along the M4 corridor and enables us to operate in additional major cities and towns, which offer substantial growth potential.”
V Cars also operates as Abbey Taxis in Bath and Streamline in Bristol. It has been in business for more than 25 years and handles approximately 50,000 journeys every week.
Joel added: “V Cars, Abbey Taxis and Streamline are all well-established businesses in their wn right. We are delighted that they are now part of the Veezu group and we are looking forward to working closely with Dave to continue to develop and grow the businesses and deliver a ‘best-in-class’ service to all passengers and customers.”
Veezu, established in late 2013, is a unique business model with a strategy to lead the UK taxi market through an expected period of change and consolidation.
Since then, Veezu has invested heavily in new technology and strengthened its management team, mobile application and dispatch technologies.
http://bit.ly/2fxPiCQ
----------------------------------------
STRETFORD GTR MANCHESTER
A taxi driver was stabbed repeatedly during an attempted robbery in Stretford.
Police say the victim suffered injuries to his arms, hands and legs, and although they’re not believed to be serious wounds, he remained in hospital overnight.
He was attacked on Monday night on Victoria Road, near Victoria Park.
It’s understood the 53-year-old was approached by a group of people, who tried to steal his takings before attacking him.
Emergency services were called to the scene and the victim was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary by ambulance.
http://bit.ly/2yGHcfN
------------------------------------
Steve McNamara, head of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, revealed that previously owned private hire cars are popular with London families and commuters as they are Congestion Charge exempt - but they also attract the attention of less wholesome drivers.
Speaking to The Sun Online, he said: "We at the LTDA are worried about TfL licensed Private Hire Vehicles being sold with the licence roundel [identifying logo], it's a major concern of ours.
"The reason the seller leaves the roundels in - even though they're not meant to, is because whilst it has the roundel it is congestion charge exempt.
"If you as an individual - forget you being a potential rapist or attacker - are doing the school run every morning, and could buy one of these cars and not pay the Congestion Charge for a year, it would save you thousands.
"That's why they do it, to add more value to the vehicle."
London's Congestion Charge is an £11.50 daily fee for driving a vehicle within the city's designated charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. There is a £1 discount if you set up a credit card payment that triggers every time you enter the zone.
By the end of 2017, there will have been 260 working days.
Assuming you enter the Congestion Charge zone on each of those days, you could be paying £2990 a year - more if you forget a day and pay the next day charge of £14, or forget altogether and get slapped with a £120 fine - reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.
A quick search online shows hundreds of London cabs for sale priced anywhere between £400, and £30,000, but Steve doesn't think that they are as attractive to criminals as cars that were once used for minicabbing.
He admits that it's easy to buy a second hand black cab, but adds that it's not uncommon for some folks to use them as a daily runaround.
"Plenty of people have got them as normal cars. Stephen Fry, Bez from the Happy Mondays and even Prince Phillip.
"You might get away with driving it down the bus lane if the cameras don't pick you up, but you'd stand out like a sore thumb to our members.
"There is a much lesser problem of second hand black cabs being sold after they have finished service.
"This is primarily because our members instantly spot an unlicensed taxi and watch and instantly report any suspicious behaviour to the police."
http://bit.ly/2y8DaQs
---------------------------------------
MORE PAIN FOR UBERK
London Uber: A female driver has issued sex discrimination proceedings against the taxi company
The 44-year-old Uber driver issued proceedings at the Employment Tribunal, claiming the company’s practices unfairly disadvantage women.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the way the San Francisco-based firm operate is putting her and other female drivers at risk.
She claimed Uber drivers do not know their passenger’s destination until the the traveller is already in the car, and do not have the option to cancel the journey if the final point is to a remote or unsafe area.
The female driver added if a customer becomes aggressive in the car, the driver cannot cancel the journey - and if she asks the passenger to leave the vehicle, she faces customer complaints and low ratings which could affect future work.
The claim is being brought by the GMB union and represented by law firm Leigh Day.
Nigel Mackay, a lawyer at Leigh Day, said: “We believe that Uber’s policies do not do enough to protect female drivers.
“Our client no longer feels able to drive in the evening or at night time, suffering a loss of income as a result.
“We believe that Uber should not only ensure the safety of its passengers but also all of its drivers, and provide as much protection as possible to women to ensure that they are not vulnerable to assaults from passengers.”
http://bit.ly/2yrPQxN
-------------------------------------------
Veezu establishes fourth UK taxi hub
Veezu has acquired V Cars, which has operations in Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon, from founder Dave Scaramanga who remains in the business in a senior management role.
The Wales-based taxi group has three existing taxi hubs throughout the UK operating under their local brand names – Dragon Taxis in south Wales, A2B in Solihull and Birmingham and Amber Cars in Leeds.
The establishment of the fourth taxi hub not only gives Veezu a presence in the South West of England for the first time, but also increases the number of drivers it provides dispatch services to across the group by 40%, up to approximately 3,500.
Joel Hope-Bell, chief executive officer at Veezu, said: “A core element of our growth strategy is to increase the number of regional taxi hubs in the Veezu group and the acquisition of V Cars sees us continuing to deliver on this.
“The South West is of strategic importance to Veezu as it further bolsters our presence along the M4 corridor and enables us to operate in additional major cities and towns, which offer substantial growth potential.”
V Cars also operates as Abbey Taxis in Bath and Streamline in Bristol. It has been in business for more than 25 years and handles approximately 50,000 journeys every week.
Joel added: “V Cars, Abbey Taxis and Streamline are all well-established businesses in their wn right. We are delighted that they are now part of the Veezu group and we are looking forward to working closely with Dave to continue to develop and grow the businesses and deliver a ‘best-in-class’ service to all passengers and customers.”
Veezu, established in late 2013, is a unique business model with a strategy to lead the UK taxi market through an expected period of change and consolidation.
Since then, Veezu has invested heavily in new technology and strengthened its management team, mobile application and dispatch technologies.
http://bit.ly/2fxPiCQ
----------------------------------------
STRETFORD GTR MANCHESTER
A taxi driver was stabbed repeatedly during an attempted robbery in Stretford.
Police say the victim suffered injuries to his arms, hands and legs, and although they’re not believed to be serious wounds, he remained in hospital overnight.
He was attacked on Monday night on Victoria Road, near Victoria Park.
It’s understood the 53-year-old was approached by a group of people, who tried to steal his takings before attacking him.
Emergency services were called to the scene and the victim was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary by ambulance.
http://bit.ly/2yGHcfN
------------------------------------
Monday 25 September 2017
25 September 2017
Addison Lee drivers are NOT self employed
In an important ruling, which will affect thousands of Addison Lee drivers, the Employment Tribunal has today ruled that a group of Addison Lee drivers were not self-employed, as Addison Lee argued, but are workers who are entitled to essential workers’ rights, including to be paid the National Minimum Wage, receive holiday pay and not have their contracts terminated because they are members of a Trade Union.
The drivers’ claims, which are supported by the trade union, GMB, were heard in the London Central Employment Tribunal in July 2017.
Liana Wood, from the Employment team at law firm Leigh Day, which represents the drivers, said: “We are very pleased that the Employment Tribunal has found in favour of our clients.
"This judgment acknowledges the central contribution that Addison Lee’s drivers have made to the success of the company by confirming that its drivers are not self-employed but that they work for Addison Lee as part of Addison Lee’s business.
"Addison Lee advertises itself as a premium driving service and seeks to ensure that its drivers meet the high standard required for that premium service. However, Addison Lee drivers very often work very long hours, in excess of 60 hours a week, in order to just earn enough to cover their basic living costs.
Addison Lee has sought to deny its drivers the most basic workers’ rights, including to be paid the National Minimum Wage and to receive paid holiday.
"This is a very important decision by the Employment Tribunal and will go some way to addressing these issues. This decision will not just have an impact on the thousands of Addison Lee drivers but, following on from the decision in Uber, on all workers in the so-called gig economy whose employers classify them as self-employed and deny them the rights to which they are entitled.
There will now be a further hearing in the Employment Tribunal to calculate the holiday and pay that the drivers should receive.
http://bit.ly/2xv2LQg
Addison Lee drivers are NOT self employed
In an important ruling, which will affect thousands of Addison Lee drivers, the Employment Tribunal has today ruled that a group of Addison Lee drivers were not self-employed, as Addison Lee argued, but are workers who are entitled to essential workers’ rights, including to be paid the National Minimum Wage, receive holiday pay and not have their contracts terminated because they are members of a Trade Union.
The drivers’ claims, which are supported by the trade union, GMB, were heard in the London Central Employment Tribunal in July 2017.
Liana Wood, from the Employment team at law firm Leigh Day, which represents the drivers, said: “We are very pleased that the Employment Tribunal has found in favour of our clients.
"This judgment acknowledges the central contribution that Addison Lee’s drivers have made to the success of the company by confirming that its drivers are not self-employed but that they work for Addison Lee as part of Addison Lee’s business.
"Addison Lee advertises itself as a premium driving service and seeks to ensure that its drivers meet the high standard required for that premium service. However, Addison Lee drivers very often work very long hours, in excess of 60 hours a week, in order to just earn enough to cover their basic living costs.
Addison Lee has sought to deny its drivers the most basic workers’ rights, including to be paid the National Minimum Wage and to receive paid holiday.
"This is a very important decision by the Employment Tribunal and will go some way to addressing these issues. This decision will not just have an impact on the thousands of Addison Lee drivers but, following on from the decision in Uber, on all workers in the so-called gig economy whose employers classify them as self-employed and deny them the rights to which they are entitled.
There will now be a further hearing in the Employment Tribunal to calculate the holiday and pay that the drivers should receive.
http://bit.ly/2xv2LQg
----------------------------------------------
Sunday 24 September 2017
MANUFACTORED OPETITIONS
On Friday Uber was stripped of its licence to operate in London due to repeated infractions of regulations around safety (Uber loses licence to operate in London, 23 September).
This follows the long-standing concerns about how Uber operates – its dubious taxation arrangements, its corporate model (loss-making, then raising costs and reducing driver pay) and its non-recognition of any worker benefits (sick pay, contracts, holiday etc).
The company will appeal anyway, meaning the service will continue potentially for months or potentially even years, irrespective of outcome.
The firm immediately took to the public petitions site Change.org, reproducing its own press release in the form of a petition to “Save your Uber in London”. Have I misunderstood the meaning of a public petition, or is a company producing a petition to protect its own profits something of a confused perversion of this long-standing mode of political participation?
Change.org allows advertisements by companies as long as they are “about public causes”, so they often take the form of petitions. The advertising revenue also allows them to “give the Change.org community an opportunity to provide grassroots support to a petition through promoted petitions”.
If I understand this rightly, it means that if you offer them enough money, they’ll use email addresses gathered from genuine grassroots initiatives and will advertise Uber’s petition to as many of their 100 million users as you’d like them to.
Does it still make sense to talk about “public opinion”, a “public outcry” or the “grassroots” in a context where modes of political participation are manufactured as public relations exercises for companies seeking political and legislative advantage?
Luke Samuel
Manchester
http://bit.ly/2wQicAH
On Friday Uber was stripped of its licence to operate in London due to repeated infractions of regulations around safety (Uber loses licence to operate in London, 23 September).
This follows the long-standing concerns about how Uber operates – its dubious taxation arrangements, its corporate model (loss-making, then raising costs and reducing driver pay) and its non-recognition of any worker benefits (sick pay, contracts, holiday etc).
The company will appeal anyway, meaning the service will continue potentially for months or potentially even years, irrespective of outcome.
The firm immediately took to the public petitions site Change.org, reproducing its own press release in the form of a petition to “Save your Uber in London”. Have I misunderstood the meaning of a public petition, or is a company producing a petition to protect its own profits something of a confused perversion of this long-standing mode of political participation?
Change.org allows advertisements by companies as long as they are “about public causes”, so they often take the form of petitions. The advertising revenue also allows them to “give the Change.org community an opportunity to provide grassroots support to a petition through promoted petitions”.
If I understand this rightly, it means that if you offer them enough money, they’ll use email addresses gathered from genuine grassroots initiatives and will advertise Uber’s petition to as many of their 100 million users as you’d like them to.
Does it still make sense to talk about “public opinion”, a “public outcry” or the “grassroots” in a context where modes of political participation are manufactured as public relations exercises for companies seeking political and legislative advantage?
Luke Samuel
Manchester
http://bit.ly/2wQicAH
Saturday 23 September 2017
The mayor of London was at the centre of a public backlash after transport authorities banned Uber from operating in the city.
More than 375,000 people signed a petition yesterday calling on Sadiq Khan to overturn a decision to strip the world’s biggest ride-hailing app of its licence. Uber had emailed customers urging them to support the protest.
Business leaders reacted by saying that London was being run by “Luddites” and creating an impression that it was closed to innovation.
Transport for London (TfL), which is chaired by Mr Khan, was accused of “cronyism” by bowing to pressure from trade unions and black cab drivers who have waged a campaign against Uber for years.
The decision also placed the future of the company’s tens of thousands of drivers in London under threat.
TfL said that the company, which is used by 3.5 million people in London — more than any other European city — and offers a cheaper service than black cabs was no longer a “fit and proper” operator. It accused Uber of failing to report serious criminal offences, check drivers’ criminal records or ensure drivers were medically fit.
Last month Inspector Neil Billany of the Metropolitan Police suggested that the company was putting its reputation before public safety by allowing a driver to continue working despite his facing a sexual assault allegation.
Uber said it was “astounded” by yesterday’s ruling, which is due to come into force at the end of next week, and vowed to lodge an appeal that will be heard by Westminster magistrates’ court within 21 days, giving the company a stay of execution. Any refusal to reinstate its licence will prompt an appeal to a senior court, raising the prospect of a lengthy legal battle.
Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber in London, said: “By wanting to ban our app from the capital Transport for London and the mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice.”
The ruling puts the jobs of 40,000 drivers in jeopardy, although some will find work with other ride-hailing apps such as Gett and Addison Lee.
It is understood that the decision to revoke the licence was taken by a board of officials within TfL’s licensing department. It is almost certain that it was signed off at a senior level, possibly by Mike Brown, the commissioner.
Sadiq Khan said the taxi company needed to “play by the rules”
A spokesman for Mr Khan said that he was legally barred from playing any part in the decision.
However, within minutes of it being announced he gave his backing to TfL, saying “any operator of private hire services in London needs to play by the rules”.
Many passengers, however, vowed to boycott London’s 20,000 black cabs, sharing the hashtag #boycottblackcabs on social media. Sam Dumitriu, research economist at the Adam Smith Institute, said: “The only people that will benefit are the black cab lobby who have crushed a competitor through cronyism, rather than providing a better service.”
Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said that the decision was “an assault on drivers and customers alike, and a victory for protectionism”.
David Leam, director of infrastructure at London First, the business group, said: “This will be seen as a Luddite decision by millions of Londoners who use Uber and will also hit London’s reputation as a global tech hub.”
Mr Khan is likely to be praised by union leaders when he speaks at the Labour conference next week. Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North and chairman of the parliamentary group on taxis, described it as a “courageous decision”.
Appy to be of service, but how much do they cost?
Alternative apps to Uber in London, with fare estimates for a six-mile trip from central to north London at 6.30pm last night. Compared to Uber estimate of £14 - £19.
Mytaxi Formerly Hailo, allows black cabs to be hailed with smartphone. Cut fares by 50 per cent yesterday. No estimate offered.
Gett New app of choice for black cab drivers is setting up a taxi-bus service with Citymapper, creating a flat-fare service for a fixed route. Gett also operates outside London. £29.19 for last night’s journey.
Addison Lee One of London’s oldest private hire firms launched an app in response to Uber, but not available outside London. £22.85 for last night’s journey.
Kabbee Acts like a comparison site for minicab firms, comparing 70 licensed providers. It describes itself as 65 per cent cheaper than a black cab. £20.80 for last night’s journey.
Lyft Minicab app that is a big player in the US, where it competes with Uber. No service in the UK yet. $24.23 (£17.92) for six-mile journey in New York from Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side at 6.30pm EST last night.
• A French court fined Uber for running an illegal transport service, UberPop, which connected users with non-professional drivers using their own cars.
• Denmark passed laws requiring cabs to be fitted with seat occupancy sensors and fare metres.
• In China Uber was bought out by a local rival, Didi Chuxing.
• Regulators in the Northern Territory, Australia, imposed large licensing fees on drivers.
http://bit.ly/2xmNSBT
----------------------------------------
Uber’s future across the UK was thrown into doubt last night after councils confirmed that they would consider the outcome of the decision to bar the company in London.
Experts said that the ruling could have a knock-on effect because licensing authorities were almost certain to be influenced by the ruling that Uber was “not fit and proper” to operate.
The cab-hailing app has expanded to 40 towns and cities, including Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield, Stoke, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
Decisions on whether to ban the app will be taken by individual councils, which are responsible for regulating the local minicab and taxi trade. Rulings on Uber will be made when its existing licence comes up for renewal in each town and city.
The Local Government Association said yesterday that existing legislation governing minicab licences was inadequate, leaving authorities powerless to properly regulate the industry.
In July, the Department for Transport pledged to set up a working party to look at guidance given to local authorities. It raises the prospect that councils could be forced to raise the bar on expectations put on companies such as Uber which often operate thousands of minicabs in the same city.
Alex Janes, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter business school, who has researched Uber, said: “Uber always saw London as a bellwether market for them. A lot of other places look to London’s decision and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was to have a knock-on effect.
I would be very surprised if Birmingham, Brighton, Liverpool or Manchester didn’t unpick it and ask, ‘is this any different to the situation affecting us?’”
Chris Hargreaves, from Licensed Transport Uncovered, a consumer group, said: “If Uber are not seen as fit and proper to hold a licence in London, how can they be deemed fit and proper elsewhere?”
Cambridge city council, which will review Uber’s existing one-year licence in December, told The Times yesterday: “We will look closely at the detail of TfL’s decision and the likely appeal Uber has indicated it will lodge against that decision before considering Uber’s operator licence in Cambridge.”
Bristol council said any decision to license Uber in the city would be taken independently of the decision in London, but added: “We will keep a close eye on the outcome and any legal challenge of TfL’s decision.”
Manchester council, which has licensed Uber up to 2021, said it would “continue to monitor their compliance with the conditions of their licence to operate, while monitoring events as they unfold in the capital”.
Brighton council insisted there was nothing to stop Uber operating on the south coast but added: “We are aware of [the] decision by TfL and will be considering over the coming days what potential implications this might have.”
Nottingham council, which has licensed Uber up to 2020, said: “We will bear in mind the concerns of TfL and assess whether these impact Nottingham, but at present we have no intention to review Uber’s licence early.”
http://bit.ly/2xAdknc
More than 375,000 people signed a petition yesterday calling on Sadiq Khan to overturn a decision to strip the world’s biggest ride-hailing app of its licence. Uber had emailed customers urging them to support the protest.
Business leaders reacted by saying that London was being run by “Luddites” and creating an impression that it was closed to innovation.
Transport for London (TfL), which is chaired by Mr Khan, was accused of “cronyism” by bowing to pressure from trade unions and black cab drivers who have waged a campaign against Uber for years.
The decision also placed the future of the company’s tens of thousands of drivers in London under threat.
TfL said that the company, which is used by 3.5 million people in London — more than any other European city — and offers a cheaper service than black cabs was no longer a “fit and proper” operator. It accused Uber of failing to report serious criminal offences, check drivers’ criminal records or ensure drivers were medically fit.
Last month Inspector Neil Billany of the Metropolitan Police suggested that the company was putting its reputation before public safety by allowing a driver to continue working despite his facing a sexual assault allegation.
Uber said it was “astounded” by yesterday’s ruling, which is due to come into force at the end of next week, and vowed to lodge an appeal that will be heard by Westminster magistrates’ court within 21 days, giving the company a stay of execution. Any refusal to reinstate its licence will prompt an appeal to a senior court, raising the prospect of a lengthy legal battle.
Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber in London, said: “By wanting to ban our app from the capital Transport for London and the mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice.”
The ruling puts the jobs of 40,000 drivers in jeopardy, although some will find work with other ride-hailing apps such as Gett and Addison Lee.
It is understood that the decision to revoke the licence was taken by a board of officials within TfL’s licensing department. It is almost certain that it was signed off at a senior level, possibly by Mike Brown, the commissioner.
Sadiq Khan said the taxi company needed to “play by the rules”
A spokesman for Mr Khan said that he was legally barred from playing any part in the decision.
However, within minutes of it being announced he gave his backing to TfL, saying “any operator of private hire services in London needs to play by the rules”.
Many passengers, however, vowed to boycott London’s 20,000 black cabs, sharing the hashtag #boycottblackcabs on social media. Sam Dumitriu, research economist at the Adam Smith Institute, said: “The only people that will benefit are the black cab lobby who have crushed a competitor through cronyism, rather than providing a better service.”
Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said that the decision was “an assault on drivers and customers alike, and a victory for protectionism”.
David Leam, director of infrastructure at London First, the business group, said: “This will be seen as a Luddite decision by millions of Londoners who use Uber and will also hit London’s reputation as a global tech hub.”
Mr Khan is likely to be praised by union leaders when he speaks at the Labour conference next week. Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North and chairman of the parliamentary group on taxis, described it as a “courageous decision”.
Appy to be of service, but how much do they cost?
Alternative apps to Uber in London, with fare estimates for a six-mile trip from central to north London at 6.30pm last night. Compared to Uber estimate of £14 - £19.
Mytaxi Formerly Hailo, allows black cabs to be hailed with smartphone. Cut fares by 50 per cent yesterday. No estimate offered.
Gett New app of choice for black cab drivers is setting up a taxi-bus service with Citymapper, creating a flat-fare service for a fixed route. Gett also operates outside London. £29.19 for last night’s journey.
Addison Lee One of London’s oldest private hire firms launched an app in response to Uber, but not available outside London. £22.85 for last night’s journey.
Kabbee Acts like a comparison site for minicab firms, comparing 70 licensed providers. It describes itself as 65 per cent cheaper than a black cab. £20.80 for last night’s journey.
Lyft Minicab app that is a big player in the US, where it competes with Uber. No service in the UK yet. $24.23 (£17.92) for six-mile journey in New York from Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side at 6.30pm EST last night.
• A French court fined Uber for running an illegal transport service, UberPop, which connected users with non-professional drivers using their own cars.
• Denmark passed laws requiring cabs to be fitted with seat occupancy sensors and fare metres.
• In China Uber was bought out by a local rival, Didi Chuxing.
• Regulators in the Northern Territory, Australia, imposed large licensing fees on drivers.
http://bit.ly/2xmNSBT
----------------------------------------
Uber’s future across the UK was thrown into doubt last night after councils confirmed that they would consider the outcome of the decision to bar the company in London.
Experts said that the ruling could have a knock-on effect because licensing authorities were almost certain to be influenced by the ruling that Uber was “not fit and proper” to operate.
The cab-hailing app has expanded to 40 towns and cities, including Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield, Stoke, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
Decisions on whether to ban the app will be taken by individual councils, which are responsible for regulating the local minicab and taxi trade. Rulings on Uber will be made when its existing licence comes up for renewal in each town and city.
The Local Government Association said yesterday that existing legislation governing minicab licences was inadequate, leaving authorities powerless to properly regulate the industry.
In July, the Department for Transport pledged to set up a working party to look at guidance given to local authorities. It raises the prospect that councils could be forced to raise the bar on expectations put on companies such as Uber which often operate thousands of minicabs in the same city.
Alex Janes, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter business school, who has researched Uber, said: “Uber always saw London as a bellwether market for them. A lot of other places look to London’s decision and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was to have a knock-on effect.
I would be very surprised if Birmingham, Brighton, Liverpool or Manchester didn’t unpick it and ask, ‘is this any different to the situation affecting us?’”
Chris Hargreaves, from Licensed Transport Uncovered, a consumer group, said: “If Uber are not seen as fit and proper to hold a licence in London, how can they be deemed fit and proper elsewhere?”
Cambridge city council, which will review Uber’s existing one-year licence in December, told The Times yesterday: “We will look closely at the detail of TfL’s decision and the likely appeal Uber has indicated it will lodge against that decision before considering Uber’s operator licence in Cambridge.”
Bristol council said any decision to license Uber in the city would be taken independently of the decision in London, but added: “We will keep a close eye on the outcome and any legal challenge of TfL’s decision.”
Manchester council, which has licensed Uber up to 2021, said it would “continue to monitor their compliance with the conditions of their licence to operate, while monitoring events as they unfold in the capital”.
Brighton council insisted there was nothing to stop Uber operating on the south coast but added: “We are aware of [the] decision by TfL and will be considering over the coming days what potential implications this might have.”
Nottingham council, which has licensed Uber up to 2020, said: “We will bear in mind the concerns of TfL and assess whether these impact Nottingham, but at present we have no intention to review Uber’s licence early.”
http://bit.ly/2xAdknc
Thursday 21 September 2017
TfL UBERK DECISION DUE TODAY
Uber is bracing itself for regulators to deliver a crucial ruling that could trigger the removal of tens of thousands of private-hire drivers from London's streets.
Sky News has learnt that Transport for London (TfL) could announce as soon as Friday whether it is handing the world's biggest ride-hailing app a new five-year operating licence.
Sources close to the decision said there were growing expectations that the capital's transport body would curtail or reject altogether Uber's application for a new licence.
If such a decision transpired, it would be welcomed by Uber's growing army of critics, who argue that the company has exacerbated London's traffic congestion and done too little to address violent incidents involving its drivers.
A ruling by TfL against a new operating licence for Uber, which last raised money from investors at a valuation of almost $70bn, would stun the company, which has been left in turmoil over the conduct and subsequent exit of its founder, Travis Kalanick.
Uber Technologies Inc announced last month that it was appointing Dara Khosrowshahi, the boss of travel company Expedia (Frankfurt: A1JRLJ - news) , as its new chief executive following a bitter row involving board members and investors.
The ride-sharing app has faced numerous regulatory obstacles in markets around the world, but having its licence abolished in London would be one of the biggest blows it has faced during its short history.
Sources insisted that TfL could yet decide to renew the licence.
Earlier this week, it emerged that Uber's fee for operating in London would rise from £3000 to £3m if it was granted a new five-year licence, following changes to the way that TfL calculates such payments.
TfL had been due to make a decision about Uber's licence by the end of September, but two sources said on Thursday night that a ruling was likely roughly a week before that deadline.
In May, TfL renewed the company's permit to operate but for a period of only four months, amid continued opposition and threats of legal challenges from the GMB union and Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association.
Uber now has about 40,000 drivers in London, and is used by about 3.5m customers, but its rise has sparked the most significant backlash to date against a major champion of the so-called sharing economy.
Spokesmen for TfL and the Mayor of London's office both declined to comment, while a source close to Uber said it had yet to be notified of any decision.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uber-braced-crash-tfl-delivers-225400104.html
-------------------------------------------
@MyTaxi. Problems in Eire
Taxi drivers have insisted that it is fair to start charging customers €2 to book a cab through the Mytaxi mobile app.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) approved the optional charge for customers who are not hailing taxis on the street but the management of Mytaxi had urged drivers to waive it.
However the company has had to deal with complaints from workers since it took over Hailo in March. In an attempt to placate them, it announced that it would lift the block on the booking fee from yesterday.
Jim Waldron, spokesman for the National Private Hire & Taxi Association, said that the charge covered the cost of travelling to pick up a passenger.
“The charge pays for the convenience to the customer, who doesn’t have to go out on to the street to hail a cab,” he said.
“If a driver accepts a job on Mytaxi and has to drive 1km, he might pass a fare on the street, but the original fare might cancel on the way, or he might have to wait a long time for the customer to come out of their house. Why would a driver pass a fare on the street when they’ll get more money for it?” Mr Waldron said that drivers had grown frustrated with the company and had started to go elsewhere.
“Now it’s getting a bit busier and the economy is picking up, a lot of taxi drivers are thinking, ‘I’ll switch off the app. I’ll just get my own work and make more money for it’,” he said.
Mytaxi, which is owned by Daimler, the German carmaker, has 100,000 drivers and more than six million customers in nine European countries, but has experienced problems since its launch in Ireland in March. Customers have complained of long waiting times or taxis not being available.
In another measure designed to get more drivers using its service, the company offered prospective drivers help in passing the NTA’s testing programme.
Tim Arnold, Mytaxi’s general manager, said that the company had decided to allow the “industry standard” booking fees to ensure that there were enough drivers working for the service to meet demand.
“There’s never been more demand for taxis in Ireland. The past few weeks have been busier for Mytaxi than Christmas and new year’s last year,” Mr Arnold told the Newstalk Breakfast radio programme.
“At the same time, there are fewer taxi drivers operating in Ireland than at any time in the past ten years. We’re confident that by implementing this change, that Mytaxi drivers will offer an ever-improving service and fewer customers will be disappointed when they can’t find a taxi.”
Last week the NTA approved average rises to taxi fares of 3.2 per cent. These will come into effect next February.
http://bit.ly/2hnI8hq
----------------------------------------------
Uber is bracing itself for regulators to deliver a crucial ruling that could trigger the removal of tens of thousands of private-hire drivers from London's streets.
Sky News has learnt that Transport for London (TfL) could announce as soon as Friday whether it is handing the world's biggest ride-hailing app a new five-year operating licence.
Sources close to the decision said there were growing expectations that the capital's transport body would curtail or reject altogether Uber's application for a new licence.
If such a decision transpired, it would be welcomed by Uber's growing army of critics, who argue that the company has exacerbated London's traffic congestion and done too little to address violent incidents involving its drivers.
A ruling by TfL against a new operating licence for Uber, which last raised money from investors at a valuation of almost $70bn, would stun the company, which has been left in turmoil over the conduct and subsequent exit of its founder, Travis Kalanick.
Uber Technologies Inc announced last month that it was appointing Dara Khosrowshahi, the boss of travel company Expedia (Frankfurt: A1JRLJ - news) , as its new chief executive following a bitter row involving board members and investors.
The ride-sharing app has faced numerous regulatory obstacles in markets around the world, but having its licence abolished in London would be one of the biggest blows it has faced during its short history.
Sources insisted that TfL could yet decide to renew the licence.
Earlier this week, it emerged that Uber's fee for operating in London would rise from £3000 to £3m if it was granted a new five-year licence, following changes to the way that TfL calculates such payments.
TfL had been due to make a decision about Uber's licence by the end of September, but two sources said on Thursday night that a ruling was likely roughly a week before that deadline.
In May, TfL renewed the company's permit to operate but for a period of only four months, amid continued opposition and threats of legal challenges from the GMB union and Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association.
Uber now has about 40,000 drivers in London, and is used by about 3.5m customers, but its rise has sparked the most significant backlash to date against a major champion of the so-called sharing economy.
Spokesmen for TfL and the Mayor of London's office both declined to comment, while a source close to Uber said it had yet to be notified of any decision.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uber-braced-crash-tfl-delivers-225400104.html
-------------------------------------------
@MyTaxi. Problems in Eire
Taxi drivers have insisted that it is fair to start charging customers €2 to book a cab through the Mytaxi mobile app.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) approved the optional charge for customers who are not hailing taxis on the street but the management of Mytaxi had urged drivers to waive it.
However the company has had to deal with complaints from workers since it took over Hailo in March. In an attempt to placate them, it announced that it would lift the block on the booking fee from yesterday.
Jim Waldron, spokesman for the National Private Hire & Taxi Association, said that the charge covered the cost of travelling to pick up a passenger.
“The charge pays for the convenience to the customer, who doesn’t have to go out on to the street to hail a cab,” he said.
“If a driver accepts a job on Mytaxi and has to drive 1km, he might pass a fare on the street, but the original fare might cancel on the way, or he might have to wait a long time for the customer to come out of their house. Why would a driver pass a fare on the street when they’ll get more money for it?” Mr Waldron said that drivers had grown frustrated with the company and had started to go elsewhere.
“Now it’s getting a bit busier and the economy is picking up, a lot of taxi drivers are thinking, ‘I’ll switch off the app. I’ll just get my own work and make more money for it’,” he said.
Mytaxi, which is owned by Daimler, the German carmaker, has 100,000 drivers and more than six million customers in nine European countries, but has experienced problems since its launch in Ireland in March. Customers have complained of long waiting times or taxis not being available.
In another measure designed to get more drivers using its service, the company offered prospective drivers help in passing the NTA’s testing programme.
Tim Arnold, Mytaxi’s general manager, said that the company had decided to allow the “industry standard” booking fees to ensure that there were enough drivers working for the service to meet demand.
“There’s never been more demand for taxis in Ireland. The past few weeks have been busier for Mytaxi than Christmas and new year’s last year,” Mr Arnold told the Newstalk Breakfast radio programme.
“At the same time, there are fewer taxi drivers operating in Ireland than at any time in the past ten years. We’re confident that by implementing this change, that Mytaxi drivers will offer an ever-improving service and fewer customers will be disappointed when they can’t find a taxi.”
Last week the NTA approved average rises to taxi fares of 3.2 per cent. These will come into effect next February.
http://bit.ly/2hnI8hq
----------------------------------------------
BURY
A Private Hire firm is celebrating going from four cars to 90 in just a few years.
Swiftline Taxis, which started up in Whitefield, has merged with Star Taxis, meaning the service can now cover the whole of the borough.
Ali Khan, a director of StarSwiftline, said: "We set up in Whitefield a couple of years ago and moved into Radcliffe.
"Just recently we went into a partnership with Star Taxis.
"So we've been able to move into Bury, we've gone from four cars to 90 cars in just a few years."
He said the company has state of the art equipment and their new app means customers can track their taxis and feel safe.
Mr Khan added: "We just keep going from strength to strength. It's family run and most of the staff are family too."
The merger has led to the two firms opening a new joint office in Bolton Street, Bury.
-----------------------------------
Wednesday 20 September 2017
Taxi and limousine drivers are the most likely workers to die a violent death on the job, a new CDC report has shown.
Compared to other workers, they have an increased risk of such deaths because they work with cash, with the public, alone and during nighttime hours, the new analysis says.
The study also reveals that black and Hispanic drivers are more likely than white drivers to die on the job, and male drivers are six times more at risk than female drivers.
The new research labels the industry as disproportionately dangerous, and it warns that measures need to be taken by city governments to further protect private transportation drivers.
Researchers who worked on the new report analyzed data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on the deaths of taxi and limo drivers from 2003 to 2013.
They concluded that 366 taxi drivers died a work-related death that was considered 'violent' during the 11-year period they looked at. This number translates to about 18 of every 100,000 taxi and limo drivers. The primary cause of these deaths was homicide.
While motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for most who work in the transportation industry, this does not hold true for taxi drivers.
The study found that 50 percent more cab drivers were killed by workplace violence than by car crashes in 2014.
The South was the region with the largest number of deaths and the report said that regional differences among the rates of deaths could stem from differing safety regulations.
http://dailym.ai/2hiyCzD
-------------------------------------------------------------
Pollution in London is a public health priority.
Historically, the taxi trade has had a limited choice of diesel vehicles to use. This has led to the fleet becoming a significant contributor to poor air quality, particularly in central London, where they contribute 16% of all road transport NOx in central London.
The Mayor's Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan sets out how we intend to establish the Capital's taxi fleet as the greenest in the world:
Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis
We will introduce new licensing requirements from 1 January 2018 to reduce emissions from the taxi fleet by phasing out diesel taxis and increasing the number of ZEC vehicles in London.
The maximum 15 year age limit remains in place.
New licensing requirements from 1 January 2018
From 1 January 2018, taxis presented for licensing for the first time will need to be ZEC. This means having CO2 emissions of no more than 50g/km and a minimum 30 mile zero emission range
A first-time taxi vehicle licence will no longer be granted to a diesel taxi. ZEC taxis with petrol engines will need to meet the latest emissions standard (currently Euro 6)
Grant funding for ZEC taxis
We are helping to fund a Government-led Plug-in Taxi Grant, which will give taxi drivers up to £7,500 off the price of a new ZEC taxi. We expect the first vehicles to be available to buy later this year.
Taxi delicensing scheme
As part of the Mayor's commitment to double spending on air quality over the next five years, we have allocated an additional £42 million for the taxi delicensing scheme.
The scheme offers owners of the oldest, most polluting taxis a payment of up to £5,000 to remove their vehicle from London's taxi fleet and to help make the switch to ZEC vehicles sooner than planned.
The Mayor has also called on Government for a national vehicle scrappage fund to complement this scheme and to help taxi drivers scrap their vehicles entirely. Read the full scrappage fund proposal.
Eligibility for the scheme
To apply for the taxi delicensing scheme, you will need to meet the following criteria:
You must own a TfL licensed taxi that is 10 years or older but less than 15 years of age
You will need to be listed as the registered keeper of the licensed taxi in the V5 log book and registered on TfL's records
You must not be in the process of selling the taxi
Your taxi must be licensed, in a roadworthy state and have a current MOT
How to apply
Check whether your vehicle is eligible and apply for the scheme by visiting the taxi delicensing checker.
Delicensing payments
If you want to delicense your taxi, you may be eligible for a payment of up to £5,000 for the early surrender of your London taxi licence plate and vehicle licence.
The amount you may receive will be in line with the age of the vehicle:
Age of vehicle Payment amount
10 years or older £5,000
11 years or older £3,800
12 years or older £2,800
13 years or older £1,900
14 years or older £1,200
15 years or older Not eligible
http://bit.ly/2jIn0qi
----------------------------------------------
Gett Together with Citymapper
An innovative new way to travel that’s part bus, part taxi, is launching in London to help commuters get to and from work on routes that are currently tricky to navigate.
Gett, the app for ordering black cabs on demand, will now offer shared taxis on a dedicated route between Waterloo and Islington for the same price as a journey on public transport, with stop offs at any point along the way.
The startup worked with fellow tech firm Citymapper to identify areas under served by Tube lines or buses, tapping into the popular map app’s vast amount of data which has already been used to create a new night bus service in East London.
And the black cab carpooling service Gett Together, unveiled late last year, lets people share a cab with someone going in the same direction.
Now, the two have been combined in what Gett is calling the "Black Bus 1" route with the aim of reducing the current travel time on the north to south journey of 40 minutes to just 15 and at a cost of only £3.
Passengers can stop off anywhere along the fixed route which passes through Angel, Farringdon and Aldwych during morning and evening rush hours from next week (7am - 10am and 5pm - 8pm).
Gett’s UK managng director Matteo de Renzi told City A.M. the first route is just the start of scaling up the service.
“We really believe it will revolutionise the daily commute. Maybe there’ll be 50 [routes], maybe 100, we’re very confident and the pilot is very very promising. How big [it will be] we’ll see,” he said.
The concept brings “the speed and availability of a cab, but the convenience of a bus” said Renzi.
“Lets not forget cabs can use bus lanes,” he said, adding that it would also help reduce congestion and pollution in the capital. The option to book a cab on the route will appear in the Gett app and be suggested to Citymapper's thousands of users in the area.
It compliments existing public transport but can also help with temporary spikes in demand for travel. For example, a “pop-up” route could appear when there is engineering works on the London Underground as an alternative to rail replacement services, he said, or during big events at Wembley stadium.
Gett is backed by German car giant Volkswagen, one of several traditional car makers attempting to turn itself into a "mobility" company to fit into a wider transport landscape as technology brings disruption.
Citymapper earlier this year unveiled its plans to "reinvent travel" by tapping into the information it has from the billions of journeys that have been planned in more than 30 of cities around the world using its app.
http://bit.ly/2wIGFI2
---------------------------------------------------
Compared to other workers, they have an increased risk of such deaths because they work with cash, with the public, alone and during nighttime hours, the new analysis says.
The study also reveals that black and Hispanic drivers are more likely than white drivers to die on the job, and male drivers are six times more at risk than female drivers.
The new research labels the industry as disproportionately dangerous, and it warns that measures need to be taken by city governments to further protect private transportation drivers.
Researchers who worked on the new report analyzed data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on the deaths of taxi and limo drivers from 2003 to 2013.
They concluded that 366 taxi drivers died a work-related death that was considered 'violent' during the 11-year period they looked at. This number translates to about 18 of every 100,000 taxi and limo drivers. The primary cause of these deaths was homicide.
While motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for most who work in the transportation industry, this does not hold true for taxi drivers.
The study found that 50 percent more cab drivers were killed by workplace violence than by car crashes in 2014.
The South was the region with the largest number of deaths and the report said that regional differences among the rates of deaths could stem from differing safety regulations.
http://dailym.ai/2hiyCzD
-------------------------------------------------------------
Pollution in London is a public health priority.
Historically, the taxi trade has had a limited choice of diesel vehicles to use. This has led to the fleet becoming a significant contributor to poor air quality, particularly in central London, where they contribute 16% of all road transport NOx in central London.
The Mayor's Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan sets out how we intend to establish the Capital's taxi fleet as the greenest in the world:
Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis
We will introduce new licensing requirements from 1 January 2018 to reduce emissions from the taxi fleet by phasing out diesel taxis and increasing the number of ZEC vehicles in London.
The maximum 15 year age limit remains in place.
New licensing requirements from 1 January 2018
From 1 January 2018, taxis presented for licensing for the first time will need to be ZEC. This means having CO2 emissions of no more than 50g/km and a minimum 30 mile zero emission range
A first-time taxi vehicle licence will no longer be granted to a diesel taxi. ZEC taxis with petrol engines will need to meet the latest emissions standard (currently Euro 6)
Grant funding for ZEC taxis
We are helping to fund a Government-led Plug-in Taxi Grant, which will give taxi drivers up to £7,500 off the price of a new ZEC taxi. We expect the first vehicles to be available to buy later this year.
Taxi delicensing scheme
As part of the Mayor's commitment to double spending on air quality over the next five years, we have allocated an additional £42 million for the taxi delicensing scheme.
The scheme offers owners of the oldest, most polluting taxis a payment of up to £5,000 to remove their vehicle from London's taxi fleet and to help make the switch to ZEC vehicles sooner than planned.
The Mayor has also called on Government for a national vehicle scrappage fund to complement this scheme and to help taxi drivers scrap their vehicles entirely. Read the full scrappage fund proposal.
Eligibility for the scheme
To apply for the taxi delicensing scheme, you will need to meet the following criteria:
You must own a TfL licensed taxi that is 10 years or older but less than 15 years of age
You will need to be listed as the registered keeper of the licensed taxi in the V5 log book and registered on TfL's records
You must not be in the process of selling the taxi
Your taxi must be licensed, in a roadworthy state and have a current MOT
How to apply
Check whether your vehicle is eligible and apply for the scheme by visiting the taxi delicensing checker.
Delicensing payments
If you want to delicense your taxi, you may be eligible for a payment of up to £5,000 for the early surrender of your London taxi licence plate and vehicle licence.
The amount you may receive will be in line with the age of the vehicle:
Age of vehicle Payment amount
10 years or older £5,000
11 years or older £3,800
12 years or older £2,800
13 years or older £1,900
14 years or older £1,200
15 years or older Not eligible
http://bit.ly/2jIn0qi
----------------------------------------------
Gett Together with Citymapper
An innovative new way to travel that’s part bus, part taxi, is launching in London to help commuters get to and from work on routes that are currently tricky to navigate.
Gett, the app for ordering black cabs on demand, will now offer shared taxis on a dedicated route between Waterloo and Islington for the same price as a journey on public transport, with stop offs at any point along the way.
The startup worked with fellow tech firm Citymapper to identify areas under served by Tube lines or buses, tapping into the popular map app’s vast amount of data which has already been used to create a new night bus service in East London.
And the black cab carpooling service Gett Together, unveiled late last year, lets people share a cab with someone going in the same direction.
Now, the two have been combined in what Gett is calling the "Black Bus 1" route with the aim of reducing the current travel time on the north to south journey of 40 minutes to just 15 and at a cost of only £3.
Passengers can stop off anywhere along the fixed route which passes through Angel, Farringdon and Aldwych during morning and evening rush hours from next week (7am - 10am and 5pm - 8pm).
Gett’s UK managng director Matteo de Renzi told City A.M. the first route is just the start of scaling up the service.
“We really believe it will revolutionise the daily commute. Maybe there’ll be 50 [routes], maybe 100, we’re very confident and the pilot is very very promising. How big [it will be] we’ll see,” he said.
The concept brings “the speed and availability of a cab, but the convenience of a bus” said Renzi.
“Lets not forget cabs can use bus lanes,” he said, adding that it would also help reduce congestion and pollution in the capital. The option to book a cab on the route will appear in the Gett app and be suggested to Citymapper's thousands of users in the area.
It compliments existing public transport but can also help with temporary spikes in demand for travel. For example, a “pop-up” route could appear when there is engineering works on the London Underground as an alternative to rail replacement services, he said, or during big events at Wembley stadium.
Gett is backed by German car giant Volkswagen, one of several traditional car makers attempting to turn itself into a "mobility" company to fit into a wider transport landscape as technology brings disruption.
Citymapper earlier this year unveiled its plans to "reinvent travel" by tapping into the information it has from the billions of journeys that have been planned in more than 30 of cities around the world using its app.
http://bit.ly/2wIGFI2
---------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 19 September 2017
SHREWSBURY
A man has been arrested after allegedly posing as a taxi driver and then asking his victim to perform sexual acts before he would let her out of his vehicle.
The woman, who is in her 30s, had been out for the evening at a nightclub in Shrewsbury when, feeling woozy, she stepped outside and hailed what she thought was a cab.
Police say she got in, but halfway home the driver had said he would take her no further unless she gave in to his demands.
The woman said that the man had pulled up in a dark coloured car which looked ‘looked like a cab’ outside The Buttermarket on Howards Bank in the heart of the town at just after midnight.
She got in and gave him her address but one en route he stopped the vehicle and allegedly said she had to perform a sex act on him before he would take her to her home.
She said she refused and in the end the man, who was described as Asian, took her to her address.
Once there she rushed in to the house but did not make a note of the registration number of the car.
However, on reporting the incident to the police, officers were able to trace a car and the man was arrested and interviewed on Monday.
Inspector Ed Hancox from West Mercia Police said: “I can confirm that after swift inquiries made by the officer in the case,a male was arrested for this offence.
"We are not aware of any similar offences taking place in Shrewsbury over the past few weeks.
"We will be working with partners including Pubwatch, Shropshire Council, and Street Pastors to make sure such offences remain rare in Shrewsbury.”
http://bit.ly/2xv3PWd
---------------------------------------
LONDON
A woman police officer who refused to pay a £24 taxi fare and fled after a 'social night out with colleagues' has been kicked out of the force.
PC Nicola Elston, 30, was 'jaded through drink' when she refused to pay the cab fare in Croydon, a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) misconduct hearing was told.
The Lambeth-based officer was also accused of threatening and punching the taxi driver in the stomach but cleared after an earlier trial at Southwark Crown court.
She had initialky claimed that she was also innocent of theft but the jury convicted her after a three-day trial, allowing the MPS to conclude the disciplinary proceedings.
Summarising the charge at the tribunal, Assistant Commissioner Helen King said: ‘It was alleged that you were requested for payment by Mr Ali (the driver) and alighted the vehicle.
‘Mr Ali repeated his request for payment and you threatened to punch him.
‘He alleged that you punched him and he saw you enter an address. You were arrested later that same night.’
In a statement, Elston said: ‘I apologise for this matter and, in hindsight, I should have dealt with it in a different manner.
‘I accept that it is hard to continue to employ me, especially if I was asked to give evidence in court and would have to declare any convictions.’
The hearing was told that Elston, who was working for the Missing Persons Unit in Brixton while placed under restrictions, had drunk ‘a considerable amount of alcohol’.
She claimed that she had the correct amount for the fare and had left it in the cab.
‘I said that I left it there when the driver started shouting at me,’ Elston said.
‘I didn’t make the driver drive round the corner, he stopped about 10, 15 metres away [from the address].’
Sergeant Michael Kirk, for the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘On 27 June 2015, PC Elston returned home after a social evening with colleagues.
‘The price had been agreed in advance. The cab driver requested money owed to him and PC Elston refused to pay. Eventually, he called the police.
‘When police knocked at the address she had entered, PC Elston didn’t answer the door. She was later arrested.’
The Lambeth-based officer was also accused of threatening and punching the taxi driver in the stomach but cleared after an earlier trial at Southwark Crown court.
Sergeant James Southgate, representing Elston, said: ‘She does agree that her conduct amounts to gross misconduct and she is embarrassed by the fact that it has brought embarrassment on the Metropolitan Police.
‘She believed what she was doing was correct at the time, although jaded through drink.
‘Prior to joining the police, PC Elston went to Anglia Ruskin University where she studied for a BSc in forensic biology.
‘She immediately applied for the MPS and, while waiting to start, worked for an insurance company.
Elston (pictured) admitted her actions constituted gross misconduct. She was dismissed without notice.
‘Since the incident, she has carried on attending work and working hard in the Missing Persons Unit.
‘I don’t wish to go over the trial and re-examine evidence, but I must mention some relevant points. She still disagrees with the outcome of the trial.
‘She left the money in the cab as the driver became threatening.
‘She told me if she is allowed to continue she would want to get the Gangs Unit and Missing Persons and CSE Units to work together.’
Handing down the decision, AC Helen King said: ‘PC Elston has provided strong evidence from colleagues and supervisors that she is a capable, courageous and hard-working officer.
‘This was not planned in any way. There is no suggestion that she intended to abuse her position
‘She was placed on restrictions and, to her credit, remained in the workplace and also to her credit retains the support of the borough commander.
‘However, I have to consider very carefully the aggravating features and what London rightfully expects of a Metropolitan Police officer.
‘She didn’t accept responsibility for her actions in pleading guilty and was subsequently found guilty by a jury [of theft].
‘She gave evidence that made allegations against the taxi driver. PC Elston has continued to push blame onto others.
‘Officers recognise that convictions represent significant barrier to remaining as a police officer.
‘I have come to the conclusion that the only appropriate outcome is dismissal without notice.’
Elston admitted her actions constituted gross misconduct. She was dismissed without notice.
http://dailym.ai/2wFDhhf
---------------------------------------
STOKE
Taxi driver Sajid Hussain was caught dealing drugs – from his cab.
The 38-year-old transported more than £2,100 of cannabis hidden in a rucksack across the city.
Now the defendant, of Eastwood Place, Hanley, has had his taxi licence revoked.
Stafford Crown Court heard the father-of-three had agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for a £60 discount on his cannabis bill.
Caroline Morris, prosecuting, said a police officer approached Hussain’s Volkswagen Passat in Tunstall at around 9.15pm on January 24.
She said: “He drove away at speed and was pursued for about 300 yards when the car turned in to a cul-de-sac. The defendant tried to get out and was detained.”
Police searched Hussain and found bags of cannabis in his coat pockets.
Officers also uncovered a rucksack containing nine bags of cannabis, including skunk, with a total value of £2,140, in the car.
Mrs Morris said: “In his interview he made ‘no comment’.”
Hussain pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Anis Ali, mitigating, said: “He’s a married man with three children.
“He is a habitual cannabis user of 20 years. He has made real efforts to address that addiction and since January he has abstained. He is ashamed and regrets what he’s done and is apologetic.”
Recorder William Edis handed the defendant a six-month jail term, suspended for two years, with 120 hours unpaid work.
He said: “This was serious wrongdoing – but was isolated and a true one-off. You took part as a distributor. You played a significant role and you did so voluntarily and for a reward.
“For a small sum of £40 to £60 knocked off your bill you agreed to take it from your dealer to someone else. Some was for your own use and you were transporting the rest.”
http://bit.ly/2ycLH0K
----------------------------------------------
NORTH CAROLINA
Independent taxi owners and drivers who have survived the arrival of ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft say a surprise increase in their insurance requirements by the state could push many of them out of business.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed the new requirements into law in late July, doubling the amount of liability insurance for property and as much as quintupling the insurance for bodily injury or death. Owners of cabs must carry the new insurance starting Oct. 1.
Driver Imad Faik of Raleigh manages nine taxis for two different companies and says the new requirements will more than double the insurance costs per vehicle to nearly $400 a month. “I think this is horrible,” he said.
Faik was one of about 75 taxi owners and drivers who met with city taxi regulators at a police substation in West Raleigh on Tuesday morning. The meeting, held each year to talk about new rules and regulations, was consumed with concern over what the new insurance requirements will mean for an industry already reeling from competition from ride-sharing companies, who don’t face the same regulations.
Owners and drivers say they didn’t learn about the new insurance requirements until recent weeks. City taxi inspector Lorenzo Milliam said he first heard about them through an anonymous phone call on Sept. 6 and began emailing owners.
Milliam said even the insurance companies weren’t aware of them. He told the crowd that he could do nothing but enforce the new requirements. “If you have concerns about it, contact your elected officials,” he said.
The elected officials who are likely to hear from the cab owners first will be members of the Raleigh City Council, which sets the rates taxis can charge.
“If they’re going to increase the insurance like this, why would they not increase the rate on the meter?” Faik said. “It’s just not fair.”
There are already far fewer cabs on the road in Raleigh than there were a few years ago. In 2013, the year the General Assembly blocked cities and counties from regulating Uber and Lyft, there were 745 permitted taxis in the city operated by 112 companies, according to city records. By this spring, there were only 342 taxis, run by 65 companies.
Owners and drivers are particularly angry that the legislature would increase the insurance requirements without their knowledge. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, an auto dealer in Jacksonville, introduced the requirements as an amendment to an unrelated House bill on the floor of the Senate in late June, and within two days it had passed both chambers and was on its way to the governor.
“We had no imput, no knowledge,” says Lee Churchill, who has driven a taxi in Raleigh since 1974. “The legislature didn’t notify anybody, not even the cab inspectors.”
Brown says he wrote the amendment himself after researching the requirements, which he says had not been updated since the 1970s. The old liability requirements were the same as the minimum required for any motorist in North Carolina: $30,000 for bodily injury or death; $60,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people; and $25,000 for property. The new requirements for cabs of $100,000, $300,000 and $50,000 are in line with what many drivers carry, Brown said.
“You would think that someone having a vehicle for hire should have higher coverage than an average citizen out there,” he said. “I didn’t have a single legislator say they didn’t think that was more than fair.”
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Churchill handed out copies of the bill along with a list of 13 insurance companies and their phones numbers to help owners and drivers research rates. Alan Wilson, who has been driving a taxi in Raleigh for a decade, said he has provided some paperwork to his insurance company and is awaiting a quote.
“I had a large student base; they all left me for Uber,” Wilson said. “This might put me out.”
http://bit.ly/2ycFP7n
A man has been arrested after allegedly posing as a taxi driver and then asking his victim to perform sexual acts before he would let her out of his vehicle.
The woman, who is in her 30s, had been out for the evening at a nightclub in Shrewsbury when, feeling woozy, she stepped outside and hailed what she thought was a cab.
Police say she got in, but halfway home the driver had said he would take her no further unless she gave in to his demands.
The woman said that the man had pulled up in a dark coloured car which looked ‘looked like a cab’ outside The Buttermarket on Howards Bank in the heart of the town at just after midnight.
She got in and gave him her address but one en route he stopped the vehicle and allegedly said she had to perform a sex act on him before he would take her to her home.
She said she refused and in the end the man, who was described as Asian, took her to her address.
Once there she rushed in to the house but did not make a note of the registration number of the car.
However, on reporting the incident to the police, officers were able to trace a car and the man was arrested and interviewed on Monday.
Inspector Ed Hancox from West Mercia Police said: “I can confirm that after swift inquiries made by the officer in the case,a male was arrested for this offence.
"We are not aware of any similar offences taking place in Shrewsbury over the past few weeks.
"We will be working with partners including Pubwatch, Shropshire Council, and Street Pastors to make sure such offences remain rare in Shrewsbury.”
http://bit.ly/2xv3PWd
---------------------------------------
LONDON
A woman police officer who refused to pay a £24 taxi fare and fled after a 'social night out with colleagues' has been kicked out of the force.
PC Nicola Elston, 30, was 'jaded through drink' when she refused to pay the cab fare in Croydon, a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) misconduct hearing was told.
The Lambeth-based officer was also accused of threatening and punching the taxi driver in the stomach but cleared after an earlier trial at Southwark Crown court.
She had initialky claimed that she was also innocent of theft but the jury convicted her after a three-day trial, allowing the MPS to conclude the disciplinary proceedings.
Summarising the charge at the tribunal, Assistant Commissioner Helen King said: ‘It was alleged that you were requested for payment by Mr Ali (the driver) and alighted the vehicle.
‘Mr Ali repeated his request for payment and you threatened to punch him.
‘He alleged that you punched him and he saw you enter an address. You were arrested later that same night.’
In a statement, Elston said: ‘I apologise for this matter and, in hindsight, I should have dealt with it in a different manner.
‘I accept that it is hard to continue to employ me, especially if I was asked to give evidence in court and would have to declare any convictions.’
The hearing was told that Elston, who was working for the Missing Persons Unit in Brixton while placed under restrictions, had drunk ‘a considerable amount of alcohol’.
She claimed that she had the correct amount for the fare and had left it in the cab.
‘I said that I left it there when the driver started shouting at me,’ Elston said.
‘I didn’t make the driver drive round the corner, he stopped about 10, 15 metres away [from the address].’
Sergeant Michael Kirk, for the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘On 27 June 2015, PC Elston returned home after a social evening with colleagues.
‘The price had been agreed in advance. The cab driver requested money owed to him and PC Elston refused to pay. Eventually, he called the police.
‘When police knocked at the address she had entered, PC Elston didn’t answer the door. She was later arrested.’
The Lambeth-based officer was also accused of threatening and punching the taxi driver in the stomach but cleared after an earlier trial at Southwark Crown court.
Sergeant James Southgate, representing Elston, said: ‘She does agree that her conduct amounts to gross misconduct and she is embarrassed by the fact that it has brought embarrassment on the Metropolitan Police.
‘She believed what she was doing was correct at the time, although jaded through drink.
‘Prior to joining the police, PC Elston went to Anglia Ruskin University where she studied for a BSc in forensic biology.
‘She immediately applied for the MPS and, while waiting to start, worked for an insurance company.
Elston (pictured) admitted her actions constituted gross misconduct. She was dismissed without notice.
‘Since the incident, she has carried on attending work and working hard in the Missing Persons Unit.
‘I don’t wish to go over the trial and re-examine evidence, but I must mention some relevant points. She still disagrees with the outcome of the trial.
‘She left the money in the cab as the driver became threatening.
‘She told me if she is allowed to continue she would want to get the Gangs Unit and Missing Persons and CSE Units to work together.’
Handing down the decision, AC Helen King said: ‘PC Elston has provided strong evidence from colleagues and supervisors that she is a capable, courageous and hard-working officer.
‘This was not planned in any way. There is no suggestion that she intended to abuse her position
‘She was placed on restrictions and, to her credit, remained in the workplace and also to her credit retains the support of the borough commander.
‘However, I have to consider very carefully the aggravating features and what London rightfully expects of a Metropolitan Police officer.
‘She didn’t accept responsibility for her actions in pleading guilty and was subsequently found guilty by a jury [of theft].
‘She gave evidence that made allegations against the taxi driver. PC Elston has continued to push blame onto others.
‘Officers recognise that convictions represent significant barrier to remaining as a police officer.
‘I have come to the conclusion that the only appropriate outcome is dismissal without notice.’
Elston admitted her actions constituted gross misconduct. She was dismissed without notice.
http://dailym.ai/2wFDhhf
---------------------------------------
STOKE
Taxi driver Sajid Hussain was caught dealing drugs – from his cab.
The 38-year-old transported more than £2,100 of cannabis hidden in a rucksack across the city.
Now the defendant, of Eastwood Place, Hanley, has had his taxi licence revoked.
Stafford Crown Court heard the father-of-three had agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for a £60 discount on his cannabis bill.
Caroline Morris, prosecuting, said a police officer approached Hussain’s Volkswagen Passat in Tunstall at around 9.15pm on January 24.
She said: “He drove away at speed and was pursued for about 300 yards when the car turned in to a cul-de-sac. The defendant tried to get out and was detained.”
Police searched Hussain and found bags of cannabis in his coat pockets.
Officers also uncovered a rucksack containing nine bags of cannabis, including skunk, with a total value of £2,140, in the car.
Mrs Morris said: “In his interview he made ‘no comment’.”
Hussain pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Anis Ali, mitigating, said: “He’s a married man with three children.
“He is a habitual cannabis user of 20 years. He has made real efforts to address that addiction and since January he has abstained. He is ashamed and regrets what he’s done and is apologetic.”
Recorder William Edis handed the defendant a six-month jail term, suspended for two years, with 120 hours unpaid work.
He said: “This was serious wrongdoing – but was isolated and a true one-off. You took part as a distributor. You played a significant role and you did so voluntarily and for a reward.
“For a small sum of £40 to £60 knocked off your bill you agreed to take it from your dealer to someone else. Some was for your own use and you were transporting the rest.”
http://bit.ly/2ycLH0K
----------------------------------------------
NORTH CAROLINA
Independent taxi owners and drivers who have survived the arrival of ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft say a surprise increase in their insurance requirements by the state could push many of them out of business.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed the new requirements into law in late July, doubling the amount of liability insurance for property and as much as quintupling the insurance for bodily injury or death. Owners of cabs must carry the new insurance starting Oct. 1.
Driver Imad Faik of Raleigh manages nine taxis for two different companies and says the new requirements will more than double the insurance costs per vehicle to nearly $400 a month. “I think this is horrible,” he said.
Faik was one of about 75 taxi owners and drivers who met with city taxi regulators at a police substation in West Raleigh on Tuesday morning. The meeting, held each year to talk about new rules and regulations, was consumed with concern over what the new insurance requirements will mean for an industry already reeling from competition from ride-sharing companies, who don’t face the same regulations.
Owners and drivers say they didn’t learn about the new insurance requirements until recent weeks. City taxi inspector Lorenzo Milliam said he first heard about them through an anonymous phone call on Sept. 6 and began emailing owners.
Milliam said even the insurance companies weren’t aware of them. He told the crowd that he could do nothing but enforce the new requirements. “If you have concerns about it, contact your elected officials,” he said.
The elected officials who are likely to hear from the cab owners first will be members of the Raleigh City Council, which sets the rates taxis can charge.
“If they’re going to increase the insurance like this, why would they not increase the rate on the meter?” Faik said. “It’s just not fair.”
There are already far fewer cabs on the road in Raleigh than there were a few years ago. In 2013, the year the General Assembly blocked cities and counties from regulating Uber and Lyft, there were 745 permitted taxis in the city operated by 112 companies, according to city records. By this spring, there were only 342 taxis, run by 65 companies.
Owners and drivers are particularly angry that the legislature would increase the insurance requirements without their knowledge. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, an auto dealer in Jacksonville, introduced the requirements as an amendment to an unrelated House bill on the floor of the Senate in late June, and within two days it had passed both chambers and was on its way to the governor.
“We had no imput, no knowledge,” says Lee Churchill, who has driven a taxi in Raleigh since 1974. “The legislature didn’t notify anybody, not even the cab inspectors.”
Brown says he wrote the amendment himself after researching the requirements, which he says had not been updated since the 1970s. The old liability requirements were the same as the minimum required for any motorist in North Carolina: $30,000 for bodily injury or death; $60,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people; and $25,000 for property. The new requirements for cabs of $100,000, $300,000 and $50,000 are in line with what many drivers carry, Brown said.
“You would think that someone having a vehicle for hire should have higher coverage than an average citizen out there,” he said. “I didn’t have a single legislator say they didn’t think that was more than fair.”
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Churchill handed out copies of the bill along with a list of 13 insurance companies and their phones numbers to help owners and drivers research rates. Alan Wilson, who has been driving a taxi in Raleigh for a decade, said he has provided some paperwork to his insurance company and is awaiting a quote.
“I had a large student base; they all left me for Uber,” Wilson said. “This might put me out.”
http://bit.ly/2ycFP7n
Monday 18 September 2017
Mexico Cabify Murder
Holding signs that read "ni una mas" (not one more) and "no fue tu culpa" (it was not your fault), thousands marched across cities in Mexico on Sunday, calling for government action against femicide after a 19-year-old was found dead after using a ride-hailing app.
The body of Mara Fernanda Castilla was found near a motel in the central Mexican state of Puebla on Friday after she went missing a week earlier.
In a statement, Puebla authorities said they believe she was killed by a driver from the taxi-hailing application, Cabify. She had used the app on the night of September 8 but never arrived at her destination.
The driver of the vehicle has since been arrested, and officials say he will be charged with femicide.
The news of Castilla's death stoked anger across Mexico, prompting civil society groups, activists and community members to organise marches on Sunday in support of Castilla and other victims of femicide.
http://bit.ly/2y9ON5C
-------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester Student, studying in Leeds Jailed.
A Criminology student has been jailed for making a false sex attack report to police against a taxi driver after a row over a ten pound fare.
A court heard Sophie Pointon told police officers she had been sexually assaulted in the back of the cab she had been picked up in after a night out in Leeds city centre.
Pointon, 22, rang police in the early hours of April 22 this then continued the deception by signing a statement giving an account of the attack.
Leeds Crown Court heard the driver, a father-of-five, was tracked down and kept in custody for six hours. He was also unable to work for four weeks as a result of the claim.
Kate Bisset, prosecuting, said the driver was interviewed and said he could recall Pointon being “extremely drunk” when she got into his car holding a kebab.
He said Pointon threw a ten pound not at him when they reached the Hyde Park area but he refused to accept it as it was covered in oil from the kebab.
The driver said Pointon then became abusive and ran around the car opening doors. The prosecutor said: “He did not think much of it at the time because such incident with people who are intoxicated are not unusual.”
A recording of a conversation between the driver and a phone operator at his taxi office supported his account.
The court heard a GPS tracker fitted to the car also revealed Pointon’s description of the taxi journey to be untrue.
Pointon broke down in tears and asked if she could drop the charges when her account was challenged by police.
She pleaded guilty to perverting justice.
Denise Breen-Lawton, mitigating, said Pointon, of Corkland Road, Manchester, had been studying in Leeds at the time. She said her hopes of becoming a police officer were now ruined.
She was jailed for 16 months. Judge Christopher Batty told her: “Your malicious complaint has done a huge disservice to those seeking justice through the police and courts.”
The driver described in a statement how the false allegation had caused him to suffer from stress.
http://bit.ly/2w3cEDa
----------------------------------------
Dubai: Get ready to jump into a Tesla car the next time you order a taxi, as authorities have added 50 of the electric cars to its limo fleet.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai launched the latest addition, which were fitted with several components of self-driving techniques, to the fleet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) on Sunday.
The operation of Tesla electric vehicles is a manifestation of the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world.
It also replicates the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative of Shaikh Mohammad, and the Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy aimed at converting 25 per cent of total journeys into driverless journeys by 2030.
The launch of the Tesla vehicles was held at the entrance of Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3.
It was attended by a number of senior officials, including Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, and Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports.
“The RTA has recently taken delivery of 50 Tesla vehicles as part of a deal for 200 vehicles signed last February on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2017. Accordingly, 75 vehicles will be supplied in 2018, and 75 others to be delivered in 2019.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation has coordinated with the concerned parties to provide the needed infrastructure to ensure the operation of these vehicles including the provision of 13 electric recharging stations,” said Al Tayer.
http://bit.ly/2y8I6R1
Holding signs that read "ni una mas" (not one more) and "no fue tu culpa" (it was not your fault), thousands marched across cities in Mexico on Sunday, calling for government action against femicide after a 19-year-old was found dead after using a ride-hailing app.
The body of Mara Fernanda Castilla was found near a motel in the central Mexican state of Puebla on Friday after she went missing a week earlier.
In a statement, Puebla authorities said they believe she was killed by a driver from the taxi-hailing application, Cabify. She had used the app on the night of September 8 but never arrived at her destination.
The driver of the vehicle has since been arrested, and officials say he will be charged with femicide.
The news of Castilla's death stoked anger across Mexico, prompting civil society groups, activists and community members to organise marches on Sunday in support of Castilla and other victims of femicide.
http://bit.ly/2y9ON5C
-------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester Student, studying in Leeds Jailed.
A Criminology student has been jailed for making a false sex attack report to police against a taxi driver after a row over a ten pound fare.
A court heard Sophie Pointon told police officers she had been sexually assaulted in the back of the cab she had been picked up in after a night out in Leeds city centre.
Pointon, 22, rang police in the early hours of April 22 this then continued the deception by signing a statement giving an account of the attack.
Leeds Crown Court heard the driver, a father-of-five, was tracked down and kept in custody for six hours. He was also unable to work for four weeks as a result of the claim.
Kate Bisset, prosecuting, said the driver was interviewed and said he could recall Pointon being “extremely drunk” when she got into his car holding a kebab.
He said Pointon threw a ten pound not at him when they reached the Hyde Park area but he refused to accept it as it was covered in oil from the kebab.
The driver said Pointon then became abusive and ran around the car opening doors. The prosecutor said: “He did not think much of it at the time because such incident with people who are intoxicated are not unusual.”
A recording of a conversation between the driver and a phone operator at his taxi office supported his account.
The court heard a GPS tracker fitted to the car also revealed Pointon’s description of the taxi journey to be untrue.
Pointon broke down in tears and asked if she could drop the charges when her account was challenged by police.
She pleaded guilty to perverting justice.
Denise Breen-Lawton, mitigating, said Pointon, of Corkland Road, Manchester, had been studying in Leeds at the time. She said her hopes of becoming a police officer were now ruined.
She was jailed for 16 months. Judge Christopher Batty told her: “Your malicious complaint has done a huge disservice to those seeking justice through the police and courts.”
The driver described in a statement how the false allegation had caused him to suffer from stress.
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Dubai: Get ready to jump into a Tesla car the next time you order a taxi, as authorities have added 50 of the electric cars to its limo fleet.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai launched the latest addition, which were fitted with several components of self-driving techniques, to the fleet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) on Sunday.
The operation of Tesla electric vehicles is a manifestation of the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world.
It also replicates the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative of Shaikh Mohammad, and the Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy aimed at converting 25 per cent of total journeys into driverless journeys by 2030.
The launch of the Tesla vehicles was held at the entrance of Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3.
It was attended by a number of senior officials, including Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, and Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports.
“The RTA has recently taken delivery of 50 Tesla vehicles as part of a deal for 200 vehicles signed last February on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2017. Accordingly, 75 vehicles will be supplied in 2018, and 75 others to be delivered in 2019.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation has coordinated with the concerned parties to provide the needed infrastructure to ensure the operation of these vehicles including the provision of 13 electric recharging stations,” said Al Tayer.
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