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• LEWES TAXI DRIVERS FACE DEVASTATING COST INCREASES AS COUNCIL HIKES FEES BY 60 PER CENT

  The decision, made at a full council meeting on 4 March, will see the cost of a three-year hackney carriage/private hire/dual driver’s licence rise to £472.50 (from £315) sparking outrage among drivers already burdened b

• SHROPSHIRE TAXI LICENCE FEES INCREASE SPARKS OPERATOR CONCERN OVER DISPARITY

  The approved changes mean that operators with up to 31 vehicles and one base will pay £417 for licence renewals, up from £371, while new applications in the same category will cost £375, up from £328.

• SHEFFIELD CABBIES BLAST UNFAIR RAILWAY STATION CHANGES AIMED AT GRIDLOCK

  The plans include a 30% reduction in taxi permits, a 65% increase in annual permit fees to £1,140, and alterations to drop-off and parking areas.

• SHIPLEY TAXI CRACKDOWN: FOUR LICENCES SUSPENDED IN JOINT POLICE OPERATION

  Four taxi drivers in Shipley have had their licences suspended following a joint operation between West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council’s taxi licensing team on Friday, 7 March.

• ALTON TAXI DRIVER FACES DRINK DRIVING CHARGE AFTER PUBLIC TIP OFF

  A 64-year-old taxi driver, Robert Lenox, is facing charges of drink driving following a police stop prompted by community reports. 

• RIBBLE VALLEY CHECKS UNCOVER SERIOUS DEFECTS WITH THREE VEHICLES TAKEN OFF ROAD

  Joint operations with Ribble Valley Borough Council's taxi enforcement officers and the DVSA, saw 11 licensed vehicles, a mix of hackney carriages and private hire, subjected to rigorous spot checks.

• LONDON BLACK CAB FARES SURGE AS INFLATION BUSTING HIKE SPARKS DRIVER SUPPORT

  London's hackney carriage fares are set to rise significantly next month, with a 5.05% increase across tariffs and a 40p jump in the minimum fare, TfL has announced.

• DFT ANNOUNCE ELECTRIC BOOST FOR THE MIDLANDS WITH OVER 16,000 EV CHARGERS ON THE WAY

  Local authorities in Midlands set to roll out thousands of EV chargers thanks to over £40m in Government funding. The approved projects consist of three groups comprising 13 local authorities:

• SALFORD COUNCIL SECURES CONVICTION AGAINST PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER FOR ILLEGALLY PLYING

  The complainant reported that Mr Mohammad had overcharged her for a private hire journey having attended a concert at Bolton Stadium in July 2023.

• NORTH YORKSHIRE TAXI POLICY SPARKS CONTROVERSY OVER WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY

  The council aims to increase the number of WAV taxis, currently standing at approximately 70, or one for every 9,000 residents, a ratio significantly lower than other rural authorities.

• ISLE OF WIGHT MAN HIT WITH HEFTY FINE AND COMPENSATION FOR TAXI DAMAGE

  The court heard that Savaria-Jones caused £60 worth of damage to the seats of a taxi in Derbyshire last August.

• WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCIL TO INTRODUCE PANIC SWITCHES IN CABS AFTER DRIVER KILLING

  The council's regulatory committee, scheduled to meet on 12 March, is expected to approve proposals that would allow drivers to momentarily record audio inside their cabs when they feel threatened.

• SUTTON MAN WHO SHOWS "SHEER STUPIDITY" CARRYING CROSSBOW IN A TAXI AVOIDS PRISON

  A Sutton man, James Pedley, narrowly avoided a mandatory prison sentence after being caught carrying a crossbow in a taxi, a Mansfield magistrates court heard on 4 March.

• BRIGHTON CABBIES CLAIM POTHOLES FORCE EXPLANATIONS TO PASSENGERS: "I'M NOT DRUNK, JUST AVOIDING TRENCHES"

  Andrew Peters of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association said the "trenches" are causing significant stress and vehicle damage, leading to constant warnings within their trade's WhatsApp group.

• GLASGOW CAB DRIVERS LICENCE SUSPENDED AFTER GUIDE DOG REFUSAL

  Javid Iqbal faced the city's licensing and regulatory committee on 5 March, where the incident from last November was reviewed.

• GLASGOW PIRATE PH DRIVER SUSPENDED AFTER £90 SIX-MILE FARE AND £20 PURSE RETURN CHARGE

  Malik Faisal's actions, which included charging £20 to return a lost purse, were deemed "alarm bells ringing all over" by committee chair, Councillor Alex Wilson.

• EAST AYRSHIRE TAXI FARES SET FOR HIKE THIS SUMMER

  "The maximum amount a taxi will be able to charge for a journey of up to 1,320 yards (0.75 miles) will rise from £4 to £4.50," according to the council's documentation.

• WOLVERHAMPTON TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST RETRAINING RULES WHILE COUNCIL DEFENDS SAFETY MEASURES

  Around 100 private hire and black cab drivers stood in protest in the University of Wolverhampton Science Park to oppose recent rule changes that would require them to retake training courses.

• WEST SUFFOLK COUNCIL TO DROP 15 YEAR TAXI AGE LIMIT AFTER DRIVER FEEDBACK

  The council is poised to remove its 15-year age limit for taxi and private hire vehicles, a decision prompted by direct feedback from a driver at the first of the council's new driver and operator forums.

• SWINDON COUNCIL PROPOSES RELAXED DRIVER RULES AND STRICTER VEHICLE CHECKS

  The move aims to address a loss of potential drivers to other licensing authorities, according to licensing manager Jason Kirkwood.