A 21-year-old Isle of Wight man has been ordered to pay a significant sum after admitting to criminal damage inside a taxi.
Zachary Savaria-Jones, from Sandown, appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on 24 February, where he pleaded guilty to the offence.
The court heard that Savaria-Jones caused £60 worth of damage to the seats of a taxi in Derbyshire last August.
"The court heard he caused £60 worth of damage to the seats of a taxi," a court record confirmed.
As a result of his actions, Savaria-Jones was fined £230 and further ordered to pay £300 in compensation to cover the cost of the damage.
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
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.
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.
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.
A 64-year-old taxi driver, Robert Lenox, is facing charges of drink driving following a police stop prompted by community reports.
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'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.
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:
The complainant reported that Mr Mohammad had overcharged her for a private hire journey having attended a concert at Bolton Stadium in July 2023.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Javid Iqbal faced the city's licensing and regulatory committee on 5 March, where the incident from last November was reviewed.
This latest setback follows Uber's acquisition of a private hire operator licence for Blackburn on 12 November,
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.
"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.
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.
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.
The move aims to address a loss of potential drivers to other licensing authorities, according to licensing manager Jason Kirkwood.