Ride-hailing giant Uber and automotive manufacturer Toyota teamed up to host an electrifying track day experience for hundreds of Uber drivers at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.
The special event provided 300 drivers with the opportunity to test drive a range of Toyota and Lexus electric vehicles on the world-famous racetrack.
This initiative builds upon the growing partnership between Toyota and Uber in the UK. Last year saw Toyota launch a dedicated website offering bespoke car finance deals for Uber owner-drivers.
According to Toyota, this scheme has proven successful, with "almost 2,000 Uber drivers" switching to electric Toyota or Lexus vehicles in the six months since its inception.
To further encourage the adoption of electric vehicles within the Uber fleet, more than 80 battery-powered cars were available for test drives at Brands Hatch. Popular models among Uber drivers, such as the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV, were prominently featured, with Toyota offering additional support to those opting for electric.
The event also showcased Toyota's new Proace Verso and Proace City Verso people carriers, alongside the Lexus UX 300e and RZ 300e luxury SUVs.
The track day culminated in a memorable moment for Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, an Uber driver from Poplar, East London, who won a brand new Toyota bZ4X SUV in a prize draw.
Alastair Rutt, senior manager for Toyota’s business team, hailed the initiative's success, stating: "Our electric vehicle initiative with Uber has already been an outstanding success, with more than 100,000 visits to our dedicated microsite and thousands of drivers going ahead with a new vehicle purchase.
"With our Brands Hatch driving event, we were able to give our guests a real-world introduction to the strengths of our model range for a business where reliable performance and long-lasting quality are key."
A Tunbridge Wells taxi driver has exhausted all avenues of appeal after a judge at Maidstone Crown Court upheld the borough council's decision to revoke his taxi/private hire licence.
The onboarding process commenced on Tuesday at Lomeshaye Business Park in Nelson, marking the end of frustrating delays for prospective drivers who were initially told registration would begin in January, then March.
Figures show one local authority dominates taxi licensing across England, with nearly half of private hire vehicles working in Greater Manchester now licensed ‘out of area’.
FREENOW will continue operating as it does today to drive growth across 9 countries and over 150 cities across Ireland, UK, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland, France and Austria.
A man with a history of knife offences has been arrested after police discovered a 30-inch machete concealed in his waistband during a stop and search of a taxi near Kidbrooke, south east London.
Fees for taxi drivers operating in Barnsley are set to climb next year for the first time since 2014.
Kambiz Akhondi, 59, from Soham, appeared before Peterborough Magistrates who determined he was not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire licence.
Drivers are set to benefit from up to £500 of savings per year and see smoother Easter getaways as 1,127 miles of roadworks are lifted, the Department for Transport has announced today (16th April).
The operation also focused on taxi safety, with a total of eight immediate prohibition notices issued to taxi drivers after significant faults were discovered on their vehicles.
Peter Roland Banwell, 62, the former director of Banwell Buses Ltd, trading as Beeline Taxis, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on April 8, 2024, where he pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 3:40pm on 8 April near Willington, shows a member of the public confronting the driver and demanding he return broken paving slabs to his vehicle.
Four men have been sentenced to a combined 75 years in prison for the brutal murder of Anselam Senaj, a passenger in a private hire vehicle, in East Ham.
Following a 12-month consultation by the licensing team, the council's executive committee has approved a series of alterations.
The action was taken in the interest of public safety after Claremont Cars continued to breach the terms of its licence despite receiving prior warnings from the district council.
Daniel Hayelom, 36, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court following a trial, and now faces sentencing on 2 May.
On 12 April, Rhyl firm A & J Taxis, had the privilege of transporting five volunteers from One Day charity, to Manchester Airport as they set off on a journey to Lesotho, South Africa.
Drivers in Stourbridge are being warned that Dudley Council and West Midlands Police are planning to take enforcement action along the High Street.
The move, funded initially by a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) grant, will see a significant six-figure investment.
The programme, which deploys uniformed marshals at key taxi ranks, will run from weekends until the end of the year.
Steven Greig, 47, has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of the murder of 55-year-old Mark Ward in Dundee.