A taxi driver from Glasgow who crashed his hired car in snow on the A65 Settle bypass on March 31 this year has been disqualified from driving for being over the alcohol limit.

The Craven Herald reports that Sharzad Anjam Amjal, 35, had collided head on with a transporter vehicle when visibility became poor.

He was found to have 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Skipton magistrates were told by Amjal's solicitor that the defendant was currently in Pakistan but had accepted responsibility.

He said he had believed he was under the limit.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 14 months and ordered he pay a fine of £150, a surcharge of £34 and costs of £85.

Source: https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/20257733.scottish-taxi-driver-alcohol-limit-settle-bypass-crash/

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Taxi fares are set to increase in Ceredigion as drivers battle against rising fuel costs.

The Tivy-side Advertiser reports that Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet approved a proposal to increase taxi fares at a rate set by the taxi trade - a slightly lower rate increase was suggested by licensing officers – bringing the cost of a two-mile journey to £6.80 from £5.46.

Similar journeys in Carmarthenshire cost £6.80, in Pembrokeshire £6.30 and in Powys £6, although increases are pending, a cabinet report notes.

The taxi fares have not increased since 2018 when the average cost of unleaded petrol in the UK was £1.20 a litre and diesel £1.23, a report to cabinet states. 

Proposals to increase taxi fares were made in February following a taxi trade meeting with increases to fares, tariffs and charges outlined and then consulted on within the trade.

“It is evident that several factors have affected the taxi trade in recent years, which has resulted in the request to vary the current fares including the Coronavirus pandemic, increases in the prices of secondhand cars, increases in the cost of living, an increase in the minimum wage, increases in insurance costs but the increase in fuel prices is the largest reason for a request to vary the fares,” adds the cabinet report.

An extra 5p per 1/10th of a mile on all tariffs will be imposed, and cabinet heard that the officer proposals had a lightly lower increase and lower associated charges for things such as waiting time, carrying cases, trunks and fouling “not linked to fuel increases.”

Cabinet approved the increases, subject to a statutory 14-day publication and consultation period where any objections can be raised.

Source: https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/20257007.proposal-increase-taxi-fares-approved-ceredigion/

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A mother and her four-year-old child were left for dead after being mown down by a "taxi" in Batley, West Yorkshire.

According to The Sun, the terrifying incident came as the pair walked hand in hand along the pavement on the afternoon of Monday 4 July.

A red "cab" driver appears to mount the kerb and knock the pedestrians back before speeding off, leaving them lying in shock and pain on the ground.

Both the mum and her tot suffered broken bones from the collision but are stable in hospital, according to relatives. 

Yet their furious family have taken to social media to hunt down the guilty motorist, by sharing CCTV of the horror.

In the footage which the family posted, a red car with a taxi logo can be seen driving fully on the pavement as the pair take a lunchtime stroll.

The driver appears to make no attempt to change direction as he ploughs into both pedestrians, crushing them against a stone wall separating the street, Track Road, from the green open space beyond.

The driver then veers over to the other side of the road, clips the opposite kerb, and speeds away from the scene.

A cloud of dust is left hanging in the street as if the car, resembling a VW Passat, has scraped the stone wall.

Police say the woman was seriously injured in the accident at 12.46pm on Monday.

A huge police cordon was placed around the area which was sealed off for a painstaking forensic examination.

Photos show a photographer documenting the scene of the crime.

West Yorkshire Police said: “Police were called to a reported road traffic collision on Track Road, Batley, at 12:46pm yesterday involving two pedestrians.

“The pedestrians, a woman and child were taken to hospital where the woman's injuries were confirmed as serious but not life threatening.

“The child did not have serious injuries. Enquiries are on-going to establish the circumstances.

“Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the circumstances leading up to it is asked to call West Yorkshire Police.”

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19098503/horrifying-moment-mum-and-child-4-left-for-dead/

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Taxi and private hire drivers in West Berkshire have been given an incentive to go green.

According to Newbury Today, they could be offered subsidies to buy electric vehicle cabs by next year.

Moves to cut the £266 licence fee for EVs, and for hybrid vehicles by 50 per cent, were also applauded by the district’s licensing committee on Monday 4 July.

In addition, councillors were asked to support the capping of the cost of EV rapid charges for taxis licensed in the district.

The decision will be made at the council’s executive committee in September, before which officers will look in to the financial and legal implications.

The proposal follows a survey of the 545 private hire and taxi drivers in West Berkshire to gauge interest in ultra-low emission vehicles.

At the time of the survey, 95 per cent of the fleet was diesel with just one hybrid vehicle in the fleet. Now there is one EV and more than half the drivers said they would be changing their vehicles in the next three years.

Most said they felt the cost of buying an EV was prohibitive.

Other local authorities have already adopted subsidy schemes - with Oxford providing a £5,000 grant. Nottingham has a scheme where hackney cab drivers can trial new electric vehicles.

“I am really pleased there is tangible progress on this,” said Cllr David Marsh.

“I also think we could help the taxi trade out by putting some of the planned council rapid charge units at taxi ranks.

“There is a good business opportunity here for early adopters of this scheme. I think a lot of people would prefer to get in a green taxi these days.”

The committee also supported the idea of cabs charging up overnight in car parks.

The council has already pledged to install charge points in 25 car parks this financial year.

Source: https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/i-think-a-lot-of-people-were-prefer-to-get-in-a-green-taxi-9262340/

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Some taxi fares in Bath and North East Somerset could increase to help drivers cover fuel costs, the council has said.

According to SomersetLive, taxi fares may rise by 11.7 per cent and people are being asked for their views on the proposal.

At the moment, the most hackney cabs can charge for a one-mile journey is £4.80. This will rise to £5.40, if the planned changes go ahead, and is based on a long-standing formula used by the council to decide fare increases.

The calculation is looking at the annual impact of inflation on motoring costs and wages from April to April. It takes the annual percentage increase of the Motoring Expenditure Retail Price Index and also the Average Weekly Earnings Retail Price Index, then weighted 50/50, calculates the applied inflationary rate.

People have eight weeks to comment on the proposed fare increase and the council said it recognised that many residents relied on taxis as an essential form of transport - especially in areas with reduced private hire services.

Tim Ball, the council's cabinet member for planning and licensing, said: "It is vitally important we get people's views because we have to balance the needs of the taxi trade to make a good standard of living in the face of rising costs with the need for an affordable immediate hire taxi service for people who may be dependent on taxis as their only method of door-to-door transport."

Hackney carriage fares were last increased in 2020.

You can comment on the consultation here: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/taxi-fares-consultation.

Source: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/local-news/bath-taxi-fares-could-increase-7289935

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