A boy was left injured after being hit by a blue Toyota taxi/PHV in the car park of a Premier Inn in Nuneaton.
CoventryLive reports that police have said that the victim and another teenage boy were cycling on Coventry Road.
The pair were then reportedly chased into the Premier Inn car park by a blue taxi.
"The car, believed to be a Toyota, is then alleged to have collided with one of the boys, causing injuries," said a Warwickshire Police spokesperson.
It has not been confirmed if the boy needed hospital treatment for the injuries, but police have confirmed that investigations are under way into the incident, which reportedly took place at 11.45pm on December 29.
Investigating officers say any witnesses or those with CCTV are key and have urged them to come forward.
"If you were in the area at this time and saw anything that might help us with our investigations, or if you have any CCTV or dashcam footage, get in contact with us citing incident 322 of 29 December," the force spokesperson said.
Details can be passed on via online reporting here, by calling 101 or contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.
Source: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/boy-hit-toyota-taxi-chased-28422834
Shropshire Council is proposing to vary the statutory permissible fees chargeable for hackney carriage, private hire vehicle, operator and driver's licences.
The Ludlow Advertiser reports that the proposed changes have gone out to consultation, with Shropshire Council saying that the changes will take effect on February 5, 2024, unless an objection is made and not withdrawn.
The proposals would see costs rise across a number of areas for drivers, including driver's licences and licence renewals, although some costs including driver's knowledge tests and badge replacements would stay the same.
Cost rises are also proposed for vehicles and operators, including for vehicle licence transfers and changes to licence holder details, although again some costs will not change, including fare card replacements, plate replacements and private hire door signs.
You can view the changes by visiting: www.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/taxi-fees-consultation-2024/
Any objections should be made in writing to Licensing, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND or by e-mail to taxis@shropshire.gov.uk by midnight on February 4.
Objections will be considered by the council’s strategic licensing committee on the March 13 and the fees, with or without modification, will come into force on April 1.
Source: https://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/news/24039316.taxi-fees-consultation-opens-shropshire/
Plymouth's private hire drivers may no longer have to pass a local knowledge test in efforts to encourage more people into the trade.
BBC News reports that the city council's cabinet supported plans to remove the KOP (knowledge of Plymouth) test for private hire drivers on Monday 8 January.
With sat-nav systems available to drivers, some councillors view the KOP test unnecessary.
Livery rules may also be scrapped in changes that could begin in April.
Hackney carriage drivers will need to take the KOP test, unless they have previously been a private hire driver for more than three years.
In a public consultation, 25% of respondents supported the scrapping of the KOP test.
More than 80% of people agreed that the distinctive green and white livery should be scrapped because it was "too expensive" for the trade.
Drivers would continue to display an official door sign.
The suggested changes are aimed at encouraging more taxi drivers into the business.
Councillor Sally Hayden, cabinet member for community safety, said there were increasing reports of people unable to get taxis home from nights out or to and from work.
The Plymouth-based Violence Against Women and Girls Commission said that fewer taxis had an impact on the perceived safety of people.
After hearing reports of young women unable to find taxis after a night out, councillor Jemima Laing said: "We want to do anything we can to encourage more people into the trade."
If approved by the council, the changes would come into force on 1 April.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-67924200
Spiralling costs for taxis to take children to and from school are putting yet more “severe” strain on stretched council finances in Newcastle.
ChronicleLive reports that civic centre bosses have warned of “significant pressures” on its children’s social care budget, at a time when the authority is grappling with how to cut its spending by £60m over the next three years.
According to a new report, there has been a 35% jump in the council’s taxi bills for children in the local authority’s care – from £782,000 in 2022/23 to a projected £1.2m by the end of the current financial year.
And that figure only accounts for the 110 to 150 children in the social care system, not the hundreds more with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) for which the council also has a legal duty to provide home-to-school travel.
The Northern Agenda newsletter reported last May that Newcastle City Council was spending almost £167,000 every week on taxis for those children, amid worries across the region about the sky-high transport costs.
The authority was meant to save £155,000 on its school taxi spend for children in care this year under previous budget cut plans, but has instead seen costs go dramatically in the other direction – something it blames on inflation and reduced availability of taxis.
A council spokesperson said: “The rising cost of providing taxis for children in social care is a national issue which is placing many local authorities up and down the country under severe financial pressure.
“Even though the numbers of our children requiring taxis is largely unchanged, the cost of providing this service has increased due to inflation driving up costs across the board and reduced availability of taxis since the pandemic.
"We are actively looking to try and reduce this spend by exploring, among other things, reviewing high-cost arrangements to see if there are more economical providers who can meet our criteria.
“We have also set up a dedicated in-house transport team to improve intelligence on taxi spend, drive efficiencies and regularly review if travel arrangements are appropriate.
"Over time, we are determined to reduce this cost safely and responsibly in the interests of our children.”
Overall, the council’s children’s social care services are expected to overspend their 2023/24 budget by just over £3m – with the price of a “small number of very high cost placements” in external residential accommodation contributing to the bulk of that.
Data obtained by the Northern Agenda last year showed that North East councils were spending more than £1.4m every week on home-to-school transport for SEND children, with the large rural patches of Northumberland and County Durham racking up the biggest costs.
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/council-warns-severe-strain-social-28416177
Taxi drivers in Brighton and Hove say they are being fined for keeping their engines running in order to keep warm while at taxi ranks.
BBC News reports that motorists in the city can now be issued with fines of up to £40 if they leave their vehicles running when parked.
The city council said it would not be issuing fines to taxi drivers keeping warm while at taxi ranks.
Brighton & Hove Cab Trade Association said wardens seemed to be unaware of these exceptions.
Andrew Peters, chair of the association, said: "I had a phone call from a driver who said he was on a rank in East Street at 06:30 and he was issued with a penalty notice for running his engine while trying to keep warm."
He told BBC Radio Sussex: "I had a driver who told me that he had a conversation with one of the wardens, and he had no idea [about the exceptions]."
He said some drivers may start to boycott taxi ranks in the city.
"The council is going to have to have common sense."
Tim Rowkins, Labour chairman of the city council's environmental committee, said: "We take a common sense approach to enforcement so there are exemptions including those which take into consideration severe weather and the health and safety of the driver or passengers."
He added: "However, taxi drivers seen idling their engines whilst stationary at a taxi rank with their windows open or vacant from their vehicle would be expected to comply with the instruction to turn off their engine, since the defence of keeping warm would not apply."
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-67923067
An unlicensed taxi driver who picked up two vulnerable women in Aberdare has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.
Cleethorpes taxi drivers are breathing a sigh of relief after council enforcement officers cracked down on vehicles illegally parked in designated taxi ranks.
A Barry man has avoided jail after launching a drunken attack on a taxi driver who refused him entry to his vehicle.
Jersey’s taxi service is in crisis, with driver numbers plummeting by more than a quarter since 2014, a new report has revealed.
On Wednesday 27 July, more than 300 vulnerable youngsters were taken on an all-expenses paid trip to Southport.
Taxi drivers in the town will be able to charge passengers more following a decision by the borough council on 31 July.
A taxi driver has been sentenced to a community order after admitting causing the death of a pedestrian by driving at excessive speed.
A joint operation by council, police, and DVSA officials has seen three taxis taken off the road in Oldham due to safety concerns.
Taxi drivers licensed by Mid Sussex could soon be forced to accept card payments, following a surge in complaints about cash-only services.
Two men have avoided immediate jail time after a high-speed race left a taxi driver with serious injuries.
BYD, manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Uber, designed to bring 100,000 new BYD EVs onto the Uber platform across key global markets.
Ways of increasing the amount of wheelchair-accessible taxis across the city are set to be explored to make it easier for those who need one to get one.
Cumbrian taxi drivers are fighting back against proposed licensing changes they fear will cripple their livelihoods.
Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
A Conwy Council meeting on Monday revealed a critical failing that allowed a taxi driver whose license had been revoked to continue transporting children to school.
Worcester City Council is seeking public opinion on a proposal to make safeguarding training mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers.
A proposal to increase driver, vehicle and private hire operator licences was discussed on Friday 19 July 19 at Sheffield City Council’s waste and street scene committee.
Through this collaboration, FREENOW willl provide additional benefits giving drivers up to 25% off pay-as-you-go rates across the entire bp pulse electric charging network and discounted fuel at all UK bp branded sites.
Wakefield Licensing, working alongside West Yorks Police Roads Policing unit, NPT, Off-Road Bike Team, Police Intercept Team, DVLA & DVSA, held a Partnership Day of Action at Thornes Park.