A consultation has begun on the current hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy by Walsall Council.
The Express & Star reports that the consultation started on November 16 and will end at midnight on Tuesday, December 28.
The council has adopted the government’s statutory guidance and made some minor changes to the existing hackney carriage and private hire licence conditions.
The licensing policy is to ensure that the travelling public within Walsall can be confident that the drivers licensed by the council are suitable for this role and that the standards applied are current and consistent.
Councillor Garry Perry, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resilient Communities, said: “We want to make sure that the people who are licensed to drive taxis and private hire vehicles in Walsall are fit and proper to do so.
"This policy will help us to achieve that by providing clear guidance on the criteria that we will consider when making licensing decisions.
“I would encourage all interested parties to take part in this consultation and share their views.”
To take part in the consultation, go to the Walsall Council website at shorturl.at/jtDF4
For further enquiries about the consultation, send an email to TPHC@walsall.gov.uk or visit shorturl.at/loFRS
A former taxi driver who repeatedly taunted a cab driver at the Weighbridge, branding him a “nonce”, has lost her appeal against conviction and sentence.
According to the Jersey Evening Post, Erin Bisson was fined £300, ordered to pay £400 costs and given a two-year restraining order after the Magistrate found her guilty of “using words that were threatening or abusive within the hearing or sight of another person likely to be caused alarm or distress” during the incident in March last year.
Ms Bisson appealed to the Royal Court, raising a number of grievances including misgendering by the Assistant and Relief Magistrates and by the complainant, failure to take account of relevant video footage and the fact that a potentially helpful witness had not been called on her behalf.
The case arose following an incident in the evening at the Weighbridge taxi rank when the complainant heard someone being called a “nonce”. Although initially he did not realise this was being directed at him, he looked over and saw Ms Bisson with a young male, and he identified her as the source of the abuse.
After two preliminary hearings, Ms Bisson appeared before the Magistrate on 18 November last year when the man who had been with Ms Bisson had originally been listed as a defence witness but was not subsequently called by Advocate Heidi Heath, who had represented Ms Bisson at the hearing.
The advocate later swore an affidavit explaining that it had proved impossible to arrange a meeting with the potential witness, or to get him to confirm that he would give evidence, neither did Ms Bisson want to compel him to appear.
In his judgment, Commissioner Alan Binnington, said that the decision not to force the witness to give evidence did not compromise Ms Bisson’s conviction.
Noting that the Magistrate was, as a result, forced to choose between the evidence of the cab driver and Ms Bisson, the Commissioner continued: “The Magistrate found the complainant to be an honest, accurate and reliable witness, who answered questions fully, explained what happened in some detail and did not shy away from the fact that he had confronted the appellant and the other man.
“In contrast, she found the appellant to be an evasive and argumentative witness who would not expand on what happened and was not willing to be fully cross-examined.
“She found that the word ‘nonce’ was said multiple times and was an abusive word, whether in the complainant’s understanding at the time, as a prison informer, or the other meaning, a paedophile.
“She was satisfied that the appellant used the word many times towards the complainant, that he was within hearing of her and that the use of these words was likely to cause alarm and distress,” Commissioner Binnington said.
In relation to the complaint about misgendering, he said that there was no evidence that the Relief Magistrate or the Assistant Magistrate had made anything other than a slip of the tongue and that, in any event, neither was a decision-maker in the case.
Dismissing the appeal against conviction, the court also rejected the appeal against the sentence passed by the Magistrate, including a restraining order which it said was “entirely appropriate in the circumstances of this case”.
CCTV will remain voluntary in Telford & Wrekin licensed taxis, the borough's council has confirmed.
The Shropshire Star reports that Telford & Wrekin Council's licensing committee said it had taken the decision after consultation with "both drivers and passengers".
It said that across the country, 17 out of 266 licensing authorities have made CCTV compulsory for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Councillor Richard Overton, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for homes and enforcement, said he was confident they had made the right decision.
The move follows concerns that the costs of adding CCTV to taxis would lead to drivers choosing to license their vehicles outside of Telford & Wrekin.
The council said that evidence from 185 responses gathered over an eight-week period in June this year, showed that 75 per cent of passengers felt the use of CCTV would improve safety.
But, mandatory CCTV would mean drivers having to foot the bill of more than £700 – meaning they may decide to obtain licences from neighbouring authorities that operate a voluntary policy.
The council said the result would mean a loss of licensing powers for the authority.
Councillor Overton said: "It’s such a fine balance but by building on the success of our pilot and keeping the use of CCTV voluntary, we retain control over taxi standards in the borough with those who obtain their licences here.
“We continue to build on the number of taxis with CCTV cameras we already have – soon to stand at over 50 – through external sources of funding which supports our existing drivers as well, helping overall to maintain high standards of safety.”
He added: “The committee is confident it has made the right decision with the option of reviewing in the future if needed, to support the safety of residents and drivers and ensuring we continue with our aim to make Telford and Wrekin a cleaner, greener, safer place to live and do business.”
A Swansea taxi driver has to pay a massive £2,647 after pleading guilty to breaching the legal limit for minimum depth of the tread on his tyres.
DVSA Enforcement had stopped and inspected the vehicle and found the two front tyres in an unroadworthy condition, exposing the cords and therefore a serious risk to any passengers and other road users.
The driver recently pleaded guilty at the magistrates court and was issued with a fine and costs amounting to £2,647.
CHECK YOUR TYRES!
The operator details from the private hire vehicle livery condition have been removed by Eastleigh Administration Committee at a meeting held last night, 21 November.
French taxi drivers are calling for government compensation after suffering significant revenue losses during the Paris Olympics.
Coventry city centre has introduced a new taxi marshal service aimed at improving safety and efficiency for late-night revellers.
A court heard harrowing details of the moment a drink-driving uninsured motorist killed three people in a 90mph crash.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was amongst the thousands who enjoyed the Battle Proms at Highclere Castle on 3 August.
Swindon residents could be facing a hike in taxi fares from October after councillors gave the green light to a £1 increase in the standard fare minimum charge.
Ricky Harold, a 20-year veteran of the town’s taxi trade, was parked in a lay-by when his vehicle was struck from behind by a black Audi A2.
Chinese automotive giant Geely has deepened its commitment to the UK electric vehicle market with a £120m cash injection into London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC).
North Tyneside Council is facing a backlash over plans to increase taxi fares by 6.3%.
Nazim Asmal preyed on his victims after nights out in Preston and Darwen, driving them to secluded spots before carrying out horrific sexual assaults.
Newcastle is set to see a surge in pink taxis driven by women as part of a new initiative aimed at improving passenger safety.
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.