A taxi driver licensed by Stratford-on-Avon District Council has been suspended for 12-weeks by the district council's Licensing Panel at the end of October, for failing to report three driving convictions to the local authority.
The driver, a 74 year old man from Honeybourne, failed to inform the council of these convictions, which totalled nine penalty points on his licence, and the existence of these penalty points was only revealed as part of his application to renew his dual driver's licence.
The offences occurred over a nine-month period between July 2021 and March 2022.
The district council's Policy and Conditions for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers states that: "the proprietor of a licensed vehicle should notify the council in writing of any conviction or caution recorded against him or of any penalty points incurred within 7 days of such a conviction being imposed."
Given that this was not the first occasion the driver had been before the council's Licensing Panel for this type of matter, the driver was fully aware of the need to report such offences.
The driver was also requested to provide the licensing department, a DVLA share code every three months for the duration of his dual driver's licence, so that his driving licence can be checked for penalty points that may have accrued.
The decision can be appealed to the Magistrate's Court.
Any such appeal must be brought within 21 days from the date on which the notice of the decision is served.
Source: https://www.stratford.gov.uk/news/press.cfm/current/1/item/138094
A taxi driver who caused a head-on collision when he turned round to speak to his passenger left three people injured.
The Northern Echo reports that Peter MacGrathin was taking a client to hospital when he caused the crash in Darlington, at the beginning of this year.
The 41-year-old’s lapse of concentration resulted in his Skoda Octavia smashing into a car travelling in the opposite direction.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the passenger in the other car involved in the crash suffered broken ribs, sternum, left arm, left shoulder and fracture to her spine.
Philip Morley, prosecuting, said earlier in the journey MacGrathin had clipped two kerbs when he was taking his passenger to hospital.
He said: “He went along Burtree Lane at 57mph, which is under the speed limit, there was a bend in the road and he started to drift across the road.
“He turned to speak to his passenger while there was another vehicle coming in the opposite direction and a head-on collision was caused.”
Mr Morley told the court that the taxi driver’s passenger suffered fractures to her ribs and sternum while the driver of the other car suffered bruising.
MacGrathin, from Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and causing injury through careless driving.
The defendant represented himself in court telling the judge that he was unable to afford a lawyer after losing his job following the crash on January 6.
Judge Paul Watson KC gave the defendant the opportunity to delay sentencing until he could find a lawyer but MacGrathin declined as he was keen to hear his fate.
The judge said: “Your pre-sentence report shows that you had taken full responsibility for what happened and you showed genuine remorse.
“You really couldn’t explain the driving which led to this accident but you had a lot on your mind at the time.
“It has clearly had an affect on you as well. When talking about it you became upset at the harm you had caused.
“You have already lost your job which has provided some punishment for what happened.”
MacGrathin was sentenced to 21 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months as well as being ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity days and carry our 150 hours of unpaid work.
The taxi driver's crash also resulted in him being banned from driving for 12 months and he was told he must take an extended test to regain his licence.
The cost of taxi fares across Northern Ireland is set to rise in the run-up to Christmas, the Department of Infrastructure said.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, maximum fares will increase by 9.5% during the day and 19.5% at all other times.
However, drivers may charge less than the maximum if they wish.
The new prices will come into place on December 5, just weeks before Christmas - a time when many rely on taxis to get home.
The department said the increase is needed to tackle the lack of availability of taxis, particularly at evenings and weekends.
It has implemented a two-tiered increase to the fare structure in an attempt to balance the needs of taxi customers, including vulnerable passengers who are more likely to use taxis on a daily basis, with those of drivers and operators who face rising fuel costs.
The price rises are:
The department said it recognises the impact of the current financial climate on the public and these measures are being introduced to assist the taxi industry and support the wider economy, while trying to ensure an affordable means of transport.
Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said it was “understandable” that people would not want to pay more for their taxi in the lead-up to Christmas, but that a lack of availability of taxis was having a negative impact on the hospitality sector.
“It has been a long time since fares increased, and as everything becomes more expensive, fare adjustments are a reasonable measure for maintaining the viability of the taxi industry for the many individuals who depend on it,” he said.
“We know that limited taxi availability during peak times for pubs and restaurants is exacerbating the ongoing crisis in the hospitality sector.
“Hopefully the rise in fares will go some way in addressing this issue by encouraging more drivers to operate during evenings and weekends and expand service coverage during busy periods."
Kirklees Council has announced that there will now not be an increase in licensing fees.
Following on from their published proposals to increase hackney carriage and private hire licence fees in July, Kirklees Council has now issued a letter to the trade stating that a decision has been made to maintain the current fees and the proposed increases will not now go ahead.
The U-turn has been taken following powerful representations from and on behalf of the trade in Kirklees which presented strong evidence that the proposals had not been calculated in a proper and lawful manner.
Mr Atif Choudary, representative of the Huddersfield Hackney Carriage Association, stated that he was: "Delighted that Kirklees Council has been prevented from increasing the current fees, which we believe despite what the council has said in the letter issued to the trade, were not calculated in a lawful manner to recover actual costs of service delivery but were calculated on a profit-based method.
"We will continue to oppose any future proposed increases until the council gives clear and transparent responses to the issues of objection that we raised in the summer, particularly in regard to unaccounted for surplus profits in preceding years.
"The trade also extends its thanks to Catherine Walter of HCPH Consultants for her assistance in challenging the proposed fee increases. As a former Licensing Manager at Kirklees Council her assistance has been invaluable to us in resisting the proposed fee increases".
Catherine Walter said: "It has been my pleasure to assist the trade in this matter and I am very pleased that the representations made by the trade and myself have been given the serious consideration that they deserve and the council is now reconsidering its position regarding this matter."
An Uber spokesperson said: “Following a review we have decided to discontinue the Local Cab service in the UK, meaning that this product will no longer be available for Uber users. Autocab’s core business is unaffected and continues to grow.”
On Background
The core business of Autocab is to provide world leading dispatch technology to 500+ customers in the UK and many more in 35 countries around the world.
Local Cab will be switched off on Monday 11th December at 5pm.
Autocab is a subsidiary of Uber whose core business is to provide booking and dispatch software to private hire and taxis in the UK and internationally.
Local Cab was first launched in 2021 to allow riders in a number of UK towns and cities to request a ride in the app that will be fulfilled by an Autocab-enabled local operator.
UBER EMAIL TO OPERATORS:
Dear Operator,
Following a recent review of the performance of Local Cab in the UK, we have decided, regrettably, to discontinue the Local Cab service as of Monday 11th of December at 5pm.
We are very sorry to bring this news and we are extremely grateful for the service provided by operators across the UK since Local Cab’s inception in 2021.
As per clause 9 of your Uber Operators Agreement, please take this email as providing 30 days’ written notice of termination of the contract. Any undisputed amounts due at termination will be payable.
If you have any questions, Autocab's customer care team is available to support you.
AUTOCAB EMAIL TO OPERATORS:
Dear Customer
Further to the communication you may have received directly from Uber, the Local Cab service, in which Autocab private hire operators receive jobs from the Uber app, will be terminated on 11th December in the UK. The combination of the excellent technical integration of Local Cab and the more favourable market fit abroad means that we will be launching Local Cab internationally. Work is already well underway on this, and we look forward to announcing these partnerships in the New Year.
The core business of Autocab is to provide world leading dispatch technology to our 500+ customers in the UK and many more in 35 countries around the world. I want to assure you that the termination of the Local Cab service in the UK will not impact our service to you.
As a customer of Autocab you will continue to enjoy the excellent products that we provide, both now and into the future, to help you thrive and grow. Autocab will also continue to operate as an independent entity as it has done since the acquisition in 2021. As per your contract with Autocab, your data is your data and in line with data protection law, your data will continue to be protected. If you have signed a Local Cab contract with Uber, your contract ensures that any driver data provided for tracking details is not allowed to be retained or used by Uber for the purposes of marketing to those drivers.
Autocab has led the UK taxi industry in innovation over the years and we look forward to continuing to lead the UK taxi industry forward. Please see attached a list of 20 features that we have delivered as a result of the investment. We look forward to adding to these fantastic innovations over the coming months.
Any questions please contact me directly or speak to our Customer Care team.
Kind regards
Safa Alkat
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