Glasgow licensing chiefs have decided not to take action over complaints about two private hire drivers and a taxi driver.
GlasgowLive reports that enforcement officers carried out investigations after allegations were made about Aleem Ahmed Alvi, Mohammad Imran and Mohammed Saleem.
Another taxi driver and a member of the public had accused Mr Imran of demanding £30 up front for a journey which cost just over £16.
It was alleged Mr Saleem had attempted to refuse to allow a man with a guide dog into his car, while enforcement officers were told Mr Alvi had picked passengers up off the street, which private hire drivers aren’t allowed to do.
At hearings on Wednesday 8 November, councillors on the city’s licensing committee decided to take no action over the claims after hearing from the drivers.
Mr Imran was the subject of a complaint in May after another taxi driver reported he had told a “young lad” that he “wanted £30 up front” for a fare of “around £15”.
The customer told enforcement officers that he was trying to get home from a night out, only had £15 in his wallet and his phone was out of charge.
He had claimed the driver told him it would be £30 but the other driver described the price as “shocking” and took him home for £15.
Mr Imran said the man had asked how much the taxi would be, and he had told him around £16.50. He claimed, while they were discussing the price, the other taxi driver, who was further down the rank, had approached and said: “We were all idiots and you people should not have a licence.”
He told officers that there had been a “previous incident” with the other driver, who, it was claimed, had pressured him to move his car off a taxi rank in an “aggressive manner”.
Mr Imran added he had been driving taxis since 2010 without getting into any trouble.
Cllr Alex Wilson, who chairs the committee, said the other driver “shouldn’t have interfered with your hire”, but Mr Imran could have dealt with the situation better.
The complaint about Mr Saleem alleged he had attempted to refuse a passenger with a guide dog, and claimed he had an exemption certificate.
At the hearing, the private hire driver admitted he didn’t have an exemption, but claimed he never said he did. He told councillors he had an allergy and hadn’t initially noticed it was a guide dog.
Mr Saleem also claimed the passenger, as he was dropped off, had shook dog hairs off his jacket into the car. He said the cost of having the car valeted was £20 while the fare had been £22.
Cllr Wilson was shown photos of the car after the passenger left and said he had “never seen” a vehicle “covered that badly in dog hair”.
An enforcement officer said a complaint had been made against Mr Alvi in May. It was claimed he had been ‘plying for trade’, by picking two girls up off the street, and had also not conducted himself in a “proper manner”.
The unit had not been able to corroborate the report and the driver said he had no recollection of the passengers.
He said he did not know why the complaint had been made and he had only picked up Uber passengers.
Source: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/no-action-taken-over-glasgow-28073027
Angus taxi operators are going in different directions over the idea of a fares increase.
The Courier reports that the current rates are due to be reviewed by councillors this week.
But some operators have warned an increase could be a “fatal blow” to their already fragile livelihood. Others say a rise is needed to survive.
It’s led to a split in opinion and a suggestions ranging from the status quo to increases of up to 8% for some shorter journeys.
The main Angus tariffs are:
Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm: £4.03 for first mile, £6.31 (two miles), £8.58 (three miles) rising to £35.91 (15 miles)
Nights and weekends: £4.97 (first mile), £7.55 (two miles), £10.14 (three miles) rising to £41.13 (15 miles).
There are different rates for Christmas and New Year.
Forfar Taxi Company wants to see the daytime tariff rise to £4.32 for the first mile, and an evening/weekend rise to £5.17.
But the firm says fares for longer trips should be reduced, by up to 8%.
Lorimer Cabs in Carnoustie propose a similar daytime rise, and a 10% evening/weekend increase to £5.45.
However, Arbroath operators have submitted a combined response in support of a freeze.
They say: “We all agree that a fares increase would be a fatal blow to the taxi trade as it stands.
“Things are bad enough for the us at this time.”
Another said: “I am not wanting the taxi fares to go up as people are looking after their pennies for Christmas.
“It is just around the corner so I would rather keep the taxi fares as they are.
“The main reason for ‘no change’ is that diesel per litre was 18p more expensive and petrol 10p per litre more expensive when we last increased the fares.
“It would seem unfair to increase fares at this time, and with everyone still dealing with the cost of living crisis this may actually decrease our trade and make us worse off.”
Angus civic licensing councillors are due to make a decision on the issue at their meeting on Thursday 9 November.
Source: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/angus-mearns/4806950/angus-taxi-fares-review-2/
Westmorland and Furness Council has taken a step forward to increase taxi fares across Barrow, South Lakeland and Eden.
The News & Star reports that members of the council's regulatory committee approved proposals to raise the cost of taxi fares by seven per cent.
The head of public protection at the council will now conduct a direct engagement and consultation exercise with the licensed hackney carriage proprietors and report back to the committee any representations made during the consultation.
After the end of the 14-day consultation period, if no representations are made, the proposed changes to the taxi fares will be implemented a month later.
According to the report prepared for committee members, the average cost of a two-mile daytime journey with no waiting time is currently £6.50 in Barrow, £6.60 in Eden and £6.70 in South Lakeland.
This is lower than the national average of £6.97.
With the proposed increase, taxi fares will rise to £6.80 in Barrow, £6.80 in Eden and £7.20 in South Lakeland for the average cost of a two-mile daytime journey with no waiting time.
Members of the committee voted unanimously in favour of raising taxi fares on September 28 in light of the cost-of-living crisis.
Councillor Les Hall (Hawcoat and Newbarns, Conservative) previously said: “The price of insurance has gone through the roof and the number of taxis available, I can only speak for Barrow, is much reduced because drivers can’t make a living.”
Tariffs were last reviewed in South Lakeland in April 2022 and in Barrow in September 2022.
A unified taxi policy for Westmorland and Furness Council is set to be discussed by the committee at a future meeting.
Councillors voted in favour of the proposed increase to fares for hackney carriage vehicles on Tuesday 7 November, at Penrith Methodist Church.
Source: https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/23907859.taxi-fares-set-rise-seven-per-cent-south-cumbria/
The way taxis will operate in Reading for the next five years has been agreed, but drivers have raised the alarm over the expense of low-emission cabs.
According to the Reading Chronicle, over the summer, Reading Borough Council undertook a consultation into its taxi strategy 2023-2028, which lays out its intentions for the taxi and private hire trade.
Proposals included requiring all taxis and PHVs to be electric or hybrid by 2028 and prioritising access to taxi ranks to low-emission and electric-only vehicles in the future.
The strategy was discussed at a recent council licensing applications committee meeting.
A representative of hackney carriage drivers argued that ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) are too expensive for some drivers.
Asif Rashid, chairman of the Reading Taxi Association, said: “At the moment we only have one ULEV that can be used Reading, it is not fully electric, and they are very expensive.
“One of the biggest barriers to owners switching to ULEV/electric taxis is the costs involved.
“Currently the ULEV taxi costs £74,000 and a Government grant of £7,500 is available, taking the cost down to £66,500.
“However, this Government grant is due to end on April 1, 2024, which will make the ULEV even more expensive.
“Having ULEV and electric-only taxi ranks would be discrimination. We are not in favour of this whatsoever.”
Fellow driver Imran Ali, speaking earlier in the meeting, also opposed the possible restriction of access to taxi ranks.
Mr Ali said: “On Friday and Saturday night, if we’re not allowed at the taxi rank, and there are 50 people queuing up for us there will be chaos.”
Council officers re-assured drivers that the council will work with taxi and private taxi operators to identify ways it can support a shift to hybrid and fully electric cars.
The consultation into the council’s draft taxi strategy received 22 responses.
Cllr Deborah Edwards (Labour, Southcote) the vice-chair of the committee, said: “I have used both hackney carriages and private hire taxis many a time and I’ve always felt valued and safe.”
She added that taxi drivers registered by other authorities are exploiting benefits that should be reserved for Reading drivers, such as access to bus lanes and taxi ranks.
Ultimately, the council’s hackney carriage and private hire vehicle strategy 2023-2028 was unanimously approved at a meeting on Tuesday, November 7.
Source: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23910644.reading-taxi-driver-concern-expensive-new-cabs/
A Hull taxi firm boss is offering free lifts to Hull’s Cenotaph this Sunday for the annual Remembrance Day service.
HullLive reports that Nick Padgett, of WER2 Taxis, in Walton Street, wants to enable people who would otherwise struggle to get to the ceremony to pay their respects. He said: “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
A post on WER2 Taxis’ Facebook page said: “WER2 Taxis would like to offer a free journey to the Cenotaph in Hull this Remembrance Sunday to those who have no way of getting there otherwise. There will be limited availability so please call and arrange your journey as soon as possible.
“Please share this or mention to friends and family who don’t have social media. Lest We Forget.”
The post has brought a number of positive responses from followers. One said: “What a lovely thing to do, well done. Only use this taxi firm.”
One comment said: “A lovely gesture, well done to all.” Another person responded: “Well done to all involved.”
Nick, who took over the taxi business in February, said: “It’s been hard work but the business has grown significantly. I am trying to give back where I can.
“WER2 sponsors local sports teams across Hull, such as kids’ football, and we’ve done stuff with Hull 4 Heroes. A lot of our drivers are very community orientated.
“We will pick anyone up who can’t get to the Remembrance event on Sunday any other way, then collect them after the service and take them home again. Obviously this can’t be unlimited but we will be trying to do as many journeys that are needed as possible.
“I’ll be driving on the day myself. It might be we can do one drop-off and then pick up someone else, depending on where they live – we will match people to where our drivers are, in Hull and in the East Riding.
“Other taxi drivers in Hull are welcome to join in with us to make this happen for as many people as we can. We have a minimum of three wheelchair accessible vehicles that may also be of help on Sunday.”
Anyone who would like to book a lift for Sunday’s service can call WER2 Taxis on 01482 770077. They can also email wer2taxis@outlook.com and find WER2 Taxis on Facebook.
Source: https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/hull-taxi-firm-offers-free-8887475
Taxi drivers across the Fylde Coast are set to receive a briefing note aimed at clearing up confusion over out-of-area private hire vehicles.
Police are appealing to find a taxi driver who may have "vital clues" about the murder of Ryan Passey seven years ago since he was fatally stabbed in a Stourbridge nightclub.
A joint operation by Hull City Council, Wolverhampton Council, and Humberside Police has uncovered a number of safety issues with taxis operating in the city.
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.