Taxi fares are set to go up in Manchester with cabbies worried they will not be able to afford to make a living without a hike.
The M.E.N. reports that representatives from a number of unions for black cab drivers were present in Manchester Town Hall on Monday 23 October, as the Licensing Committee approved a fare increase.
They told the committee how prices had risen for both insurance and running costs, such as petrol and services.
The Unite Union, which was present at the meeting alongside other trade unions GMB, Airport Taxi Association and Manchester Hackney Association, said that reducing prices to match Uber was not an option as they provided the ‘gold standard service’ in the city.
Drivers are 'unable to make a proper living in the trade', which has led to the number of black cab drivers significantly reducing in the area, the committee heard.
The hikes will see:
It would mean the current price of a two-mile journey would increase from £7 to £8.20, or from £9.20 to £10.30 during the night-time or on a public holiday.
These prices were set at a previous meeting of the council’s executive committee and were put through a 14-day consultation, which gathered only five objectors - none of whom wanted to speak at the meeting on October 23.
The trade representatives stated that the majority of their members support the proposals - which will be implemented once the executive approves them at their next meeting.
Councillors at a previous meeting heard that the number of licensed drivers has reduced by 214 in the two years, and by a further 178 over the last 12 months.
The union representatives highlighted that these prices were necessary if the cabbies wanted to be able to make a living and afford to purchase new vehicles ready for the standards increase due to be implemented by 2026.
The new licensing policy for councils across Greater Manchester to be brought into force in 2026 would require drivers to have newer vehicles in order to improve emissions.
Taxi drivers have threatened legal action against North Yorkshire Council’s decision to abolish hackney carriage zones.
The Stray Ferret repports that senior councillors backed the introduction of a county-wide zone on April 1 at a meeting last Tuesday (October 17).
It means drivers can now operate anywhere across the county, rather than being limited to areas such as the former Harrogate district.
Taxi drivers say this has led to a range of problems, including drivers flocking to popular urban areas while ignoring less profitable rural areas.
Now licensing consultant David B Wilson has claimed the decision to introduce the single zone was unlawful and has threatened action.
In a letter to Barry Khan, the council’s monitoring officer, seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Wilson gave notice that drivers had instigated a judicial review pre-action protocol.
He urged the authority to find a resolution to the matter and investigate why the council’s executive had legally approved the measure.
Mr Wilson said: “Before instructing solicitors to pursue an application for judicial review, including service of the pre-action protocol letter before action, my clients have instructed me to write to you in the hope this matter can be finally resolved without the need for either party to incur significant further costs.
“As futile as it may be, as the challenged resolution was made with legal advice provided by you (monitoring officer) and Laura Venn (deputy monitoring officer), for the sake of completeness, my clients ask you to review the law and reconsider whether the council has acted lawfully when purportedly passing an extension resolution by the executive on 17 October 2023.”
The move comes after Ripon-based taxi driver Richard Fieldman urged councillors to delay the decision on October 17 as legal advice he received suggested the decision should be made during a full meeting of all 90 councillors rather than by its 10-person executive.
However, in response, Cllr Greg White and the council’s chief legal officer Barry Khan both said they were satisfied the executive had the right to make the decision.
The executive then voted unanimously to confirm the abolition of the seven zones and to create the single county-wide zone.
Source: https://thestrayferret.co.uk/taxi-drivers-threaten-judicial-review-over-new-county-wide-zone/
A taxi passenger who was being driven through Cumbria on the M6 was carrying £40,000 in cash which he could not account for, a court heard.
The NWE Mail reports that Cumbria Police applied to a district judge at Carlisle’s Rickergate court to continue holding the money so that officers can investigate its origins. The Vietnamese man involved did not come to court for the hearing.
A police financial investigator told the court that the taxi was stopped as it travelled past the motorway’s Junction 41.
The taxi – which had been booked legitimately booked from a firm in Birmingham – had been to Glasgow. It was stopped because it was travelling south “at speed,” the court was told.
The passenger was in the country illegally.
The investigator said the man had no fixed address but after he was handed over to immigration officials he was released on bail.
District Judge Timothy Gascoyne granted the police application.
Cumbria Constabulary will be allowed to keep the money for six months while the investigation continues. The police application was made under powers from the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Source: https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/23874718.taxi-passenger-m6-near-carlisle-40k-not-explain/
A taxi driver who covered up his vehicle’s front number plate with paper and failed to pay the full fee at the drop-off zone at Belfast International Airport has been fined £200.
Northern Ireland World reports that Philip Stephen Clarke, 33, of Lisburn, committed the offence on November 28 last year.
At Antrim Magistrates' Court, he admitted charges of obscuring his number plate and making off without paying £35 of a £36 parking fee.
A prosecutor said police received a report from the car park office at the airport that a member of the public saw a taxi driver in the drop-off zone covering his front number plate before driving out.
Police viewed CCTV which showed the defendant arrived in the drop-off zone at 9.20am and left at 11.10am.
"Before exiting the drop-off zone the defendant partially covered the front number plate of his vehicle with white paper, thus obscuring part of it," a prosecutor said.
The court heard the defendant then paid £1 at the barrier which lifted and outside he then "removed the pieces of white paper to reveal the full registration plate".
The full amount the defendant should have paid was £36.
The defendant said he had paid back the money.
District Judge Nigel Broderick told the defendant: "You have been very foolish. You have placed your livelihood in jeopardy. There is an element of deception involved in this. It is not just paying your parking ticket, it is covering your number plate.
"You put a bit of thought into it. It wasn't as if you were left without money."
Police want to speak to this man after a taxi driver was attacked near Stallingborough.
GrimsbyLive reports that items were also stolen from him during the incident and Humberside Police has now released this image as the investigation continues.
The incident was reported on Saturday, September 23 at around 4am.
It is alleged that a group of men had assaulted a taxi driver, as well as stealing items from him.
A police spokesman said: "Can you help officers identify the man in these images as a part of an ongoing investigation into an assault near Stallingborough?
"Extensive enquiries are ongoing, and we can now release CCTV images of a man we would like to speak with.
"If you know this man, or if this is you, please call Humberside Police's non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 23*136052."
The crackdown targeted drivers operating across council boundaries to ensure public safety and compliance with regulations.
Lucio Valentino relies on his six-year-old Border Collie, Pixel, to help manage his mental health conditions, including depression and personality disorders.
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.