A 40-year-old woman abused a taxi driver from the Middle East, a Polish national and a black woman, telling her that she was a racist before swinging a punch and spitting at her victim.
The Inverness Courier reports that the offences took place between February 2022 and July 2023 after Kimberley Fraser had left voicemails for a former boyfriend which contained a tirade of abuse and threats to him and his new partner.
Fraser, from Inverness, appeared from remand by video link at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a total of eight charges on one indictment, which originally contained 24 accusations.
They were a contravention of the Communications Act; three of assault, two of hindering police, one of threatening behaviour and another of racist conduct.
Sentence was deferred until November 13 by Sheriff Gary Aitken for a background report and Fraser was again remanded in custody.
The court heard that Fraser phoned her ex and left two voicemails threatening to mutilate the genitals of both him and his partner and saying "I'm going to kill you".
Five days before the second call, Fraser, two men, a woman and a baby were picked up by the cabbie who was asked to take them all to Lochardil Road in Inverness.
Fiscal Emily Hood told the court: "On arrival, a disagreement ensued with the accused over the fare. She was trying to get the pushchair out of the boot."
Ms Hood said the taxi driver warned her he would call the police and she tried to punch him in the face but he blocked it.
"She then kicked his leg and pushed him against the taxi. He tried to get her off him but she continued to kick him until he managed to get around to the driver's door and sit on the seat.
The matter was reported to the police," the fiscal added.
The sheriff then heard of an incident at Burnett Road Police Station in October 2022 when Fraser became abusive towards officers, shouting and swearing incoherently, racially abusing one of the custody suite officers and spitting at police and staff.
Ms Hood narrated another offence in Eastgate Shopping Centre in January 2023 after Fraser was arrested on another matter.
"She resisted arrest but was controlled to the ground by officers but continued kicking out with her legs and trying to spit at officers.
"In the police van she bit a police officer on the left forearm, penetrating the skin.
"She is known as an intravenous drug user and follow up blood testing had to be carried out."
In July this year, Fraser was in a bar in Union Street, Inverness when she joined two people uninvited before saying to one of them: "She's black."
Ms Hood went on: "She said she didn't like black people and said she was a racist. The pair left but Fraser followed and punched the woman on the face and spat at her."
A short-sighted taxi driver was not wearing his glasses and thought he had hit a sheep when he knocked down a young father-to-be and left him for dead.
According to the Argus, Abul Hussain struck Jack Brandon, 22, after dropping passengers off in Hassocks.
Mr Brandon, from Hassocks, was walking home after a friend’s wedding reception when he was knocked down by Hussain near Ditchling at 12.47am on July 3 last year.
CCTV showed that Hussain, 55, was not wearing his glasses while driving down the 60mph road and had already driven past Mr Brandon 90 seconds before.
Father-of-four Hussain thought he had hit a “sheep or deer” and drove back to his home in Hove, without stopping at the scene.
He said he did not stop because it was “dangerous to stop there” on a national speed limit road.
Mr Brandon was found dead at the side of the road at 11am that day. He had been walking in the same direction as traffic westbound.
Hussain’s Peugeot Horizon was found in his driveway three days after the crash with damage to the passenger side headlight, windscreen and wing mirror.
Hussain was found guilty by a bench of lay magistrates at Brighton Magistrates’ Court during a seven hour trial on monday 16 October.
The court heard that Hussain could only read a number plate 4.9 metres away without his glasses, a quarter of the 20 metres required by the DVLA.
Piers Restell, prosecuting, said: “The defendant has already passed Mr Brandon and 90 seconds later returns after dropping off a fare up the road.
“Most probably the collision would have occurred even if the defendant were to have had glasses but with better vision, the driver would have been able to identify Mr Brandon and not think it was a sheep or deer."
Detective constable Simon Rideout was brought in as an expert.
He said Hussain’s eyesight placed him in a “position of vulnerability” and that from the dashcam footage, it is clear the driver “would be able to see Mr Brandon was a person”.
The court was shown a still image of the second before Mr Brandon was struck.
The court also heard that it was dark, the road was narrow and bordered by hedges and grass verges.
Richard Saynor, defending, said there was nothing to suggest that Hussain was driving dangerously at the time of the crash. His speed was between 40 to 45mph.
He said there was just over one second between Mr Brandon being visible and the accident occurring. The defence said it takes two seconds to emergency break.
Addressing the bench, Mr Saynor said: “You have to conclude his driving was careless. That the accident was unavoidable, it would have happened if he had glasses on or if someone had 20/20 vision.”
Mr Restell disagreed and argued that knowing he needed glasses to drive “falls below the standard to be a safe, competent driver”.
He added: “Is it right that a taxi driver goes around with an inability to see while driving?"
Hussain said he did not believe he had hit a pedestrian when he left the scene.
Asked why he was not wearing his glasses, Hussain said: “Since Covid I have experienced that when I wear glasses and a mask, steam comes out and fogs up the glasses. It became my habit. Sometimes I wear them, sometimes I did not wear.”
Hussain was charged with failing to stop, failing to report an accident and alternative charges of dangerous and careless driving.
Chairwoman of the bench Joanna Brown said: “There is a presumption of adequate vision required to drive a vehicle. This is what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.
“You have impaired vision and require glasses to drive – that’s not in dispute. On the night in question you were driving without your glasses.
“We find that this would present an obvious risk to other road users and falls far below the standard required of a competent and careful driver.
“We are satisfied you are guilty of dangerous driving.”
As she gave the verdict, whispers of “yes” could be heard from the public gallery, which was packed with Mr Brandon’s friends and family.
Hussain has been given an interim ban from driving until his sentencing.
He will be sentenced on December 13 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
Source: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23859526.brighton-taxi-driver-found-guilty-young-man-killed-crash/
Transport for London (TfL) has revealed how often cabbies drive their new hybrid cabs using only electricity.
According to MyLondon, the data from a recent customer satisfactory survey suggested that sometimes taxi drivers have to use their petrol range extender mode whilst on the job.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request from a member of the public, a TfL official wrote: "In our most recent TPH Taxi and Private Hire Licensee Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted in November 2022, of 248 LEVC TXe drivers surveyed, over two thirds stated that they drive their vehicle in pure electric mode more than 60 per cent of the time.
"The petrol range extender mode is used far less frequently, with more than half of respondents stating that they used it 40 per cent of the time or less."
This comes after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, suggested that more research should be conducted to understand the impacts of an increase in greener vehicles amid concern that "heavy" electric cars could result in extra wear on the city's roads.
In answers to questions posed by Conservative London Assembly Member, Tony Devenish, in the summer about the potential negative effect of more batteries in drivers' cars, Mr Khan admitted that they could "cause greater road damage".
He added: "The weight of cars has been increasing by around one per cent per year for several decades, so this problem is not specific to electric cars.
As battery technology continues to improve there could be an opportunity to reduce the size and weight of batteries to help reduce any additional impact on road wear."
In August, taxi driver Steve Callaghan, 53, spoke to MyLondon about the cost of his hybrid cab. He said the older diesel models are due to be phased out by the end of next year.
Mr Callaghan added that new models cost £60,000, so he is currently renting his.
He said: "It's quite a shame, really. All of them [those running on diesel] are in great working order. I can't really afford to buy a new one."
Source: https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/tfl-reveals-how-often-cabbies-27915137
A decision on whether to remove the ‘knowledge’ test for taxi drivers in Bury is set to be made this week.
The M.E.N. reports that to gain a taxi licence, drivers currently have to take a geographical test correctly identifying locations and the most direct routes in the borough.
However, a proposed change in policy by Bury Council will see the tests thrown out due to ‘changes to modern operational practices and increased provision use and availability of GPS equipment’.
The current knowledge test for cabbies in Bury sees them asked to pinpoint three locations using a map, face 15 questions on road names of where premises are located and recount two journeys by the shortest route between two specific locations from memory.
The new knowledge test would not have any geographical element but would be revised to cover other topics in greater depth which are relevant to public safety such as licence conditions, safeguarding and road signs.
A consultation exercise with driver, taxi firms and the public was undertaken on the matter along with other changes to taxi policy in Bury.
One response from a private hire firm said: “Everybody uses GPS now and I do not think that knowing roads is of any benefit, also the GPS allows for diverted routes in the event of traffic or accident to get to the destination faster for driver and customer.”
Another response, said: “Geographical knowledge is not required in this current age due to modern tools such as GPS systems. Such systems can now take into account shortest routes and also how to avoid the likes of traffic situations depending on time of day.”
A council report to be put before members of the licensing committee on Thursday 19 October, said: “The knowledge test was introduced reflecting the technology at the time which was reliant on physical maps and practical knowledge of the area.
“The licensing service is conscious of the rapid development of technology which it is accepted is widely used currently by the private hire trade.
"Furthermore, the council is committed to addressing concerns of the trade and members regarding decreasing numbers of licensed drivers in Bury and increasing numbers of licensed vehicles and drivers from ‘out of town’ areas.
“With readily accessible modern technology used by the trade, the licensing service believes that the geographic element of the knowledge test has been effectively rendered unnecessary.”
If approved on Thursday the new standard would come into effect for all new applications from January 1, 2024.
Plans to turn Plymouth’s taxis green could be scrapped along with the famous “knowledge” test and a ban on cabbies wearing jeans.
Plymouth City Council has launched a consultation on controversial changes it brought in just last year and is now considering a U-turn.
According to PlymouthLive, the council will now ask taxi drivers, cab companies and passengers for their thoughts on major changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy which was formally implemented in May 2022.
The council is considering altering it “to take into account the current economic conditions and the cost of living”. A report is being signed today, 17 October, giving the go-ahead for the consultation to start on Monday, October 23.
Key changes include:
Review and or revoke the livery policy which requires new hackney cabs to be green and white by 2027 - although the council will still require hackney cabs to display door signage supplied by the authority.
To remove the Knowledge of Plymouth test as a requirement for private hire drivers to encourage more applicants to consider entering the trade.
To allow drivers to wear black jeans. The council said that while the dress code has been “welcomed and accepted” by the trade there have been continuing objections to the rule that denim jeans are not permitted. The council is now considering that black jeans be allowed as part of the dress code.
A year ago Plymouth taxi drivers complained after being offered £200 by the council towards the cost of turning their black cabs green and white. The cabbies called the payment an “insult” saying it will only cover about 10% of the cost.
At about the same time cabbies wrote to all city councillors asking them to drop the ban on jeans.
The Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association penned the strongly worded letter claiming there had not been a proper consultation on the taxi licensing policy.
Cllr Sally Haydon, cabinet member for community safety, libraries, cemeteries and crematoria, said: “We have been reflecting on the issues the trade has experienced and think there is more we can do to alleviate some of the pressures drivers, like everyone else, face with the rising cost of living.
"While the aim of the green and white livery was to make Plymouth cabs distinctive and drivers feel proud of where they are from, we are aware that it is currently very difficult to source the white vehicles needed to create the green and white look.
“They are expensive and the second-hand market is non-existent. Plymouth cabs will still be recognisable as they will have the city council brand on their doors with their licence details.”
In 2022, a council blunder meant that new private hire drivers were exempted from taking the famous “knowledge” test. A misprint, later corrected, meant they approved the test for new black cab hackney drivers only.
Cllr Haydon said: “We also want to be more pragmatic about the knowledge test. Weirdly, an error in the policy wording about the knowledge test applying only to hackney carriage drivers led to a sharp increase in new applicants interested in becoming licensed private hire drivers.
“Times moved on. Private hire drivers use GPS systems or apps on smartphones. Modern dispatch systems send bookings directly to the drivers’ data pads, which have the inbuilt GPS navigation.”
Full details of the proposed changes have been published as part of a decision to give the consultation the go-ahead. It is due to start on October 23 and will run for four weeks.
There will be an online portal which will go live next week on the council’s website and 936 drivers and taxi and private hire companies are being sent the information on how to get involved.
The council said that while the trade is the key stakeholder in the consultation, views are welcome from anyone interested.
Source: https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-city-council-mulls-u-8836089
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