A mum said she felt like a "second-class citizen" as she struggled to get a taxi home with her guide dog after a night out with a friend.
Sue Mooney, from Kirkdale, hailed a cab at 9pm outside the Cabbage Inn on Breck Road.
When the cab pulled up Sue claimed the driver saw her guide dog Carlo and told her she would not be allowed in the car.
He then drove off leaving her stranded on the side of the road.
Sue claims that this is the fifth time a Delta taxi driver has not allowed her to enter a taxi.
Sue told the Liverpool Echo: "He wound the window down and asked if that was my dog, refused to take us and drove off.
"It made me feel like a second-class citizen, I should be allowed to go where I want, when I want.
“My friend stayed with me until the next taxi driver came along. I can’t see and have very limited vision so if my friend had not been with me I would have stood there wondering where he had gone.
"This is not the first time it has happened and it leaves me vulnerable.”
Sue has been using a guide dog for more than a decade.
Sue, 60, said: “I called Delta and I was told that the driver must have an allergy. I was asked to fill in a complaint form."
Sue believes more needs to be done to educate drivers, she said: “I would like to know that the drivers they take on are told that there is no excuse and that people with guide dogs should be allowed in the car. My dog is not an inconvenience”
Source: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/mum-felt-like-second-class-27897253
A thug caused a private hire driver to suffer a stroke after repeatedly punching and kicking him in the street.
ChronicleLive reports that Robert Howey was drunk when he got into the PHV without booking. Newcastle Crown Court heard that the driver tried to explain that he had another fare but the 39-year-old wouldn't take no for an answer.
Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said the victim agreed to take Howey to his mother's address in Walker, Newcastle. However Howey subjected him to an unprovoked attack when he got out of the vehicle with him.
He told the court: "(The victim) followed the defendant to the address. He describes how the defendant turned on him saying 'Do you want a go do you?' and 'Do you think you can take us?'"
Howey then repeatedly punched and kicked the cabbie causing him to suffer a bleed on the brain as well as a fracture to the nose, a fracture to the finger and bruising.
Mr Pallister said: "The assault precipitated a stroke.
"He was put to the ground during the violence and couldn't get up. (The victim) became aware of something badly wrong with his arm and tried to get into the car.
"He was helped by some of the residents in the street. They did get the defendant away from the victim.
"One of the residents was able to dial 999 and police were swiftly on the scene. Unfortunately some of the residents who went to assist the complainant wouldn't make statements."
The court heard that the victim already had a high risk of having a stroke and had suffered "life changing" injuries during the attack on April 3 last year. He was left with weakness in his left leg and arm and poor coordination.
Mr Pallister said: "He is unable to drive and therefore cannot work. The assault has made him nervous, paranoid, unable to leave the house without support from his mother. He has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"He said his life had completely changed. He couldn't support his family, he just felt like a waste of space."
Howey, from Walker, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm.
Susannah Proctor, defending, told the court: "The defendant is shocked and upset to discover the level of injury caused to the victim. They live in the same area and have known each other for a long time."
Judge Tim Gittins told Howey that he became "aggressive" after jumping into a private hire vehicle which he had not booked and the driver took him to an address.
He said: "You left the vehicle then he mistakenly thought that the best way of keeping you calm was to get out of the vehicle at one address so you knew that he wasn't leaving.
"He did nothing to provoke what you did, if viewed through sober eyes."
The judge told Howey that his actions had precipitated him having a stroke. He said he accepted that he had demonstrated some remorse.
He went on to say: "I accept that you did not know that he was vulnerable to this sort of event. That is the risk you take in attacking someone you don't know in detail.
"His life has been turned upside down as a result of your attack upon him.
"Frankly, you are fortunate that you are not facing a charge of fatality."
Judge Gittins sentenced Howey to three years and two months in custody and a 22 months' extended licence period - a total sentence of five years.
He also handed him a restraining order against the victim.
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-thug-caused-taxi-driver-27901895
On 12 November when the Capital falls silent at 11.00am, hundreds of London’s black cab drivers who volunteer their time to take veterans to the Cenotaph and the Parade as part of the Poppy Cabs free Service, will also pause to remember.
Since 2009 volunteer black taxi drivers have provided a free Poppy Cabs taxi service for veterans attending the annual Remembrance Day service and parade.
This year on Sunday 12 November over 1,000 free taxi journeys will move veterans from stations across the capital to the Cenotaph thanks to the generosity of London’s cab drivers.
Mike Hughes, Poppy Cabs Coordinator, said,: “We have been providing the free Poppy Cabs service for 14 years and every year it grows bigger and bigger.
"The service is funded entirely by London cab drivers, often accompanied by family and friends, who volunteer their cabs and their time for this important service.
"Knowing that the Poppy Cabs service is available, relieves much of the stress for veterans attending this emotional event and every year we are overwhelmed by the support of the London cab trade and the men and women who give us their time and vehicles.”
On 12 November volunteer cab drivers are required between 08.00 – 10.00 to cover journeys from all the main line stations: Victoria Coach Station, the Victory Services Club and the Union Jack Club and in the afternoon, volunteers are also required from 12.30 – 16.00 at Westminster Bridge to help with the return journeys.
Each year commemorative Poppy Cabs badges are available for a minimum donation of £5 and the money raised supports the Royal British Legion and the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.
To purchase a Poppy Cabs badge or to volunteer please contact mike@mikehughes.org.uk
A man has lost his bid to become a private hire driver after it was revealed he was caught on the Clydeside Expressway with a fake licence when driving too slowly.
The Glasgow Times reports that Police Scotland objected to Abdul Wajid Mian’s application to Glasgow City Council due to an incident in May 2021.
An officer told councillors that the applicant had produced a “false” Italian driving licence when pulled over by police.
He had been stopped due to concerns over “excess braking” and “slow speeds.”
Councillors heard the applicant also showed a provisional UK licence to the officers, but he was “not accompanied by a qualified driver”.
Mr Mian, who has had a full UK driving licence since September 2021, was convicted in December last year.
He said he had been told the fake licence, which he bought online, was legal, but police checks had shown it was fake.
Mr Mian apologised for his behaviour and said he had been driving from Paisley, where he lived, to a job. “I drive well in Pakistan,” he added.
Councillor Alex Wilson, SNP, who chairs the licensing committee, said: “You do realise you put yourself and others at risk.
"We cannot have people driving with fake drivers’ licence. I understand the road system in Pakistan is probably a lot busier than what it is here, but you need to have a full UK driver’s licence to drive here.”
He added: “Because it’s a provisional licence, you have to have someone who has passed their test sitting with you. The fact that you were driving on your own invalidates your insurance.
“If you had an accident, you are getting sued massively. You could have killed people and you’re not insured. You’ve taken too many risks.”
Mr Mian, who works as a delivery driver, said he wanted a private hire licence as he believed he could earn more money. He said he would adhere to the conditions of a licence.
Councillor Wilson moved that the application should be refused, while Councillor Jill Pidgeon, Labour, proposed an amendment to grant the licence for a restricted period of one year and issue a warning.
The motion to refuse passed by four votes to two.
Surrey police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with a serious assault at a bar in Reigate in the early hours of Sunday 15 October.
The incident took place at Urban Kitchen in Church Street around 1.10am.
Police were called to the bar following reports of an altercation between two groups of people resulting in three people being injured.
The four suspects, who are all male, are believed to have left in a taxi prior to police arrival.
They are all described as white and between 20-50 years of age.
We are keen to identify the man picture in the CCTV image in connection with the ongoing investigation.
If you recognise him, you witnessed the incident, or you have any other information which could assist, please contact us quoting reference PR/45230116661 via:
If you do not wish to speak to police, you can call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The crackdown targeted drivers operating across council boundaries to ensure public safety and compliance with regulations.
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