Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is set to consider a significant increase in taxi fares, with a proposed hike of almost 27%.

The decision will be made by senior councillors at a meeting on Tuesday, 3 December.

The last review was concluded in August 2019. A further review was due to be held in 2021, however, operational pressures and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic delayed it.

The council launched a consultation this summer over a proposed 14.9 increase but a higher hike is now on the agenda as a result of the financial pressures faced by drivers.

In addition to the fare increase, the council is also proposing to raise the cost of a vehicle valet from £70 to £100.

A report with the recommendation, from John Curry, SBC’s director of infrastructure & environment, states: “Operators are reporting costs increases of around 144 per cent to their businesses associated with increased operational costs including insurance, fuel, wages and other associated operating costs.

“This report requires members to note the consultation responses in relation to the 14.9 per cent increase and consider whether to apply an increase of 26.7 per cent which is more reflective of the current operating environment.”

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Police and officers from City of Wolverhampton Council have been conducting compliance checks in Warrington.

The council has confirmed that representatives have been working with Cheshire Police to check private hire vehicles registered in Wolverhampton operating in Warrington.

Data shows that up to 96 per cent of taxi/PHV driver licences issued in Wolverhampton this past year were for people living outside the city.

Regulations mean that local authorities must not withhold a licence from an applicant based on where they live.

Some drivers have been seeking a licence from other council areas across the country due to a belief that some have less stringent requirements.

This has raised concerns about council officer’s ability to check compliance, but representatives from Wolverhampton conducted checks in Warrington recently.

Along with a photo of officers conducting a check, a spokesman for City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Another busy night for our Taxi Compliance Team in Warrington last night.

“They were working with officers from Cheshire Police in Warrington, undertaking checks on licensed vehicles.

“A high level of compliance was again found among City of Wolverhampton Council vehicles.”

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Police officers have arrested five people as they investigate the murder of a Nottingham taxi driver found dead in his own cab 30 years ago.

Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, 26, known to family and friends as Shami, was shot dead on Tuesday, November 22, 1994, in what police described as “an execution.”

A milkman found him at 4.30am at Lambley Lane Playing Fields in Gedling with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel.

With it reaching the 30th anniversary of the murder, a team of detectives started re-investigating the crime to try and provide answers for Shami’s family.

A press conference was held last Friday, exactly 30 years following his death, where his family called for answers and said his murder meant they’d been “living a life sentence”.

Now Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed five people were arrested on suspicion of murder in the Sneinton and Bakersfield areas on Wednesday 27 November 27.

They are four men, aged 64, 57, 52, 51 and a woman aged 47. The force say there will be a large police presence around both areas while investigations continue.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the community and the media for sharing our appeal for information.

“This was a dreadful crime that has left Shami’s family waiting 30 years for answers.

“Following our appeal, we have received numerous calls from the public and I would like to personally thank them for their support.

“Please continue to share our appeal and contact us with any information you may have.

“We know that the answer to Shami’s murder lies within the community, and we would encourage anyone with information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or through Crimestoppers.

“Crimestoppers is offering up to £50,000 for any information which leads to a conviction. The reward is only available if information is passed to the organisation and expires on 22 February 2025.”

Detectives are still asking for anyone with information about the crime to get in touch. Anyone with information about the crime can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call 101 quoting incident number 0300 of November 15, 2024.

Alternatively they can submit information online via the Major Incident Public Reporting Site Public Portal.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

A 42-year-old private hire driver was tragically killed in a horrific fire attack outside his home in Walton, Liverpool in the early hours of November 15, 1994.

Barry Bailey had just returned home from work when he was ambushed by a group of assailants who doused him with a flammable liquid and set him alight.

The "fireball attack" that left Bailey with 80% burns was the culmination of what people claimed was a campaign of intimidation in the days before his death.

Sadly Mr Bailey succumbed to his injuries a week later with his wife and two sons, aged 20 and 16 at the time, by his side.

The incident followed a series of disturbing events, including the smashing of his taxi and house windows and phantom phone calls to his landline.

Despite extensive investigations by Merseyside Police, no one has been charged in connection with Mr. Bailey's murder. The force remains committed to solving the case and urges anyone with information to come forward.

Police reports at the time noted how "a man filled a cannister of petrol at around 2am from the all-night garage beside the Black Bull pub in Walton". The man then left on foot towards Walton Vale, near where Mr Bailey lived, before neighbours reported seeing the dad on fire.

In days following the attack, Northway taxis - the firm where Mr Bailey worked - offered a £10,000 reward for information that could help find those responsible. Meanwhile investigating police officers re-appealed for information about the man carrying the cannister of petrol, as well as asking the owner of a light coloured Ford Orion parked in a road near Mr Bailey's home to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Russ Walsh, who led the initial investigation, described the attack as "horrific and barbaric."

He added, "It seems as he made his way into the house from his car he was doused with some substance and set alight by a person or persons unknown."

As the 30th anniversary of Mr. Bailey's death passes, his family continues to seek justice.

Merseyside Police is renewing its appeal for witnesses to come forward and provide any information that may help capture his killers.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Three men died on a recent Saturday night when their taxi fell off an incomplete bridge over the Ramganga River in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, reportedly while using Google Maps.

The victims were en route from Gurugram to attend a wedding in Faridpur when the accident occurred.

The group were unaware that the bridge they approached had been rendered incomplete after floods washed away its Faridpur-side approach months earlier. Late at night, the taxi plunged off the bridge, leaving the victims stranded without immediate aid.

The wreckage was only discovered the following morning by villagers from Khallpur, who spotted the vehicle and informed authorities.

Rescue teams retrieved the bodies using a boat, and the victims were identified through documents found at the scene.

Family members expressed outrage over the lack of proper barricades or warning signs to prevent such accidents.

“The road should have been blocked, but it wasn’t. Google Maps also showed the bridge as functional,” said Pramod Kumar, brother-in-law of one of the victims.

They criticised local authorities, accusing them of negligence. Another relative demanded that officials be held accountable for this negligence and called for a formal investigation and filing of an FIR against the concerned construction department.

Faridpur Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gulab Singh, said: “The bridge is under construction by the UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd. The approach road in Budaun was open, which misled the victims. We’ve initiated an investigation, and action will be taken against those responsible.”

A police spokesperson stated: “At around 9:30 am, we were informed about a damaged car found in the Ramganga river. Our team discovered a Wagon R, suspected to be a taxi, that had fallen from the incomplete bridge. The bodies of the victims were recovered and sent for post-mortem.

"While two individuals have been identified, efforts are ongoing to confirm the identity of the third."

Officials have stated that strict measures will be implemented to prevent such tragedies in the future but the incident has raised serious concerns about infrastructure safety and the reliability of sat nav.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it