Senior Hyndburn councillors have approved a shake up of its licensing regime for older taxis and private hire vehicles in the borough.
Hyndburn Council believes the change will increase the number of vehicles operating in the borough and improve public safety.
The Lancashire Telegraph reports that now all vehicles over the age of ten years have to be tested three times a year for road worthiness and are only issued with a licence for four months, excluding hybrids.
However if a vehicle over the age of ten years passes its test the first time on three consecutive occasions it will be issued with a six month licence on the third occasion.
Under the new scheme all vehicles over the age of two years and up to the age of 15 years will be tested twice a year and be issued with a licence for six months at a time.
Once a vehicle reaches the age of 15 years it will revert to three tests a year and be issued with a four months licence.
The changes to Hyndburn Council's Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy approved by its Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 13 September, also removed the requirement for all of vehicles to carry a fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
The meeting was told the current policy was leading to a shortage of taxi and private hire vehicles in the borough and encouraging drivers to go elsewhere for a licence and working in Hyndburn diminishing the council's that enforcement powers.
A report to the meeting said: "A shortage of licensed vehicles to service the night time economy could have a detrimental effect on public safety.
"It could lead to people having to stand around longer waiting for a taxi or private hire, or taking the risk of walking home very often in a vulnerable state.
"A shortage of licensed vehicles could also lead to rogue unlicensed vehicles picking up customers illegally. Women are particularly vulnerable late at night."
The father, stepmother and uncle of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have been charged with murder after police found her body at their Surrey home in August.
Sara’s father, hackney driver Urfan Sharif aged 41, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 28, flew to Pakistan with five children in August.
Shortly after arriving, Sharif called emergency services in the UK to report that Sara was dead at their house in Horsell, near Woking.
The discovery of her body sparked an international police search after a postmortem examination found she had sustained “multiple and extensive injuries” over a “sustained and extended” period.
The three have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child.
They have been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford magistrates court on Friday.
The trio travelled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Sara’s body in Woking on 10 August.
They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai.
They had left Sialkot airport in Pakistan on Wednesday morning after negotiations with the police and British authorities, sources told the Guardian earlier.
Police said Sara’s mother has been informed of the latest development and was being supported by specialist officers.
The three had disappeared after their arrival in Pakistan. It was assumed that Urfan Sharif’s five children, aged between one and 13, were with him, but it emerged on Monday that they had been staying with their grandfather Muhammad Sharif at his home in Jhelum.
They were found after a police raid and have been taken into care in Pakistan.
The Guardian reported on Sunday that Muhammad Sharif was negotiating with local politicians and police for the fugitives to come out of hiding and be handed over to the British authorities.
They were said to be frightened of ill treatment if they were dealt with by police in Pakistan.
A Jhelum police official told the Guardian they felt “relieved” to have concluded a “really complicated case”
A man spent eight days in a coma after a 16-year-old driving his mum's car ploughed into the private hire vehicle he was riding home in.
Michael Hanrahan had taken the keys to his mother's white Mercedes A200 while she slept.
According to the M.E.N., he reached speeds of up to 80mph in a 30mph zone in Ashton-under-Lyne, later claiming he was being pursued by another car which he feared contained men armed with machetes.
Hanrahan went through a red light at a junction and ploughed into a taxi, causing it to spin and hit some railings.
The passenger, a man in his 20s, spent eight days in an induced coma after suffering a catalogue of injuries. In the months following the horror crash, he could not carry out basic tasks including washing and dressing himself, and felt ‘embarrassed’ and ‘useless’.
Hanrahan, now 19, walked free from court after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Manchester Crown Court heard that the collision happened on Oldham Road, near the junction with Newmarket Street and Wilshaw Lane, at about 11pm on Sunday, December 13, 2020.
Hanrahan had taken his mother's car and was being pursued by another vehicle, he claimed. Police later estimated that he had been travelling at between 65mph and 81mph in the lead up to the collision, prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said.
He went through a red light at the junction and crashed into a Toyota Prius, which had been driving 'entirely appropriately'.
The driver walked away with minor injuries but the back seat passenger was seriously hurt.
His catalogue of injuries included a bleed on the brain, fractures to his neck and pelvis and the collapsing of both lungs, and he was placed into an induced coma for eight days.
His ordeal left him with memory and speech issues. He has been left with a permanent limp and still has trouble sleeping.
"He no longer recognises the man he has become," Mr Hayhoe said of the victim. "He feels his life has been turned upside down, through no fault of his own."
Hanrahan walked away from the crash, and fled the scene. He handed himself in two days later after seeing posts on social media about the crash, the court heard.
Hanrahan told police that he believed he was being pursued by the other car, and felt he had to drive in that way to escape.
Defending, Estelle Parkhouse said Hanrahan had been living in Liverpool at the time and was 'homesick' and wanted to visit an ill relative so decided to head back to his native Greater Manchester.
Hanrahan 'deeply regrets' his behaviour and has not been in any further trouble since, she said.
Judge Sarah Johnston said under the law she had to sentence Hanrahan if he were a youth, because he was 16 at the time of the offence.
She described him as a 'vulnerable young adult', and said his culpability was reduced because of his immaturity.
"There is no sentence that I could pass that could undo the harm that has been caused," the judge said. But Judge Johnston said she was satisfied that Hanrahan was remorseful and can rehabilitate himself.
He was sentenced to an 18 month community order, and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Hanrahan, from Droylsden, Tameside, was also banned from driving for two years.
A nighttime reveller who vomited in a taxi went on to brutally assault the driver with a fire extinguisher after he was told he’d have to pay to clean it up.
According to the Press and Journal, Ross Dunbar, 25, struck the cabbie over the head as he was being driven home from a city centre nightclub on Christmas Eve.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that Dunbar has no memory of his violent actions because he was so drunk at the time.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart told the court that Dunbar was picked up by a taxi outside Soul Bar on Union Street at around 4am.
When the driver looked in his rearview mirror, he saw Dunbar vomiting in the back of the taxi and told him he would have to pay a £50 cleaning fee.
“At this time the accused refused to pay by card but said he would pay in cash when he was returned home,” Ms Stewart said.
“The driver continued driving and as he negotiated a bend he looked back and the accused struck him in the face with the vehicle’s fire extinguisher.”
The driver slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over before fleeing the vehicle for his own safety.
Dunbar then walked away as the driver contacted police.
The taxi driver was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where glue was required to close the laceration on his face.
Dunbar, from Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault.
Defence solicitor, Christopher Maitland, said: “Obviously, this is a serious matter and having looked through the evidence, Mr Dunbar feels terrible about what he did and he knows he must be punished for that.”
Sentencing Dunbar, Sheriff Margaret Hodge told him that she took into account his lack of previous criminal record and his subsequent remorse.
“However, I’m concerned that there is no real excuse for this vio lent attack - it was unprovoked,” she added.
Sheriff Hodge fined Dunbar £520 and ordered him to pay compensation to the driver of £250.
Manchester City Council’s Executive has approved plans that would provide additional support to the hackney carriage trade.
For a number of months the council has been exploring additional measures that could benefit drivers working in Manchester.
Given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, as well as the lingering impact of the pandemic, the taxi trade in general has endured a difficult few years.
Recommendations made to the Executive include:
This 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 nighttime or on a public holiday.
These recommendations have been compiled following input from the GMB and Unite unions to help understand the nature of the current hackney carriage trade, and to help the council formulate a policy that is fair for both operators of hackney carriages driver and customer.
Following this approval, a consultation on the proposed changes will run through to the end of September, with a view to implementing changes during October (dependent on any objections being received).
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods said: “We are aware that recent years have been incredibly difficult for our hackey carriage drivers and vehicle owners.
"This is why we’ve looked at what changes could be made to ensure this trade remains a viable one. Last year we extended the acceptable age limit for vehicles in the fleet to 15 years to assist vehicle owners.
“However it was important that this policy change was balanced to ensure that consumers are still able to pay a fair price for this service.
“We’ve also looked to address a common issue raised with us, that hackneys do not universally accept card payments. It’s a key priority that people are able to pay through a range of means when using this kind of service to get home.
"We are particularly conscious of women’s safety, and following the launch of our Women’s Night Time Safey Charter, we want to remove barriers which could stop a women from getting home safely."
A local councillor has sparked a debate on passenger safety after claiming that using locally licensed taxis is safer than hailing an Uber.
A taxi driver was attacked and subjected to racist abuse after two brothers refused to pay him up front.
Christopher Hilling, 64, admitted to engaging a child in sexual activity at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 8 August.
Abdigani Ebrahim, 38, of Grangetown, admitted charges of affray and criminal damage following the incident in Northcote Street, Roath, last July.
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.