Denbighshire County Council will consider raising taxi tariffs this week – as firms fear the incoming speed limit reduction from 30 mph to 20mph will hit profits.
NorthWalesLive reports that the council’s licensing committee will meet on Wednesday to debate tariffs, following a request by a taxi driver to review the current charges.
The taxi firm is not named in the report but approached the council, requesting to increase all tariffs and extras by 10%. But licensing officers have recommended a rise of 5% instead.
The request follows drivers citing inflation as well as fuel costs rising at an ‘alarming rate’. In a report to be presented to the committee, the request includes details of other rising costs such as wage rises, garage charges, and electric bills increasing by over 50%.
In a letter to Denbighshire council, the taxi driver wrote: “We also have the imminent imposition of the 30mph to 20mph speed reduction on September 17.
"This will increase journey times. As taxis charge by the mile, the drivers will be able to earn less per hour as they will be able to cover less miles.”
The letter also pointed out that taxi firms were hit by bank charges. “More customers than ever wish to pay by card,” the letter read. "In real terms this is a 2-3% reduction in the fare due to processing fees.”
A consultation report revealed 47 of 56 responses from 280 drivers were in favour of the fare increase.
One taxi driver responded to the consultation asking for a 15% rise. “Fares being increased by 10% is simply not enough,” they said. “It’s impossible to attract drivers to the job because we taxi drivers do not get looked at fairly.
“We have had to struggle for 12 months through the economic crises, and now this insulting offer (of 5%), which will no doubt get dragged out for six months and then get rejected.
"People in high places need to look at why we can’t attract drivers to the job, but again, they won’t. Fares should increase but by 15% minimum, then a small increase every year like every other industry.”
The committee has the option of going with the officers’ recommendation and accepting the 5% rise, accepting the proposed 10% rise, or not raising fares at all.
Once agreed, the council will publish a statutory notice with an implementation period of 28 days.
Source: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/taxi-firm-says-new-20mph-27695174
Transport for London (TfL) will introduce a further 65 km of new 20mph speed limits across eight London boroughs by the end of the year.
London World reports that the new speed limits will be introduced within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton, Bromley and Lambeth in stages over the last four months of the year.
This is part of what the mayor of London calls his Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from London’s transport network, and enabling more walking and cycling in the capital.
The new speed limits will be supported by new signs and road markings, and TfL is working closely with the Metropolitan Police to ensure that drivers understand and comply with the new lower speed limits.
Once the works on the new speed limits are finished, TfL will have delivered 140km of 20mph roads across Greater London, ahead of its target to do so by May 2024.
Banners attached to street lamps in the new 20mph areas will also be put in place to increase driver awareness of the new speed limit.
Around half of the 2022 fatal collisions in London (48 out of 99) reported speed as a contributory factor.
Along with the 20mph speed limit areas, TfL is also launching a road safety campaign to tackle speeding.
The campaign launches on radio and outdoor posters, with a new TV advert launching in October in the lead up to Road Safety Week (19-25 Nov), where this year’s theme is speed.
Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: "Lowering speeds is one of the most important things we can do to reduce road danger and forms a key part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero goal.
“TfL data shows that 20mph speed limits are reducing the number of collisions on London’s roads, which is why I’m pleased the 20mph programme has been expanded, helping to make a large area of south London safer and more attractive for people to live and work.
“Every death or serious injury on our streets is devastating, bringing heartache and tragedy to all those involved so we will continue to work with TfL, the Met Police and London’s boroughs to make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, creating a safer, greener London for everyone.”
The Met Police is meanwhile understood to be on track to?taking action?on a million speeding offences by 2024/5.
The police enforced around 620,000 speeding offences committed in 2022/23,?an increase of 35 per cent compared to the previous year.
On Thursday last week, the London Assembly debated a motion put forward by Green member Siân Berry, which called on the mayor to set a more specific set of targets for increasing the number of 20mph roads, including on those controlled by borough councils.
The Liberal Democrats joined the Greens in voting in favour of the motion, but Labour abstained, saying that mayor Sadiq Khan could not force boroughs to introduce the limit. The Conservatives voted against the motion.
While Mr Khan has spoken in favour of having more 20mph limits - calling them “fundamental to reducing road danger” - his Tory opponent in next year’s election, Susan Hall, has said that she would remove them from main roads, as she argues they unfairly penalise drivers.
A former Bradford private hire driver turned film and TV star says he is still enjoying his work in front of the camera after almost 50 years.
According to the Telegraph and Argus, Mehmood Sultan divided his time between collecting fares in the city and working as an actor in a host of film and TV productions.
Although Mr Sultan, 71, retired as a private hire driver four years ago, he shows no signs of giving up his work in film and TV.
He has plenty of new projects either being broadcast or ready for future release as he continues to work hard in front of the camera.
Mr Sultan finished filming a forthcoming drama, ‘Hum Tum’ this summer, and appears as Jameel in its one-minute-long trailer which has been released on YouTube. The drama has been written and directed by Faraz Ahmed.
Mr Sultan is also appearing as Haji Baba in a 15-part comedy series, Hona Tha Pyar, which is currently being shown on TV in Pakistan. For this series, Mr Sultan travelled to Pakistan for filming between January and March this year.
He is also among the cast of upcoming film – Lahore to London.
His upcoming productions include Animal, which will be released in December. Mr Sultan plays a priest in the upcoming Indian Hindi language action thriller film, which is set in the gangster underworld.
The grandfather-of-four, who also previously worked as a security guard, says he enjoys his work in TV and film.
He said: “I have no plans to retire. I would like at the end of this year to go back to Pakistan to do some more filming.
Since the 1970s, Mr Sultan has been in countless other dramas and films, including DCI Banks.
His previous credits included locally-filmed drama called Bakra (Sheep) Online and in 2015 he had a part in a movie called Welcome to Karachi, which was shot at various locations across Bradford.
“I’m happy. I’m a very happy Bradfordian. I’m enjoying myself. I used to do straight drama as well. I do more comedies. I work in TV and film. I work in radio as well.”
He also featured in the cast of tele-drama Taj War, where he played a father, a good, religious man who is well-respected in his village. He had a well-behaved son studying in Germany but has problems with a wild, trouble-making son in Pakistan. Scenes for the drama were filmed in Lahore in 2016.
His other appearances included a comedy called Actor In Law, which was shot in Pakistan and made it to UK cinema screens during Eid in 2016.
Source: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23766727.mehmood-sultan-features-host-uk-pakistan-films/
A Sheffield taxi driver has complained at a city council meeting about receiving eight Clean Air Zone (CAZ) penalty charge notices when his vehicle was exempt.
According to The Star, Abdul Raheem asked a question at a meeting of Sheffield City Council on 6 September, and criticised council departments for not working together better to avoid the situation.
Mr Raheem told councillors: “I recently received eight PCN notices while my vehicle was exempt. I then received a letter that they are all cancelled.
“Two departments are not working well together. They need to save paper and save the trees. If we want clean air we need to protect the trees.”
Cllr Ben Miskell, chair of the council’s transport, regeneration and climate policy committee, responded: “Following investigations, the PCNs have of course been cancelled as you’ve mentioned.
“I apologise that the PCNs were issued whilst your vehicles were exempt. A few other taxi drivers have reported these issues as well and I am working with them.”
Taxis licensed with the council whose vehicles did not meet emissions rules were exempt from the charge until midnight on June 4.
The CAZ was brought in for mainly commercial vehicles travelling around the city centre, including the inner ring road.
The Sheffield CAZ has now been running for just over six months, with the aim of improving air quality in the city centre by imposing a daily charge on non-compliant vehicles.
The issue has proved highly controversial, with protests held in the city and many small businesses including taxi drivers complaining that it would put a huge strain on them.
City of Wolverhampton Council and Merseyside Police joined forces to ensure all licensed private hire vehicles at the Reminisce Festival in St Helens on Saturday 9 September were safe and compliant.
Similar checks were also carried out in Liverpool city centre.
The council's Compliance Team posted: "Compliance Officers are undertaking joint-working with our partners Merseyside Police this evening, ensuring all licensed drivers & vehicles are compliant at the Reminisce Festival, St. Helens and in Liverpool CityCentre.
"All having a great night and getting home safely ^DB"
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