Barnsley Council have joined forces with the police to complete nighttime stops of taxi and private hire drivers - in a bid to ensure the public are as safe as possible.
According to the Barnsley Chronicle, in July 21, council staff alongside police officers took part in a nighttime operation focusing their attention in the town centre and taxi drivers.
Chair of the licensing regulatory board, Cllr Steve Green, was in attendance during the operation where a total of 26 vehicles were stopped and inspected. Three of those vehicles were found to be licensed by neighbouring authorities, such as Sheffield, Chesterfield and Rotherham.
Of the 26 vehicles inspected, 18 of them were found to be fully compliant. Two vehicles were suspended for having no working number plate lights - the vehicles were repaired and had their licences reinstated on the night. Three drivers were issued with a written warning for failing to complete their required checks.
A report of the operation, which will be discussed by councillors on Wednesday 6 September, said: “Vehicle non-compliance is an issue officers are concerned with during the undertaking of each and every enforcement operation.
“Defective vehicles are not acceptable and cannot be excused, coupled with failing to complete basic vehicle inspection sheets, which is a tool that ensures the very safety of a licensed vehicle, is not acceptable.
Proactive enforcement operations will continue to take place.
“Vehicle failures are always unacceptable, and our operations must convey the message that operators, vehicle proprietors and drivers must accept responsibility for their failures and make a change.
“We have clear standards that must be adhered to as failure to do so may put the safety of the public at risk when using a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle in Barnsley.
“The principal consideration is, as always, one of public safety.
“Members are asked to support officers and encourage private hire and hackney carriage drivers and operators to comply with the conditions of their licence and continue to keep their vehicles as safe as possible for both drivers and customers at all times.”
Source: https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/26081/safety-scheme-to-target-taxi-drivers
A body representing taxi drivers in Northumberland has slammed the county council over licence renewal delays.
ChronicleLive reports that the Northumberland Taxi and Private Hire Association (NTPHA) has claimed there have been delays of up to eight weeks, meaning some drivers have suffered from a significant loss of earnings while they wait for their new licence.
The council has defended the licensing team, arguing August is one of the busier times of the year due to additional applications relating to school transport.
A spokesman for the NTPHA said: "The council are currently running six to eight weeks behind with paperwork and taxi plates. One driver posted their paperwork in July and has still not received it back - it means we can't work.
"Some drivers have been waiting up to ten weeks.
"The driver has to submit a paper licence to work with other firms, and is losing out on £1,500 a month. Our biggest fear is that this is a public safety issue.
"What the council's licensing department has said is to send them the email of the insurance company and they will say that we have paid and are fully covered - but if there was something that went wrong, if a driver was in an accident and there was a fatality, where would their insurance stand? It is scary.
"The council need to get things in house sorted as a matter of urgency. Drivers are losing money hand over fist."
The association insisted it was not trying to "make trouble" and instead that it was trying to "help" the council by "holding it to account".
In recent years the process has moved online, when previously licensing applications were done face-to-face. The association claims this took less than an hour.
Responding to the concerns, Cllr Gordon Stewart - the council's cabinet member for communities - said: "We would refute any suggestion the taxi licensing department is understaffed and unorganised. There are currently five members in this team, not two, who have dealt with over 1,600 applications relating to taxi and private hire licensing over the last year.
"Like many services, the department has busier periods throughout the year, and August is one of these times with additional applications relating to school transport.
"However we will always prioritise new applications and urgent business as we work to support the many taxi drivers who provide a great service to Northumberland residents."
The council also said it was not aware of "any major concerns from the wider taxi industry".
Officers investigating the assault of a taxi driver have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.
Gloucestershire Police report that it was reported that a taxi driver had been verbally abused and punched by a man while he was driving during the early hours of Sunday 13 August.
The victim had picked up the man, who sat in the front passenger seat, at around 3.40am on the day and was assaulted while driving along Newent Road in Highnam.
This was part way through the journey to the man’s destination.
The offender got out of the taxi and ran away after the assault.
The victim sustained minor injuries.
After conducting a number of enquires, investigating officers are now asking for information from the public.
Anyone who recognises the man pictured or has any information about what happened is asked to complete the following online form quoting incident 86 of 13 August:https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
An unlicensed taxi driver has to pay nearly £2,000 after she was caught out three times.
South Wales Argus reports that Danielle Helen Buckley, 43, from Caerphilly was prosecuted following an investigation by the council’s trading standards team.
Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard how the defendant was pulled over in a Kia Ceed in Pontlottyn and Tir-Y-Berth between January 17 and January 20.
Buckley pleaded guilty to three counts of acting as a hackney carriage driver without a licence.
She was fined £500 and must pay £1,255 costs and a £200 surcharge.
Source: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/23759982.unlicensed-caerphilly-taxi-driver-pay-nearly-2-000/
Plans to rebrand Newcastle’s taxis in black and white look set to finally be signed off next week, after being delayed due a dispute with drivers.
ChronicleLive reports that Newcastle City Council announced proposals earlier this summer to overhaul the look of the city’s hackney carriages.
It is hoped that requiring black cab drivers to fit white wrapping around their bonnets, matching the famous colours of Newcastle United, will make licensed taxis more easily recognisable – amid major worries about criminals posing as cabbies to prey on vulnerable women.
The idea sparked protest from drivers, who complained that the vinyl wraps would become a financial burden for them and branded the scheme a “waste of taxpayer money”.
That backlash led to the council’s new taxi licensing policy being put on hold in July to allow for further talks with unions and driver representatives.
But the plans, which have been supported by the city’s street pastors and organisations trying to prevent violence against women, are now due to come back to councillors for final approval next week and are unchanged from those that were paused in July.
A report ahead of the full council meeting on Wednesday 6 September, states that there is a “need to improve public cognisance of hackney carriages, so they are distinguishable ‘brand’” and that there is “an evidence base of police sexual assault investigations linked to unlicensed private cars”.
Council officials detail how police made 80 interventions during an eight-week operation investigating unlicensed vehicles targeting vulnerable people in the city centre over recent months, safeguarding 34 potential victims as a result.
Their report states: “The white bonnet application proposal is being proposed because of the heightened risks and safeguarding concerns - the safety and protection of the public and users of licensed vehicles, particularly those in the night-time economy is the overarching reason for the change. This will ensure that vehicles are identifiable, safe, clean, reliable and accessible.”
Mohammed Subhan, secretary of the Newcastle British-Bangladeshi Taxi Drivers’ Association, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that drivers were now resigned to the new policy coming in despite their protests. He had previously argued that installing improved CCTV in cars and at taxi ranks would be a more effective way to improve safety.
Other concerns from drivers included criminals still being able to easily copy the new taxi design, passengers mistakenly thinking that drivers had been forced to replace their bonnet after being involved in a crash, and the black and white livery deterring non-Newcastle fans.
Mr Subhan added: “We tried, we protested, but they are not listening. We are not happy, but it is going ahead. They had a meeting with us and said they were going ahead with it. We can’t do anything about it, it's the council’s decision.”
However, Mr Subhan expressed hopes that the council may yet agree to provide some support to help drivers with the cost of replacing damaged or dirty bonnet wraps.
While the council is planning to give a £100 grant to each of the 597 licensed hackney carriage drivers in Newcastle to help with the cost of fitting the white vinyl wrapping, it was claimed that drivers may be forced to fork out regularly to have them replaced.
The black and white branding will only be required on hackney carriagesand they will also need to display red council crests on the front doors and have a taxi sign on the roof that is white at the front and red at the rear.
Private hire vehicles will have to be adorned with a green council plate and display the operator’s details on the back passenger doors.
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/black-white-taxis-plan-newcastle-27629616
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.