Taxi drivers in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead have secured a significant victory, gaining the freedom to choose the colour of their vehicles.

At a licensing panel meeting o 14 October, councillors unanimously approved a proposal to scrap the current white and purple colour scheme for hackney carriages.

The decision came after a plea from drivers who argued that the current livery was burdensome in terms of cost and restrictions.

While the council's coat of arms will still be featured on the back doors, drivers will now have the flexibility to select any colour they prefer.

In February, the panel agreed to make changes to the look of the current livery to ‘ease the burden on drivers’ in relation to aspects such as the costs of having to make changes to their vehicles.

Councillors considered several options, including requiring all vehicles to be white, silver, or grey, but ultimately opted for a more driver-friendly approach.

Taxi drivers expressed relief at the decision, stating that it would alleviate financial pressures and provide them with greater flexibility in acquiring vehicles.

Councilors, while acknowledging the importance of safety for residents, recognised the potential negative impact of the previous colour restrictions on drivers' livelihoods.

The new changes will take effect on January 31, 2025, applying to all new taxi vehicles.

Existing vehicles will have the option to adopt the new livery.

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A taxi driver from Benwell appeared in court this week facing allegations of sexual assault and false imprisonment.

David Duduveica, 24, is accused of carrying out the offences against a woman in his cab on a street in North Shields last August.

Due to the severity of the charges, particularly the false imprisonment allegation, the case will be heard at Newcastle Crown Court.

No pleas were entered during the brief hearing at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.

District Judge Paul Currer ordered Duduveica to appear at the Crown Court on November 13. "Your case is too serious to be dealt with here," the judge said.

"You will need to appear at the Crown Court, which is in the same building."

Duduveica was released on conditional bail, which includes conditions prohibiting him from contacting the alleged victim and requiring him to reside at his current address.

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Transport for London (TfL) is cracking down on drivers who persistently evade penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued for Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) contraventions.

A cohort of people who refuse to pay multiple PCNs means that a significant amount of debt remains outstanding, which could be reinvested into improving the transport network for the benefit of all Londoners.

TfL is tripling the number of people in its investigations team to boost the work with enforcement agents to target those in polluting vehicles that refuse to pay the daily charges. Boosting its intelligence-led approach will be used in tandem with other enforcement action including the ability of bailiffs to visit an evader’s address, clamp a vehicle, remove a vehicle and sell it at auction. This is in addition to the further fees that evaders accrue when they do not to pay the fine within the statutory time limit.

On 29 August 2023, the Ultra Low Emission Zone expanded London-wide to help tackle air pollution and traffic congestion. Any income generated from the scheme is being reinvested back into public transport, including improving bus routes in outer London. The scheme is not designed to generate revenue, as TfL wants all cars to be compliant.

The latest data shows that over 96 per cent of vehicles seen driving in the zone comply with the emissions standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers do not need to pay the daily charge. TfL’s cameras check the number plates of vehicles driving in the zone, and if no charge is paid for a non-compliant vehicle within three days of the journey taking place, and no Auto Pay arrangement is in place, a penalty charge notice (PCN) is sent to the registered keeper. If a vehicle’s registered keeper does not pay the penalty, it is registered as an unpaid debt and an order made for its recovery. If still not paid this leads to a court-issued warrant, and enforcement action to recover the outstanding debt.

If a registered keeper ignores a warrant, bailiffs visit their address to recover money owed. In July, a driver with 45 warrants against them was traced by TfL agents to a new address. They claimed that they no longer owned the vehicle, but TfL’s investigations team established that the PCNs were received before the vehicle was sold. The driver settled their balance of almost £16,000.

Another repeat offender with 21 warrants against their vehicle was visited multiple times by TfL enforcement agents and made a series of payments to settle their outstanding debt of over £7,800.

Enforcement agents also have the power to seize particular belongings of the debtor, and use the proceeds to satisfy any outstanding debt. In August, a car was located, seized and removed after ignoring ten warrants. The driver in question had been issued with a total of 43 letters and been visited by bailiffs five times previously. Between August 2023 and July 2024, 1,429 cars were seized and removed by bailiffs.

Between August 2023 and July 2024, 761 seized cars were auctioned, recovering £710,147 of debts accrued by the minority who refuse to pay the ULEZ charge.

TfL encourages anyone who has received a ULEZ penalty charge to engage with the notice. Staff work proactively with the registered keeper to reach a solution, including setting up payment plans where appropriate, to make fines owed more manageable, and signposting to charities and resources so that they can directly seek any assistance they need.

Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: "There is only a small minority of drivers who are eligible for the charge, and even fewer who are refusing to pay – but we encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties not to ignore PCNs, and to engage with our staff, who will work with you towards a resolution, including setting up debt payment plans."

TfL encourages drivers to sign up to its Auto Pay system, which enables customers to be billed automatically when their vehicle enters the ULEZ and therefore avoids a fine. Customers registered with Auto Pay are debited on a monthly basis for daily charges and receive a monthly statement of the charges. Those registered with Auto Pay holders have 90 days to dispute any charges debited.

All penalty charge notices - a statutory notice - are sent with a guidance leaflet written in clear, uncomplicated language, offering advice on what the PCN means, how to challenge one and how to avoid receiving one in future.

TfL’s website also provides further detail on how to make a representation, how to appeal the outcome of a representation, and a document outlining the rights of the recipient in relation to enforcement agents.

A pilot scheme to offer increased support to vulnerable recipients of penalty charges is set to be introduced in the coming months. The scheme will include new guidance for TfL staff to assist those experiencing hardship, such as referring to a partner organisation which provides financial guidance.

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A taxi driver has been hailed a hero after saving a woman from her estranged husband, who had been lying in wait in her garden with a hammer.

Richard Boyers, from Barnsley, had been harassing and stalking his wife and had left her a voicemail earlier that night suggesting he knew she was out.

The woman, who was returning home from a night out, expressed her concerns to the taxi driver and asked him to wait until she was safely inside.

As she got out of the cab, Boyers approached her with a hammer, prompting the driver to lock the door and drive away.

The cabbie called the police and reported the incident. When he returned to the address, the police were not there but Boyers' car was there, so the driver fled the scene.

Boyers followed the taxi at high speed, and the woman became terrified for her safety and concerned the defendant may try and drive into the taxi.

She received repeated calls and voicemails from Boyers, who was pleading and distressed.

The driver went around a roundabout four or five times in an attempt to shake the defendant, who eventually drove away.

When police arrived at the woman's home, they discovered that the electric box outside had been tampered with and there were no lights on.

Boyers was eventually arrested, and jewellery and perfume belonging to the woman were found in his car.

Boyers pleaded guilty to burglary and stalking with fear of violence.

The court heard that he only had previous convictions for driving offences which had taken place 20 years previously. However, he had a history of trauma and had been struggling to cope with his mental health issues.

The judge made Boyers the subject of  Boyers of a 16-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered him to undergo mental health treatment, 32 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The victim expressed her desire for Boyers to get help.

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Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, has visited an exhibition showcasing the devastating impact of guide dog owners being illegally turned away from businesses and services.

The Guide Dogs charity's latest survey revealed that a staggering 88% of guide dog owners have been refused entry or asked to leave a venue, highlighting a widespread problem of discrimination.

Thousands of people with sight loss rely on guide dogs for their independence, but many are being prevented from going about their daily lives due to these refusals.

Common examples include being turned away from cafés, restaurants, shops, and even medical appointments.

Minicabs and taxis remain a particular problem, with 58% of survey respondents reporting being refused service by private hire or taxi drivers.

Guide Dogs is urging all taxi and private hire drivers to undergo training as part of the licensing process to better understand the role of guide and other assistance dogs and the legal rights of their owners.

Eleanor Briggs, head of policy, public affairs and campaigns at Guide Dogs, said, "Guide dogs are not a pet, they’re essential for many people to travel and live independently. But too many guide dog owners continue to face frustrating and often upsetting discrimination when trying to get out and about."

She added, "We’re calling for better enforcement and education to prevent access refusals from happening in the first place.

"The high level of refusals in private hire vehicles and taxis demonstrates the clear need for all minicab and taxi drivers to have high-quality disability equality training to prevent these refusals from happening in the first place."

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