Leeds taxi and private hire drivers will now be able to drive for two operators, aligning Leeds with neighbouring authorities, as part of a new council pilot scheme.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the pilot scheme follows concerns raised by drivers that the current single operator model was creating an unjustifiable disparity in conditions with drivers licensed outside of Leeds, who are able to drive in Leeds for more than one operator.
Running for up to 24 months the pilot will allow the council to test out changes to policy relating to dual operators and provide a real boost to private hire drivers in Leeds during the cost-of-living crisis.
Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for resources and Safer Leeds Councillor Debra Coupar said: “The dual operator pilot is a great opportunity for the council to test out a new approach and I hope the changes will give drivers licensed in Leeds a much-needed boost during the cost-of-living crisis.
“We will continue to work closely with the trade, operators and travelling public to ensure licensing policies and conditions strike the correct balance between ensuring public safety and quality of service whilst also proactively supporting taxi and private hire drivers in Leeds."
Changes to policy will include – allowing Leeds licensed drivers to work for two operators, removing the requirement to have windscreen livery and considering options for displaying stickers for both operators on the sides of vehicles.
Following the pilot and appropriate consultation a final decision will be made in relation to permanently amending the relevant driver, operator and vehicle conditions to allow taxi and private hire drivers licensed within Leeds to drive for dual operators.
Leeds cabbies are being targeted by vandals who throw stones at them “for fun” and thieves who smash windows to try and steal money during the night.
The drivers are calling on Leeds City Council to change their licensing rules so that they don’t have to display stickers on their cars anymore, as they say this makes them a target. They say they are being targeted by vandals because the perpetrators know that the drivers will not risk losing their licenses.
Mohammed Sajaad, said his car has been attacked four times since he started driving in Leeds in 2008; the most recent of which was in the early hours of the morning on Monday (July 24).
He said he heard a “cracking noise” while heading home and discovered in the morning that his rear window had been smashed. Mr Sajaad said that previously his taxi had been hit by eggs and was even attacked by someone with an axe.
He said: “The sooner we get rid of these prehistoric stickers on our cars the better. They make us an easy target for young people with nothing better to do.
He added: “We just want to take customers one place to another rather than constantly worried about being targeted.”
Adil Hamid, a spokesperson for the Leeds Private Hire Drivers Organisation (LPHDO), said that targeted attacks on the four to five thousand taxis in Leeds are “happening quite often”.
Mr Hamid said that taxis have had their windows smashed during the night by people who “assume it’s got money inside”.
He said: “There was a case where on one night four cars on the same street had their windows smashed and guess what? They were all taxis.
"When these cars are having their windows smashed the drivers can’t go to work for up to a week while they get it sorted.”
The LPHDO has been has been urging the council to remove the need for taxi drivers to display stickers. Mr Hamid said that the council has turned down the idea previously as they believe they are necessary so that customers can be assured that the vehicle is a taxi.
He said: “It’s important but our safety and the safety of our passengers is important.
"When you order a taxi now through an app they give you the driver’s name, registration plate and make of the car. We are not in the 1930s where you have to go out and wait for it.”
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “We sympathise with Mr Sajaad’s experience. Private hire drivers should not be subjected to incidents like this.
"We also understand drivers’ concerns about their vehicles carrying operator livery, but this must be balanced against the need to ensure public safety and the potential risks associated with using unmarked taxis and private hire vehicles.
“On July 26 we announced a dual operator pilot which will remove the requirement for private hire vehicles to display rear and front windscreen livery.
“We are currently reviewing our taxi and private hire vehicle conditions policy, which will include engagement with user groups, the trade and stakeholders.
"We would encourage private hire drivers and operators to share their views with us as part of the review.”
A Belgian tourist has been charged £450 by London pedicab driver for seven-minute ride.
BBC News reports that April Argenau was charged the sum after a 1.3-mile (2km) trip from Oxford Street to the Royal Lancaster hotel.
"I am shocked the guy got away with this," she said.
The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association and Met Police say they receive regular reports of tourists being scammed.
Ms Argenau was with her two children when they made the journey. "I felt so threatened, and my kids felt scared," she said.
"The ride took seven minutes and then we arrived at the hotel, where he got out some device and pressed a button.
"The device first said £330. He then pressed a button, and the screen turned into £464. I said, 'Are you kidding me? That's ridiculous. In my currency, that's over €530."
Ms Argenau said the driver refused to back down and was intimidating towards her, demanding immediate payment.
After she paid, she said he disappeared, purposely avoiding the hotel's CCTV cameras.
Laws covering pedicabs have not been updated since 1869 and the bikes are treated as stage carriages, meaning anyone can buy a pedicab and begin charging people fees.
Licensed Taxi Drivers Association chair Steve Mcnamara said the organisation received daily reports of people being scammed, and the incident was one of the worst he had heard of for the length of trip.
"It's a national disgrace," he said. "Tourists being ripped-off is an ongoing problem.
"The need for stringent regulations to protect vulnerable tourists and maintain the integrity of London's transportation industry has never been more apparent."
Numerous tourists have fallen victim to similar scams in the West End from pedicab drivers.
Last year in London's West End a tourist was charged £300 for a mile-long (1.6km) trip from Selfridges to Green Park station.
Another was charged £180 for a three-minute journey, even though an £18 fare had already been agreed. The Met Police and council ordered the driver to hand the money back.
To address the growing concern, courts have issued fines amounting to £29,987 to pedicab drivers in Westminster for excessive fares and noise pollution since November 2021.
The fines have ranged from £106 to £1,850, Westminster City Council said.
Aicha Less, deputy leader at the council, said: "Pedicabs operating in Westminster are a stain on our renowned night-time economy and West End.
She says city inspectors "do their best" to educate visitors of the dangers and support businesses to prevent pedicabs "ruining their livelihoods", but that without government legislation, "operators will always find new ways to push the boundaries".
The Met Police said the force regularly received complaints about the "poor behaviour" of some pedicab riders.
It urged tourists to "check carefully" and find another way to get to their destination if in doubt.
"We have used and will continue to use our Community Protection Notices where applicable."
Pedicab drivers had been due to be included in the government's Transport Bill but it was dropped in the last Parliamentary session and remains delayed.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66257051
A racist thug battered a taxi driver with a vodka bottle but accidentally left his mobile phone behind in the victim's car.
According to the Liverpool Echo, George Liu unleashed a torrent of vile abuse after drunkenly reacting with fury to being told to pay his fare in advance. He then repeatedly struck the cabbie to the head and face with the makeshift weapon during the early hours assault.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday 25 July, that driver Nnade Uduji responded to a call for a pick-up in Stockbridge Village at around 4.45am on February 6 last year.
Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, described how he parked up in the street before Liu, from Wavertree, approached his vehicle and knocked on the door while holding a bottle of vodka and a tumbler containing a quantity of liquid.
The 32-year-old was told he could not enter the vehicle with a full glass, at which he took a swig of his drink before pouring the rest away and getting in on the rear passenger's side.
Mr Uduji then demanded that the customer pay up front, but he refused and was asked to get out.
Liu did not do so however, instead telling him "you must drive black man". The defendant went on to call the complainant an "old black man" as he became "angrier and angrier".
At this, Mr Uduji called his office to report the issue. But Liu moved across the back seat and grabbed him by the shoulders demanding that he drive on, then took hold of the cabbie's phone and smashed it against the glass bottle causing the screen to crack.
The driver exited his car and went to the rear in order to recover his mobile, but as he reached into the door his fare swung the bottle at him - hitting him to the head and face several times.
His attacker ran away down the road still carrying the device, but then realised he had left his own phone in the back of the taxi.
Mr Uduji refused to return his mobile until the police arrived. However, another driver subsequently arrived on the scene and acted as an intermediary between the two men as they returned each other's phones.
Liu then fled the area. Mr Uduji suffered a "nasty" wound to the top of his head, which had to be glued in hospital, as well as a cut to the bridge of his nose and "small lumps" on his forehead.
In a recording of his 25-minute long call for help, his assailant could be heard saying "he was going to kill him", calling him a "little black b******" and an "African c***" and making other racist comments.
Under interview following arrest, he claimed he had been bitten and was acting in self-defence.
Liu has seven previous convictions for 11 offences, including one for racially-aggravated assault in 2009.
Liu admitted racially-aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He nodded as he was jailed for 18 months.
Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: "You refused to pay him, you refused to get out of the car and you began to racially abuse him. Ultimately that argument developed and you hit him more than once over the head with the vodka bottle, causing a nasty cut to the top of his head.
"It was certainly prolonged and persistent racial abuse. Your victim was a taxi driver, a public servant.
"You say you are in work and have a very young child who has just been born. But, when I look at your record, you have previous similar offending - albeit in 2009.
"You did not learn your lesson then. I don't see any sense of remorse or learning from what you have done."
Source: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/racist-thug-battered-taxi-driver-27389760
A private hire driver has lost his licence after South Cambridgeshire District Council successfully defended an appeal in court.
CambridgeshireLive reports that Humayun Ahmed, 27, of Cambridge, appeared before the council’s Licensing Appeals Sub Committee in August 2022.
This came after Mr Ahmed notified the council that he had been convicted of driving without due care and attention, while not on duty as a PH driver and fined £630.
The conviction originated from when he was issued with a fine in August 2019 for speeding.
This would have resulted in three points on his personal driving licence and a £100 fine. However, Mr Ahmed did not pay the fine and the matter escalated into legal proceedings.
Then, in October 2020, the council received a complaint that Mr Ahmed’s private hire vehicle was breaching licence conditions by not having both the operator and council-issued door signs on show on his vehicle while he was working.
The council told Mr Ahmed to rectify this immediately, which he did. Later, in April 2022, Mr Ahmed notified the council that he had been convicted of another speeding offence.
For this, he was handed a further five penalty points on his personal driving licence. This meant that he had accrued a total of 14 points on his driving licence - drivers are banned from driving if they receive 12 or more penalty points.
As a result of these offences, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Licensing Sub Committee revoked his private hire driver licence. Mr Ahmed appealed the council’s decision.
The appeal was heard at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 19. The Lead Magistrate stated that they had to ensure the safety of the public and felt that Mr Ahmed’s behaviour had fallen short of that expected of a professional driver.
The court, therefore, determined that Mr Ahmed was not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire licence and dismissed the appeal, awarding the council £150 in costs.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Licensing, Councillor Henry Batchelor, said: “This case shows that actions when a licensed driver is off duty can still have serious ramifications for their taxi/PHV licence.
"Holding a licence of this sort is a privilege and means the public put their trust and safety in these drivers.”
Source: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridge-taxi-driver-loses-licence-27396751
At least 14 cars have been damaged since June, with drivers suffering financial loss and emotional distress.
The attack happened at around 12.45pm on Etruria Vale Road, Stoke, when the victim, driving a Toyota Avensis, was punched in the face by one of the men.
Cumberland Council has taken decisive action to protect public safety by revoking the licence of a taxi driver charged last week with a serious racially aggravated offence.
A historic bridge has been closed indefinitely after an Uber car became wedged on Saturday morning.
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).