A mother has told of the terrifying moment she saw her car on fire in the middle of the night - with flames lapping at her two-year-old son’s bedroom window.
The Worcester News reports that Kirsty Howard’s car was set on fire outside her house in Ronkswood, Worcester, in the early hours of Saturday morning 15 July.
And she says the brave actions of a passing taxi driver saved her family’s lives.
“I woke up to a taxi driver banging on my door at 3.50am,” said Kirsty.
“I ran through into my son’s room, looked out the window and saw flames - loads of flames.
“I picked him up out of bed, ran downstairs and for some reason I opened the front door to see if we could get out, but the heat sent me back.
“So we ran into the back garden with the baby and called 999. They told me someone had already reported it and they were on their way.”
Kirsty said firefighters at the scene told her that if the fire had burned for another five minutes, it could have spread to her partner’s van, which was also on the drive and contains cans of petrol for his work as a tree surgeon.
She also said she was grateful her daughter had been out at a sleepover.
“This could all have been a very different story,” she said. “I keep playing it over in my mind - we could’ve ended up in the hospital or worse.
“That taxi driver has saved our lives. He must have come past the fire to get to the house - what he did was really brave and I would like to thank him in person.”
Kirsty has a suspicion she knows who started the fire.
“They have put petrol at the front and at the back of the car, so they would’ve seen a child’s car seat in the back - who does that?”
A West Mercia Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to a vehicle fire on Ripon Road, Worcester on Saturday, July 15 at around 4am.
“No one was injured. It is currently being treated as arson. Investigations are still ongoing.”
A spokesman for the fire service said: “Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service was called out to a small vehicle on fire in Worcester at 3.48am on Saturday.
“One Worcester Fire Station crew attended Ripon Road to find one car well alight outside a property.
“The fire was extinguished by two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using one hose reel jet.
“The police were also in attendance with arson suspected as the cause of the fire.
“The crew fitted new smoke alarms in the nearby property and left the scene at 5.10am.”
Source: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23660455.car-set-fire-worcester-driveway---arson-suspected/
A proposal for how much black cab taxi fares could go up by in Reading has been agreed.
According to the Reading Chronicle, at a recent meeting, Reading Borough Council’s licensing applications committee considered four options for how much fares could be increased by.
Drivers can charge through four tariffs: a day fare from 6am to 10pm, and a night fare from 10pm to 6am and these periods on public holidays including Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Each journey has a flag drop then charges accumulate depending on the amount of ‘yardage’ which is at 20p for day and night journeys.
Amir Riaz, the vice chair of the Reading Taxi Association (RTA), proposed two options for consideration, which involved reducing the chargeable yardage, with charges effectively kicking in more often.
Two alternative options put forward by cab driver Imran Ali proposed more substantial reductions to the chargeable yardage.
Mr Riaz voiced fears that higher fare increases could scare customers off.
He said: “We don’t only look after our drivers, we look after our customers.
“A big jump might make us land nowhere. Yes we need an increase, but not one big jump.”
Meanwhile, Mr Ali argued more substantive increases would rebalance fares, stating that the RTA had failed to propose incremental fare increases for years.
But Mr Riaz stated that fares could not be decreased after more substantial increases.
He said: “I don’t want it to jump up and then not be able to come back down.”
However, councillor Simon Robinson (Conservative, Emmer Green) disagreed with that view, arguing that fares could be decreased if they are not working out.
A hybrid option combining fare proposals from Mr Riaz and Mr Ali was floated by Mark Groves, a senior licensing officer for the council.
Although Mr Groves was praised for being diplomatic, cllr Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) voiced concerns that numbers were being “thrown in the air” and that any proposals should be written down.
It was agreed that such a hybrid option could be considered in the future if it is written down and has support from the relevant parties.
Ultimately, the licensing applications committee unanimously decided to accept the RTA’s ‘option 1’ for fare increases.
The changes would effect an 8% increase for day fares and 10% increase of night fares.
After the flag drop, a 20p charge would come into affect every 123 yards, rather than the 133 yards at the moment.
Instead of a 50% surcharge for journeys on public holidays, RTA’s option 1 instead charges a £5.40 flag drop and 20p yard charge for day fares, and a £6.90 flag drop and 30p yard charge for night fares.
The increases have not come into affect yet.
The committee agreed to hold a statutory consultation into the proposed increases, which are set to be discussed again later this year.
Source: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23661200.proposal-increase-fares-reading-taxis-agreed/
Manchester City Council held a meeting on Monday 17 July to discuss taxi and private hire policy revisions.
The following changes have been agreed:
• Operator stickers are gone
• Bonnet sticker is gone
• Rear back flash is gone
There will be one council-issued sticker for the rear door to verify the fact that the vehicle is correctly licensed. We therefore advise all drivers to wait for the new council stickers which should be available within a month before removing the other stickers.
• Fire extinguishers, first aid kits and tinted window restrictions are all going to a four-week consultation with a view to removing them from the policy completely
The aim is to get those items in front of committee by September to make changes before Christmas.
• Local area knowledge aspect of the application process has been removed
• Entry age limit of 5 years for vehicles has been removed to allow time for drivers waiting for the Clean Air Zone funding
• Hackney fare increases were also approved
David Lawrie, Director of NPHTA, who attended the meeting told PHTM: "The report was largely supportive and recognised the issue of cross-border working and how it was affecting the local trade.
"As long as the government is not addressing the issue, something had to be done to support the local trade.
"The NPHTA did suggest a tax disc style operator sign in place of the door stickers, this will be addressed as part of the consultation that is due as soon as they can release it.
"Overall it was a very positive meeting, a pleasure to be working with the council and the other trade reps who were also in attendance.
"There is a lot to be said for having a strong working relationship with the local authorities, and this is just one example of how this is a positive step forward.”
To watch the meeting click link below:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7723560
Taxi drivers say their pleas for a new much-needed rank in a Teesside town are falling on deaf ears.
Drivers of cabs in Norton say the need for their services is increasing, but after more than a year of discussions with the council they are still no nearer to getting a rank.
They say on weekend evenings Norton's bustling nightlife is getting busier and busier, but claim there are only two dedicated spaces for taxis to park up and wait for their customers.
Sufi Mubeen, chairman of the Stockton Hackney Driver Association, said: "The issue has been ongoing with the council for over a year with trade meetings and site visits but they have refused to give us a new rank even though taxis are a prominent feature in Norton High Street.
"They are doing a redevelopment so surely it would be a good thing for tourists to find a taxi safely.
"Over a thousand people use Norton over the weekend and hackney drivers have to queue in the middle of the road for fares which is becoming a hazard for other road users."
Sufi, also a ward councillor for the Ropner ward, said there are different spaces that could be used and a taxi rank should have been a priority in redevelopments to help visitors and also to stop drivers getting into trouble for picking up fares in the road.
He said drivers would like a rank in High Street, near the Scruffy Duck pub, where the bus stop will be removed once the one-way system is introduced, or in Harland Place. He said another option could be the car park on High Street, near the old Costa coffee shop.
He added: "The council offered us a two-car rank which isn't viable for our drivers - only two cars at a time."
Sufi said there are now more than 600 hackney carriage drivers in the Stockton authority area and said the council needs to "recognise that the taxi trade is one of the main trades in any borough".
He said: "We help people get home safely - also we are a quick safe option for the elderly and a lot of our drivers have school contracts so are very reliable."
He said the Norton rank would only need to be in operation on an evening until the early hours of the morning.
Councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Stockton Council, said: "The new Norton High Street scheme balances the needs of both pedestrians and vehicles.
"The layout was subject to full public consultation in December 2022 and the licensed taxi and private hire trade have been involved in this process.
"The Traffic Regulation Order has now been approved. The scheme layout includes two shared taxi/loading and two permanent taxi bays next to Tesco.
"It will also provide two shared taxi/loading bays near the Methodist Church too.
"Once the scheme is complete and operational, it will be monitored to ensure the one-way system is working for all vehicle users including taxis."
Source: https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/stockton-taxi-drivers-pleas-cab-27321498
Two teenagers were jailed for a combined eight years after ruthlessly dragging a taxi driver out of his car and stomping on him repeatedly in Grays.
Edward Wall, 19 from Stanford-le-Hope and Ollie McKenzie, 19, from Grays were charged with GBH for an attack near the Wharf Pub on Wharf Road South, Grays at around 11.30pm on May 19, 2022.
Wall was also charged on two counts of ABH for attacking two victims at the Inn on the Green Pub in Stanford-le-Hope.
The pair attended Basildon Crown Court on Thursday, July 13, and were sentenced by Judge Ian Graham.
Judge Graham said: “You both left the victim seriously injured and then fled the scene.
“It is clear from the photos that the victim had been given a serious beating.
“It is clear from the victim statements he is still badly affected by what happened to him
At around 11pm on May 19, 2022, Wall and McKenzie were drinking at the Wharf with two others when a call to a taxi company was made by a woman unconnected to the case.
The cab arrived at 11.30pm as the driver, who was also the victim, made two attempts to contact the woman who made the call.
A group of four men including the two defendants come outside and entered the taxi claiming they knew the woman who called.
Wall entered the front seat with McKenzie entering the rear and the victim asked for a £13 deposit whilst explaining the deposit policy to the group.
Wall responded aggressively and the victim stopped after a few yards of driving, putting up his handbrake.
The victim was punched by Wall three or four times in the head and was also attacked by the group in the back.
He was then dragged out of his vehicle and stomped on repeatedly by the group before they fled the scene.
The victim suffered several injuries including a fractured left eye socket and nasal bone fractures, with his eye closed for more than a week from swelling.
Wall was also charged with beating two victims in Stanford-le-Hope, knocking one out on April 15, 2022.
Judge Graham sentenced Wall to five years imprisonment for the GBH and ABH charges and Mckenzie was jailed for three years and nine months.
Police have stopped a private hire driver who was driving the wrong way on the M1 close to Junction 8 at Hemel Hempstead.
Newcastle City Council is set to introduce strict new measures to tackle illegal and inconsiderate parking near Newcastle International Airport.
West Mercia Police is appealing for information following a rape that took place in Malvern's Priory Park early on Sunday, August 4th.
Glasgow taxi users could be facing a near-10% fare increase and extended night-time charges.
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.