Seven Stoke-on-Trent taxi drivers have been fined after a police sting found they 'put the public at risk'.
Stoke on Trent Live reports that the cabbies - aged between 22 and 49 years - all plied for trade without being booked in advance, which meant they were not insured to carry out the subsequent journeys.
They were caught out after an undercover council officer, purporting to be a member of the public, was able to climb into each cab as a passenger before being pulled over by a roads policing vehicle at a nearby check-point.
It was then demonstrated that the driver was operating illegally during he sting, which took place between 10.30pm and 11.50pm on November 26 last year.
The drivers, who have not been named but are all from Stoke-on-Trent, appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in March.
They were convicted and each handed six penalty points on their licence and a fine of between £700 and £1,200.
They have also each be referred to the relevant local authority’s taxi licensing committee for a decision over whether they are allowed to continue to work as drivers in the future.
Staffordshire Police ran the operation alongside teams from Stafford Borough Council, Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the DVSA.
Speaking after the case, PC Martin Randle, from the Road Policing Team who organised the operation, said: “This was a lengthy case that involved multiple individuals who were found to have put the public at risk by driving without insurance in order to supplement their income illegally.
“Though we understand times are tough for a lot of people at the moment, it is not acceptable to put the public in danger and I’m pleased the drivers admitted their offending in court.”
Source: https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/seven-stoke-trent-taxi-drivers-8482275
Three teenagers have been bailed after a dramatic crash in Stockton involving a suspected stolen car.
According to TeesideLive, a Land Rover, which is thought to have been stolen, was being pursued by Cleveland Police officers in the early hours of Thursday morning, 1 June, when it collided with a private hire vehicle on Stockton's Bridge Road, with the junction of Parkfield Road, at 2.30am.
A private hire driver, who was the sole occupant of his vehicle at the time, was seriously injured as a result of the crash.
The road was closed for several hours while emergency services dealt with the aftermath and one person was cut from a vehicle on the scene.
None of the three teenage occupants of the Land Rover sustained serious injuries and all three were arrested in connection with the incident.
Paramedics from the North East Ambulance Service and fire fighters from Cleveland Fire Brigade also attended the scene.
Cleveland Police has notified the IOPC of the incident and a referral will be made.
The IOPC, Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigates the most serious and sensitive incidents and allegations involving the police.
Now Cleveland Police has confirmed that the three teenagers arrested in connection with the incident have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
People flooded to social media to pass on well wishes to the cabbie injured in the crash. It is believed he is still in hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.
A spokesperson for Boro Cars said: "This tragic incident involving a hardworking taxi driver should never have happened.
"A member of the driver's family has confirmed that the driver remains in hospital and is receiving treatment. Our thoughts are with the driver and his family and we all wish the driver a full recovery."
PHTM wishes the driver a speedy recovery.
Source: https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/three-teens-bailed-following-crash-27041484
A Cleethorpes cabbie has been left feeling unsafe in his own home after he had "two cars set on fire" in less then a month.
GrimsbyLive reports that the man, who wished to remain anonymous, lives in the Sandringham Road area and fears for his family and neighbours after a reported arson attack on his car that was caught on camera, not long after another vehicle he was renting set on fire.
The footage of the latest incident appears to show petrol being poured on a white Audi on a driveway before it is set alight.
The blazes mean he has also lost his job as a taxi driver, leaving him with no income to provide for his four children.
His wife has not slept since the blaze at around 2am on Tuesday (May 30) worried by what else might happen.
He said: "I've been driving taxis for 14 months now and lived here for over 20 years with no issues, not even a car crash. However, about a month ago everything went wrong.
"The taxi I was renting was set on fire so I opted to buy a car myself instead of rent another one."
Worried about what might happen, he started parking his new car on the drive to keep it out the way and installed CCTV cameras outside his house.
Sadly, the same thing happened again, leaving him to worry for the safety of himself and those around him.
He said: "This has put my kids and neighbours' lives at risk, it was on fire so close to mine and my neighbours' house.
"When I looked back at the CCTV, I saw two people pouring petrol all over the car and on my drive before lighting it and running away."
The Cleethorpes man added: "I don't want to bring trouble to my family, I just want to get some help identifying them. When I saw it happened again I was really upset.
"I've lost my job as well as a huge amount of money. Honestly, I don't feel safe at all currently. I want to react so much, but I have to think about my four kids and wife at home.
"The children are still in shock and my wife can't sleep and I know she won't for a few days now. However, I really appreciated the help from my neighbours who came to help put it out straight away."
In a statement, Humberside Police said: "We are investigating reports of arson following an incident on Tuesday, May 30.
"Officers were called at around 2.25am to reports that a white Audi had been set alight. The fire was quickly extinguished, and thankfully there were no injuries sustained by anyone.
"Our enquiries are currently ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident, or anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage that may assist, to please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 37 of 30 May."
More than 100 taxis were randomly spot checked in a recent multi-agency operation near East Midlands Airport.
North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC), Leicestershire Police and other local authorities stopped 106 taxis and private hire vehicles near East Midlands Airport to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
During the operation taxis were stopped by police officers and examined, while licensing officers interviewed the drivers.
The checks included ensuring all vehicles were roadworthy and checking that necessary signage, documentation and equipment, such as first aid kits and fire extinguishers, were carried.
Of the 106 vehicles stopped during the operation, two had their taxi plates removed by licensing teams because of tyre defects. One of the drivers was able to resolve the issues on site and the plate was returned.
The joint operation saw 13 Midlands authorities join NWLDC, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the police to inspect some of the hundreds of taxis that travel through the district each day.
Throughout the year licensing teams carry out roadside spot checks to make sure that standards are being kept to, as well as to identify and take action against unlicensed drivers and vehicles working illegally.
Councillor Michael Wyatt, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: “Joint operations are an important part of our work to keep the public, and taxi drivers, safe.
"Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to East Midlands Airport for providing a site for the inspections to take place.
“We take the safety of anyone using a taxi or private hire vehicle in and around the district extremely seriously. It’s reassuring to see the majority of drivers and taxis observing safety rules, but we will continue to monitor standards and plan more operations in the future.”
NPHTA comment: “What an exceptionally good result shown from the taxi and PH industry.
“We thank the various agencies involved in the operation, as well as members of the trade for showing their continued efforts to provide an excellent service.”
Source: https://www.nwleics.gov.uk/news/2023/05/31/partnership_taxi_opp_helps_keep_districtrs_roads_safe
Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of private hire vehicles in Lancashire registered in Wolverhampton.
Seeing the Midlands city written on Lancashire vehicles has perplexed many residents, but the explanation is quite simple.
Many drivers are taking advantage of the fact that registering in the Midlands city is often cheaper and quicker than registering in Lancashire.
A three-year licence in West Lancashire for example, will set you back £207.85, or in Blackburn, it'll cost you £192. However, it's much cheaper to register for your licence in Wolverhampton.
A report came out in March showing the cost of licence fees for black cabs and private hire vehicles have dramatically decreased following a huge increase in the number of driver applications in the last two years. This has led to a surplus of £300k, allowing for the licence fees to reduce.
Changes to the renewal fees include, dropping from £120 to £98 for a three-year driver renewal fee for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. For a one year renewal fee, this has reduced from £64 to as little as £49.
These low costs are a big reason why more people are applying for private hire licences in Wolverhampton.
Another is the city's faster processing times, as the council invested into its digital licensing service, meaning the time and cost it takes to process applications has reduced.
Licensing manager, Greg Bickerdike said in a report to the council's regulatory committee earlier this year, that they've had a "backlog of applications" from drivers in other areas, as Wolverhampton has access to the largest pool of drivers.
In January, the council recruited 20 employees into the service to meet demand.
There is also a queue of 5,000 for the driver training programme, which is approximately five months' work for the council. This includes a two-month backlog, as from December 15, 2022, there were 2,634 applications in the queue - largely down to a steady decline in the number of private hire drivers nationally, triggered by Covid-19, increasing pressures on local authorities.
Dee Grant, a director of C Cabs, based in Caunce Street in Blackpool said Wolverhampton-registered PHVs are the "bane of her life." She said C Cabs do not and will never used these sort of cabs, as she "doesn't agree" with it.
Dee told LancsLive: "If there's a defect on a car, then officers in Blackpool have no control. It has to be a Licensing Officer from Wolverhampton thwhoat puts them off the road, unless they send an officer over.
"They do spot checks now and again." Dee also said that the PHVs park in ranks in Blackpool, despite this only being allowed for Blackpool-licensed hackney cabs.
This means that the private hire vehciles licensed from Wolverhampton are not insured correctly, as they have to be pre-booked and only hackneys can pick up on the ranks.
Not only are PHVs licensed to Wolverhampton cropping up in Lancashire, but looking online, they seem to be cropping up all over the country. People from Nottingham, Bolton, Oldham and Birmingham have noted an influx from the city.
A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: “The issue of private hire vehicles and the location to which they are registered is an issue nationally and not unique to Blackpool. Blackpool Council’s Licensing Service is ultimately responsible for all regulatory matters associated with its licensed fleet.
“That position is reflected in all Local Licensing Authority areas. In practical terms this means that at the point we are observing vehicles/drivers and generally conducting enforcement activity, we can take action against Blackpool Licensees however we have no power to deal with any issues detected regarding licensed vehicles/drivers from other areas.
“If we did detect issues, we would pass those concerns over to the respective authority for them to deal with. Sadly that is a situation that is outside of our control.
“We are in the process of looking at what appropriate enforcement we are able to carry out within these restraints.”
Source: https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/rise-wolverhampton-registered-taxis-lancashire-26981198
Dramatic CCTV footage has captured the moment a hooded figure set a taxi alight on a residential driveway.
A Drongan taxi driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female passenger after offering to waive her fare in exchange for sex.
Artur Nowostawski has been jailed for six years and nine months after he attacked a taxi driver earlier this year.
Taxi drivers in the city are facing significant financial losses after a series of electric vehicle charging point failures left them unable to operate.
Police are appealing for help to trace a man who disappeared after getting into a taxi bound for the Otley area of Leeds.
The company’s operator licence includes a condition ordering all drivers to undergo the same training as those from other companies.
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.