Two private hire drivers have been fined more than £1,000 each after pleading guilty to plying for hire and having no insurance in Telford.
According to the Shropshire Star, Telford & Wrekin Council prosecuted the two private hire drivers at Telford Magistrates' Court last week, after they were caught illegally plying for hire during an operation by the council's enforcement team.
Both drivers were licensed by another council but illegally picked up the fares in Telford and Wrekin.
The drivers were ordered to pay £1,135 each, had their licence suspended and had six penalty points added to their driving licence.
A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council said: "The case shows we are continuing to crack down on taxi and private hire drivers who break the law and put passengers at risk."
A Niton man who tried to rob an Isle of Wight taxi driver at knifepoint has been sent to prison for eight years.
According to the Island Echo, on 12 November last year, Nicholas Butcher caught a ride to Sandown in a local taxi.
When the vehicle stopped on Station Avenue, Butcher threatened the driver with a knife, demanding he hand over money.
Thankfully, the victim was uninjured and was able to drive away before alerting police to the incident. Nothing was stolen.
Investigations led detectives to Butcher’s door and he was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and possession of a knife in a public place. He pleaded not guily to the two charges.
A trial held at the Isle of Wight Crown Court last week led to a jury returning a guilty verdict on both counts.
His Honour Judge Peter Lodder KC sentenced the 37-year-old to eight years in custody on Friday 12 May, with a further three years on licence.
Butcher has more than 17 previous convictions, including for robbery, and in 2018 received a two-year prison sentence.
Source: https://www.islandecho.co.uk/8-years-behind-bars-for-man-who-tried-to-rob-taxi-driver-at-knifepoint/
Sefton Council has responded after complaints were made about a 'belittling and dismissive' response to a member of the public raising concerns about the parking of a private hire driver.
The Liverpool Echo reports that an image was shared on social media of a private hire vehicle - licensed by Sefton Council - parking in Vernon Street in Liverpool city centre on Friday May 12.
The image shows the private hire vehicle parked halfway across the pavement, with the other half of the car on double yellow lines on the road.
Two people can be seen standing near the car while another appears to be getting out of it.
The picture was shared by the MerseyRoads twitter account, which regularly shares examples of bad parking and driving issues around the region.
The account included the caption: "Drivers these days have a permanent case of me first syndrome."
Those behind the account then raised the matter with Sefton Council and shared the response they received from the council's licensing department.
The response stated: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, however I fail to see how it is causing an inconvenience and safety hazard to an empty street. The ONLY pedestrians anywhere near the vehicle are the passengers getting out.
"The fact that you also stopped on the street to take the photograph, could also be considered an obstruction. I'm sure you wouldn't expect the driver to drop passengers 100s of yards away from their chosen destination."
Sharing the response they received, the MerseyRoads account said: "Stellar response. Driving onto the footpath is a criminal offence."
Others described the comments from the licensing team as "belittling and dismissive."
Responding to questions from the Echo, a Sefton Council spokesperson said: "Having reviewed the email response, we acknowledge that this isn’t the standard of response that we would expect from our colleagues, and as such have taken this as an opportunity to remind the team of their customer service training, and we will ensure that refresher training is provided to those colleagues who may need it."
A thug jailed for more than five years for assaulting a cabbie in Dundee could be tried for murder — after his victim later died.
According to the Scottish Sun, prosecutors could bring a fresh charge against Steven Greig, 45, for savagely attacking Mark Ward, 55, in a trivial row over a cigarette, sources say.
Mark was left brain-damaged and needing 24-hour care after Greig pushed him to the ground, causing him to hit his skull off concrete, and repeatedly booted him in the head in Dundee in April 2022.
He passed away in January following months in hospital, then a care home.
An insider said: “Mark’s loved ones are just devastated.
“He was a well-known face and everybody is calling for the same thing — for Mark’s attacker to be charged with murder.
"Mark’s life has been cruelly cut short and that should be recognised by law.”
The High Court in Edinburgh heard career criminal Greig, who has 94 previous convictions for 189 offences, snapped after Celtic fan Mark refused to give him a ciggie.
The brute pushed him onto the road, causing him to fall down a hill before kicking him over and over.
Greig, who fled the scene, showed no remorse as he was sentenced to five years, four months in January.
He admitted assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and danger of life.
Mark’s family refused to comment on any possibility of a new trial.
The Crown Office said: “The procurator fiscal is considering a report in connection with the death.”
Source: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/10680650/brute-assaulted-taxi-driver-could-face-murder-charge/
A further 38 electric vehicle charge points have been installed across Bradford district to make charging more accessible for more people.
Expanding the infrastructure for electric vehicles is part of Bradford Council’s ambition towards net zero emissions to tackle climate change and to build on improvements in air quality already being seen through the Clean Air Zone which was introduced last September.
The council has worked with contractor Blink Charging to design and install the new chargers, across 14 locations. This has been made possible by grant funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ (OZEV) On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme with some funding from the council.
Each of the sites has two or three Alfen fast chargers, except for Cottingley Car Park on Herbert Street, Cottingley, where there is one charger. The chargers can be used via the Blink-EB Go! App. Electricity will cost 39p/kWh.
The new charge points expand on a growing network of charge points across this district, with the new charge points that have been installed, Bradford Council has now enabled public charging at 41 locations across the district.
Further details of these and electric vehicle charging in the Bradford District can be found on the council website: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/environment/climate-change/electric-vehicle-charging-points/
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Porfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “These new charge points are a welcome addition to our EV charging network, which now means charge points at an additional 14 locations across our district.
“If we want people to switch to electric cars, it is vital that we make charging as accessible as possible, particular for those where installing a charge point at home is not possible, either due to cost of the lack of off-street parking.”
The 14 new locations are:
Bute St parking bays BD2 1DH
Library Car Park, Cowgill Street, Manningham BD8 7NS
Eccleshill Rec car park, Mount Avenue BD2 2HY
Gas Street car park, Haworth BD22 8NQ
Jenny Lane car park, Baildon BD17 6RS
Killinghall car park, Bradford BD2 4SJ
Mill Lane layby, Steeton BD20 6NS
Northcliffe Park layby, Cliffe Gardens, Shipley BD18 3DB
St Pauls Church, St Pauls Road, Shipley BD18 3ER
Victoria Street car park, Bingley BD16 2NH
Wesley Place car park, Silsden BD20 0PH
Wilsden Royd House car park, Main Street, Wilsden BD15 0AS
Cottingley car park, Herbert Street, Cottingley BD16 1SF
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.