Taxis in Northumberland are set to get more expensive after councillors agreed a five per cent increase in tariffs for hackney carriages.
The increase which was originally agreed in February was rubber-stamped at Northumberland County Council's licensing and regulatory committee on Wednesday 26 April.
The council received a total of 25 responses from taxi drivers, with a varying set of views. Some stated that there should be an increase, while others said the tariff should remain the same.
One response from a driver in the Blyth area warned that the increase would not cover "anywhere near the cost we are getting hit with", adding: "If we aren't making money how do you expect us to carry on in business?"
However, another response from Tynedale said they "Totally object" to the increase and added: "We are struggling for business after the first increase. A second will put another nail in the taxi industry coffin."
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Julie Foster said: "This has to be worth it. They don't have to charge the maximum.
"We don't want to make it so people can't afford to get taxis when they need them, like those who have disabilities or who don't have access to a bus service."
Cllr Alex Wallace pointed out that while fuel costs had gone down, the cost of living crisis was still causing issues. He also called for the committee to look at the issue again in the near future.
He said: "Since January fuel has dropped dramatically, but the cost of living crisis is still with us. I think it's worth bringing this back again.
"It's a very different situation in the four corners of the county."
The changes were unanimously approved by the committee, and will be brought into force in the coming weeks.
Taxi drivers say they can’t afford a rise in the fees due to losing up to 85 per cent of their business following the Covid-19 pandemic and competition from Uber.
LeicestershireLive reports that Charnwood Borough Council is reviewing the fees it charges for a number of licensed activities, including taxis.
The changes would see existing taxi drivers paying £30 more per year in fees. New drivers would be paying between £56 to £81 more per year.
But drivers from the borough have objected to the proposed rises in a series of emails to the council, claiming they’ve been hit hard by a drop in passengers and the cost-of-living crisis, with one driver calling the situation ‘really bad’.
Some of the emails accuse the council of doing nothing to help, although the council has said this is a national problem and that local councils share the drivers’ frustrations.
One driver said they used to work for eight to 10 hours a day to feed their families, but due to less people using traditional taxis, they must now work 15 hours every day to make enough money to live on.
A letter to the council by Ali Ashraf, chairman of the Charnwood Taxi Association, said: “We are all experiencing real financial hardships in present society, as contributed to by the cost-of-living crisis, but also as a result of the lasting negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is unlikely that our industry will recover from the pandemic as we continue to experience significant reductions to our incomes.”
He added: “This increase is going to have a profound impact on our livelihoods, as this matter concerns the affordability for Charnwood's taxi drivers.”
Another driver said in an email: “There is little work, and Uber is taking over 85 per cent of our fares, and the council knows about this, and they don’t take any action.”
While another said: “In Loughborough as a taxi business [it] is really bad at the moment, there are no jobs. Uber is so busy in Loughborough.” He added the town was very quiet for taxi jobs, with drivers on Friday and Saturday evenings – traditionally the busiest time – having to wait more than an hour between passengers.
A member of the council’s licensing team replied to objections that mentioned Uber, saying: “Unfortunately, the issue of ‘cross border hiring’ has been a problem for the trade and licensing authorities for some time.
"This is the same national issue that prompted Charnwood Hackney carriage drivers to meet with the local MP and submit a petition to Parliament in 2018. Councils share your frustration with the situation.”
A Charnwood Borough Council spokesperson told LeicestershireLive: "The council reviews its discretionary licensing fees each year, which include licences for taxis and scrap metal. The fees for the Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005 are set by the UK Government.
“Taxi licensing fees in Charnwood were last increased in May 2019, and we believe the increases are proportionate. They are also in line with charges in neighbouring authorities.
"The objections were discussed and reviewed at the licensing committee on Monday April 24.”
Source: https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/taxi-drivers-say-cant-afford-8375211
The Government has announced that it has brought the remainder of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022 into force.
This means that from today, 27 April, it is now mandatory for all licensing authorities in England to use the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S).
All Licensing authorities in England must:
Record refusals, suspensions and revocations of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licences relating to safeguarding or road safety reasons.
Search the NR3S database for every application for a new or renewed taxi and private hire vehicle driving licence and have regard to any information found.
This is in addition to the requirements that came into effect in May 2022 which require licensing authorities in England to:
Report serious safeguarding and road safety concerns about licensed drivers operating in their area but licensed by another authority to the relevant licensing authority.
Consider suspending or revoking a driver’s licence if another GB licensing authority reports a serious safeguarding or road safety concern and inform the reporting authority of its decision.
The full announcement is available on GOV.UK and statutory guidance to assist licensing authorities in complying with the new law is also available on GOV.UK.
If you have any questions about the new law that cannot be answered using the statutory guidance, contact: TaxisAndPHVs@dft.gov.uk.
A driver has been jailed after overtaking a car on a blind bend and crashing headlong into a taxi full of people.
EssexLive reports that Sean Dray tried to overtake a vehicle in Frinton last year but crashed into the taxi which spun out of control and hit a tree.
On Saturday, July 23, 2022, Dray, 30, was driving his BMW X5 at speed along Walton Road at around 10.30pm when he overtook one car on a blind bend along the single carriageway.
He crashed into the taxi and then the wall of a house.
The force of the rear impact caused the taxi, a Toyota Avensis, to spin out of control, coming to a stop when it crashed into a tree.
When police arrived, two people were trapped in the taxi which had extensive damage and needed assistance from emergency partners to get out and four people from the taxi sustained serious injuries.
Dray, of Clacton, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving but refused to provide a blood sample in police custody.
During his interview, Dray explained that he was trying to overtake but had to take evasive action as he crossed over onto the wrong side of the road into the path of oncoming traffic.
He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on January 31 where he admitted four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
On April 19 at Chelmsford Crown Court, he was jailed for three years and disqualified from driving for three and a half years.
Roads Policing Unit officer, PC Danny Wheeler, who led the investigation, said: “The victims of Sean Dray’s dangerous driving did not deserve what happened to them that night and it could certainly have been avoided.
"The Roads Policing Unit work hard to keep the roads in Essex safe."
Source: https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/clacton-driver-jailed-overtaking-blind-8381540
A major taxi industry tie-up has seen ride-hailing service Bolt make London’s black cabs available on its app from Tuesday 25 April.
City A.M. reports that Londoners using Bolt will now be able to order London’s iconic taxis to get around the capital as the firm introduces a ‘black cab’ category on the app.
London’s cabbies have teamed up with mobility apps before, with FreeNow making the move after the acquisition of Hailo in 2019, but Bolt is by far the largest platform to include them in its service.
Josh Ryan, Bolt’s country manager for UK rides, said: “We’re really excited to be creating this category in London, linking drivers into a much bigger passenger pool and offering passengers more choice. “
“We have lots of experience of operating traditional taxi markets so we hope to be able to create a vibrant, mutually beneficial service that offers Londoners another way around in advance of the king’s coronation and warmer months.”
Bolt will add a small £2 booking fee to the metered trip fare, which drivers will receive. On top of this, the firm will receive a £2 fee for each trip.
Commission will be suspended for drivers brought into the scheme before 30 April 2023. After that, Bolt will charge the £2 commission from drivers on every trip.
After the first six months on the platform for cabbies who join before 30 April 2023. Passengers will get 15 per cent off their first trip of up to £10.
Bolt hopes that the announcement could help improve relations between black cabbies and ride-hailing services, which has long been strained.
Bolt told City A.M. that it had conducted interviews and research with black cab drivers to find out what works best.
The firm launched in London in 2019 and currently operates in 19 other UK cities.
Source: https://www.cityam.com/taxi-tie-up-sees-bolt-link-with-londons-black-cabbies/
A former paratrooper turned pet taxi driver is in the running for an Animal Star Award for his work in Wakefield and Pontefract.
Tariq Rehman, 75, from Stechford, had his licence removed by Solihull Council in November last year following a complaint from a passenger.
A taxi firm boss has branded the criminal justice system "broken" after new figures revealed almost a third of offenders in the town reoffended within a year.
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.