Two men have been arrested on suspicion of robbery after allegedly grabbing a taxi driver from behind and stealing his earnings.
The Oldham Times reports that shortly after midnight on Wednesday 29 March, a taxi driver was forced to pull over before being "grabbed from behind" by his passengers on Springfield Lane, Royton.
The passengers stole the driver’s earnings for the night and some of his work equipment before fleeing on foot.
The taxi driver was hurt during the incident but the injuries he suffered are not believed to be life threatening, police said.
Two men, both in their 20s, are currently in police custody. Investigations are ongoing.
Sergeant Matthew Adshead, of GMP’s Oldham division, said: “Our officers are determined to keep the community safe, and I hope that these arrests show that there is no place for these sorts of acts on our streets.
“These sorts of incidents are always investigated thoroughly, and we are determined to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
Any information about this incident can be shared with GMP by calling 0161 856 5410, quoting log of 3790 of 29/03/23, or by using the Live Chat function on the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
Source: https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/23421844.two-men-arrested-taxi-driver-robbed-oldham/
A Luton man has been heavily fined after being caught driving an unlicensed and and uninsured taxi.
Luton Today reports that Mohammed Saleem was found guilty at Luton Magistrates Court on March 21 of illegally driving a previously licensed hackney carriage vehicle without the required taxi driver’s badge.
He was also found guilty of driving without appropriate insurance.
The court heard that Central Bedfordshire Council’s Taxi Licensing Team received information and photos of a previously licenced hackney carriage parked on the West Street taxi rank in Dunstable.
Bedfordshire Police was informed about the vehicle being used as an unlicensed taxi and pulled it over twice in August 2022.
On both occasions, they seized the vehicle as the driver was unable to produce valid insurance.
Saleem was given two opportunities to attend a police interview under caution, but did not respond.
In his absence at court he was fined £1,100, ordered to pay costs of £1,405 and a victim surcharge of £440, a total of £2,945.
Source: https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/people/heavy-fine-for-unlicensed-luton-taxi-driver-4082958
A ‘blind drunk’ driver whose car burst into flames when he killed a taxi driver in a high-speed crash has been locked up.
According to the Northern Echo, James Hobson had downed up to ten pints of lager and eight shots of tequila before stumbling out of the pub and climbing behind the wheel of his hired Mercedes C-Class when he eventually remembered where he had parked it.
The 33-year-old transport company owner reached speeds in excess of 100mph as he attempted to lose a pursuing police vehicle by undertaking cars and driving through red lights after leaving the Highfield pub.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Hobson was driving on the wrong side of the road when he smashed into a taxi driven by Malik Ameer Abbas.
The 27-year-old from Middlesbrough died after the late-night crash on the A172 at Dixons Bank, on March 29 last year.
Police spotted the defendant travelling at around 70mph driving past James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough before setting off in pursuit.
The court heard how Hobson had racked up a bar bill of £116 before driving at dangerously high speed whilst on a Facetime call to his partner.
Nick Dry, prosecuting, said Hobson suffered multiple fractures as a result of the crash and was still almost twice over the alcohol limit despite having blood transfusions and medical treatment for several hours.
He said: “The officer noticed there was a mobile phone in the footwell which was engaged in an ongoing Facetime call with a woman thought to be his then partner.
“The Mercedes caught fire, obstructing access to Mr Abbas. Officers and members of the public, much to their credit, began fighting the flames with a fire extinguisher and buckets of water.”
Mr Dry said Mr Abbas suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hobson had two previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol from 2007 and 2010.
The crash happened at 11.40pm and Dixons Bank was closed, between Stainton Way and Gunnergate Lane, for almost nine hours for accident investigation work to be carried out.
Hobson, from Hartlepool, suffered significant injuries and remained in a coma for several weeks.
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Richard Herrmann, mitigating, said his client suffered multiple injuries in the crash but accepted full responsibility for the death of Mr Abbas.
He said: “He spends his days wishing he could swap places with Mr Abbas that he had died and Mr Abbas had survived.”
The Recorder of Middlesbrough Paul Watson KC told Hobson his driving was ‘some of the worst’ he had seen in recent years.
“You are a 33-year-old with two convictions for driving with excess alcohol, as a result of one of those incidents, you wrapped a car around a lamppost – it may have been a long time ago but you didn’t learn your lesson,” he said.
“The bar bill speaks for itself at almost £120, when you left you were literally almost blind drunk. You couldn’t even find your car at first.”
Sentencing Hobson to seven years and four months in prison, the judge added: “The police decided to follow you and there began a protracted and horrific chaseat colossal speeds.”
Hobson was banned from driving a total of 11 years and eight months for his ‘crass and reckless’ driving.
The judge added: “When you were overtaking a vehicle on the wrong side of the road, he had the tragic misfortune to be coming the other way.”
Glasgow taxi owners are being urged to apply for a temporary exemption from the LEZ scheme before enforcement begins in two months.
The Glasgow Times reports that the update was issued after a bid to delay the scheme by one year was rejected and taxi drivers protested outside the City Chambers.
Taxi operators with vehicles that won't comply with Glasgow's forthcoming Low Emission Zone are being urged to take advantage of exemptions that provide flexibility for operators up until June 1, 2024.
Glasgow's LEZ is due to come into effect on June 1 this year when vehicles that do not meet the zone's emissions standards will face enforcement action.
The time-limited exemptions for non-compliant taxis were agreed by the council's City Administration Committee last year, and allow extra time for operators who do not yet meet the zone's requirements.
Taxi operators will need to apply for the temporary exemption and show they either do not have access to a funded retrofit solution or that they have applied for or submitted an expression of interest in securing retrofit funding, but are waiting for the necessary upgrades to be undertaken.
Around £3million of retrofit funding has been made available by the Scottish Government to date to support taxi operators to transition to LEZ compliance.
Applications for exemptions should be submitted by May 31 this year in time for LEZ enforcement beginning in June.
Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport and Climate is calling upon those with non-compliant taxis to move quickly to apply for relevant time-limited LEZ exemptions.
Councillor Millar believes this is an equitable approach to ensuring a crucial measure for tackling city centre air quality goes ahead while also meeting the concerns of the taxi trade.
He said: "At every step we have supported the shift to LEZ compliance by encouraging eligible operators to take advantage of available funding for clean, new vehicles or for retrofitting existing vehicles.
"But we recognise that for some taxis retrofit is not an option or there can be delays to retrofit work being undertaken. Granting temporary exemptions to give more time to achieve compliance with a vital public health measure is a practical way to support the taxi sector as we move towards enforcement of Glasgow's LEZ.
"With the LEZ going live in June, it's crucial that any taxi operator whose vehicle does not yet meet the standards of the LEZ moves quickly to secure access to the time-limited exemptions provided for.
"With the application process that is now open, no public hire taxi should be off the road this June as a result of the LEZ, with flexibility up until June 2024 provided to support the transition to compliance."
The first phase of Glasgow's Low Emission Zone began in 2018 with the introduction of measures that encouraged a shift to cleaner, low and zero emission buses travelling through the city centre and elsewhere in Glasgow.
From June 1 this year, the LEZ will operate 24-hours a day, all year round and apply to all vehicles, covering an area that is bounded by the M8 to the north and west of the city centre, the River Clyde to the south and the High Street and Saltmarket to the east.
The zone will be enforced through the use of automatic number plate recognition cameras.
In general terms diesel vehicles registered after September 2015, petrol vehicles registered from 2006 onwards and buses, coaches and HGVs registered from January 2013 will meet the required LEZ standards, although drivers are advised to check with their vehicle manual or the manufacturer for confirmation.
Exemptions also exist for vehicles driven by disabled people, emergency vehicles, armed forces vehicles, historic vehicles and showman's vehicles as well as motorcycles and mopeds.
Those living within the LEZ boundary have additional time to prepare, with the enforcement start date for vehicles registered to a residential address within the zone, commencing on 1 June 2024.
North Yorkshire Police has worked with partner agencies on a special operation to ensure that taxis and private hire vehicles in the City of York are mechanically satisfactory and are legal to be on the road.
On Saturday night, 25 March 2023, officers from the city centre policing team worked with the Special Constabulary and roads policing officers on “Operation Edge.”
Key partners which included the City of York council and the DVSA also took part in the operation.
Officers patrolled the city centre in marked police vehicles looking for taxis that didn’t have passengers on board. The taxi was then requested to stop and follow the police vehicle to a specialist bay.
Checks were then made by the police and partner agencies to ensure that the vehicle was legal to be on the road and mechanically safe.
The operation identified several taxis and private hire vehicles which were found to have various faults for which prompt action was taken.
In total, 31 vehicles were inspected, from the 31:
11 vehicles suspended for defects of a significant nature.
2 vehicles were issued with rectification notices issued for minor defects.
3 advisory notices were issued for minor breaches in conditions.
15 vehicles were satisfactory.
PC Dave Ellison from North Yorkshire Police commented:
“I am grateful to the partner agencies who assisted us with this operation which enabled us to engage with taxi drivers in the City of York.
“We were successful in identifying several taxis which had faults. These included dangerous tyres and faulty suspensions.
“Some of these vehicles could have caused a serious road traffic collision if they had continued to operate.
“Members of the public who choose to use and pay for a taxi expect the vehicle to be safe.
“This operation sends out a clear message to taxi drivers to ensure that vehicles are maintained so they are fit for purpose and legal to be on the road.”
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.