A decoy operation by police to raise awareness of child exploitation found most hotels and taxi firms in Avon and Somerset fail to recognise key signs that a child may be at risk.
According to the Weston Mercury, plain clothed officers and volunteer cadets aged between 14 and 16 recently made test bookings with local firms as part of Operation Makesafe.
Officers visited 22 hotels and B&Bs across the force area and attempted to book a room with cash, accompanied by an underage child without identification.
Three establishments refused to book the room due to concerns that something wasn’t right.
Two hotels refused for other reasons, such as not taking cash or allowing one-night stays, but would have accepted the booking had it met these requirements.
The rest allowed the adult to book the room, no questions asked.
Officers and cadets also approached six taxi companies to make bookings for the child to travel alone to a distant location.
All of the firms agreed to transport the child, with one taxi office happy to take two children to two different locations outside the force area.
Child exploitation prevention officer Androulla Nicolaou said: “These were really disappointing results. It’s hard to see how many people are unaware of the signs of child exploitation, or are not willing to question a customer if they don’t think something is right.
"We all need to take responsibility for protecting vulnerable children within our communities in whatever way we can.”
Avon and Somerset Police have previously provided training and guidance to local businesses around how to spot the signs of criminal and sexual child exploitation and the actions they should take.
Following each of the visits, officers gave feedback and advice to all hotels and taxi drivers, with many having since got in touch with the police force to take up the offer of training for their staff and employees.
Detective Inspector Grant Boyd said: “This has highlighted a concerning lack of awareness of signs of exploitation or when a child may be at risk.
"We will be looking to carry out further training with businesses to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to report when there are signs of child exploitation."
A taxi driver was grabbed around the neck in an horrific attack by a back-seat passenger as he drove from a pub in the Scunthorpe area, a court heard.
GrimsbyLive reports that fortunately the driver was able to bring the taxi to a halt, but the passenger then punched him in the face as he left the car.
Adrian Downs, 31, admitted assaulting the driver after he had picked him up from The Reindeer pub in Sandtoft.
Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Ben Hammersley told how the driver could see a commotion from inside the pub when he arrived to pick up Downs at around midnight on April 9 last year. Downs got into the taxi and asked the driver to follow another vehicle.
Downs sat behind the driver. After travelling a short distance, during which the two men chatted, the passenger suddenly unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed the taxi driver from behind. He put his arm around his neck.
"Fortunately [the driver] was able to pull over," Mr Hammersley said. "The defendant opened his door, before punching the driver in the face," he told the prosecutor.
The car they were following pulled over and one of the people from the car in front got out.
The cabbie was able to drive away, said Mr Hammersley. He was later treated in hospital for a cut lip and suspected fracture of his cheek bone.
Downs was later arrested and said he had no recollection of the incident due to intoxication from alcohol.
For Downs, Craig Lowe said the incident was "impulsive, spontaneous and short-lived". He said his client was remorseful and ashamed of what he did and appalled by his behaviour.
The defence barrister said Downs, from Sheffield, had significantly reduced his alcohol consumption.
Sentencing Downs, Judge Michael Fanning said: "He [the taxi driver] had no idea what you were going to do. He thought you were going to kill him."
It was a "wholly unprovoked attack." on a taxi driver, driving alone at night and vulnerable, the judge added. It was "an horrific attack".
Judge Fanning sentenced Downs to nine months in prison suspended for 12 months and 120 hours of unpaid work.
He also ordered £1,000 compensation to the taxi driver.
He said he had been minded to send Downs to prison immediately, but was aware of Sentencing Council guidelines to suspend sentences where possible due to overcrowded prisons.
Source: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/taxi-driver-feared-would-die-8278936
Cabbies in Colchester could be hit with penalty points if they don’t have a means of accepting electronic payment and will be warned the device “must be working at all times”.
The Daily Gazette reports that Colchester Council’s licensing committee is set to review proposed adjustments to the penalty for failing to comply with the new policy, which is set to go before the full council for a vote.
The committee will meet after officers suggested the punishment be reduced from four penalty points to three.
A report said: “This change will bring the points into line with those given for first offences for a variety of other matters.”
Colchester Council’s licensing policy looks set to be changed to require cabbies to fit their vehicles with a means to accept electronic payments as well as cash.
An officer’s report says card payments have become the norm for a large percentage of the population and a disparity within the trade is causing problems for customers.
In a consultation with drivers, 36 out of 48 who took part responded positively to the proposed changes.
The survey also suggested most drivers in the city already accept card payments.
However, not all taxi drivers were in favour, with some appearing at a licensing committee meeting to oppose the plans.
One, Stewart Beer, said: “The penalty for drivers failing to comply, that’s horrendous and draconian.”
Councillor Roger Mannion said: “I am uneasy, actually to be fair, with the forced use of card machines.
"As members of the trade have said, it’s a business. They should have the voluntary ability to choose if they want a card machine or not.”
However, Councillor Tim Young responded by saying that because drivers are ambassadors of the council, it should be able to decide the conditions they work under.
He said: “Whether cash will completely die out in the future, who knows, but that’s the way its going and I just think we’ve got to put the customers first.
“Young people today wouldn’t dream of carrying cash about with them, they use their phone. They don’t even use cards, they use their phone to pay and that’s what we’ve got to take on board.”
He also said he was concerned about signal black spots in the city which would prevent card machines from working.
However, he agreed drivers would be able to identify these in advance when they asked customers where they wanted to go.
Councillor Patricia Moore said: “Listening to the concerns of the drivers, it does seem to me that when you go to a taxi rank and you ask to be taken somewhere, you usually say the destination, where you want to go.
“The taxi driver will know if the reception is bad at that place and that is the point where he can say to the passenger, it will have to be either card upfront or cash, your choice.”
in January, the committee voted to recommend the changes to full council, meaning there is one more vote left before the policy is amended.
Source: https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23401845.colchester-taxi-drivers-risk-penalty-points-new-policy/
A taxi driver in Sheffield has reportedly been physically assaulted by two unknown men in a robbery inside his own vehicle, South Yorkshire Police has revealed.
The Sheffield Star reports that the men are reported to have inflicted injuries to the taxi drivers face, before he fled the scene to seek help from officers.
South Yorkshire Police said the taxi driver stopped his vehicle on Callow Mount, Sheffield at around 3am on February 18, 2023, when two men entered his vehicle.
It is alleged the men then physically assaulted the driver, causing the injuries to his face. After the victim fled, it is reported the two men took cash from the vehicle.
South Yorkshire Police has now released images of two men they would like to identify and speak to in relation to the investigation. It is believed the men could hold vital information able to assist officers’ enquiries into the assault and robbery.
If you can help investigators, you can pass information on via webchat, online portal or by calling 101 and quoting incident number 166 of February 18, 2023.
Alternatively, you can remain anonymous by providing information through Independent Charity Crimestoppers, or by calling 0800 555 111.
Councillors have approved an increase in taxi fares in Warrington.
The Warrington Guardian reports that the taxi and other licensing committee discussed a report on the hackney carriage table of fares at its meeting on Tuesday 21 March.
The report highlighted the details of a seven per cent fare increase across all tariffs – which the committee was recommended to approve. The committee approved the seven per cent increase.
At its meeting in July, the licensing committee agreed to adopt the table of fares if no objections were received to the consultation.
A report to the committee said evidence has been sourced from the Automobile Association, which shows average fuel prices as at February 2023. It states that fuel prices continued to increase during 2022 and currently ‘remain stable’ at February prices.
It added: “Fuel, insurance and vehicle repair costs have steadily increased; impacted by ongoing geo-political events including the continued Ukraine war.
“As of March 2023, the average fare in Warrington (tariff one for a two-mile journey) is £5.70 which, compared to all 350 authorities in the UK in 2022 was ranked at no: 277 but has since dropped back to 320 in the price comparison chart compiled by Private Hire and Taxi Monthly.
“This is mainly owing to the other authorities increasing their fares in 2022.”
Source: https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/23404174.taxi-fares-increase-approved-councillors/
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.