A public consultation on taxi fares in Conwy will go ahead after cabbies complained that the current rate is unsustainable. But one councillor fears taxi fares increasing could hit those on low incomes who can’t afford a car.
According to the Daily Post, a debate on the matter unfolded this week when Conwy’s licensing committee met. There, the committee discussed the maximum rate hackney carriages are allowed to charge.
Lisa Roberts, of Castle Cabs, wrote to Conwy County Council's licensing department, requesting that taxi firms were allowed to increase fares due to inflation.
Speaking via video link, Mrs Roberts said whilst private hire was still profitable, hackney fares were no longer sustainable.
"The cost of running the business at the moment makes the public side, the community side of tourism, not viable," she said. "From private hire perspective, we do a lot of corporate work. We work for the Crown Prosecution Service. We do a lot of local authority work.
“That side of the business, we are able to set our own prices; therefore, we are able to make it viable. We are able to employ a large number of employees in this county, but I think if we don't have a tariff increase, then the other side of the business, at this moment in time, is not viable to serve the community or tourism."
Cllr Thomas Montgomery said he was concerned for people on lower incomes if taxi fares increased. "I'm conscious about the impact on low-income families. There are some families I'm aware of that rely on these types of services because they find it difficult to get a bus or they can't afford their own vehicle,” he said.
"So I'm conscious of those families when we are looking at these charts. But I do also appreciate the impact that inflation is having on the hackney licence holders themselves."
He then asked if the council could look at the possibility of lowering the cost of issuing a licence to hackney drivers. But council officers informed him that new fees for taxi firms had already benefitted from a reduction.
Under the proposed new charges, taxis will charge a maximum of £4 if the distance doesn't exceed one mile, rising from £3.60, and 35p for each additional one-tenth of a mile, rising from 30p.
The charge of 30p for each minute of waiting time will remain, and all other charges will remain the same.
The proposed new fares will now go out to public consultation before they are re-debated.
Source: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cabbies-complain-taxi-prices-conwy-26531309
Thousands of people are going to be affected as hundreds of ‘angry’ taxi drivers are set to resume strike action against the council.
The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) has criticised West Northants Council’s (WNC) Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy 2023, which is currently out for public consultation until April 23.
The council says the new policy focuses on improving driver standards; strengthening the "fit and proper person" test; a more rigorous convictions policy; mandatory safeguarding training; spoken English testing; and driving standards training.
However the ADCU is strongly against the new rules, saying that have not been properly consulted when WNC drafted the 150-page legislation. And, ‘after consulting with all stakeholders’, the ADCU has decided to go on strike from March 22 until the end of the consultation period (April 23).
Here’s how the ADCU will be striking in Northampton for the next month.
Speaking to the Chronicle and Echo, Shafqat Shah, Northampton Chair of ADCU, explained the ADCU’s motives.
He said: “We have decided to go on strike with limited disruption to the services and public to start with and also provide WNC with the opportunity to start serious negotiations during the consultation period.
"They are just paying us lip service [with this consultation]. We have seen this before with consultations where WNC get through what they want anyway. Our action plan is, why wait for this consultation period to finish before going on strike? We are putting pressure on them prior to the end of this period.
"We feel so strongly. We have to do something. We have drivers who are angry and want to strike straight away for 24 hours. But as a responsible union we don’t want to hurt the drivers or the public, we believe it’s better to start with the two hour strikes.
"We want a proper one-to-one with WNC. We don’t want this new legislation coming our way. We have seen the damage of rule changes that have happened in other cities such as Nottingham, Leeds and Wakefield.
"We don’t want this documentation. We want the council to sit with us. If it’s my livelihood then I should be consulted before this documentation is written up.”
If WNC fails to enter ‘serious talks’ with the ADCU, Mr Shah says the union will up the ante.
He said: “We will then be targeting the school runs. There are a lot of school runs. We won’t be taking any children to school.”
When asked if he would like to address the affected public, Mr Shah said: “This documentation has nothing to do with public safety. This is what we want the public to be aware of. It’s about making our lives harder. We want to work with WNC to resolve this.
"We know the public will be affected and we can only apologise for that.”
Cllr David Smith, cabinet member for regulatory services outlined the council’s position.
He said: “WNC has made the decision to extend the consultation on the Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy 2023 by a further four weeks while further engagement work is undertaken to seek views on the proposals. The consultation will now be open until Sunday 23 April.
“The proposed policy will supersede current policies for the areas of Daventry, Northampton, and South Northants and sets out the driver, vehicle, and operator standards for Hackney Carriages and private hire licensing for current licence holders and all new licence applicants.
“The ADCU have communicated that they will be undertaking two-hour daily strikes regarding the proposals. We are working with representatives to listen and respond to their views and encouraging people to have their say on the proposals through the consultation hub.
“Pre-engagement work has been undertaken with local licenced drivers and operators and we have also been working with the Police as we look to develop a new safeguarding assessment.”
A long-standing Lancaster taxi boss says night-time at his taxi base has become a hotbed for feuds and fighting.
The Lancaster Guardian reports that Kelvin Ellershaw, managing director of 32090 taxis, says the situation outside his Church Street premises is the worst he’s known in his 24 years in the business.
"It’s an awful place at night outside our premises,” he said. "People come down to our offices from different pubs and it’s a free-for-all.
"As early as 9pm, people are fighting outside. We can’t get rid of them quick enough as taxis won’t come out.
"They are saying they don’t need that hassle. I’ve been in that position for 24 years and it’s the worse I’ve ever known.”
Kelvin, who was speaking at a recent Lancaster BID Business Breakfast meeting at the Royal Kings Arms Hotel, said it was costing him thousands of pounds for security, which he could ill afford.
"The amount of taxis we’ve got are struggling to cope," he said. “Sometimes we have two to three doormen on and they can’t control the trouble.
"It’s mainly because people are waiting longer. There is just more and more hassle.
"Drivers don’t want to do Friday and Saturday night because of the grief.
“I find this so frustrating. I don’t know what I can do to solve this problem.”
Kelvin has 70 drivers but only 35 work weekends. The driver shortage is also worse since many cabbies did not return to the job after the pandemic. This left a major shortage across the district, particularly to cope with the night-time trade.
Lancashire police and crime commissioner, Andrew Snowden, said: “During Covid, a lot of people in the taxi trade switched to delivery drivers so there is now a shortage of taxi drivers.
"The prevalence of drugs as well as drink is also a driver in violence. There has been a significant increase in the amount of cocaine that is in use and that drives more violent behaviour.”
Sgt Lindsay Brown said: “Wait times are longer so people get more agitated.
"There has been a 30% drop in anti social behaviour but in this particular issue, everything is concentrated in that small area.
"We’re certainly aware of the issue and we will do what we can to mitigate.”
Police have said they will meet with Kelvin.
An East Lancashire borough is to ease its MoT testing regime for taxi and private hire vehicles.
The Lancashire Telegraph reports that currently cabs in Blackburn with Darwen are checked for road worthiness every 12 months until they are three years old.
Then they are safety tested every six months.
In future the 12-month testing frequency will apply until the vehicles are five years old.
And cabs over that limit which pass the safety check first time will be eligible for an eight month licence, instead of the standard six month one.
The move has been welcomed by Conservative councillor and taxi driver Altaf 'Tiger' Patel who has led a campaign against the high testing charges imposed by Blackburn with Darwen Council and its refusal to outsource the checks to private garages rather than insist all are conducted at the council's Motor Vehicle Service Station (MVSS) at its Davyfield Depot.
A report instigating the new regime by borough environment boss Cllr Jim Smith says: "As part of the broader consultation exercise undertaken with the trade and other stakeholders on the revised policy, a proposal to amend the vehicle testing frequencies was discussed.
"This proposal seeks to incentivise the trade to invest in newer vehicles by granting a twelve month licence for all vehicles aged up to five years, instead of the current three years.
"It also proposes to grant an eight month vehicle licence, rather than a six month licence to those applicants with vehicles aged five years or over, whose vehicle passes the council’s ‘taxi test’ on first presentation.
"Based on current fleet data, the extension of the twelve month licences would capture circa 40 vehicles and see a loss of revenue in licensing fees and testing fees of £6,500.
"The additional two months on vehicle licences will defer the income from vehicle renewals for two months."
Audley and Queens Park ward's Cllr Patel said: "This is good news but the cost of the tests is still very high."
A passenger who attacked a taxi driver in Belfast has been given 18 months' probation.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, Thomas Glassey was also ordered to carry out 80 hours community service and pay for damage he caused to the victim’s car.
A judge warned the 39-year-old that he faces imprisonment for any failure to comply with the sentence.
Glassey admitted common assault, criminal damage, and assault on a police designated person.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he became increasingly aggressive during a cab ride at an undisclosed location on September 23 last year.
A Crown lawyer said Glassey called the taxi driver a “c***” and began to flail his arms around.
When the car stopped he got out and kicked the vehicle, causing £200 worth of damage as the driver tried to restrain him.
“He kicked, punched and spat at the injured party during the struggle, resulting in an injury to his knee,” the prosecutor added.
Glassey continued with the outburst following his arrest, spitting on the chest of a custody detention officer.
Based on his guilty plea and lack of any recent offending, District Judge Steven Keown decided not to send him jail.
Imposing probation and community service, he told Glassey: “Be under no illusion, if you come back to court for breaching the combination order there is every likelihood you will go to prison.”
Mr Keown added: “There will also be £200 compensation.”
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.