Taxi drivers in Cambridgeshire are fighting plans for mandatory CCTV in their vehicles. From April 2023, all taxi and private hire drivers drivers applying to Cambridge City Council for a licence will be required to have CCTV installed in their vehicles.
According to CambridgeshireLive, some cabbies in the city have already said they will consider taking legal action against plans for CCTV in their cars.
On Wednesday, drivers in Cambridge are striking against the plans. Members of the Cambridge Taxi Driver Association will be protesting outside South Cambridgeshire District Council from 8am.
Nasir Uddin, Secretary of the Cambridge Taxi Driver Association said that it was time for drivers to "show our unity and stand for our rights."
The council decision was taken in order to help improve safety of both drivers and passengers in taxis and private hire vehicles.
The authority had initially planned to require all taxis to have CCTV by April 2022, but this was not met due to delays identifying an approved supplier for the cameras and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taxi drivers in Cambridge will not be taking any jobs from companies or committing to any school runs for the entire day.
Tariq Ahmed, who also represents the Cambridge Taxi Drivers Association, said they had been promised drivers would be getting discounted CCTV, including installation, he said: "Some of these companies are quoting £1,000-1,200. It's so expensive it squeezes our profit margin even more than it already is".
If proposals for the CCTV are not dropped by Thursday, March 16, taxi drivers have decided that they'll be holding a strike on these two days on Monday, March 20, and Tuesday, March 21, from 8am at South Cambridgeshire District Council, the Hackney Rank and Station Rank.
A petition setup on Change.org states: "We are writing against current proposals to install CCTV in Cambridge taxis. We do so on grounds of (a) privacy, (b) respectful working environment and (c) cost.
"Taxi drivers have said they have the right to privacy in their vehicles and this is violated if there is constant CCTV surveillance.
"Taxi drivers serve the community, sometimes under challenging circumstances, but the job brings with it independence and personal space. There are no known issues with regard to passenger safety at this time.
"Drivers undergo background DBS checks with an update service. There is already sufficient CCTV in the wider environment. Any changes to current practice should be made after wide consultation with drivers as stakeholders and with their consent."
Source: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridges-taxi-drivers-rally-against-26470682#
An operation to test the working practices of taxi drivers in North Herts has taken place in Letchworth, as part of work to help safeguard women and girls.
The Comet reports that on Friday, March 10, four female students from North Herts College took part in a test purchasing operation to see if taxi drivers would accept lone female passengers requesting destinations which were within the minimum fare distance.
The operation was to look at whether drivers were following their licence conditions and professional codes of conduct by taking young woman for short and unprofitable distances during the evening/night-time.
If they refused the fare, in preference for a longer, more profitable journey, the woman would be left to walk home alone or waiting at the rank.
In total the students tested eight separate taxis, all of whom accepted the fare and adhered to the terms of their licence.
“This was a very successful operation, and I am delighted with the outcome,” said Letchworth Neighbourhood Sergeant, Lisa Perks.
“It is good to see our local taxi drivers are well aware of their operating guidelines and are willing to put the welfare of passengers before profit.
“The girls were second year students studying ‘Uniformed and Public Services’ at North Herts College. Their participation in the operation will go towards their course work, but we are very grateful for their assistance and that of the college.
"I would also like to thank our licensing colleagues at North Herts Council for their help with this operation.
“This operation is part of our ongoing strategy to protect women and girls from violence, test compliance around basic child protection procedures, and raise awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE).
"In November 2022 we implemented a test purchase operation in hotels in Stevenage and North Herts around CSE, which identified good practice as well as some training needs in certain locations.
"We are planning more preventative safeguarding operations in the future.”
Source: https://www.thecomet.net/news/23385817.letchworth-taxis-pass-police-test-protect-women-girls/
Taxi drivers in the Harrogate district have said a new system for regulating hackney carriages will be bad for customers and cause cabbies to go bust.
The Stray Ferret reports that the current limit of 148 hackney carriages in the district will be abolished when North Yorkshire Council comes into existence on April 1, paving the way for a flood of new drivers.
At the same time, a new single taxi zone allowing drivers to operate countywide rather than stick to their local districts will begin, even though 52% opposed it in a consultation.
Drivers say the single zone will lead to some places being flooded by taxis at busy times while less popular rural areas will struggle to book cars.
They also say ending the cap on the number of hackney carriages means licence plates they paid thousands of pounds for are now effectively worthless.
Supporters of the new system say it incorporates Department for Transport best practice guidance and “any negative impacts tend to level out over time”.
Six Ripon hackney carriage drivers, who are supported by colleagues from across the district, met the Stray Ferret recently to express anger at the changes.
Katie Johnstone, of Johnstone Family Hire, said lifting the limit on the number of vehicles would ruin many taxi firms.
She said until now, people like her had paid about £20,000 to buy a plate so they could operate one of only 148 hackney carriages in the Harrogate district.
Ms Johnstone said abolishing the limit meant the plates now had no sell-on value, leaving current plate holders a combined £3 million out of pocket.
She said she took out a five-year bank loan to buy her plate as part of a career change two years ago and “it’s not worth anything now”, adding: “I’m a single parent — I worked on minimum wage for years. I’ve invested a lot of money to try to better myself and they have totally destroyed it.”
Keith Snowden, whose family has operated taxis in Ripon since 1926, said: “It’s a ludicrous situation. The system has worked for the last 100 years — why change it?”
All the cabbies predicted many private hire drivers will get hackney licences because it would enable them to make more money by picking up customers from ranks whereas they currently have to be booked in advance.
They said this would create hotspots as drivers battled for customers in busy times in the most lucrative areas, and ignored calls from less profitable rural customers.
Anne Smith, of ANB Taxis in Ripon, said: “Everything we have put into these plates has been completely taken away from us.”
Ms Smith tried to enlist the support of Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, but said he had been “absolutely useless”. Mr Smith did not reply when the Stray Ferret asked for a response.
Paul Dodds, of JPD Taxis, said he feared he and other drivers would have to “pack in” because of the changes.
North Yorkshire Council will replace North Yorkshire County Council and seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, at the end of the month.
The drivers all said the new system was being introduced for the convenience of the council rather than for drivers because it was easier to manage than the current district-wide system.
The taxi drivers said they would continue to oppose the changes until the new system begins next month.
Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman criticised North Yorkshire County Council’s defence of the changes: “They keep relating to DfT best practice guidance, but have chosen to leave bits of it out to suit them, ie it states that in areas where licence limits are in place, they should firstly conduct an unmet demand survey to see if there is any latent demand, before proceeding with the policy; they have failed to do that.
“The fact is, they have totally ignored the result of the consultation, which concluded 52% are against it.”
The Stray Ferret put the cabbies’ concerns to North Yorkshire County Council.
Councillor Derek Bastiman, the council’s executive member for open to business, said: “The hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy incorporates the DfT’s best practice guidance and statutory standards, to ensure that the public continues to be provided with safe and accessible vehicles. It also provides a coherent regulatory framework for the trade across the county.
“As a single local authority for North Yorkshire, we must ensure hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally.
“Introducing one hackney carriage zone for North Yorkshire will provide drivers with the flexibility to operate across the county and serve these rural areas, create environmental efficiencies with the potential for fewer empty journeys, a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles, as well as efficiency savings for the council, with one set of fees and fares.
“All responses to the consultation have been considered. And feedback from customers, and even some of the trade, has suggested that at peak times there is a lack of taxis to serve busy periods. Introducing a single zone should overcome this lack of provision and allow customers to get to their destination safely.”
“Understandably, there is apprehension from some of the trade of hotspot areas, but evidence from other authorities who have followed a similar approach has indicated that any negative impacts tend to level out over time.
“We have considered the view of the Competition and Markets Authority, supported by the DfT, and imposing hackney carriage quantity restrictions can reduce availability and increase waiting times.
“There is no expectation that quantity restrictions for hackney carriages would continue indefinitely and any proposed sale of vehicles* between proprietors are carried out independently from the council and at their own risk. These sales show people wish to enter the trade to provide a service to the public but are being prevented from doing so by the quantity restrictions.
“We also want to ensure adequate provision of wheelchair-accessible vehicles across the county and have agreed to work in consultation with the North Yorkshire disability forum and develop and maintain an inclusive service plan within 12 months to ensure everyone has access to hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. Until such time, licence renewal and new licence fees for wheelchair-accessible vehicles have been waived.
“The new hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy is a baseline for the new authority, and will be kept under review, as there may be further developments and consultation in the future.”
Source: https://thestrayferret.co.uk/angry-harrogate-district-cabbies-fear-ruin-under-new-system/
Uber is trialling free childcare for drivers as part of efforts to encourage more parents of young children to sign up to the app platform.
The Independent reports that the company announced it is offering ten hours of free childcare for 1,000 of its UK drivers.
Uber said its drivers on average earn £34 an hour in London and £30 across the rest of the country.
Opportunities for the highest earnings are usually at weekends and evenings, but childcare commitments prevent some parents from working at those times.
Uber UK general manager Andrew Brem said: “Over the last year I’ve spoken to many ambitious and hardworking drivers who told me that support with childcare would help them to earn more.
“The cost of childcare is often a barrier for women to join Uber, which is why we have launched an innovative pilot for drivers.”
Tania Naseer, who has been driving with Uber for four years, said: “As a single mother with children aged ten, six and five, I used to spend money on childcare to allow me to drive when earnings were the highest, like late night airport trips.
“But childcare is harder to access for me now, so I will be making the most of this new Uber pilot which will also help me as I study for a degree in biomedical sciences.”
A recent report by charity Coram stated that Britain is one of the most expensive places in the world for childcare.
The average price of a part-time childcare place (25 hours) a week for a child aged under two in a nursery is £148.63.
Uber’s free childcare will be provided through on-demand app Bubble.
The company said it will discuss the impact of the programme with recipients before deciding whether to expand it to more drivers.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/uber-london-coram-b2299320.html
The Welsh Government has unveiled plans to introduce 'national minimum standards' for taxi and private hire licences in a bid to tackle 'cross-bordering'.
Local Government Lawyer reports that outlining its plans in the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (Wales) Bill white paper on 9 March, the Welsh Government said the standards would help 'level the playing field' for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers in Wales.
'Cross-bordering' is where taxis and private hire vehicles licensed by one local authority operate in another local authority area. The practice can lead to unfair competition, especially for those licensed to higher standards, the Welsh Government said.
The white paper proposals would give more tools to local authorities to allow enforcement of vehicles and drivers operating out of area.
The white paper also outlines a plan to introduce mandatory training for drivers.
The Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters, said the taxi and private hire vehicle sector has changed "rapidly" in recent years, "and quite simply the legislative framework has not kept up with the pace of change".
"Having worked closely with the industry the proposals we are putting forward will help address some of the most pressing issues facing the sector, and will help to deliver a better, safer, and more consistent service across Wales."
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.