A Glasgow cab driver has said sorry after failing to admit he was convicted for a speeding offence to licensing officials.
The Glasgow Times reports that Zafer Orak was fined £130 and got three points on his licence in 2019 for driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone in the Rutherglen area during September 2018.
While the 43-year-old was recently applying for the renewal of his private hire car driver’s licence, police informed the licensing and regulatory committee about his record.
Chair councillor Alex Wilson, SNP, asked him why he had not mentioned the conviction during his licence renewal application or notified the licensing department about it.
Saying he had made a “mistake”, Mr Orak said: “I apologise, I’m sorry.”
When asked why he was speeding, he said he was running late.
Councillor Wilson said: “You are a private hire driver. Regardless of whether you are late you don’t speed around the city.
"You could have crashed your car or caused an accident.”
He warned Mr Orak he has a “lot of things to learn” if his licence is granted.
After leaving the room to consider the case and a number of others, councillors decided to grant Mr Orak’s licence but issued a warning about his future conduct.
Wolverhampton council is helping to protect licensed drivers by providing personal safety alarms in every vehicle and safety guides for every driver.
According to the Express and Star, the Secured by Design alarms, part of a national police security initiative, have a powerful 140 decibel siren and will help drivers raise the alarm if they feel threatened or unsafe.
The alarms will be rolled out across the council’s fleet of 20,000 licensed vehicles as drivers attend their annual inspections.
To offer further protection, the authority’s regulatory committee has approved the option of installing driver safety enclosures which separate drivers from passengers.
In addition, the council has worked in partnership with West Midlands Police to produce a ‘Safety Tips for Taxi and Private Hire Drivers’ guide.
The guide gives helpful information about subjects such as vehicle condition, accepting and collecting passengers, best ways to communicate and what to do if a problem arises.
Councillor Phil Page, chair of Wolverhampton Council’s statutory licensing committee and regulatory committee, said: “We deal with licences for a lot of taxis in Wolverhampton and the safety of both passengers and drivers is our top priority. Everyone has a right to feel safe in a taxi.
"As a licensing authority we constantly review driver and passenger safety and ways this can be improved.
"Providing personal alarms is a great initiative to reassure and protect our drivers.
“Being a taxi driver is a very important job as so many people rely on them for getting to appointments, travelling to work or enjoying leisure time.
"For this reason, I am also pleased that we have worked with West Midlands Police to develop a helpful guide full of useful pointers to make journeys safer and more comfortable for everyone.”
The driver safety advice guide is free and available to download at wolverhampton.gov.uk/licences/taxi-licences
A taxi driver who refused to take a disabled passenger has had his Hackney Carriage licence revoked.
The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald reports that Christopher Parker, from Shipston, was reported to Stratford District Council for refusing to take a fare from a man who was in a mobility scooter.
The 69-year-old, who was in his Hackney Carriage vehicle, had been available for hire at a taxi rank in Stratford town centre.
The district council said Parker, who had been a licensed Hackney Carriage driver since 1991, had received a considerable number of warnings and had previous action taken against him.
Following the latest complaint, the council’s licensing panel ruled he had breached his duty under s165 of the Equality Act 2010, which requires drivers of a wheelchair accessible taxi to carry a wheelchair user, and Section 164a, which imposes a duty on drivers to provide reasonable mobility assistance.
Cllr Christopher Kettle, legal and community safety portfolio holder at the council, said: “Under the Equality Act, licensed taxi drivers using accessible vehicles must not discriminate against disabled passengers and they should also give them assistance when required.
“Actions such as these is inexcusable and certainly not the high standard that we expect from our licensed drivers who all undergo disability awareness training to ensure they are aware of their legal obligation.”
Cllr Chris Mills, the licensing panel chairman added: “Taxi drivers hold a position of trust and have a duty of care, and when drivers fail in this duty we have no hesitation in revoking their licence.”
Parker can appeal against the decision to a magistrates’ court.
Message from Bristol Taxicop PC Patrick Quinto: "On Friday night I worked with the DVSA and Licensing Officers from Bristol and South Gloucestershire Council checking taxis and private hire vehicles at Rupert Street in Bristol city centre
"We stopped and checked an amazing 92 vehicles.
"The compliance rates were much better this time - four immediate prohibitions/suspensions given and a number of notices for minor issues such as plates, badges and lights.
"If you were stopped, thank you for your patience and co-operation."
David Lawrie, Director of NPHTA said, "Shame on those four, but well done to the trade for such a good overall result.
"This just shows that when the number stopped is large enough, the actual results are far more reflective of the care that our members take of their vehicles.
"Great work Taxicop PC Patrick Quinton, Licensing, and DVSA for such a good exercise carried out.
"Other authorities should follow suit and make sure the enforcement exercises are a true reflection, it is no good only stopping four vehicles and then claiming a 50% failure rate...."
Wiltshire Council is set to buy up more taxis to take children with special educational needs to schools.
Planet Radio reports that the authority has reportedly been suffering a shortage of vehicles to transport SEND pupils since November last year.
Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Unfortunately there are currently insufficient taxi drivers to meet all of our SEND home-to-school transport commitments.
“To address this, we are providing additional vehicles and employing drivers directly to operate them.
“This will enable us to provide our statutory duty to provide free home-to-school transport for those who are entitled.”
Head of Passenger Transport, Jason Salter, was recorded in the minutes of a meeting of Wiltshire Council in December as saying: “There were currently 5-6 students without transport to education settings due to a lack of drivers/licensed vehicles.
“There were also a number of parents receiving a rate of pay to transport their own children to school that are entitled to free transport.”
Wiltshire Council has been looking at alternative options, such as buying larger vehicles to carry more passengers and reduce the need for smaller taxis.
On December 5 the now-former cabinet member for transport Cllr Dr Mark McClelland said in a statement: “We have had to put temporary arrangements in place such as doubling up on runs, reduced pupil timetables or paying parents to take them.
“In Wiltshire, there was a shortage of taxi drivers to fulfil our SEND school contracts before Covid.
“The pandemic hit the taxi industry very hard, and all local authorities have seen reducing driver numbers due to drivers switching to doing other driving and delivery jobs.”
A recruitment campaign has been held alongside local taxi firms to try and boost numbers.
Source: https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/salisbury/news/wiltshire-council-send-taxis/
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.