A taxi driver is taking legal action over claims that a Wakefield Council licensing error left him unable to work.
Cabbie Ishfaq Hussain said the mistake has left him up to £1,000 out of pocket after he was issued with an out of date licence plate.
The Wakefield Express reports that Mr Hussain made a successful application to the local authority to have his hackney carriage licence renewed earlier this year.
The father-of-five said a new licence plate was posted to his home which had an expiry date of February 19, 2023.
Mr Hussain, 36, said the plate was already four days out of date by the time he received it.
He said: “When I showed it to my operator they spotted the mistake and told me I couldn’t work until it got sorted.
“By then it was a Friday afternoon and I tried to ring the licensing office but couldn’t get through. It meant I couldn’t work over the weekend
“It was the last weekend of the month when a lot of people go out after getting paid. It’s a big weekend for lots of taxi drivers. I would have expected to have made between £800 and £1,000.”
Mr Hussain has now returned to work after being reissued with a new plate but said he has made a formal complaint against the council and is seeking legal action to recover lost income.
Mr Hussain, from Bingley, added: “I didn’t notice the mistake at first because you don’t expect mistakes like that to be made.
“The council are constantly saying to drivers that they expect us to be professional at all times. It’s only fair that we should be able to expect them to be professional too.
“It was a lot of money for me to lose and I will struggle to pay my mortgage this month.”
Mr Hussain later received an email from the council’s licensing office stating: “As you have pointed out, the licence was issued with incorrect dates. This was a genuine mistake as a result of human error.
“Although we endeavour to minimise mistakes, the licensing office processes thousands of licences each year and, from time to time, small mistakes are inevitable.”
Yasar Ahmed, president of Wakefield Drivers Association, said: “The fact that Wakefield Council can dismiss their life-changing incompetence as “human error” simply highlights the dismissive nature and pure incompetence that taxi drivers have to face.
“No urgency or action was taken when notified. If we were to make a “human error” mistake, it would be a five-year ban for dishonesty.
“This is simply appalling and disingenuous to our profession. West Yorkshire Major Tracy Brabin called us the ‘fourth emergency service’.
“Wakefield Council treats us with discontent. We have had enough.”
Glynn Humphries, the council’s corporate director for communities, environment and climate change, said: “We are aware of the issue raised by the complainant and we are responding in line with our procedures.”
Ireland’s transport watchdog, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has received hundreds of complaints regarding taxis not having a card machine or refusing to accept card payments.
The Irish Mirror reports that in September 2022, it became mandatory for all taxis to have an in-taxi point-of-sale cashless payment device and for cashless payments to be accepted for taxi journeys when requested by customers.
However, since the new move was enacted the NTA has received well over 200 complaints about taxis that have failed to follow the new rule.
In the complaints, revealed to Newstalk via the Freedom of Information Act, a staggering 229 complaints were made to the authority in the space of five months since the rule was put in place.
Jim Waldron, a spokesperson for the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, told Newstalk he does not believe that the amount of complaints made is significant given the millions of journeys that have taken place.
Speaking on the radio show, he said: “I don’t think 229 complaints, with regards to the millions of journeys that take place since this compulsory credit card transaction payment had come in.
“I don’t think it’s that much to be honest. I think it’ll drop further down as time goes by.”
In the cases reported by the radio programme, multiple drivers were reported as they did not have a card machine present in the vehicle, with the drivers being issued fines by the NTA following the reports.
However, in another instance, the driver said he had a card machine but he would need to charge a commission on the transaction.
Source: https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/complaints-nta-card-payments-taxi-29232963#
There are now more London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) TX electric taxis on the streets of London than diesel TX4s.
Electric Drives reports that as the capital transitions to a cleaner greener environment, electric vehicle (EV) black cab fleets continue to accelerate.
Highlighting the transition away from fossil fuel, LEVC’s TX taxi, the world’s most advanced electric taxi, now represents more than 40 per cent of official black cabs, with over 6,000 vehicles operating in the capital.
As sales continue to increase, so does the positive contribution LEVC’s TX is making to air quality.
Powered by its revolutionary eCity technology, LEVC’s electric TX taxi has travelled more than 534 million miles globally and prevented 162,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, since it was introduced in 2018.
Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, commented: “We are witnessing a significant tipping point in the push towards cleaner transportation, with the TX overtaking the diesel-powered TX4 as the cab of choice in London.
"There are now more than 6,000 TX electric taxis operating in the capital, accounting for over 40 per cent of the black cab fleet.
“Since LEVC launched the revolutionary TX taxi, it has successfully delivered an unrivalled sustainable mobility solution, perfectly suited for urban environments.
"With each new TX on the road, we are preventing thousands of tonnes of harmful emissions, helping to create healthier and happier cities.”
Helen Chapman, Transport for London’s Director of Licensing and Regulation, said: “It is great to see that almost half of the entire taxi fleet is now zero emissions capable and there are now more LEVC TX taxis than any model of diesel black cabs in the capital.
"Alongside reductions to emissions, these modern vehicles deliver a really comfortable experience for both driver and passenger.
“London’s taxi drivers are rightfully proud to be at the vanguard of cleaning up the city’s toxic air. The step change in the taxi fleet moving to zero emissions capable is an important part of the bold action the Mayor is taking to deal with the public health crisis that is being caused by deadly pollution, and for tackling the climate emergency.”
The TX taxi is an accessible and inclusive vehicle for all, regardless of age or disability. Featuring flexible space for up to six passengers, the vehicle includes an integrated wheelchair ramp enabling the TX to accommodate a forward-facing wheelchair. This is the only taxi of its kind to do so.
LEVC has recently announced a new brand strategy to become a leading zero-carbon mobility technology company. LEVC’s new direction will see it grow beyond manufacturing the world’s most advanced taxi, the TX, and commit to delivering smart, green, safe and accessible mobility solutions to more people than ever before.
Source: https://electricdrives.tv/ev-biz/levcs-electric-tx-taxis-overtake-diesel-models-in-london/
A pilot scheme for taxi drivers to "earn as they learn" is being introduced in Basildon to combat a drop in cabbies since the Covid pandemic.
The Basildon Echo reports that the scheme allows trainee taxi drivers an extended period to pass the "topographical section" of the knowledge test on local routes, as well as being able to work as a private hire driver while training.
The scheme was suggested in response to concerns highlighted by the Basildon Taxi and Private Hire Forum that the trade is experiencing a reduction in the number of licensed drivers, including new applicants, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Councillor Danny Lawrence, chairman of Basildon Council’s licensing committee, welcomed the scheme to boost the number of taxi drivers in the town.
He said: “We are keen to encourage new driver applicants into Basildon, to boost our driver numbers and help our residents who want to access quality local transport options.
“We hope that by giving drivers the chance to earn while they are learning our local areas, they will be supported to pass the topographical test to achieve the same professional standards as other licence holders.
"This will then mean they can have a licence giving them greater flexibility to drive private hire or hackney carriage vehicles licensed by Basildon Council, with all the benefits that brings.”
In order to become an “Earn as you learn” licensed driver the applicant will still need to meet existing pre-licensing criteria to ensure appropriate passenger safety, including passing a criminal record check, a driving assessment, medical and passenger assistance training, as well as other checks.
The council’s licensing team will continue to engage with the Basildon Taxi Forum and representatives of the taxi trade as the pilot scheme progresses.
Regular updates and a final report will be presented to the licensing committee to monitor progress and consider future options.
“Earn as you learn” is a nine-month pilot scheme.
The application window opens on Monday and will close on March 31.
Source: https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/23367107.basildon-taxi-drivers-earn-learn-new-scheme/
Addison Lee has announced a new cooperation with ChargePoint to install ultra-rapid EV chargers at their West Drayton Fleet Hub.
Located near Heathrow Airport, the hub is a multipurpose centre servicing Addison Lee vehicles, rolling out driver training, and providing drivers with an ideal location to stop and take a break between journeys.
According to Electric Cars Report, the installation of two ChargePoint ultra-rapid EV chargers, with dual charging capability provides a guaranteed location for four drivers to charge their electric vehicles at once.
ChargePoint, which offers access to over 600,000 places to charge globally, will also provide software to allow Addison Lee partner drivers to see if the stations are currently in use, ensuring they don’t waste valuable time travelling to an unavailable charging point.
The drivers will have access to thousands of chargers across London through the ChargePoint app.
With 1,000 EVs already on the fleet, the cooperation with ChargePoint is further supporting Addison Lee’s industry-leading pledge to electrify its fleet by 2023.
On this journey to date, the firm has also provided drivers with support for home charging and has negotiated deals that provide its drivers with access to over 4,000 rapid chargers across London.
The cooperation with ChargePoint will further allow fleet managers at Addison Lee to have complete control over their charging infrastructure as their needs grow.
Once Addison Lee’s passenger car fleet is fully electric, it will save up to 20,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee, said: “We’ve made great strides in transitioning our standard fleet to electric by 2023, recently hitting the milestone of 1,000 EVs on the fleet in just over 14 months. With access to reliable charging infrastructure still the main barrier for drivers switching to electric, we remain committed to investing in these innovative partnerships working together to tackle the ongoing infrastructure challenges across the capital.”
Tanya Sinclair, Senior Director of Public Policy, Europe at ChargePoint said: “We are delighted to further our work in supporting the electrification of road transport in London.
"Our cooperation with Addison Lee makes it easier for drivers to confidently locate, initiate and pay for charging, not only here in Heathrow, but throughout London and the UK using ChargePoint’s own stations and partner stations accessible via roaming.
"Inter network roaming must be encouraged at all levels if we are to enable fleets and commercial drivers to seamlessly transition to EV.
"This cooperation will not only help increase the electrification of transportation in London and the UK, but will help to improve air quality across the capital, whilst showing that it is not only possible, but easy for the UK’s largest fleet providers to electrify their operations at scale.”
A week-long trial of new AI cameras on the A1(M) near Newton Aycliffe has exposed a shocking scale of phone use and seatbelt offences.
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.