City of Wolverhampton Council is set to reduce licence fees for black cabs and private hire vehicles.
According to the Express and Star, the local authority said it had seen a huge increase in the number of drivers applying for licences during 2021/22.
This has resulted in surplus income which licensing guidelines stipulate must be used within the service, so it has been decided that the additional income generated will be used to reduce the fees for applicants.
Changes to renewal fees include hackney carriage/private hire one-year driver renewal fees reducing from £64 to £49, three-year renewal fees reducing from £120 to £98 and black cab and private hire fees reducing from £40 to £39 for one year and £100 to £78 for three years.
In addition, the council has identified ways to make savings based on a reduction in the administration costs involved in licensing vehicles over ten years of age.
The savings will help the council recruit further staff to process applications and expand compliance operations across the country.
The council said it aims to help address the national shortage of private hire drivers, while continuing to maintain high levels of public safety.
Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “Wolverhampton leads the way in private hire licensing and as the cost of living crisis continues, the council is pleased to be able to offer drivers these reduced fees.
“As a licensing authority, we are committed to continuing to maintain our high levels of public safety. We’ve invested heavily in digital technology which enables us to thoroughly check driver and vehicle details.
“We are believed to be the first in the country to have introduced daily enhanced DBS checks on all of our drivers.
"We have also introduced technology that checks applicants right to work and we check every new applicant against the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S).
“We have always been at the forefront of implementing stringent taxi licensing standards and we will continue to use the latest technology to ensure both public and passenger safety as well as passing savings back to our drivers.”
The proposals for new fees and charges are recommended for approval at the next meeting of the council’s regulatory committee on March 29.
A drunk man head-butted a taxi driver who tried to stop him fleeing from paying his fare.
DerbyshireLive reports that Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard how Lee Insley then smashed up part of his parent's home with a kettle after "going off on one" due to the booze.
The 49-year-old told the hearing he did so because someone "was slagging my ex-missus off calling her 'a fat monster'."
Now he will have time to reflect on his inebriated actions after being put behind bars. Jailing the defendant for 12 weeks, District Judge Jonathan Taaffe said: "You have assaulted a taxi driver who was simply doing his duty, he tried to reason with you and you head-butted him."
Lynn Bickley, prosecuting said both incidents took place on Monday March 20. She said the cabbie was working in Ashby, over the border in Leicestershire, and at around 4pm he accepted a fare to take the defendant back to his Swadlincote home.
The prosecutor said: "The defendant asked to be dropped off at a store so he could take the money out to pay for the fare, which was £11, but when he got out of the taxi he started to walk away. The taxi driver got out and held him by the arm to prevent him from walking away and going any further and told the defendant he was going to call the police.
"The defendant said he had no money and then head-butted the driver to the right side of the head. He let go of the defendant fearing he was going to be assaulted further.
"A group of children on bikes (seeing what had happened) followed the defendant back to his address and told the taxi driver where he had gone. He knocked on the door and the defendant's mother answered."
Miss Bickley said the mother started to become upset and advised the cabbie to call the police. In a later statement, she said her son had been sleeping at their address in the living room and that his drunken behaviour was causing them stress and anxiety.
The prosecutor said: "She described the defendant as 'going off on one' inside the house, picking up a kettle and using it to smash a mirror and the TV which no longer works.
"She says she is sick of his behaviour when he's drunk and that she does not want him to contact her or to return to her home.
"In his interview he made full admissions saying he was in drink at the time."
Insley pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage.
As well as the jail sentence, Judge Taaffe ordered the defendant to pay the cabbie £100 compensation and to pay his parents £280 compensation for the damage he caused using the kettle.
Source: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/man-drunk-smashed-up-parents-8279210
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 private hire driver was found asleep in his vehicle in the middle of the road, prompting concerns for public safety.
A private hire driver who continued to work despite having his licence suspended, has been prosecuted by Oldham Council.
The Hinckley Area Taxi Association has proposed new tariffs to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, which could make the borough's taxis the most expensive in Leicestershire.
Shaun Meenan attacked the teenager, who was a stranger to him, both in his vehicle and then in her home after gaining entry under false pretenses
Hillingdon Council launches consultation on PSPO to prohibit PHVs and taxis from waiting in residential streets around Heathrow Airport.
A taxi driver was left shaken after being robbed and assaulted by a knife-wielding passenger in Gateshead.
The proposed changes,which are set to be discussed at the licensing committee this week, would affect fares during weekdays, evenings,weekends, and festive periods.
A 71-year-old taxi driver has had his license revoked by the Stratford-on-Avon District Council due to public safety concerns.
Wolverhampton taxi drivers are set to be given powers to record audio in their cabs if they feel in danger following a spate of attacks.
Residents of Stirling are being invited to have their say on plans for a new taxi rank in the city center, as the local authority looks to address a growing demand for taxi services.
As of this year, only 278 licensed taxis are in service, significantly lower than the government's goal of 310.
Over 200 children from across England suffering from chronic or life-limiting conditions experienced a dream come true this weekend, thanks to a heartwarming initiative by London's black cab drivers.
Residents are being encouraged to participate in a consultation on proposed new taxi charges.
Taxi drivers at Bristol Parkway railway station are expressing frustration over a subsidised bus service that they believe is cutting into their business.
A year after the removal of a taxi rank due to lack of customers, Ipswich Borough Council is proposing to introduce a new five-place rank on Key Street.
A taxi driver who had his licence revoked following allegations of posting offensive material online has been given the chance to reapply.
The Glasgow Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has shown initial positive results in reducing air pollution, according to a new report.
Colin Aylward, who lives in Chittys Lane, Dagenham, captured the shocking incident on his home security system.
Independent Councilor Dave Patrick warned that the proposed increases would make Fenland one of the most expensive places in the country for taxi travel
Bleed kit charity, RAPAID, has already installed over 5,000 kits in UK cities in a bid to put emergency bandages in permanent circulation so that they are on hand whenever needed.