A taxi driver attempted to drive between two trams before causing a crash in Nottingham city centre.
The motorist could not see the approaching tram in the other direction and attempted to drive between the two trams vehicles at the Lace Market on December 10 last year.
The incident, which features in NET Tram documents submitted to Nottingham City Council, resulted in significant damage to the car and some to the tram.
All services were delayed while details were exchanged and injuries were checked.
NET said there was a slight increase in the number of road traffic collisions in December, particularly in the Radford Road and Lace Market areas.
NET said a review of its safety measures is being undertaken.
Source: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/nottingham-taxi-driver-tried-squeeze-8234232
A Glasgow company that makes wheelchair accessible cars, minibuses and taxis is to take on more than 70 people under ambitious plans to ramp up production as it looks to overcome “horrendous” supply issues.
The Scotsman reports that Allied Vehicles, which was established almost 30 years ago in the city’s Possilpark area, is looking to produce more than 7,500 vehicles per year and take on workers as it prepares to make inroads into the European market.
The firm said the additional staff would work in its pre-production and production areas after two years of a “post-Covid famine”, exacerbated by global vehicle supply problems and the conflict in Ukraine. Allied Vehicles converts a variety of vehicles to make them suitable for wheelchair users, both passengers and drivers.
Operations director George McAdam described recent supply problems as “horrendous”. He said: “We have seen times where we had no cars whatsoever to build and we’ve also seen times where we were maximising the people we have and actually going out and recruiting.
"The fact is that Allied and the Facenna family have supported and retained all of the people that we had, knowing that it’s paramount that we have those skill sets, that we look after the staff that have been very loyal to us over the years and we’ve managed to do that.”
He noted that during the slump, up to 100 staff who had no cars to work on had undertaken other project tasks, including painting and generally tidying up the Hawthorn Street site.
“We are now seeing some light at the end of the tunnel,” added McAdam. “We’re now getting more positive vibes from our suppliers - Peugeot, Volkswagen, Ford and Citroen - and we’re now seeing vehicles starting to flow in.
"The plans we have put in place will bring an additional 78 people into the business, and what that does is it allows us over the next nine to 12 months to expand our market share.”
The ramp-up in production has also involved the creation of a revamped infrastructure at the business, including a new £400,000 laser to boost capacity. Processes have been streamlined, and workshop layouts altered to achieve the new targets.
The firm has also invested “significantly” in training, with more in prospect for the new workers.
Peter Facenna, the company’s managing director, said expanding into the European market was a key priority for the business. “We've now successfully built a network of distribution partners across most European countries, and we're looking forward to increasing production here in Glasgow in order to meet the needs of disabled people - not only in the UK, but across Europe,” he added.
“Most people will probably think we only make things here for Glasgow and Scotland, but we make them for all of the UK and, now, most of Western Europe.”
McAdam added: “It’s a large project plan with lots of moving pieces to get there, but we have it within our grasp now and our control to take it forward.
"I have no doubt there’ll be some other bumps along the road as we go through this [but] compared to where it was, the future’s looking absolutely amazing.”
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/
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.