A passenger tried to rob a taxi driver who picked him up in Leeds then threatened to kill him if he didn’t hand over his takings.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Serwan Ali and a second man flagged down the cab outside Leeds College of Building on Cudbear Street in the early hours of August 24 last year, and asked to be taken to Harehills.
But they then told the driver to stop on anotherr road in Harehills where the driver asked for the fare, prosecutor Daniel Ingham told Leeds Crown Court.
At that point 22-year-old Ali said: “Give me your money.”
When the driver refused, Ali replied: “I’m not asking you again, otherwise I will get physical.” He then began flailing his arms around while the second unnamed man warned the driver: “Just give him the money.”
Luckily, the cabbie spotted a police car parked up nearby and drove towards it, stopping next to the van, as the two men made the threats to kill when they realised what he was doing.
While being detained, Ali became abusive and called the officer a “white n*****”. He was found with tramadol tablets in his pocket, and more were found after he was strip searched at the station.
During his interview, Ali denied trying to rob the driver, calling him a “f****** liar”, and claimed they only told the driver they had no money for the fare.
Ali, from Wigan, later admitted attempted robbery, racially aggravated public order and possession of Class C drugs.
The court was told he had six previous convictions for 11 offences and was on two suspended sentences, one for possessing an offensive weapon.
Mitigating, Emily Hassell said Ali She had come to the UK from Iraq illegally on a lorry when he was 16.
He admitted he was under the influence at the time, had been drinking and could remember “very little” of the offences.
Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told Ali it would be an immediate custodial sentence and said: “Your intention was to not go anywhere, your intention was to rob the taxi driver.
"You threatened him with violence and you did everything you could have possibly done to take his money.
"Luckily for him there was a police van nearby.
"At 22, you have been given chances and not taken them. Your chances, I’m afraid, have run out.”
He jailed Ali for 24 months in total, made up of 21 months for the latest offences, while activating three months of the previous suspended sentences he had received.
Hackney carriage drivers in Hartlepool have requested an increase in taxi fares on Sundays and at certain times during the festive period.
The Hartlepool Mail reports that a report going before Hartlepool Borough Council licensing committee on Friday, March 10, suggests increasing the cost of a two-mile journey between 7am and midnight on Sundays by £1.40.
The proposals also include pricing alterations which would mean the cost for a two-mile trip between 7am and 6pm during the period between December 24 to 31 would increase by £3.20.
A £1.40 rise would also be seen for the same length of journey during those hours from December 18 to 23.
One taxi driver has told the Mail that the festive increases are proposed because extra traffic means “it is taking half a hour to do a five or ten minute job”.
In addition, the trade has requested an increase in the “soiling charge” from £35 to a maximum of £100.
The proposed changes have been backed by the Taxi Owners Working Group.
All 81 vehicle owners have been consulted on the changes, with a “small number” of objections received, which will be outlined at the meeting.
A report from Sylvia Pinkney, council assistant director for regulatory services, recommends the committee “approves the proposed increase in hackney carriage tariffs”.
It said: “Any increase in tariffs must reflect a balance between allowing licensed drivers to generate a reasonable income whilst representing value for money for the travelling public.
“An increase in the soiling charge to a maximum of £100 will provide greater compensation for the driver where there is a significant loss of work due to the fault of a passenger.”
According to Private Hire and Taxi Monthly, Hartlepool’s hackney carriage tariffs remain “some of the lowest in the country”.
Neil Handisides, a town taxi driver and member of Taxi Owners Workers Group, explained the reasons for the new fares.
He said: "On a Sunday we used to work on what's called tariff 2 which we have had for the last 20 to 30 years or so.
"When we got an increase last year, for whatever reason we didn't get tariff 2 on a Sunday so we are asking for it back.
"It's not really an increase, it's just to level things back to what they were."
Neil said the increases for the run up to and over Christmas are due to longer journey times.
"Because of the traffic before and during Christmas and New Year it is taking half a hour to do a five or ten minute job," he said. That's why we are asking for that."
A woman has founded her own taxi firm, and has spoken of the challenges of starting out as a cab driver.
Suffolk News reports that Joanne Carr started Diamond Cars last month.
As the company’s sole driver, she will be offering rides in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and beyond.
Ms Carr believes there is a demand for female cabbies in a traditionally male-dominated industry, noting that many women are reluctant to get in a male-driven cab.
She states: “I’m all for females being independent. I hate the idea of somebody walking the street at night, not being able to find a cab.”
At present, people applying for a taxi licence have to submit to multiple, time-consuming checks.
Ms Carr – who applied last November – says driving is a “great” way to earn a living.
But she argues that the application process puts many drivers off.
She says: “People aren’t wanting to renew their licence because it’s such a difficult thing.
“It’s a process we have to go through, but I’m speaking to the council to try and get all that simplified.”
Source: https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/one-woman-taxi-firm-on-a-mission-9302584/
Three south London cab drivers have won a gruelling 3,200-mile Atlantic rowing race, emerging boney, bearded and ecstatic about their unexpected victory.
Stuart Lockhart, 50, from Rotherhithe, Daren Parr, 56, from Backheath, and Bob Barber, 57, from Sidcup, took eight weeks to row from Lanzarote, on January to 3, to Antigua, arriving on Saturday, March 4.
Southwark News reports that the intrepid trio was met by crowds of people who banged pots and pans having followed their crazy adventure on social media over the last two months.
Photos shared by the team have revealed their shocking weight loss from living off dehydrated food for months.
Their rival team, the Atlantic Dragons, had a professional rower and ultra-marathon runner yet couldn’t keep up with the cabbies.
They have already raised £11,475 but need another £4,525 to help get their trusty ocean rowing boat back home.
Finally back in the UK after paying off a long Antiguan bar tab, Daren Parr reflected on the team’s against-the-odds triumph.
“A lot of it had a lot to do with not only the British bulldog spirit but representing our family, friends and our trade,” he said.
Daren compared the challenge to learning ‘The Knowledge’. “They both discriminate against no one. Whatever your sex, whatever colour you are, whether you’re fat – it doesn’t matter. You either complete it or give up.”
During their adventure, the team battled towering waves and were followed by dolphins, whales and shoals of flying fish.
But the days were characterised by a relentless “ground-hog-day” rowing regime, which pushed them to the limits physically and psychologically.
“You can’t understand how draining and overwhelming it all is until you do it. Seeing land was an incredible thing…” Daren said.
He said he was so exhausted in the airport on the way home that customs officers pulled him out of the queue to get him through as fast as possible.
He said: “I’m absolutely like Quasimodo… everything hurts. If there had been a ‘I’m a Cabbie Get Me Out of Here’ button, it would have been smashed to bits.”
Donate to their fundraiser here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/cabbiesdoatlanticrow
The Parliamentary Taxi and Private Hire Awards return for 2023 on Tuesday 6 June, in the House of Commons, with founder Daniel Zeichner MP hosting the event.
This year’s Awards are proudly sponsored for the fourth year by Europe's Mobility Super App, FREE NOW.
The annual Awards give Parliamentarians a chance to nominate a driver from their constituency who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in their community.
The 2023 nominations are now open and will close on Friday 28 April 2023.
This year, the Awards are open to more Parliamentarians than ever before, with members of the House of Lords eligible to nominate drivers and London Assembly Members are also now able to nominate drivers for the first time.
Previous nominations have recognised drivers for delivering food parcels to the vulnerable, giving medical attention to those in need, helping rough sleepers with free rides to shelters and working with FREE NOW to provide vaccines to elderly people.
At the June event, which will take place at Parliament’s prestigious Terrace Pavillion, overlooking the river Thames, nominated drivers will have a chance to meet with their peers, their MP or Assembly Member and will be presented with a certificate in recognition of their efforts, highlighting why they have been selected to be their constituency’s Taxi and Private Hire Driver of the Year.
The Awards were founded in 2019 by Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis, with the aim of bringing the industry together to celebrate drivers and inspire passengers.
FREE NOW, a multi-mobility app that offers black cabs and private hire vehicles together on a single platform, continues to back the Awards as a sponsor for this annual event.
Mariusz Zabrocki, UK General Manager, FREE NOW says: "These Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the huge contribution taxi and PHV drivers make to people’s lives and to our local communities. At FREE NOW, we believe in backing UK drivers and championing the work that the taxi and private hire industry does on behalf of the UK public.
"By extending nominations to include the House of Lords and the London Assembly, this year’s Awards are an opportunity to recognise more drivers than ever before.”
Daniel Zeichner MP commented: "These Awards are all about celebrating the huge - often unsung - contribution of the UK’s 330,000 taxi and PHV drivers.
"It’s a chance to shine a light on those drivers who - in the course of their day-to-day work - have gone above and beyond to support their customers or their local community.
"I would encourage all my colleagues here in Parliament and at the London Assembly to nominate those drivers who they have come across who they feel would merit recognition.”
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.