Darlington could soon see Uber cars on its streets after the ride-hailing giant applied for a licence to operate in the town.
The company's application is currently under review by Darlington Borough Council and a decision is expected later this year.
While Uber vehicles from neighbouring Stockton-on-Tees and Durham are already a common sight in Darlington, a local licence would solidify the firm's presence.
Uber has confirmed the application but declined to comment further until the process concludes. Its expansion into Stockton earlier this year followed strong local demand.
The potential arrival of Uber has been the subject of speculation for several years but local businesses previously warned of losing customers to the global firm.
1AB Taxis has emphasised its commitment to the local community and economy. It said back in 2021: “Since 1984, we have supported local charities and the NHS, and throughout Covid-19 we spent a lot of money locally.
“You wouldn’t get that commitment, service, and support from Uber. They will take all the local companies out of the market.
"We are very much a local company that wants to support the people of Darlington and the surrounding area.”
Darlington Borough Council has acknowledged the challenges faced by the local trade, with a 30% decline in drivers since the pandemic.
While the council believes there are currently enough licensed vehicles, it has also recognised a shortage of drivers during peak times.
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council has revoked the licences of two taxi drivers following a series of speeding offences.
A 58-year-old from Southam and a 75-year-old from Honeybourne both had their licences terminated after a hearing before the council's Licensing Panel in June.
The Southam driver accumulated nine points on their licence over a 10-month period due to three speeding convictions.They also failed to notify the council of the offences as required.
The driver has a further speeding charge pending.
The Honeybourne driver, had previously been suspended for a 12 week period in October 2023 for failing to inform the local authority of speeding offence, has been convicted of another speeding offence which is pending.
The Licensing Panel deemed both drivers unfit to hold a taxi licence, citing public safety as a primary concern.
The decision has since become final as neither driver appealed.
Councillor Lorraine Grocott, Chair of the Licensing Panel, emphasised the council's commitment to maintaining high standards among its licensed drivers.
A Northampton taxi driver has been found guilty of trafficking cocaine between his home city and Milford Haven.
Pajtim Meta was convicted by a jury, after just 50 minutes, of possession with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cocaine, following a two-day trial.
His passenger, Albert Nikolla,had previously admitted his role in the crime.
The pair were arrested in January after police stopped Meta's vehicle on the Cleddau Bridge as part of routine traffic checks.
As officers approached the car, Nikolla attempted to flee, discarding a kilogram block of cocaine with a street value of over £85,000.
Meta initially claimed to be unaware of the drugs and to not know Nikolla, but ANPR cameras showed that Meta’s car had made “nine separate trips” from Northampton to Milford Haven between November 2023 and January 2024, and CCTV footage showed him together with Nikolla on these trips.
A search of his home uncovered £1,880 cash, three iPhones and clear snap bags used for drug dealing.
The court heard that Meta had lied to police out of fear of a lengthy prison sentence. He had also searched on his phone whether fingerprints last on plastic bags two weeks before he was arrested.
He will be sentenced alongside Nikolla on July 29.
Leicester City Council has announced a relaxation of age restrictions for taxis in a bid to support drivers facing financial hardship.
The taxi policy was last reviewed in 2012, and since then the trade had experienced the pressures of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and changing customer demand.
The move comes after concerns were raised by the taxi industry about the rising cost of purchasing suitable vehicles.
Under the previous rules, taxis had to be less than five years old when first registered and under 11 years for relicensing.
These limits have now been extended to nine and 15 years respectively.
The council said the decision was made following a consultation with drivers, who reported a significant decline in the number of affordable second-hand taxis available.
The increased costs were said to be putting immense pressure on drivers, forcing many to work excessive hours to cover vehicle payments.
In a decision report, the council said there was “clearly a need to support the trade during difficult financial circumstances”, adding an “overly restrictive age policy” would “simply lead to drivers moving to other licensing authorities but continuing to work in Leicester”.
By changing the rules, the authority believes it will “retain some control over taxi operations within the city”.
To mitigate any potential safety concerns, the council will introduce additional inspections for taxis over the age of 11 as well as unannounced spot checks.
Additionally, all taxis will be required to meet emission standards to protect air quality.
As part of their ongoing Open Doors campaign to stop access refusals, Guide Dogs charity has asked licensing authorities in England for their support in sharing guidance on the law on carrying guide or other assistance dogs with all taxi and private hire operators.
Guide Dogs hopes that this will help reduce the number of illegal access refusals and give guide dog owners confidence using taxis.
Taxis and the door-to-door service they provide are an important mode of transport for people with disabilities, including people with a vision impairment.
Since 2001, drivers of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles have a duty to carry any guide or other assistance dog travelling with a disabled person, at no additional cost.
However, guide and other assistance dog owners continue to face illegal access refusals from taxis.
Guide Dogs’ most recent research found that 63% of respondents had been refused access to a taxi or private hire vehicle in the 12-month period prior to survey.
This experience can affect their confidence and ability to get out and about independently.
Click link below to hear more about the impact of taxi access refusals, in this video with guide dog owner, Graham, and his guide dog, Ricky.
Jessica Luke, Regional Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs said: “While it is a criminal offence to refuse to carry a guide or other assistance dog in a taxi or private hire vehicle, without a medical exemption certificate issued by the local authority, sadly guide dog owners regularly report this kind of access refusal to us.
“We are calling on licensing authorities to circulate our guidance on carrying assistance dogs with all taxi and private hire vehicle operators and self-employed drivers on a yearly basis to reduce the number of illegal access refusals and help more people with sight loss to live the lives they choose.”
Ways of increasing the amount of wheelchair-accessible taxis across the city are set to be explored to make it easier for those who need one to get one.
Cumbrian taxi drivers are fighting back against proposed licensing changes they fear will cripple their livelihoods.
Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
A Conwy Council meeting on Monday revealed a critical failing that allowed a taxi driver whose license had been revoked to continue transporting children to school.
Worcester City Council is seeking public opinion on a proposal to make safeguarding training mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers.
A proposal to increase driver, vehicle and private hire operator licences was discussed on Friday 19 July 19 at Sheffield City Council’s waste and street scene committee.
Through this collaboration, FREENOW willl provide additional benefits giving drivers up to 25% off pay-as-you-go rates across the entire bp pulse electric charging network and discounted fuel at all UK bp branded sites.
Wakefield Licensing, working alongside West Yorks Police Roads Policing unit, NPT, Off-Road Bike Team, Police Intercept Team, DVLA & DVSA, held a Partnership Day of Action at Thornes Park.
A pilot emissions reduction grant scheme providing financial support for hackney carriage drivers to upgrade to cleaner EURO 6 and fully battery powered vehicles has been launched.
The ride-hailing giant has submitted an application for an operator licence to Darlington Borough Council, with a decision expected in August.
Darlington could soon see Uber cars on its streets after the ride-hailing giant applied for a licence to operate in the town.
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council has revoked the licences of two taxi drivers following a series of speeding offences.
A Northampton taxi driver has been found guilty of trafficking cocaine between his home city and Milford Haven.
The move comes after concerns were raised by the taxi industry about the rising cost of purchasing new vehicles.
Guide Dogs charity has asked licensing authorities in England for their support in sharing guidance on the law on carrying guide or other assistance dogs with all taxi and private hire operators.
Reading Taxi Association (RTA) chairman Asif Rashid has slammed Reading Borough Council's proposed phase-out of older petrol and diesel cabs by 2028, calling it a financial burden for drivers.
Dorset Council is poised to review taxi fares across the region, excluding Weymouth and Portland which have separate regulations.
A North Belfast man, Ruairi Fintan Muldoon (31), has been sentenced to 12 months in prison with an additional 12 months on supervised release for a botched attempt to rob a taxi driver.
Passengers are been invited to take part in a survey aimed at finding out if the taxi trade in West Suffolk is accessible to all.
A Glasgow man, Darren Gray, 31, launched into a verbal tirade and racially abused a taxi driver on Paisley Road West on August 19th, 2022.