A taxi driver who had his licence revoked following allegations of posting offensive material online has been given the chance to reapply. 

Gerard Glaister, of Workington, was arrested by Cumbria police in August in connection with posting racially motivated offensive content online.

On August 10, Cumberland Council said it had revoked his licence. It said it had taken ‘decisive action to protect public safety’.

However, on September 13, at Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Tim Evans said the prosecution had, following a review of the case, taken the view that it was not in the public interest to proceed. As a result, the case against Mr Glaister was discontinued.

That decision was formally conveyed to Mr Glaister by Judge Barker, who concluded it had been quite proper for police to have taken action in the county during a period of great sensitivity in August.

After the charges were dismissed, the council announced that he would be allowed to reapply for his licence and any decision will be considered by the council's licensing regulatory sub-committee.

While the charges against him were dropped, the council emphasised the importance of responsible online behaviour.

Judge Barker warned Glaister that posting offensive material online can have serious consequences.

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The Glasgow Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has shown initial positive results in reducing air pollution, according to a new report.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the city center have dropped by 20% since the LEZ was implemented in June 2023.

The report, released by Glasgow City Council, also shows a 15.3% drop in NO2 levels at locations outside the city centre

While there are still areas of concern, the overall trend is encouraging.

The council said as the LEZ was only in force for half of 2023, it is too soon to determine the full impact on air quality.

Exemptions, to allow time to comply with the rules, were issued to 778 taxi drivers and residents didn’t need to comply until June this year.

Councillor Angus Millar, the city convener for transport and climate, expressed satisfaction with the early progress.

Cllr Millar said: “Glasgow’s LEZ was introduced to address stubbornly high levels of air pollution in the city centre — and with Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh now implementing their own LEZs, Scotland’s cities have joined hundreds across Europe in taking this kind of action to improve air quality.

 "The 20% drop in NO2 levels is a significant step in the right direction."

The report also notes that some locations, such as Gordon Street and under the Heilanman's Umbrella, are still exceeding legal limits.

"With some locations still showing breaches of legal limits, however, the impact of the LEZ’s full roll out will only become clear with next year’s annual monitoring data, and Glasgow will continue our work to seek cleaner, more breathable air that meets legal requirements,” Cllr Millar added.

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A man has expressed outrage after a private hire driver was caught on CCTV defecating on a pavement.

Colin Aylward, who lives in Chittys Lane, Dagenham, captured the shocking incident on his home security system and happened upon the incident while scouring his CCTV for fly-tippers.

The driver, who was parked outside Aylward's home, was seen exiting his vehicle and relieving himself on the pavement. 

Mr Alward then walked to the spot where the incident occurred in the video and found a pile of excrement and blue tissue paper.

Despite reporting the incident to Barking and Dagenham Council, he has wabeens met with frustating inaction.

"I'm absolutely appalled," Mr Aylward said. "This is just disgusting behaviour. He could have at least gone on the green or behind a tree. 

"To do this on the pavement like a dog is just unacceptable.

"He doesn’t even attempt to clear it up. What an utter scumbag!"

Aylward reported the incident to the council's "grime crime" team, but was told it was a matter of antisocial behavior.

However, the antisocial behavior team refused to investigate, claiming the CCTV footage was not clear enough.

Mr Aylward added: “I said to the council, ‘What do you actually accept as antisocial behaviour, if people can just defecate on the pavement and leave it there and that’s okay? What is your tolerance threshold?’”

Despite the footage clearly showing the driver wiping himself, the council maintained that there was insufficient evidence to prove the incident had occurred. 

Aylward has since reported the matter to the council's taxi licensing team.

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Two Fenland District Councillors, both involved in the taxi industry, have clashed over proposed fare increases.

The licensing committee agreed the increase which, for example could see a 5-mile journey that now costs around £12.20 rising to £17.40 – a 46 per cent increase.

Independent Councillor Dave Patrick warned that the proposed increases would make Fenland one of the most expensive places in the country for taxi travel. 

However, recently elected Conservative Councillor, Gurninder Singh Gill, argued that the fare increases were necessary to attract more drivers to the industry, which he claimed was "dead."

He also suggested that the current tariffs were too low and that drivers should be charging more.

The proposed fare increases were recommended by the licensing committee in July and are set to be approved by the full council on 30 September.

Under the new tariff a 5-mile journey would cost £17.40 and a 10-mile journey presently £23.80 would cost £33.90. 

Many taxi drivers and companies in Fenland have expressed opposition to the increases, citing concerns about the impact on both drivers and passengers. 

Some have even threatened to boycott meter upgrades.

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Hundreds of taxi drivers in the city are set to become first responders thanks to a new initiative. The drivers are being equipped with bleed kits, provided by the charity RAPAID, to help save lives in emergency situations.

RAPAID has already distributed over 5,000 bleed kits to taxi drivers in other UK cities. The kits, containing gloves,bandages, and instructions, are designed to help stop severe bleeding until professional medical help arrives. 

Charity founder Alex Chivers, a former police officer, was inspired to create RAPAID after witnessing the devastating consequences of delayed emergency response. He realised that the public needed easier access to life-saving equipment.

"Taxi drivers are out on the streets day and night," said Chivers. "If you see a RAPAID sticker on a taxi, you can flag it down in an emergency. 

"Time is critical when it comes to bleeding, and these kits can make a huge difference.

“The taxi drivers want to help, it’s such a simple idea and everybody is on board.” 

The initiative has already proven successful in other cities, with several lives saved thanks to the quick actions of taxi drivers. 

Local MP Fred Thomas praised the project, stating that it was a "simple idea that could save lives."

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