A "lifeline" vehicle which transports some of the most vulnerable, disabled and disadvantaged members of the community in Mold was the subject of "mindless" vandalism.
According to the Leader, Formula Elite Travel's specially adapted vehicle was left badly damaged in a recent "horrible" attack.
The vehicle, one of only around 200 of its kind, is used by 20-30 regulars - who rely on it as a means of transport.
Formula Elite Travel's director, Phil Parry, said: "What makes this vehicle unique is that most vehicles have to carry wheelchair users at the back. With this one, they can sit at the front with passengers on either side, this makes a huge difference - especially for children who won't feel so alone.
"We take children to appointments at Alder Hey Hospital and having the means to sit them alongside their parents makes their journey so much more comfortable.
"The sad reality is that these specially adapted vehicles are a lifeline for many disabled members of our community, this will impact them directly as we have to repair the damage and get the vehicle back into service."
Phil said around £3,000-£4,000 worth of damage was caused - but that he hopes to have the vehicle back on the road soon.
"It's a horrible, mindless attack on a vehicle that is used by some of our community's most vulnerable people," he said.
"As well as the smashed windscreen, they poured coke inside the electrics and slashed down the wheelchair tiedown points. I can't for the life of me understand what would possess someone to do that."
Formula Elite Travel was founded a couple of years ago - with the hope of helping disabled and other disadvantaged people have comfortable, reliable transport.
"I lost my father to bone cancer," Phil said. "And my stepfather who is co-director of the business has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. These are the people we want to support and that's why we started this business.
"Our background is in providing high-end vehicles for people with a lot of money. This has allowed us to subsidise the cost of the taxi service for people needing the disability access vehicle, making it a cheaper service than your regular taxi firm.
"We are moving to a new site at Mold bus station which is wheelchair accessible, and we are looking to expand to other areas of Flintshire and get more vehicles out on the road."
He added: "We are working closely with charities, such as MacMillan and a charity supporting the blind. We cater for a couple of blind people and have specially trained drivers who take them to and from work.
"The vehicle allows people on mobility scooters to drive on and off, this means they can go shopping independently to places like Chester. We're just trying to make a positive difference to the lives of those in need."
The incident occurred in the early hours of a recent Sunday morning at their base in Mold and has been reported to North Wales Police.
Source: https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/24276441.mold-disability-access-taxi-suffers-mindless-vandalism/
Uber has reapplied for a licence to operate in Aberdeen five years after withdrawing its previous application.
Residents have also been urged to have their say on the plans to bring the taxi firm to the Granite City, with the company having previously confirmed its intention to reapply.
In 2019, Uber withdrew its application following controversy surrounding objections to its plans to bring the service to the north-east.
Currently, the company only operates its Uber Eats food delivery service in and around the city.
Now, in an update through the Our Union Street group, it has been revealed that the firm has reapplied to the city council for a licence.
Anyone wishing to show their support or objection to the plans has just over two weeks to have their say, and residents have been urged by the group to do so.
The update reads: "Uber has applied for a licence to operate in Aberdeen.
"The window is open for anyone to submit objections or letters of support to the local council at licensing@aberdeencity.gov.uk – the window closes on Friday, May 10.
"I know when we asked for improvement suggestions last year that many of you suggested bringing Uber to Aberdeen would be a good move.
"If you support the idea, drop a note to the licensing committee, similarly, if you have grounds to object."
Source: https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/uber-reapplies-licence-operate-aberdeen-9245648
A new maximum taxi fare has been approved for areas of Oxfordshire despite concern the scheme is "rubbish" and the authority responsible is "behaving like a dictator".
The Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils agreed to set the tariff at a recent cabinet meeting.
Drivers will now be allowed to issue a maximum charge of £5.90 per mile for daylight hours and £7.85 for later hours and Sundays or bank holidays.
A consultation was conducted by the councils in February after an email was sent round to traders.
Most respondents in South Oxfordshire - 60 per cent - disagreed with the proposed tariff while six per cent expressed strong support.
Of Vale of White Horse district respondents, 38 per cent agreed with the proposed tariff while 27 per cent disagreed.
One objector said: "Licensing are behaving like dictators just telling us what they say we can charge without properly listening to the trade."
Cabinet member for corporate services, policy and programmes, Andy Foulsham, said he thought the fact of 80 per cent of people opening the survey email was "quite exceptional" and that consultation had been sufficient.
This was despite the fact that no more than 26 people from the Vale of White Horse district and 53 people from South Oxfordshire had got back with a response, the majority being taxi drivers.
This comes as one member of the public said in the public meeting the scheme was "rubbish" amid claims it had not been subject to proper consultation.
Source: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24281668.maximum-taxi-fare-agreed-south-west-oxfordshire-area/
More than 300 taxis are still not compliant with Glagow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) rules, it has been confirmed.
GlasgowLive reports that during a city administration committee on 27 April, a council officer advised councillors that around 350 taxis were still non compliant and 76 had been given an exemption.
It comes as an updated report on Glasgow’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) was presented to councillors, which highlighted the steps the local authority is taking to reduce air pollution between 2024 and 2029.
So far this includes, alternatives to private vehicle use, promoting low emission transport, promoting travel alternatives, public information, transport planning and infrastructure, traffic management and vehicle fleet efficiency.
During the meeting councillor Saqib Ahmed raised questions on the number of taxis which meet the LEZ rules.
Councillor Ahmed said: “Can someone please advise how many taxis are there that operate within the city centre that do not meet the LEZ requirement.
“What is the council doing to help the taxi drivers move towards a vehicle that is compliant with the LEZ?”
A council officer confirmed that a number of taxi operators had been applying for funding to go through the retrofit process.
Councillor Angus Millar, Glasgow’s convener for climate, also said that the council would continue to be “flexible” beyond June 1.
Cllr Millar said: “The number has been changing as more and more taxi operators who have been continuing to go through the process have been applying for and in many cases receiving their most up to date exemptions to allow the work to be completed to be compliant.
“We are continuing to be flexible beyond June 1 so that when the process has been initiated to achieve retrofit we are supporting taxi operators to continue to undergo that process.”
A council officer added: “At this point in time we believe that there are around 350 taxis which are still non compliant, 76 taxis have been granted an exemption to their extension and another 15 approved and pending.
“There are a number of operators now that are going through the process of submitting applications in relation to the new funding and availability.”
Source: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/profile/hundreds-glasgow-taxis-still-not-29061013
A cabbie who allegedly punched a man in a revenge attack with his brothers for opening a rival shop two doors down from their dad’s butchers has been banned for ten years.
According to BristolLive, Bristol city councillors refused to renew his licence over the assault and a separate road-rage incident the day before that left a couple fearing for their safety.
He denied wrongdoing in both cases but the public safety & protection sub-committee decided he was lying and that the victims were truthful and credible.
In the assault on May 30 last year, the cabbie and his brothers “cornered and attacked” a man who used to work in their father’s butchers shop and had opened a similar business two doors away a few months later, the panel was told at a private hearing.
Recently published minutes from the City Hall meeting said the taxi driver’s family were not happy about this, accused the former employee of poaching their dad’s customers and took revenge against him.
The council papers said: “He was beaten up and [the driver] had punched him in the face causing him to bleed and resulting in a bruised eye.”
The cabbie and his siblings “fled the scene after the attack” and, although the police arrested one of the brothers and began an investigation, no further action was taken because of insufficient evidence as there were no independent witnesses, the minutes said.
The assault left the victim suffering from depression, unable to think properly and “fearful” of the driver, who would “always swear at him and use the F-word” whenever they saw each other in the street.
The cabbie denied any involvement and his lawyer told councillors that “it had all been made up” by the man.
Members heard that the driver had agreed to a voluntary interview with the police but had not been arrested.
The day before, he was involved in a road-rage incident where a couple had crossed Fishponds Road in front of his “speeding” car.
The cabbie blew his horn, stopped abruptly and walked over to them in an “abusive and confrontational manner” while swearing and came “right up to their faces”, the panel heard.
He told council officers in an informal interview that the traffic lights were red for pedestrians but the couple were crossing the road, so he had to “slam on his brakes and sound his horn to make them aware” and let them continue to the other side.
The driver said he got out of his car because he thought they had thrown something at it and alleged he was subjected to a “torrent or racial abuse”, a claim the pair denied and which left them “horrified” when it was put to them separately.
During the interview he denied swearing and calling names but admitted it when the woman’s video clip of the incident proved it.
His solicitor told the hearing that the cabbie had driven taxis for 15 years without an incident.
The redacted minutes said: “The committee considered the evidence from the two complainants and [the driver’s] version of events which were so far apart from each other that someone was not being truthful.
“On a balance of probabilities, the committee unanimously upheld the complaint.
The panel also decided that “based on the incident that had happened only the day before and the friction” between the alleged assault victim and the driver’s family, “it was more probable than not” that the cabbie was involved in the attack on his dad’s ex-employee.
The minutes said: “As a result of these two incidents involving threatening behaviour and violence the committee could no longer be satisfied that [the cabbie] was a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver’s licence.
“His application to renew his licence was therefore refused.”
The panel took no action to remove his private hire vehicle licence, so he could hire it to a licensed driver.
Council and national policy is that a new licence will not generally be granted until at least ten years since an offence involving violence.
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.