A private hire taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £700 after pleading guilty to illegally accepting passengers without a booking during Henley Regatta.

Shabuddin Parvas, 54, from Reading, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, November 15 to unlawfully plying for hire in Henley and failing to wear his driver’s badge.

The court heard that on July 5 licensing officers from South Oxfordshire DC carried out checks to ensure that taxis were operating legally during the Henley Regatta. 

Mr Parvas was observed in a prominent location on Thameside, near the main pedestrian route between the Regatta site and Henley train station. 

When an undercover officer approached the vehicle, Mr Parvas agreed to transport six passengers to Reading train station without a pre-booking. 

According to South Oxfordshire District Council, Henley Regatta is persistently targeted by unlicensed drivers from outside the area and 16 have been successfully prosecuted for operating illegally over the last three years, with further court hearings listed over the next few months.

Taking mitigating factors and an early guilty plea into account, Magistrates fined Mr Parvas £145 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £58 and £500 in prosecution costs. 

Councillor Georgina Heritage, cabinet member for communities at South Oxfordshire DC said: "We will continue to carry out checks to stop those who are operating illegally and we hope this conviction serves as a reminder to all drivers to understand and follow the terms of their licences.”

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Guernsey's minimum taxi fare is set to rise by nearly 5% from Monday 25 November, the States has announced.

Environment and Infrastructure (E&I) has agreed an annual increase of 4.75% as well as some changes to the tariff structure.

The changes mean a two-mile journey in the day for up to four people will rise by 40p to £6.50, while a five-mile taxi ride in the evening or on public holidays will increase by £1 to £24.10.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, vice-president of E&I, said the committee had "taken feedback" on board.

E&I said the price rises took taxi operating costs into account as well as average earnings on the island.

Gabriel said the fares were the "absolute maximum" firms could charge but that they were "under no obligation" to change the top rate.

He said firms could decide to offer lower fares or negotiate deals with customers "to put themselves on a more competitive footing".

E&I said there were 13 responses to a recent public consultation on the changes, including feedback from people in the taxi industry and the public.

The committee agreed two changes to the tariff structure, including starting the higher evening rate at 18:00 GMT on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and increasing the price for journeys involving seven passengers.

However, it rejected three other changes after "listening to feedback" from the public consultation, as the proposals could have resulted in fewer taxi drivers choosing to work late at night.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Barnsley MBC is consulting on installing free CCTV in all taxis after successfully gaining funding from the government's Innovation Fund.

Cabbie are currently being urged to take part in the consultation which could see the council install FREE CCTV cameras in all 500 taxis from as early as April 2025.

Councillors will meet on 5 March, following the consultation, and then will implement the mandatory requirement at a full council meeting later that month.

Council Statement:

Barnsley MBC has updated its Statement of Taxi and Private Hire policy to include the draft requirement for all hackney carriages licensed with the council to install CCTV. We now seek your views in respect of this.

This consultation will run for ten weeks commencing on 25 October 2024 and finishing at 12am on 3 January 2025.

The focus of the CCTV requirement is to promote the safety of drivers and members of the public.

You can view the draft amendments to the policy on our website: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/public-notices/

Alternatively a hard copy can be made available for viewing at Library @ the Lightbox - please email licensing@barnsley.gov.uk.

You can submit your responses via:

Email: licensing@barnsley.gov.uk - Subject Title: CCTV Taxi Licensing Policy

Post: Licensing Regulatory Services PO Box 634 Barnsley S70 9G

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Taxi licence fees in Powys are set to increase from 1 Apri, 2025, following a decision made by the county council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Right of Way committee on Thursday, 21 November.

The proposed eight per cent increase is estimated to generate an additional £6,300 for the council. This revenue will be used to cover the costs of processing and administering taxi licences and is "not for profit."

Licensing team manager Natalie Jones said: "Cost prices between local authorities vary for a number of reasons such as the number of staff employed and their pay level at various stages of the process.”

The fee increases are based on a "toolkit" developed by the All-Wales Licensing Expert Panel, which takes into account various factors such as the number of licences issued and the complexity of the licensing process.

The proposed fees for 2025/2026 are based on last year’s (2023/2024) costs and are as follows:

• Hackney carriage private hire (1 year): £155 (up from £150)
• Driver licence (3 years): £300 (up from £284)
• Private Hire Operators (5 years): £357 (up from £355)
• Knowledge test: £45 (up from £40)

Please note that these fees do not include the cost of DBS checks.

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it

Plymouth is set to become the first location in Devon to welcome Uber after the city council's licensing committee approved its application for an operator's licence. UK-based firm Smartzi, was also granted one. 

The committee was asked to consider whether the directors of Uber and Smartzi are considered fit and proper people to be granted a Private Hire Vehicle Operator’s Licence - a key requirement under the Plymouth City Council Act 1975. It was also asked to determine the appropriate length of time a licence should be granted and whether any conditions should be imposed on the licence.

Earlier this year Uber Britannia Limited applied for a private hire vehicle operator licence for five years, with the intention of having 160 vehicles licensed per year. In contrast, Smartzi’s application, submitted in March, proposed a single licensed vehicle per year over the same period. 

While Uber is a global giant, known for its controversial employment practices, Smartzi positions itself as an "ethical technology business" promising better service and lower fares.

The taxi licensing committee report stated: "Officers recognise that if this application is granted it will potentially affect other private hire operators in the city – the committee is reminded that this is not a factor to be considered when deciding the application."

The decision comes amid concerns about a shortage of taxi drivers in Plymouth, which has been impacting the hospitality sector and raising safety concerns, particularly for women.

Following the committee meeting on 21 November, a spokesperson for the council said: "Uber and Smartzi will be able to operate services in the city after the committee decided both met the council’s taxi licensing policy criteria. Both have been given a private hire vehicle operator licence for five years.

"The decision was unanimous by the committee after it heard that both applicants complied with the legislation and policies that govern how taxis operate in the city. A licence has to be granted where all policy and legal requirements are met."

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet about it