Over 600 taxis and private hire vehicles in Oldham have failed roadworthiness tests, highlighting concerns about vehicle safety.

Statistics included in a council report show that the council sought 1,942 tests in total; 140 tests were missed, a total of 655 tests on both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles resulting in a fail.

As of October, the council has seen a 137 per cent increase in the number of dual drivers' licences issued since May 2023. Last year, there were 1,305 dual licences, this has increased to 3,088 this year.

There has also been an increase in private hire vehicles also, climbing from 1,030 to 1,756 in total. 

The amount of private hire operators in Oldham has also more than doubled, with a total of 90 now licenced as opposed to the 38 in May 2023.

A spokesperson for the council said that the increase is due to a number of changes that were made to the licensing policy surrounding taxi and private hire vehicles. 

The report said: "As members will see from the above figures, the significant increase in licensed drivers has placed an additional burden on officers within the team.

"A recruitment exercise is underway to bolster the team with the additional officers needed in order to meet demand, including extending opening hours of our service reception."

Cllr Elaine Taylor, deputy leader of the council with responsibility for licensing, said: “Passengers should be able to get into a taxi or PHV knowing that it is safe to be on the road. 

“We expect vehicle owners to prepare their vehicle ahead of the test to ensure it is fit to pass. 

"Depending on its age, it may have more than one MoT test each year – the older the vehicle, the greater the number of tests.

“If a vehicle doesn't meet the required standard, then we'll take it off the road until it does.

“We are working to improve the pass rate for all vehicles. 

Between April and October this year, 36 hearings were heard by the drivers' panel. Of those, 21 applications were refused, three licences were suspended and seven were revoked. 

Only four hearings resulted in an application being granted.

One unlicensed driver was prosecuted and disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £4,671.

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A private driver who made a lone woman feel “extremely uncomfortable and threatened”, after she asked for directions in the street, has lost his licence.

Castle Point Council decided to revoke the driver’s licence after a complaint was made about the incident during which “the driver’s behaviour and line of questioning left the lone female feeling fearful and nervous.”

The incident occurred on 23 August when the woman approached the driver to ask for directions. The driver, however, engaged her in a series of questions about her personal details, including her address and phone number.

The woman felt uncomfortable and quickly left the scene.

During a council hearing on 24 September, the driver claimed he was simply trying to identify a missing passenger as the job listed did not show a name. He said he slowed the vehicle to ask the person, who appeared to be looking around.

The driver said he didn’t know whether he was looking for a male or female passenger.

The driver did accept his questioning could have made the passenger fearful and during a separate interview the driver also admitted he was looking for a male customer.

However, the council's driver's panel found that "his behaviour and line of questioning left the lone female feeling fearful and nervous."

“The panel found on the balance of probability, and given that the driver was at the time looking for his fare whom he admitted was a male passenger and that his attention could have placed the complainant in a position where she felt in fear for her personal safety and the fact that the complaint was raised in the first place, it was likely the events did happen as described by the complainant."

The council's licensing officer emphasised the importance of public safety and the responsibility of private hire drivers to maintain a professional conduct.

The panel concluded that the driver's behaviour fell short of these standards and revoked his licence.

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Nottingham's black cab drivers are facing an uncertain future after the closure of the Station Street exit to Nottingham Railway Station. They argue that the move is the "final nail in the coffin" for their industry.

The drivers' plight stems from a series of changes to the station's layout over the past decade.

The original taxi rank on Carrington Street was replaced by a pedestrianised entrance, and subsequent relocations to Station Street and Trent Street have further eroded their visibility and accessibility to passengers.

Chander Sood, secretary of the Nottingham Hackney Carriage Owners and Drivers Association, expressed deep concern about the impact of the closure of the Station Street exit.

"We're choking now," he said. "We used to wait 15 minutes for a job, and now it's around two hours.

"Is it worth it? How am I going to survive? We have more than 200 drivers with families to feed that rely on this trade. The council needs to wake up."

The drivers argue that while private hire companies can be booked in advance, black cabs rely on visibility and immediate availability.

The Trent Street move was not welcomed by the drivers, but they had no choice, said driver Mohammed Akram. Drivers say Nottingham City Council told them that the Station Street exit was where most passengers left the station and would thus see the taxis immediately.

For a decade they have operated from there, but say trade has slowly dwindled. On October 30, East Midlands Railway (EMR) closed the Station Street exit as part of a three-week trial to try and clamp down on fare dodgers entering the station that way and accessing the platforms without a ticket.

Mr Akram, a driver with 36 years of experience, emphasised the inconvenience caused to passengers, particularly those with disabilities or heavy luggage.

He said: "We've complained so many times over the years to licensing. We're losing a lot of business. When we were at the station entrance, people came into the foyer and we were there. Now, when they come out, they can't see us because we're hidden.

"They have to ask where the taxis are. There aren't any signs. We're losing about 40-50% of trade.

"All the drivers are very upset at the moment. If we can't come to a compromise we've got no choice but to protest and get legal advice."

The closure trial lasts until November 17, but the drivers fear that it may become permanent. 

Cllr Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, acknowledged the concerns raised and pledged to meet with East Midlands Railway to discuss the situation.

He encouraged residents to provide feedback to EMR during the trial period.

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Warrington taxi drivers are now equipped with military-grade bandages to help save lives in emergencies.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Oxford-based charity RAPAID, aims to provide immediate first aid in cases of serious bleeding, such as those resulting from knife crime, serious accidents or major incidents.

Participating taxis will display green window stickers, making them easily identifiable to the public and emergency services.

These vehicles will be ready to provide essential aid in the crucial moments before professional medical help arrives.

Alex Chivers, founder of RAPAID and a retired police firearms officer and special forces veteran, emphasised the importance of rapid intervention in cases of severe bleeding: "With a serious haemorrhage, you can bleed to death in under five minutes.

"Time truly saves lives, and the quicker treatment begins, the better the chances of survival.

"It made perfect sense to use the same military bandages designed for the battlefield and to have these bandage kits carried on taxis that are in and out of our community day and night.”

The distribution of these emergency bandage kits in Warrington coincides with Operation Sceptre, a week-long campaign by Cheshire Police working in partnership with residents, community groups and partner organisations to reduce the impact of knife crime across the county.

Superintendent Andrew Blizard, Cheshire Police’s knife crime lead, said: “Knife crime is a key priority and the distribution of emergency bandages to taxis across Warrington could be the difference in saving someone’s life.

"The RAPAID campaign is a welcome addition to a range of initiatives that are in place across the county.”

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A Ramsgate veteran who lost his treasured beret on Remembrance Sunday has been reunited with it thanks to the quick thinking of a black cab driver.

Rifleman Paul Jacobs, who served in the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was devastated when he realised his beret was missing after attending the Cenotaph service in Westminster on Sunday.

Paul said: "It's important because it represents the regiment that I'm from and what I stand for and what I've done. But it's what's inside. There's a special silver coin inside behind the cap badge.

"It's two sided. On one side is a kneeling angel, and on the other side is hope. It was given to me by a dear who was my schoolteacher when I grew up in Ramsgate."

"I've had that coin with me wherever I've gone, whether it's climbing Everest or Kilimanjaro, walking across Norway, marathons - wherever it maybe, that coin is with me."

The coin first went with Paul on his tour of Afghanistan in 2009, where he was blinded by a bomb and severely injured while trying to save a colleague.

He was awarded the George Medal for his resilience and courage as a dedicated soldier who always acted to serve others.

Paul's plea for help on social media went viral and caught the attention of the The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans which mobilised a team of cabbies to scour the capital for the missing item.

Out of all the taxi drivers that could come to the rescue, it was cabbie Dave Hemstead, a former Rifleman himself.

The pair were reunited at an Armistice Day event in London, honouring their fallen friends and marked a successful operation over a cup of tea.

Dave said: "I was just out working yesterday taking veterans to and from different Remembrance events and the post come up, so I thought i'd best have a look because he's a Rifleman and I was a Rifleman as well.

"I knew what to look for, I knew it was a green beret so it was just trying to find one out amongst all the foliage on the side of the road and somebody kindly picked it up and put it on a fencepost.

Paul added: "I was quite distressed yesterday so thank goodness for the Taxi Charity for Miltary Veterans."

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