Slight adjustments to taxi fares in North Ayrshire have been approved by the local council's licensing committee.

The new fare structure, which will primarily affect festive rates, will be shared with taxi operators and trade organisations.

Operators will have a two-week period to appeal the decision to the Traffic Commissioner. If not, the details will then be published in a local newspaper.

Eleanor Collier, chair of the licensing committee, explained that the changes aim to balance the needs of both passengers and drivers.

"The proposed tariffs are largely unchanged and benefit the trade in not having to recalibrate their meters, which is good news for taxi operators, particularly those on Arran," she said.

"We've also listened to their concerns about festive rates and made some minor adjustments."

Key changes to the fare structure include:

• Normal Rate (Tariff 1):
  • Initial charge: £3.50 for the first three quarters of a mile
  • Subsequent miles: £2.30 per mile
  • Waiting time: £3.50 for 10 minutes, then 10p per 20 seconds
• Peak Rate (Tariff 2):
  • Initial charge: £4.00 for the first three quarters of a mile
  • Subsequent miles: £3.00 per mile
  • Waiting time: £4.00 for 19 minutes, then 10p per 20 seconds
  • Applies between midnight and 7am, on Sundays, and on public holidays.
• Festive Rate (Tariff 3):
  • Double the normal rate (Tariff 1) from December 25th to 26th (7am onwards) and January 1st to 2nd.

The other knock-on change is that within tariff two, instead of ‘on December 26 or January 2', it will now read: “From 7am until 12pm (midnight) on December 26 and January 2.”

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Thistle Cabs Group is offering free weekly travel to seniors aged 70 and over in South and East Ayrshire.

The initiative, which runs from 9:30am to 1:30pm every Wednesday in November and December, aims to help elderly residents stay mobile and connected during the winter months.

A spokesperson for Thistle Cabs said, “We understand that winter can be challenging, especially for our senior citizens.

"By providing free transportation, we hope to make their lives a little easier and brighten their winter.”

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An Uber driver was subjected to racial abuse before a passenger stole his car for a short distance in the early hours of the morning.

The incident occurred around 1:17 am on 4 October, when the driver picked up four passengers - three men and a woman - from Guy's Thatched Hamlet pub in Bilsborrow, near Preston

The Uber was headed towards Preston on the A6 when the driver was forced to stop shortly after departure due to the passengers' racial abuse.

Following the altercation, the driver ejected the passengers from the vehicle. However one of the passengers climbed behind the wheel and drove the car for approximately 10 meters before coming to a halt.

"We are appealing to the public to help identify the man in the image," said a Lancashire Police spokesperson. "He is believed to be involved in the incident where an Uber driver was racially abused and his vehicle was briefly stolen."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Lancashire Police at 101, quoting log 0129 of October 4th, 2024, or by emailing 6399@lancashire.police.uk.

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New taxi and private hire licensing policy being considered by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council includes a timescale for a transition to zero-emission vehicles over the next ten years.

Changes would include moving away from an age-based vehicle licensing policy to one based on emissions and engine type.

The policy will be sent out for a 12-week consultation with the taxi trade and other stakeholders, before being returned to the council for final approval.

“Currently, we have a policy that says that all vehicles have to be less than seven years old when they’re first licensed, and after 10 years they have more frequent testing," said licensing officer Matt Burton.

"What we’re looking to do is move away from an age policy altogether, and as suggested in the best practice guidance, move towards an emissions and fuel type criteria."

If the new policy is approved, the first change would take place in April, when the council would stop licensing vehicles that only meet the Euro 4 emissions standard, though this would only affect three taxis in the borough.

In 2025-26, the council would accept renewal applications for Euro 5 vehicles for the final time.

Licences for new vehicles powered by petrol, diesel or LPG would no longer be granted from April 2027, while no vehicles with internal combustion engines would be licensed from 2030.

In 2035, the council would stop granting licences for hybrid vehicles, meaning all taxis would need to have zero tailpipe emissions.

Another proposed change would ban private hire vehicles from displaying door livery showing the operator’s name, to prevent confusion between private hire vehicles and hackney carriages.

However, concerns were raised that it may make it difficult for some people to identify the private hire vehicles they had booked.

Mr Burton added that this had been considered by the council.

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Essex police are investigating an assault which has left a taxi driver with a serious head injury in Colchester.

It was reported the victim, a man in his 40s, had been found injured in Brinkley Grove Road at around 1.50am on Saturday 2 November.

He has been taken to hospital where he is being treated for a fractured skull and bleed on the brain.

A man attended Colchester police station on Sunday 3 November and was arrested on suspicion of GBH with intent and is currently in custody.

Police enquires are ongoing and they are still looking to identify a man aged between 20 and 25, slim, and between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 9ins tall.

If you have any information or any CCTV / dashcam footage relating to the incident please contact Essex police quoting: 42/166162/24

PHTM wishes the driver a speedy recovery.

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