An offender bombarded a taxi driver with derogatory taunts and abuse and then told police the man had played the “racist card”.
According to the Falkirk Herald, Andrew Perrow, 61, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on 7 March, having admitted engaging in a course of behaviour that was threatening and uttering offensive remarks in Callendar Road, Falkirk on August 5 last year.
Amy Sneddon, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The complainer, a taxi driver, picked up the accused, who said he was driving the wrong way.
"The driver said it was the quickest route and the accused swore at him.
"The driver tried to calm the accused down, saying he would take a different route if required. He stopped the vehicle and pressed his emergency button which alerted the taxi office.
"He then got out of his vehicle and locked the accused inside. The accused was then asked to get out of the taxi and he began shouting and swearing.”
Perrow hurled racist abuse at the driver, at one stage calling him the ‘n’ word.
When police talked to him he told them the driver had “called the racist card” into play and stated “they are getting away with this all the time”.
Defence solicitor John Mulholland said Perrow “regretted his conduct” and that he suffered from short term memory loss at times – a condition which was not helped by his alcohol consumption.
Sheriff Christopher Shead said Perrow’s behaviour was “utterly unacceptable”, but noted there was a “complicated background” to the case.
He placed Perrow, from Bainsford on a structured deferred sentence for six months to September 5.
North East Lincolnshire Council has carried out a review of taxi licence fees and for cost recovery reasons, changes have been proposed.
According to GrimsbyLive, the council's licensing and community protection committee signed off the changes on Wednesday, March 13.
Changes in the fees for hackney carriage and private hire licences have to be advertised 28 days in advance.
All fee changes proposed are based on the cost recovery of the licence services provided by the council.
By law, a local authority must set fees at a fair and reasonable level, proportionate to administration costs, and where further costs to ensure compliance are needed.
Proposed renewal fee changes for older taxi vehicles, more than five years old, are "designed to encourage the use of newer vehicles", a council document states.
A rise in material costs has also been passed on with the proposed taxi licence fees.
Even so, the steepest rise compared to current rates is only by £25, for private hire new licences and renewals.
Source: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/licence-fees-go-up-sex-9159623
Taxi drivers in Newport will face more criminal record checks under new rules designed to improve safety.
According to the South Wales Argus, owners of taxi firms will also have to pass a “fit and proper test” and comply with Welsh rules on CCTV in vehicles if they are to continue trading in the city.
The measures form part of Newport City Council’s updated policy for taxi and private hire vehicles, with safety the key issue.
Drivers will have to provide the results of a DBS check every six months – either by signing up for an automatic update service or by applying for their own checks.
The council’s licensing team will have to carry out 3,000 checks each year, compared to the current 500 it performs annually.
A report noted this could “impact on [the] workload of the team” but will “enhance the authority’s ability to promote public safety”.
Taxi and private hire vehicle owners will be subject to annual DBS checks as well as the “fit and proper” requirements.
Some other planned reforms of the council’s taxi policy have been dropped or softened, however, following a “well-attended” meeting with members of the trade last September.
Generally, the council intends to only grant new licences for vehicles which meet the latest exhaust emission standards for new cars, Euro 6.
But attendees of the meeting raised concerns this could end up negatively affecting people with disabilities, by slashing the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis on the city’s roads.
The number of accessible taxis in Newport has fallen by 45% in the past seven years, according to the council report.
Wheelchair accessible taxis will therefore be subject to a lower emissions threshold, Euro 4, in the council’s revised policy.
Taxi drivers were also successful in overturning a plan to legally require them to undertake a booking they had accepted “unless there is a good reason”.
The council said there had been increased reports of drivers cancelling jobs, “causing frustration and significant safeguarding concerns”.
But the council accepted drivers’ “strong opposition” to the plan, and noted complaints about cancellations “mainly featured around” one operator and had improved over time.
Councillor James Clarke, the cabinet member for regulation, is expected to sign off on the new taxi policy this week.
Source: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24179224.criminal-record-checks-taxi-drivers-newport/
A couple who attacked a cabbie weeks after they ran from his cab without paying are now starting prison sentences.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that Rose Jedynak and Ryan Padget were recognised by the driver and when he confronted them, Padget grabbed him and punched him, Leeds Crown Court was told.
The drug-addicted pair, who have a long history of public nuisance crimes including shoplifting, were both given criminal behaviour orders (CBO) as well as jail sentences.
Prosecuting, James Holding said that the pair had first been in the taxi on December 12 last year in Outwood, when they got out without paying the fare.
Jedynak then racially abused the driver, calling him a "P**** b******mother f*****".
On December 31, Padget walked into the Tesco Express in Outwood, at around 10pm, and was instantly recognised by the member of staff as a known shoplifter. He barged the woman out of the way and picked up a £13 crate of beer before barging her out of the way again and walking out.
Finally, on January 4, the same taxi driver was called to pick the pair up. When he recognised them, he wanted money up front and the fare from the previous journey, but they turned violent.
Sat behind the driver, Padget put his arm around the driver's neck and squeezed while Jedynak tried to grab his phone. Padget also punched him to the face. It was only when the panicking driver's leg hit the car horn did Padget relent.
As they got out, 33-year-old Jedynak poured alcohol over the car seat. The driver was left in shock and had cuts to his ear.
Jedynak was later picked out of an ID parade, while 42-year-old Padget was recognised by officers.
The pair were arrested and interviewed. Padget gave no comments while Jedynak denied involvement, despite being told she had been positively identified.
With both being held on remand since their arrest, they admitted a charge of making off without payment from December 12, and affray from January 4. Padget admitted a charge of robbery of the Tesco store.
The offences put them both in breach of a community order they received in September last year for "various thefts".
Padget, from Outwood, has 68 previous convictions for 151 offences, many for theft. Jedynak, from Wakefield has 12 previous convictions for 29 offences, mainly for thefts.
Judge Simon Batiste gave them both the CBO - Padget for five years, Jedynak for four - which bans them from entering certain shops.
For Padget, he said the robbery of Tesco was done with "breath-taking arrogance" and said the message "has to get out" that it will not be tolerated. He jailed him for a total of 30 months.
He jailed Jedynak for 12 months.
A cabbie who spent years campaigning for the rights of his colleagues has been honoured with a blue plaque at the taxi rank where he used to work.
Ralph Morgan was a well-known taxi driver based in Basildon and the spokesman for the Basildon Hackey Carriage Drivers’ Association (BBHCA) – earning the nickname “Mr Echo” for regularly appearing in the paper due to his campaigning efforts.
The Echo reports that Mr Morgan, who colleagues say “would do anything for his customers” sadly passed away aged 74 in 2017.
His fellow cabbies banded together to fund a blue plaque in his honour, to install at the taxi rank in Basildon town centre.
Now, the plaque has been put in place and will be officially unveiled by the Basildon Heritage Society at 2.30pm on Saturday 16 March.
Former colleague Mark Waller, treasurer at the BBHCA, paid tribute to his “community-spirited” friend.
He said: “He was nicknamed ‘Mr Echo’ because he was always in the paper, campaigning about local issues.
“Ralph was more than just a taxi driver. He would do anything to look after his customers. He was a man of the people.”
It is hoped that by installing the plaque at the taxi rank, it will trigger passengers’ memories “of a good guy”.
Mark added: “He regularly got involved to help the community.”
Basildon councillor Daniel Lawrence, chairman of the taxi licensing committee, is credited with the idea to install a blue plaque in Mr Morgan’s memory and will attend the unveiling.
The father-of-four was born in 1943 and worked “seven days a week”, right up until he was admitted to hospital and died following a short illness in July 2017.
He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Angie Morgan, along with his children and three grandchildren.
At Mr Morgan’s funeral in 2017, a huge parade of taxis followed the procession, as cabbies wanted to pay tribute to their friend and hard-working representative.
Mrs Morgan described it as an “amazing” tribute.
Source: https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24176416.basildon-taxi-driver-ralph-morgan-remembered-blue-plaque/
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.