A drug dealer from Brighton has been jailed for two years two months after being caught with hundreds of pounds worth of cocaine hidden inside Kinder eggs.

Erblind Daxha, 28, used a taxi to deliver the drugs to customers across Brightonand Hove.

However, he was caught with egg on his face when armed police officers intercepted him in Cromwell Road, Hove, on 4 October.

During the arrest, Daxha was found to have discarded one Kinder egg containing cocaine into the taxi. Another was discovered in his jacket pocket.

Despite initial attempts to deny ownership, he eventually pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply at Lewes Crown Court.

Sussex Police inspector Oli Fisher, of the tactical firearms unit, said: “Officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit are determined to disrupt the supply of class A drugs which cause so much harm in our communities.

“We are pleased that Daxha had no choice but to plead guilty when this matter came to court.”

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Edinburgh taxi drivers will soon be charging more, with a 9.5% fare hike set to take effect in December.

This increase, approved by Edinburgh City Council, will impact both standard fares and airport transfers.

The decision comes despite concerns raised by taxi drivers that the higher fares would "drive more black cabs off the road" and further erode their business, as they face increasing competition from private hire companies such as Uber.

While the new fares represent a significant increase, they are lower than the 20% hike applied last time maximum fares were revised in February 2023.

The increases mean that from Monday, 9 December, a three-mile trip between 6am and 6pm on a weekday would cost at least £11.50, up from £10,50 - unless an operator opts not to charge the maximum fare allowed.

A journey of the same distance but between 6pm and 6am on a weekday, or on the weekend, would cost at least £12.82, up from £11.70.

A cap on the additional charge levied on passengers being picked-up or dropped-off at Edinburgh Airport will also rise from £5 to £6.

Regulatory convener, Councillor Neil Ross, said: "I appreciate that a 9.5 per cent increase may seem like a lot in these relatively low-inflation times. Nevertheless, we are considering increased costs for the trade and also taking into account the increase and very substantial cost of replacement vehicles - particularly replacement electric vehicles which is what we would like to see.”

A report said: "The fare tariff stipulates the maximum that may be charged, and a lower amount may be charged at the discretion of any person providing a taxi service."

It added this was "relevant to considering any representations to the effect that the proposed tariffs would result in operators providing a service which is too expensive for the market to sustain".

The fares consultation received 52 responses. "Approximately 25 per cent of those who responded were broadly in favour of the proposals," the report said. "However, several respondents suggested that a smaller percentage increase would be more appropriate than that proposed.

“Approximately 69 per cent of those who responded to the survey were against the proposals."

The report concluded: "Having reviewed the responses the directorate is of the view that there is insufficient material therein to justify not implementing the increased fares as recommended.

"Therefore, it is recommended that the proposed taxi tariff is agreed and implemented without any further changes."

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Taxi drivers in Reading are up in arms over proposed changes that could phase out fully petrol and diesel cabs from the town's roads.

Reading Borough Council has had a hackney carriages emissions and age policy since 2019. But the council now wants to update this policy, which would remove 15 Euro 5a diesel cabs from the road, and require that all replacement vehicles are at minimum ultra-low emissions (ULEVs) and under eight years old by October 2025.

To be considered a ULEV, a vehicle must be hybrid or fully electric.

Also, by October 2028, the council would require that all replacement taxis to be ULEV and under five years old.

A statutory consultation was held from 9 September to 7 October, which had to be conducted prior to any changes being made.

The Reading Taxi Association (RTA) has strongly criticised the proposal, arguing that it unfairly targets hackney carriage drivers and ignores the contributions of other vehicles, such as private hire vehicles and school buses, to air pollution.

The RTA's chairman, Asif Rashid, stated that the measures would be a 'noose around the necks' of drivers.

He said: "The focus of these policies is disproportionately directed towards the hackney carriage trade which our members feel is being unjustly targeted.

"The new proposals would impose high costs on the trade, which could have a detrimental impact on many of our members."

Mr Rashid suggested that electric vehicles aged eight to 10 years should not be phased out but subjected to inspections to ensure they are in good condition.

Furthermore, he asked for the maximum age for ULEVs should be increased from 15 to 20 years.

The council's licensing applications committee is set to discuss the proposed changes on Thursday, November 14.

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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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