The owners of Addison Lee, the London-based minicab firm, have begun exploring a sale of the company they took control of four years ago.
Sky News has learnt that Jefferies, the investment bank, has been hired by Addison Lee's majority shareholder, Cheyne Capital, to canvass interest in a takeover.
The process is thought to be at a relatively early stage and might not lead to a transaction, according to one insider.
Addison Lee's potential valuation in any transaction is unclear.
The company, which transports about seven million people in journeys in the capital each year, was sold to Cheyne Capital's Strategic Value Credit arm and Liam Griffin, son of founder John, in 2020.
That deal came after a tussle for control involving Addison Lee's syndicate of lenders.
The elder Mr Griffin founded the business in 1975, and it became a ubiquitous presence on London's roads.
His son said in an interview earlier this year that shifts in post-pandemic working patterns had contributed to a slowdown in revenues in the capital.
Addison Lee competes for business with ride-hailing apps such as Uber as well as the city's traditional black cabs.
On Monday 29 July Corker Cars is taking a number of OAPs and their dedicated carers on a FREE day trip to Southend on Sea.
A memorable day for all:
Free pickup and drop off
Comfortable, accessible transportation
Scenic views and relaxation
Free breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express
Free fish and chip lunch
PHTM SO PROUD OF OUR TRADE
An East Cambridgeshire taxi driver has had his licence revoked on appeal after four incidents, which included narrowly missing a pedestrian and her dog.
According to the Ely Standard, Jerzy Masjanis was first brought to the attention of East Cambridgeshire District Council in June 2021 after several of his passengers made complaints about him.
He told the council he would "change his behaviour and make better decisions in the future", but this wasn't the case.
On November 26, 2021, Masjanis nearly reversed into a woman and her dog when he made a manoeuvre. The woman said that if she hadn't have shouted and waved at him, Masjanis would have ran her over.
A year later in November 2022, Masjanis failed to assist a disabled passenger into his vehicle. The man was using crutches and had a large bouquet of flowers, and he was forced to lean out of the vehicle to try and shut the passenger door.
In December 2023, Masjanis failed to assist an elderly man who had to load his own suitcase into the boot of Masjanis’ dirty car. When the man got inside the car he said it was "filthy" and "stank of garlic".
The same month Mr Masjanis also displayed unprofessional rude behaviour towards council employees in the council offices when collecting new vehicle licensing documents.
After listening to Mr Masjanis and others, councillors decided to revoke his licence, finding that the incidents detailed in the licensing officer’s report “demonstrated a history of non-compliance and a failure to amend behaviour despite being given repeated opportunities to do so”, and that there was “likely to be a significant risk to passenger safety if action was not taken.”
Mr Masjanis appealed the decision and the case went before Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on June 6.
After hearing evidence, magistrates’ found in favour of the council and agreed that Mr Masjanis’ joint hackney carriage and private hire driver licence should be revoked.
Deciding the appeal, the magistrates said: “We find there was reasonable cause to revoke the appellant’s licence.
"His reactions to questions about the four incidents, his complete lack of understanding of the code of good conduct and, even in his summary, the appellant did not accept that any of his actions were unacceptable, lead us to believe he is not a fit a proper person to hold a taxi licence.
"We therefore do not find the decision of the council was wrong and your appeal is not upheld."
Mr Masjanis has a right to apply for leave to appeal this decision.
Source: https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/24402416.ely-taxi-driver-jerry-masjanis-nearly-ran-woman-dog/
Many drivers are aware of the amount of time and energy that trade representatives up and down the country give to support the trade, so it's nice to be able to share some positive news to reward these efforts.
The last few months the TODA has been working tirelessly, with the co-operation of Tameside Council's Licensing and Transport Departments, to address several long-running issues with the council's in-house vehicle testing policy.
The issues related to a lack of availability and inconsistencies in testing standards at the council's in-house testing facility at Tame Street Depot.
TODA has announced that from next week, (Monday 24th June), any vehicle already booked for a test/retest at Tame Street Depot will have a DVSA MOT and a MOT certificate issued.
This is in place of the council's own compliance test certificate issued previously.
From Monday 1st July, Tame Street garage will no longer be testing any licensed vehicles. A £49 refund will be applied in respect of any vehicle currently booked in for test after 1st July.
Owners will be able to take their vehicle to any DVSA approved MOT station for test.
All vehicles will be subject to a visual inspection by licensing staff upon collection of the licence/plates.
An appointment for this visual inspection/plate collection can be made using the current vehicle application portal, where all documents, including MOT certificate can be uploaded.
A huge achievement by John Vickerstaff and his team and an excellent result. The list of benefits and advantages are huge.
Now drivers:
will have an actual MOT certificate
they can tax their vehicles online
no more being flagged up on ANPR cameras
no more risk of breakdown recovery services refusing to collect a vehicle due to having no MOT
the vehicle will have an MOT history when it comes to selling the vehicle on
This is a positive move by the council and massive milestone for TODA and the local trade!
Letters are to be sent to Transport for London, the Department for Transport and Gatwick Airport Ltd about Uber drivers ‘touting for business’ at the airport.
More Radio reports that the situation was raised during a meeting of Crawley Borough Council’s licensing committee on Tuesday (June 18).
Officers are already carrying out an investigation into claims that licensing rules are being breached to the detriment of local drivers. But committee members voted unanimously to take further steps.
While officers were asked to complete the investigation ‘as speedily as possible’, chairman Imran Ashraf (Langley Green & Tushmore) agreed to put pen to paper, sharing the committee’s concerns.
He will write to Gatwick Airport Ltd asking the company to engage with licensing officers to ensure provision for licensed vehicles at the airport is compliant with licensing law.
He will also ask Transport for London to carry out enforcement visits frequently and/or authorise the council’s licensing officers to act on their behalf.
And he will write to the Department for Transport expressing concern that the current licensing regime makes it increasingly difficult to address breaches, and asking for the law to be looked at again.
Gatwick taxi drivers gathered in numbers outside the town hall before some moved inside to watch the meeting. Safety and the financial cost of losing business to Uber were their top concerns.
Don Barnes, Unite branch secretary, who works for Airport Cars, said Uber cars were parking up in the Authorised Vehicle Area, coming and going at the rate of one a minute while the drivers licensed for the airport were ‘sitting in the crew room for two hours before they get a job’.
Calling for Uber to be geo-fenced from both Gatwick and Crawley, he said: “Gatwick is not in London – Gatwick is in Sussex. Uber are not part of Sussex – Uber should be removed. Simple as that.
“They are breaking law, they must be held accountable.”
Nick Venes, a licensed driver and Unite representative, speaking for 315 drivers at Gatwick, called for protection from the council as licensing authority.
To applause from other drivers, he said: “We pay nearly half a million pounds to be not protected – we are not protected at all. Why is that? Are we just a cash cow?
“We need help. We need people that are going to be in that licensing department actually for us, not against us.
“You should be here helping the licensed drivers. That is not happening.”
The meeting was attended by MP hopefuls Peter Lamb (Lab, Northgate & West Green) and Zack Ali (Con, West Sussex County Council).
Mr Lamb said the national licensing system was ‘fundamentally broken’ and was getting ‘harder and harder to enforce’.
He added that until any changes came into effect, the council had ‘a duty, not just to [drivers] but to the public at large, to ensure that licensing rules are enforced for their safety and for the safe operation of the trade within Crawley’.
Mr Ali said: “When we have a company operating here and drivers which are not licensed in Crawley, a company not permitted to work in Crawley, freely working day in day out – hundreds of Uber drivers picking up jobs over here – we need to take action and we need to take that action now rather than later.”
Source: https://www.moreradio.online/news/sussex-news/gatwick-taxi-drivers-call-for-uber-ban-at-the-airport/
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.
Darlington could soon see Uber cars on its streets after the ride-hailing giant applied for a licence to operate in the town.
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council has revoked the licences of two taxi drivers following a series of speeding offences.
A Northampton taxi driver has been found guilty of trafficking cocaine between his home city and Milford Haven.
The move comes after concerns were raised by the taxi industry about the rising cost of purchasing new vehicles.
Guide Dogs charity has asked licensing authorities in England for their support in sharing guidance on the law on carrying guide or other assistance dogs with all taxi and private hire operators.
Reading Taxi Association (RTA) chairman Asif Rashid has slammed Reading Borough Council's proposed phase-out of older petrol and diesel cabs by 2028, calling it a financial burden for drivers.
Dorset Council is poised to review taxi fares across the region, excluding Weymouth and Portland which have separate regulations.
A North Belfast man, Ruairi Fintan Muldoon (31), has been sentenced to 12 months in prison with an additional 12 months on supervised release for a botched attempt to rob a taxi driver.
Passengers are been invited to take part in a survey aimed at finding out if the taxi trade in West Suffolk is accessible to all.
A Glasgow man, Darren Gray, 31, launched into a verbal tirade and racially abused a taxi driver on Paisley Road West on August 19th, 2022.