A private hire driver drove 1,000 miles with damaged brakes - and still carried on after the vehicle's licence expired, council papers have revealed.
According to the Daily Echo, the alarming incident saw the Cab My Ride worker pick up passengers in the Ford Galaxy for three weeks after it failed a test on August 15 last year and before getting the brakes fixed on September 5.
After its licence expired on August 31, the six-seater continued to be used as recently as November 8 when it was given to another driver by mistake.
It only came to light following the most recent in a string of complaints against the company, which could see it lose its licence.
A spokesperson for Cab My Ride said it is "committed the presenting our case thoroughly" when the decision is made next week and will continue to "cooperate fully" with the authorities involved.
The other complaints quoted in the council report include wheelchair users being overcharged, children being driven to and from school in an unlicensed and damaged vehicle and questions around the conduct of the former director, who resigned in 2020.
Cab My Ride has been licensed by Southampton City Council to take private journey bookings in the city since 2010.
It also operates under the names Bitterne Cars and Aryvo and also picks up passengers in Eastleigh and the New Forest.
According to council papers, its licence has been at risk several times, including following a complaint in 2019 that they were charging a premium for wheelchair accessible vehicles.
At the time, the company's app quoted between £12 and £14 for an average journey with an accessible vehicle - whereas a regular vehicle was £7 to £9.
The firm was sent a written warning by the council, which said: "This apparent discrimination against disabled users brings into question if you are fit and proper as an operator."
On September 28, 2020, the council received five complaints about an incendiary Facebook post by then-director Harjit Singh Sahota which claimed their rivals "ripped people off" and were not wearing PPE during the pandemic.
This led to him resigning and being suspended as a driver for a month, the council papers said.
On March 1, 2021, the council's school transport department said Cab My Ride was using an "unlicensed and damaged vehicle" to drive children around.
An investigation was launched which led to new measures being put in place, and another written warning being given to the company.
On December 12, 2022, the same department filed another complaint - that Mr Sahota was "being unprofessional with school run escorts" by asking them to come in for a cup of tea or to go inside their homes to use the bathroom.
A letter of advice was given to him.
The high number of complaints and "poor responses" from Cab My Ride led to another letter of advice being sent to the company, the report said.
The car being used with broken brakes and an expired licence only came to light following a complaint on November 6 about the people carrier's livery being wrong.
A council interview with current director Arjan Sahota in December revealed the vehicle was given to the driver by mistake after the one he was meant to use was involved in a crash.
According to the report, Mr Sahota admitted there were "few, if any checks carried out when cars were handed over to drivers" and "no current system for stopping a vehicle working when its licence expires if it is already on their platform".
The director said he could "reinstate a system" to deal with this.
The private hire firm's fate in the city will be decided at a licensing committee meeting on February 14, where councillors will consider the report.
A spokesperson for Cab My Ride said: "We acknowledge the pending hearing regarding Southampton City Council's decision to our operator’s licence.
"We are actively engaged in the process and are committed to presenting our case thoroughly. We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities involved."
Source: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24104993.cab-ride-licence-revoked-complaints/?ref=wa
In the Commons on 8 February 2024, Cambridge MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles, Daniel Zeichner, slammed the Government over archaic taxi legislation.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Zeichner said: "The Minister knows, and we've heard from colleagues, the cross-border issue remains a real issue right across the country.
"We now have the additional problem of the potentially changed relationship between operators and drivers which is highlighted by some of the press campaigns about the possible imposition of VAT on private hire journeys.
"So doesn't this all show that the Department should have modernised taxi and private hire legislation ages ago rather than wait for companies such as Uber to drive a coach and horses through regulations that were frankly written in the time of coach and horses?"
Much of the regulation governing taxi licensing relates back to the Town and Police Clauses Act 1847. Mr Zeichner brought forward the Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill in 2018 in a bid to modernise legislation, but the Bill was stalled by a rogue Conservative back-bencher, before being brought back and implemented a few years later.
The Cambridge MP’s contribution followed points from Labour MPs Stephanie Peacock and Clive Betts, who also criticised the Government’s record on the cross-border issue – where standards are undercut by drivers licensed in different authorities.
Since 2015, taxi drivers have been allowed to operate anywhere in England and Wales, regardless of which council licensed them. Wolverhampton has since become a popular destination for taxi drivers to get their licence, with Wolverhampton licensed vehicles a familiar sight across the country, including Cambridge.
Commenting afterwards, Mr Zeichner added: "I and others have been pressing the Government over this issue for many years.
"The measures in my Private Members’ Bill have helped on some of the broad safety issues, but the fact that companies like Uber can drive a coach and horses through the existing regulations shows that current legislation isn’t fit for purpose. It needs to be updated."
Taxi drivers in North Ayrshire could be allowed to wear dress shorts all-year round as a result of a new dress code.
According to the Ardrossan Herald, proposals from the North Ayrshire Licensing Board suggest that the licence holder must conduct themselves in a proper and civil manner and be clean and tidy.
In the first overhaul of the dress code since 2000, the board suggests that drivers should not wear a hat, cap, baseball-style cap, beanie hat or any other headgear while driving.
They recommend trousers should be full length, dress style. Tracksuit trousers would not be considered acceptable.
Polo shirts, it is proposed, must be one colour and have a collar with no printing or lettering except a small manufacturer’s logo – though a company name or logo could be allowed on the shirt.
T-shirts with a round neckline, football attire or club colours would not be acceptable.
Dress shorts may be worn at any time of year, provided they have belt hoops and are one colour.
Shorts or jeans are not allowed in the current proposals.
Three-quarter length shorts would not be permitted under the proposal, and highly patterned or advertising printing is not acceptable.
There may be a small manufacturer’s logo. Gym or beach shorts would not be permitted.
Any tie should be a clip-on style for the driver’s own personal safety.
Jumpers, either crew or V-neck, would be permitted, provided they are not highly patterned and may have a small manufacturer’s logo or taxi firm details.
Hoodies would not be permitted, and footwear may be either shoes or training shoes. Sandals and flip flops would not be appropriate.
Departure from any of these requirements is allowed only where a particular type of clothing is required by the traditional and customary practices of the licence holder’s particular religious, ethnic or other cultural group.
Tory councillor Mathew McLean suggested some drivers might wear certain items on religious grounds, rather than ethnic or cultural grounds, and that should be stated in the new code.
Cllr Nairn McDonald said he would be happy if drivers wore dark jeans, and chair Eleanor Collier agreed.
The chair also suggested smart skirts could be acceptable.
The committee agreed to further discuss the policy before it is put out to consultation with the Taxi Owners’ Association organisations along with independent drivers who are not members.
Source: https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/24107656.new-dress-code-proposed-north-ayrshire-taxi-drivers/
Safeguards introduced in Rotherham following the child sexual exploitation scandal are being undercut by the Government’s approach to taxi standards, the shadow transport secretary has said.
Louise Haigh suggested the safety of women and girls was being put “at risk” and that “robust legislation” and “national minimum standards” were needed.
The Government said it had recently introduced stronger regulations requiring licensing authorities in England to use a central database to record and check safeguarding issues.
A 2014 report found at least 1,400 children were raped, trafficked and sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
The report also found that taxi drivers had a “prominent role” in child sexual exploitation across England, including in Rotherham.
Ms Haigh, the MP for Sheffield Heeley, which is close to Rotherham, told the Commons: “I have worked alongside victims and survivors of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal.
“And following that scandal, Rotherham council set very high standards for its taxi drivers, including CCTV in its cabs, and requiring NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications) level three on child safeguarding.
“But those standards are being undercut by the Government’s deregulation of taxi standards, and nothing that the minister has set out this morning has stopped that.
“Doesn’t he agree that the position is putting women and girls’ safety at risk? And isn’t it time for robust legislation and national minimum standards to protect them?”
Transport minister Guy Opperman said: “On April 27, a new law came into force which requires licensing authorities in England to use a database to record refusals, suspensions and revocations made on safeguarding or road safety grounds.
“The new requirements mean that individuals who are not fit and proper to hold a taxi or private hire vehicle licence will not be able to apply for a licence with other authorities without that authority being aware of past safety concerns.
“This change will help protect passengers, including women and girls, as well as the reputation of the majority of drivers from those who are unfit to hold office.”
The exchange took place during a session of questions to transport ministers in the House of Commons.
Mr Opperman had earlier told the Commons that the Department for Transport issued guidance to licensing authorities in England to help them regulate the sector.
Labour MP Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) said: “Local councils have no jurisdiction over out-of-borough hires and concerns have been raised about differences in training and safety precautions required.”
She said cross-border taxi drivers – who operate outside of their licensing jurisdiction – do not have to abide by the same regulatory measures as those regulated by their local council.
Mr Opperman said: “There is already a database and there is already a duty on local authorities to share.”
The minister added: “Licences can be taken away in the circumstances she suggests.”
Labour MP Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) said: “When is the minister going to legislate to make sure that journeys can only be … in a licensed vehicle when they either take place or finish in the area where the (licensing) authority is?”
Mr Opperman said: “We have already brought in changes to the rules, such that individual local authorities can take action against another individual person who operates in that other authority.”
A 'frightened' Coventry woman said she was forced to flee from an Uber after 'repeated requests to stop the vehicle were ignored.'
It happened as she travelled from Willenhall to Walsgrave, she told CoventryLive.
Chantelle, 34, uses Uber on a near-daily basis but said she was left 'fearing for her life' following the incident in January. She said she realised that something was amiss when the driver allegedly decided to take a detour from the route which had already been mapped out on the Uber App.
Chantelle said she started 'screaming' but said she was 'ignored.' It was shortly after this point that she decided to jump out of the Toyota Prius on Allard Way.
Speaking to CoventryLive, Chantelle said: “I ordered an Uber and it comes up with the same directions that I normally take so I just got in like normal and he was driving through Willenhall, but instead of going the way of the Uber he took a right turn towards Whitley. As soon as he made that turn, I said to him: 'You have gone the wrong way'.
"'Can you just stop?' but he kept on driving. He said: 'No, this is a quicker way' and that is when I started to panic because I have lived in Willenhall my whole life, I know the way.”
She said she told the unnamed man to stop the vehicle but claimed she was 'ignored.'
She said: “I told him that I know the exact route, I just want you to stop right now, and he just ignored me and kept on driving. I just kept on asking him to let me out and he kept on acting like he could not hear me and I told him that if he did not stop the car I would call 999, but he still did not do anything.”
Recalling what was going through her mind, she said: “He literally would not listen to me when I was screaming at him."
Chantelle said at this point she was 'scared for her life' and decided to dial 999. She claimed that they told the man to stop the vehicle but he 'acted like he could not understand.'
She said: “He was acting like he could not understand so I thought about getting out of the car which was moving, but I knew the chances of an injury, so I just stayed in the car and he pulled over on Allard Way.
"We stopped at the traffic lights and that is when I got out of the car and ran.”
After the 'frightening' incident, which she said happened at around 7am on January 12, Chantelle decided to contact Uber. They say they are 'currently investigating.'
A spokesman for Uber told CoventryLive: “At Uber, we know we have a responsibility to help ensure that everyone gets home safely. We are currently investigating this incident and have been in touch with both the rider and driver.”
Source: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-woman-flees-uber-after-28584635#
An unlicensed taxi driver who picked up two vulnerable women in Aberdare has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.
Cleethorpes taxi drivers are breathing a sigh of relief after council enforcement officers cracked down on vehicles illegally parked in designated taxi ranks.
A Barry man has avoided jail after launching a drunken attack on a taxi driver who refused him entry to his vehicle.
Jersey’s taxi service is in crisis, with driver numbers plummeting by more than a quarter since 2014, a new report has revealed.
On Wednesday 27 July, more than 300 vulnerable youngsters were taken on an all-expenses paid trip to Southport.
Taxi drivers in the town will be able to charge passengers more following a decision by the borough council on 31 July.
A taxi driver has been sentenced to a community order after admitting causing the death of a pedestrian by driving at excessive speed.
A joint operation by council, police, and DVSA officials has seen three taxis taken off the road in Oldham due to safety concerns.
Taxi drivers licensed by Mid Sussex could soon be forced to accept card payments, following a surge in complaints about cash-only services.
Two men have avoided immediate jail time after a high-speed race left a taxi driver with serious injuries.
BYD, manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Uber, designed to bring 100,000 new BYD EVs onto the Uber platform across key global markets.
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.