Grants for operators to install CCTV are being considered to address a shortage of drivers in Barnsley town centre.
BBC News reports that council leader Sir Steve Houghton said a lack of taxis was putting people off visiting the town at weekends and evenings.
He said safety and security concerns were putting off drivers from working.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will be asked to provide funding for the grants, Sir Steve said.
"We are seeing a loss of income into the town because people fear they can't get a taxi home on a night," he explained.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he told a full council meeting the issue had to be tackled.
"One of the reasons is safety and security, particularly for drivers and particularly for those taxi drivers who can pick up off the streets.
"We have seen taxi drivers operate during the day but not on an evening or at the weekend."
He said cameras in taxis would reassure both drivers and customers.
"I'll fight tooth and nail at the Combined Authority to make sure they agree and hopefully if they do, we can sit down then with the associations and look at how we maybe can expand that even further.
"Because one of the things clearly for any taxi driver these days, is being able to go to work knowing you will be safe."
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-68184987
Plymouth is the latest UK city where taxis will carry life-saving emergency bandage kits designed to stem serious blood loss.
This comes after the Oxford-based charity RAPAID donated and installed the kits in taxis outside Plymouth railway station this week.
The Plymouth Herald reports that the move follows the rollout in London, Oxford, Swindon, Exeter and Manchester. It will ensure that emergency bandages are available across the community.
Alex a former police firearms officer and military veteran said: “With a serious haemorrhage, the grim facts are that you can bleed to death in under five minutes. The faster direct pressure and treatment begin the better the chances of survival.
"The bandages are designed to be quick and simple to use, they are the same bandages I carried during my career in the military and in the police, so It made perfect sense to make these bandages available and accessible to the public."
Several of the kits donated by RAPAID have already been used to stop bleeding in incidents ranging from knife crime to crashes. Johnny Mercer, MP for Plymouth and Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs is supportive of the initiative.
He said: “Having served in the British Army on the frontline I fully understand the importance of immediate and effective medical intervention especially when it comes to a serious haemorrhage. There is excellent work being done in Plymouth to tackle knife crime and anti-social behaviour, and to make our roads safer, but effective response is just as important as prevention when it comes to saving lives.
"RAPAID's initiative is a practical solution for our communities, and I commend RAPAID for their dedication to enabling everyone in Plymouth to become a potential lifesaver with these simple but effective kits until help arrives on scene.
"I’d also like to thank Plymouth’s taxi drivers for getting on board and agreeing to ‘host’ the bags in their cabs.”
Any member of the public can flag down a cab displaying a RAPAID sticker and ask for the bag in the event of an emergency, following the simple instructions found inside the kit to apply a bandage and stop the bleed. RAPAID will replace any kits used in an emergency.
Secretary for the Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association (PLTA), Martin Leaves, said: “We caught wind of the RAPAID initiative not too long ago when the news arose that 2,000 of London’s black cabs had been equipped with the emergency bandage kits. The drivers are very proud to be supporting this initiative.
"Taxis are in and out of key locations across Plymouth day and night, and as taxi drivers, we want to do as much as we can to support and make our community a safer place.”
The charity relies on donations and support from local businesses and philanthropists as it continues to roll out the initiative in Plymouth and beyond, find out more here - www.rapaid.org.
Source: https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-taxis-carry-military-grade-9066678
Taxi fares in a Suffolk district could go up but some drivers have still been left with concerns.
Suffolk News reports that the proposed changes were discussed and approved for consultation on Monday evening, 29 January, by members of West Suffolk Council’s licensing and regulatory committee.
If approved, they would see prices increase across the board for the first time since August 2022, with the initial mile costing 8 per cent more.
Although drivers have welcomed the increase, they have raised concerns over the initial price being too high.
Mark Goodchild, a driver who spoke at the meeting, said: “You will have many customers accusing you of ripping them off; you’re going to have arguments before you’ve even left the rank.”
The new fares would see trips under a mile go for the initial price of £5.40 between 6am and midnight (tariff one), £8.10 between midnight and 6am (tariff two), and £10.80 for the whole day during Christmas and New Year.
Tariffs four, five, and six, which relate to trips where there are five or more passengers during the same time periods, would also see similar increases.
Initially, trade suggestions were made to hike the initial one-mile tariff by a lower amount and increase it by a higher rate per subsequent mile.
After the meeting, several drivers said the changes would not only present a smaller increase than they had hoped for but also an increased safety risk, particularly during nightly shifts.
After the meeting, one driver said: “Some people will only see the initial price and be mad even if it then doesn’t go up that much after — there have even been drivers who were held at knifepoint.”
A consultation on the changes is set to start on February 5 and run until February 26, with meters to be updated from March should it be approved.
A £5 Liverpool drop off charge has been scrapped for Wirral hackney carriages but maximum fares will rise.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the fee was due to be brought in this year following approval by Wirral Council's regulatory and general purposes committee in November 2023 along with a series of fare rises. It had been put forward by Unite the Union on behalf of the taxi drivers it represents arguing the raise was needed so taxi drivers could continue making a living.
However nine objections had been received over the proposals forcing the council to reconsider, including from taxi drivers concerned it 'would 'kill the hackney trade."
At a committee meeting on Wednesday January 31, councillors decided to drop the £5 charge and increase some maximum fares from February 21 though to a lesser extent than previously proposed.
The current day rate is £3.60 for the first 300 yards and 20p for every 207 yards and this will stay exactly the same going forward.
However the night tariff will now be £3.80 for the first 350 yards instead of the first 300 as previously proposed and will go up 25p for every 165 yards after that.
For public and bank holidays, it will be £4.50 for the first 350 yards instead of the first 300 going up 25p for every 165 yards.
For Christmas and New Year, this will be £5.70 for the first 880 yards instead of the first 300 and will go up by 40p every 165 yards, a 21% increase over two miles according to councillors.
While the £5 Liverpool drop off charge has now been scrapped, people will still have to pay the tunnel toll there and back from Liverpool.
Cllr Stephen Bennett who put forward the proposal pointed out people can get the bus for £2 or the train for roughly £3 on the Wirral, adding: "It still gives them a rise but we believe it comes in line with the objections as well so we're trying to do both that works for the public and gives taxi drivers an earning they deserve."
Speaking in favour of the policy, Cllr Tom Laing said: "This is still a fairly hefty increase that reflects the cost of living crisis and the pressures taxi drivers are facing, while also reflecting the struggles many customers are also facing."
He argued if the original rise had been implemented it would reinforce a narrative even though it was a maximum rate, adding: "Everyone will say taxis have gone up, these are unaffordable, let's just get the bus."
The rise was voted through by Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors. The committee's four Green Party councillors voted against the Labour proposal and arguing in favour of Unite's proposal that would have seen a bigger rise and the highest taxi fares across the Liverpool City Region.
Pointing to the objections, Green councillor Christopher Cooke said: "It doesn't strike me as a huge number and I think we have to give some credence to the representative from the Union, who he may not represent even half of members but there were certainly more than nine."
Cllr Ewan Tomeny said the decision was difficult but pointed to the union's arguments "they're often working at less than minimum wage." He said: "It is in our interest to protect and make sure there are taxis available for people who require taking taxis and can't take a bus," adding: "The suggestion was they cannot afford to run their businesses at the current rates."
Source: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/5-liverpool-taxi-charge-scrapped-28547798
Due to unforseen and changing circumstances locally, the Regulatory Committee at Clackmannanshire Council has agreed to temporarily suspend the policy to only accept taxi operator applications for wheelchair accessible vehicles.
This will be for six months, or until a quota of 52 active hackney carriage plates is achieved, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Anyone with an interest in applying for a plate should contact the Licensing Team by emailing: licensing@clacks.gov.uk or calling 01259 450000.
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.