Gosport residents will soon be able to benefit from a “relocated” taxi rank and passenger drop-off following an update from Hampshire County Council on Tuesday January 23, which confirmed that Phrase One of the town’s new bus interchange facility is finished and these works will be progressing into the second stage in due course.
According to the Gosport Globe, this taxi rank can be found close to the existing bus station based on South Street and is due to be open for the public on Thursday January 25, alongside the new area for passenger drop offs, which will feature the provision of short stay parking spaces on The Esplanade.
A shelter is likely to be installed on the taxi rank by ‘late February’ if all goes to plan.
Final landscaping works will furthermore be undertaken in this area later this year by Hampshire County Council, when the weather is likely to be better and the appropriate planting season is underway.
Temporary fencing will be erected in places around this taxi rank site and passenger drop off facilities until all work is completed; thus protecting the ground.
Residents are advised that the existing taxi rank and parking spaces next to Falkland Gardens will be closed this week to coincide with the start of Phrase Two, which will see the ‘construction’ of a new bus interchange carried out over the coming months.
Source: https://www.thegosportglobe.co.uk/taxi-rank-to-open-as-interchange-work-continues/
Dozens of private hire and taxi drivers in Swindon are distraught after months of frequent break-ins.
The Swindon Advertiser reports that drivers say the yellow taxi plates that Swindon Borough Council policy requires them to stick to their cars at all times makes them targets for thieves.
More than 100 drivers are part of a WhatsApp group chat in which a new break-in is flagged up every other day, which is costing them thousands of pounds in repairs and missed time off work.
Some have put a notice on their window advising would-be thieves that there is nothing of value left inside.
Mungai Nijiriri said: “People walk up to the cars in broad daylight and break into them. It’s happened in Gorse Hill, Rodbourne, and the town centre.
“Even when you go to the supermarket, someone’s broken into the taxi by the time you’re in the shop.
“They are so daring now because they know they can get away with it.
“When customers book us on the app, they get all the information about our vehicle and can track where it is. We don't need plates.”
Suggested solutions include magnetic signs for the roof or requiring a removable sticker to be displayed prominently on the windscreen.
Muhammad Yasin is leading the effort to raise awareness of this crime spree as part of a group known as the Swindon Driver Alliance.
He said: “It’s ridiculous. The thief gets a few coins in change – or nothing – but the driver has to pay hundreds of pounds to get back on the road, and then it happens again.
“You have to keep the taxi plates screwed onto your car even when you’re not working, or are with family. Imagine driving around on a Saturday night while drunk people are banging on the car shouting ‘Taxi!’ while your wife and kids are inside.
“This is a very important trade for Swindon, but drivers are left out of pocket with their cars in the garage, losing work and losing money.
"While we understand the challenges faced by the local authorities, the current situation calls for innovative solutions to ensure the safety of our drivers and reduce the strain on our police resources.
"We propose a modernised plating policy which aligns with the advancement of the taxi and private hire industry, and need the council to take action.”
A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: “We were very concerned to hear that private hire drivers are being targeted in this way and understand why they are looking at ways to stop this from happening.
“However, the policy which requires drivers to have a licence plate attached to their vehicles at all times is in line with the DfT’s best practice guidance.
"It allows the travelling public to have confidence that the vehicle they have booked is the one they have booked over the phone, through an app, or online.
“Failure to display a plate is also an offence under government legislation.
“Having a visible plate allows our licensing team and our partners, such as Wiltshire Police, to quickly identify private hire vehicles so they know they are licensed by the council.
“From the information we received from drivers and the police, the vehicles that were broken into had items of value inside. We advise all drivers to empty their vehicles at the end of their working day.
“A review of the Taxi Licensing Policy is currently out to consultation and we would encourage licensed drivers to feed in their views. This can be found on the council’s website.”
A taxi driver who was caught illegally driving passengers to Birmingham Airport has been fined after admitting using an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle.
Chris Taylor from Stoney Stanton, appeared before the bench at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 17 January 2024 and pleaded guilty to operating, driving and using the unlicensed and uninsured vehicle.
Magistrates imposed a £276 fine with eight penalty points on his driving licence for the no-insurance offence, a victim surcharge of £110 and awarded £750 in costs to the Blaby District Council, totalling £1,136.
The prosecution came following an investigation into Taylor by the council’s licensing team.
The team received an anonymous complaint in March 2023 alleging Taylor, who was an existing taxi driver, was not using his licensed vehicle to carry out customer trips.
Under the business name Airports 4 U, Taylor was taking bookings and using a vehicle without a taxi licence which meant his insurance was also invalid.
The team found he had visited Birmingham Airport on 9 May 2023 in an unlicensed taxi. He had been identified via the Airport’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
The passengers were contacted and they confirmed the details of their booking.
This satisfied the council that Taylor was responsible for operating and driving an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle, contrary to the requirements of taxi and private hire law.
As a licensed taxi driver with the council at the time of the offences, Taylor’s licence was revoked in June 2023.
The council was satisfied that Taylor was no longer a fit and proper person to hold a taxi driver licence and prosecution proceedings were commenced.
Councillor Les Phillimore, Blaby District Council Portfolio Holder for Housing, Community and Environmental Services, said: "The vehicle Taylor was using may not have been mechanically safe for the passengers, as well as not having the appropriate vehicle insurance for taxi and private hire journeys.
"Licensed taxis not only require an MoT but are also tested twice a year at the council’s Depot to ensure they are roadworthy. Had there been an accident the passengers would not have been insured, making the offence even more serious.
"We are determined to protect the public and aim to ensure only fit and proper persons are licensed by the council.
"Appropriate enforcement action will be taken when people break the law. This kind of flagrant flouting of licensing rules will not be tolerated.
"We want to reassure the public and existing taxi and private hire operators that we will enforce against rogue operators when complaints are received."
A would-be taxi driver who applied for a licence was refused after a council discovered he was facing sex assault charges.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Lichfield District Council said a search of the DBS revealed he has been accused of two sexual assaults and was waiting to appear at a crown court.
A committee meeting on Monday, December 18 concluded the man, who was not named by the authority, was ‘not a fit and proper person’ for the purposes of the licence application.
Members found, while the man had yet to be convicted, they could not grant the licence because of the case against him.
Senior councillor Alex Farrell, said: “Although the applicant is waiting to appear in the crown court and could therefore be innocent or guilty, both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have determined there is sufficient evidence to prosecute him.
“The council’s ultimate responsibility is to protect the public, and taxi drivers routinely provide transport for vulnerable people and are therefore placed in a considerable position of trust.
"We expect the highest standards from the drivers and vehicles we license.”
Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/would-lichfield-taxi-driver-refused-28491326
A private hire driver has been fined after refusing to take an assistance dog following a complaint sent to Milton Keynes City Council
MKFM reports that the driver, Ahmed Mahmed of Shenley Lodge, was convicted at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 8 January 2024 following a council investigation.
Mahmed pleaded guilty to refusing to take an assistance dog in January last year and was fined £135 and must also pay £492 costs and a £54 victim surcharge.
Milton Keynes City Council will now review his licence.
Cllr Paul Trendall, Cabinet Member responsible for Taxi Licensing, said: "Licenced drivers must comply with the Equality Act.
"This driver left a person stranded with an assistance dog which clearly put their safety at risk.
"This case will hopefully send a powerful message to the licensed trade and clearly shows the consequences that await any licenced driver who fails to follow Equality laws."
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.