Source: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/

DANGEROUS taxis including some with illegal tyres and defective brakes were seized by police during a Christmas safety crackdown in Coventry.

A total of 23 private hire vehicles and Hackney Carriage taxis travelling along Foleshill Road were stopped during the blitz .

Officers from Stoney Stanton Road police station, along with taxi licensing officers, benefit investigators and officers from the Vehicle Operator Services Agency were on hand to conduct checks during a three-hour operation.

Of those stopped and checked, 15 were found to have defects and their drivers were stopped from using them as taxis until the faults were corrected.
Four of those with defects were Nuneaton and Bedworth registered taxis. Two of the four were issued with penalty points and a fine.

The remaining 11 were Coventry City Council registered vehicles.

Among the defects discovered were illegal tyres, defective suspension, steering and brakes and meters not giving an accurate time, which could lead passengers to be overcharged.

The operation was carried out on December 23.

Pc Dean Wainwright, of Stoney Stanton Road police station, said: “The operation - particularly with such bad weather at the moment - is very worrying, as most of the defects are down to routine maintenance.

“There is no excuse for having a taxi with bald tyres, even if the taxi is on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week with different drivers.

“All it takes is five to ten minutes to check all the lights are working, the tyres are in order, and just general checks of the vehicle.

He added: “One of the main issues is drivers are not securing the disabled ramps in the rear of their vehicles, which pose a significant trip hazard to passengers.

“All it requires is the driver to do up one screw after use to secure it.”

Since the taxi operation was launched in January 2007, 738 vehicles have been examined with 298 of those found to be defective

Taxi firms’ fury at licence fee rise

TAXI owners have warned their businesses are being “killed off” after a council proposed a 20% increase in licence fees.

Babergh District Council is proposing taxi companies fork out £266 to renew a vehicle - up from £221 for the current year ending in April.

Owners fear the hike will have a disastrous effect on their livelihoods at a time when prudent customers are unwilling to absorb the costs.

Licensing chiefs at Babergh, which covers the towns of Sudbury and Hadleigh, are being asked to consider the increases as part of a drive to fill a £1.5 million black hole in next years budget.

A report circulated to councillors ahead of the meeting of the licensing and appeals committee on January 7 states the council need to recover a £14,000 net deficit in its hackney carriage and private hire licensing function.

Jerry Faltwell, 45, who runs JJ Cars in Sudbury, said: “It is ridiculous. They keep putting the prices up and we are limited to the fares we can use.”

Steve Brett, 45, who runs four cabs for SJB Cars in Glemsford, one a hackney plate, said: “We cannot pass it onto our customers because they will just not pay it. There are so many other forms of transport and people will just catch a bus or walk.

“With the increases it will just kill it off that little bit more.”

John Rainer, Babergh’s food and safety regulation manager, said: “Over the last few weeks, Babergh has been consulting with local taxi operators and drivers regarding proposals to bring the fees charged for our service more in line with other Suffolk councils.

“At present the fees levied by Babergh do not cover the costs of running the service, with the difference paid for by council tax payers. Whilst we are conscious of the concerns there be from some quarters at any such possible increase, it needs to be remembered that if implemented the smallest operators will only pay the equivalent of less than £1 per week more than at present - with the largest looking at a weekly increase of £3.”

Current charges around Suffolk for private hire vehicle licence renewals:

Private hire cars are not allowed to pick passengers up in the street, they must be pre-booked through a licensed operator. Black and white taxis are the only licensed vehicles allowed to legally display the taxi sign and can be hired from council-run taxi ranks or hailed in the street.

More than 40 private hire vehicle drivers have been prosecuted this year for plying for hire on the street. Since November, 17 drivers in the city centre and Headingley have had their driver and vehicle licenses suspended for illegally plying for hire, and Leeds City Council is currently preparing to prosecute them.

The council regularly has to investigate allegations of assault or incorrect behaviour by taxi and private hire drivers, only to discover that the ‘cab’ was unlicensed, uninsured or had picked up in the street without being booked.

Journeys in private hire cars that are not booked with a licensed operator are not recorded and therefore cannot be easily traced.
Leeds City Council advises:

* People should always ensure a private hire vehicle is pre-booked for the return journey;
* If using taxis, go to a well lit rank, which has CCTV coverage;
* Always use marked, private hire vehicles that have been booked with their operator, or a black and white taxi;
* Never use illegal vehicles and make sure the driver is displaying his taxi or private hire licence number or photograph;
* If in doubt, do not get into any vehicle.

To catch private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire, teams of council licensing officers take high visibility enforcement action while undercover police and licensing officers regularly make ‘test purchases’ with concealed buttonhole cameras to record evidence.

Any criminal issues should be reported to the police. Any other complaints should be made to Leeds City Council on 0113 2143366 or through the taxi and licensing page of the council’s website at www.leeds.gov.uk/taxis.

Coun Richard Brett, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for licensing, said: “We work hard to crack down on licensed private hire drivers who stop and on unlicensed ones who pick up illegally, but people need to help us by not flagging vehicles down in the street.

TAXI firms in Ely have expressed concern at a series of new vehicle regulations which could end up costing them thousands of pounds to satisfy.

According to new rules, many taxis in the district will have to adopt a single uniform colour with an official district council logo for cars also required but taxi firms are concerned by the new rules and believe that the changes will cost thousands of pounds.

The decision to introduce the changes was agreed earlier this month at a meeting of the district council’s licensing committee following lengthy consultations.

Despite several meetings with councillors however, John Skipper, joint-owner of A10 taxis in Ely, remained unhappy: “When we first started out in Ely we had five cars and now we have 34, we have worked hard to improve our business but these new rules will set us back, he said.

“I don’t think any of the new rules are what the public wants and from what we have been told it is going to cost us around £2000 a car to get them re-sprayed to fit in with the new standardised colour.

“I really don’t think that people in the trade were involved enough in this process.”

Once a new colour for taxis has been decided in consultation with the council, taxi firms will have to change the relevant cars within their fleets inside a five year period, with changes to signage and licences also required.

Cllr Bill Hunt, member of the licensing committee, said: “What Ely needs is a safe and professional taxi service and I believe that what was agreed will provide that.

“In this process we had to balance the needs of the public with the best interests of the taxi firms and I think that there has been compromise on both sides to reach a suitable outcome.

Source: http://www.cambs24.co.uk/

Private hire drivers in plea to public

Private hire drivers in Telford will call off their strike on New Year’s Eve – if the public backs their call for an independent review.

Members of the Telford Private Hire Drivers Association said they wanted to know whether revellers supported them before deciding whether to carry on with the strike action.

And Mohammed Zaman, association chairman, said if the public agreed then there should be a review into policies, practices and regulations put in place by Telford & Wrekin Council.

Last weekend drivers refused to pick up fares from 11pm until finally being persuaded by club bosses to take people home from 2am.

The dispute centres on claims by the drivers that they are being unfairly punished by the council’s licensing department for minor indiscretions.

Telford & Wrekin Council has said it was willing to continue the dialogue with the association.

Source: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/

TAXIS in Pendle are to be fitted with CCTV cameras to improve the safety of drivers and passengers.

The scheme is to be launched in the New Year and will provide equipment to be fitted in vehicles across the borough.

Initially cameras will be shared among the drivers as part of a 12-month pilot scheme, but if it is successful funding will be sought to buy more equipment.

Coun David Whipp, chairman of Pendle Community Safety Partnership, said: “We hope that these cameras will ensure the safety of both the drivers and their customers by preventing anti-social and criminal behaviour.

“Every Hackney or Private Hire vehicle will be fitted with window stickers warning passengers that images and audio may be recorded and used as evidence.”

The scheme is a partnership between the Home Office and community safety partnership.

The cameras, which are part of a campaign to reduce the number of alcohol related incidents in taxis, will be shared among all drivers and will monitor the whole vehicle, recording sound and images.

Jackie Allen, Pendle Council’s taxi licensing manager, added: “We believe the cameras will improve the safety of our drivers and provide them with greater peace of mind.

“Any criminal behaviour, whether racist, an assault or robbery, will be captured on camera and will be used to assist criminal investigations.”

In November, Nelson cabbie Muzhar Hussain had his vehicle attacked after waiting for a passenger who then got involved in a disturbance.

Sergeant Keith Beckley, from Colne neighbourhood policing team, said: “We’re introducing this scheme in Pendle so that we can reassure drivers and their passengers that we’re looking out for their safety.

“We know that they have been successful elsewhere, greatly reducing the number of crimes committed.”

Two bosses of a coach company have lost their licences after helping a novelty limousine driver keep unsafe vehicles on the road.

Fazal Hussain and Mohammed Arshad, who run Walsall-based Manor Buses & Coaches, loaned their operator discs to Darryl Williams, who ran Wolverhampton’s Red Hot Rescue.

Williams also borrowed discs from Jeffrey Higgs, of Fordhouses-based Central Travel.

Rogue businessman Williams rented unlicensed and unsafe vehicles to prom and party-goers and was banned from driving and ordered to pay almost £9,000 after being caught out in a council sting.

Red Hot Rescue used converted emergency service vehicles as limousines, including a fire engine called The Oddity, which featured a dancefloor and bar.

Williams, aged 35, of Manor Place, Bilston, drove the engine without a private hire or Public Service Vehicle Operators licence for three years, and it did not have the correct MOT.

Following an inquiry into Red Hot Rescue, the West Midlands traffic commissioner Nick Jones investigated two companies that had been lending their operator discs to him.

Lending operator discs can be done if an operator has multiple licences. Manor, based in Florence Street, had eight discs, the inquiry heard. It also has a contract with Staffordshire County Council to run school services.

In his judgment Mr Jones said: “I find as a fact that Fazal Hussain had a close relationship with Darryl Williams and loaned the disc for more than the legally permissible period of 14 days. In any event Darryl Williams did not have an operator’s licence and therefore was not someone who should have been loaned a disc in any event.

“I find as a fact that Fazal Hussain knew that Darryl Williams did not have an operator’s licence.” Williams lost his operator licence at an inquiry held by Mr Jones in July.

Mr Jones was today revealed to have ruled that Mr Hussain had lost his repute as a transport manager and no longer satisfied the requirement to be professionally competent. He was disqualified from applying for or holding an operator licence for 18 months from January 31 2010.

Mohammed Arshad had already lost his repute as a transport manager, and no further order was made. No action was taken against Jeffrey Higgs, who was found to have “a decent record” in all but his dealings with Williams, Mr Jones said.

Source: http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/12/21/coach-bosses-lose-licences-over-limo-case/

A POLICE crackdown on taxi-fare dodgers has swung into gear after cabbies complained of being attacked and abused.

The new zero-tolerance policy was launched in Coventry on Friday and police say they plan to routinely stop taxis in the city to ensure safety.

A greater emphasis will be placed on prosecuting fare-dodgers after Coventry Taxi Drivers’ Association said they were being left vulnerable to drunken passengers.

Alias Yousef, chairman of Coventry Taxi Drivers’ Association, said fare-dodging was a “massive problem” in Coventry.

He said: “Drivers get threatened, attacked and assaulted.”

Cabbies will be encouraged to immediately report fare-dodgers and any violence will be treated as a 999 emergency.

The association has threatened to take Coventry City Council to court after it ordered all black cabs in the city to remove their safety grilles.

Drivers staged a protest outside Coventry railway station in October to voice fears over the safety of drivers and are currently conducting an independent enquiry into the modifications.

Mr Yousuf added: “Coventry City Council have taken away the protection for the taxi driver with the metal grids.

This gives us some kind of extra protection. It’s a deterrent, really.”

Stickers are being put in all taxis in the city warning of the crackdown and the scheme will be rolled out across the rest of the West Midlands in the coming weeks.

Sergeant Nigel Pagdin, taxi liaison officer at Coventry’s Little Park Street station, said: “Making off without payment is an offence and will be taken more seriously from now on.

“Basically, it’s a case of ‘don’t even bother’.

“Taxi drivers have a hard enough job to do and we’ll do anything we can as a force to help make that easier.”

source: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/

BALD tyres and broken lights are just some of faults found with a number of “dangerous” taxis during spot checks in Worcester.

Three drivers were immediately issued with fixed penalty points and were taken off the road while 10 other drivers have also been pulled up for the poor state of their vehicles.

However, one driver whose vehicle was in a particularly bad state escaped receiving any fixed penalty points – because an inspection was carried out just minutes after police officers had departed from the scene of Worcester City Council’s latest enforcement exercise.

At the council’s licensing committee Andy Fox, senior licensing officer, said: “West Mercia Police finished at 10pm and the last vehicle probably came in immediately after that time.

“As a result the vehicle was not subject to penalty points which it would certainly have received.”

That driver’s vehicle was temporarily taken off the road, however, and they will now have to face the licensing committee along with will all of the other drivers served with prohibition notices during the council’s second exercise of the year.

That was carried out in conjunction with West Mercia Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on November 20.

The committee heard that although 13 (46.4 per cent) of the 28 vehicles checked at taxi ranks at The Cross and Foregate Street between 5.30pm and 10pm were found to have faults, a large number of those had been specifally targeted.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, who took part in the enforcement evening, said he got to see “the best and the worst of the trade” and added it was “very worrying” to see some of the defects found.

“One vehicle had the lights out on both the front and back,” he said. “It should have been obvious to anybody and should’ve been recognised before driving.”

Councillor David Clark, committee chairman, said: “This is deeply disappointing.”

Councillor Simon Cronin agreed but said the results were not representative of the whole of Worcester’s taxi fleet – which consists of about 220 vehicles – because the majority of those caught had been specifically targeted by officers.

source: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/4805637.Serious_defects_found_in_city_taxi_fleet/

A PRIVATE hire driver who tried to pick up revellers following one of this summer’s Oasis concerts at Heaton Park has been ordered to pay more than £2,500.

Biswajit Pal, aged 44, of Farrant Road in Longsight, was found guilty in his absence after failing to turn up to a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 16.

He was fined £500 for the plying-for-hire offence, £1,000 for having no insurance and £1,066.11 costs with a £15 victims of crime surcharge – a total of £2,581.

Private hire journeys have to be pre-booked through an operator and are not insured if a driver stops to pick up passengers on the street without a booking.

Pal also received eight penalty points on his driving licence for the offence, and will now have to appear before a Manchester City Council licensing panel, for them to review whether he is a fit and proper person to drive private hire vehicles.

Council licensing officers spotted Pal pull over to pick up two female passengers on Middleton Road, following the concert on Sunday, June 7, and offer to take them into the city centre for £20 – around twice the normal rate.

The officer then identified himself to the driver and the two women walked away, saying they thought the driver was trying to rip them off.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “This summer’s Oasis concerts saw 70,000 leave Heaton Park each night, and unfortunately there were taxi drivers who attempted to exploit people as they tried to get home.

“Our licensing officers were out in force during each of the nights looking out for private hire drivers who were trying to illegally pick people up from the street – meaning passengers wouldn’t have been insured if the vehicle was involved in an accident.

“This case should reassure residents that we do prosecute illegal drivers who operate with no regard for their customers’ safety, and should also serve as a warning to any private hire drivers who want to risk receiving a large fine for the sake of a fare.

“Over the Christmas period we expect demand for taxis and private hire vehicles to be high and we would encourage the public to plan their journeys. If people are intending to use private hire vehicles please book them in advance so the vehicles and drivers are fully insured. Black cab taxis can be picked up in the city at taxi ranks or hailed in the street.”