Archive for August, 2010

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Huntingdon cabbie fined £1,500 for smoking in taxi

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

A HUNTINGDON taxi driver has been fined more than £1,500 for smoking in his cab.

In the first prosecution of its kind since the smoking ban was introduced, Huntingdonshire District Council brought criminal proceedings against cabbie Simon Meeke.

Meeke, who works for well-known local firm Steve’s Taxis, pleaded guilty to smoking in a smoke-free vehicle at Huntingdon Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 11.

The court heard how Meeke, of Bliss Close, was seen by an environmental health officer on January 7 smoking in his vehicle outside the HDC’s Pathfinder House headquarters in St Mary’s Street, Huntingdon. He was approached by the officer, who asked him to put out his cigarette. He was also asked to provide his name and address, which he refused to do.

Having obtained Meeke’s details from his employers, the council served him with a fixed penalty notice, which he failed to pay within the specified time despite being given an extension.

During the court hearing, Vicki Stevens, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said: “Simon Meeke was seen smoking in his taxi, in contravention of the Health Act 2006, whilst parked outside the council’s offices. He was approached by an environmental health officer and asked for his name and address, which he failed to provide.”

Miss Stevens added that he had already been given written warnings after smoking in his taxi on a previous occasion.

As well as pleading guilty to smoking in a smoke-free vehicle, Meeke pleaded guilty to obstruction for failing to provide his name and address. He was fined a total of £1,524.62, comprising £150 for each offence and the council’s costs.

Councillor Andrew Hansard, whose executive responsibilities include environmental health, said: “The council is committed to protecting the health of the local community and persistent and flagrant breaches of public health legislation will not be tolerated. By smoking in his taxi, Mr Meeke chose not only to break the law but denied his customers their rights to travel in a smoke-free vehicle. Unfortunately, in this case, earlier written warnings did not have the desired effect and his refusal to pay a fixed penalty notice meant that the council had no choice other than to take the matter before the court.”

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/huntingdon_cabbie_fined_1_500_for_smoking_in_taxi_1_601347

Posted in Smoking ban | No Comments »

NTA Conference 2010

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

NATIONAL TAXI ASSOCIATION

Company Number 3384756

2010 Annual General Meeting & Conference

Marriott Hotel, Queens Parade, Sunderland, SR6 8DB

Conference Partners and Sponsors

Sunderland City Council

And Commercial Members

Autocab : LTI Ltd : MJS Claims Ltd

Event Timetable

Monday 25th October 2010: (approx)1500hrs – 1800hrs :

Directors Meeting (Directors & Officials Only)

Tuesday 26th October 2010:

1400hrs (1330hrs Registration) :

Annual General Meeting

(Beverages on Arrival)

£55-00 per member (incl. Open Session) (Members Only)

Tuesday 26th October 2010:

1900hrs for 1930hrs Chairman’s Dinner

Dinner £27.50 pp (Open to Everyone)

Glass of Red or White Wine on arrival

Councillor T Martin, the Mayor & his Mayoress of Sunderland City Council will attend the Dinner

Seasonal Melon with Sorbet and Fruit Coulis :: Pan Fried Chicken, Shallot, Bacon and Mushroom Jus

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Caramel Sauce :: Freshly Brewed Coffee with Mints :: Red & White Wine

CABARET :-

“JOHN GARRIMORE” (Top NE Comedy Entertainer) & Vocalist “TRACEY”

Wednesday 27th October 2010:

1000hrs (0930hrs Registration) :

Conference Open Session

£55-00 per delegate

(Beverages on Arrival + Hot & Cold Buffet Lunch)

(Open to Everyone)

Grand Raffle Draw (tickets [£1-00] available at the Agm; Dinner; & Open

(Nominated Charity > McMillan Nurses) >

3 Prizes > £500 / £300 / £200.

Speakers and/or Q & A Panel Members

(Subject to alteration or addition, depending upon availability);-

Councillor T Martin, Mayor of Sunderland City Council will officially open the session

Tbc. Norman Baker.MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport.

Rachael Watson Head of Buses & Taxis, DfT.

Dai Powell Chair Dptac.

Stephen Savage Director of Regulatory Services & Public Protection (Ncle CC).

Tbc. Neil Stokell CEO -Go Skills.

Tbc. Speaker Naleo.

Tbc. Speaker Institute of Licensing.

Hotel Accommodation [limited] if required:- Single £70 pn/Dble £75 pn incl Breakfast

Booking Forms Are available to download on the NTA web Site:-

Nta 2010 Conf booking form Final

NTA 2010 Conf Timetable

Or From:-

Wayne Casey,

National Taxi Association,

60 Chesterholm, Sandsfield Park, Carlisle, CA2 7XX

Tlph/Fax:- (01228) 598 740 :

Email:- [email protected]

Or Book Via:-

Conference Director,

Kenny Porter,

Tlph 07768 958 336,

Email:- [email protected]

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Private hire drivers had bald tyres and missing documents

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Police have said there is “cause for some concern” after five drivers were taken off the road during a crackdown on rogue minicab drivers in Bradford.

A total of 68 private hire vehicles, some carrying passengers, were stopped in an operation involving special constables from West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council enforcement officers.

A police spokesman said five drivers were suspended immediately and a further three were issued with advisory notices.

Gerry Slade, acting senior section officer of Special Constables in Bradford, said it was vital members of the public were not put at risk by travelling in illegal minicabs.

He said: “We focused on the Westgate, Kirkgate, Manningham Lane and Rawson Square areas of Bradford.

“Although the results are obviously a cause for some concern, the police working with our partners will continue to ensure drivers are properly licensed and their vehicles are roadworthy.”

A police spokesman said of the five drivers suspended immediately, one was for having bald tyres while the other four were suspended for issues surrounding documentation, such as not carrying insurance documents or their private hire badges.

The three advisory notices were handed out for repairs to the vehicles which needed to be done.

Mr Slade said: “It is illegal for private hire vehicles to pick up fares that are not pre-booked and it should be remembered by anyone who does get into a vehicle that if it is not pre-booked then it is not insured.”

Mr Slade said the operation, which took place on Saturday, also involved checking whether vehicles were roadworthy.

He said: “Bradford Council has worked closely with the police to carry out these operations and we are happy to support them in ensuring that the drivers are licensed, the vehicle are safe and they operate within the law.

“We would also like to remind people to be alert to the risks of using illegal ‘taxis’ when out and about and only to use legitimate cars from established ranks or booked in advance from reputable firms.

“Further to the work around taxis, the special constables also issued tickets to other motorists on the road.

“Three fixed penalty notices were given out for having no seat belt, two for using a mobile at the wheel and one for displaying illegal number plates.”

Raja Sakhawat Hussain, chairman of the Bradford Private Hire Association, said: “I personally think the police check-ups are a good thing, although we already go through so many check-ups on these matters.

“But at the end of the day it’s for the safety of the community.

“I don’t think five out of 68 is bad but obviously I think we could do a lot better – there’s no harm in trying to be 100 per cent perfect.”

source: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/

Posted in Vehicle licensing, Vehicle safety | No Comments »

Cumbrian man dressed as a jockey assaulted taxi driver and took his cab

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

A CARLISLE man who was dressed as a jockey when he assaulted a taxi driver and then drove off in his cab has been jailed for two-and-a-half months.

Joel Heggie, 21, was fed up after an evening of ‘where’s your horse?’ taunts when he got in John Mullholland’s taxi outside a city centre bar.

Mr Mullholland made a similar joke and Heggie, of Deer Park Road, Belah, reacted badly so Mr Mullholland kept quiet for the rest of the journey.

When they reached Deer Park Road, Heggie handed over the fare then hit Mr Mullholland in the face.

Mr Mullholland said the blow was unprovoked but Heggie claims it was the result of another comment about horses.

After the assault Mr Mullholland got out of the cab, leaving the engine running.

When Heggie came towards him Mr Mullholland ran away.

Heggie then drove off in the taxi, later leaving it parked in the city centre.

Heggie admitted charges of assault, taking a vehicle without consent and driving without insurance when he appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The incident happened on May 8.

The next day Heggie was told police were looking for him and then handed himself in to police.

John Smith, defending, said it was a serious but isolated incident.

He said that Heggie had only taken the taxi in order to search for the driver and apologise. The vehicle was not damaged and no items were stolen.

But District Judge Gerald Chalk decided the matter was so serious that Heggie had to go to prison.

He said: “The combination of offences takes this past the custody threshold.

“It was a vulnerable victim who serves the community who you assaulted.

“Then you removed his means of livelihood by taking his motor vehicle, driving while I suspect you were heavily intoxicated.”

Heggie was sentenced to 70 days and banned from driving for a year.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/

Posted in Crime and the trade | No Comments »

Speeding Norwich private hire loses licence

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

A speeding private hire driver who has lost his private hire licence blamed his customers and his bosses for asking him to drive faster.

Stephen Allen

Stephen Allen, 47, of Norwich Road in Mulbarton, appeared yesterday before Norwich Magistrates Court to appeal against a city council decision not to renew his private hire driving licence after he racked up 14 points on his driving licence as a result of various speeding offences.

Although drivers are automatically disqualified when a total of 12 or more points is received, Mr Allen was allowed to keep his driving licence by a court in Ipswich because of his pleas of exceptional hardship.

But magistrates dismissed his appeal against Norwich City Council’s decision not to renew his private hire driving licence after hearing how he had deliberately driven over the speed limit because of pressure from his customers and the companies he worked for.

Mr Allen said that the last of the seven speeding incidents, which had happened in February this year in Mildenhall, had been an “obvious mistake”, but added: “All the others I was flippant, I was pushing my luck, yes that’s it - pushing the boundaries. But this particular one was just a mistake.”

However, he said that now he knew he was “on a knife edge” and that he could not afford to speed again because otherwise he would lose his licence. He admitted to having driven at 45mph in the 30mph limits on both Aylsham Road and Earlham Road, and said he once sped on Koblenz Avenue in the city because he felt threatened by his customers.

He said: “I had two passengers in my car who were obviously drug addicts - you never know who you are going to pick up - and I found it quite threatening.

“There’s no way it excuses my behaviour but I wanted to get the job over and done with. I thought I would speed to get rid of them, in all honesty. But I’m trying my best to be a better driver.”

The 47-year-old, who is separated from his wife, told the magistrates that he would lose his job and be unable to pay his mortgage if he could not get his private hire driving licence renewed.

David Foulkes, representing Mr Allen, said: “The court may take the view that there has been a significant decrease in his rate of offending. Since February he has had to ensure he drives within the law.

“He is a full-time private hire driver who drives 80,000 miles a year, and it is his only form of income. That doesn’t excuse his speeding convictions, but he knows he has a responsibility to other road users and passengers.”

But Yvonne Blake, on behalf of Norwich City Council, said personal circumstances were irrelevant in a case like this and that the council needed to ensure members of the public in Norwich using licensed vehicles were driven by people who were “fit and proper” to drive people safely.

She added: “He has seven convictions in six years, all for speeding.”

Although Mr Allen said that he had only had passengers in his car on two of the occasions, chair of the bench Helen Copperthwaite dismissed his appeal and said she found the city council’s actions had been “reasonable” because of his “prolific” speeding and the fact that the majority of the offences had taken place on residential and city centre streets.

He was ordered to pay the city council £250 in costs.

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: “We’re really pleased that, in this instance, the court decided to uphold the decision of the city council’s regulatory committee to revoke a private hire licence.

“One of our aims as a licensing authority is to try and make sure that any individuals who work as private hire drivers in the city are fit and proper to carry out their duties

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/

Posted in Fit and proper? | No Comments »

Call for more checks on rogue cabbies

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

More needs to be done to clamp down on private hire drivers illegally plying for trade in Bradford, Hackney Carriage bosses have warned.

They have called for Council enforcement officers to step up late-night patrols in the city centre to crackdown on minicab drivers who tout for fares which have not been pre-booked at their offices.

The warning by Mulazam Hussain, assistant chairman of Bradford Hackney Carriage Owners’ Association, follows the jailing for ten years on Thursday of rogue cabbie Mohammed Ahmed, who twice raped a young mum he had illegally picked up in the street outside Bradford University.

Ahmed, 42, a married man, of Clifton Villas, Manningham, attacked the 19-year-old, who had been trying to get home after a night out, after he drove her to a secluded spot in Allerton. He was branded a “sexual predator” by the judge who imprisoned him.

Earlier this year Mohammed Shazad, of Brantdale Road, Heaton, was jailed for nine years in June for raping a teenage passenger in Bradford who got into his private hire vehicle in Leeds city centre.

Mr Hussain said: “When people come in our taxis they trust that they are going to get home safe. Everybody who comes in your taxi, you have responsibility for them. We have been saying to many, many authorities that it’s wrong for people to flag cars down in the street who are not proper taxis – it could be anybody driving around.

“There should be more random checks, more inspectors should be out.”

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/

Posted in Illegal plying for hire | No Comments »

Passengers wait 5 mins for city taxis

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
THE average wait for a taxi at the city’s official stances is five minutes, according to a survey.
The city council carried out the monitoring of nine of its taxi stances in April and May.

It studied the number of taxis and passengers, arrival and departure times, waiting time and whether the customer walked away without getting a taxi.

The report found that the average wait for the 137 passengers monitored was four minutes and 57 seconds, while 26 of the potential passengers walked away without getting a taxi. The longest amount of time any passenger had to wait was 10 minutes and 10 seconds.

It was also confirmed by the city council that it has received two complaints from members of the public reporting difficulties obtaining taxis.

In a report on demand, the council’s taxi licensing officer Peter Lang said that the findings suggest that there is “no significant unmet demand for taxis” in Edinburgh.

source: http://news.scotsman.com/news/Passengers-wait-5-mins-for.6465897.jp

Posted in Licensing administration | No Comments »

CDC seeks comments on new taxi policy

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

COTSWOLD taxi drivers are being consulted on proposed reforms to licensing procedures aimed at simplifying procedures and provide better protection for customers using licensed hire vehicles.

Cotswold District Council also wants to hear from members of the public who use taxi or private hire car services.

The council’s new draft policy brings together a range of diverse requirements in a single document and contains several new measures to increase the council’s ability to manage compliance while reducing the burden of bureaucracy.

Among the features included in the new policy are the introduction of a penalty points scheme for breaches of licensing conditions; an extension the duration of licences to avoid annual renewal; and more robust random inspections of vehicles to counter non-compliance Councillor Barry Gibbs, CDC cabinet member for licensing issues, commented: “This new policy is a huge step forward because it clarifies exactly what is required to conform with hackney carriage and private hire licences.

“Also, in keeping with our plans for more efficient working practices, we will propose extending the duration of licences – three years for drivers and five years for operators - to avoid the annual round of renewals which tends to clog up the system.”

CDC is seeking comments from the public and the police by September 20, in order for the policy to be approved and implemented by April next year.

source: http://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/local/

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ID demand for taxi travel as Watford Borough Council acts on driver safety

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Passengers at a Watford taxi rank will be filmed by CCTV cameras and asked to provide ID before they are allowed to travel.

Watford Borough Council, which announced the measures today, is hoping to improve driver safety after a series of violent attacks by drunken thugs.

Night-time passengers at the busy Rickmansworth Road taxi rank will now be filmed by the specialist taxi marshals as they wait in the queue – a measure that, the council hopes, will prevent rowdy and violent behaviour in the early hours of the morning.

In addition, all passengers will be asked to provide marshals with ID before they leave. These details will be kept on file for 31 days, or passed to the police if and when a driver is attacked.

The measures are part of the Altogether Safer Watford Campaign, which brings together the police, council, community groups, pubs and clubs.

Watford Borough Council Licensing Manager Jeffrey Leib explained the thinking behind the decision. He said: “Passengers already have to provide their details when booking taxis over the phone or on the internet, and drivers are identifiable by their photo-badges and council licence plates.

“Although this is a small culture change for night-time passengers to produce some ID, we feel this is necessary to help reassure drivers, who are some of the most vulnerable to attack in Watford’s workforce.”

Running parallel to these changes, a network of six “safe havens” have been identified on major routes leading out of the town centre. Drivers feeling threatened can stop at any one of these – which are well-lit and covered by CCTV – and call the police.

The changes come after many months of pressure from the Watford Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, which had warned that a driver “could be killed” of action was not taken.

Watford Borough Council is responsible for licensing all Hackney Carriage taxis across the town.

Source: http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/

Posted in Crime and the trade | No Comments »

Bristol taxi drivers take city council to court over blue paint ruling

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

TAXI drivers are taking Bristol City Council to court for forcing them to paint their cabs blue.

A blue Bristol taxi at Temple Meads Railway Station

The authority told the city’s 800 hackney carriage drivers they had to spray their cabs the colour of the famous “Bristol Blue” glass in early 2008. But none of the major car makers produces the shade as a standard colour, which means that vehicles must be resprayed, even when they are bought new.The cabbies say resprays cost between £1,500 and £4,000, depending on the size and type of vehicle. Only around 80 cabs have been resprayed since the policy was introduced two-and-a-half years ago, which leaves more than 700 to be done before the May 2011 deadline. So for the second time in two years, drivers are taking the city council to court in the hope of getting the colour condition revoked.

The case is due to be heard at Bristol Magistrates’ Court next Tuesday after a previous High Court appeal against the ruling failed.

They are also fighting another council decision to stop advertising covering the whole of a cab.

Instead, the adverts can only cover the bottom half of the vehicles.

Both conditions take effect from May 1 next year. The council has said if cabbies do not comply, their licence will not be renewed.

Shafiq Ahmed, chairman of the National Taxi Association for Bristol and district, said: “We are going to court as a last resort.

“We don’t really want the hassle and costs of legal action but we feel we have no alternative.”

The cabbies are taking the council to court on the grounds that they were not properly consulted about the conditions and they are unreasonable because of their financial impact.

Four cabbies will be used in what the taxi trade hope will be seen as a test case by the council, although it looks as though each hackney driver will individually have to appeal if they lose their case.

Mr Ahmed said cabbies were being unfairly penalised because the new colour was being introduced from a specific date rather than when cabbies replaced their vehicles.

“If the council wants our taxis to be blue, then it should fund the cost itself.”

He said cabbies would much rather see the money spent on improving safety such as installed glass screens and CCTV cameras in cabs. The cost of a new London-style cab is about £32,000, which does not take into account the interest charges or the cost of a respray.

Mr Ahmed said this was a huge overhead for cabbies to pay back during the lifespan of their vehicle which must be replaced after ten years.

He said there was no consultation with the trade over respraying vehicles blue, which was considered as a high risk colour because it was not so easily seen at night.

A council spokeswoman said the decision to introduce blue taxis was taken with the support of the police and after talks with representatives from the trade. She said it was primarily a safety measure to ensure that people knew they were hailing genuine licensed taxis.

Hackney carriages can be flagged down in the street while private hire cars must be pre-booked.

The spokeswoman said: “We have allowed close shades to Bristol blue when considering vehicles for licensing. Our research shows the cost is less than quoted here. We do allow a plastic skin of the colour to be applied which is also cheaper. We have allowed some slightly different shades.”

The council says they won’t accept these cases as a precedent because the trade attempted to overturn the new policies in the High Court but failed.

The spokeswoman said: “The key message we want the public to know is that from May 1, all legitimate Hackney carriages will be blue.”

The council says that as a result of consultation, the cabbies were given three years to comply instead of two as suggested by council officers.

source: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/

Posted in Vehicle licensing | No Comments »

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