Taxi Driver Online

Source: Kent Online

A man has been jailed for an indeterminate period for a brutal attack on a defenceless taxi driver in Kent. Driver Gordon Bailey, of Gravesend, was left with serious facial injuries after the assault.

It happened after the 64-year-old picked up a fare in Gravesend and took him and a companion to Paddock Wood. That fare was Mark Heanan, 23, of Edenbridge.

As the taxi reached its destination in July last year, Heanan climbed into the front of the taxi and demanded the keys.

Mr Bailey refused and was attacked by Heanan, who punched and kicked his victim. The yob then ran from the scene with the taxi takings for the evening.

Mark Heanan, jailedHeanan admitted a charge of wounding with intent when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday. He will serve a minimum of three years, seven months and seven days.

Detective Sgt Miles Bishop said: “This was a vicious, prolonged and cowardly attack. Mr Bailey was in no position to defend himself yet Heanan continued the assault with the intention of causing him serious harm.

“Mr Bailey suffered serious injuries; it is to his credit that he has been able to assist our investigation and help us produce the evidence that has put Heanan behind bars.”

Source: Hastings Observer

Taxis are set to be fitted with cameras as standard with the boss of one leading firm describing racist abuse to drivers as “out of control”.

Chris Vale, who manages 24/7 Taxis, spoke out after a customer who admitted racially abusing one of his drivers avoided prison.

The victim, 23-year-old Aras Cassidy, who is Kurdish, said foreign drivers are subjected to racist comments twice a day.

Brian Styles, 49, of Maple Heights, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and failing to provide a specimen, and he was found guilty of taking a vehicle without consent. He was fined £900, banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £300 costs.

Styles was arrested after driver Mr Cassidy went to collect him from The Rising Sun pub in Battle Road in October. “I tried to be friendly and have a chat with him but he just started saying things like, ‘Why don’t you go back to your own country?’

“I ignored him but he kept swearing so I got out of the car. He jumped in the front seat and removed the handbrake. “I was shocked but we get comments like that twice a day and you just learn to live with it. Most people we pick up are really nice but you get some who are aggressive.

“I sometimes ask myself: ‘What am I doing in this country?’ but all my best friends are English and I have been here for 12 years.”
Mr Vale, 43, was stunned by the sentence.

“They should have put him inside. The racism from some people is getting out of control. I have lived all over the UK and grew up when the National Front were at large but I have never known anything like this.”

Chief Inspector Mark Ling said: “We take a positive stance against hate crime of all types. Nobody should live or work with the fear and anxiety that this type of crime can cause. I would urge people who are victimised or abused in this way to report it. If nobody knows about the it then little can be done to stop it happening again.”

Mr Vale’s company has 70 cars, making it the biggest fleet in the town. About one third of his drivers are foreign nationals and they all report the same kinds of problems.

“Since 2005 issues with racism and drugs and people doing runners have become much worse,” said Mr Vale.”I have people get in the car talking openly about buying drugs,” added Mr Cassidy.

Now Mr Vale is supporting a council scheme, funded by the Safer Hastings Partnership and overseen by the licensing team, to put CCTV cameras into taxis across the town.

A council spokesman said: “It’s likely to take place over several phases but we are confident that this is a positive move, increasing safety for both driver and passenger. Any abuse towards drivers, whether verbal or physical, is completely unacceptable and these cameras will go a long way in providing an extra element of protection.”

But Reg Torab, 49, who runs New Carmiles sounded a note of caution. “I do not think cameras should be compulsory,” he said. “They do help when there are incidents but we keep very records of every job and there are issues about customers’ privacy as well.”

Source: Wales Online

A CAP has been placed on taxi numbers in Cardiff in an attempt to combat traffic chaos and crime. No more hackney cab licences will be issued after Cardiff council bowed to pressure from taxi drivers and the police to impose a limit.

The moratorium, sanctioned by the public protection committee yesterday, will only be lifted if it can be proved there is still unmet demand for taxis.

But dozens of drivers who descended on County Hall to lobby committee members said this was unlikely because there were now approaching 1,000 black-and-white hackney carriages competing for customers, leaving them struggling to make a living.

Norman Griffiths, 59, from Cardiff, a taxi driver for 31 years, told the Echo the decision of the committee to impose a ban contrary to a solicitor’s advice that this might leave the council facing legal action from disgruntled prospective cabbies was “a victory for common sense”.

“Six years ago I would average 20 to 25 fares per day. I am now averaging between 10 to 15 fares maximum,” he said. “The huge number of licences issued has also led to a dip in the standards of taxi drivers. Everybody in the city must have experienced that at some point or another.”

Senior police officers, Chief Inspector Steve Murray and Inspector Tony Bishop, backed the drivers’ call for a cap because the sheer number of taxis had led to what they dubbed “chaotic” scenes at official city centre ranks.

Illegal ranks have also started springing up around the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights which, added Chief Insp Murray, had become hot spots for drunken fights and cherry picking, where taxi drivers refuse all but the most expensive fares, leaving some revellers stranded.

Official council figures show the number of black and white hackney carriages which operate from ranks has risen by 75% from 480 in 2004/05 to 840 in 2008/09.

Mathab Khan, chairman of the Cardiff Hackney Association, who has organised taxi go-slow demonstrations in the city centre to highlight the issue, told the committee there were 949 hackney cabs. He said a limit was removed five years ago and taxi numbers had now reached “saturation”.

Committee chairman Councillor Ed Bridges warned members they should not impose the moratorium until an independent survey to establish if there is still unmet demand for taxis – which will cost around £10,000 to £20,000 and will be paid for by the council – has been completed.

But Coun Ashgar Ali and fellow members decided to impose the cap and review their decision when the survey’s findings are revealed in about a month.

Phil Boots, 57, from Cardiff, a taxi driver for 30 years, told the Echo: “This is a great victory for the taxi trade. But everyone has to bear in mind we have had five years of delimitation and the damage is already done and it will take the trade five years to recover.”

Source: Irish Independant

ELEVEN of every 12 people who apply to become taxi drivers are failing the necessary test of knowledge and skills the first time they take it.

The Commission for Taxi Regulation yesterday said 2,179 people have taken the test — but the overall pass rate, even after exams are repeated, is less than 20pc.

Since last July all new entrants to the industry are required to sit and pass the SPSV (small public service vehicle) Development Test before being issued with a taxi licence.

There are 90 questions in two sections, the first of which relates to the rules and regulations of operating in the SPSV industry. The second section is the so-called knowledge test, which relates to the geography of the county in which a driver hopes to operate.

A pass mark of 80pc in each section must be achieved before a driver can be issued with a taxi licence. But new figures show that the overall pass rate is 19pc — while the pass rate on first sittings stands at just 8pc.

Yesterday, Taxi Regulator Kathleen Doyle said the failure rate showed that drivers had to have an in-depth knowledge of their area to pass the exam. “It seems to me that certainly people who have studied the manual do quite well, it’s the area knowledge that’s the tough one,” she said. “This really demonstrates you need a clear knowledge of the county.”

Last week, trade union SIPTU, which represents 400 taxi drivers based in Dublin, said members already operating in the industry would withdraw services if forced to take the test. They are seeking a clause exempting existing licence holders. But Ms Doyle said that no exceptions would be made and all drivers would have to pass the rules and regulations part of the test by January 2012. It is not yet clear if drivers who failed to pass will have their licence withdrawn. Ms Doyle said a decision had yet to be made in this regard.

“Anybody in the business since before July 2009 is exempt from the area knowledge because they have done this already,” she said. “The way we would look at it is it’s an upskilling mechanism for the industry. It’s ongoing personal and professional training and it’s from that perspective that we’re asking licence holders to upgrade their skills.

“In 2012 we want to get everybody under the umbrella. SIPTU have been looking for this clause for some time, but there is no change in policy and there will be no rowing back.”

Ms Doyle also said that complaints made about taxi drivers were falling. In 2007, there were 763 complaints, with 601 in 2008. Last year just 476 were received, of which 257 related to overcharging; 126 to the conduct of driver; 26 for vehicle condition and cleanliness; and 67 relating to the hiring of the SPSV, which included drivers turning up late for bookings or taking the wrong route.

Prosecutions also fell from 106 in 2008 to 84 last year, with most relating to overcharging.

Source: Warrington Guardian

PINK Ladies have likened the company’s battle for women’s rights to the work of suffragette Emily Pankurst. Andrea Winders, co-director of the non-profit making business, said the staff feel a little like the woman’s activist after fighting for the rights of women in an ‘archaic legal framework’.

The comments follow Pink Ladies’ showdown against Warrington Borough Council on Friday when they fought to overturn convictions handed by District Judge Ross in July.

But Judge David Hale upheld the district judge’s decision that Mrs Winders and Tina Dutton, co-director, were operating an unlicensed private hire company and threw out claims that Pink Ladies was a members club.

Mrs Winders said: “Since its inception Pink Ladies has insisted that it is not a taxi firm and are pleased to have found legislation that fits the operation. It is unfortunate that this form of licence has only come into play since April 2009, as it would have made things much simpler. ”

Following last year’s court case, the organisation secured licensing under Vehicle and Operator Services Agency standards (VOSA) – a Government agency – rather than the local authority.

Mrs Winders said requests to meet with Warrington Borough Council to work with them have been declined for the past six months. She said if the council could work with Pink Ladies it could have saved a lot of money during cash strapped times.

She added: “The judge’s decision does not affect the operation of Pink Ladies, it is more of a personal nature, which is the only reason why we issued this challenge – we would like to clear our names.”

David Boyer, head of sustainable transport at the council, said: “We’re pleased that our case has been upheld. It is important that the council is seen to uphold the law at it relates to taxi and private hire operations.“ Legislation requires those operating and driving taxis and private hire vehicles to undergo regular police and medical checks, maintain and service vehicles at least twice a year to a standard higher that the normal MOT test.

The council said it welcomes the fact that Pink Ladies is regulated by VOSA. Mrs Winders and Mrs Dutton were ordered to each pay £3,000 legal costs.

Source: This is Hull

A private hire company has spent more than £100,000 on CCTV cameras and safety equipment to protect its drivers and customers.

Firms are looking to reassure people following the case of self-employed west Hull mini-cab driver Paul Hewitt who indecently assaulted female customers in the city. Hewitt had picked up vulnerable young women in the city centre and driven them to isolated areas to sexually assault them.

Now, Costello Cars in Askew Avenue, west Hull, is wanting to reassure customers that it is investing money in its cars to protect drivers and passengers.

Some of its vehicles have now been fitted with CCTV cameras and customers are sent a text message a minute before their cab arrives stating the driver’s name, car details and registration plate. The company can also track its driver to ensure their safety.

Owner of Costello Cars Darren Beckett said: “All the equipment has cost over £100,000 but it has been worth the investment. “We’ve had phenomenal feedback from our customers. We want our customers to feel safe. It has been a great success so far. Both our drivers and customers feel safe.”

Hewitt, 50, of east Hull, has committed crimes on women in the city for the last 15 years but despite numerous trials was finally convicted last week of sex offences at Hull Crown Court. He last worked as a mini-cab driver in 2001.