Taxi Driver Online

Minicab fears slammed as "scaremongering"


A FORMER Halesowen councillor claims private hire drivers are breaking the law by plying for hire from late-night revellers.

Adrian Turner said he was “horrified” when he was stopped five times as he walked home from Stourbridge in the early hours and fears Dudley Council is not enforcing the rules stringently.

The driving instructor, whose father Councllior Ken Turner is an opposition member of the taxis committee, said private hire drivers who picked up passengers without bookings were not insured.

He also believes passengers, especially young women, could be lured into vehicles by sex attackers believing them to be taxi drivers.

Mr Turner said: “I have a daughter in her early 20s and another who is 18 this year and they know the rules about taxis, but their friends do not know.”

He fears if bonafide drivers ply for hire, passengers, especially young women, could be lured into the arms of attackers, mistakingly believing they were getting into a taxi.

“This has happened in other parts of the country - it only has to happen once and I believe it is a real possibility,” added Mr Turner.

But taxis committee chairman Cllr Richard Body hit back, accusing the ex Tory councillor of “scaremongering for political ends”.

The Labour councillor denied that plying for trade was going on in the borough and called upon Mr Turner to back up his allegations with evidence.

Cllr Body said: “Officers carry out the same amount of enforcement as they always have.”

He added: “Dudley borough, compared with other local authorities of a similar size, is one of the safest for taxis in England and Wales.

“Since my time on the taxi committee from 2006, we now have less "taxi" drivers committing ply for hire than ever and since becoming chairman in May 2012 only one.”

He said this was due to the work he had done with drivers to stop the practice.

source: http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/107 ... ongering_/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

the fact the thick [edited by admin] doesn't appear to know the difference is neither here nor there

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Taxi attack for political ends, claims Dudley drivers' leader

A TAXI drivers’ leader has accused Adrian Turner of launching an attack against his members as a “campaign tool” in a bid to get re-elected.

Shaz Saleem, chairman of Dudley’s Private Hire and Taxi Association, called on him to produce the evidence to back up his claims that drivers are plying for hire and to “put up or shut up”.

He said: “Mr Turner used to be a councillor and a member of the taxis committee and he knows better than anyone, what details are needed to investigate plying for hire.

“If he was stopped five times, he should have taken the details of the vehicles and in not doing so he showed a lack of duty of care for public safety.”

Mr Saleem added: “I was disappointed to hear of his comments and I believe he is using this as a way to get back on the political ladder.”

Mr Saleem, who introduced Taxi Watch in the borough two years ago, said he had worked “extremely hard” tackle plying for hire by educating drivers and customers that if the private hire car was not booked, it was not insured.

Mr Turner, a former Conservative councillor, said he would not be standing in Hayley Green and Cradley South next May when disgraced Tory Ray Burston stands down after admitting accessing pornography on his council laptop.

He said he may stand elsewhere, but doubted it would be in a winnable ward on the Labour-led council.

Mr Turner denied raising the issue for political ends and said he did not have a note book and pen on him to take the details of the drivers who were touting for business.

He said: “I believe the council has a duty of care and I believe they have reduced the amount of enforcement that’s carried out.”

source: http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/107 ... s__leader/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Must be really hard remembering five numbers.

Even for an ex councillor.

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IDFIMH