Where to start with some of this?
And the app probably a bit of a mirage anyway - just an electronic version of a sheet of paper where the boxes could be ticked without actually doing the checks - which is maybe why some of the drivers think it's a fantastic idea 
And it's obviously as much about political stuff and vested interests as substantive safety...
Row breaks out in Pendle after taxi safety app is delayed
https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/248 ... p-delayed/
PENDLE Council’s political leaders and parties are divided after a forthcoming deadline requiring taxi drivers to use a mobile phone app for car safety checks was delayed, casting it in doubt.
Pendle Council’s deputy leader, Lib-Dem David Whipp, chair of the West Craven Committee, is now pushing for a ‘no confidence’ motion against council leader Independent Asjad Mahmood, saying the whole Independent group’s decision to delay the app broke a key agreement with Lib-Dems in the borough’s shared leadership.
Separately, a Conservative councillor has resigned, accusing some Pendle Tories of bad conduct or bad decisions. Kieran McGladdery, a former taxi licensing committee chairman, says he will be submitting ‘statements, witness accounts and other evidence’ to the Conservative Association and Pendle Council’s monitoring officer for investigation, and, if necessary, to other relevant bodies.
Taxi safety has been a long-running controversy between Pendle councillors. Calls for routine app checks arose after unannounced vehicle checks highlighted many problems.
At the latest full Pendle Council meeting, rival motions came from different councillors on whether local taxi drivers must use a particular app by the end of February 2025. The deadline was drawn-up earlier this year.
Independent Coun Mohammed Iqbal put forward a motion, saying the early 2025 deadline threatened to cause a huge backlog of work. He said: “Out of 800 taxi drivers, only 30 or so have signed up. If we had that level of uptake in other areas of work, we would be concerned. How are we going to manage this? The taxi committee could face dealing with four or five drivers at every meeting. Councillors would be sitting until midnight, with hundreds of interviews.
“Also, the app fee could rise to £10 a week. That could mean quite a lot of money for people on low incomes who already face a cost-of-living crisis. And if this app is the best thing since sliced bread, why is Pendle the only area doing it? I don’t think it will work. There will be rebellions from drivers and things will grind to a halt. Drivers will go to Knowsley or Wolverhampton. We should scrap the app.”
He also said recent taxi committee chairmen, councillors Brian Newman and Faraz Ahmad, had tried to build relationships with the taxi trade. But he claimed this was not the case with former Conservative taxi committee chairman, Kieran McGladdery.
Others including Yasser Iqbal, Ruby Anwar and Naeem Ashraf called for a rethink. Arguments included that the majority of taxi drivers should not be penalised by poor standards among a minority of drivers.
However, David Whipp recommended a different approach. He wanted ‘meaningful talks’ between the committee and taxi drivers to address safety and use of the app.
He added: “We have talked for years with the trade and got nowhere. We have continued to see quite appalling results from spot-checks and tests done in garages. The app is simple to use and cheap. If it became more expensive in future, we could look at other providers and get a better offer.”
Lib-Dem Tom Whipp agreed. He works for a construction company where routine vehicle checks were done, he said. And Lib-Dem Dorothy Lord emphasised: “Some cars are unsafe. We know that. It’s also a poorly paid sector. But I hope we make the right decision tonight.”
However, Conservative group leader Nadeem Ahmed put forward another motion, calling for a ‘middle ground’ approach perhaps with paper checks. He said: “We have been talking about taxis for 20 years without making real progress. It has been used for political purposes time and time again. The administration’s relationship with the trade has broken down. We can see the lack of progress tonight.”
Fellow-Conservative Martyn Stone also queried the app, saying it was untested.
But another Conservative, Richard O’Connor, was unimpressed with the direction of the debate. He said: “I was taxi driver in the Bradford area for 23 years. If we had an issue, we got it fixed. I am now a truck driver and carry out a check every day. It takes around 18 minutes and is part of the job./ You don’t see 50 per cent of lorries failing. If they did, there’d be nothing in the supermarkets.”
He added: “I got two Pendle taxis last week and both drivers use the app. They said it is brilliant and accepted it has to be done. It’s also better for income because drivers are alerted and can fix things sooner, rather than being forced off the road for days by an enforcement officer.”
The Mayor, Coun Mohammad Aslam, runs an MOT testing garage. He said: “If the taxi trade listened, we would not be here tonight.”
Following a vote to delay the app and consider other activity, Coun O’Connor left, saying he was ‘disgusted’.
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