Ultimate east coast USA escape from £45pppn (fly from £223rtn) a great add-on to a city break

Fancy spending a few days cutting off from society? Unplugging from the modern world. Well these woodland cabins from Getaway offer just that. Located across 3 sites outside New York, Boston & Washington DC lay these cute little timber escapes. Sleeping between 2 and 4 people you'll wake up each morning of your stay next… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Caliente! Ibiza flights from £19 return - several UK departures

Spring is more or less with us, so how about letting your hair down on the White Isle? Our Flights Finder has come up with some absolute bargain fares to Ibiza, with flights from Liverpool or Glasgow available for a lovely £19 return! There are limited dates at these super low prices in April. If… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Rogue TfL Registered Uber Minicab Touts Still Operating In Southend

Uber cabs are still picking up fares in Southend illegally - and are mainly targeting the airport.

And it is feared some of the drivers are taking cash jobs.

This is despite measures being put in place by Uber bosses to stop them operating outside London.

Last month Uber changed its app to let passengers know Transport for London (TfL) had licensed their driver, alongside information such as their name, photo, private hire licence number and car registration. Previously the message would simply state a driver was being found.

This means passengers in Southend, and elsewhere outside London, can no longer request an Uber cab via the app as it is “geo-fenced” which prevents the driver operating outside a GPS area where they are not licensed.

The move came as Uber appealed a decision by Tfl to withdraw its operating licence over concerns about Uber drivers operating outside London.

Despite the restrictions, it appears Uber drivers are still picking up fares in Southend, particularly at the airport. Doing so is illegal and puts them outside the authority of local councils as hackney carriage licensing authorities and outside Uber’s meagre controls.

Tony Cox, councillor responsible for transport said: “I am aware of this problem and have met with taxi drivers. If anyone sees this sort of activity we want to know about it. We need the evidence and then we will act on it.

“With geo-fencing Uber can restrict where one can order a car from and also their drivers and where they can accept jobs. If they are doing cash jobs or doing jobs outside the Uber platform it is even worse than before.

“Uber drivers can’t take cash from a paying fare. It has to be pre-booked. A private hire vehicle acting as a taxi in this way is illegal. They have plunged the private hire business into the wild west.” Passengers in Southend have been left puzzled by the situation.

Simon Freeman, 25, from Westcliff said: “I was going to book one last week for the first time in two months, but strangely the app kept saying no cars available, which I hadn’t seen before in Southend.

“I have seen plenty of the Ubers driving around town and picking people up so they are still working in Southend. So it’s pretty odd, and frustrating that you cannot use the app, I thought using the app was the whole point of Uber?”

Taxi drivers in south Essex are irate about Uber drivers continuing to flout the rules.

Speaking to the Echo, Rochford taxi driver Paul Lawrence said: “I was at the airport yesterday and I saw four of them. They are still operating here. I see them every day. I thought they weren’t supposed to be at Southend Airport.

“We have to learn the local knowledge, to pay to be licensed and be CRB checked but there’s absolutely no precautionary checks with these people. They swan around and do what they like with no penalty.”

Mr Lawrence, 54, from Benfleet added: “The police won’t touch it because they say it’s a civil matter.”

Cliff Short has been Southend taxi driver for 30 years.

He said: “I see them on a daily basis. They are at the back of the Holiday Inn. They park up wherever they can.

“They also work at the nightclubs. We had a survey a couple of years ago to see if we needed any more taxi licensed in the area and we didn’t so with them out there as well it is harder for us.”

Mr Short, 62, from Leigh, added: “If anyone gets webcam footage of Uber drivers here they should send it to the council.”

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August family holiday to Gran Canaria from £278pp incl. flights & aparthotel near the beach

If you're still looking for that illusive summer holiday for the family then why not set your sights on the Canaries? Head out to Gran Canaria this August for a week's stay in the sun at the 3* Altair Apartments. This modern aparthotel complex provides simple yet modern accommodation just a few minutes walk from… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

How Britain's transportation has changed over the last ten years

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Statistics show that more and more people are turning their backs on public transport such as trains and buses and are using apps such as PHV apps and taxi apps, along with dockless bikes.

City Metric crunch the numbers and take a closer look.

To read the full article article click on the link below.

Crunching the numbers: how gas Britain's urban transport system changed over the last ten years?

April 09, 2018 at 12:39PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber drivers still operating in Southend despite new Geo-fencing

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Despite Uber saying it had put in place "geo-fencing" to prevent it's drivers picking up outside of designated areas, there are now rising concerns that passengers are still being picked up in Southend by drivers licensed by Transport for London. Uber, who are desperately trying to clean up their act ahead of their appeal challenging TfL over the decision not to renew their operating licence, put in place a system which prevents any driver being able to accept a job outside some licensing authority. A GPS is used to locate the driver and block any ride requests that are being made. The concern is that Uber drivers are still patrolling looking for work, and that some are even taking cash jobs which is against the law for any private hire driver to do unless the job is "pre-booked". Local taxi drivers are livid and say they have seen plenty of Uber drivers still operating in town and especially Southend airport. One driver has said that the police are unable to do anything, stating the issue as a "civil matter". Councillor Tony Cox, told the Echo-News, that he is aware of the ongoing problem and urges anyone with evidence to make it available to the council so they can address the problem. One Uber customer said he was unable to book a vehicle for a journey but has seen plenty of Uber drivers picking up, which has left him a little confused.

April 09, 2018 at 12:16PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Super stylish Berlin hotel stay from £44.50pppn w/ rooftop terrace (flights from £51 return)

Say 'guten tag' to Berlin Pirates! If you're after somewhere a little different to rest your head whilst enjoying a city trip to Germany's capital then look no further than the 4* 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin. With a quirky interior and rooms with either a view of the city or the zoo, this is THE… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Adults Only Menorca 4* spring holiday 7nts from £275pp - incl. flights & aparthotel

Ahoy mateys! We've just spotted this great value for money Menorca spring holiday placing you at the top-rated 4* MenorcaMar complex in popular Cala'n Bosch. This Adults Only aparthotel is situated only 15 minutes walk from the beach and offers bright and spacious apartments with your usual mod-cons, dotted around an inviting pool. We found… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Monthly Editorial: The Easter Blues

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Easter. Bleargh. If there was such a thing as a least favourite kipper it’s this one. After slogging away in In the first quarter and starting to see some normality starting to creep back in money wise, Easter comes along and whacks you right across your knee-caps if you’re not prepared for it. As a Butter Boy eight years ago I deemed never to work the first week after Easter weekend again. However, with a second child due any day, I found myself on the Paddington rank with the other brave souls wishing we weren’t there. Role on eight years and it’s not much better, but at least it was expected. After the first year or so you learn when you’re going to be busy and when it’s best to take time away from the cab to rejuvenate. However, there are some drivers who are a gluten for punishment and still religiously work Easter (excuse the pun) after 27 years in the trade expecting the streets to be paved in £50 notes and shuttling between Edgware Road and Harrods. In fact, looking on social media you’d think the taxi trade had just unexpectedly combusted like a 2006 TX4 engine. That’s the same TX4 that had drivers up in arms and now want to keep by the way. So I’m told there’s an old saying: “The only people left in London over Easter are the poor and the cabbies.”Nine months in It’s now nine months in since TaxiPoint went fully live on 9th July 2017 and we’d like to thank you for your ongoing support. In those nine months we’ve welcomed 79,456 different readers to the site, 23,232 of those are now regular returning visitors from across the UK and we’ve had a whooping 410,956 page views. Incredible results in such a short amount of time. However, it’s just the start!

We’re asking readers to subscribe to our service, as always, free of charge. Our TaxiPoint Subscribed publication is an interactive email which lands in your inbox (oh-er) three times a week. It includes all the latest trade news, videos, audio and more in each edition. There’s nothing quite like it anywhere else in the trade.

We aim to bring the UK taxi trade together and you’ve only got to look at the comments on Facebook to see we’re well on our way. Drivers from all regions in one place discussing the same topics.

We need your continued support though. Subscribe to stay in touch as we aim to reach every taxi driver in the UK in the next two years.

Say hello if you see us at ranks handing out leaflets and please do share our service with fellow colleagues. Also, if you fancy yourself as a writer please do get in touch. We’re looking for drivers, especially those outside of London, to put their region on the map. Fingers crossed for a better week and as always... be lucky!

April 09, 2018 at 10:43AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

GMB: Electric Car Costs Must Not Fall On Bill Payers

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The GMB is calling for the Government and Ofgem to reassure the public that the costs of setting up electric vehicle charging points at motorway service stations across the country won’t be passed on to household billpayers.National Grid recently said it would support the government bringing forward its 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales by a decade.The company, which runs the UK’s national electricity network and wants to build superfast car charging points at motorway services, told MPs it could cope with the demands of an earlier surge in electric car numbers – but didn’t say who would pay for the new infrastructure.National Grid has forecast up to 35 million pure electric vehicles will be on the roads by 2050.That scenario sees peak demand from electric vehicles rising by 30 gigawatts — the equivalent of 10 Hinkley Point power stations — adding to a current peak demand of 61GW.A separate National Grid Report from March 2018 says gas will be fundamental to any realistic future energy scenario and that it is not feasible to switch over to electric heating on the scale required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 per cent of 1990 levels by the middle of this century.The report says that a move to electric heating would require a seven fold increase in the capacity of the grid to 290 gigawatts, emphasising the future importance of gas and the need for our own independent gas supply.For the 12 months from 7 March 2017, every one in 5.6 days was a low wind day (65 days in total) when the output of the installed and connected wind turbines in the UK produced less than 10% of their installed and connected capacity for more than half of the day.For 341 days in the year, solar output was below 10% of installed capacity for more than half of the day.Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said:“When National Grid wraps up a warm welcome to the end of sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 with vital upgrades to motorway service station electricity infrastructure, it is not being upfront.“What National Grid fails to make clear is that as Ofgem guidelines stand, it could be household energy bill payers who are hit with the huge costs of installing sufficient electric vehicle (EV) charging points into all the country’s motorway service stations.“National Grid needs to be straight and stop using its support for an early ban on new petrol and diesel car sales as a Trojan horse for extra taxpayer cash to pay for ‘expensive’ and ‘difficult to co-ordinate’ new charging infrastructure.“When Grid says the more rapid roll out of EV’s ‘could be facilitated by the close alignment of the transmission and motorway networks’, what they really mean is with some extra cash.“GMB is saying very loudly and very clearly to Goverment and Ofgem - make clear now that the costs of upgrading the electricity grid to Britain’s motorway service stations with sufficient electric vehicle charging points will not fall on household energy bill payers.”

April 09, 2018 at 10:18AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Scenic Sorrento Coast holiday 7nts from £290pp - incl. 4* hotel, flights & breakfast

Ahoy pirates! Head for the south of Italy with this excellently priced holiday we've spotted placing you on the gorgeous Sorrento Coast. You will be staying at the 4* Le Axidie about 40 mins south of Naples offering fantastic views across the bay to Mount Vesuvius, a private beach and a popular restaurant so you… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Family tribute to cabbie who died at Manchester Airport

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The family of a man who died at Manchester Airport have paid tribute to him.Shortly after 8.25am on Friday 6 April 2018, police were called to reports of an assault at a car park at Terminal 2 of Manchester Airport.A taxi driver, who has now been formally identified as 57-year-old William Brent Taylor, was taken to hospital where he sadly died.Two men, aged 55 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and have been released under investigation.Enquiries are ongoing.Paying tribute to William, his family said: “First of all can we say thank you to the family that was with our dad at his final moments.“We would like to thank the emergency services for all their efforts with our dad and GMP who have been amazing with keeping us informed and up to date.“Dad will be home soon so our family can try and come to terms with the circumstances and we’d ask that people please refrain from pointing the blame and let the police do their job.“We will miss him so much and respectfully ask for time to grieve as a family.”Detective Chief Inspector Carl Jones, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We are continuing to support William’s family who are understandably devastated by their loss.“Our investigation to establish the exact circumstances surrounding this incident remains ongoing and I would ask anyone with information that could assist our enquiries to please get in touch.”Anyone with any information should call police on 0161 856 0250 quoting reference number 455 of 06/04/18, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

April 09, 2018 at 09:59AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Luxury getaway in Marrakech from £195pp - 3nts 5* hotel, breakfast & flights

Pirates, check out this luxury getaway in Marrakech, staying in the 5* Grand Mogador Menara with a great pool and spa plus more, you won't have the chance to be bored during your stay here. The holiday includes breakfast each morning and you can upgrade to half board or full board at time of booking.… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Springtime in Cape Verde: 7nt package from £270pp - incl. flights, resort, bags & transfers

Pirates, get some sunshine this spring! Our Package Finder is offering 7 nights by the beach in beautiful Cape Verde for this low price. You'll be staying at Aguahotels Sal Vila Verde, with direct flights, luggage, transfers and ATOL protection all included. There in limited availability at this price in April. Bag a bargain whilst… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Crete 4* half board holiday 7nts from £378pp - incl. flights & hotel

Arrr mateys! Let's meet on Crete?! Enjoy a relaxing holiday at the stylish 4* Miramare offering gorgeous panoramic views overlooking Agios Nikolaos beach and great spa facilities. Half board is included in your holiday and you can easily adjust the length of your stay with the cheapest dates to be found April and October. Details… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

To Represent Or Not To Represent That Is The Question. Why Are OurLeaders Not Shaking Spears At Mike Brown?

TFL licensing stats from last week

TfLTPH issued 275 PHVs (455 previous week, staff are on holiday) while the Licensed Taxi trade lost 12 drivers, with only one new licence being issue. 

And now conformation (as if were needed) that there's a definite cull of Taxi drivers and TfLs promise to promote the Taxi trade through the knowledge was just another lie. 

Another week where TfL have allowed an unlicensed company (UberBV) to illegally dispatch journeys direct to the driver for acceptance, before any details are taken (also illegal under current regulations), while the leader of our largest representative group is off swanning about, promoting a vehicle that allegedly the trade can't afford with current work levels. 

So we asked the LTDA:

In light of Tim Fenton’s evidence posted on Zelo Street Blog, when are Steve Mc and the other leaders in the UTG, going to demand Uber’s illegal operation be shut down ?"

The LTDA disregarded the issue in question (Tim Fenton's evidence) and answered with their letter to TfL concerning Uber LL's relicensing....not quite what was asked.

This is their answer: Click link below !

https://twitter.com/theltda/status/982201838219837441?s=21

Notice that page two is blurred out!!!

We then asked the LTDA:

Why no mention of UberBV and the TfL cover up since 2013?

They came back with:

"Uber BV was in our objection to licence letter, only two trade orgs actually objected!!!

Until Uber are proven not fit and proper in court, there is no case against TfL- just because some idiot on twitter says it’s easy, it ain’t!"

Nothing however about TFL's cover up alleged by Mr Fenton and backed up by FOI recovered emails!

God forbid we might expect the LTDA to do anything other than easy!!!

So we thought we'd offer some advice:

"As you're finding this too difficult let me spell it out for you 

• All jobs are being dispatched illegally by Uber BV and not Uber LL.

• UberBV are operating without a licence

• TfL closed down Taxify for operating through a third party! 

• If they can close done Taxify, they can close down Uber BV"

Easy enough?

But apparently the LTDA are not finding it easy enough and replied:

"No! Tfl say they “are minded to believe” this is the case! 

Very different from a statement of fact!!

Get yr own lawyers if it’s so easy."

Carrying on the conversation, the LTDA were asked this question by another driver:

"If it’s the driver that’s accepting the booking then surely it must void their insurance, why haven’t TFL revoked the license, also what’s happening with them committing perjury in court ?"

To which they replied:

"Yes, if, as we say, the driver accepts the booking. That’s what will be determined in the court! 

As for allegations re evidence given in meter case, we have written to LCJ, DPP and Police, replied from all, police investigating our allegations."

Hold on a second "Yes, if, as we say, the driver accepts the booking"

It's actually not as you say, Uber have already admitted on oath in two court cases that it is the driver who accepts the booking..... But also you have the fact that Uber London limited (whom TfL licence as operator) do not dispatch the jobs ..... It's unlicensed Uber BV a company based in the Netherlands.

This being the case, you can now understand why the LTDA's reply below to another driver, has again left us puzzled at the attitude (or lack of it) towards this issue with TfL!

Well then,  if you're a member of the largest trade representative org, or an associated group under their wing, will this conversation make you feel proud and relaxed that everything possible is being done to save and protect your livelihood?

Or are you now of the opinion that in the background, actually nothing's being done!

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Luxe 5* Morocco seaside break 3nts from £243pp - incl. Sofitel resort, breakfast & flights

Incoming: super sleek seaside break in Morocco! The 5* Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa is situated in Mogador right on the sea, with views over the picturesque port-city of Essaouira a luxury oasis a few hours removed from bustling Marrakech where you can enjoy a relaxed vibe with views over the peaceful gardens… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Pod or Treehouse glamping in Cornwall 2nts from £37pp - incl. BBQ facilities & private wet-room

Arrr pirates! We know you like quirky accommodation just as much as we do and this time around we've found these super cute glamping pods (sleeping up to 2 adults & 2 children) on a tranquil farm in Bude in north Cornwall, each finished off to a very high standard featuring an individual decked area… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Mexico all inclusive family holiday 7nts from £658pp - incl. 4* hotel, flights, bags & transfers

Pirates, we are getting well sick of this weather here in the UK and would love to head to sunny Mexico for a week in the sun. Thomas Cook are offering great prices through May and June and there is even £200 off holidays over £1,500 using code BOOKIT. There are many party sizes and… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Stylish 4* Croatia escape 5nts from £390pp - incl. flights, spa hotel & breakfast

Arrr mateys! Next up we are sending you to Croatia for a luxury stay at the sleek 4* D-Resort Sibenik, flanked by a yacht marina and offering an inviting 220m² swimming pool plus a state-of-the-art spa centre with sweeping views of the Adriatic Sea. Breakfast is included in this deal with the option to upgrade,… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT