People power halts Oxford Street ban

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If ever proof was needed that local politics and elections work, it was very prominentlyprovided when Westminster City Council announced that it had withdrawn its support for the Mayor of London’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street.

The U-turn was made after residents put forward anti-pedestrianisation candidates in the three wards bordering Oxford Street. The Labour party had been claiming that it could sweep the board in London and in the process take Westminster for the firsttime. But as the campaign went on candidates began shifting their stances on the issue, in some cases going from a position of general support to one of opposition. The major parties eventually came out to say that the residents should be listened to. Then, just two days before polling day, the City Council declared that Sadiq Khan’s plan was unacceptable.

The question now is what will happen next? The cynics amongst us may say that Westminster will simply revert to its previous position of support now that theConservatives have secured the City council for the next four years. But I don’tthink that that will be easy to do. The residents would certainly fight it all theway should the council opt to backtrack.

Ever since the proposals for the transformation of Oxford Street came to light I have been saying that nobody should underestimate the residents who had successfully fought off all previous attempts to pedestrianise the street. In view of this, the LTDA carried out a grass roots campaign to support the residents.

We met as many residents’ and business groups as possible, while also meeting with council members from the main parties, as well as the local MP Karen Buck. On each

occasion I relayed the message that neighbours were fiercely opposed to pedestrianisation and were prepared to fight. As for what will happen next, I don’t

know, but while the mayor will not be content to just let one of his flagship policies be kicked into the long grass, he will have a hard job regaining the support of the City council. And, even though he may be able to take over control of the road, the council and the residents could make that a long and painful process.

It is a concern that the plans could be revised to offer people more protection from displaced traffic etc. This could mean that access to bordering streets could be further restricted and some of the crossover routes withdrawn. This could make it even more difficult for the taxi trade to ply its trade around Oxford Street.

The LTDA will be keeping a very close eye on developments over the coming weeks and months. One thing that does seem almost certain is that the street will not be closed to traffic by November this year as previously proposed.

All this has shown once again how important local politics can be to our trade. I can’t urge anyone with an interest strongly enough to get involved, you don’t need to be a member of one of the larger parties, although having more established network behind you can make it easier to get elected, independents also have a very good record in local elections. Just by being a member of a party locally you could influence the polices of the people elected as councillors.

Due to the importance of the elections, the LTDA wrote directly to around 2,000 candidates and received a significant number of responses. Even those that did not respond now know much more about the taxi trade than they did before. Since the elections I have received messages of support from elected members in boroughs such as Camden and Islington, who have offered to work with the LTDA on some key issues in the future.

May 22, 2018 at 09:48AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Lawmakers Seek Answers From Uber, Lyft On Sexual Assault After CNN Report

After years of outcry from riders and advocates, members of Congress have sent a letter of concern over sexual assaults to ride-hail leaders Uber and Lyft, likely thanks to a recent CNN report on the subject.

CNN reported Monday that nine members of Congress have sent a letter to the CEOs of ride-hail companies Uber, Lyft, Juno, Curb, and Via asking for details on how they train drivers, report sexual assaults and harassment, and maintain records on such instances, among other issues.

The letter, which was first reviewed by CNN, reportedly follows a recent investigation by the news company that found that at least 103 Uber drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing U.S. passengers in the past four years.

Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley of New York, who drafted the letter with Congresswoman Lois Frankel of Florida, commented to the network, "The questions we're asking are, in many senses, common sense questions that we'd hope the ridesharing companies would already be doing, like maintaining records of driver who've been accused of sexual violence."

Placards from Dads Defending Daughters Demo 2017

 

Regarding Congress' letter, a spokesperson for Lyft commented by email, "This is an incredibly important issue, and we look forward to responding to the letter sent to us this morning. Since Lyft’s founding, we have developed safety features for ridesharing ... [including] professionally administered background checks, in-app photos of drivers and their vehicles, real-time ride tracking, 24/7 support, the ability to share your ETA, and more."

A spokeswoman for Uber said the company plans to respond to the letter, and cited "recent improvements including an emergency button, measures to strengthen its background check process, and a commitment to do a safety transparency report including the number of sexual assaults occurring on the platform."

Indian Uber Cabs General Manager for Delhi Gagan Bhatia (R) meets with the Chairperson of the Delhi Woman Commission Barkha Shukla Singh in New Delhi on December 9, 2014. That year, Delhi's government banned Uber from operating in the Indian capital after a young executive accused one of its drivers, who had previously been accused of assault, of raping her. 

Among other things, the letter asks companies if they maintain records on drivers who have been accused of sexual violence (they do, at least to some degree), and if companies make that information public (broadly, they don't).

Given that the apps' freelance, frequently underpaid drivers often drive for multiple platforms, the letter also asks whether companies have protocols sorted out for alerting other companies if one of their drivers is reported for harassment or discrimination.

According to CNN, its analysis was based on "an in-depth review of police reports, federal court records, and county court databases for 20 major U.S. cities."

It found that at least 31 Uber drivers have been convicted for crimes "ranging from forcible touching and false imprisonment to rape" among the 103 accused drivers it counted, while "dozens" of criminal and civil cases are still pending. CNN also reported that drivers for Lyft had been accused of sexual assault or abuse 18 times in the past four years.

 Placard from Dads Defending Daughters demo 2017

For those who follow the areas of sexual assault and/or ride-hail companies, the fact that Uber and its siblings have failed to protect riders in the U.S. and abroad was already well known. In general, the industry has often operated along the lines of "act first, think later," including when it's come to protecting riders and drivers. As I wrote earlier this year,

Regulators have questioned whether it's a public nuisance, or clogging our streets, or has mishandled breaches of user data, or failed to protect and perform sufficient background checks on its drivers, a (proportionately tiny) number of whom later committed rape or murder. Last year, Uber [also] repeatedly "trended" in the U.S. for its reported mistreatment of women, ranging from ignoring and trying to undermine sexual assault victims to creating a widespread, toxic corporate culture. 

Placard from Dads Defending Daughters demo 2017

As Uber and others continue trying to control the damage from earlier missteps while also fiercely expanding their operations around the globe, hopefully, lawmakers and company leaders will decide together that the time is right for these assaults -- whether on riders or drivers -- to finally end.

Source Forbes 

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Live the 5* lifestyle in 2019 in Marbella from £258pp - incl. flights, 4nts hotel & breakfast

Let's face it Pirates, we all would love a cheeky mini-break to Marbs, right? Well, why not grab this deal by the horns and indulge yourself with 4 nights at the 5* Guadalpin Banus that sits right next to the beach! This hotel makes a great base for you and the special shipmate in your… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Deano’s unbeaten boxing career stretches to seven

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London Taxi Driver and South Ruislip boxer, Dean Richardson, has added another win to his record after out pointing the extremely durable William Warburton over 8 rounds.The fight, which took place at York Hall in Bethnal Green on Saturday 19th May, was the first time Dean had gone 8 rounds after previously only being taken to 4.

He faced Lancashire’s William Warburton, an opponent who had only been knocked out twice in nearly 170 professional boxing bouts and himself coming into the fight with a surprise knockout victory over an up-and-coming prospect.

Richardson, 22, controlled the fight throughout behind long jabs and sharp backhands to keep his opponent at bay, with Warburton only occasionally opening up with combinations which were well defended.Now 7-0, with 5 knockouts, after winning the fight 80-73, Dean is now looking at getting back into action around September/October time as he looks to get a crack a the Southern Area light-middleweight title within his next couple of fights.

May 22, 2018 at 08:16AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

All inclusive Morocco getaway in June from £343pp - 7nts 4* hotel & flights

Ahoy, pirates check out this super cool holiday in Morocco in Agadir which departs in June and even better, is on an all inclusive board basis. The holiday is a great price especially as all meals, drinks and snacks are included in the price you will save even more. Holiday details Duration is 7 nights… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Ryanair flash sale: Flights to Europe from £13rtn

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Awesome Italy: 6nt trip to Rome, Florence & Venice from £199pp - incl. hotels, flights & trains

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Christmas Market season in Amsterdam: 3nts from £154pp incl. flights & 4* hotel

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Stunning Cape Verde: 7nts all inclusive from £522pp incl. flights & 4* hotel near the beach

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Dom Rep in June: 7nt all inclusive break from £499pp - incl. resort, flights, bags & transfers

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5* beachfront family Ras Al Khaimah break: 5nts half board from £399pp incl. flights, hotel & more

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August family holiday in Gran Canaria from £235pp - 7nts hotel, flights & choice of board basis

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Official investigation launched into Grab's purchase of Uber

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Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade have officially launched an in depth investigation into Grabs purchase of Uber Technologies Southeast Asia business. Concerns have been raised about the legality of the takeover which may breach antitrust law. If the deal proves to gain the ride-hailing firm over 50% of the industry's market share, the maximum allowed in the country, the transaction could be blocked. The deal saw Uber agree to sell its Southeast Asia business to Grab in exchange for a 27.5% stake in the business. The investigation into the purchase will take 180 days, with the option of a 120 extension, according to a report in The Star.

May 21, 2018 at 10:08AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

2 weeks in Crete from £160pp - 14nts great rated hotel, flights, luggage & transfers

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Pirates, keep it cheap & cheerful with 7 nights in Spain's Costa Dorada from £127pp including fully equipped tent at Camping la Torre del Sol & flights. This cosy, family-friendly site has a mixture of large standing tents and cute chalets to pick from, so you can customise this package to your heart's content. Holiday… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT