Get inspired in Italy: Flights to Milan from only £29 return

Pirates, Milan is well known for it's fashion, so why not grab one of these cheap flights and do a bit of shopping or whisk your other half away on a bargain break. The flights are from London but you can also fly from Liverpool and Bristol for a bit extra - use our flights… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

USA is calling: Return flights from £250 - Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia & more

Mateys, we don't know what's going on with airline prices today but we pirates never say no to cheap flights! We've spotted heaps of seats available on USA routes for under £300 return -- with dates available right the way through to Spring 2019 -- including some Christmas and New Years dates. Flights from Ireland… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Ultra all inclusive Turkey holiday from £299pp - 7nts 5* DoubleTree Hilton hotel & flights

Ahoy Pirates, check out this awesome ultra all inclusive holiday in Turkey staying in the brand new 5* DoubleTree by Hilton Antalya Kemer. The holiday in Turkey is for 7 nights with the best prices departing between November and February. You can even book today with a deposit, call 020 3917 7253 for more details… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Moped gang tried to dupe cabbie by posing as undercover police officers

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It's been revealed that moped gangs have started impersonating undercover police officers in a ploy to attack and rob unsuspecting motorists.

Police have warned motorists to be on their guard after a cab was boxed in by two moped riders who both had blue flashing lights fitted to their helmets.Police revealed that the blue flashing lights were switched on as they pulled alongside the cab.The moped riders then claimed that the cab driver had gone through a red light.Suspicions were raised however, when the passengera in the cab told the moped riders to remove their face masks and identify themselves.When the moped riders refused to reveal their identity the police were called, the two moped riders subsequently fled.Moped attacks have increased sharply from 827 in 2012 to over 23000 in 2017, and has been a major cause of concern for police, who are struggling to deal with the problem.If approached by anybody on a moped claiming to be an undercover officer, always keep your doors locked and ask to see identification, if in doubt dial 999.

July 03, 2018 at 12:51PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Remember Walls Have Ears...And The TfLTPH Twitter Police Are Listening In.

Taxi leaks has known for some time that everything we say on social media is closely monitored by TfLTPH. 

Going back to 2011, our editor Jim Thomas, received an email (still in his possession) from John Mason, on which he'd forgotten to redact the attached train. Further along the line was a communication from his assistant Helen Chapman,  who had been spying on Jim and attached screen shots from Twitter and the London Taxi Drivers forum of virtually everything he'd posted the previous day. 

(Reason for this was John Mason had in fact been blocked by the Forum and most of the drivers on Twitter).

At Taxi Leaks, we've always known TfLTPH take an interest in what we produce as our Stats checker can be used to show certain systems that click onto the blog (in TFL's case, we have a list of terminal ISP addresses). 

A busy day already at Racheal Grundy House

Screen shot from our commercially available Stats Checker program which monitors visitors to Taxi Leaks Blogs.

Recently Taxi Leaks have experienced problems when advertising posts on Twitter. We've appealed several times but have had no communication back from Twitter. Our blog has been flag up as unsafe....which is a blatant lie. Will will continue to post using what ever means we have at our disposal as we won't by bullied off line.

In the past we've posted proof that the LTDA wi-fi set up at Taxi House, was being used to spread discord amongst drivers from different representative orgs using the comment section of The Old Anderson Shelter Blog. When the proof was published in an issue of the 'United Cabbies News', it suddenly stopped. 

Carrying on from this surveillance, it has been bought to our attention that drivers have started to receive threatening letters from TfLTPH's Twitter Police team, over what's been alleged to have been said on social media.

And, it's no good blocking @TfLTPH as we believe their Twitter team are using a number of 'troll type' accounts to follow drivers. 

So please be very careful what you say on all social media platforms as its alleged they (TfL) have also managed to infiltrate private drivers groups on FaceBook. 

It would be a better use of TfLTPH resources to follow up on Tweets like this one below and take action, rather than what a few cabbies are saying to each other!

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MP Finds George Osbourne's behaviour over BlackRock And Evening Standard Job, Worrying.

Ronnie Cowan Sir Bernard Jenkins Baroness Browning

Ronnie Cowan of the Scottish Nation Party spoke out in parliament about worrying impropriety of former Chancellor George Osborne. In a debate about the Thirteenth Report of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, he said:

"As Sir Bernard Jenkin mentioned, the situation with George Osborne has been particularly worrying. That the former Chancellor of the Exchequer has been taken on as an adviser to the BlackRock Investment Institute on a salary considerably in excess of his previous salary as Chancellor, in a sector that he was responsible for regulating, seems to show little care for even the appearance of propriety among Ministers. 

"That the body that was supposed to be regulating the revolving doors between Government and industry had to hear that he had accepted a high-profile position as editor of the Evening Standard in the news, without him having consulted them or waited for clearance, shows that the system is broken. 

"That the president of BlackRock could tell investors that there is no way of knowing whether Mr Osborne will draw on (or disclose or use for the benefit of yourself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information that he gained from his time in Government shows that this is an absolute mockery.

"As the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex said, the ACOBA chair, Baroness Browning, said to the Committee:
Every bus driver and hairdresser you know should apply for any of those jobs. I can tell you factually, not one applied.”

Sir Bernard Jenkins called on the government to;

considered the Thirteenth Report of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, HC 252, Managing Ministers’ and officials’ conflicts of interest: time for clearer values, principles and action, on the role and effectiveness of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA); 

notes that ACoBA regulates applications for business appointments by former Ministers and civil servants who have recently left the public sector; 

he believes that ACoBA is an ineffectual regulator which fails to inspire public confidence or respect; 

expresses concern that the Committee’s inquiry revealed numerous gaps in ACoBA’s monitoring process with insufficient attention paid to the principles that should govern business appointments; 

agrees that failures of consecutive governments to address ACoBA’s deficiencies have damaged public trust in politics and public institutions and led to repeated scandals; 

calls on the Government to bring forward major reform by introducing a principles-based system to ensure that individuals act with integrity and behave according to those principles; 

and further calls on the Government to fund independent checks by ACoBA across all Government departments and executive agencies to reinforce those principles.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2018-06-28b.1130.0&s=taxi#g1134.0 

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August in the Azores from £349pp: 7nt island break - incl. flights, 4* hotel & breakfast

Thanks to some sumptuous rates in our Holiday Finder, August is now a great time to discover the Portuguese archipelago of The Azores. We found rates starting from £349 per person, based on 2 sharing, which includes some bargain return flights and 7 nights at the 4* Vale do Navio. The cheapest flights are from… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Under £200 in August: Corfu getaway from £198pp - 7nts hotel, flights, luggage & transfers

Pirates, it can be super expensive to head off on your hollibops in August so check out this holiday in Corfu in Greece that is under £200 per person! You will stay for a week in the sun in the heart of all the action when the weather should be super hot. Holiday details Travel… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Las Vegas 4* getaway only £515pp - 7nts iconic Flamingo hotel on the strip & flights

Ahoy pirates, Las Vegas is calling and for todays deal you will be staying on the famous strip in the iconic 4* Flamingo Hotel. The Las Vegas getaway is for 7 nights which we think is the perfect amount of time to stay, you can even book with a deposit and payment plan. Holiday details… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Transport for London hoarding over £321 million of unused Oyster card credit

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Figures from the transport body showed that TfL is hoarding over £321 million in unused Oyster card money. The figures apply to balances and deposits on Oyster cards that have not been used for at least a year. Shahsi Verma, TfL's chief technology officer has said they are committed to giving back the unused credit to customers if that's what they want.The credit on an Oyster card can be claimed back by any Tube station ticket machine and never expires, but Lib Dem London Assembly member, Caroline Pidgeon has raised concerns about the amount of unused credit which she says is creating an immense cash mountain for TfL. Ms Pidgeon would like to see TfL spending more time and energy explaining to the public how they can get their money back rather than consistently bombarding the public with advertising and information campaigns. As reported in the East London and West Essex Guardian, Ms Pidgeon has highlighted the fact that TfL have been incredibly quiet about the issue of such huge funds sitting unused.

July 03, 2018 at 09:08AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Summer in the city: 4* London hotel stay from £48pppn - incl. pool & rooftop bar

Summer has never looked so good, as prices plunge at this gorgeously trendy 4* hotel in Canary Wharf. We've discovered rooms available for under £50 per person, per night (based on 2 sharing) on dates throughout summer and autumn. Guests will have full use of the hotel's indoor pool and rooftop bar, and there are… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Upscale 5* Madeira autumn break 4nts from £298pp - incl. flights, hotel & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! We are drooling over this upscale luxury spa holiday on the gorgeous little Portuguese island of Madeira. You will be staying at the impressive design hotel 5* Savoy Saccharum set right on the Atlantic Ocean, with flights and breakfast included in your stay. (With the option to shorten/extend your holiday, or upgrade to… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Licence suspensions: Punishment or public safety?

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There have recently been media reports of a licensed hackney carriage driver who have had their taxi driving licence suspended by Bolton Council following a case of “misconduct” by the driver.It appears from the minutes of the Licensing and Environmental Regulation Committee that these suspensions were imposed as a punishment.

What does the law allow licensing authorities to do when considering a suspension for a taxi or private hire driver’s licence?

Misconduct in Bolton

According to the minutes of the committee, the first case involved a hackney carriage driver who was convicted of an offence under the Equality Act 2010 for overcharging a person in a wheelchair.In this case the committee resolved: “That the licence to drive a hackney carriage vehicle be suspended for a period of five weeks on the basis that the Committee is not satisfied that the driver is a fit and proper person to hold a licence at this time.”

The Law

It is a well-known and established fact that a licensing authority can only licence a person who they are satisfied is a fit and proper. The “fit and proper” test exists to ensure the public are protected.

Licensing authorities used to use the power of suspension as an interim measure, for example, I cases where serious complaints and/or allegations have been made in relation to a licensed driver. In these circumstances, a licensing authority will suspend a licence until the outcome of an investigation has been reached.

This approach was ruled unlawful by Mr Justice Singh in the case of R (application of Singh) v Cardiff City Council [2012] EWCH 1852 (Admin). Mr Justice Singh said that the power to suspend a licence should be “a final determination on the fitness and propriety of the driver.”

This naturally raises the question of what a licensing authority can do. There will be instances where misconduct by a licensed driver is not sufficiently serious to warrant a full revocation. The only alternative – unless they chose to take no action – will be a suspension of the taxi/PH driver’s licence.

Mr Justice Singh suggested in his ruling that a suspension may be appropriate " if misconduct has been established" if something "less than complete revocation" is appropriate and suspension "will constitute sufficient sanction in the interests of the public"

This therefore makes it possible for a licensing authority to use the power of a suspension as a punitive measure – but only under certain circumstances.

Bolton Council’s minutes stated: “There is therefore reasonable cause to suspend the hackney carriage licence as a warning and a deterrent.”

Punishment

There is an important legal difference between retributive punishment and utilitarian punishment. Utilitarian punishment seeks to punish offenders to discourage or deter future wrongdoing. Retributive punishment on the other hand seeks to punish offenders because they deserve to be punished (legally sanctioned retribution).

In the context of taxi/PH licensing, the power of suspension can only ever be imposed as a utilitarian punishment because licensing exists to protect the public.

Therefore if the conduct of a taxi/PH driver has not been that of a fit and proper person, but complete revocation is seen as a disproportionate response, it may be considered that a defined period of suspension will act to deter the driver from misconduct in the future and so render them once again fit and proper.

In practice there may often be a fine line between what constitutes a retributive or utilitarian punishment. Each case will have to be determined on its individual merits and in view of the evidence.

July 03, 2018 at 07:16AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Grand 5* luxury hotel Berlin from £77.50pp - incl. option spa & Rolls Royce limo service

Ahoy mateys! The leafy Grunewald district is situated in west Berlin, and here you can enjoy at 5* stay at the prestigious Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel. The hotel boasts stylish interior courtesy of Patrick Hellmann and Karl Lagerfeld, an elegant spa, Europe's first GQ Bar and a Rolls Royce limo-service (!) Details Many travel durations possible… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

All inclusive Tunisia from £360pp: Late summer or last minute 7nts incl. flights & waterslides

Tunisia is back on everyone's travel radar this year, with fantastic value to be had on holidays from London, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and Bristol. Check out this 7-night all inclusive offer on our holidays finder, staying at a beachfront hotel with its own selection of waterslides and pools; prices start from as little as… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Italy autumn beach break: 7nts from £335pp - incl. 5* spa hotel, breakfast & flights

Ahoy mateys! Escape to the Italian seaside with this beach break to Puglia, in the south of Italy. You'll be staying at the 5* Hotel Gusmay & Suite Le Dune in Peschici (the "spur" of Italy's boot) just a short walk from a private sandy beach. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights (longer or shorter… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Malta 4* autumn break 7nts from £292pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy mateys! Jet off to Malta for some well-deserved late summer sun this September for a stay at the 4* Paradise Bay Resort Hotel is in picturesque Mellieha, known for its pristine beaches. Here you will be right by a sandy beach with a selection of pools overlooking Paradise Bay on one side and the… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Late summer flights to Marseille, South of France from £25 return

Pirates, fancy heading to the South of France, with these bargain flights to Marseille you can do just that! The flights depart throughout September and start from only £25 return, use our flights finder for all options. Team the flights with a bargain or luxury hotel and you have yourself an amazing mini break. Flight… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Thanksgiving in Boston from £447pp: 4nt Sheraton stay - incl. Virgin flights & rooftop pool

Thanksgiving is one of the USA's most popular holidays, so we were pleasantly surprised to find it so cheap to visit at this time. Using our flights finder and hotel finder, we've put together a DIY offer that will allow you to visit Boston over the holiday from as little as £447 per person, based… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

2 week winter sun all inclusive Cuba holiday from £797pp - beach hotel, flights, bags & transfers

Ahoy there pirates, if the one and only Cuba is on your bucket list then you might want to take a look at this! This holiday in Cuba is on an all inclusive board basis and you will spend 2 weeks in the sun in a great 4* hotel for under £800 per person. Holiday… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT