New York flights from £244 return: Christmas & New Years Eve dates from many UK cities

We have found incredible flight fares to New York from multiple cities in the UK just £244 return -- including early December, Christmas and New Years dates. Our flights finder is throwing up amazing prices in November, December and January. These flights are operated by multiple airlines, including British Airways, KLM and Norwegian. Some may… Michael POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Family holiday in Orlando Florida from £389pp - 7nts 3* hotel & flights (couples from £456pp)

Ahoy there pirates, we have come across this really cheap holiday in Orlando Florida. The holiday departs in September and there are super prices throughout September and October! They are based on a family of 4 sharing with other party sizes at great prices too. If you wish to stay longer you can with 14… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Summer flights to Brussels from only £24 return

Pirates, if any of you fancy heading over to Belgium this summer then take a look at these cheap flights to Brussels we have found. You can get return flights for as little as £24, book these flights, bag a hotel and you're off to Belgium. The flights are from Manchester, but there are also… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Crazy cheap Corfu summer getaway from £222pp - 7nts beach hotel, flights, luggage & transfers

Ahoy pirates, we have found this real bargain holiday in Corfu in Greece staying for a week in the sunshine. The holiday departs at the end of August and you will stay in a hotel located right on the beachfront. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights Example date: 31/08 - 08/09 Departure from Aberdeen, Glasgow,… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Extend your summer with a Malaga mini-break: 3nt stay in funky hotel & flights from £216pp

Who says the summer has to end in August? Jet off to Malaga this October and make the most of the late season bargains out there - temperatures are still in the low - mid 20s at this time of year so there's still a chance to get a tan! For 3 nights the 4*… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Incredible last minute bargain: 7nts in Mexico from £340pp incl. top rated aparthotel & flights

Pirates, drop everything and check out this incredibly cheap trip to Mexico... the catch... well you jet off this week! If you're a Pirate who has left it to the 11th hour to book their ideal summer getaway then this deal is for you. Spend 7 nights in the July sunshine, not too far from… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Honeymoon must: 7nts all inclusive in Mauritius from £1011pp incl. flights & beachfront hotel

If you're searching for the perfect honeymoon or if you just need an excuse for a romantic break away - we've found the ideal romantic getaway for you in our treasure chest of goodies! Jet off to Mauritius in this winter from £1011 per person, based on 2 sharing. Sweep your favourite shipmate off their… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

VOLUNTEER TAXI DRIVERS NEEDED... LTFUC Trip To Southend On Sea.

Delightful Dublin mini break from £123pp - 2nts 4* hotel & flights

Pirates, if you are looking for somewhere to go this summer and enjoy a city trip then check out this Dublin getaway we have put together. We have found some cheap flights and teamed them with a cool hotel to put together this bargain deal. How to book: You are required to make payments on… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Plan Insurance: “Will Uber Drivers’ Insurance Be Cancelled?”

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Following the recent hearing and Uber’s admission that they’ve been circumnavigating TfL’s licensing requirements for the past 6 years, we received a lot of queries on social media about whether insurers should pursue Uber for claims payouts during this period. Also, questions have been asked to whether their drivers should have their insurance policies cancelled/voided.It’s important to point out that we aren’t an insurer, and as a broker, we have no vested interest in them doing so or not, but we’ve tried to anticipate what the outcome would be of an insurer pursuing that course of action, in response to the queries we have received.

Can an insurer void a policy?

Due to Article 75, an insurer has the right to void a policy and cease proceedings on the policyholders claim. However, they are still obliged to pay the third party. So, since Uber has been trading for over 5 years now, an insurer would have to go through all its historical claims and contact each person to find out if, at the time of the incident, they were transporting an Uber passenger.This process would take a very long time and cost a lot of money to the insurer! If they did successfully find a driver that matched the criteria, they would then have to take the driver to court. The issue here is that, unless the driver has sufficient income to be in a position to pay, it would be very unlikely that the insurer would get any of its money back. This could, therefore, be a very lengthy and costly process, just to void someone’s policy.So, in theory, they could try and do it; but they would still have to pay the third party cost and then try to retrieve the money back. This would be virtually impossible, as it would cost the insurer much more on top of what they have already paid!Complaining to the Financial Ombudsman (FOS)

Now, if an insurer was to go through the process, and the policyholder was to complain to the FOS, it would look at it and rule in the policyholder’s favour, on the following grounds:

The customer bought the policy in good faith – They were told by TFL they needed XYZ (a Medical, a Vehicle which is licensed, a DBS Check etc.) and insurance which covers their vehicle for Private Hire. They also had no reason to believe that they could not work for Uber; as TFL never said they could not.Also, they would more than likely class the policyholder as a vulnerable customer, particularly if they are on a low income, and English is their second language. The FOS are likely to view it as a “big corporate insurer” trying to squash a “little private hire driver”; and take this into consideration on their decision. You can read more regarding vulnerable customers on the FOS and the FCA’s websites.Lastly, the FOS would also ask:If the driver was an operator would you have still insured them? And the insurer would most likely say YesHad you known he worked for Uber, would you still have insured him? Again most insurers would say Yes

If this was the case, then the FOS would say: “So what is the problem then? You would have insured him, so you can’t now cancel”.It is worth noting here, that the FOS does not look at what is legal or not; they look at what is fair and right. Therefore they would say the policyholder did what he thought was right and acted in ‘Good Faith’ by disclosing all that was asked of him.Pursuing Uber for claims payouts

As we have just explained, going against individual drivers would be a very costly and lengthy approach, and unlikely to be successful for the insurer. They may instead consider actions against Uber or TfL, who allowed the situation to happen.However, as the contract of insurance is between the insurer and the driver, and does not involve Uber or the Regulator, this once again could lead to extremely expensive, long and complex judicial proceedings.To summarise, an insurer can go through the process, but it is very unlikely that they would successfully cancel the policy. Going against individual drivers wouldn’t seem to be cost-effective. Actions may be taken against Uber themselves or the regulators, but this could also lead to very complex judicial proceedings, which is an area of knowledge that goes beyond our area of expertise as an insurance broker.

July 05, 2018 at 07:52AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber relaunches a licensed service in Finland after taxi law deregulation

Flushed with success in London, Uber has officially relaunchied in Finland, a year after suspending its primary service in the market — when it said it would wait for taxi laws to be deregulated.

Among the changes it was waiting for are the removal of taxi permit caps and fare restrictions. 

Most parts of the Act came into effect on July 1.

The Finnish government said its intention is to modernize the rules to “significantly enhance the implementation of new technology, digitalisation and new business concepts”, promoting competition and working towards the creation of what it dubbed “seamless, multimodal travel chains” — thanks also to a push in the act for data and systems interoperability and open interfaces.

“This Act will give us a genuine opportunity to make mobility a comprehensive service for customers,” said transport minister Anne Berner last year.

Uber says two services that use professional drivers — uberX and UberBLACK — will operate in the Helsinki capital region in Finland, which it notes will includes Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen.

Uber is not restarting its unlicensed peer-to-peer service (UberPOP) in the market.

That unlicensed driver option has essentially been outlawed in Europe after the region’s top court ruled in December that Uber is a transport service, not a platform, thereby locking its business into being regulated by existing taxi licensing regimes.

And locking Uber into lobbying city authorities to ‘modernize’ and deregulate taxi rules in its favor — such as by removing permit caps and making it easier for more people to become drivers, Uber intend to flood the market to drive out all competition.

“In the vast majority of the European countries we have been operating under existing transportation laws for years now and were able to scale our business with licensed private hire drivers,” an Uber spokesman told us.

Blogging about the Finland relaunch, Uber talks up the different course it says it’s seeking to chart under new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, writing: “We’ve set a course for more responsible growth with a new approach to building long-term partnerships with cities and regulators.”

In truth Uber has had its course reset after a series of scandals rocked the company and, in Europe, after myriad legal challenges led to regulatory blowback and ramped up public and political pressure on the company to change.

Those external forces are continuing to reconfigure Uber’s business — and in Europe at least to make it better mesh with local civic values.

In London, the company has made a series of changes to how it operates — such as introducing safety caps on the hours drivers can work — changes it made following a shock decision by the transport regulator to withdraw its license to operate in September 2017.

Last week, the company won an appeal against TfL’s withdrawal of its license based on changes it had made since September 2017, though the judge only granted it a provisional 15-month license — with UK regulators set to continue to scrutinize its conduct closely.

Another example of Uber’s regional reconfiguration: An announcement in May that it would expand accident insurance cover for its drivers and delivery workers across Europe.

Last month the company also said it will bring its Jump e-bike service to Europe — with Khosrowshahi claiming the company wants to help cities tackle traffic-related problems such as air pollution and congestion by increasing access to “cleaner transportation solutions”.

In Helsinki, Uber had intended to keep its UberBlack service going for the past year but a spokeswoman told us it did not have enough drivers to provide a reliable service — so UberBlack has not been operational since the suspension. But will restart later today.

Since last August, Uber says more than 250,000 people in the Helsinki area have opened its app despite there being no service in operation — which it touts as showing “clear demand” for its service.

It also notes that Finnish Uber users have taken more than 200,000 Uber trips abroad during the local market pause.

“We’re excited to use our technology to complement existing public and private transport options and to offer an affordable, safe and reliable alternative to personal car ownership. We hope that other countries, where local people are not currently able to use apps like Uber either to get around or to make money on their terms, will soon follow suit,” Uber adds.

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Violent thug jailed for beating and strangling taxi driver while he was driving at 70mph

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A thug who attacked a taxi driver while they were on a motorway driving at 70mph has been jailed for eight months. Graeme Cox, 30, repeatedly punched and strangled his victim whilst on a journey home from a night out with his girlfriend Ashley McWilliams, nearly causing a huge crash that would of seen all of them in grave danger. Cox, who had been drinking heavily all night while attending a a social function immediately started arguing with the taxi driver, a Mr Ponsonby, as they began their trip. Cox suggested that he had already paid for the journey upfront but the driver said he hadn't. Cox's aggression was clear from the start, taking an "in your face" stance towards his victim. Cox continuously shouted at the driver as they joined the motorway on route to Renfrew. Cox became more and more aggressive eventually lashing out, punching Mr Ponsonby on the left side of his face. The court heard that Cox then grabbed the driver by the neck while he was driving at 70mph. Ms McWilliams frightened for her life shouted "you are going to kill us all". The driver managed to distance himself from Cox, who then opened the passenger door while they were moving before reaching over to punch his victim again. The court heard that on arriving at their destination Ms McWilliams paid the driver and pleaded for him not to report the attack. But later that night police were called to a disturbance when neighbours witnessed Cox attacking McWilliams. He was seen stamping on her body outside the property. The police found Ms McWilliams with marks on her face. She also had no shoes on and her clothes were in a disheveled state. According to a report in the Daily Record, Cox pleaded guilty to charges of culpably and recklessly, while traveling as a passenger, punching Mr Ponsonby at 70mph, seizing him by the throat, opening a door while the vehicle was moving and placing passenger Ms McWilliams at risk of serious harm. He also pleaded guilty to the assault on Ms McWilliams. Sheriff Susan Sinclair sentenced Cox to eight months in jail.

July 04, 2018 at 11:16PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Last minute Cape Verde: 7nt all inclusive escape from £565pp incl. flights, hotel & more

Grab those cases down from the loft quick smart Pirates, because this time next week, you could be sitting by the pool on the African islands of Cape Verde! We've found an incredible bargain getaway for next week that'll tempt you to jet off to the African islands and enjoy round the clock wonderful weather!… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Theresa Villiers MP fires broadside at government over London taxi industry

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Theresa Villiers MP, has fired a broadside at the government for not listening to the concerns of the licensed London taxi industry.

The Chipping Barnet MP had a meeting with Transport Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP, to discuss the issues surrounding the licensing of both the taxi and private hire industry.

Ms Villiers spoke to the Transport Minister after concerns had been highlighted by a number of taxi drivers who live in her constituency regarding the lack of a fair playing field between the two industries, which include the lack of legislation surrounding cross-border hiring, as well as concerns that app-based private hire companies are using technology to circumvent licensing regulations pertaining to plying for hire.

Ms Villiers also spoke about companies such as Uber's tax status, the need for a national minimum standard across the country for private hire vehicles as well as competition between the taxi and PHV industry being fair and transparent.

July 04, 2018 at 08:08PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

30% off Eurostar Standard Premium tickets to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & more - summer months

Mateys! Eurostar has launched a flash sale on Standard Premium seats to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam knocking a whopping 30% off the regular price, for travel between July and September. Trains are direct from London St. Pancras International station, and include spacious seats with plugs, a meal and drinks during your journey and free magazines… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Early bird family break: 5nt Tenerife break in Aug 2019 from £366pp incl. flights & 5* hotel

Here's one for the northern Pirates who like an early bird bargain! Jet off next summer with the family to enjoy 5 nights of 5* luxury in Tenerife. If you live in Scotland or are able to make it to an airport, then there are a load of bargains to be had vs departures from… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Dubai luxury: 5nt family break from £599pp incl. Sofitel stay, half board meals & flights

Surround yourself in 5* luxury this summer at the Sofitel Dubai which is located on the iconic Palm Resort. You and the whole family will love 5 nights enjoying the stretch of private beach, 3 on site pools and plush rooms. You will be on a half board plus basis, meaning you get breakfast, dinner… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Magical Madeira: 7nts on Portuguese island from £293pp incl. hotel, breakfast & flights

Pirates, jet off to the stunning Portuguese island of Madeira for a blissful 7 nights in July from £248pp including the 3* Residencial Vila Lusitania, breakfast & flights. While many have only heard of the place for birthing Madeira wine or Cristiano Ronaldo, this gorgeous, sunny enclave makes for a wonderful holiday. Holiday details: Travel… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

10% off UK resorts: 2nt stays & up from £127 - incl. free entertainment passes (sleeps 2-8)

Pirates, Away Resorts are offering 10% off all stays at 5 of their holiday villages around the UK throughout the rest of 2018 - including school holidays. You can choose your accommodation from a wide range such as caravans, beachfront chalets and luxury lodges with hot tubs in with options for 2-8 people which is… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

New York done right! Deluxe 4nt Hyatt stay w/ flights from £467pp (4-share) or £516pp (2-share)

If you're gonna do Manhattan mateys, you may as well do it right; especially when you can get it at these unreal prices -- a £79pp deposit secures it for you . You'll fly direct from the UK to New York and stay 4 nights at the uber-luxe Grand Hyatt hotelin Midtown; this lush hotel… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT