Lovely Latvia: Flights to Riga from £32 return

Ahoy pirates, if you want to visit a great country at an amazing price, take a look at these flights to Riga in lovely Latvia. There are many dates available at great prices throughout September. Team them with a great accommodation and you have yourself a great mini break. Flight details Direct flights Departures from… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

San Diego flights from £339 return: Many dates in late Summer & Autumn

Irish pirates will love this cheap AF San Diego flights we've uncovered on our flights finder, starting from just £339 return from Dublin and Shannon. These are for late summer right through to Spring 2019 which gives you plenty of options and seasons to choose from. Not from Ireland? These flights to San Diego are… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Latest Taxi protest takes place in Wolverhampton against the amount of private hire licences being issued

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Wolverhampton taxi drivers have staged a Go-Slow protest today against the City Council who they accuse of jeopardising their future and public safety by granting thousands of new private hire licenses. A similar protest took place just a few weeks ago as reported in Taxipoint, when hundreds of taxi drivers from Coventry descended on Wolverhampton city central to express their concerns over the amount of drivers licensed in Wolves are traveling into Coventry to pick up fares. The over influx of drivers comes as many want-to-be minicab drivers flock to join ride-hailing platform Uber. The West Midlands Private Hire Drivers Association is behind today's protest according to sources at the Express and Star.

The WMPHDA said in a statement on their website: "The protest is about helping and supporting taxi drivers far and wide toward protecting public safety and driver livelihood" Wolverhampton Council dismissed the last demonstration from taxi drivers in Coventry by pointing the finger at those in Westminster but drivers feel that it's the local council who should be held accountable for the endless amounts of licences being granted.

July 16, 2018 at 02:18PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Algarve luxury: 3nts B&B from £203pp incl. flights, hotel & €30 resort credit

Drop everything Pirates because our friends at the luxurious 5* Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa have got an incredible late season deal, just for you! Jet off to Portugal this October (August & September dates also available) and enjoy exclusive rates in their 5* Algarve hotel plus €30 of resort credit (per booking) to use… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Crete late season getaway from £279pp - 7nts hotel & flights (all inclusive from £417pp)

Ahoy! Why not treat yourself to a 5* holiday, we have found this awesome holiday in Crete on our holiday finder staying for a week in a luxury hotel. October is a great time to visit as you will hopefully miss the crowds of summer with the weather still being quite toasty. You can choose… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

August family holiday in Turkey from £257pp: All inclusive 7nts - incl. 4* hotel & flights

Mateys, check out this all inclusive family holiday we have just come across for peak season August; prices start from just £257 per person, based on 4 sharing or £351 per person based on 2 sharing! Travel in September and save even more. This Turkey getaway includes return flights, 7 nights at a plush 4*… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

IT’S WIN LOSE OR DRAW FOR THE TRADE BUT NOT FOR THE LTDA. THEY’RE FIGHTING THEIR OWN FIGHT, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US!...by Sean Paul Day

Everyone should be outraged at the  statement released by The LTDA that  they gave evidence to the Met in relation to claims that ex-Uber General Manager Jo Bertram “misled” the High Court. 

The action taken by The LTDA isn’t merely passivity, but an orchestrated attempt to appear active in their pursuance to bring Uber (or whoever) to book. The reality being, it is yet another postural, but meaningless exhibition that’ll have no bearing on how the company operates, and no consequences for the actual act of perjury which allowed them to retain their licence. 

Let us be under no illusion, the interview with the Met conducted in front of the LTDA’s legal team- which I take to mean Demidecki- is not dissimilar to other demonstrable- yet disingenuous -attempts to satiate the LTDA’s TAXI readership. A tactic used to coerce readers into thinking that the association is at the coal face of the action, whilst at the same time costing The LTDA nothing. 

The reality is this, the legal route offers only two effective options, the first is to serve litigation papers against Uber for obtaining their licence by deceptive means. Most underestimate the enormity of this. In respect of the company’s relationship to the driver, Uber acts as either the principle or the agent (to be determined at the employment tribunal appeal) and there  are 40000+ of them. A licence obtained by fraudulent means would render it null and void meaning  journeys undertaken by its drivers are illegal. As far as Insurance payouts go, you could say, they were compromised somewhat? It beggars belief, that the LTDA have not yet started proceedings. 

The second option, is to file a lawsuit against TfL for breaking a long standing trade agreement by creating a‘corporate structure’ that allowed Uber’s operation to infract heavily on the working practices and earning potential of licensed taxi drivers. embedded in the system allowing its drivers to work on the ‘on demand’ market even though the driver does not meet 'Required Standard' criterion and the vehicle does 'Conditions of Fitness' opposed to bookings that have been accepted by Uber 

Certainly, under the previous administration, TfL decidedly went against the true meaning of the law as laid out in the 1998 PH Regulations to assist Uber’s smooth incorporation into the market. TfL would have known the contravention existed and that Uber’s modus operandi was in transgression of it. The consequences here are huge, as it would mean TfL was party to the perjury in the HC (Remember, this was a case brought by TfL seeking a HC ruling on what constituted a meter only) The crux here is, TfL claim to have been hoodwinked by Uber. Yeh, right! 

Everyone should recognise that this is win, lose, or draw for the trade, and what the trade needs - and deserves - is drastically improved representation from The LTDA. The above options are the only effective avenues the trade should be concerned with. Furthermore, there should be zero  tolerance for the tired old distractions that have served as a disincentive to their readership in the past. Will the trade get the representation it deserves? Well, members who have been pushing for it tirelessly for two years have just had their branch suspended, pending an investigation into intimidation tactics being used in the run up to the Branch Elections. Another distraction away from what the LTDA should be doing,  Stalling for time is preferable as effective action could work out quite costly. But surely it’s the members money, and The LTDA should be doing right by them. 

Our fight is with the LTDA until they themselves finally decide to take up the fight. The old coppers club moaning to the Met about Jo Bertram ain’t gonna cut it with me, that’s for sure!

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A winter warmer: All inclusive week in Egypt from £250pp incl. flights & beachfront hotel

Sack off the awful British January winter with an all inclusive week in the African sun. The 4* Hawaii Le Jardin Aqua Park hotel lies right next to the beach near Hurghada, Egypt. The hotel also boasts an incredible on site water park with oodles of slides, great for cooling off! This tiny price also… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

August family stay in Berkshire: 5nts from £150pp w/ hot tub & sauna (sleeps 5) *pets welcome*

If the idea of airport queues and lost passports cause you to come out in a cold sweat, then why not opt for a UK staycation this summer? We have found this funky holiday home in Berkshire, less than 20 miles from the capital, that boasts it's own sauna and hot tub. Sleeping up to… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber appears to be ‘untouchable’ says Gouriet QC

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In a decision which is more likely to be mis-cited than any in recent memory, and which has already been widely misrepresented on social media, the Senior District Judge has dismissed the prosecution of an Uber driver for plying for hire in Reading.

The lawfulness of the Uber app, and its equivalence to a taxi ‘for hire’ sign, were not addressed.

The material facts

The defendant was a TfL-licensed driver of a private hire vehicle also licensed by TfL.He was working through a Smartphone App provided by Uber.On the date in question, about 60 Uber vehicles were showing on the Uber App map of Reading. Reading Borough Council has refused to licence Uber as an operator there.The defendant’s vehicle was stationary on a road in Reading. It had no significant markings, or any marking advertising a telephone number or other means of contacting Uber to make a booking.The vehicle was not at a taxi rank, and could not be hired from the street by hailing it down in the traditional way.The vehicle’s outline, however, was visible to any Uber customer using the Smartphone App. That outline advertised the presence of an Uber driver.Licensing Enforcement Officers saw the vehicle on their Smartphone App, approached the car, introduced themselves, and interviewed the defendant.The defendant said that he was waiting for a booking through the Uber app.

The decision

The key passage in the judge’s decision to find the defendant ‘not guilty’ is: “The fact that Mr Ali’s vehicle had no distinctive markings, was not at a stand and was not available to pick up passengers on the street combined with the fact that the whole transaction was conducted via an App where the booking process starts, is recorded and the fare estimated, leads me to find that Mr Ali was not plying for hire.” It is respectfully submitted that focusing on “where the booking process starts” misses the central question, which is whether a vehicle, not being a hackney carriage, has advertised itself as available for immediate hire. Plying for hire will occur before any booking process starts, and certainly before any booking is made. The driver who directs potential customers to a licensed operator, so that they can then book his vehicle in the usual way, is plying for hire – the subsequent booking via a licensed operator is immaterial: Rose v Welbeck Motors Ltd, Chorley Borough Council v Thomas.

Uber app: The Big Issue

It was hoped that this prosecution would determine, once and for all, whether displaying a vehicle’s proximity and availability for immediate hire on the Uber App is the modern equivalent of displaying a ‘for hire’ sign on the vehicle. It is regrettable that that all-important question was never answered. Indeed, on one reading of the decision, the judge might even be thought to have been careful to avoid answering it: the determining factors (the vehicle’s lack of distinctive markings, its not being parked at a stand or able to be flagged-down in the usual way) had no bearing at all on what was really at issue.A charmed life

St. Christopher is the patron saint of travellers. There is even a patron saint of automobile drivers – St. Frances of Rome. Perhaps it is time we had one for PHV operators, so that obeisance may be made and candles lit to encourage (and continue) divine intervention on their behalf. It is not that Uber has the blessing of the courts as to the lawfulness of its operating model – it hasn’t: all attempts to obtain a definitive ruling have, for one reason or another, been stopped in their tracks. Deus ex machina in more ways than one, perhaps. A judicial review of TfL’s decision to licence Uber had to be withdrawn, because it was out of time (no other reason). ‘Plying for Hire’ was said by the Senior District Judge to be irrelevant to the recent Uber appeal against the non-renewal of its licence; as was the possible unlawfulness of Uber’s cross-border operations. The CPS (wrongly) discontinued the ‘plying for hire’ prosecution of an Uber driver in Bromley. And now a Reading Uber driver has been acquitted of plying for hire, without the court having fully considered the unlawfulness of the model under which he operated. The Uber model should have been properly tested in the courts long ago. Until it is, we will have licensing authorities up and down the country being told they are powerless to stop an invasion of Uber drivers over whom they have no control – Uber even braving the streets of councils that have refused to give them a licence. There is understandable concern, across a wide

spectrum that by no means is limited to licensed taxi drivers, that Uber appears to be ‘untouchable’.

July 16, 2018 at 10:03AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Gerald Gouriet QC THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Reach for the skies. Rolls Royce reveal their new Flying Taxi concept

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Rolls Royce have joined the race for the skies with the reveal of it's flying flying taxi concept. The new quirky design would be capable of transporting up to five passengers for up to 500 miles without being recharged. The hybrid vehicle can reach speeds of up to 250mph.Because of it's state of the art design with wings that can rotate 90 degrees, the taxi will be able to take off and land vertically. Rolls Royce confirmed through a tweet that the new concept will be on show at this years Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire which is officially opened today (Monday 16 July) by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Rolls Royce who have always been one of the worlds leaders when it comes aviation, with the first development of turbo-prop and jet engines and the creation of the worlds most efficient large civil aero-engine and vertical takeoff and landing solutions.

Rolls Royce want to be leaders in finding a solution for the ever increasing pollution problem that many cities at the world face. They believe that their new flying taxi could assist in relieving emission and congestion problems on the the ground. As well as being used as a taxi, Rolls Royce believe the flying vehicle could also be used for personal, cargo and military use.

According to CityAM, the company is now looking for partners who can help with the airframing and electric systems. It could be as soon as 2020 when we see the first Rolls Royce flying taxi take to the skies, but they better get a move on if they want to beat the likes of Google, Uber and Airbus in becoming the first company to officially launch the world's first flying taxi.

July 16, 2018 at 09:45AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Adults Only 4* Costa Brava half board break 5nts from £258pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy mateys! How about a chic Costa Brava holiday just for grown-ups? The Adults Only 4* Aqua Hotel Silhouette & Spa occupies a prime position a short walk from the beach and Malgrat de Mar promenade. There is a lush spa and 2 outdoor pools here and you'll have half board included in your stay.… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Feel like a champion in Paris: 3nt winter break from £156pp incl. flights & hotel

Feel like a winner with this bargain trip to Paris in the New Year. You and your favourite shipmate will jet off to the most romantic city in the world to enjoy 3 nights at the funky 3* Jardins de Montmartre. This deal includes flights into Paris from a number of different UK airports, upgrades… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Live the 5* lifestyle in 2019 in Marbella from £237pp - 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

What's TFL's Connection With Baron Arbuthnot, Nothing To See Here...Mind The Gap!

Thales awarded London Underground Sub-Surface Lines resignalling contract

UK: Transport for London announced on August 3 that it had awarded sole bidder Thales a £760m contract to renew the signalling and train control systems on London Underground's Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. 

Collectively known as the Sub-Surface Lines, the four large-profile lines form a complex network of interlinked routes with numerous junctions which comprises 40% of the London Underground network and carries 1·3 million passengers/day. 

Work is expected to begin later this year. The first increase in capacity would be on the Circle Line in 2021, with the ‘main benefits’ of the project to be delivered by 2022, when the peak train frequency would increase to 32 trains/h in central London. The final improvements would come in 2023, with an increase in peak and off-peak frequencies on the Metropolitan Line. 

The deal replaces a £345m contract which TfL had awarded to Bombardier in June 2011. This was terminated in December 2013, with TfL saying the ‘complex nature of the railway’ meant Bombardier's programme ‘was simply not progressing and there was no guarantee it would have worked’. The contract with Bombardier had itself replaced a previous contract awarded by Metronet to Invensys under the London Underground public-private partnership. 

The latest contract represents a significant increase in cost, but TfL said it would be 18% less per km than ‘the successful modernisation of the Northern Line which was around half the cost of the Jubilee and Victoria line modernisations delivered under the flawed public-private partnership arrangements, ended by the Mayor five years ago.’ 

'Once completed, 60% of the London Underground will have been modernised using Thales signalling technology’, said Thales Chairman & CEO Patrice Caine. 

The overall budget for Sub-Surface Lines modernisation has been confirmed as £5·41bn, a reduction of £131m from an estimate announced on March 24. This total includes the cost of 191 S-Stock trainsets ordered from Bombardier, and related platform lengthening, track and depot works. The work is to be delivered within the existing TfL Business Plan, and the programme is expected to have a benefit-cost ratio of around 4·7 to 1. 

The project ‘will transform the journeys of millions of our customers, significantly increasing service reliability and frequency’, according to London Underground Managing Director Nick Brown. ‘We have a very clear delivery plan and timetable for the work and, as we have done with the modernisation of the Northern Line, we will keep London moving and growing as we do it.’ 

Once the Sub-Surface Lines have been modernised, work would begin to introduce new trains and control systems for the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines.

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None So Blind As They Who Will Not See....The Debate.

An interesting conversation took place yesterday on Twitter. 

One drivers was was giving it large to the gloom and doomers, saying another cracking night in a record breaking week. 

His argument was that he didn’t recognise what the gloom and doomers were on about, finishing with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Anthony Minas   Lenny Etheridge   Sean Paul Day.

The best reply came back from Anthony Minas, who said:

“There’s a difference between doom and gloom...and informative opinion and fact.

Lots of cabbies on here mistake both as the same. 

Good way to look at it: 

Does anyone think Uber would have been in question in the first place if everyone was just positive? 

There needs to be a balance!

“Lots who have been labelled as D&G give up their time & money to try to expose illegality! 

I’m all for positivity of course but if that was the only course of action, we’d be gone already!

Most who call out d&g wouldn’t sacrifice 10min for the trade let alone thousands of pounds!”

Lenny Etheridge also joined the debate with:

“Yep, I see loads of bods hacking away at informative tweets warning of how we're being f***ed over, as D&G.

I too have had a few good weeks.

But I know it won't last if we allow the status quo to continue.

They can't see the storm because their heads are in their lollybags.

“These dismissive drivers, whose elation at earning a fair day's wage drives them to post everything is great, obviously see no danger from Uber and others waiting in the wings, or unregulated apps, or TfL and the Government colluding to do away with the KoL and Taxis in general. (Operation Horizon ‘a one tier system’)

“I promise you, the biggest screamers -if our trade dies a death of a thousand cuts- will be those who couldn't tell the difference between Noah making a racket next door, and a spot of rain.

“Turn left, you get a roader.

Turn right you get a puncture.

That's the nature of the job!

“These blissfully dismissive drivers will be the first in line to demand "How did the Orgs let it happen?"

“But these (mostly) unpaid Org and Union reps will quite rightly reply "How did we? No! How did YOU allow it to happen?”

How did twenty thousand drivers allow it to happen?"

“Carry on happily selling all your tomorrows for the gift of today.

Dismiss those with foresight, as D&Gers.

Let them worry for you.

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today,

Tomorrow will be dying."

None so blind ...

Sean Paul Day then joined the debate:

“Absolutely! 

What policy has been put in place to ensure the viability of the cab trade? Fluctuations in work flows don’t count

Take a look at the link, and if it concerns you, then rest easy because Leon Daniels has secured a position of senior advisor”

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/05/uks-fiveai-gets-35m-to-build-a-taxi-service-powered-by-its-own-self-driving-car-platform/amp/

The conversation was bought to conclusion by David, @blackcabLawyer...

“Hi Sean, good point. Hopefully we can keep the legal pressure up and commence a Judicial Review.

“Hopefully the taxi trade as a group will be in a position to decide the most appropriate way to proceed legally, in the next couple of weeks .”

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Fly to stunning Ohrid, Macedonia, from £36 rerturn

Why not jet off somewhere a little different this autumn Pirates? Lake Ohrid lies on the border of Macedonia and Albania and offers stunning mountain views. We've discovered these incredibly cheap flights using our flight finder flying with Wizz Air and departing from London Luton. Flight Details Direct flights with Wizz Air Departures from Luton… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cheap B&B week in Cape Verde from £443pp incl. flights & 4* beachfront hotel

Grab yourself some winter sun in Cape Verde this November with this week away at the 4* beachfront Murdeira Village Resort. Top up your tan in temperatures that can reach the high 20s! Much more favourable than the grey clouds of the UK. Breakfast is also included in this price, however, board upgrades are available… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Taxi driver fights for his life after being stabbed in Milton Keynes

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A taxi driver from Milton Keynes remains in intensive care after being stabbed during the early hours of Friday morning. The victim had to undergo emergency surgery at Milton Keynes University Hospital following the attack that took place on Pinders Croft in Greenleys.

(Image:Facebook)

Police are currently asking anyone who may of seen or know of any information to come forward to aid in finding the attacker. The attack is currently doing the rounds on social media, with many wishing the victim a speedy recovery. Full details of the attack are yet to be released. Milton Keynes F.Mhighlighted the stabbing which comes in the same week that a pregnant woman was punched in the stomach in the same area.

July 15, 2018 at 05:30PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

All inclusive break to stunning Sri Lanka: 7nts from £789pp incl. flights, hotel, 40KG bags & more

Sri Lanka is fast becoming a 'must visit' destination, shooting to the top of many a bucket list. See what all the fuss is about this autumn with an incredible all inclusive week to this tropical island. Staying at the 4* Club Dolphin, which is right on the scenic north-west coast of Waikkal. Enjoy the… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT