Millionaire cleared of threatening to kill Taxi driver with shotgun following fare dispute

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A millionaire company director who was accused of threatening to shoot dead a taxi driver with one of his hunting shotguns has been cleared of all charges. TaxiPointreported yesterday that James Willmott was facing a charge of possession of a shotgun with intent to cause fear of violence. Taxi driver Hanifur Rehman told a court that a dispute over a fare had broken out between himself and Willmott, whom he had picked up from Cardiff city centre along with five other men. According to the accusations, Willmott refused to pay the fare of £40 because he felt Rehman had attempted to raise the price to £60 due to them requesting a detour to pick up some late night McDonalds. When Rehman refused to leave Willmott's property, a large country home in Pendoylan, South Wales, Willmott threatened to go inside a get his shotgun and kill Rehman for trespassing. Rehman said Willmott then returned carrying a hunting shotgun which he then loaded and cocked in his direction. Armed police were called to the millionaires home and arrested Willmott who denied the accusations. Although during a search of the property the police found the gun described to them by Rehman, along with other weapons, Willmott was cleared of the charges by a jury of eight men and four women who took less than an hour to deliberate at Cardiff Crown Court. Mr Willmott admitted owning a 4ft-long shotgun but claims to never of brought it outside to threaten Mr Rehman with. Mr Willmott told the court: "I never took the gun outside. I never pointed the gun at him. The driver left. I went to bed".

July 17, 2018 at 11:39PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

BMW to take on Uber as battle of the ride-sharing companies hots up

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It's been revealed that BMW are about to take on Uber and launch a ride-share service in Seattle.

As of July 17th, BMWs ride-sharing arm, ReachNow, will be able to "e-hail" or prebook a vehicle, running at a cost of $2.40 per mile plus $0.40 a minute. The minimum fare will be set at $3.24.

Riders will be able to specify certain criteria to each and every ride , such as choice of music or particular temperature.

The drivers will be supplied by a company called Ecoserve, with drivers working a set shift pattern.

Drivers will be paid a set figure of $14.25 per hour and receive a host of benefits. Drivers will be supplied vehicles at no cost to themselves.

BMW haven't, as yet, indicated if they plan to offer this service outside of Seattle. SK

July 17, 2018 at 10:57PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Flights to wonderful Warsaw from £26 return

Ahoy, how about visiting the capital of stunning Poland with these bargain flights to the one and only Warsaw. There are dates spanning September, this is a great time to visit Poland and there is so much to do in Warsaw you will have a great time. Team with your choice of accommodation and you… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Sizzling Cyprus 4* autumn holiday 7nts from £317pp - incl. flights, hotel & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! Treat yourself to some well-deserved sun this autumn with a stay at the 4* Capital Resort & Spa in Paphos, boasting a great location right on the beach overlooking the Med and a selection of great facilities. We found good rates spanning October, however you could also opt for November and thereby shaving… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Ibiza 4* half board holiday 7nts from £370pp - incl. Cala Vicente Beach hotel & flights

Ahoy mateys! We've spotted this excellent value for money holiday to Ibiza placing you on the north of the island right on the gorgeous beach of Cala San Vicente - away from the party strip. You'll be staying at 4* Grupotel Cala San Vicente with half board included in your stay. And should you get… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

4* Tuscany summer break from £274pp - incl. 7nts hotel w/rooftop pool, breakfast & flights

Ciao pirates! What could be better than a summertime jaunt to the beautiful countryside of Tuscany? Our Holiday Finder is offering just that, with 7 nights at the 4* Boston - a cute hotel with a rooftop pool! Flights are included. There are great rates to be had on mid-August departures. You can also fly… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Police Telling Uber Passengers "Don't Travel Alone, Don't Tell Driver Where You Live After Yet Another UberRape

Unbelievably SAN ANTONIO police are giving out safety tips to young ladies to stop their Uber drivers raping them, after an Uber driver was arrested, following an accusation of sexually assaulting by a female passenger inside her apartment over the weekend.

Did they not consider revoking Uber's licence or at leas telling young ladies to get proper licensed Taxis?

On Saturday, July 14, the woman called police to report that she had been sexually assaulted by driver Jacobo Manuel Gutierrez, 32. 

According to the affidavit, the woman had been drinking at Slackers bar off Nacogdoches Road when she decided to call an Uber to take her home. 

During the ride, the woman said the driver stopped in a vacant parking lot and began touching her without consent.

Sounds familiar to the 48 Uber passengers who were raped by Uber drivers in London last year according to the Met Police statistics. 

The driver then drove the woman home and followed her into the apartment. Once inside, the woman said Gutierrez sexually assaulted her in her bedroom while she was unable to protect herself.

Gutierrez told police that he helped the woman into her apartment because she was drunk. He claims to have left his cell phone in the apartment and returned to find that she had called police.

During a police interview, Gutierrez eventually told officer that he had touched the woman inside the apartment and engaged in sexual activities.

Gutierrez was arrested and faces charges for sexual assault. 

Uber said the driver has been removed from the app and released the following statement:

“What’s been reported is horrible and has no place anywhere. We’ve provided information to the San Antonio Police Department and will continue to support their investigation and proceedings in any way possible."

"Be aware of your surroundings, always be aware of what's going on. This is probably the best advice I can give you," said SAPD Officer Carlos Ortiz.

Ortiz also says it's important for passengers, especially women, to be extra cautious when taking rides.

Along with keeping your eyes and ears open, don't drink too much and make sure the vehicle that pulls up matches the one you ordered.　

"When your vehicle comes up, taking a picture of the license plate of that vehicle, just making sure you have some evidence of the vehicle that you were in. That helps police a lot of times because running a plate - whether it's a Texas plate or not a state plate - gives us information on whole that vehicle is registered to," he said.

When it comes to your route getting home, Ortiz says you don't have to make the trip alone.

"One of the things that another person can do is use the pool or the ride share where you actually have to pick up another patron. This way there's two people in the vehicle," Ortiz said.

You can also use a different destination so the driver won't know where you live.

"Finding a well-lit area, a gas station, maybe that's 24-7 where there's going to be people around. Calling a friend or getting out and calling police. A lot of times we can try to help you out in situations that are tough when you're experiencing some sort of weird environment inside a taxi or maybe even a ride share," Ortiz said.

Not once did SADP police offer the advice of getting a legitimate licensed Taxi home. 

So the SAPD are saying 

"Don’t travel alone in an Uber, give a fake destination, don't get dropped off at your house, choose a public place, then get a friend to meet you there."

Then hope your account isn't charged falsely for a clean up job.

How is this company still allowed to operate? 

Meanwhile, here in London:  

How many serious sexual assaults are TfL responsible for since they allowed Uber to keep working by not revoking their licence last August when they decided Uber were not fit to operate?

Lives have been shattered which have devastated families across the capital. The TfL commission Mike Brown  and his directors at LTPH are responsible for these ruined lives.... they have blood on their hands for not protecting the public. 

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Treat yourself to Texas: Flights to Austin from £297 return

Ahoy there pirates, if any of you fancy heading to the USA, check out these flights to Austin in Texas we have sniffed out at under £300 per person. There are a choice of dates spanning November to December, have a play with our flights finder for even more options. Flight details Flights with various… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Flights to Malta from only £41 return (choice of airports)

Pirates, how do you fancy heading to Malta this year, we have come across these return flights at a really great rate. There are many cheap flights in October when the weather should reach a great 25° and there are even a few in the summer too. Why not visit Valletta which is the European… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Vegas baby! 5nt Hard Rock Hotel stay from £476pp - incl. Virgin flights & bags (2019 dates)

Mateys, tick Vegas off your bucket list in 2019 and pay only pirate prices with a stay at the immensely popular Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This deal -- including return flights and checked bags -- starts from as little as £476 per person, based on 2 sharing It's cheap because its winter but the… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Tantalising Thailand: Flights to Bangkok or Phuket from just £324rtn - incl. luggage & meals

Pirates, we're eyeing up a Thai treat with these bargain flights to Bangkok and Phuket from our Flights Finder! Checked luggage and inflight meals are included included as standard. For Bangkok we've seen dates between November and January, whilst Phuket is cheapest in March and April. All fine options for some winter/spring sunshine. Get packing!… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Family Dubai escape: 5nts from £629pp incl. flights, hotel on the palm, meals & waterpark

Get ahead of the crowd and book your luxury 2018 late summer holiday now to save up to 45% at the 5* Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, located on the famous Palm resort in Dubai. You'll stay for 5 nights at this top location - right on the world famous Palm - along with return flights, half… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber agree $19.8 million dollar settlement with FTC

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Uber have agreed to a settlement, totalling just over $19.8 million, after the Federal Trade Commission sued the minicab giant.The case, which was brought by the FTC in the U.S, centred around misleading claims by Uber as to how much Uber drivers could earn as well as misleading lease term agreements.Uber had allegedly claimed, according to the FTC, that the average annual income for UberX drivers in New York was $90,000, whilst in San Fransisco it was $74,000.The FTC argued that these claims were inflated quite significantly, by as much as $20,000 to $30,000 per annum. Therefore, the average income was in fact around $61,000 in New York and $53,000 in San Francisco, furthermore under Less 10% of UberX drivers were able to earn the amounts Uber claimed as its average.Uber's vehicle solutions program also came under scrutiny. The scheme which assists drivers buying and leasing vehicles, had claimed it could get drivers into purchase agreements for as little as $560 per month and could arrange a vehicle lease for $476 per month. The reality was somewhat different, drivers had to pay $640 monthly for a leased vehicle and $800 monthly to purchase a car through the scheme, according to the FTC.A settlement was agreed between the FTC and Uber, whereby Uber agreed to stop making unsubstantiated claims surrounding a drivers earning potential as well as the cost of its finance deals.It was also agreed that Uber would compensate just under 89,000 drivers with a share of almost $20 million, amounting to around $223 per driver.There are concerns from some quarters that the $223 figure will be nowhere near enough to compensate drivers, who have been struggling to cope with the debt attributed to the cost of the vehicles.The refunds will start to be issued this week and will cover drivers working in 2014 and 2015, in cities where Uber recruited heavily.

July 17, 2018 at 12:38PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Millionaire company director pulls shotgun on Taxi driver and threatens to kill him over fare dispute

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A millionaire who took a taxi journey home to his large country home pointed a shotgun at his driver and threatened to kill him during a row over a £40 fare. Company director James Willmott, 37, in alleged to of loaded and cocked the black hunting shotgun in the direction of taxi driver Hanifur Rehman after a disagreement erupted over the cost of the taxi journey. A court heard Mr Rehman feared for his life and thought he was about to be executed on the accused driveway. Willmott and his five friends were picked up by Rehman in Cardiff's city centre and headed to the millionaires home. On route, the six men decided to detour to a McDonalds drive-thru to pick up a late night feast. Because of the detour, the cost of the journey went from £40 to £60 which Willmott was not happy about. A court heard that Willmott refused to pay the inflated fare of £60 and warned Rehman that if he doesn't leave his premises he will go inside a get one of his guns. Rehman was not sure if it was an empty threat but soon realised the reality of the situation when Willmott returned carrying the gun. Rehman told the court that at this moment he thought he was "finished". Mr Rehman also told the court that Willmott lifted the gun and loaded it three times, making a clicking sound. One of Willmott's friends managed to pull him back before he eventually paid the £40 fare. Rehman called 999 and informed them of the situation, stating that there was a gun at the location. Armed police moved in on the millionaires countryside home at Warren Farm in Pendoylan, South Wales and arrested Willmott, handcuffing him and escorting him from the premises.

According to a report in the Sun, police found "several" different weapons at the property, with some stored in a safe gun cabinet. Willmott denied possession of a shotgun with intent to cause fear of violence. The trial continues.

July 17, 2018 at 12:34PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cheap 4* Turkey holiday in September from £249pp - incl. flights & 7nts aparthotel stay

Pirates, if you haven't yet booked your summer holiday, we've uncovered a gem of a late season bargain to Turkey this September when you'll still get the sun, without the peak price tag. You'll pay as little as £249 per person, based on 2 sharing for flights and 7 nights self-catering in a lovely 4*… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Plastic fantastic! London taxis embrace rise in cashless payments

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With the rise of contactless credit cards and alternative payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, we are increasingly moving towards a cashless society.

According to banking trade body UK Finance, debit card payments have now overtaken cash use for the first time. A total of 13.2 billion debit card payments were made last year, a rise of 14 per cent on the previous year. Meanwhile, the frequency of contactless payments almost doubled in a year to 5.6 billion last year. This was most commonly in supermarkets, but card suppliers say that public transport and car parking have also become regular places for people to use contactless – in London more than half of all pay as you go travel on the TfL network is now made using contactless.

This growth in card use is why the TfL Board agreed that taxi passengers should be able to pay by card, including contactless, back in 2016. From 31 October 2016, all licensed taxi drivers have been required to accept credit and debit card payments.

The easy way to pay

Lee Sheppard is the director of London Taxi PR, set up to promote the trade in the Capital, and states: ‘The advent and move to a more cashless society can only be good for the licensed trade. Paying by card allows us to be a more efficient and appealing service, whether it is for the frequent business user, the short hop journeyer or the user in an emergency when no cash is available. Being able to hail, tap and pay by card provides our customers with peace of mind and an ease-of-use service.

‘The London taxi trade has always been seen as innovators of technology and by continuing to evolve and provide our customers with the fullest of payment options, we are demonstrating we recognise that without these alternatives, we as a service and trade will not survive.’

Every taxi driver must accept card and contactless payments and provide printed receipts for those payments if asked to by the customer. All taxis must have a fully working TfL-approved fixed card payment device fitted in the passenger compartment. Taxis not meeting this requirement are issued with an unfit notice, which remains in place until the credit card reader has been fitted or repaired and the vehicle is presented for inspection.

July 17, 2018 at 11:31AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI OnRoute TfL THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

TfL Fail To Attend KoL Seminar At City Hall....by Grant Davis

La Dolce Vita: 6nt trip to Venice, Florence & Rome from £169pp - incl. hotels, flights & trains

Pirates, enjoy the best of Bella Italia with this scorching offer from TourCenter! This deal offers 3-in-1 fun - you'll be visiting Rome, Venice and Florence for a total of 6 nights. Flights are included from several UK airports, as well as a great hotel in each city and train transfers to get you around… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Awesome all inclusive Corfu late season holiday from £244pp - 7nts 4* hotel & flights

Ahoy pirates, stop what you're doing and take a look at this, we have come across this awesome all inclusive holiday in Corfu at an even more awesome price. You will stay for a week based on 2 sharing in a great 4* hotel for under £250 per person. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Task force needed to prepare British cities for autonomous vehicles, says consortium

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A new City Mobility Task Force including local and national government as well as industry representatives should be convened to develop strategic policy, set goals and provide roadmaps for a new generation of transport services, according to the MERGE Greenwich consortium. The remit of the proposed task force would include recommending changes to street infrastructure and taking steps to build public confidence in both autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing, and seek to gain the maximum social benefits for cities and their citizens. This is one of the key recommendations in a report published today by the MERGE Greenwich project, led by Addison Lee Group, on the outcome of a year-long simulation on the introduction of autonomous vehicle ride-sharing services which would make it quicker and simpler for people to travel between their homes and public transport hubs. AV ride-sharing would allow people to summon and share on-demand vehicles to take them short distances for a set fare. The concept is one of many ways in which new mobility technology could be exploited to address congestion, air quality and convenience in Britain’s cities. Using the Royal Borough of Greenwich as a modelling ground, the consortium finds that by 2025, ride-sharing could account for more than one in four trips. It concludes that AV ride-sharing can cut average journey times to public transport hubs by up to 43%, saving an average commuter as much as 3.5 days in travel time per year. For areas with particularly poor connectivity, the simulated time saving was as high as 74%. Andy Boland, Chief Executive Officer of Addison Lee Group, said: “The MERGE Greenwich consortium report shows all manner of positive changes that autonomous vehicle ride-sharing could bring – reduced journey times, better access to transport and less need for parking spaces. To make this a reality, it needs a task force, harnessing the expertise of the public and private sectors, to facilitate the planning and co-ordination essential to its implementation.” He added: “Government has shown leadership through the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge and we urge them to convene decision makers to ensure that Autonomous Vehicle ride-sharing plays a part in the urban transport mix to give customers choice and to help build the greener, cleaner and more efficient cities of the future.” The report shows that AV ride-sharing would free up parking space, with the number of car journeys requiring parking dropping by up to 38%. This could free up space equivalent to 61 tennis courts in Greenwich alone, allowing many car parks and street parking spaces to be repurposed. However, the research also highlights the complexities in introducing a new AV ride-share service at scale. Whilst overall the service can deliver benefits, during the period in which the introduction of the service takes place alongside all of today’s existing traffic, the service could have some short term unintended consequences. For example, significant preparatory work needs to be done to lay the ground for successful introduction of AV ride-sharing services. Challenges facing the adoption of AV ride-sharing include nervousness among the public about sharing a vehicle, with 45% saying they are willing to do so. Some services – particularly those helping passengers with accessibility challenges – would need to be staffed by a steward, meaning a person is always onboard the vehicle. The cost of first-generation vehicles could also be a barrier to commercial viability initially. Current cost estimates for autonomous electric vehicles are significantly higher than today’s conventional fleet vehicle. The consortium also recommends that pricing and incentives are pitched in such a way as to encourage travelers to switch to AV ride-sharing from private vehicles, rather than from buses, to ensure that the introduction of new services reduces traffic congestion. Recommended pricing would be pitched significantly above the cost of a bus ticket. The MERGE Greenwich consortium was setup and led by Addison Lee Group and involves mobility experts Ford, TRL, Transport Systems Catapult, DG Cities and Immense Simulations. It is backed by funding from Innovate UK – an agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

July 17, 2018 at 09:35AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT