Wolverhampton private hire driver convicted of illegally plying for hire in Shrewsbury

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A Wolverhampton private hire driver has been convicted of illegally plying for hire in Shrewsbury.

Mihai-Ionut Borodea from Telford, who was operating approximately 30 miles outside of his licensing area, was caught at Shrewbury Station.

He agreed to take a fare from the station to Broseley after passengers approached him whilst making himself available for hire last December.

As a result of illegally plying for hire, Borodea's insurance was invalidated, along with the conditions of his private hire license.

Wolverhampton council officers worked closely in conjunction with Shropshire council officers to facilitate the prosecution.

Borodea received a £320 fine, which included costs, as well as six points added to his license, his private hire license will now also face a review.

August 11, 2018 at 06:37PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Late season in Ibiza: 5nt San Antonio Bay stay from £254pp - incl. flights & stylish aparthotel

Don't let the end of summer get you down, grab your favourite shipmate and jet off to the party island of Ibiza to enjoy the late season in 2018. With temperatures still in the 20s, there will be plenty of opportunity to top up the tan and frolic in the sea. Live 5 minutes from… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Party time in Pattaya: 6nts in Thailand for less than £600pp incl. direct flights & hotel

Pirates, let's face it, we all love Thailand. It's a stunning country with amazing beaches, gorgeous food and once in a lifetime experiences. Well, with that in mind, we have found this fantastic 4* deal to Pattaya, a tourist hotspot in northern Thailand. Stay for 6 nights at the funky Hotel J which is not… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

The London Electrical Cab made its debut more than 120 years ago.

In August 2017, London’s first hybrid black cabs hit the streets ahead of new legislation that came into effect this year, requiring all new cabs to be ‘zero emissions capable’. The TX can operate for around 70 miles on battery power alone, with a petrol range extender allowing it to clock up around 400 miles before refuelling. But London’s very first electric cabs actually came into service exactly 120 years earlier.

"Mr W H Preece inaugurated a service of electrical cabs which are to ply for hire in the streets of London in competition with the ordinary hackney carriages," wrote The Engineer in August 1897. "Thirteen of these cabs are now ready for work, and a staff of drivers have been instructed in the use of them. 

The cabs will be let out by the proprietors, the London Electrical Cab Company, Limited, just at the same rate and in the same manner as the London cabs. The ‘cabbies’ are, we are informed, quite enthusiastic about the new vehicle."

The London Electrical Cab – also commonly known as the ‘Hummingbird’ due to its sound, or the ‘Bersey Taxi’ after its young designer – first took to the streets of the capital on August 19 1897. Inventor Walter Charles Bersey was just 23 at the time, but had been designing and patenting electric vehicles for several years already. According to our predecessors, his creation was intended to mimic the appearance of the horse-drawn taxis of the day.

"The vehicle resembles very closely a horseless and shaftless coupé. It is carried on four wooden solid rubber-tired wheels. There is ample space for the coachmen. The accommodation within is luxurious. The propelling machinery consists of a 8-horse power Johnson-Lundell motor, with double wound armature and fields, so that by the use of a suitable switch or controller a variety of speeds can be obtained."

"The current is supplied by 40 EPS traction type cells, having a capacity of 170 ampere hours when discharged at a rate of 30 amperes. The cabs can thus travel between thirty and thirty-five miles per charge."

The vehicle had speed settings of three, seven and nine miles per hour, controlled by a lever at the side of the driver’s box. A powerful footbrake that broke the electrical circuit could also be applied, halting the vehicle in short order. This was one of four key conditions under which taxis were granted licenses by Scotland Yard, with carriages also required to be capable of turning in small spaces and climbing central London’s steepest ascent of the time, Savoy Hill.

The batteries, which weighed some 14 cwt (over 700 kg), were hung from springs underneath the vehicle and could be swapped out at Bersey’s Lambeth station using a system of hydraulic lifts. This was undoubtedly restrictive, and it was planned at the time to introduce other stations throughout London where the batteries could be charged and swapped. Though Bersey’s company claimed cab drivers welcomed the vehicle, it appears its introduction was not received as warmly from all quarters, as the following passage from a September 1897 edition of The Engineer illustrates.

"Mr. Walter C Bersey, the general manager of the London Electrical Cab Company, Ltd., has written to the general secretary of the London Cab Trade Council, saying that he fails to see how it can be contended that the introduction of electrical cabs can be against the interests of the cabdrivers. He says he has spoken to hundreds of cabmen on the subject, and has always understood they were most anxious for the change, as it would shorten their hours by saving the time wasted in changing horses, and also save them the unpleasantness of frequently having to drive tired and undesirable horses."

Despite Bersey’s protestations, the vehicle never really took off, with the fleet only reaching a peak of around 75 units. The cab’s two-tonne weight caused huge wear on the tyres which led to noise and vibrations escalating significantly after six months of use. Bersey’s company lost £6,200 in the first year of operation, and the business was forced to close in 1899, the vehicles disappearing from London’s streets just two years after making their debut.

Source : the engineer.co.uk

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Three men sentenced for selling fake private hire vehicle insurance policies.

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Three men from Newham have been sentenced for selling fake private hire insurance policies to minicab drivers.

35 year old Ajay Haque from Forest Gate, Anik Dixit, 34 from East Ham and 33 year old Mohammed Nur Ahmed from Manor Park had set up a "ghost-broking" company, where they sold hire and reward insurance to private hire drivers but added drivers onto trade policies.

This scam meant that private hire drivers, despite being uninsured, would not show up to the police as being uninsured when checked.

The fake company, AHD solutions, sold the fraudulent insurance policies between June 2012 ans August 2013.

To give an air of respectability, AHD solutions added Esure onto their website without permission. Esure subsequently took legal action after finding their company name was being used illegally.

A total of 65 vehicles had been sold fake insurance documentation according to the Insurance Fraud Bureau.

There was no suggestion that any private hire drivers were complicit in the fraud the fraudulent activities of the three men.

The three men were sentenced for conspiracy to commit fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court on August 7th.

Haque, who pleaded not guilty, received a two year prison sentence, suspended for 21 months. He also received and a nine hour curfew which will last for six months.

A 20 month prison sentence was issued to Dixit, who also pleaded not guilty, this however was also suspended for 18 months, and must complete 260 hours of community service.Ahmed who pleaded guilty, received a 17 month prison sentence which was suspended for 18 months, and must complete 220 hours of community service.

August 11, 2018 at 04:19PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Late summer Mexico all inclusive holiday from £670pp - 7nts 4* hotel, flights, luggage & transfers

Pirates, fancy Mexico for your next holiday? We have found this gem on our package holiday finder departing in September. For this Mexico getaway you will be staying in a great rated and award winning 4* hotel right on the beach throughout your stay on an all inclusive basis. Holiday details Duration is 7 nights… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Uber driver found guilty of raping unconscious passenger and faces 20 years in jail

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An Uber driver has been found guilty of raping a female passenger who had passed out in the back of his vehicle. A surveillance video showed Westagne Pierre, 30, carrying his victim from the back of his vehicle into a Maryland motel. The victim woke later confused and days, calling the police to come to the motel. The victim, clearly shaken and in distress, told officers that she had no idea how she woke up in the motel. A three-day trial this week found Pierre guilty of second degree rape of his victim which took place in October 2016. He now faces up to 20 years in prison for his crime. According to a report in the Washington post, the 32-year-old victim was placed into the back of Pierre's Uber by an acquaintance after a night out enjoying a meal in downtown Washington. The journey was part of the UberPool option. Pierre went on to pick up two other women who, once seeing the unconscious woman in the back, decided not to take the ride. Both women testified in court to seeing the unconscious woman in the back of the Uber that Pierre was driving that night. The victims destination was Fairfax, but when they were just a few blocks away from her home Pierre terminated the trip on his Uber drivers app.

Pierre took his victim to a Budget Inn motel and rented a room. A surveillance camera filmed Pierre carrying his victims limp body into the motel where he sexually assaulted her. The assault took about 10 minutes before Pierre left the motel to purchase snacks from a local 7-Eleven with his victims credit card. He was then seen on camera returning to the motel. The following morning when the police were called, Pierre was removed from the Uber app and arrested. Pierre was not charged with first-degree rape because it was not clear if a weapon was used to commit the assault, but has been found guilty of second-degree rape and now faces 20 years in prison. Pierre is due to be sentenced on October 25.

August 11, 2018 at 02:51PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

It's raining Menorca: End-of-season 7nt holiday from £163pp - incl. flights

Top up your summer tan with a late-season bargain on the chilled out island of Menorca. We are seeing the price of October holidays drop dramatically, with this 7-night self-catering option now starting from just £163 per person, based on 2 sharing. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights (longer or shorter stays possible) Travel dates:… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Autumn sun: Luxury 5* Mykonos break 7nts from £558pp - incl. flights, top resort & breakfast

Ahoy pirates! The Travellers' Choice awarded 5* Myconian Ambassador Hotel & Thalasso Center in Mykonos has been haunting our dreams, and we've found some formidable rates for a luxurious autumn getaway placing you right by popular Platis Gialos with panoramic views of the Aegean Sea! Holiday details: Travel duration: 7 nights (shorter/longer durations available) Example… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Half-term beach-ing: Italy half board family break 7nts from £304pp - incl. flights & hotel

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Sherbet London seeks more drivers to join its new electric taxi fleet

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Following the relaunch last month, Sherbet London continues forward with their vision to develop into London’s largest electric London Taxi fleet, with a call to arms to all professional London Taxi drivers.

The 500-strong network is calling for 50 of London’s finest to come forward to join their elite, electric fleet.

“We’re looking for the best of the best,” says Sherbet London CEO Asher Moses, “A professional driver coupled with a London Taxi, one of the world’s safest modes of public transportation, is an award-winning combination. Combined with our vision for a cleaner, leaner and greener fleet and state-of-the-art tech, we believe it’s a winning combination for all stakeholders; drivers, passengers and media partners too. Our new vision is about how we work in partnership with our drivers and media partners, to future-proof our network and industry. We’re excited about the future and we want like-minded drivers to join us.”

Sherbet London is initially seeking 50 drivers to create an elite fleet of electric vehicles.

Both owner-drivers and rental drivers are invited to get in touch with the team at any one of Sherbet’s four London locations. Drivers who join Sherbet’s elite team will receive additional training, plus access to a new, purpose-built mobile phone app which will provide drivers with a steady stream of high quality corporate bookings.

“This is an exciting time for Sherbet London and we are actively seeking professional London Taxi drivers who want to drive with a different type of fleet and who are passionate about electric vehicles and the industry. By focusing on what we can do better, rather than worrying about competitors, we’ve highlighted several strategic and tactical objectives. We’re forging new and important partnerships across the industry with like-minded organisations, such as the team at London Taxi PR, who understand that we all hold the keys to our own destiny and future.” Asher added.

August 11, 2018 at 06:52AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Frequently Asked Questions: Who is taking group action against Uber and why?

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What is Group Action?

Group action is a term used in the UK for when multiple claimants sharing grievances with common characteristics join together to seek a remedy against the same or multiple defendants. In other jurisdictions, this is often called a class action. In England and Wales, there are various procedural mechanisms available to bring group actions which are becoming far more regularly used. Group litigation can redress the balance between individuals and large, well-funded defendants as by joining together individuals can benefit from collective strength, expertise and the sharing of costs and risks, thereby facilitating access to justice.

What is the justification for taking Group Action against Uber?

The group action will bring a claim in the High Court by licensed taxi drivers in London against Uber for loss of income on the basis that Uber has operated unlawfully under the relevant statutory framework between mid 2012 until at least the end of 2017, with the intention of causing loss to the licensed taxi trade. We believe Uber’s failure to adhere to the statutory framework to the detriment of licensed taxi drivers who operate lawfully is fundamentally unfair and Uber should be held responsible for its actions.

What is the legal process for embarking on the group action and what are the timescales for this?

We are still in the early stages of embarking on the claim. The first step is to sign up as many eligible drivers as possible to participate in the claim over the next few months. We will be able to advise further on timescales once this process has concluded.

What is the value of the claim?

We believe that it is possible to demonstrate a significant overall loss of income to licensed taxi drivers collectively following Uber’s entry into the London market. The period we are looking at is June/July 2012 to at least end of December 2017. The total value of the claim will depend on the number of licensed taxi drivers who participate.

We are working with economists and expect that damages could be in excess of £500 million. As we collect data from participants, we shall we able to more accurately and robustly estimate the loss attributable to Uber’s alleged unlawful operation.

Who is Mishcon de Reya? What is its interest in taking forward group action against Uber?

Mishcon de Reya is a law firm based in London, with significant experience in group litigation. It is taking forward the group action against Uber. In the past few years it has acted for claimant groups in cases involving RBS, Royal Mail and Google.

Who is Harbour Litigation Funding? What is its interest in taking forward group action against Uber?

Harbour is a leading litigation funding firm. Harbour will be funding the group action, subject to a minimum number of drivers signing up, and will pay all of the legal costs in return for a share of any damages received. If the group action is unsuccessful, you will not have to repay Harbour any money.

Who is Newington Communications? What is its interest in taking forward group action against Uber?

Newington Communications is a corporate and public affairs agency and is supporting Mishcon de Reya in its communications around the group action, to help get as many drivers involved as possible.

Doesn’t Newington Communications work for the LTDA? Is this an LTDA campaign?

Newington Communications works with a number of players in the taxi sector, including the LTDA and sponsors of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis. On this group action, Newington is working on behalf of Mishcon de Reya and is focused on supporting a successful group action through communications. The group action is open to all taxi drivers licensed by TfL to operate in London, not just LTDA members. Mishcon de Reya, supported by Harbour and Newington, are working to engage all of the relevant taxi associations and representative bodies to secure support for this group action and to help reach as many drivers as possible.

August 11, 2018 at 06:52AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Will Ola Out Uber, Uber? Woman on way to Kempegowda International Airport forced to strip, pose for pictures by Ola cabbie

A traumatic ride: 

Keep quiet or my friends will gang rape you’ 

26-year-old had booked the cab at 2 am as she had to fly to Mumbai; driver arrested after she mailed a complaint to the Commissioner 

A 26-year-old city-based architect had a traumatic experience enroute to the airport after her Ola cab driver took a detour, held her hostage, molested and took pictures of her in the car in the early hours of June 1. The woman was travelling alone in the cab from her residence in JB Nagar to the airport to catch an early morning flight to Mumbai. Based on her complaint, the driver, V Arun (28), has been arrested and his cab seized. 

The woman said in her complaint that she had booked the Ola cab at around 2 am. Once on the road, she found that the driver had taken a different route. When she enquired, he claimed it would be faster and free of toll. 

Near the airport, when she found that he had taken a secluded road and asked him to turn around. But the driver stopped the car, locked the doors and molested her. When she put up a fight, he threatened to call a group of men and get her raped. He also snatched her phone and threated to kill her if she screamed for help, the woman said in her complaint. 

The driver has been arrested and the cab seized. I spoke with the victim after the arrest. She had mailed us the complaint

Seemanth Kumar Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (East)

A police officer investigating the case said: “The accused reportedly asked her to strip as he wanted her pictures. He tried to strangle her when she refused. Fearing for her life, the woman complied and gave him the photos he wanted. He clicked the pictures on her phone and shared it through WhatsApp to his phone number.” 

The accused told her he was leaving for Dubai the very next day, a claim that proved to be false. After much begging on her part, he dropped her off at the airport around 3 am. He threatened to post her pictures on social media if she complained. 

After the incident, the woman said she took the flight to Mumbai. In the meantime, the accused had called her twice after which she blocked his number. 

“After reaching Mumbai, she mailed her complaint to the city police commissioner. The complaint was then transferred to the jurisdictional JB Nagar police station for further action,” said the officer. 

The car used in the crime has been seized and parked at the Jeevan Bima Nagar police station after the driver’s arrest

The woman managed to get the driver’s details through the OlaCabs application and had attached it along with her complaint. This helped the police arrest him within a few hours of the complaint. The JB Nagar police also sought help from the cyber crime police to check if he had shared the photos with anybody else. 

“The driver has been arrested and the cab has been seized. I personally spoke to the victim after the arrest and updated her on the progress of the case. The woman had mailed us the complaint. A case in this regard has been registered by the jurisdictional JB Nagar police,” Seemanth Kumar Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (East) told BM. 

The JB Nagar police has registered a case of assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe (IPC 354B), voyeurism (IPC 354C), assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC 354), attempt to murder (IPC 307), putting person in fear of death (IPC 387), wrongful confinement (IPC 342). The IT Act of 2000 has also been invoked. 

When BM reached out to Ola for its comments on the incident, a spokesperson said: “We regret the unfortunate experience the customer had during the ride. We have zero tolerance for such incidents and the driver has been blacklisted from the platform as an immediate action upon receiving the complaint. Safety of customers is our top priority and we are extending our full support to the police authorities in their investigation.” 

Gang Rape And Murder By Ola Drivers In Kolkata Raises Alarm On Safety Of App-Based Minicabs Again

    

As we get into a lull and begin to believe that the world is becoming saner and calmer, things end up becoming messier and murkier. In the most recent and rather appalling incident – two Ola drivers in Kolkata have gangraped and strangled to death a 12-year-old girl. Reports suggest that the girl’s body was thrown over a bridge.

A tweet by ANI News said that the two cab drivers have been arrested:

Kolkata: 2 cab drivers arrested for allegedly gang-raping and killing a 12-yr-old girl, body recovered.

— ANI (@ANI_news) August 31, 2016

A report by CNN-News18 said that the accused have been arrested and they even confessed to picking up the girl from the footpath when they were drunk. The drivers told the police that they were looking for some ‘merriment’ and after killing the girl, the drivers - Shankar Shaw and Guddu Singh - threw her body into the canal below Park Circus Flyover.

Reacting to the news, Ola immediately issued a statement. However, it called the rape and murder a case of “alleged misbehaviour”. It said:

We are saddened by the reports of the alleged misbehaviour of a driver in Kolkata. On preliminary identification of the cab details shared by authorities, we have suspended the account associated with this cab with immediate effect. As per our records, this incident has not occurred while on the Ola platform. We will work with the authorities to share any information that will help support their investigation.

This isn’t the first time that such a report has been filed against an Ola or Uber driver. In December last year, a woman passenger was raped by an Ola driver in Delhi who even threatened to kill the woman if she told anyone.

In May this year, a Belgian national was molested by an Ola driver in Delhi. And how can anyone forget the incident where an Uber driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, raped a woman in Delhi in December 2014.

Today, with the growing convenience that cab aggregators provide, news of this magnitude again brings to question the safety and security of passengers, especially women. It is interesting to note that a few months back, the cab aggregators and the government authorities were at loggerheads for some of the rules the government had imposed.

The state governments had requested for complete police verification of every driver on the Ola and Uber platforms. One of the main reasons for this was to ensure women’s safety. However, such incidents clearly show that much more efforts need to be put into the safety aspect. According to the new rules, every cab is required to have a panic button, but little has been said on the response time in dire situations and cases like these.

Source : YourStory.com, ITA.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT....

Looks like it's true that Ola will outdo Uber. I thought they were talking about the amount of booking, but after a little digging it looks like Ola will out Uber in the realms of UberRape and murder!

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Police appeal for help following Yorkshire taxi driver stabbing

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Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault on a taxi driver in Batley.The taxi driver, a 36-year-old man, picked up two male customers from Crown Cars depot on South Street in Dewsbury at around 1.40am on Friday 3 August.He was driving along Bradford Road in the direction of Batley, when he was overtaken by a silver Ford Galaxy car which pulled in front of him.A West Yorkshire Police Spokesperson added “He was able to continue driving and pulled into the BP garage further along the main road. A second car, a silver Volkswagen Golf, and the Ford Galaxy both began to follow the driver and tried to ram the taxi.“The victim and the two customers got out of the taxi at the garage and ran from the vehicle.“The suspects then followed the victim and assaulted him. He sustained stab wounds to the leg, arm and head. He remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.“Police would like to speak to the two men who were in the taxi as witnesses to the incident. Detectives believe they may have information which could help with the investigation.“

August 10, 2018 at 11:05PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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California knows how to party, and you can get a taste of the action with these direct flights to San Francisco! Our flower power Flights Finder is offering some great rates on non-stop flights with United. The cheapest options depart between September and January. Autumn is considered the best time to visit San Francisco (in… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Winter holiday in The Azores from £255pp: 7nt trip - incl. flights, 4* hotel & breakfast

Get in touch with nature in the stunningly beautiful Azores (often referred to as the Pearl of the Atlantic) this winter at prices that won't hurt your pocket. It won't be sunbathing weather but it's a great opportunity to see the luscious green landscape of this tiny Portuguese island. A 7-night stay in an award-winning… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Family Warwick Castle 1 knight B&B stay fr. £70pp incl. live show & castle entry - sleeps up to 5

Inject some wonder into the summer holidays this year with an overnight stay at the historic Warwick Castle. You and the family will be staying in one of the lodges in Warwick Castle's Knight's Village, with themed rooms and decor. In addition to this there's a great breakfast awaiting you in the morning as well… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT