MyTaxi Sacks Driver For Pointing Out Controventions Of Regulations

Earlier this year, the flaws in the MyTaxi app passed before my inspection: 

it was possible for someone with multiple convictions to get on to their system, to the point of receiving a statement of earnings. 

But, it seems, MyTaxi is not for listening to those pointing out problems with this app. And one cabby found recently that his insistence on observing regulations meant being sacked from the platform altogether.

Chris Johnson pointed out that MyTaxi was offering app jobs to drivers outside the Greater London area - drivers could lose their licence if TfL concluded that the driver was plying for hire using the app. He asked if drivers were plying for hire on the app, or if an instant hire was a pre-booking (drivers can accept a pre-booking anywhere in England and Wales, but can only ply in their licensed area). He received no reply.

His TfL Taxi licence expired on the MyTaxi system, although he had renewed with TfL. But MyTaxi were sending him instant app jobs on an expired licence, so he complained that this was a public safety risk, as revoked drivers could still operate on MyTaxi on a potential expired TfL licence. No word from MyTaxi.

These are basic safety and regulation issues. And it gets worse.

MyTaxi tells the driver to charge a minimum fare of £10 at certain times of the day, but taxi drivers are not allowed to charge more than the metered fare - as it is an offence. Johnson explained to MyTaxi that MyTaxi could charge the customer more than the metered fare but that would mean that they are the principal in the contract, making him potentially a worker for them. Still no word from MyTaxi.

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Pirates, try something new with a 3-night trip to Sofia, Bulgaria from £156pp including the swish 5* Anel Hotel, breakfast & flights. It's a steal for a spot of 5* luxury, and with Bulgaria one of the cheapest countries in Europe, you'll save even more on your spending money. Holiday details Travel duration: 3 nights… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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15 year old attacker subjected minicab driver to terrifying ordeal with huge carving knife

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A minicab driver from Leicester was left fearing for his life when a 15-year-old thug held a huge carving knife to his throat and threatened to kill him. The unnamed driver was forced out of his vehicle at knifepoint by the 15-year-old, who can't be named because of a court order, and his 17-year-old accomplice, Cole Henderson, in the early hours of Wednesday April 25. The attackers set a trap by ordering a cab to pick them up from New Parks, Leicester, where they lay in wait. The 15-year-old thug sat in the front seat and pulled out a huge knife, holding it towards the 50-year-old drivers neck. The whole incident was recorded on the drivers dash cam footage. The attacker could be heard shouting, swearing and threatening to kill the driver if he did not hand over his money and exit the vehicle. He also demanded the driver hand over his mobile phone. The driver managed to leave the vehicle without any physical injuries but was left shaken. Henderson then jumped in the passenger seat as the knife wielding attacker moved across to the drivers seat. They then made away with the vehicle. The vehicle was found a short while after. The victim, who has worked as a minicab driver for 20 years, has been left so traumatised he has become reluctant to carry on working as a driver to support his wife and daughter. He no longer will work at night and has tried gradually working a few hours during the day. Judge Ebraham Mooncey said:

"It's serious because of the nature of the threats and the presence of a very large knife which was thrust towards the face and neck of the driver. "Goodness me, what an effect it's had on this man's life ... we have seen the vigour with which the threats were made to kill him." Both attackers admitted robbing the cab driver. The 15-year-old admitted possessing a knife. The unnamed juvenile was sentenced to four years detention. Accomplice, Cole Henderson, received three years detention.

August 14, 2018 at 11:18AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Liquid battery refuelling could mean recharging in seconds

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A new type of energy storage system could revolutionise energy storage and drop the charging time of electric cars from hours to seconds.In a new paper published today in the journal Nature Chemistry, chemists from the University of Glasgow discuss how they developed a flow battery system using a nano-molecule that can store electric power or hydrogen gas giving a new type of hybrid energy storage system that can be used as a flow battery or for hydrogen storage.

Their ‘hybrid-electric-hydrogen’ flow battery, based upon the design of a nanoscale battery molecule can store energy, releasing the power on demand as electric power or hydrogen gas that can be used a fuel. When a concentrated liquid containing the nano-molecules is made, the amount of energy it can store increases by almost 10 times. The energy can be released as either electricity or hydrogen gas meaning that the system could be used flexibly in situations that might need either a fuel or electric power.One potential benefit of this system is that electric cars could be charged in seconds, as the material is a pumpable liquid. This could mean that the battery of an electric car could be “recharged” in roughly the same length of time as petrol cars can be filled up. The old battery liquid would be removed at the same time and recharged ready to be used again.The approach was designed and developed by Professor Leroy (Lee) Cronin, the University of Glasgow’s Regius Chair of Chemistry, and Dr Mark Symes, Senior Lecturer in Electrochemistry, also at the University of Glasgow with Dr Jia Jia Chen, who is a researcher in the team. They are convinced that this result will help pave the way for the development of new energy storage systems that could be used in electric cars, for the storage of renewable energy, and to develop electric-to-gas energy systems for when a fuel is required.Professor Cronin said: “For future renewables to be effective high capacity and flexible energy storage systems are needed to smooth out the peaks and troughs in supply. Our approach will provide a new route to do this electrochemically and could even have application in electric cars where batteries can still take hours to recharge and have limited capacity. Moreover, the very high energy density of our material could increase the range of electric cars, and also increase the resilience of energy storage systems to keep the lights on at times of peak demand.”

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Taxi driver Richardson returns unbeaten to the ring in October

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London taxi driver and professional boxer, Dean Richardson, will be returning to the ring on October 13th in his 8th professional fight of his boxing career.His first fight of the season will be held at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre on a show headlined by a clash between Kay Prosper and Danny Cassius Connor in an eliminator for the English title.Currently 7-0 with 5 knockouts, Richardson is hoping to keep improving his record as he closes in at a shot for the Southern Area light middleweight title.Tickets for Dean’s fight are priced at £35 Standing and £65 Ringside, and are available on 07702 887088.

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EXCLUSIVE : Fake News From The LTDA...Surely Not...by Jim Thomas

Under the Heading FAKE NEWS The Rumour Mill, the LTDA have put out an article claiming that certain ill-informed and gossip-based websites are putting out posts about e-Taxis that are complete nonsense. 

The article they are referring to (albeit unnamed) is more likely to be (as we haven't seen it anywhere else), the post which appeared in Taxi Leaks news blog that was headed:  

Exclusive....Another Done Deal For London Taxis, From The Same Mob That Bought You Rear Fitted Credit Card Readers?

https://taxileaks.blogspot.com/2018/07/exclusiveanother-done-deal-from-same.html

So far nothing fake or misleading here!

They say the so called article appeared first on some ill- informed and gossip-based websites before spreading to Twitter. This is not correct as the information appeared first on Twitter then, after we'd checked it out, appeared in Taxi Leaks!

As proof of the so called uninformed fake news gossip, the LTDA offer the explanation that the signage was authorised by the Department of Transport for Manchester City Council.

As evidence of the fakeness of the post they posted 3 images of which two they say, show signage that they claim were intended for Manchester Council. 

Our original article was based on receipt of a letter from the DfT which stated :

Letter reads:-

Thank you for your email to the Department of Transport of 22 July regarding electric Taxis. This passed to the traffic and technology division and I have been asked to reply.

I can confirm that signs have been approved for use by Transport for London.

See letter below. 

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/trafficauths/case-4593.pdf

Yours sincerely

Fiona O'Neal

In the images sent to us, you can clearly see the TfL Surface Transport logo in the bottom right hand corner. 

As can be clearly seen, these signs were authorised by the DfT specificly for Transport for London and carry TfL's logo and address in the bottom right hand corner of the illustrations

The logos clearly marked out on the DFT PDF, appear to have been omitted from the images which appear in Taxi !

No only does it carry the TfL logo, it also has their address on each sign, 197 Blackfriars Road. 

Now unless we are mistaken, that's definitely not the address of Manchester City Council.....over to you Steve???

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT : 

Was this an attempt to blacken the good name and reputation of Taxi Leaks?

Or was this an attempt to cover up the news from a whistleblower that the LTDA were pushing for e-Taxis only at the Bank Junction and Tottenham Court Road?

More bad press on its way for the general secretary of the LTDA in the pipe line... This appeared earlier on the ITA Twitter feed:

One of the proposals in the Task & Finish Group is it asks the Government to review the case for restricting the number of hours Taxi and PH drivers may drive.

Steve McNamara is an advisor to this group.

Why is he keeping this information to himself?

We need to know! And we need to know now!

Good luck paying for your new overpriced e-Taxi, if that particular proposal goes through.

No wonder Mr McNamara isn't happy with social media. 

Good luck explaining this away as fake news!

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Merseyside Police chase private hire vehicle at speeds of 110mph

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Footage taken by Merseyside Police's roads unit shows speeds of 110mph reached as they chased a private hire vehicle on wet roads.

The video released by Merseyside Police's Roads Policing Unit on Tweeter shows the chase along a wet M62.

The pursuit began on a slip road and the officers set off following the minicab at high speed with their sirens on until the driver finally gives up and pulls over.

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Police in Oxford appeal for help following “Taxi” sexual assault

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Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following the sexual assault of a woman in a vehicle in Oxford. Between 3am and 4am on Sunday 5 August, the 25-year-old victim had been waiting for a taxi and sitting on the ground near Oxford Magistrates’ Court in Speedwell Street. She was then picked up by a vehicle which she believed to be a taxi, which travelled through St Clements, Morrell Avenue, and onto Cowley Road. During the journey another man was in the vehicle, and he was dropped off on a residential road off Morrell Avenue. The victim did not see him pay the driver. While in the car with the driver alone, the victim was sexually assaulted over her clothing by the driver who touched her inappropriately. The offender is a white man with olive skin, approximately 5ft 5ins, of medium build and bald. He was wearing a mid-blue coloured t-shirt. The vehicle is described as a dark coloured five door saloon car. Most taxis in Oxford at traditional LTI TX series black taxis raising doubt whether the attacker was actually a cab driver. Investigating officer PC Sarah Williams, based at Cowley police station, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who has any information in relation to this incident – particularly the man who was travelling in the vehicle with the woman and driver before the sexual assault took place. “I would also like to speak to anyone who saw the woman get in to the vehicle in Speedwell Street in the early hours of Sunday 5 August. We are working to establish whether the vehicle, which appeared to be a taxi, was indeed a taxi and are keeping an open mind. We are also offering support to the victim following this distressing incident.” If you have any information about the incident please call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting the reference ‘43180239217’ or by reporting it online.

August 13, 2018 at 08:09PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Man charged with illegally operating as a Private Hire driver and having no insurance

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A Derbyshire man has been charged with operating as a private hire driver without a licence, drink driving and driving without a licence, insurance or a valid MOT. A police patrol pulled over Christopher Stirling in Ripley Derbyshire at around 3am on Saturday, August 4. He was arrested and later charged with all offences. The 24-year-old suspect is due to appear before magistrates in Chesterfield at the end of the month, according to a report in the DerbyshireTimes. No other details surrounding Stirling's attempts to operate as a private hire driver illegally have been released. It's not clear if he was working for any particular operator or whether he was attempting to ply for hire on the streets of Derbyshire.

August 13, 2018 at 06:45PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT