Autumn in the Azores: 7nt island break from £219pp - incl. flights & 4* aparthotel

It's time to try something a bit more off the beaten path pirates! Consider a getaway to the Azores, a group of beautifully green islands located in the mid-Atlantic. With this deal from our Holiday Finder you'll get 7 nights at the 4* Aparthotel do Mirante with flights also included. This deal departs in October,… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Panama All Inclusive rainforest & beach break 7nts from £1,098pp - incl. hotels, flights & more

Ahoy mateys! We're in love with this next deal whisking you off to tropical Panama for a 3-in-1 holiday experience where you get to explore the cultural sights in Panama City including a visit to Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal followed by a magical jungle adventure with a tour of the Sloth… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

LCDC push TfL and Sadiq Khan to give their stance on Uber licence retrial possibility

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The London Cab Drivers Club have seeked the views of both Transport for London and City Hall following the recent controversy surrounding Uber’s licensing renewal appeal in the capital.

In two similar letters sent to TfL’s Commissioner Mike Brown and London Mayor Sadiq Khan the taxi organisation asks “what action TfL plans to take and whether you will support the LCDC’s call for retrials in previous Uber-related cases.”

Grant Davis, Chairman of the LCDC, goes on to say “We will be highlighting our call for retrials in our upcoming edition of the Badge... We hope and believe that TfL will share the trade’s deep concern over this matter.”

These latest letters follow correspondence by both LCDC and LTDA to the Lord Cheif Justice earlier this week. Both organisations highlighted their concerns regarding chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot’s perceived conflict of interest surrounding ride-hailing firm Uber.

The full letter read:

Dear Mayor, I am writing to you in the light of the recent revelations made in the Observer newspaper, regarding chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot and her husband’s business interests, and her subsequent decision to step down from any future Uber-related cases in order to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.I enclose a copy of the LCDC’s letter to the Lord Chief Justice, highlighting our opinion that previous decisions made by Judge Arbuthnot should fall within this same category of perceived conflict of interest, and our appeal that these previous arbitrations should now be reconsidered. Indeed, the judiciary itself has said that it will: “have to consider whether the new information could be seen to change the perception of absolute impartiality.”We will be highlighting our call for retrials in our upcoming edition of the Badge, and would like to inform our readers as to the position of TfL over Judge Arbuthnot’s decision – and specifically where TfL stands on previous Uber arbitrations made by the chief magistrate. We hope and believe that TfL will share the trade’s deep concern over this matter.I would be grateful if you could reply urgently, to clarify what action TfL plans to take and whether you will support the LCDC’s call for retrials in previous Uber-related cases. I have sent a hard copy of this by post, but wanted to register our inquiry with you as speedily as possible, to ensure that your response is included for our readers in the next Badge.I look forward to your reply.Yours faithfully,Grant DavisChairman

August 22, 2018 at 04:32PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Mystery shopper initiative sees 16 PHV drivers in Cardiff prosecuted

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A mystery shopper initiative in Cardiff has seen 16 private hire drivers from the area prosecuted.

The drivers involved have been prosecuted for a range of offences which included illegally plying for hire and driving without valid insurance.

The local council set up a mystery shopper initiative after it came to light that private hire vehicle drivers were illegally plying for hire and therefore acting as taxis.

Private hire vehicles are only allowed to pick up customers via an app or an operator. It is illegal for private hire drivers to pick up directly off of the street or a taxi rank.

Of the sixteen, fourteen were licensed for the Cardiff area, with two licensed for the Newport and Rhondda Cynon Taff areas.

The driver's were fined £300 and given 8 penalty points on their driving licences and have been ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge as well as £150 in costs.

August 22, 2018 at 04:02PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Romantic escape to the Seychelles: 9nts from £903pp incl. flights, 4* beachfront hotel

Arrr, Pirates. Quick question for you all...who fancies heading out to the tropical location of the Seychelles? Experience the turquoise waters and white sandy beaches that make these islands a 'must visit' destination. Escape the typical - and inevitable - grey skies of the UK winter and instead enjoy tropical temperatures in the high 20s.… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Perfect in Portugal: 3nts in September from £198pp incl. 4* hotel & flights

Pirates, grab yourself a great experience this summer with 3 nights in the Algarve from £198pp including the 4* Pestana Algarve Race Hotel & flights. It's a great time of year to visit this ever-popular tourist hotspot, and the hotel is pleasingly plush... Holiday details Travel duration: 3 nights (longer or shorter stays possible) Example… Bosun-Dawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Is the lack of an enhanced driving test for private hire drivers compromising public safety

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Nobody could fail to raise a wry smile at the video footage shown on yesterdays TaxiPoint at some of the antics on the road from a proportion of private hire vehicle drivers in London.

Over the last few years, since the introduction of app-based ride-hailing minicab apps such as Uber, there seems to have been a marked increase in the number of incidents involving private hire vehicle drivers which could be construde as incompetence.

Mistakes on the road are a pretty normal part of driving, we all make them, whether you are a taxi driver, private hire vehicle driver, lorry driver, bus driver, even emergency service vehicle drivers make errors. Ultimately, the longer that you are on the road, the more likely you are to make an error.

All of the above classification of vehicle, with the exception of one have a common similarity, they all require a secondary or vocational driving qualification. The odd one out amongst that list are private hire vehicle drivers.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) ceased providing taxi driving tests for local councils, which also includes Transport for London on December 31st 2016, incredibly, over 18 months on, nobody has been installed as a provider to replace the DVSA.

This situation begs the question as to why every single form of public transportation, from cabs to ambulances, are required to obtain a vocational driving qualification, and yet minicabs aren't.

In recent times we have seen video footage of an Uber vehicle attempting to drive down a flight of stairs in Eldon Street, by Liverpool Street Station, this has in fact happened several times, at different staircases. We have also seen another Uber vehicle drive off of a pier near Tynemouth, with passengers in the vehicle, and yet another Uber vehicle trying to cross a causeway to St Mary's Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear as the tide was coming in. Finally, who could forget the PHV driver who drove across a pavement outside the Natural History Museum, knocking several people over.

Let's be clear, not every incident involves an Uber driver, and there are a lot of very good, experienced PHV drivers on the road and there are also some very poor, as well as very good taxi drivers across the UK There is however, a clear problem emanating from the PHV industry regarding the ability of a sizable minority of drivers, which is simply not being addressed.

By failing to address the issues, public safety is being compromised. This is inexcusable, given that this is probably the easiest of issues to resolve, by simply contracting out the DVSA test and making it a requirement to pass before being issued a PHV license.

Ultumately the buck stops with the Secretary Of State For Transport , Chris Grayling as to whether he will act on the matter.

August 22, 2018 at 02:51PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

2019 April break to Malta: 7nts from £256pp incl. flights, bags, cave bar & rooftop pool

Book your early 2019 break now and make some great savings, like with this 4* escape to Malta. Stay in the Pergola Hotel & Spa for 7 nights in the April -- when the temperatures should really start heating up -- from £256 per person, based on 2 sharing! Easter dates are just a bit… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cabbie stripped of his dual licenses after complaint from 16 year old girl

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A cabbie from Powys has had both his taxi licence and private hire licence revoked after an allegation of inappropriate behaviour toward a sixteen year old girl.

The unamed cabbies fate was sealed at a meeting of the taxi licensing and sub committee at Neaudd Maldwyn in Welshpool, which was also attended by the children’s manager for north Powys.

According to the minutes taken by the licensing committee the following was said:

“The Children’s Manager for north Powys attended the meeting and explained that the disclosure of inappropriate behavior was made by a vulnerable 16 year old to her case work support officers.”

“The Licensing Officer explained that MREs (Driver) licence had been suspended based on allegations concerning the above matter and previous convictions. The Licensing Officer referred to the recommendations in a Safeguarding Report of a Professional Strategy Meeting held on the 13th April 2018. The Sub-Committee also considered written representations from the MRE (driver) and three references supplied by him.”

The decision was made after an assessment of both the incident and the cabbies previous convictions.

It was decided that the cabbie was not a fit and proper person to hold a license.

The driver has the right of appeal against the decision, although no appeal has been lodged as yet.

August 22, 2018 at 01:04PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Christmas shopping in New York: Return flights from £252

Shop til you drop in the Big Apple this Christmas and see all the best of the festive decorations of Manhattan this year with fares now available from just £252 return on our flights finder. You'll get to see the Rockefeller Center Tree, Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Lights Show, ice-skating in Central Park, Macy's window… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Hero Taxi Driver Saves Regular Passenger From Blazing a House Fire.

Cristian Dumitrescu (left) with John Hawkins 

A hero Taxi driver spotted smoke coming from the home of one of his regular customers and ran into the building to rescue him.

Cristian Dumitrescu was driving along New North Road when he saw the fire emerging from one of the almshouses near Exeter College.

Aware that an elderly man - his regular customer John Hawkins - was likely to be inside he raced into the building and helped him to safety.

Cristian Dumitrescu (right) with John Hawkins who he helped rescue from a burning building

Both men went to hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

Cristian said: "I was with a customer in my Taxi going to the station when I saw a house burning.

"I begged the customer to wait in the cab and I ran to the house and heard someone who was screaming for help.

"I opened the door and I got in the house...I heard a man's voice screaming for help on the first floor.

"I couldn't see him because there was too much smoke. I got to him and put him in my back and I got out from the house."

Jo Guscott, of Apple Taxis who Cristian drives for, said: "Cristian was doing a job and driving past when he saw smoke coming from the building and just had to stop to assist.

"He had to run upstairs to where the man was in his flat and he helped him to safety.

Firefighters on the scene of the fire in New North Road

"He probably saved his life.

"Cristian also came to the rescue of a man who fell of his mobility scooter in Stoke Canon.

"He really is our hero."

New North Road was closed for over an hour between Hele Road and Howell Road while fire crews tackled the blaze.

One crew from Danes Castle, two crews from Topsham and one crew from Crediton attended the scene.

Watch manager Sean Faulkner, from Danes Castle Fire Station said that the men escaped the building 'just in time'.

"We're unsure how the fire started at this moment," said Mr Faulkner.

"There was a fire in the first floor living room. One male was got out just in time as we arrived.

"Flames were issuing from the flat involved.

"We extinguished the fire from the property quickly and affectively and then used positive pressure ventilation to remove all the gases and make it safe for everyone to return.

"There's fairly severe damage - a lot of heat and flame damage and 100 per cent smoke damage.

"There's a big clean up operation but it could have been a lot worse.

"Fortunately smoke detectors were in the property and they alerted the occupier.

"It shows show important they are."

New North Road was fully reopen again by 4.30pm.

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Low cost Lanzarote from £128pp: Winter dates - incl. 7nts apartment, flights, bags & transfers

Winter is coming and we don't know about you mateys but we are already dreaming of sunnier times. And our dreams have become reality with this low-cost Lanzarote on our packages finder. Starting from just £128 per person, based on 4 sharing, it includes return flights from a number of UK airports to the Canary… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Ultimate Lapland from £499pp: 3nts w/ flights, B&B Snowhotel & more - Igloo upgrade available

We dare you not to swoon over this bucket list holiday to Lapland, which includes a night at the Instagrammable Arctic Snowhotel & Glass Igloos with Ice Bar and heated lake sauna. This epic adventure from Fleetway also includes 2 nights in a seriously well-rated chalet, flights, all transfers and breakfast daily; it starts from… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Long weekend near Saint-Tropez from £90pp: 4nts - incl. flights & apartment (4 sharing)

For a long weekend with a difference, we recommend a minibreak in France to the coastal city of Grimaud, near the iconic city of Saint-Tropez; this would make a great stag or hen weekend. Our holidays finder has just thrown up a 4-night weekend stay from just £90 per person, based on 4 sharing in… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Enchanting 5* Dubai family desert break 5nts from £669pp - incl. half board, flights & resort

Ahoy mateys! We've laid eyes on the enchanting 5* Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai making for a simply wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. This gorgeous resort is built like a fort in the dunes outside of Dubai, boasting an infinity pool, spa and no less than 8 dining and drinking… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

2018 & 2019 dates: Flights to Australia from £543rtn w/5* Qatar Airways - Perth, Sydney, Melbourne

Gather round pirates, today our Flights Finder is offering some cracking deals to Australia during the southern hemisphere summer - the ideal time to fly out to throw a shrimp on the barbie! There are options to get to Sydney, Melbourne & Perth from several UK airports. We've added departures from London, Manchester, Birmingham and… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

A Croatian fairytale: 4nts nr Plitvice Lakes from £214pp incl. flights, accommodation & car hire

Gaze upon these stunning waterfalls Pirates, no they're not out of a fairy story. These are the Plitvice Lakes and Waterfalls in central Croatia and the next stop on your bucket list. We have sourced some cheap flights and matched them up with a cute guesthouse stay as well as car hire to help you… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber hires new finance chief as eyes turn to IPO

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Ride-hailing firm Uber has hired a new chief financial officer paving the way for a much-talked about initial public offering set for 2019.The firms new CFO, Nelson Chai, is known to be a long standing financial services expert with vast connections to the deal-makers the minicab firm need to win over if they are to complete what is seen as a difficult IPO. Uber have made significant losses each quarter. The latest Q2 figures ending in June signaled a deficit of £702m over the three month period. However, the company still harbours hope that it’s global potential will attract new investors.The firm based in San Francisco must meet its own self-imposed deadline of an IPO for 2019 or risk a shareholder provision that opens up transfer restrictions on shares possibility creating a frantic and unstable market of buying and selling Uber stock.It is hoped that Chai will help by bringing more than a decade of experience in senior positions at some of the world’s leading publicly traded financial services and insurance companies. He joins Uber from the Chicago-based Warranty Group, an insurance and warranty provider, where he was CEO.Previously, he spent more than five years at CIT Group, where he most recently served as President. Before that, he was Chief Financial Officer of Merrill Lynch & Co.; NYSE Euronext, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange; and Archipelago Holdings, the first fully electronic stock exchange in the United States.“I’m incredibly excited to bring on someone as experienced and thoughtful as Nelson,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO. “He will be a great partner for me and the entire management team as we move towards becoming a public company.”“Uber is one of the world’s most iconic and exciting technology companies, and I’m honored to join as CFO,” said Chai. “I lookforward to working closely with Dara and team as we build on the company’s strong growth and forward momentum.”

August 22, 2018 at 02:15AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

LCDC become the latest taxi union to seek answers over Uber judge conflict of interest

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A second taxi union has added their weight behind calls for the Lord Chief Justice to investigate accusations of bias shown during the recent London Uber relicensing case.The London Cab Drivers Club submitted the letter to the Rt Hon Lord Burnett today detailing their concerns around a conflict of interest shown by Judge Emma Arbuthnot who presided over recent Uber related court cases.Following an investigation by The Observer the judge in question has since decided to withdraw her participation from future cases involving the controversial ride-hailing firm.

This letter follows fellow taxi representatives, the LTDA, who detailed similar concerns.

The letter can be read in full here:

August 21, 2018 at 10:52PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Shop 'til you drop: 3nts in Milan from £104pp incl. 4* hotel & flights

Pirates, check out the gorgeous Italian city of Milan with 3 nights from £104pp including the 4* D120 hotel & flights. Milan is famous for its fashion and shopping opportunities, making it perfect for a city break once the weather starts getting colder. Holiday details Travel duration: 3 nights (longer or shorter stays possible) Example… Bosun-Dawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT