London cabbie sets sights on title fight later this year

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London Taxi driver, Dean Richardson, returns to the ring on Saturday 2nd March as he looks to close in on titles. The light-middleweight will be in a 6 round bout at York Hall, Bethnal Green, in the hope of setting up a shot at the Southern Area title later this year. Richardson last boxed on 13th October, winning a shutout points victory and extended his record to 8 wins out of 8, with 5 knockouts. This will be Dean’s second fight under new trainer Gary Logan, and the pair hope to pick up their first belt together in the very near future. If you would like to show your support, tickets are priced at £40 Unreserved Seating, £65 Ringside and £100 and available on 07702 887088. Credit/debit card bookings can be made via http://bit.ly/mft-drichardson(booking fee applies).

January 19, 2019 at 03:04PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Woman who took a cab journey knowing she didn't have the funds to pay for it has pleaded guilty to fraud

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A woman who dodged a cab fare has been ordered to pay a fine of £120 plus the original fee. Selkirk Justice of the Peace Court heard that the woman ordered the cab to pick her up along with two other passengers who needed to be dropped off first. When asked by the driver, the woman from Selkirk, Scotland, had originally told him that she had enough money to pay for the journey but halfway through the trip she admitted to not having the funds. The court heard that the driver pulled the vehicle over in the town centre where the woman was only able to withdraw £10 of the £30 fare from the bank. The driver, at this point, decided to call the police. Defence lawyer Ed Hulme, said: “She is very sorry for the circumstances in this case. “She realised too late she did not have sufficient funds to pay the fare and ended up in a spot of difficulty. “She is in between jobs but actively seeking work.” The Border Telegraph first reported that the offender pleaded guilty to a fraud charge and had a previous conviction for a similar offence. Carly Whitehead of Selkirk was ordered to pay a fine of £120 with a £30 compensation charge added on top to cover the cost of the fare.

January 19, 2019 at 12:56PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Barcelona cabbies launch indefinite strike

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Taxi drivers in Barcelona have launched an indefinite strike after legislation was passed on Friday by the Regional Government of Catalonia forcing customers to book VTCs (Tourism Vehicles with Chauffeur) like Uber or Cabify with a 15 minute lead time before the vehicles are needed.

Furious Taxi drivers are arguing that since VTCs are not a taxi service they should be booked 12 to 24 hours in advance.

The changes in legislation have sparked a strike which left dozens of cabs blocking the Gran Via, one of Barcelona's main arterial roads.

Cabbies in Madrid are due to undertake a similar protest on Monday, two days before the start of the Fitur international tourism fair.

Representatives from the taxi industry have stated that they want a clear dividing line or differentiation between the two industries, and consider the 15 minute delay an insult.

January 19, 2019 at 11:03AM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Taxi Watch: What were City Hall thinking!

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Just as it appeared that things would calm down a bit and a some normality would return to the pre-owned cab market, Mayor Sadiq Khan dreams up a proposal to reduce the age limit to 12 years and freezes the market totally! What were they thinking at City Hall? They are well aware the dealers are not taking part exchanges and that anyone with a cab between three and 10 years old is struggling to sell it in order to buy a TXe; yet they still do this! Three sales were lost on the day it was announced. One driver actually called us to discuss cancelling his purchase on the morning he was due to pick up a late Vito. Even though I explained that Euro VI cabs will still stay at 15 years he was having none of it. “That’s for now,” he said, “but what about if they change their mind again next year?” He has a point. How can anyone buy a cab and run a business when these buffoons make snap announcements like this without any discussions or a cost impact assessment? I estimate that some of the bigger dealers, which hold a lot of stock, lost on average £8k per cab (older cabs less, newer cabs more) as a result of this announcement. That’s not even the bad news. That’s still to come, as we wait and see if anyone buys anything until we know what’s happening when. It will be interesting to see if it affects sales of the TXe – which would surely run counter to the mayor’s intention to clean up London’s air.

Once again TXe sales were good in December, with 166 new cabs joining the ranks. However, if existing owners cannot sell, they can’t buy, and how long can LEVC maintain their current phenomenal sales numbers once the queue of ex-renters and butterboys run out?

January 19, 2019 at 07:39AM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY LTDA THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Transport Museum to exhibit the history of taxis from A to B

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The Coventry Transport Museum, which houses the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles in the world, will chronicle the history of the taxi and celebrate its 120-year connection to the city. Taxi: The Story from A to B will open on January 26 and run until May 12.

The black cab, which has been continuously manufactured in Coventry since the 1940s, is used by millions of people in the UK each year as well as being exported across the world.

The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through a history spanning three centuries, starting with the creation of the Bersey Electric Cab in Coventry in 1897 – the first cab to be used on the streets of London and an early example of an electric vehicle. The exhibition, which was curated by Patrick Murphy as part of an artist residency at the museum starting in 2017, includes a range of early taxi models including a 1910 Humber Taxi and a 1930s Austin High Lot.

Visitors will learn about Coventry based firm Carbodies and its partnership with Austin to make FX3 (1948-58) and FX4 (1958-97) taxis. The company became London Taxi International (LTI) making the TX1 (1997-2017) which can be seen in the exhibition alongside the TX eCity, a 21st century zero-emissions electric taxi being made in Coventry , by LEVC at its new multi million pound factory in Ansty Park.

Other vehicles on display include ‘Hannah’, the Guinness World Record-breaking Austin FX4, which completed the world’s longest taxi journey of just-under 70,000km, clocking up an eye-watering fare of £79,006.80.

Cabs from across the world will also feature, including the famous yellow New York Checker Taxi, and the Toyota Crown taxi – all the way from Japan.

Francis Ranford, Cultural & Creative Director at the Coventry Transport Museum, said: “We are delighted to be opening this exhibition which will bring to life Coventry’s incredible role in an industry that keeps people moving all over the world.

“It will explore the history and heritage of the taxi but also look at the very latest developments which are happening right on our doorstep.”

The Coventry Transport Museum will also be running February half-term activities in search of the city’s next great engineers. She added: “We will be hosting half-term activities for children to experiment and test their skills by designing their own model taxi, and making it run with a battery powered motor.

“The sessions do not require advance booking, and cost just £3 per child. It’s a chance for our budding engineers to have a go at engineering the taxi of the future for Coventry and, who knows, it may even inspire them to be pursue a job in the industry.”

January 18, 2019 at 04:08PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Hydrogen fuel-cell technology could become the taxi industry’s electric charging saviour

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A demonstration of the world’s first electric vehicle charger based on hydrogen fuel-cell technology could hold the key to charging concerns facing the UK taxi industry.

The breakthrough by AFC Energy, a UK-based energy technology company, could not only enable 100% clean electricity for future EV charging, but also enable a faster developed network to meet the needs of the industry and other EV drivers. The demonstration of AFC Energy’s CH2ARGE system took place at Dunsfold Aerodrome, home to the BBC Top Gear test track, and saw a BMW i8 as the first ever car to be recharged with power generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. The innovation takes place after 10 years of fuel cell research development at the AFC Energy laboratories. The EV taxi market is set to grow rapidly in the coming years as city’s across the UK look to move away from more traditional fuels. The UK government has stated that 50% of all new car sales will be EVs by 2030 which will see nine million EVs on the road. By 2040, 100% of new car sales are planned to be EVs leading to the entirety of the UK’s fleet of 36 million cars becoming EVs. To recharge the fleet of EVs, the UK National Grid estimates show this will require generation to be increased by 8GW, while calculations by AFC Energy show that if one in 10 of the EVs is being recharged simultaneously the UK’s future fleet of 36 million cars would have a peak demand surge of 25.7 GW based on an average EV battery of 57 kWh. This maximum peak demand equates to approximately half the UK current generational requirement and is the equivalent of 7.9 new nuclear power stations or 17,100 wind turbines. Popular venues such as sports centres, stadiums and supermarkets will also have to scale up EV recharging solutions; a scenario where 25% of vehicles are EVs and half plug in to charge while at the venue would require 11.5MW of electricity generation. Extensive investment in new power stations and upgrade of the distribution network would be required unless these demands are met through localised power generation. AFC Energy has worked to provide a solution to the potential future challenges caused by EV charging and its CH2ARGE system could potentially deliver locally-generated electricity through thousands of installations that generate 100% clean electricity. In contrast, the provision of power through central generation would require massive investment in new generating capacity and a re-architecting of the distribution network. “By 2030, it is estimated that there could be nine million electric vehicles on the roads of Britain, up from 90,000 today,” said Adam Bond, Chief Executive Officer at AFC Energy. “For this transition, we need charging stations to be embedded throughout the country, as well as seeking innovative solutions to overcome the severe limitations of centrally generated electricity. By developing and demonstrating the effectiveness of our hydrogen fuel cell in the application of EV charging, AFC Energy has shown it is ready to lead the way not only in solving the challenges of increased demand for electricity, but also doing so in a truly zero emissions approach.” CH2ARGE includes AFC Energy’s small-scale fuel cell connected to an inverter similar to those used by Toyota at their Electric Vehicle research centre. The inverter transfers energy created by the fuel cell to a charger. The system is supported by a 48V battery pack to assist with peak power demands. The solution can also be tailored for both on and off grid applications and scale up as required.

January 18, 2019 at 03:23PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Man jailed for seven years for the stabbing of a taxi driver at Railway station rank

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A knife-wielding man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the stabbing of a Stevenage taxi driver.

20-year-old Dobgima Gwangwaa, 20, stabbed his victim, a licensed taxi driver, at the rank outside Stevenage railway station in broad daylight at around 4.30pm on Saturday, September 8.

The taxi driver had to be taken to hospital and treated for the injuries he sustained during the attack. Gwangwaa was found guilty of wounding with intent and sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday January 16. As reported by the Comet, Gwangwaa was also sentenced to three months, running concurrently, for conspiracy to destroy property and theft – and a further three years on licence, meaning he will be monitored following his release and return to prison if he reoffends.

(Image credit: British Transport Police)

January 18, 2019 at 07:13AM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Private Hire driver ordered to pay over £1000 after being found guilty of plying for hire and trying to deceive a council officer

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Private Hire driver Khawaja Babar, 39, of Reading, who holds a licence from South Oxfordshire – was found guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court of illegally plying for hire in Reading and giving false information to deceive a council officer. Babar, who had previously been warned not to park up in Reading and wait for work, was seen during the early hours of March 2018, parked in a bus stop outside a fast food shop in Friar Street.

When approached by council officers he said he had just dropped off a customer. This statement turned out to be a lie.

He appeared at court on Monday January 14 2019, where he was found guilty and was ordered to pay sums totalling £1,100 - £100 for plying for hire, £253 for providing false information and £747 in legal costs. As reported in the Reading Chronicle, Councillor Tony Page, lead councillor for strategic environment, planning and transport, said:

“Thanks to the hard work of the council’s licensing team, we are sending out the message this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. "I hope both these prosecutions serve as a deterrent to drivers who are tempted to work illegally and opportunistically in Reading.”

January 17, 2019 at 01:47PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Watch Jamie Oliver take over the Russell Square cab shelter to road test his new food range

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January 17, 2019 at 12:54PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Reckless moped rider collides with taxi

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A reckless moped rider smashed into a taxi after speeding through a side street in London.

The accident happened in Drury Lane, after the moped rider failed to slow down, or comply with a give way in Kemble Street.

As a result of what can only be described as an act of utter stupidity, the moped rider collided with the oncoming taxi, smashing the windscreen of the cab, as well as wrecking his moped.

Thankfully the taxi driver was shaken but unhurt, it is believed that the moped rider may have suffered impact injuries.

It was reported in the Daily Mail that Michael Glassman, Director of Colts Cabs in Bethnal Green, had uploaded the dashcam footage of the incident onto Twitter whilst tweeting "Bet this chap is going to have a headache, whilst attempting a full headbutt on the taxi."

Police were called to attend the incident, which occured at approximately 3pm on Friday, 4 January.

January 17, 2019 at 10:10AM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

LEVC announce management change following successful TX eCity launch

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Following the successful launch of the London EV Company’s ground-breaking TX eCity, CEO, Chris Gubbey, has today announced that he will stand down from the company and retire from full time executive employment. LEVC announced that from the 4th February 2019 Joerg Hofmann will take over as CEO with full responsibility for LEVC under the Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle (GCV) division. Joerg brings with him significant sales & marketing, product planning, production and international experience having worked for GM and luxury car brand Audi for 17 years in various roles including running operations in Brazil and Australia. Chris Gubbey, CEO, LEVC said: "The past three years have been some of the most challenging but rewarding of my career as we’ve opened a brand-new production facility, created a new team and supply base, rebranded the company and launched our ground breaking new product in the UK and exports markets. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved and would like to thank all my colleagues at LEVC, Emerald Automotive and Geely for their support and efforts over the past few years.” Commenting on the appointment, Chairman of LEVC, Carl-Peter Forster said: "The new TX eCity has now been successfully established in the market. We would like to thank Chris for his significant contribution and dedicated leadership during a time of transformation for the company. We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Joerg Hofmann who will bring not only significant sales, product and operational experience but fresh energy and perspective as LEVC builds on the success of its TX eCty launch and focusses on the next phase of its journey to deliver its new product strategy.”

January 16, 2019 at 07:40PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

London cab shelter receives a makeovers to mark launch of ‘Jamie Oliver Deli by Shell’ range

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To celebrate the launch of the new ‘Jamie Oliver deli by Shell’ range, Jamie road-tested the new products with some of Britain’s busiest drivers – London’s cabbies – at the iconic cabmen’s shelter on Russell Square.

The shelter is one of only 13 remaining in London. They were built in the 19th century to offer shelter and wholesome food to hansom cab drivers. Commuters and cabbies tucked in to the new items, including breakfast hot pots, porridge and sandwiches, each with a delicious Jamie twist.From 31 January, over 80 new products will be available at more than 500 of Shell’s service stations across the UK, ensuring that Britain’s drivers have a bigger, better choice – with fresh ideas, fantastic flavours and clever twists.The new Jamie Oliver deli by Shell range includes classic items, such as sandwiches and wraps, that have been given a Jamie update, alongside a brand new selection of delicious products including salads, sushi, hot pots and a mealbox just for kids. There’s something for everyone, including revamped indulgent items alongside these new, healthier alternatives. Jamie said: “It’s been great meeting London’s cabbies and commuters this morning to get their feedback on my new range. We’re giving motorists greater choice, and there’s no better way to show how good it is than by road testing it with a bunch of hungry cabbies from one of these ultimate food on the go shelters.”

January 16, 2019 at 04:54PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Mother and daughter left homeless after minicab smashes into their house

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A mother and her two children had a lucky escape after a minicab smashed through the front of their home in Bellingham, South East London.

36 year old Suzan Hassan had been doing some washing up in the kitchen when the private hire vehicle hit her home at approximately 8pm on December 22, leaving her home uninhabitable.

Thankfully her two children, 11 year old year-old Yasemin and 6 year old Tyla, will not at home when the vehicle hit the house.

Ms Hassan suffered a minor back injury in the incident, the private hire driver was breathalysed by police and found to be sober. It is understood that the driver somehow lost control of his vehicle, resulting in the crash.

It didn't end there though for Ms Hassan, as she was forced to sleep in her car, with her daughter, whilst her son stayed at his grandmother's, after the hotel that they were subsequently placed in by London and Quadrant Housing Association was deemed to be completely unacceptable.

According to the Evening Standard Ms Hassan described conditions as "terrifying" at the accommodation in which they were placed due to alleged anti-social behaviour.

The family have now been rehoused in suitable accommodation, and it is unclear as yet whether any action will be taken against the minicab driver.

January 16, 2019 at 03:17PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Yearly report shows a shocking amount of Taxi and Private Hire drivers who were caught operating outside the rules

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During the past year, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police have undertaken a safety crackdown on Taxi and private hire drivers who have not been compliant with the current rules and regulations and the results have been rather shocking. According to a report by the council which was first highlighted by the Liverpool Echo, more than 300 drivers were caught breaking at least one of the rules. Some of the offences included taxi drivers cherry picking jobs and private hire drivers illegally plying for hire. In the first instance, 18 hackney carriage drivers were found to refuse jobs that they should’ve taken in insteaof waiting for a more profitable journey. In the second instance, 33 private hire drivers were caught plying for hire. Private hire drivers must only pick up jobs which are pre-booked through their acting operator. The report suggests that most of those drivers were prosecuted. The crackdown came as cabinet member for transport, Cllr James Noakes said they wanted to make transport in Liverpool as safe as possible. He did point out though, that the vast majority of taxi and private hire drivers “are responsible, play by the rules and share our concerns for public safety”, but did stress that they would not hesitate to take action against any who don’t. Another shocking statistic that came to light during the yearly report was the amount of drivers who parked up and left their vehicles on taxi ranks.

The enforcement team were kept business tracking drivers who took up space on working ranks. A total of 1,185 people committed this offence, with the majority being private drivers. Not only Liverpool licensed drivers were caught throughout the year. Drivers from Wigan, Wolverhampton, London and Burnley were among the offenders.

January 16, 2019 at 01:15PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT