Camden Council launch consultation on proposed changes to Tavistock Place and Torrington Place

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2QDOMjT

Camden Council have today launched a consultation on proposals to make alterations to the Tavistock place and Torrington Place area of London.

This consultation follows the implementation of the current street layout (the eastbound option) under an experimental traffic trial in 2015, the subsequent public inquiry in 2017 that further examined the merits of the scheme and the Cabinet’s decision in September 2018.

The Tavistock Place/Torrington Place consultationalso gives links to further information and where it can be found online on walking, cycling, motor vehicle flows, collision data, loading and air quality. The leaflet also states that additional information on routes for motor vehicles, traffic modelling and the predicted impacts on both options.

The consultation on the proposed changes to the area closes on December 24th 2018.

November 14, 2018 at 05:36PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

New York City cabbies release latest revealing calendar for 2019

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2Pw7ail

New York City taxi drivers have again harnessed their flamboyant side by creating a pinup calendar in aid of charity.

The 2019 calendar features a dozen yellow cab drivers in “unique” positions in and around their distinctive cabs. Some of the profits made on the calendar will go to charity to help immigrants obtain better education and housing opportunities. To date sales of the calendar has generated nearly $70,000 for charity.

November 14, 2018 at 05:21PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Critics hit back at Sheffield congestion charge proposals

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2Fl9Avl

Opposition councillors have hit back, condemning Sheffield City Councils plans to introduce congestion charging in the city.

As reported inTaxiPointthis week, it was revealed that Sheffield City Council are planning to impose, subject to government funding and approval, charges to vehicles entering into the city, which would include buses, coaches and HGV’s paying a £50 a day levy to use the inner ring road, with taxis and PHV's facing a £12.50 a day charge and vans and LGVs being charged £10, a day, private cars would be exempt from the charge.

Councillors opposed to the proposals have stated that public transport will be damaged, it was also stayed that the people should be rewarded for using public transport and not penalised.

Further criticism came, with opppsition councillors accusing the Labour run Sheffield City Council of not thinking the plans through, and branding it a tax on the least well off.

There were concerns raised that the most vulnerable in society would suffer as bus and taxi fares have to rise to accomodate the levy.

The Star reported that £10 million worth of grants will be made available to help taxi drivers and bus companies upgrade their vehicles.

November 14, 2018 at 03:18AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

GMB secures huge workers rights win over Addison Lee as court throws out appeal

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2TaPLcY

GMB secures another huge workers’ rights win as tribunal throws out Addison lee appeal

Once again the courts have agreed Addison Lee drivers are legally entitled to workers’ rights such as the national minimum wage and holiday pay rights says GMB Union GMB, the union for private hire drivers, has secured yet another huge workers’ rights win after a tribunal threw out Addison Lee’s appeal. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) today rejected Addison Lee’s arguments that their drivers are self-employed contractors running their own businesses. The EAT confirmed the Employment Tribunal’s decision that the true nature of the relationship is that Addison Lee drivers work for Addison Lee – agreeing with the original Employment Tribunal decision last year. The ruling will mean thousands of Addison Lee drivers are legally entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage and holiday pay GMB has won similar ground-breaking victories against Uber and Hermes. Sue Harris, GMB Legal Director, said: “This is another huge win for GMB over bogus self-employment. “Once again the courts have agreed Addison Lee drivers are legally entitled to workers’ rights such as the national minimum wage and holiday pay rights. “Other employers should take note – GMB will not stop pursuing these exploitative companies on behalf of our members.” Michaell Lange, one of the drivers who have brought claims against Addison Lee, said: “We decided to bring this claim in 2016 because we wanted Addison Lee to treat drivers fairly; we are happy that the decision that we were workers for Addison Lee has been upheld. "We now urge Addison Lee to do the decent thing and stop denying its workforce of over 4000 drivers their rights.” Liana Wood, solicitor at Leigh Day who represents the drivers on behalf of GMB, said: “We are very pleased that the EAT has rejected Addison Lee’s appeal. “It is clear that Addison Lee’s business model of providing a fleet of highly trained, regulated drivers is incompatible with their arguments that drivers are not workers who are entitled to workers’ fundamental rights. “We hope that Addison Lee will accept this decision; drivers shouldn’t have to continue to work very long hours, often in excess of 60 hours per week, to earn just enough to meet their basic living costs.”

November 14, 2018 at 11:45AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Czech highest court upholds Uber ban in the country's second biggest city

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2RUZRNU

A ban on controversial ride-Hailing app Uber operating in Brno, has been upheld by the Czech Republic’s highest legal court. Uber were banned following a complaint by a taxi company which was supported by Brno City Hall on the grounds that new taxi services have to coincide with current law and regulations. Uber tried to argue that it should not be considered as a “common taxi company” but a court ruled that it is. Uber had appealed the initial ban which saw the appeals court side with Uber, but now, according to M.Phys News, the Constitutional Court has dismissed the decision, sending the case back to the appeals court. Uber faces similar issues in Czech’s capital city, Prague, as well as in many other cities across the globe. You win some, you lose some, but on this occasion it could well be ‘Czech Mate’ for Uber in Brno.

November 14, 2018 at 11:26AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber to submit new London operators licence application in due course

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2DlpVgQ

London Assembly members yesterday met key figures within the taxi and private industry as they investigated the future of the respective trades.

Up for questioning included Transport for London’s Director of Licensing, Regulation and Charging Helen Chapman and GMB’s Steve Garelick. The meeting was the second of its kind, the previous meeting was held last month, and was created to investigate possible solutions to help both the taxi and private hire trades. The London Assembly Transport Committee are “concerned the future may seem uncertain for taxi and minicab drivers and business owners.” During the questions Helen Chapman confirmed there had been problems with taxi driver renewals in recent months and that Uber are soon to submit their next operators licence for the capital. Chapman also added that the regulators will also look to make the taxi delicensing scheme more attractive to drivers and said government needs to fix both cross-border and local capping powers simultaneously as highlighted in the recent DfT taxi report. Assembly Member Florence Eshalomi said after the meeting: “A statutory definition of ply for hire and pre booked is needed. Taxis should retain sole right to be hailed on streets or ranks but there is more that Transport for London could and should be doing now as the licensing authority”

November 14, 2018 at 10:45AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Man shoved in front of a private hire vehicle in London after brushing shoulders with person in the street

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2z3UVz9

A pedestrian was shoved in front of a private hire vehicle after brushing shoulders with another person on a busy London Street.

The victim was walking along New Bridge Street in the City of London at around 8am on July 23 when he was pushed unexpectedly into the path of rush hour traffic. He man told police he had "brushed shoulders and exchanged words" with another man, before he then followed him and shoved him into on-coming traffic. The victim suffered grazes to his hands and arms, but was not majorly hurt. The City of London Police force have released a photograph taken of the suspect by members of the during the incident.

A spokesperson for the City of London Police force said:

“We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident in July or who may know the man in the photograph. “The quick thinking actions of the taxi (private hire) driver undoubtedly prevented this incident having much more severe consequences for the victim. However he is still naturally shocked and horrified by what happened to him. “If you have any information that can assist our investigation please call us on 0207 601 2999.”

November 14, 2018 at 07:38AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cab driver may lose his licence after he allegedly posted ads on "Fab Guys" gay hook-up website offering sex in his Taxi

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2zLMCY4

A taxi driver from Dundee is at risk of having his licence revoked after he allegedly posted “kinky” X-rated pictures of himself showing his badge on a gay hook-up website. The unnamed 52-year-old boasted on his ad that he could be found at the rank by Dundee Railway Station and stated that he prefers “quick meets, either outdoors or in my taxi’. The driver who is now being investigated by Dundee City Council claims to know nothing about the website, but a complaint made by a member of public has meant the council has had no choice but to pass it over to Police Scotland. According to the Scottish Sun, a spokesperson for Police Scotland has confirmed that if no criminality has taken place, the matter will be referred back to the council for them to make a decision regarding the driver’s licence. They added that all allegations passed to them are investigated and dealt with appropriately.

November 13, 2018 at 07:38PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber inch toward releasing sex assault data in the US

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2FiB2tC

Private hire giant, Uber, are edging closer to releasing data on the prevalence of sexual assaults by their drivers in the U.S.

A 53 page report, released on 12th November, has compiled a list of offences, categorised into 21 different sections defining degrees of severity, from leering, to rape.

The data, which will also include fatalities, will be released next year.

The high number of sexual assaults, on a global level, has been a continuing problem for Uber, with a group of women who have been assaulted in Uber vehicles embarking on a legal action against the company.

Lyft have also made a commitment to disclose sexual assault figures in the U.S.

The Star Online reported that there may be a spike in the figures once the report is released due to the level of under-reporting of incidents.

November 13, 2018 at 05:12PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber say they are determined to back Sadiq Khan's vision to reduce congestion and air pollution and believe Ebikes are the way forward

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2QzuSqa

Uber’s general manager for UK & Ireland, Tom Elvidge, has said that the controversial ride-sharing app are focused on helping the Mayor of London reach his goals of creating a cleaner, less congested city and believes combined with there £200 million Clean Air Plan, e-bikes could be a part of their mission to go all-electric in the capital in 2025.

Uber, who recently acquired bike sharing app JUMP, believe if Londoner's jump on board their Ebikes, the city could see a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 184 tonnes a day.

Uber has said that it estimates that between 81,000 to 163,000 new e-bikes would need to be launched in London, along with the necessary bike lane and charging infrastructure, to meet their CO2 emissions target.

In a report highlighted in the Environment Journal, Uber have suggested the number of e-bike journeys in London could eventually account for 4.7% of total travel, more than doubling the current cycling population.

November 13, 2018 at 03:18PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Taxis set to be hit by Sheffield town centre congestion charge

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2DkTnnr

Taxis could be hit with a £12.50 a day charge to enter the centre of Sheffield as the council look to impose congestion charging across the city.

Sheffield city council believe that a clean air zone will save around 500 lives per year.

The plans will be set out in a consultation in 2019 and will involve residents, businesses, taxi drivers and bus operators.

Buses, coaches and HGV’s face a £50 a day levy to use the inner ring road, with taxis and PHV's facing a £12.50 a day charge. Vans and LGVs will be charged £10, a day, whilst private cars will be exempt.

It is however, believed that the plans cannot proceed without funding from central government, who will make that decision in early 2019.

November 13, 2018 at 04:24AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Electric taxi switch-over gathers pace as record number of cabs handed over since 1999

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2qKsqBR

The rate of cab drivers switching to electric vehicles surged forward in October, with LEVC registering 172 electric taxis UK wide in what is traditionally a quieter month for the business. LEVC’s London dealerships saw over 160 vehicles handed over to cabbies. This volume of customer handovers in October was last seen in 1999, the year Nokia released its iconic 3210 mobile phone, the Euro was launched as a currency and the film Notting Hill was in the cinemas. Order take has also been on the rise – as more drivers learn out about the potential cost savings of moving to an electric vehicle and hear the positive feedback from passengers. Rising diesel prices also mean that the average cab driver will now be saving £110 a week in fuel costs by switching to the TX eCity. This level of deliveries means that LEVC has now registered 821 vehicles across the UK, which is more than twice the number of diesel vehicles the business sold in 2017. This is also 647 more taxis than LEVC’s main competitor in the UK – who still only produce diesel vehicles. As such, LEVC expects that there will be at least 1,000 vehicles on the road in London by the end of the year. Martin Crouch, General Manager of LEVC’s Retail Business said: “We were delighted to pass another key business milestone – doubling our output from last year and achieving our best October for customer handovers in London for almost twenty years. Importantly, we have ramped up production to meet rising customer demand – and cab drivers can now expect to wait only a few weeks for vehicles ordered now.” All LEVC TXs are eligible for the UK Government’s plug-in taxi grant – which is guaranteed until the end of 2020. Decommissioning grants are also available for diesel taxis which have been on the road for 10 years or more.

November 13, 2018 at 12:03PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

London Assembly meets key figures as investigation in to future of taxi industry continues

via taxi-point https://ift.tt/2K0QitR

London Assembly members are today set for the second meeting with taxi and private hire key figures as they investigate the future of the industry.In an industry that is experiencing vast technological change, along with legal and political disputes, the London Assembly Transport Committee are concerned the future may seem uncertain for taxi and minicab drivers and business owners.Around 400,000 journeys are made by taxi or private hire vehicles in London each year – that’s 1% of all journeys in the capital.Tomorrow the committee will hold the second of two meetings to discuss the future of the industry and how to ensure standards are maintained and improved for passengers. The guests are:From 10am

Steve Garelick, Regional Organiser, GMB Professional Drivers’ BranchJames Farrar, Chair United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) branch of Independent Workers Union of Great Britain

From approx. 10.45am

Helen Chapman, Director of Licensing, Regulation and Charging, TfLGareth Powell, Managing Director of Surface Transport, TfL

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 13 November at 10:00am in Committee Room 5

November 13, 2018 at 07:19AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT