PHTM TV : DECEMBER NEWS
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Posted on the 10th December 2019 in PHTM News
LICHFIELD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER SUFFERS RACIST ATTACK
City Cars driver Bash Chishti picked up two women, aged around 70 and mid-thirties, at 9am on Wednesday morning 4 December. When he told them his boot was too small for their shopping and it would have to go on the back seat, they flew into a rage: the younger of the two women started bashing both car doors to try to damage the taxi, and both women verbally abused him.
The younger woman shouted: “We asked for a white driver; why do they have to send a Paki driver?!” Mr Chishti reported the incident to City Cars, and later it was reported to the police. Mr Chishti told PHTM: “I would request that you take notice of this issue so the council can work with drivers and taxi firms to tackle discrimination and racism at work.”
PHTM and NPHTA comment: Unfortunately this type of racist behaviour targets licensed drivers in every district in the country.
We totally agree that this sort of racial discrimination should be taken very seriously, both by the relevant licensing authority and the local police. In the Equality Act 2010, one of the eight ‘protected characteristics’ against which any person should not discriminate is race. Whether these two women will be prosecuted remains to be seen.
Posted on the 10th December 2019 in PHTM News
TAXI DRIVER SUFFERS SERIOUS STAB WOUND DURING DARWEN GARAGE ROBBERY BID
A TAXI driver was stabbed in the shoulder after an attempted robbery at a Darwen petrol station.
Police cordoned off the Shell garage in Blackburn Road this morning after the incident started at 4.30am.
The man, in his 50s and named locally as Bernard Golding, was at the station paying for petrol when he was stabbed from behind.
The taxi driver from Chippy’s Taxis was later taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and is now recovering at home but he is said to be in a state of shock.
Police are now linking three incidents which happened yesterday morning.
They received reports of an attempted robbery at the garage where a man entered with a knife and threatened a cashier.
There was also the attack on the taxi driver and then at 4.55am reports of an attempted break-in in Hawkshaw Avenue, when a window was smashed and somebody had been seen acting suspiciously close by.
There were several police vehicles and the police helicopter scrambled as officers tried to track down the offender.
Detective Inspector Scott Waddington said: “One man has suffered a serious injury, while several other people have been left extremely shaken by this morning’s events. We also know this will have been concerning for members of the public.
“Somebody is now in custody and are enquiries are very much ongoing to establish exactly what occurred. In the meantime we will have extra patrols in the area and anybody with concerns is welcome to speak to an officer.
“As part of our enquiries we are now appealing for information from the public and would like to speak to anyone who saw all or part of any of these incidents, or was in the area at around the same time and saw something that seemed suspicious.
“We’d also ask people to get in touch with us if they have dashcam or CCTV footage which may show something useful.”
A man aged 28 and from Liverpool was arrested a short time later on suspicion robbery, criminal damage and assault. He remains in custody.
Pauline Atkinson, 66, of nearby Argyle Street, said: “I had got up at about 4.30am to get a drink and heard some shouting but I could not understand what they were saying.
“They had someone trying to steal the cash machine there once before.
“It gets to 10 o’clock at night and you don’t want to go out in case something happen.”
A 47-year-old resident on the same road, said: “The helicopter and police sirens woke everyone in our house.
“I heard a lot of commotion and people outside shouting and we wondered what was going on.
“The petrol station does not give us any hassle so feel for the people there.”
Joan Southern, 80, of Blackburn Road, said: “I heard the helicopter going overhead at about 5am. I heard that someone got hurt and my thoughts are with them.”
Contact police on 101.
Posted on the 10th December 2019 in PHTM News
TAXI DRIVERS SUPPORT PLANS FOR CCTV IN CARS - MEETING TOLD
TAXI and private hire drivers have welcomed moves from Leeds City Council to encourage the installation of CCTV systems in their vehicles.
But the authority stopped short of suggesting CCTV should be mandatory, due to concerns around passenger and driver privacy.
The council’s licensing committee discussed a draft policy to regulate CCTV in taxi and private hire vehicles, which included cameras only running during journeys, with footage being saved to a hard drive for at least 31 days.
A council report added that CCTV was also welcomed by most drivers, as it helped keep them safe from attacks and “malicious accusations”.
Ghulam Nabi, head of the Eurocabs Hackney Carriage Association, said: “The industry is generally very supportive of this – it is something we were involved in and is something we support.
“It makes drivers feel safer – especially the ones working late at night. It protects us from malicious allegations, as well as if drivers are assaulted by passengers.
“In the present climate there is so much crime going on, so we are all supportive of this.”
During the meeting, a Leeds City Council officer said: “There was a consensus that voluntary CCTV gives reassurance to the public and to drivers as a whole.
“But there is a trade off between security – or the perception of security – and privacy.”
The officer told the meeting that the working group which came up with the draft policy was advised by the information commissioner’s office and the surveillance commissioner that authorities should not make CCTV in vehicles mandatory “unless strong evidence” is provided showing how this addresses safety risks.
He added: “Drivers, operators, associations are broadly in favour of CCTV and they feel safer. It’s a fact of life in 2019 that people are used to CCTV being in public spaces.
“On the whole, the licensed trade would be very supportive.
“We had strong advice that it’s important for the council to have a framework of suppliers in place to repair.”
A report by council officers into the plans stated: “The [working] group also heard that generally drivers, operators and associations were in favour of CCTV in vehicles, that drivers felt safer, and less likely to be the victim of violence or malicious allegations. Some drivers had reported getting increased bookings from customers after they had fitted CCTV.”
The draft policy states: “This policy encourages the use of CCTV in taxis and PHVs licensed by Leeds City Council, but does not make it a mandatory requirement for taxi and private hire vehicle to have CCTV, only for the CCTV equipment to meet the council’s requirements.
“The absence of CCTV in a taxi or private hire vehicle does not indicate that the owner of the vehicle has failed to pay attention to passenger or driver safety.”
The policy is set to go out to public consultation in the new year.
Posted on the 9th December 2019 in PHTM News
UBER DRIVER WAS WATCHING PORN WHILE PARKED ON HARD SHOULDER
A TAXI driver has been reported for a variety of offences after being spotted parked on the motorway hard shoulder watching porn.
The NW Motorway Police said the driver had stopped on the eastbound M56 airport spur while watching 'pornographic material' on a mobile phone.
The Uber driver has been reported to Manchester Taxi Licensing for offences including not wearing an ID badge.
A Traffic Offence Report was also issued to the driver which will mean a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Can you pull over on the hard shoulder?
According to Highways England, more than 100 people are killed or injured on hard shoulders every year – so it should only be used as a last resort.
An RAC spokesman added: "If you need to stop your vehicle on the motorway, leave the motorway as soon as possible and find a safe place to do so away from the highway, whether this is at a motorway junction or a service station.
"Drivers should only stop on the hard shoulder in an emergency — including a mechanical breakdown or a medical emergency — or if told to do so by the police."
Any other reason will see you incur a £100 fine and three penalty points.
What if it's an emergency?
If you need to stop on the hard shoulder, park to the far left of the road, put on your hazard lights and sidelights to warn other drivers that your car is stationary, and get out of the car using the left-hand doors before waiting behind the barrier.
Emergencies do not include:
- Making or receiving phone calls
- Going to the toilet
- Taking a break because you’re tired, to name a few
If you need to do any of these you should stop at a motorway service station.
Source: https://www.runcornandwidnesworld.co.uk/news/18088643.uber-driver-watching-porn-parked-hard-shoulder
Posted on the 9th December 2019 in PHTM News
CORK TAXI DRIVER WINS 33000 ON WINNING STREAK
Cork taxi driver Joe Flavin collected a tidy fare of €33,000 when he appeared on the National Lottery TV game show Winning Streak last Saturday.
The Starcabs employee with over twenty years experience won €8,000 in cash and a Renault Zoe electric car worth €25,000, bringing his total haul to €33,000.
This was his second appearance on National Lottery TV after he won a cool €16,000 on Million Euro Challenge in January 2015.
Joe - a proud family man - has been married to his wife Betty for 37 years and he told how he used his winnings last time for a Christmas of a lifetime when he took his wife to New York for Christmas, to visit their son Cillian, who lives in Westchester.
Joe and Betty’s three other sons also live abroad with Kyle in Wisconsin; Cian, who lives in Birmingham, England and Liam Óg in Dunfermline, Scotland. Both the UK based lads flew home last Friday to cheer their dad on from the RTÉ audience, while the other two were watching on the RTE Player from across the Atlantic.
Source: https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/cork-taxi-driver-wins-33000-17354181
Read another story
- LICHFIELD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER SUFFERS RACIST ATTACK
The younger woman shouted: “We asked for a white driver; why do they have to send a Paki driver?!”
- TAXI DRIVER SUFFERS SERIOUS STAB WOUND DURING DARWEN GARAGE ROBBERY BID
A TAXI driver was stabbed in the shoulder after an attempted robbery at a Darwen petrol station.
- TAXI DRIVERS SUPPORT PLANS FOR CCTV IN CARS - MEETING TOLD
TAXI and private hire drivers have welcomed moves from Leeds City Council to encourage the installation of CCTV systems in their vehicles.
- UBER DRIVER WAS WATCHING PORN WHILE PARKED ON HARD SHOULDER
A TAXI driver has been reported for a variety of offences after being spotted parked on the motorway hard shoulder watching porn.
- CORK TAXI DRIVER WINS 33000 ON WINNING STREAK
Cork taxi driver Joe Flavin collected a tidy fare of €33,000 when he appeared on the National Lottery TV game show Winning Streak last Saturday.
- COUNCILLORS IN INVERNESS PUT BRAKES ON BID TO HIKE TAXI FARES IN THE HIGHLANDS
One of Inverness’s taxi companies was pitted against all the others over a proposed increase in taxi fares at a heated debate earlier today.
- ROGUE DRIVERS FACE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW
Oxford City Council’s Licensing Team has had a string of successes in the courts protecting the public from unsafe and unsuitable drivers.
- REDDITCH TAXI DRIVERS COULD FACE ON THE SPOT DRUG TESTS
REDDITCH taxi drivers could face more rigorous checks under the council's proposals to tighten its licensing regulations.
- LEEDS CLEAN AIR ZONE 30 TAXI DRIVERS GET GREEN LOANS
Just 30 taxi drivers have received loans from a scheme set up to help them buy greener vehicles, despite more than 2,000 applying.
- EDINBURGH PRIVATE HIRE BOSS ASTOUNDED BY PASSENGER SAFETY ACCUSATIONS FROM TAXI DRIVERS
Private hire drivers in the Capital have hit back at accusations by taxi drivers that their trade compromises passenger safety
