Glasgow City Council is being asked to re-examine its stance on women-only taxi services following a recent UK Supreme Court ruling. This comes six years after the council rejected a similar proposal, citing discrimination against men.
In 2019, a firm named Rosy and Pinks sought to launch a service with female drivers exclusively for women and their children. The goal was to provide a safer transport option for women who felt uncomfortable in taxis driven by men.
At the time, the proposal was met with resistance from councillors. Licensing convener Alex Wilson said: "If it was the other way round, we would be looking at discrimination against females," and added: "The whole not picking up male passengers is a concern to me. I don’t think we should discriminate at all."
Similarly, Conservative Councillor Robert Connelly stated: "It is essentially sexism towards males. It doesn’t sit right with me."
However, Govan Law Centre is now arguing that changes to the Equality Act permit such services.
It has stated the Act does not prohibit sex discrimination where a service provider offers separate services for men and women in specific circumstances, highlighting a provision that allows separate services for men and women if it's a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim."
Lorna Walker, a senior solicitor at Govan Law Centre, pointed to the risks women face, including "male violence against women" and the "limited ability for women to leave or to choose an alternative service" while in an enclosed space. She asked if the council's policy has changed in light of the "statistical increase in domestic abuse and rape cases across Glasgow" and the recent Supreme Court case.
A council spokesperson confirmed they have responded to Govan Law Centre, seeking more details, and stated: "All applications for licences are determined on the merits of an individual case and within the context of the legislation and policies that regulate this area of activity."
Kind-hearted taxi drivers from Ayr gave up their time last week for the annual Ayr Taxi Day Out, treating families from Whiteleys Retreat to a memorable trip.
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Jez Shepherd, 22, of Morecambe, was charged after a collision involving a black Fiat Punto and a white Ford Mondeo taxi on Westgate.
The applications were made by Sedbergh-based Lady Cab Taxis for a Vauxhall Insignia and Windermere-based Ace Taxi for a Toyota Prius Plus.
Drunk PC Lee Tilson punched one driver in the chest multiple times and attempted to grab a second driver through his car window in Chelmsford.
This figure represents under 7% of the district's taxi fleet, falling significantly short of the Scottish Government's 20% target and starkly contrasting with Dundee's 40% accessibility rate.
Aaron Burnicle, 36, was snared in a cross-border investigation after he sent explicit messages and images to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl on the messaging app Kik.
Transport for London (TfL) has issued a formal notice to remind taxi and private hire vehicle licence holders about the professional standards expected of them.
This guidance is issued for use by licensing authorities handling applications for taxi operator, taxi sector, private hire car, private hire vehicle or booking office driver licences.
The decision on Friday 8 August, follows a petition from a group of taxi drivers who argued that the market is "over-saturated" and causing "unsustainable pressure" on their trade.
Abdul Mashud was caught on August 23, 2024, after he agreed to take undercover Reading Council Licensing officers from a petrol station near the festival site to Slough Train Station for an inflated fare of £120.
On Thursday, I was at Bristol Airport working with 13 Police, DVSA and Licensing Colleagues from South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Newport and Merthyr Tydfil.
To support the taxi trade’s high standards and passenger safety, an operation to stop and check private hire vehicles was carried out last weekend.
Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal collision in Morecambe.
Officers from Leicestershire Roads Policing Unit (RPU) carried out the road safety operation on roads around East Midlands Airport, checking road worthiness of cars, particularly taxis and PHVs.
Members of the Wolverhampton Taxi and Private Hire Federation met on Tuesday, August 5, to discuss their next steps after claiming the city council is "dragging their feet."
The city's licensing committee renewed Iqbal Akhtar's licence after twice postponing a decision to await an update on the criminal proceedings.
The accreditation gives officers additional tools to help tackle anti-social behaviour, manage traffic incidents, and work more closely with police.
The Glasgow City Licensing Committee has approved a 3.32% increase to taxi fares after an independent review concluded that the "costs of operating a tax in Glasgow...have increased."