Nemer MBE

MBEs for Cambridge taxi boss Nemer, who gave free rides to NHS frontline workers

A Cambridge-based taxi operator who drove NHS staff to and from work for free, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Camcab owner Rowhi Nemer, 63, offered the services of his company free of charge to frontline NHS and Air Ambulance…

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Ecotricity

Gridserve buys Ecotricity motorway EV charging network and promises major upgrade

Gridserve, which last year opened the first all-electric forecourt in the UK, has acquired pioneering charge point provider Ecotricity. The move is likely to signal major new investment in Ecotricity’s Electric Highway motorway services network, whose ageing and unreliable electric car chargers saw the…

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Connected Kerb

Connected Kerb launches project to bring EV chargers to remote Kent villages

A new project to bring affordable electric vehicle charging to smaller communities has been launched in Kent. Charging specialist, Connected Kerb, is working with Kent County Council to deliver a project that the company believes will provide a blueprint for local authorities across the…

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Free Now lockdown

Free Now looks to recruit drivers as demand rebounds following lockdown easing

Ride-hailing app Free Now is looking to recruit 10,000 new drivers to meet a bounce in demand after the easing of lockdown restrictions last month. The company reported an 38% week-on-week increase in UK journey requests nationwide following the reopening of indoor hospitality venues…

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scottish support

Union slams Scottish Government support package, claiming drivers and operators have been ‘short-changed’

Trade Union Unite has strongly criticised the Scottish Government for “short-changing” taxi drivers and operators in its latest round of Covid-19 support grants. Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has today announced an additional £62 million of support for 37,000 taxi and private hire operators…

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Take Me Birmingham

Birmingham pair TC Cars and Heritage Cars merge as Take Me Group accelerates national brand plans

Take Me Group’s Birmingham subsidiary TC Cars has announced a merger with local rival Heritage Cars, with both businesses planning to operate under the Take Me umbrella. The move, which creates a combined fleet in excess of 600 cars, is the latest step by…

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BMW charging

BMW Group launches one-stop EV charging packages for BMW and Mini customers

BMW Group has launched two monthly subscription packages for BMW and Mini EV drivers who make frequent use of public charging facilities. The new BMW Charging and MINI Charging services mean customers can charge their cars at more than 11,000 charging points across the…

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Charging VAT

Charge networks angry as HMRC hikes VAT rate on electricity at charge points to 20%

The cost of recharging your electric car at commercial charge points is set to rise after HMRC announced it would impose the standard rate of VAT (20%) on the facilities. Previously HMRC applied ‘de minimis’ provisions, which allowed a reduced rate of VAT of…

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Addison Bubble

Driver Bubble to install safety screens across Addison Lee executive fleet

Partition screen supplier Driver Bubble is to fit new safety screens behind the front seats of Addison Lee’s executive fleet of Mercedes E-class vehicles, adding to the safety screens already fitted to its standard Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan MPV fleet. This partnership with…

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Uber GMB

Uber recognises GMB Union to represent its UK drivers on employment rights

In a landmark agreement, Uber has recognised the GMB Union to represent up to 70,000 drivers, the first time the ride-share giant has done so globally. The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber’s UK drivers should be classified as workers, with…

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Pivot Oxford

Oxford to host Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub

A group of companies and local authorities have announced they will open Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub in Oxford later this year. The hub, with around 10MW of power on site, will initially feature 38 fast and ultra-rapid chargers (more than anywhere…

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uber plymouth

Uber to launch first ‘local cab’ pilot in Plymouth with operator Need-A-Cab

Uber has today announced a pilot of its new product, ‘Local cab’, which will enable passengers to book a trip with a local taxi company via the Uber app in Plymouth. The move is the first such initiative following the Competition & Markets Agency’s…

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Ola Leon Daniels

Ola strengthens UK Board by recruiting Sir Mike Rake and former TfL executive Leon Daniels

Ride-hailing operator Ola has announced two senior board appointments. Sir Mike Rake has joined the Ola UK Board as non-executive Chairman, while former Transport for London expert Leon Daniels (pictured) is now an independent non-executive director. The two will draw on their experience across…

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Veezu Go Carz

Veezu strengthens Shropshire and South Wales hubs with Diamond Cars and A2B Taxis acquisitions

Veezu has strengthened two of its five major UK hubs by acquiring local competitors in Shropshire and South Wales, and the company is targeting further takeovers in 2021. Go Carz, Shropshire’s largest private hire and taxi firm, has taken over Telford’s Diamond Cars, adding…

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GlasGO

Glasgow Private Hire and Hampden Cars merge to form ‘invincible’ GlasGO Cabs

Two major Glasgow operators have merged to form the biggest taxi and private hire fleet in the city. The combined Glasgow Private Hire and Hampden Cars operations will be known as GlasGO Cabs and will operate more than 1,000 cars. Both companies have been…

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Take me Crewe

Take Me moves again to add Crewe-based Westside Taxis to growing business portfolio

Fast-growing Take Me Group has made a second acquisition in a week, with the purchase of Westside Taxis of Crewe. Under the deal, Westside proprietor Stephen Robinson (left of pic) has sold his business to Take Me directors John Gardner (right of pic) and…

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Weflex MG

WeFlex to supply 200 MG5 electric estates to London ride-hailing drivers in 2021

Ride-hailing rent-to-buy provider WeFlex has ordered 200 MG5 electric estate cars, which it plans to existing and would-be ride hailing drivers by the end of 2021. WeFlex, founded by former Climatecars boss Nicko Williamson, announced last month that it was repositioning itself as a…

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Take Me Intercity

Take Me Group adds Stoke-based Intercity Taxis as acquisition drive gathers pace

Fast-growing taxi group Take Me Group has made another acquisition, adding Stoke-on-Trent-based Intercity Taxis to the roster in a deal worth between £3 million and £4m. The deal is again backed by MBH Corporation plc, a diversified investment holding company, which has based its…

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