Sturgeon

First Minister Sturgeon announces new £30 million fund to help Covid-hit Scottish taxi drivers

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) has announced the creation of a new £30 million fund available to Local Authorities in Scotland to help to taxi drivers and other businesses hit hard by the Coronavirus crisis. The move follows the example of Northern Ireland,…

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AL Request

Addison Lee launches AL Request home delivery service to cater for boost in home working

Addison Lee has become the latest large private hire fleet to launch a delivery service to help consumers during lockdown. AL Request is a new click-and-collect feature that has been added to Addison Lee’s existing courier service, which will help businesses and consumers navigate…

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Addison Lee screens

Addison Lee introduces TfL-approved screens in all Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan vehicles

Addison Lee has introduced TfL-approved safety screens across its entire Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan fleet. The screens have undergone comprehensive testing to meet all TfL private hire regulations and are being installed by qualified technicians. The introduction of screens across the entire MPV…

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Steve McNamara LTDA

Taxi trade body calls for new incentives as pandemic causes black cab numbers to slump

London’s black cab numbers have shrunk dramatically since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, with 3,500 taxis – 156 vehicles a week – being lost from the fleet since June 2020. By contrast, just 699 taxis were delicensed over the 12-month period from June…

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Driver Bubble TfL

Driver Bubble offers new TfL-approved screens for Toyota private hire vehicles

Partition screen maker Driver Bubble is now offering a screen that has been approved by Transport for London for use in private hire vehicles operating in the capital. The new screen is manufactured by FixiCover, and fits a range of Toyota cars. It costs…

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Uber GDPR

Uber drivers take legal action against unfair dismissal claims on GDPR grounds

As one legal battle draws to an end for Uber, another is about to begin, after a group of Uber drivers filed a legal case in Amsterdam, claiming that the platform’s algorithm unfairly dismissed them without appeal. According to Dutch news reports, four Uber…

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Liverpool taxi

Liverpool Council to offer Covid-19 grants of up to £210 to all taxi and private hire drivers

Around 4,000 taxi and private hire taxi drivers in Liverpool will be able to claim support grants of £210 to help them cope with the loss of revenue in the Coronavirus crisis. Bar and restaurant restrictions, and a fall in tourism and business travel…

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Nichola Mallon

Northern Ireland minister requests power to set up hardship support scheme for taxi drivers

Northern Ireland infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon (pictured) has requested new powers to set up a hardship scheme for taxi drivers whose trade has collapsed during the Coronavirus pandemic. Mallon wrote to First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill asking for the…

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Amber Gee Gee

Veezu strengthens Leeds operations as Amber acquires local competitor Gee Gee Cars

Veezu’s Leeds operation, Amber Cars, has increased its fleet by a further 50 cars in the city with the acquisition of Beeston-based Gee Gee Cars. The move reinforces Amber’s position as the largest private hire operator in Leeds, taking its overall fleet to 1,250…

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Guildford Council launches survey to gauge opinion on new taxi and private hire rules

Guildford Council launches survey to gauge opinion on new taxi and private hire rules

Guildford Borough Council has launched a public online survey to gauge reactions to proposed changes to taxi and private licensing in the area. The survey will run to Monday, January 11, 2021.  Among proposed changes are mandatory fitment of CCTV systems in all vehicles;…

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Congestion charge

Congestion Charge extension would be ‘catastrophe’ for sector, says LPHCA

The London Congestion Charge zone could be extended out as far as the North and South Circular roads as part of a deal for the UK Government to bail out financially crippled transport administrator Transport for London. The proposal, which London Mayor Sadiq Khan…

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Boro taxis

Boro Taxis steps in to save jobs as Coronavirus causes Teesside rival Falcon Cars to close

Teesside’s largest taxi operator Boro Taxis has stepped in to take over local rival Falcon Cars, which has been forced to fold in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Falcon Taxis said the ongoing crisis had hit the business hard and it was unable…

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ola licence

TfL refuses Uber rival Ola’s licence after public safety concerns over ‘unlicensed’ drivers

Transport for London is facing another lengthy court battle over a ride-hailing service’s operator’s licence after it emerged over the weekend that Ola, a key rival to Uber, has also been deemed not “fit and proper” to hold a licence. TfL has refused the…

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Blacklane

Blacklane launches train-beating flat-rate chauffeured rides from London to six major UK cities

Global chauffeur service Blacklane has launched a flat-rate 24/7 inter-city chauffeur service between London and six major UK cities in a bid to offer business travellers and long-distance commuters a safe and affordable way to avoid train journeys. The service operates between London and…

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Uber fit and proper

Industry disappointment as judge rules Uber “fit and proper” to hold 18-month London licence, but with conditions

Westminster magistrates court’s decision to deem Uber “fit and proper” to hold a London private hire operator’s licence has been greeted with disappointment and anger in the taxi and private hire industry. In his ruling, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said he had “sufficient…

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Covid Screens

GMB brands five-month cab passenger face mask delay as ‘monstrous’, while drivers are still not forced to wear face coverings

A senior union boss has branded the time it has taken the Government to make mandatory the wearing of face coverings for taxi and private hire passengers as “monstrous”. Steve Garelick, GMB regional organiser logistics, gig economy & local government, said in a Tweet:…

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Uber appeal Day 3

Judge to announce Uber London licence decision on September 28

A decision on whether or not Uber will be granted its London operator’s licence will be announced on September 28, Senior District Judge Tan Ikram announced at the end of the three-day appeal hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court. Transport for London refused to grant…

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wystle

New London-based ride-hailing app Wystle announces London launch to take on Uber

Another new ride-hailing app is taking on the London private hire sector before the end of the year. Wystle, based in London, is set to launch in the capital this winter, aiming to compete with Free Now, Bolt and – if the current court…

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