News

Operators angry as south coast towns vote to remove licence cap in Bournemouth licensing revamp

16 February 2021, 09:13

Taxi operators and drivers in the south coast towns of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are angry at local council plans to introduce sweeping changes to taxi and private hire policies in the towns. Despite the massive downturn in trade resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic,…

Jaguar axes production ready electric XJ as part of major strategic revamp for JLR

15 February 2021, 17:27

Jaguar has axed the production ready, all-electric new XJ as part of a radical revamp of Jaguar Land Rover’s strategy. The move will come as a blow to chauffeurs who were looking to Jaguar to provide a luxury alterative to the big three German…

DG Cars’ delivery business growth helps Nottingham taxi firm take on drivers during Covid-19 lockdown

15 February 2021, 08:28

DG Delivery, Nottingham private hire giant DG Cars’ takeaway food delivery business, has now signed up more than 160 restaurants across Nottingham and Derby – and helped the company buck the trend of driver losses by recruiting 175 new drivers during the pandemic. The…

Birmingham’s TC Cars joins growing Take Me portfolio in £2 million takeover

15 February 2021, 08:27

Ambitious taxi operator Take Me has added another company to its growing portfolio, with the addition of Birmingham-based TC Cars. And Take Me managing director David Hunter said the company had at least three more acquisitions in the pipeline to be announced in the…

Uber launches Uber Connect same-day delivery product with pilot schemes in three UK cities

11 February 2021, 09:40

Uber has launched a new same-day delivery service called Uber Connect in the UK. Costing the same as a regular UberX journey, the new product will initially be available in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds as a pilot programme. Uber Connect allows users to deliver…

Mayor Khan excludes ‘inappropriate’ taxis and PHVs from his future London transport strategy

11 February 2021, 09:39

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has excluded taxis and private hire vehicles from his Transport Strategy as they still cause brake, tyre and tailpipe emissions – and taking a cab is “unhealthy”. Mayor Khan (pictured) said he wanted 80% of all journeys in London by…

Blacklane acquires majority stake in Jaguar-backed London e-chauffeur Havn

9 February 2021, 16:23

Global chauffeur service Blacklane has acquired a majority stake in Havn, the Jaguar-backed London electric chauffeur start-up, and has added the brand to its offering in the capital. Blacklane now plans to grow Havn’s service and offer more zero-emission rides in London, as well…

Gett under HMRC investigation over VAT on B2B rides

8 February 2021, 08:52

Ride-hailing app Gett has been hit by an HMRC investigation into £5 million of business-to-business VAT receipts, according to documents filed at CompaniesHouse.  Gett is part-owned by Volkswagen, works with both private hire operators and London black cabs. According to Gett, the dispute centres…

Burnley Council to pay for Covid-protective screens to be installed in all local private hire cars

4 February 2021, 22:35

Burnley Council has secured funding to fit protective screens inside private hire vehicles in the town. The funding is part of its overall Covid-19 response to supporting local businesses, and includes the cost of the screen and fitting. The screens will be restricted to…

Brighton Council proposes Covid support grant for local taxi and private hire drivers

4 February 2021, 22:34

South coast taxi and private hire drivers could be handed a £500,000 financial lifeline by Brighton and Hove City Council, if party leaders approve the latest round of Covid grants. Three taxi drivers in the city have died of coronavirus since the start of…