Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s new Clean Air Zone went live on January 30, but local taxi and private hire operators are angry at the way private cars are given priority treatment over licensed vehicles. Under the scheme, non-compliant taxis or PHVs – vehicles that don’t meet Euro…

Standardised taxi licensing across North Yorkshire is likely to be adopted later this year following a consultation in the region. Seven borough and district councils are being brought together into a single North Yorkshire Council region on April 1, and a key proposal is…

Cab Guru, the taxi fleet management service co-owned by a number of leading private hire operators, has acquired dispatch systems provider Cordic Technology for an undisclosed sum. The move brings the two companies together under a new umbrella company called CabFusion, which the new…

Conservative members of the Greater London Assembly are demanding an inquiry into Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to extend the Ultra Low emissions Zone into the outer London boroughs. They claim up to 5,000 responses, to the consultation into the scheme mainly opposing the plan,…

Gridserve has opened another EV charging ‘Super Hub’ close to the A303 in Wiltshire. The charging station is at Solstice Park, close to Stonehenge in Wiltshire. It shares the site with Greggs and Taco Bell drive-throughs, so there’s a choice of food and drink…

New restrictions on the type of vehicles used by taxi and private hire operators in East Lothian will make 30% of vehicles illegal. East Lothian Council’s licensing sub-committee today has approved new vehicle licensing rules, including precise specifications of the number of seats and…

Bolt is looking to recruit a head of electrification in a bid to speed up the switch to electric cars. The new global role will focus on growing the share of EVs in the Bolt fleet across 45 countries in Europe and Africa. Bolt…

Twenty-four taxi companies in Rochdale have formed a single co-operative organisation called Tiger 2000. The 24 firms include Tiger Cars, 2000 Cars, Castle Taxis, Strand Taxis, United Millennium, Central Newline, Town Taxis, Cozy Cars and Heywood Cars. The move is designed to maximise working…

Ride-hail operator Free Now has announced a partnership with English training provider Russbridge Academy to help drivers pass the English language exams currently required for a private hire licence. Under the scheme, drivers will be offered a 20% discount on Russbridge courses. Since last…

Ride-hail operator Free Now has announced a partnership with English training provider Russbridge Academy to help drivers pass the English language exams currently required for a private hire licence. Under the scheme, drivers will be offered a 20% discount on Russbridge courses. Since last…

MPs and local authorities are continuing efforts to challenge London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s controversial plan to extend the London Ultra-Low Emissions Zone to all London boroughs. Discussions include the possibility of challenging the decision through the courts, while some councils have suggested that they…

Wolverhampton Council officials have admitted they are struggling to keep up with the demand for driver licence applications. The problem has been caused by increasing numbers of drivers from outside the area, who are looking to take advantage of the city’s faster processing times…

Uber is calling on thousands more licensed London drivers to sign up to the app ahead of a busy Christmas party season. The ride-hailing giant has seen a drop in numbers of 5% since 2019 in the capital, compared to a rise of 40%…

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to expand the London ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) across all London boroughs from next August, despite massive objections to the move. But the move could face a legal challenge from Conservatives in the Greater London Assembly, who claimed…

Operators looking for an electric seven-seater will receive a boost next year with the launch of the new Ford Pro E-Tourneo Custom, offering a practical people-mover with a pure electric range of 230 miles. E-Tourneo Custom is one of four new all-electric Ford Pro…

Dispatch systems provider iCabbi has hit the major milestone of one billion journeys completed on its platform. A digital counter in the company’s Dublin head office counted up to the magic billionth, and was celebrated by the company’s founders and staff. “Every taxi booking…

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to remove the Vehicle Excise Duty exemption from electric vehicles has been badly received by the industry, with the AA accusing him of “dimming the incentive” to switch to electric cars. Hunt told the Commons in his autumn statement: “Because…

A company billing itself as “the AirBnB of EV charging” is looking to offer a convenient overnight charging solution to provide hire or taxi drivers who do not have access to off-street charging. Co Charger is promoting Community Charging – a concept that enables…