Is Westminster Council getting ready to pedestrianise Oxford Street, by making one ways, two ways ???

You can now turn right into Brook Street from New Bond Street and go through to Grosvenor Square. A word of warning though. As this is a new feature please be very aware that other motorists still think Brook Street is one way and you may find cars coming at you head on. 

Claridges Taxi rank has been moved to outside the Ballroom and is now for four Taxis. Westminster council gave the ranks committee assurances that cars would not be parked in between the rank and the Hotel main door, but on first day half a dozen cars have been parked there most of the time. 

One of the reasons the rank was refused outside the Hotel, is that the hotel it's self refused, saying they didn't want the Taxis outside. This was the same with the Palm Beech casino in Berkeley Street. 

It's been said that this new system is gearing up for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, but one of the main factors is that it's part of the cycle route...."The Grid"

You can also turn left and right from Book Street onto Davis Street southbound, traveling through to Berkeley square. 

As part of the trade off, with the removal of the four spaces in Davis Street by Brook Street, there is now a two cab rank outside the C London Restaurant in Davis Street. Although evening time I've been there over the last few nights, the rank has been blocked by cars.  

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Jailed: Minicab rapist who plied student with drink and drugs

A minicab tout who twice raped a student after plying her with cocaine and alcohol has been jailed for 14 years.

Amos Mbonu, 48, preyed on the victim when she got off the Tube at the Barbican, offering her drugs and then taking her to a party in Leytonstone. 

He pounced on her as he drove her home, ignoring her pleas that she had a boyfriend and was not interested in him. 

The woman told Blackfriars crown court she has been left depressed, afraid to leave her own home, and unable to enjoy a normal social life after the attack.

Jailing Mbonu for 14 years for the “heinous” crime yesterday, Judge Rajeev Shetty said: “She wanted to do nothing more than get home, but unfortunately through nothing more than bad luck she came across you. 

“You enticed her to get into your car with the offer of class A drugs — you saw a female walking at night, probably under the influence of alcohol, and thought it was someone you might be able to take sexual advantage of.” 

Warning that Mbonu may continue to be a danger to women, the judge ordered him to serve an extra five years on licence after his release.

In her impact statement, the woman said she was unable to go to university lectures after the attack in October last year and may have to repeat her second year. 

She added: “I don’t go out to clubs and bars any more with my friends ...I’m afraid I will never enjoy life again.” 

Prosecutor Tara McCarthy told the court the victim, who had earlier been refused admission to a nightclub for being drunk, believed Mbonu was a regular minicab driver when she saw him in his car. He offered to sell her cocaine and drove her to a party in Leytonstone where he plied her with a bottle of wine. He then attacked her in a deserted car park as he drove her home. 

He was caught because he gave her his phone number earlier in the evening. 

Mbonu, from Bow, denied rape at trial but was found guilty by a jury in July. 

He continued to insist he was innocent at his sentencing hearing yesterday, but was also found guilty of supplying cocaine. He had been cleared of a second rape charge in 2001

Taxi Leaks Comment: 

Please remember, being drunk is not illegal. RAPE IS...

Source Evening standard, Court News

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Uber found guilty of avoiding government officials by using Greyball software

More troubling news for Uber, as an investigation conducted by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), have found Uber Guilty of using Greyball software that enables the firm to avoid government officials.

The concluded in their report that Uber had “illegally entered the Portland Market in 2014,” whilst they had no permit to do so.

PBOT said that Uber had “intentionally deceived PBOT’s officers” by using the Greyball software in the city as the software had been applied to 16 accounts that belonged to government officials.

The report further said: “In using Greyball, Uber has sullied its own reputation and cast a cloud over the TNC [transport network company] industry generally.”

So, what is Greyball?

Greyball is preventing undercover regulators globally from shutting down the hailing app service. This secret program can identify officials monitoring Uber drivers however, it was initially developed to protect the company from any “violations of terms of service.”

However, data collected from the Uber phone app had been used to identify regulators and other officials monitoring their drivers. This secret program has allowed Uber to monitor user’s habits to identify undercover regulators using the service as normal passengers by obtaining geolocation and credit card data.

Once the program has identified any official, regulator or even the police trying to entrap a driver another version of the app cancels their booking.

These methods and techniques are clearly enabling Uber to globally circumvent the authorities.

Dan Saltzman of Portland city commissioner said: “As regulators, it is our job to ensure these companies [like Uber] play by the rules, keep passengers safe, and act ethically.

“Moving forward, we have ensured that no attempts to evade regulators or deny service to riders in violation of city code or law will be allowed in the future.”

This week ten MPs said Uber is an “unfit and improper operator,” police have also accused the firm of failing to report sex attacks.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, who is the All Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis, wrote to Mike Brown, TfL’s commissioner, he wrote: “The safety of Londoners must be at the forefront of decisions taken about the taxi and private hire industry in our capital city.

“We do not believe that Uber has shown itself to be a fit and proper operator.

“Competition in the taxi and private hire industry is welcome, but it must be on a level playing field and the safety of passengers must be paramount.

“In cities around the world, Uber has shown itself to be an unfit and improper operator.

“It’s time that London followed cities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria and Hungary by revoking Uber’s licence.”

Inspector Neil Billany of the Metropolitan Police, has said Uber only informs the police of “less serious matters” therefore being selective of the crimes they report.

Source : London Loves Business

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"Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done."... By Lenny Etheridge

   Brighton & Hove Taxi Trade News

ITS NOT ABOUT COMPETITION.............

        SIGN PETITION CLICK HERE

The GMB Brighton & Hove Taxi Section calls for the November 2017 renewal of the Uber Britannia Ltd Brighton & Hove Operators Licence to be held as a Public Hearing with participation of the trade..media and other interested parties.

When Uber Britannia Ltd (UBL) originally applied for an Operator’s Licence in 2015 it was effectively treated as an unknown entity which is why the application was referred to a ‘Licensing Panel’ that was held in public and was open to questions and objections and recorded for a local TV station..

The licence was granted but UBL did not launch until nearly the end of that one year period so there was no basis of evidence not renew the licence... albeit for another one year period instead of the standard five years... and thus the decision was held in ‘In Camera’.

However with UBL now operating in the city for approaching one full year there is every reason for the renewal process to be fully focused on a Public Hearing.
Justification for this... even on just one simple point... can be based on the fact that at that initial ‘Panel Hearing’ which was held in public... UBL made a statement of their undertaking to only use Brighton & Hove licensed vehicles. This statement is often used when UBL applies for  local Operator Licences in various locations throughout the UK.

This undertaking has been blatantly broken with the use of TfL minicabs and private-hire vehicles from all over the country predominantly working in the city out of sight and control of their respective Enforcement Officers.

On this point the argument given by UBL every time is that they only use B&H licensed vehicles on their Brighton & Hove Operators Licence. However... as we all know.. this is all smoke and mirrors. The undertaking was from UBL and not from ‘UBL Brighton & Hove’.

We have photographic and video  evidence of Uber TfL minicabs sleeping in their vehicles literally 'camped out' which is unprecedented in Brighton & Hove.

We have photographic and video evidence of Uber Tfl minicabs and 'Out-of-Town' ph vehicles driving the wrong way in one way streets....

We have photographic and video evidence of Uber TfL minicabs illegally using bus lanes and driving in restricted areas....

Uber Britannia Ltd is fully responsible for these activities but takes no responsibility...

In addition at that 'Panel Meeting' UBL undertook to address the provision of wheelchair access stating that as it was a ‘Start Up’ company it would need a few month to progress this. we have an original audio recording of this commitment. On this basis the trade is within its rights to publicly question that failed commitment for this to be on public record.

The question that the council needs to be asked in public is if UBL had stated: “No.. we will use private hire vehicles from all over the country” then would the council have granted the licence in the first place?

The trade needs to address UBL directly in the same way as with the initial application. 

Mr Fred Jones of UBL is now a Trade Rep attending the Council Trade Form Meetings but often refuses to address matters of concern by the trade. Or when matters are addressed the answers are quite frankly beyond belief such as matters regarding public safety of CCTV and vehicle identification. Such matters are of extremely high public interest which needs to be reported on by the media.

The trade has officially been refused the request for a 'Public Hearing' but given the recent high media exposure of Uber  both nationally and internationally that covers a significant range of allegations such as government intervention through to Uber using software to “Dodge the law”* known as ‘Grey Ball” and the hundreds of lawsuits  then it is quite incredulous that Brighton & Hove City Council has chosen not to undertake the renewal process of the UBL Brighton & Hove Operator’s licence in Public but instead behind closed doors.. away from the direct questioning of the trade and the media.

We now request that the council reconsiders the process of the renewal of the UBL Brighton & Hove Operators Licence and place the matter for a Public Hearing for trade... the media and public to participate in.  

If any other Brighton & Hove Licensed Operator acted in the same way then we would demand the same Public Hearing for its licence renewal....

     ..................................................ITS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY

Andrew Peters  Secretary GMB Brighton & Hove Taxi Section

This is inspired and rousing!

Sean's best to date.

Check out @seanpaulday’s Tweet: 

https://twitter.com/seanpaulday/status/908582738726354944?s=08

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Parsons Green terror attack: Taxi drivers giving free lifts to people affected by the tube explosion

London Mayor tight-lipped on pending Uber license decision

 London Mayor Sadiq Khan declined to comment on Thursday on whether taxi app Uber [UBER.UL] will have its license renewed ahead of a decision due by the end of month, saying that giving a running commentary could prompt legal action afterwards. 

Uber, which has faced protests from drivers of London’s traditional black cabs, had its license extended in May for four months as the city’s transport regulator considers several factors including a new fees system which could raise the costs paid by larger private-hire firms.

Several lawmakers wrote a letter this week calling on Uber’s license not to be renewed, accusing it of not being a “fit and proper operator” and criticizing its record on safety and working rights. 

Asked about the upcoming decision during a question time session on Thursday, Mayor Khan said it would be wrong to comment ahead of the announcement. 

“You would appreciate I‘m sure how inappropriate it would be, bearing in mind that this is quasi-judicial role that is played, for me as the Mayor of London and Chair of (transport regulator) TfL to give a running commentary,” he said. 

“If for no other reason, because they would then challenge that in the courts and say that the outcome of the application had been pre-judged.” 

Uber has faced criticism in recent months over working conditions and later this month it will appeal against a decision by judges who ruled it should treat two of its drivers as workers and give them the minimum wage and holiday pay. 

In recent weeks, the app has announced a series of measures in the UK capital, including the introduction of tipping and plans to stop using diesel cars by the end of 2019. 

On Thursday, Uber said it was making further improvements for drivers by increasing some fares, allowing in-app messaging and committing to faster and easier administrative processes. 

Uber’s General Manager in London Tom Elvidge said their cars remained a key part of life in the city. 

“The app’s popularity speaks for itself with 3.5 million Londoners using it to get a reliable ride. More than 40,000 licensed private-hire drivers also rely on our app to make a living. We want to continue contributing to our city,” he said.

Source : LONDON (Reuters) -

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TfL Taxi and Private Hire, Have Knowingly Been Putting The Public At Risk... Part 1...by Jim Thomas

To add insult to injury, TfL have recently sent out this letter (below), to the 13,000 PHV drivers who have been found to have submitted DBS certificates from an Unauthorised source. 

While London Taxi drivers have been thrown out of work as their TfL authorised DBS applications have been caught up in a back log (some drivers have been out of work for over 3 months), the PHV drivers have now been given 28 days to submit new certificates. 

But this hasn't just come to light, TfL have known about this since January and have said nothing until the story was given to the Sunday Times by the LCDC. 

Let's just reiterate on this....that's 13,000 Minicab drivers running round, picking up passengers, who have not had a proper criminal record background check....and TfL knew this was happening and was prepared to sweep it under the carpet and say nothing!

Senior staff at TfL are guilty of putting he public at risk from PHV drivers with fake DBS certificates. 

The question we ask is why have these drivers not had their licenses suspended in the same respect as London Taxi drivers have been stopped from working when caught up in backlogs beyond their control ?

Below is the letter sent out by TfL to the PHV drivers with unauthorised DBS certificates:

Please note: 

TfL ask for drivers to them once they receive there reference number, to verify they have made a new application, and their progress can then be tracked.

So how come this is good enough for PHV drivers who have purchased fake DBS certificates...but not good enough for Licensed Taxi drivers who have gone through the correct channels ?

We cannot have one rule for them and a different rule for us:

Our orgs must now insist that no Taxi driver is stopped from working while caught up in delays that are beyond their control. Even if Chapman can't live with herself. She can always resign!

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