Uber Driver Charged With Murdering Children While Mother Slept.

The scarred defendant appeared in the dock wearing a sweatshirt and a white bandage wrapped around his head.

Uber driver father, 47, who is accused of suffocating his two young children and trying to kill his wife by dousing their home with petrol then setting it alight denies murder

Endris Mohammed denies the murders of Saros Endris, 8, and his sister Leanor, 6

An Uber driver killed his two young children by smothering them with a petrol-soaked rag as their mother slept upstairs, a murder trial has heard.

Jurors were told Endris Mohammed carried out the killings during a 'sleepover' in the lounge and then fled in his Minicab, leaving his wife to discover the lifeless bodies of eight-year-old Saros Endris and his sister Leanor, aged six.

Birmingham Crown Court heard the youngsters, who had suffered chemical burns to their faces, were found on a sofa and a mattress after their mother Penil Teklehaimanot was woken by a smoke alarm.

Mohammed, 47, denies the murder of both children and the attempted murder of their mother, but admits being responsible for the deaths.

Opening the case against Mohammed, prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC said repeated efforts were made to revive the children outside their home in Holland Road, Hamstead, Birmingham.

The barrister told the court: 'Police and fire services were swift to arrive. A small fire inside the front door of the address had been put out and the area smelled strongly of petrol.

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One Rule For Licensed Taxi Drivers And A Different One For Uber Employees

In a week were we learned that TfLTPH failed miserably in contacted the 13,000 Uber drivers with fake criminal record certificates (which we were informed they would complete within 28 days) and in fact only managed to contact 2,621, we shouldn't be at all surprised about this next item!!!

Let’s go back to the end of last year. 

A licensed Taxi driver saw TfL directors having a meal outside a restaurant in Mount Street.

Having parked safely, he walked back to the restaurant and video'd a group who included a couple of TfL Director’s sitting in the street, a public place. 

The driver then posted the video on his twitter account. 

Now fast forward to this year...

5 Uber drivers decided to take advantage of a fraudulent scam, thought up by a 19year old.

Back to the licensed Taxi driver.

He was reported to the Met Police who said he had broken no laws and so would it be charged with any offence. 

The 5 Uber drivers were charged and found guilty, givens prison sentence that was suspended. 

Now here is the million dollar question......

Who would you say, deserves to have their licence revoked ?

Now don’t forget, this is Mike Browns TfL we are dealing with. 

So you shouldn’t be surprise to know that (as of today) only one driver has had his licence revoked and that is the Licensed Taxi driver. 

Just before posting this article, we checked and all the Uber drivers are are still listed as private hire drivers. 

According to the online TfL Private Hire Driver Checker, these drivers:

 Michael Julien, 50, Dan-Alexandru Pasat, 29, Kamlesh Sagoo, 62, Ibrahim Tekagac, 35, and Mihai Toader, 32,

are still licensed as PH drivers tonight and could be out there fraudulently ripping off unsuspecting members of the public.

Also this week, we've seen another example of one rule for private hire operators and another stricter rule for Taxi drivers. 

We've written many times on Taxi leaks about the inaction of TfL over the Rugby World Cup livery on Addison Lee's vans. 

Although they were told to remove, they ignored until their contract was completed. TfL informed Taxi Leaks that no action was taken against the Minicab firm. 

This week we saw Transport for London say "Free Balochistan" adverts put up by a human rights charity must be removed from black cabs in London.

It's been alleged that the Pakistani government has put unfair pressure on the Foreign Office (Boris Johnson's department) to get Transport for London, which regulates black cabs, to remove the adverts.

Bit like the Tory Chumocracy putting pressure on TfL (in Boris Johnson's own words) to go easy on Uber's London operation. 

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Uber Drivers Fleeced App Out Of £10,000 Using Stolen Credit Cards'

Uber's Advertorial Giveaway (City AM) Alleged Yesterday, That TFL's Commissioner Mike Brown Is Planing Fresh Talks With Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi Over London licence Loss.

Transport for London's commissioner Mike Brown is alleged (by City AM) to have said, he is planning fresh talks with Uber's chief executive, raising hopes that a resolution over the instant hailing app's loss of its London licence can be reached before the matter heads to court. 

This hasn't been confirmed by TfL 

Uber launched an appeal in September, after TfL declared them "not fit and proper" to hold a London PH operators licence. 

Uber has serious problems with its work force, 80 serious sexual assaults on passenger, in 24 months, 13,000 fake DBS certificates, fake medicals, an operating system that dispatches work illegally straight to the driver in car, wrong insurance, a mounting of road traffic collisions, the list goes on and on.

The initial hearing is scheduled for 11 December to set court dates for next year.

Brown is said to have said of Uber's appeal, "obviously that's what they had to do", but indicated talks will continue in the meanwhile. 

Brown is also alleged to have said, "I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I'll be able to have another meeting at a senior level with their chief executive and we'll see where we go from there".

Uber's London licence expired on 30 September, but amazingly, TfL extended the licence (again) so its service could remain available to the 11th of December. 

Uber's problems seem unending, as scandalous news beaks daily about the company. A change of their top executives has made little impact on their day to day problems.

To be compliant with current regulations, Uber would have to change their whole world wide operating system. But the trouble we now face is.... will TfL seek to change current legislation to accommodate Uber to continue to operate.

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TfL Admit They've Only Contacted 2,621 Out Of The 13,000 Uber Drivers With Fake DBS certificates.

In a reply made to an FOI TfL have admitted that they haven't bothered to contact all the 13,000 Uber drivers thought to have fake DBS certificates. 

They have admitted that they have written to just 2,621 private hire drivers, plus they have also written to 852 applicants applying for new Private Hire license, saying that they will need to obtain a new enhanced DBS check through GB group.

There has been no mention of any revocations, or suspensions while this process is ongoing. 

So much for Helen Chapman's claim that all 13,000 drivers would be given 28 days to reapply for enhanced certificates.

Now 56 days later, we find that TFL's promised action, hasn't been completed successfully. 

Also, we mustn't forget that TfL knew about the dodgy DBS certificates as long ago as January, yet decided to do nothing until after the issue was passed to the Sunday Times by a team from the London Cab Drivers Club.

In the FOI request, TfL were asked:

And they replied 

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MAYOR’S EARLY CLEAN AIR ANNOUNCEMENT, COULD HAVE DEVASTATING AFFECT ON LONDON’S SUPPLY CHAIN, SAYS FTA.

             LONDON'S OPEN ??? BUT THE SHOPS COULD BE EMPTY !!!

The Freight Transport Association (FTA), the UK’s largest membership association in the freight and logistics sector, has reacted with concern to last week’s announcement by the Mayor of London of the introduction of the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), 17 months earlier than originally intended. 

According to FTA, the short timeframe to its introduction will leave operators with vehicles they cannot use, with massively reduced or no residual value for resale.

FTA’s Head of Policy for London, Natalie Chapman said: “We are all in favour of taking every step possible to clean up London’s air, but the Mayor of London has failed to take into account the time needed for businesses to comply with these new regulations, without incurring significant costs that could put real strain on overheads and business security. 

For HGV operators, there is also a distinct lack of clarity over which vehicles will comply with the new Direct Vision Standard, due to come into effect in 2020, which is holding back fleet replacement planning.

“In addition, by April 2019 there will only be two and a half years’ production of vans available for operators to purchase, with little or no compliant second-hand market which will put pressure on operators already working to fragile margins. 

Residents based within the ULEZ have been given a period of tolerance, and we would ask for the same consideration to be given to the freight operators who keep London’s businesses and consumers supplied and working.”

The ULEZ, to be introduced in April 2019, will require vehicle operators to pay a daily charge in addition to the Congestion Charge, if their vehicles do not meet emissions standards. The Mayor of London’s office has also announced that it will be consulting on extending the zone, widening to the North and South Circular Roads for light vehicles, and London-wide for heavy vehicles, including lorries, coaches and buses.

“This announcement fails to take into consideration the huge strides the freight industry has taken in meeting new emissions standards,” Ms Chapman continues. “London’s businesses and homes will still need to be supplied with products every day, if the city is to continue to trade efficiently in increasingly difficult economic circumstances, yet there is no allowance made for the freight operators that supply them. 

This is simply a tax on freight, which will have repercussions for business profitability and longevity across the capital at a time when we believe the sector deserves support to continue its efforts to achieve ever cleaner air for the city.” 

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TfL Double Crossed Over Oxford Street Consultations And Public Surveys.

Anyone read through the TFL's latest consultation?

It says "Other than Taxis, the only other vehicles that currently use Oxford Street are buses"

Do these people at TfL ever leave their warm offices and go out and check?

Do they not know the signage along Oxford Street was removed, switched off and not policed?

Dubious Consultation Policy:

In a previous consultation:

66% of local residents were opposed to this change

76% of local businesses also opposed this.

So they at going ahead with it anyway next year.

Did TfL acquire this 'it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission' attitude from their dealings with toxic Minicab Firm Uber???

In their on street survey, with 11,953 responses to the proposals from members of the public that regularly visit the street, they say '43 per cent saying they supported the transformation'. 

This would indicate that 57% of the general public were against!!!

In any board room, a vote of 57% against would see a plan vetoed. 

What's the point of taking a survey, or completing a TfL consultation, they don't take any notice of the results.

Where are the orgs on this....I supposed it's another done deal !!!

With the area we are allowed to ply our trade in being taken away from us one street at a time and after joining the New United Trade Group, our more militant orgs appear to have become benign. Saying they no longer want to be outside the tent pissing in, they want to be on the inside pissing out.

No more Churchillian speeches, they now leave the tent covered in piss. 

Seems We Were Right All Along About Buses!

TfL say they are reducing the number of bus routes to two....is this an admission that the area has been saturating with an excessive amount of unused, empty and unnecessary buses for years, causing massive congestion, pumping out pollution ...... Who was responsible for this?

In another slap in the face to local residents and businesses, they will be moving the congestion and pollution to surrounding streets.

The plans are intended (note they say intended) to address air quality concerns (much of which they've created!), the high frequency of collisions - around 60 a year (we take it they mean buses mowing down pedestrians, as well as cyclists ploughing into shoppers), severe overcrowding during the busiest parts of the day (presently caused by the massive road works and the over saturation of private hire vehicles, currently running at around 125,000).

 

The original intention of having just busses and taxis using Oxford Street dissipated at a rate of knots extremely early on when the scheme was first introduced. 

Here is the most significant factor and the reason they are ignoring the previous consultation!

The introduction of the Elizabeth Line is expected to significantly increase visitor numbers in the area, according to 'Transport for London'.

If their observation that only busses and Taxis currently use Oxford street is anything to go by, then this new projection is surely questionable!!!

However, having spent 17 billion on a new tube line, they now want to encourage people to use it. 

So they are about to created gridlock in the surrounding areas and make it as hard as possible to get to Europe's busiest shopping street other than on the new tube line.

Ironically the construction of the Elizabeth line, is another constituent of today's congestion around the West End. 

Three things that seem to fit together very nicely; 

Irony, Hypocracy and Transport For London.

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