Trapped by driveway parking bay

Bungling council workers have painted a new parking bay right across a homeowner’s driveway, leaving her afraid of becoming a prisoner in her own home.

The pensioner has slammed her local council after a parking bay was painted not just outside her house – but right across her driveway. The pensioner is now worried she will become a prisoner in her own home after bungling council workers put lines across her drive when a new parking scheme came into force last month.

“I have been in touch with the council constantly since the parking scheme was announced to flag this up,” said the 75-year-old.” But all that council officials can say is that drivers should know it is illegal to park in front of a driveway. “I couldn’t believe it when the workmen just turned up and started painted the bay right outside my driveway,” she said.

Director of Regeneration and Environment at Doncaster Council, Peter Dale said a new parking scheme came into force to combat the problem of day parking associated with the nearby hospital. “It is an offence to block access to a property and the scheme does not change this,” he added.

Shell Centre plan

Shell Centre plan gets Green light

 

The Green light has been given to plans for the redevelopment of the Shell Centre site on the South Bank. The 27-storey Shell Centre Tower will remain the centrepiece of the new site, and will continue to be owned and occupied by Shell.

It will be complemented by eight new buildings, one of which will incorporate new offices and trading floors for Shell, enabling all of their 4,000 London-based staff to be located together on the South Bank for the first time. The new development will have new retail units, restaurants and cafés and will incorporate up to 877 new homes, including affordable housing. The construction will continue over an anticipated six-year period.

Shell Centre plan
Courtesy of Taxicabnews

Taxi Protests

Taxi protest gridlocks Barcelona and Madrid

Traffic ground to a halt in the centres of Barcelona and Madrid when taxi drivers strike protested over the presence of car-pooling agencies operating in Europe. At least 4,000 cabbies joined the demonstration in Barcelona, some of whom suffered physical violence and vandalism through road rage when they blocked the most heavily-frequented streets and squares including the Plaza de Catalunya and the Plaça de Sant Jaume, and the Sants railway station.

In Madrid several thousand taxis joined a nose-to-tail ‘march’ blasting their horns all the way along the Paseo de la Castellana, the city’s main business district. In both cities, travelling by road was practically impossible. Cabbies across the country are up in arms over the presence in the market of car-pooling agencies, which are unregulated.

The main ones, Über in the USA and BlaBlaCar in France, operate in over 115 cities throughout Europe and the United States, and insist on certain minimum criteria for drivers – including a clean licence, mechanically-sound vehicles and sufficient insurance to cover injuries or loss to passengers.

The European Commission has refused to outlaw these agencies, saying taxi drivers are merely trying to protect their monopoly by shutting other companies out of their field, and Über itself has said the protests are ‘out of proportion’ and ‘just a tactic to close the doors to new alternatives for the consumer and maintain an immobile state’. Catalunya, however, has already mentioned plans to ban Über and BlaBlaCar from operating in its towns and cities, despite the companies being fully ‘legal’ and given the seal of approval by the European Commission.

A recent change to Spanish legislation now means anyone who offers lifts for a profit can be fined between 4,000 and 18,000 euros, and the passengers can also be forced to cough up between 400 and 600 euros for using the service. After a flood of panicked questions from members of the public when details of the new rules hit the headlines, the government clarified that this would not be the case where work colleagues share car-space to get to the office or friends and neighbours give each other a lift as a favour. Taxi protests also took place in Paris, Berlin, London, Milan and Naples.

Taxi Protests

 

Tottenham Court Road vision

More plans to ban vehicles in Tottenham Court Road area

Further plans to transform the Tottenham Court Road have been unveiled by Camden Council ahead of the opening of the new Crossrail station in 2018.

Taxis, along with other vehicles, except buses and cyclists (of course!) will be banned from Tottenham Court Road, Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7pm. From 8am-7pm, Monday to Saturday local access for cars, taxis and loading would be allowed on short sections of Tottenham Court Road via side roads. Gower Street and Bloomsbury Street will be two-way for all vehicles, with protected cycle lanes in both directions.

The protected cycle lanes would separate cyclists from traffic using ‘light segregation’ – rubber blocks sometimes called ‘armadillos’, similar to those recently used on Royal College Street. All parking will be removed from Gower Street and Bloomsbury Street (loading bays would be available on Gower Street between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Sunday) and the road will raised to the same level as the pavement, in certain areas, to slow traffic. New Oxford Street will get new diagonal crossings at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street and again the road raised to the same level as the pavement, in certain areas, to slow traffic. The project will replace the one-way system on Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street with two-way tree-lined streets, which say Camden Council will help cut traffic and congestion in the area, reduce pollution and accidents, and make bus journeys quicker.

The project will also create four new public spaces, including a new pedestrianised plaza at the foot of Centre Point next to the new Crossrail station. In addition, a new park will be built in Alfred Place. Camden is currently seeking views on the proposals, with a public consultation until 18 July 2014.

Visit camden.gov.uk/westendproject to find out more. Councillor Phil Jones, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport comments: “Our ambitious West End Project will transform the Tottenham Court Road area into one of London’s premier commercial, cultural and academic districts. We’re aiming to make journeys quicker and safer, as well as creating a more attractive place for people to enjoy. We want to hear from local residents and businesses as part of our consultation to help us deliver a project which everyone can benefit from.”

The results of the consultation will be presented to a Council Cabinet meeting in late 2014, where a decision will be made on the project. If the project is approved by Councillors, construction will begin in early 2015 and be completed by 2018, subject to technical details and funding. Courtesy of Taxicabnews

Tottenham Court Road vision

 

 

T&PH performance is “Woefully Inadequate” says London Assembly report

The London Assembly Transport Committee report entitled “Future Proof: Taxi and Private Hire Services in London” was published shortly before Christmas. In it, Transport for London’s performance in regulating the Taxi and Private Hire trades has been described as “woefully inadequate” by London Assembly members.

This criticism comes as the Assembly’s Transport Committee published the findings of a six month investigation into the state of the trades and TfL’s role as regulator.

The report states: “Efforts to modernise taxi and private hire services and meet passenger expectations are being hindered by the lack of a Mayoral strategy for the future of these trades. This makes it difficult for Transport for London (TfL) to regulate the industries efficiently and effectively. Taxi and private hire services form a crucial element of London’s public transport offer, including for some of the most vulnerable passengers, but competition from new technology, and changing passenger demands, are challenging the traditional ways in which these services are delivered. London’s taxi and private hire services will need to evolve to meet these challenges. Failure to address fundamental issues affecting the trades threatens to spark a race to the bottom in terms of standards, putting the travelling public at risk, and threatening London’s reputation as a world leader for these services.”

It continued by saying: “The inherent role of the regulator, TfL, is to protect the interests of the travelling public. We call on the Mayor and TfL to preserve the distinction between the licensed taxi and private hire industries, recognising that diversity of choice is critical to meeting passengers’ differing requirements. We need a clear strategy to ensure the survival and prosperity of both of these services, which covers three critical, inter-related areas of public interest:
safety, availability and accessibility.”

Taxicabnews

WCHCD Installation Dinner

The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers held their Installation Dinner aboard HQS Wellington on 4th September.

Malcolm Paice was installed as the new Master. Following the Court meeting the Master and his Wardens welcomed guests on board HQS Wellington for pre-dinner drinks on deck. 99 people sat down to dine in what was once the ship’s engine room but is now a custom made livery hall, adding a feeling of comfort and warmth to the ship with displays of marine paintings, artefacts, gold and silver plate.

Dinner started with Reverend Dr Martin Dudley saying grace by reciting one of his remarkable unique poems about the London Taxi Industry. Guests dined on Smoked Fillet of Sea Bass, Lancashire beef and Baby
Pineapple filled with Creme Brulee. The Master thanked the Master Mariner for allowing the use of the
Hall; he congratulated the 3 new Liverymen and took wine with 10 new Freemen who were admitted to the company earlier that day.

After toasts and a speech from the Master, Doug Cheshire, Chairman of the London Vintage Taxi Association, responded and proposed a toast to the Company. Doug was known to Malcolm not only through the taxi industry but also because Doug, or Mr Cheshire as Malcolm used to know him, used to be Malcolm’s Woodwork teacher.

After the dinner Freemen and their guests were invited to join the Master in a Stirrup Cup.

Taxicabnews

Moving forward

Following the announcement on 21st November from Nissan that it has suspended its London Taxi Project pending the outcome of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone consultation, there have been many comments from the trade.

The whole ULEZ consultation means there are many unanswered questions about the future of the trade at the moment. The fact is that that currently there is no taxi available to buy that is zero emission capable, but by 2018 this may have changed. Taxi Globe asked Peter Johansen, Vice President of The London Taxi Company for his comments. He said: “The London taxi trade is world famous for its high standards and proud heritage. It is a trade we are hugely proud to serve.

“The industry across the globe is continuously adapting to reflect evolving consumer needs, changing economic conditions and the need to become more sustainable and universally accessible to all. This is especially the case in London where regulators set a high pace for change. Nissan’s decision to postpone the launch of their taxi into London is the most recent reflection of some of these factors. But our previous difficulties and the issues currently being faced by Mercedes/KPM only serve to underline that success within the London hackney carriage market is no mean feat.

“That’s why we deliberately design and produce a purpose built taxi to meet the conditions for the London market. It’s also why we are always seeking new ways to improve the vehicle quality and service care we provide to our customers. This matters now more than ever. We know that some drivers will be disappointed not to see a new entrant into the market at this point. But we’re also confident in the product we’re offering now for professional drivers that want to drive the original iconic London Taxi, which is a favourite for tourists and commuters alike. Competition is vital for any automotive manufacturer and we know we must always fight for our place in London and beyond. The London Taxi now graces the streets of more than 40 cities across the world with any success firmly based on the foundations set and maintained by thousands of men and women in our capital city.

“As we move forward as a company and develop new products and services to meet changing demands we are confident that our experience and, more importantly, our relationship with the trade – from industry bodies to individual drivers – provides us with a clear competitive advantage.

“We are proud of our joint heritage with the London Taxi trade and our historical standing as a truly British icon. This is what drives us, every minute of every day.”

Taxicabnews

 

End of the road for the Tax Disc

2014 will see the end of the road fund tax disc on windscreens. From October motorists will no longer have to display their road tax disc in the windscreen of their vehicles. But you will still be paying Vehicle Excise Duty.

The treasury claims that there will be savings of £20 million. The number of windscreens checked for tax discs by officials has dropped 75 per cent in the last five years, thanks to the electronic vehicle register that is used by both traffic police and the DVLA. The tax disc is no longer needed for enforcement purposes, the police use number plate recognition equipment.

If they pull you over they can immediately tap into this database and see whether the vehicle is taxed and insured and what the driver ought to look like. Road tax is calculated based on the carbon emissions of the vehicle, there are thirteen different bands with annual duties ranging from £0 to £490 and as we know only too well even up to £1,065 for gas guzzlers in their first year on the road. One thing which will most definitely be a plus for motorists will be the choice of paying the vehicle excise duty by monthly direct debit.

It is always a bill that has had to be paid in full and on time so this will be a welcome addition. It will also be cheaper to pay for a six month period due to a 10 percent surcharge it can currently cost £55 for a half-year disc or £100 for a year. Under the reforms, the charge will be reduced from 10 to 5 percent, reducing an identical six-month period to £52.50. Paying monthly will also attract a 5 percent rather than a 10 percent charge. Vehicle tax was introduced in the 1888 budget and the current system of excise duty applying specifically to motor vehicles was introduced in 1920.

The tax disc was introduced in 1921, with a plain design of black ink on grey paper which drivers had to cut out themselves. Colour was introduced in 1923.

For more Taxi news articles please visit http://taxicabnews.co.uk/latestissue.html

Old Merc goes to auction

Old Merc goes to auction

One of the oldest surviving Mercedes-Benz cars in the world, the 1905 Simplex 28/32 HPs Phaeton was auctioned by Coys at their True Greats sale on December 3rd.

This Mercedes is one of the oldest surviving examples of the marquee in the world today that is still complete and roadworthy.

For many years it was in the famous Mercedes-Benz collection of Mr. Arturo Keller in Napa, California, in the United States. Chris Routledge, Managing Partner of Coys, said: “It’s an amazing car that is nearly 110 years old it’s so big, magnificent and powerful.

It has the most imposing presence and is such an important piece of early motoring history. Many cars of this period were glorified motorised tricycles, but this represents the ultimate in Edwardian super-technology”.

Old Merc goes to auction
TaxiCabNews

Driving records to go online

Insurance premiums for most motorists could fall as driving records go online. Moving all driving records online could reduce the cost of car insurance for most people, say ministers.

The migration, which will be complete by mid-2015, will end the need for the “paper counterpart” document drivers have to keep with their licence. At the moment, insurers cannot check licence or traffic offence details when they sell policies, meaning they have to “price in” a risk factor.

The Association of British Insurers says premiums are pushed up by the fact that firms have to take account of the risk that drivers either do not tell the truth about speeding points to get a lower quote, or simply make a mistake. Most drivers would struggle to find the official document we are meant to keep with our driving licence. But from the middle of 2015 we will not need to. All the information on it – such as speeding points and endorsements – will be available online.

A system due to be launched by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will allow insurers to access the information using an individual’s licence number. The paper counterpart to the driving licence photo card is due to be phased out by 2015 while it was announced in December that paper car tax discs would also be scrapped.

For more Taxi news articles please visit: http://taxicabnews.co.uk/latestissue.html