Public Hire

A taxi driver who wrongly received eight Clean Air Zone penalty charges has received an apology from a council after fines totalling almost £1,000 were cancelled.

Abdul Raheem is one of a number of taxi drivers who have complained to Sheffield City Council that they received the penalty charges, even though their vehicles meet emissions standards or were exempt from the scheme at the time.

Concerns have been raised about safety as the number of out-of-town private hire taxi drivers operating in Greater Manchester continues to rise.

The Manchester Evening News has revealed that more than one in three private hire taxi drivers operating in Greater Manchester are licensed by Wolverhampton Council.

Thousands of taxi drivers have been given the choice to work as self-employed or become part of the staff at ride-hailing company.

Freenow UK asked its 20,000 taxi and private hire drivers to choose their employment status, asking whether they wanted to remain self-employed and enjoy the freedom that goes with it, or become employees and enjoy benefits such as paid holidays and sick pay.

Taxi drivers are a huge part of our communities and Glasgow, in particular, is relying on them for its future.

Whether it is a trip to the shops, restaurant, a night out or airport run, taxis are the trusted option to get people where they want to go and when they need to get there.

Drivers in London will see the speed limit cut from 30mph to 20mph along 65km of the capital’s roads as part of an ongoing drive for safety – but many motorists are unhappy about it.

As the scheme is rolled out across multiple London boroughs, drivers are also being targeted by plans which would see them penalised for travelling just 1 mile over the speed limit.

Professional drivers know what it costs to run their business and put food on the table for their family.

This is why there has been concern about the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK, especially when many feel the EVs replacing them aren’t yet up to the job.

Being a taxi driver can be very rewarding and many people spend their careers enjoying life on the road.

But, like any career, it is something people have to be passionate about in order to go the distance – and there are ups as well as downs.

When taxi drivers buy a new vehicle, reliability is one of the key things they look for both for now and in the future.

But it is only when they get an expensive repair bill – on top of taxi insurance and running costs – and have to wait for their vehicle to pass its MoT retest to get it back on the road that they might question their choice of car.

Although you must have taxi insurance to operate legally in the UK, there are other types of insurance needed to run a taxi business.

And, typically, the bigger the operation, the more cover is needed to protect staff, passengers and the entire operation.

Cancelled cabs cause frustration and inconvenience all round and taxi drivers are among those looking for a solution.

The problem is largely the result of improved technology and booking apps which let drivers and passengers know exactly how far away they are from each other.

Whether it is a holiday, wedding or heading home after a night out, people turn to taxi drivers to get them to and from events and venues safely.

Taxi drivers are the most versatile professionals on the road, never knowing where the next fare will take them.

A taxi driver has been praised for rescuing three young children who were stranded on a railway platform after their mum was stuck on a train as it left the station.

Nana Akua Boakyewaa was on her way home to Telford after a day out in Birmingham with her children when the family became separated at Telford Central railway station.