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Eastbourne operators backed by local MP in call for new taxi trade consultation Mark Bursa
Eastbourne taxi operators are calling for a new consultation into taxi policies in the south coast town, The calls are backed by Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell, who has recently conducted an online survey of Eastbourne residents which showed that more than half the respondents were having to wait for more than an hour for a taxi due to driver shortages. The MP hopes to bring the council’s licensing department and taxi drivers together to try and ensure more taxis are on the roads. Ansell said: “I want to urge the borough council to recognise the loss of taxi drivers is a huge blow to residents and visitors alike and it is
Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell and Eastbourne taxi operators representative Jeff Defalco.
potentially putting people in danger late at night. She added: “It is crucial a new consultation is launched so that everyone can have their say on what is
a good way forward that keeps people safe in the cars and allows them to be safe by actually being able to call a cab when they need one late at night or to go to a hospital appointment.”
She continued: “The consultation can also ask to better understand the roll out of CCTV to find a proper evidence base and impact assessment of this decision, especially when other local councils are not implementing it.” Jeff Defalco, representative from the Eastbourne Taxi Operators, said: “Lewes Council has announced that the mandatory CCTV licence condition is returning to full public consultation, along with muchneeded changes to testing to enable the trade to attract drivers and bring Lewes in line with other progressive authorities around the country. We, the Eastbourne taxi/private hire operators, would kindly request the same be afforded to Eastbourne by the council.”
Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV becomes premium brand’s first all-electric model Mark Bursa Mercedes-Benz has released details of its Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV, a top-line allelectric SUV designed to challenge super-premium SUVs such as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Based on the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, the car is the first EV in the up-market MercedesMaybach range. “The first all-electric vehicle from MercedesMaybach complements the best technologies from Mercedes-Benz with the extra comfort and individual details that are only available from Mercedes-Maybach,” said Mercedes-Benz group chairman Ola Källenius. Options include two-tone paintwork with a filigree pinstripe, applied by hand. Five color combinations are available. In the rear, the standard executive seats are equipped with ventilation, massage function and neck and shoulder heating. There is also a calf massage and the Chauffeur Package. As soon as the right rear passenger chooses the reclining position, the front passenger seat automatically moves forward to the chauffeur position. The dashboard uses the standard MBUX full-
JULY 2023
width Hyperscreen, while rear passengers can experience an extensive range of infotainment and comfort features with two 11.6in displays on the backrests of the front seats. In addition to the Dynamic Select driving modes (Eco, Sport, Offroad and Individual), the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV has a special Maybach drive mode. It replaces the classic Comfort mode and is designed entirely for
maximum driving comfort for the rear passengers. The Maybach driving programme is the standard setting. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV has an output of 484 kW and a range of up to 375 miles (provisional figure). It has 4Matic all-wheel drive as standard, and the battery can be recharged at speeds of up to 200kW, offering a theoretical 1080% recharge time of 31 minutes.
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