AUTONOMOUSTAXIS

the advancement in technology.

For private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers it’s a worry too as they are viewed as the greatest expense to the business. Minicab bookings all have a predetermined pick-up and drop-off, and the route is usually generated sat-nav technology. The operator could find themselves in the position of not needing drivers in the future.

With the right financial backing, operators could flood the roads with available vehicles on every street corner and reduce the cost of travel. As we have learned with the arrival of Uber and other ride-hailing firms, price and availability are the two main reasons for a customer to consider using a PHV.

For the taxi market it gets a little more complicated. The USP of a taxi includes the advanced knowledge of a driver and the ability to pick-up off the street. An autonomous vehicle cannot offer these, unless of course, passengers accept that the journey might not be as efficient, or legislation changes around plyingfor-hire.

s and taxis are allowed to operate in the UK, how

Drivers are having to fork out a massive 20p per litre more for diesel than petrol despite there being little difference between the two fuels on the wholesale market, RAC Fuel Watch pricing analysis shows.

The wholesale price of diesel was just 6p more than petrol at the end of February (121.06p compared to 115.48p), leaving drivers of diesel vehicles having to pay 168p a litre, compared to just 148p for unleaded) and diesel at 167.49p (down 2.79p). Asda had the lowest prices with a litre of unleaded costing 144.61p (down to 2.5p) and diesel 166.09p (down 3.6p).

The RAC calculates that if diesel was being sold at a fairer rate drivers would be paying no more than around 155p per litre, which would make the cost of filling an average 55-litre family car £7 less than it is today (£85.25, compared to the current £92.40).

RAC analysis shows retailers are currently taking more than double the margin on every litre of diesel they sell – just shy of a whopping 20p –compared to the 8.5p on unleaded, in effect subsiding petrol prices by charging more for diesel.

The RAC is calling on retailers to urgently cut the price of diesel to fairer levels, following the lead of membership-only retailer Costco which this week lopped 4p off diesel at its sites across the UK, meaning it is now charging an average of 154.7p –13p less than the UK average and 11.5p less than the average at the UK’s big four supermarkets.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “While our data shows petrol is generally being sold at a fair price at forecourts at the moment, drivers of the country’s 12m diesel cars – as well as almost every white van driver – have every right to feel hard done by as they’re paying a huge premium for the fuel which in no way reflects its lower wholesale cost.“

Users of ride-hailing app Uber could be facing further price increases as HMRC begin a second review into how VAT is being collected on rides.

According to The Telegraph, the tax authorities are looking into whether Uber are currently underpaying VAT since changes were made to their business model last year.

After a lengthy legal battle, Britain’s highest Court handed victory to Uber drivers for workers’ rights back in February 2021, which included the right to earn the minimum wage and holiday pay.

The landmark gig-economy judgment put pressure on HMRC to clamp down on the private hire operator. Uber had historically passed VAT liability to individual drivers who they claimed were independent contractors, rather than workers. and Refusals (the ‘NR3 database’) to enhance effective due diligence when making licensing decisions.

In October 2022 an agreement was made between Uber and HMRC which saw the ride-hail giants pay £615million in outstanding VAT payments.

According to The Telegraph, Uber are only collecting VAT tax on the commission it takes from drivers rather than the cost of the whole journey. Drivers are charged around 25% of the total fare.

Sources from the newspaper say HMRC are reviewing whether this complies with legislation.

If Uber are forced to apply VAT on the whole booking passengers could see the cost of booking rise by a further 10%.

The Government’s Secretary of State for Transport has contacted all licensing authorities to confirm free access to the mandatory taxi and private hire (PHV) National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S).

It was also announced that the National Anti will act as the database provider for the complex system which many authorities have already signed up to voluntarily.

The Department for Transport (DfT) published its Statutory Standards for Taxi and Private Hire Licensing back in July 2020.

The database provides details of all taxi and private hire driver licence revocation and refusal decisions taken from 1 January 2018.

Two taxi drivers in North East Lincolnshire have had their licences revoked after roadside drug tests gave positive readings.

Both drivers were stopped by police – one on 13 December 2022 and the second on 13 January 2023.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s hackney carriage subcommittee heard both cases at Grimsby Town Hall, the first on 25 January and the second on 22 February.

Committee members voted to revoke the drivers’ licences with immediate effect.

Councillor David Hasthorpe, chair of the licensing and community protection committee, said: “We take these matters very seriously and passenger safety is our top priority. The majority of taxi drivers in our area take their job very seriously and abide by the highest of standards.”

The Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, wrote in a letter to all licensing authorities: “To assist with this new mandatory requirement, I am pleased to announce that my department is covering the cost of access to the NR3S. All licensing authorities will be given access to the NR3S for free. If your authority is not consistently using the NR3S, you should review your processes to enable your authority to comply with the law when it comes into effect.”

The Transport Secretary intends to start the remaining provisions of the Act on 27 April 2023, which gives the final few authorities who do not currently have access to the NR3S time to put the appropriate processes in place.

A Nottingham private hire vehicle (PHV) driver was found guilty of illegally plying-for-hire and having no insurance.

Nottingham City Council (NCC) Licensing officers prosecuted the driver and shared details of the conviction.

The driver was fined £600 and also forced to pay costs of £632.82 and a victim surcharge of £240.

The minicab driver was also handed 8 penalty points on their licence.

Imagecredit:AdurandWorthingCouncil after licensing councillors deemed the action ‘excessive’.

A bright new taxi shelter which is set to accommodate passing pollinators, as well as waiting passengers has been installed in Worthing town centre.

The new, sustainable structure has replaced the old shelter at the town's main taxi rank in Chapel Road.

Fitted with a Living Roof full of wildflowers and sedum plants, the shelter is rich in nectar to support bees, butterflies, birds and other insects and animals on their travels.

In December 2022, members of the Taxi Licensing SubCommittee originally requested a report to be made by the Licensing and Safety Committee to consider the introduction of six-month DVLA checks for licensed drivers. DVLA checks are done every 3 years.

Walsall currently has 1,368 licensed drivers, of which a handful of drivers have been found to have failed to inform the licensing authority of points endorsed on their DVLA licence.

Where drivers fail to inform the licensing authority of points on their DVLA licence, a warning letter is sent from the Head of Community Safety and Enforcement informing the licence holder of their breach of conditions and consequences of the breach or further breaches would result in a review of their licence.

However, on review, councillors were keen not to punish the vast majority of drivers who continue to be compliant with the current rules set in place. There were also concerns that further red-tape and costs could push drivers out to nearby Wolverhampton for cheaper and easier licensing.

Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee is to embark on a review of vehicle condition standards for hackney and private hire vehicles, following updates to national guidance.

The review, led by a sub-committee of Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee, will consult drivers, the public and passenger groups on potential updates to hackney and private hire vehicle condition standards in Leeds, with a specific focus on standards for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

As part of the consultation process there will be a series of meetings with the trade and passenger groups, which will include representatives for disabled, older, female

Public drop in sessions will also scheduled to allow all interested parties to have their voices heard and influence potential updates to vehicle condition standards. what3words has taken the taxi world by storm, and today hundreds of operators have adopted the innovative tech via a range of enabled dispatching softwares. what3words solves these problems, providing a simple way to communicate very precise locations. It has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre squares, and each square has been given a unique combination of 3 random words – a what3words address. For example, ///juices.tribe.heap is the what3words address for one of the step-free, accessible ramp entrances at the Royal Albert Hall in London. what3words is useful in a wide range of scenarios, from locating accessible and side entrances, to communicating locations with no street addresses at all such as beaches or sports fields. Precise location information enables swift pick-ups and drop-offs and improves customers’ booking and riding experience.

Following the public consultation and review, members of the licensing committee will recommend options to Leeds City Council’s Executive Board in response to the updated national guidance.

A common barrier prohibiting seamless journeys in the taxi and private hire industry is the challenge of communicating precise pick up or drop off locations. Street addresses often won’t guide drivers to the exact desired destination and postcodes can cover large areas, posing a challenge to drivers who may not be familiar with the area.

In 2021, what3words won Newcomer of the Year at the Taxi Summit Awards. They were proud to be endorsed again in 2022 as Innovation of the Year, for the impact what3words is having on driver efficiency and customer satisfaction. 2023 is shaping up to be another great year, you can check out some of their latest highlights below.

Cab9 has expanded its partnership with what3words by making the technology available to all of its operators with web-booker and app integrations.

Tarpit Grover, Managing Director at Cab9, said: "We are thrilled to announce our integration with what3words, a cutting-edge location technology, which is revolutionising the way our customers and their passengers find their addresses. With this integration across the board, Cab9 provides a seamless and accurate pick-up experience, reducing the frustration of trying to describe a location to drivers. The potential of this integration is immense and we are excited to bring this level of convenience and efficiency to our customers."

The Cab9 customer took immediate advantage of the software’s new feature and launched what3words in its app and web-booker. It also accepts what3words addresses given over the phone for pick-up and drop -off locations.

Tom Shanks, CFO at Blueline, said: "We’re really excited to start working with what3words. Using their technology, our passengers will now be able to use this quick and simple way to specify a precise location with a 3 word address – they can find out their own location or identify ambiguously addressed pick-up points and share them with our call handlers in order to be picked up as efficiently and safely as possible!"

The world’s first ‘invite-only’ executive riding platform accepts what3words addresses for pick-up and drop-off locations. "As a forward thinking, innovative brand, OUNO prides itself on partnering with like-minded companies. what3words is going to be a huge part of the industry’s future and we are over the moon to be working with them," said Bobby Drewett, Co-founder, Ouno.

Increasing numbers of software dispatch systems are integrating what3words, so their customers can offer what3words location input to riders for smoother pick-ups and drop-offs. They believe that the more operators they bring on board, the more drivers and passengers can enjoy smooth, safe and efficient journeys.

Imagecredit:TaxiCharity

The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was delighted to receive an £18,000 grant from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity to fund its programme of special trips and activities.

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity supports partner charities which improve the wellbeing of armed forces veterans, especially those who are elderly or disabled.

The £18,000 grant will go towards the Taxi Charity’s 75th anniversary events including social occasions in the UK as well as trips to Normandy, Belgium and the Netherlands for commemoration services.

Addison Lee has integrated location service provider PostTag into its address search tools to help pinpoint pickup and drop-off addresses more efficiently.

PostTag’s address search tools, will complement Addison Lee’s existing in-house allocation technology, to improve the performance of booking processes.

A ground-breaking new electric taxi has begun its ‘World Tour’ to allow taxi industry workers the chance to see the working vehicle in the flesh.

The new electric taxi prototype called ‘The Miner’ is designed and manufactured by fintech firm Etioca Holding. The striking taxi recently rocked up in Barcelona and Madrid as part of the ‘Etioca Road Show 2023 World Tour’.

The electric taxi stretches almost 5 meters long and contains seven passenger seats, along with a separated taxi driver's cabin. The cab is expected to have a range of up to 217 miles and could be on the streets from 2024.

It has been designed in Turin and presented in Madrid by Roberto Fiorello, current CEO of the company, and Mark Ishakov, founder and developer of Etioca in recent years.

The electric vehicle is given for use by Etioca to the licensed driver, who does not buy the vehicle, but pays for the usage of the taxi, with a cost per mile fare.

Black cab manufacturers London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) have announced the appointment of Felix Faure Automobiles as the company’s second dealership in France.

Part of Groupe Vulcain, one of the country’s largest dealership networks, Felix Faure Automobiles is based in Lyon and will provide complete sales and service support for both LEVC’s electric TX Taxi and VN5 Van.

As the country’s second largest economic centre, the latest appointment in Lyon increases LEVC’s European footprint further, with the region set to be the latest area to welcome both LEVC’s TX taxi and VN5 van to its streets.

With VN5 emitting less than 20g of CO2 per kilometre, LEVC’s van also qualifies for the French government’s grant scheme, the “bonus écologique” and the “prime à la conversion”.

Mobility firm Zoox have deployed the world’s first purpose-built robotaxi on open public roads with passengers.

On 11 February, Zoox conducted the first run of its employee shuttle service in Foster City, California, marking the first time in history a purpose-built autonomous robotaxi without traditional driving controls carried passengers on open public roads.

To reach the milestone, Zoox completed testing on private roads and received approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to operate its robotaxi on the state’s public roads.

To date, Zoox is the only purposebuilt robotaxi permitted on California public roads that is selfcertified to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

Zoox’s ground-up design, which does not include traditional driving controls such as a steering wheel or pedals, incorporated FMVSS performance requirements directly into its vehicle and added more than 100 safety innovations not available in today’s passenger cars.

Ride-hailing giants Uber have announced a redesign of the Uber app which will see more personalisation and services all in one place.

The homescreen will allow users to book rides and Uber Eats deliveries more easily and with fewer taps. There’s also a new ‘Services’ tab which acts as a one stop shop to find all of the rides and delivery offerings available in the city. These services range from a nearby e-scooter to dinner, flowers, cocktails, and more.

A new ‘Activity Hub’ keeps track of past and upcoming rides and Eats orders all in one place.

The app will also save more personal details for future use. Once you tap ‘where to?’ on the homescreen, a users ‘Saved Places’ will appear. A suggested list of personalised destinations and ride types based on historical preferences, past trips, and most likely destinations will also be generated.

Uber will also share personalised recommendations for ways to plan and save in the city users are travelling around, based on how they have used Uber in the past.

Finally, users of the Uber app on iPhone will find a new way to track the progress of their ride.

The Uber app supports Live Activities and Dynamic Island, so iPhone users running iOS 16 or later can now track the live progress of a ride and receive updates like vehicle details, the latest ETA information, and trip status – all on the Lock Screen without opening the Uber app.

For iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users, the progress of the Uber ride will also be displayed in the Dynamic Island while your iPhone is unlocked.

Ride-hailing firm Uber have partnered with Tata Motors, one of India’s leading carmakers, to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.

The agreement is the largest EV commitment between an automaker and a ridesharing platform in India.

Tata Motors will begin deliveries of XPRES-T EVs to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner starting this month. The partnership will aid the electrification of Uber service across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.