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Fares may rise as taxi fleet changes colour to black
2007-06-03 18:27:00
Haydn Lewis   THOUSANDS of taxi customers may face increased fares, if plans for York's entire hackney carriage fleet to be painted black go ahead. Councillors are looking at a scheme to ensure all the city's 158 licensed hackney carriages have uniform black paintwork - which could lead to price hikes for customers. Currently council conditions allow any colour of vehicle to be licensed as a hackney carriage, and also permit external advertising displays. But the new plans would only allow taxis to display the council crest on the outside, with the words City Of York Hackney Carriage on both the nearside and offside door panels. Taxi drivers will have to foot the cost of any changes - but this could result in fare hikes in the years ahead. City of York Council has just set fare rates for 2008 with a rise of four per cent. advertisementBut taxi drivers have said that if they support the changes they may ask the council to share the costs with the customer. ...
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Muslim cabbies' booze ban
2007-06-03 06:18:00
FIRST it was dogs, now its alcohol. Muslim taxi drivers in the United States have drawn the ire of airport authorities for refusing to pick up customers carrying alcohol. The revelation comes just weeks after The Daily Telegraph exposed how some cabbies in Sydney are refusing to carry passengers with guide dogs on religious grounds. The US cabbies, many of them Somali, have shut their doors to more than 5,200 customers who landed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since 2002. They've also refused a number of customers in the city who want to bring a bottle of wine or liquor home with their groceries. Most were able to get another taxi, but scores were left standing at the curb or unceremoniously dumped on city streets when the cabbies found out, mid-ride, that there was booze in their baggage. In Sydney, alcohol has also proved an issue for cabbies. NSW Government officials have raised the prospect of instant dismissal for any cabbie caught exercing...
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Liverpool taxi charity outing goes world-wide
2007-06-02 14:47:00
An annual charity outing organised by Liverpool ’s taxi drivers has launched its own website to ensure more cabbies can sign up. Organisers from the Taxi Drivers’ Blind Children Outing Fund, which has been running since 1949, have heard that many drivers wanting to join in do not know where to go to find out more. So this month a website was launched – blindchildrensouting.tk – so they can log-on and find out all they need to know about taking part in the July event. “We decided to set this up for any would-be charity drivers who just might want to get involved but don’t know how to contact us,” said Phill Carpenter, a long-term member of the outing committee, former cab driver of 19 years and now salesman at Taxifix, the city’s main dealer for LTI Vehicles, manufacturer of the famous London-style cab. “The trip has been running for a long time but it was time to bring it into the 21st Century. “My step-daughter, J...
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New York police arrest taxi robber suspect
2007-06-02 14:42:00
New York police said on Friday that they arrested a man suspected of repeatedly robbing city taxi drivers at gunpoint. Fear spread among New York taxi drivers in recent weeks after a serial robber targeted cabs. The crimes, which often took place around midnight when police change shifts, involved a man pulling a gun on the drivers, taking money, and fleeing on foot. The suspect, apprehended early Friday morning, was charged with eight counts of robbery and eight counts of criminal possession of a weapon. The latest incident was on Tuesday night when a large muscular man pulled a gun on a driver in midtown Manhattan, took money and fled on foot. Spokesmen for the police and taxi drivers have said they cannot remember the last time one suspect has repeatedly targeted cabbies and said drivers may have let their guard down after years of declining crime rates. The taxi federation and the crime-fighting group Guardian Angels have been raising awareness and advising drivers on ...
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Trafford pair arrested for failing to stop
2007-06-02 11:01:00
Simon Greenhalgh A twenty-five-old man from Old Trafford and a 17-year-old girl from Altrincham have been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Traffic officers are appealing for witnesses after an Urmston man, aged 36, was left fighting for his life following the incident in Chorlton, on May 29, just after 11pm. It's believed a private hire car stopped in the second lane of the southbound carriageway of Barlow Moor Road at its junction with High Lane in Chorlton Cum Hardy. The 36-year-old man got out of his car into lane one of the carriageway. At this point a green Fiat Punto passed the private hire car on its nearside and collided with the man. He was taken to hospital where he continues to be treated for serious head injuries. Anybody with information is asked to contact the road policing unit at West Didsbury on 0161 856 6173. http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/display.v ar.1441244.0.trafford_pair_arrested_for_f ailing_to_stop.php
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Last Lincoln leaves Wixom line
2007-06-02 03:53:00
Production ended at Ford's Wixom assembly plant on Thursday with the completion of a white Lincoln Town Car. The vehicle will be shipped to a dealership in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Wixom opened in 1957 as the Lincoln Assembly Plant and produced 6.6m vehicles in its 50 years of operation. Production of the Town Car - basis for many stretched limousines in the US - will be moved to the Saint Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and will commence in the fourth quarter there. About 1,100 employees were on hand to see the final car off the line. Wixom is one of 16 Ford facilities to be idled under the company's 'Way Forward' plan to return North American automotive operations to profit. http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id= 91504
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Suspect arrested in limo driver's shooting death
2007-06-01 11:58:00
  Marcus Oliver ST. PETERSBURG – Police in St. Petersburg say they've made an arrest in the case of a limousine driver who was shot and killed after he stepped out of his vehicle last weekend. Investigators say Marcus Allen Oliver, 18, was arrested at his home in Clearwater, and he's currently being question at the St. Petersburg Police Department Headquarters.  Detectives say Oliver shot Kurt Anthony Bryant early Sunday morning after he stopped his limousine on 13th Avenue South to let several passengers out.  They say when Bryant got out of the limo, he was approached by the suspect and there was a dispute.  They say the suspect then shot him at close range.  Bryant was rushed to Bayfront Medical Center, where he later died.  Police say Oliver will likely be taken to the Pinellas County Jail sometime on Thursday afternoon.    http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/ News/Detail?contentId=3362624&version =2&...
More About: Arrested , Death , Shooting , Limo , Este

Minicab driver hits out at ‘injustice’
2007-06-01 11:48:00
  A TURKISH Cypriot minicab driver has claimed his business is being pushed under by ‘unfair’ costs that give black cab owners an unfair advantage.     Öney Adak says minicab drivers are forced to pay £5,000 in rent a year – a sum not charged to taxis - and that they are not permitted to benefit from the extra incomes available to taxi drivers, such as advertising revenue. He told the London Turkish Gazette: “Black cabs don’t pay rent, but we have to pay £5,000 a year. Black cabs make money from advertising but we’re not even allowed to put our phone numbers on the side of our cars. Our minicabs have to pass an MOT every 6 months. It’s for the best but we need to earn a living as well.” He went on: “We charge the same fees but when I take a passenger to the airport I can’t just pick up another customer for a return journey while I’m there.” Although accepting that taxi ...
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Cabbies say CPR isn't part of service
2007-06-01 11:40:00
KATE HOWARD Metro taxi drivers could be required to learn CPR to keep their licenses if the Metro Council approves a proposal Tuesday to make certification mandatory. But the proposal isn't sitting well with cab drivers and managers, who say they're in the business of transporting passengers, not offering first aid.     Adding CPR classes to the required physicals, drug tests, hospitality classes and background checks will improve the industry's image, according to the proposal's sponsor, Councilman Adam Dread. "Metro cab drivers have a bad rep now for being surly and uncaring," Dread said. They've lost sight of the mission of a cab driver.… I'm not asking them to be first responders, just to have skills and use them if they can until an EMT gets there." Dread, who authored the "taxicab passenger's bill of rights" and other laws that require taxi drivers to stay off cell phones and speak English, sai...
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Italian taxi drivers to go on strike Thursday to protest plans to grant mor
2007-06-01 11:36:00
ROME (AP) - Cab drivers across Italy plan to go on strike Thursday for the second time in a month to protest government plans to grant more taxi licenses. Drivers plan to stage a protest in Rome, ending at Premier Romano Prodi's party headquarters, to demand new negotiations over the liberalization plans, a statement from the cab union said. On May 8, some 25,000 taxi drivers went on strike over the same demands, with thousands of cabs taking part in a demonstration in the capital's center. And last summer, a dayslong strike by taxi drivers paralyzed Rome. http://www.pr-inside.com/italian-taxi-dri vers-to-go-on-r139096.htm
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Two Taxi Medallions Fetch Record Price
2007-06-01 00:37:00
Two taxi medallions recently sold for $600,000 each, breaking the previous record set last June when a medallion sold for more than $550,000. The city strictly limits the number of medallions, driving up demand and prices. There are about 13,000 medallions currently in circulation, but only 1,300 have been auctioned in the past 70 years. In 2001, medallions were selling for just under $200,000. The Taxi and Limousine Commission chairman says the record sale price shows just how healthy and vital the city's taxi industry is http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp? stid=1&aid=70199  
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Trainee WPC joined gang that traded £4m worth of stolen cars
2007-06-01 00:29:00
A trainee policewoman was a member of a £4million car ringing gang. Emma Rayfield's boyfriend helped organise the operation in which false identities were created for stolen Ferraris, BMWs and Porsches. The gang bribed an official at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to help them give new identities to more than 300 luxury cars using the details of vehicles which had been scrapped abroad. Documents claimed the cars had been imported into Britain when they were in fact 'ringers' which had a new identification number welded on to them. David Adams, 31, a registrations officer at DVLA offices in Sidcup, South-East London, was paid up to £500 a car to issue false documents. Anthony Holt, 42, brought in his girlfriend Rayfield, 32, persuading her as well as members of his family and friends to sign documents and allow their addresses to be used for correspondence, Southwark Crown Court in South London heard. The couple, who had a son togeth...
More About: News , Cars , Stolen , Gang , Worth

Wava to sue over CHOGM car deal
2007-06-01 00:05:00
 Mikaili Sseppuya SPEAR Motors has threatened to sue the Government if the deal to supply limousines for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November is taken away from it. Gordon Wavamunno, the managing director, gave the warning on Tuesday. The Government last year invited bids for the supply of 204 limousines to transport heads of state during the Kampala summit. Spear Motors was found to be the most responsive bidder but no official communication awarding them the tender has been made. The Government originally wanted 204 executive saloon cars for VIP delegates. It wanted to buy 32 of these cars and rent the rest. Due to the secrecy the issue has been treated with, it is not possible to know the exact number now needed. Wavamunno said after being informed that Spear Motors’ offer had been evaluated the best, they had booked 204 executive saloon cars. “We have spent a lot of money on booking the cars for CHOGM. They will all ...
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MSPs vote to scrap bridge tolls
2007-06-01 00:01:00
  MSPs have voted to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges. But the move came after a last-minute manoeuvre which saved the government from the prospect of its first defeat. The SNP minority administration agreed to accept a cross-party amendment not to "arbitrarily" delay or cancel major transport projects in Edinburgh. First Minister Alex Salmond earlier expressed concerns over the viability of the plans for an airport rail link and trams for the capital. They have already received parliamentary approval, but the new government is currently reviewing whether the projects represent value for money. Speaking in parliament, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said legislation to scrap the tolls would be introduced in September. "It is the government's view that tolls for users of the Forth and Tay road bridges should have been abolished once the tolls were lifted from the Erskine Bridge in May 2006," he told the Scottish Parliamen...
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Cabbie shot in Arvada
2007-05-31 23:46:00
Mike McPhee Arvada police combed the area around West 60th Avenue and Yarrow Street looking for information in the early-morning shooting of a cab driver. Police declined to release much information about the 2 a.m. shooting until their investigation progresses. They declined to identify the victim or the taxi company he works for. The victim, described as a 45-year-old male, was taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital, where he is in critical condition. Police spokeswoman Susan Medina wouldn't describe his wounds, saying only that he was conscious when he left in an ambulance. Medina said the cab driver was responding to a call for a fare in the Arvada Gardens condominium complex when he was shot. Police have no suspects in custody. Anyone with information is asked to call the Arvada Police Department at 720-898-6900. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6019954
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School transport for disabled children is in big trouble
2007-05-31 05:14:00
Adam Tugwell, a newly elected Councillor in Tewkesbury, wonders why no-one has noticed the significance of the repeal of Section 75 of the Local Government & Provisions Act. Hopefully none of us will by now underestimate the ability of this Government to change things ‘under the radar’, whilst the media concentrates on issues which sell. On the face of it, transport stories seldom tap the imagination, unless there has been a fatal crash, charges for commuters are going up or some other kind of negative splash has been generated by a public brick or two being dropped into the seemingly still pool of all things which move. Earlier this year, a story worthy of note did apparently slip past our ever watchful media when the Government repealed Section 75 of the Local Government & Provisions Act (1975). Admittedly, it doesn’t sound very exciting until you understand that it involves the provision of schools transport, and particularly, the carriage of child...
More About: News , Children , Transport , School , Disabled

Hi, We are here to provide the best service for you when you travel in Chin
2007-05-30 18:12:00
Hi, Everyone. Iam working for China homey travel company, and we provide the best service for you when visiting China on car rental and English Chinese speaking interpreter. You might review our website for have a look and do some researches. Our website is  www.homeytravel.com
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Safety group opposes tuk-tuks in Blackpool
2007-05-30 15:56:00
Robin Brown Tuk-tuks may pose a safety risk to passengers and pedestrians, according to a group that campaigns for the safe use of taxis. The tuk-tuks – motorised rickshaws popular in the Far East – have been granted private hire licenses in Blackpool, a move opposed by Taxiwise. “You have to ask, where does the novelty value end and safety concerns start?” said Celeste Clarke, national spokesperson for Taxiwise, which campaigns for higher standards among vehicles used as cabs and to stamp out bogus drivers. “These tuk-tuks might be different but are they really safe enough to be carrying paying passengers? “We want to see safety standards maintained across the whole of the UK as well as rules on the type of vehicle that can be used as a taxi so people can immediately identify a genuine cab from one that is not. Blackpool has licensed 20 tuk-tuks for use in Blackpool. They cannot be flagged down but need to be booked in advance....
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Youth robbed taxi driver at knifepoint
2007-05-30 15:49:00
A TEENAGER who held a knife to the neck of a taxi driver, stole his cab and then crashed it has been given more than four years' detention. Matthew Robertson, 17, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty and being convicted at a previous hearing to robbery and dangerous driving. The court heard how a taxi was called to Elsden Road in Wellingborough at about 6.10am on January 6. When it arrived Robertson and another male got into the vehicle and asked to be taken to a garage to buy cigarettes. As they left the garage, Robertson pushed something sharp into the driver's neck and said: "Pull over or I'll stab you." He repeated the threat three times, forcing the driver to stop and get out. The two boys then drove to Northampton, where they picked up two girls before driving to Regent's Square at about 7.40am. Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, said: "The car clipped a kerb and flipped up onto its roof. Two males were seen to run off...
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Cab driver robbed
2007-05-30 15:19:00
Jay McQueen HAMILTON (AM900 CHML) - A Hamilton man has been charged after a cab driver robbery in the east end. It happened last night at King & Barnsdale with police telling us a man put a knife to the driver's throat and relieved him of his money. There was a struggle and the cabbie received some minor cuts to his throat and arm. The cab itself crashed into a brick shed during the struggle and the suspect fled on foot. Police caught up with him later, not surpisingly, in a bus shelter. 29-year-old Shaun Kolosjai of Hamilton is charged with robbery. http://www.900chml.com/news/news_local.cf m?cat=7428545912&rem=66452&red=80 154523aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm =news_local.cfm
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Cabbie charged over Bondi stabbing
2007-05-30 15:15:00
A Sydney taxi driver has been charged over the stabbing of a man at Bondi Beach. Police were called to Bondi Road in the early hours of Sunday, April 22, following reports a 28-year-old passenger had been stabbed during an argument when he was being dropped off by a taxi. The man was taken to hospital with two stab wounds to his chest. A 42-year-old taxi driver was arrested on Saturday at Wiley Park in Sydney's south-west. He is due to face Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, charged with malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Cabbi e-arrested-over-stabbing-police/2007/05/2 6/1179601728855.html
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Joburg taxi routes to be shared
2007-05-30 04:53:00
Two rival taxi associations who allegedly clashed in shooting incidents this week resolved their route disputes on Tuesday, Top Six taxi management said. Top Six chairperson Sicelo Mabaso said the Faraday Taxi Association, the Dobsonville-Roodepoort-Leratong-Johannesb urg Taxi Association (Dorljota), the police, and the provincial registrar's office met for between four and five hours. Mabaso is also chairperson of the Gauteng branch of the National Taxi Alliance. A man died and a number of people were wounded in three taxi-related shootings on Monday, believed to due to rivalry between operators. The meeting resolved that Faraday would operate the route to Honeydew via Beyers Naude Drive and that the route to Clearwater via Hendrik Potgieter road would be used by Dorljorta. A third route - between Johannesburg and Radiokop - would be shared on a 50-50 basis, Mabaso said. This was because both associations had not registered for the route, he said. Meanwhile, Transp...
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When is a limo, not a limo?
2007-05-30 04:10:00
    A SCHOOL prom is one of the most important events in most teenage girls' lives, writes Emma Reeves. They spend hundreds of pounds on a dress, have their nails painted and their hair styled professionally. Six prom princesses from Sir Frederic Osborn School, WGC, hoped to finish off that dream by arriving at the ball in a pink limo. But a booking error meant a white "van" turned up instead. The order was placed by one of their mums, Lynn Jordan from Little Rivers, WGC. She found the company, Cars and Stars of Mundells Court, WGC, in the Yellow Pages and phoned up to book the transport. She said: "I was completely devastated. I wanted a pink limo and a passenger van turned up. "It looked a Transit van but a little bit longer." Lynn contacted the owner of the company. "I was mortified. He told me to take it or leave it," she said. "I had no other way of getting them to their prom. "Everyone else...
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Man helping women out of car shot, killed
2007-05-29 09:31:00
ST. PETERSBURG A man who was shot in St. Petersburg early Sunday died later that day, said the St. Petersburg Police Department. The man was helping female companions out of a limousine near 13th Avenue S and 10th Street when he was shot. They dragged him back into the vehicle and he was driven to Bayfront Medical Center. The Police Department was notified of his death about 6 p.m. http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/28/State/M an_helping_women_out.shtml
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Limo service stretches for clients
2007-05-29 09:24:00
Juliette Fardulis Question: What sets your company apart?   Answer: We make sure what the customer asks for, we do. All the details of their event, special beverages and other specifics of the occasion are documented so we can provide the best possible experience. Drivers are given maps to be on time for each stop, and they are almost always dressed in tuxedos.    Q: What special requests have you had from customers? A: One customer had us pick up his wife and her co-worker and take them to a spa for the afternoon. Another couple surprised their parents, who had never been in a limo, for their anniversary. The driver gave them a personal note from their children when he picked them up. We also do many airport runs. Q: How long have you been around and how many vehicles are in your fleet? A: My husband, Doug, and our partners, Mark and Denean Quirk, bought the business in August 2005 and also bought two of our competitors, Ike and Teddy's in F...
More About: Service , Clients , Limo , Vice , Client

Hybids to Hydrogen
2007-05-29 09:17:00
In the not too distant future diesel-hybrid cars and commercial vehicles will be available. PSA Peugeot Citroen says by 2010 the cost of diesel-hybrid technology, although already proven for reliability, will be available once the cost of components has reached affordable levels. After that we will see the introduction of fuel-cell powered passenger and commercial vehicles and the most common form of power looks likely to be hydrogen. This fuel is ideally suited for use in emission free zones as only water vapour is emitted from the vehicles exhaust system. Most major car manufacturers are up and running with the use of hydrogen as a fuel which can be used in modified petrol engines but one of the leaders BMW estimate it will take between 10 and 15 years for this technology to become available to the general public. The reason, there is no legislation in place to set the standards required for manufacturing hydrogen using vehicles or the criteria set for hydrogen fuel to...
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Motorola Supplies Qatar's Mowasalat with TETRA Radio Solutions
2007-05-29 09:11:00
Motorola Inc. and its local authorized distributor, Omnix Qatar Company, have successfully completed a project with Mowasalat, provider of taxi, limousine and public and private bus services in Qatar, for the supply of Motorola TETRA radio solutions. The Motorola TETRA solutions, which include radio terminals and ancillary equipment to enable installation in vehicles, will provide Mowasalat with better control and monitoring of its fleet while on the road. Mowasalat selected Motorola's MTH800 TETRA portable and MTM800 TETRA mobile terminals, with car kits and dashboard mounts, which use Qatar Telecommunications' (Qtel) TETRA network to link vehicles on the road with Mowasalat's control center. The Motorola solution supports both voice and data communications, with support for GPS, which enables the company to monitor vehicles on the road and integrate communications with dispatch and control software on the back end to enable efficient management and control of veh...
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Golden taxi hits the road in Nagoya to celebrate firm's 50th anniversary
2007-05-28 16:20:00
The lavish gold taxi is pictured in a ceremony in Nagoya on Thursday.NAGOYA -- A taxi firm here is celebrating its 50th anniversary in lavish style -- by operating a taxi that has been painted gold from top to bottom.   Fuji Taxi Group began operating the luxurious-looking golden taxi on Thursday. Officials said the car's plush paint job cost hundreds of thousands of yen. "We want to make this a famous taxi symbolizing good luck and the attainment of a perfect match in a way comparable to Nagoya's famous golden shachihoko (a mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp)," said Fuji Taxi Group President Kazuo Ohara. The first passenger in the taxi was former WBC bantamweight boxing champion Yasuei Yakushiji, who opened a boxing gym in Nagoya in April. "When my gym reaches its 50th anniversary, I want to have a match wearing gold gloves and pants," Yakushiji said. (Mainichi) http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/nationa...
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Man accused of cab driver murder
2007-05-28 12:13:00
Gian Chand Bajar's body was found in St Benedict's Avenue A 20-year-old man has been charged with murder after a taxi driver was run over by his own cab. Gian Chand Bajar, 71, died after being attacked and run over by his taxi in Gravesham. The self-employed driver died in hospital after being found injured in St Benedicts Avenue on Wednesday. Luke Aujila, of Dorchester Road, Gravesend, has been charged with his murder and is due to appear before Medway magistrates on Monday.   http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/englan d/kent/6696269.stm
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What’s pink, green and growing in London?
2007-05-28 12:07:00
 A 100-plus fleet of London chauffeur-driven cars is going hybrid, as Pink Express takes on Toyota Prius hybrids to help it meet its ambitious environmental targets. The first of the Prius T4 models arrived early this year. Pink Express branched out into providing passenger car services for corporate customers in 2004, with the introduction of PCO licensing for private-hire cars in the capital. The company also provides eco-friendly local, national and international delivery services, using LPG-powered vans, low-emission motorcycles and bicycles. Now it is replacing its passenger cars with Toyota Prius as they come up for renewal, in a bid to reduce further its CO2 emissions and energy usage – as well as noise pollution. “We’re deeply committed to our overall environmental policy,” says Pink Express Sales Director Ray Miles-Kingston. “Many of our clients are the London offices of multi-national companies, and having a cogent environmental ap...
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