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'Kickbacks!' cry cabbies. Unfair, sure. And legal?
2007-05-28 11:59:00
Ric Kahn En masse, Boston cab drivers have complained to the state attorney general that airport shuttle vans are paying kickbacks to hotel doormen to steer customers their way. In a petition signed by more than 600 of their own, the cabbies say they want Attorney General Martha Coakley's Consumer Complaint and Information Section to investigate what they describe as the vans' predatory practice of greasing the doormen's palms to guide travelers into the shuttles, even when such a trip to Logan can cost more than the taxi fare. Amie Breton, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, acknowledged that the agency had received the petition. But citing regular policy, Breton would neither confirm nor deny whether the office was investigating the matter. Though the habit of paying off doormen may violate a hotel's policies, it is not illegal, according to some city officials. "It's a fairly common practice in the industry," said Lieutenant Robert Cicc...
More About: Legal , Unfair , Sure , Kick

Cabby who helped sick kids facing licence ban
2007-05-27 09:13:00
GARETH ROSE   KIND-HEARTED cabby Bob McCulloch made two 800-mile trips to take terminally-ill children to EuroDisney and back. But now he could lose his taxi licence after "petty" council officials told him to remove badges he was awarded for granting the youngsters their dying wish. The 63-year-old said he was proud to display the crest of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, awarded to everybody who takes part in the annual Children's Magical Mystery Tour. He said former cab inspector Andy Watt gave him permission to put small stickers on his driver and front passenger doors, and a larger, plate-size one on his bonnet. But at his annual council inspection on Wednesday, he was told he would have to pay a fee for advertising, even though the crest only shows two horses and a motto in Latin, with no name or phone number for the organisation. Now Mr McCulloch, who lives in Fairmilehead, must pay the charge or lose his licence. He sai...
More About: News , Kids , Sick , Abby , Licence

Passenger cleared of cab driver's death after dispute turned violent
2007-05-27 08:53:00
ROBYN YOUNG The wife of late Satellite taxi driver John Harvey Hibbs was the first to walk out of the courtroom yesterday after Leroy Downey was found not guilty of manslaughter in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. "I do not conclude Mr. Downey intended to cause any serious bodily harm," Justice Simon MacDonald told a crowded courtroom. He said Downey was not guilty and Hibbs had caused the matter to escalate from a yelling match to a physical altercation when he forcefully removed Downey from his cab on Oct. 4, 2004. During the trial at the beginning of May, three eyewitnesses described what they saw on the night of Hibbs's death. All three agreed that Downey started the argument when Hibbs did not pull his cab up to the correct entrance of his Walker Avenue apartment building in Lower Sackville. Downey and a woman got into the cab and the arguing continued. Using profanity, Hibbs asked Downey to get out of the cab, eventually removing him and throwing him ont...
More About: Death , Clear , After , Pass , Dispute

More tuk-tuks putting people at risk
2007-05-27 08:33:00
Novelty tuk-tuks licensed for use as private hire vehicles in Blackpool are putting passengers at risk, according to a leading safety group. Blackpool Council has just granted licences to two separate operators to use the motorised rickshaws, popular in the Far East, on the streets of the town. But Taxiwise, the national campaign for the safe use of taxis, believes the three-wheeled vehicles offer little protection to passengers in the event of an accident and do not have the modern safety features seen on most normal vehicles. “You have to ask, where does the novelty value end and safety concerns start?” said Celeste Clarke, national spokesperson for Taxiwise, which is fighting 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? “Vehicles licensed for use as taxis need to undergo strict, regular safety checks and me...
More About: News , People , Risk , Putting

Limo confidential
2007-05-27 06:42:00
Nancy J. White   Limo usine drivers have the clearest view of prom night goings-on. It's not pretty, they tell Nancy J. White   Corsages and boutonnieres securely fastened and photos snapped, parents wave goodbye as kids head off to proms in limousines. And, let's be honest, most parents don't have a clue what really happens next. But the Men in Black know. As they gear up for prom season, limousine drivers tell tales of jealous brawls, retching dates and the broken-hearted. "The louder the music the better by me, but you can still hear them," says Don Sherman, a driver with SUV Limousines. "They are so excited you can't believe how they scream," adds Chuck Sansanwal, owner and driver at Stingray Limo. "`Ohmygod, I'm graduating, ahhhhh.' `Ohmygod, I'm going to my prom, ahhhhh.'" Their vehicles parked outside, Sherman and Sansanwal are at a downtown Tim Hortons on a Friday at midnight. It's where lim...

Taxi driver used phone left in cab
2007-05-27 04:46:00
Karen Faughey A TAXI driver built up an £80 phone bill on a mobile phone which was left behind in his cab. Stephen John Hogg found the Samsung D900 phone after dropping off a customer who had been on a night out in Hartlepool town centre. But instead of handing the phone to his bosses, Hogg used it to make calls and even let his friends do the same, town magistrates were told. The owner of the phone tried ringing the phone, but it was turned off, so she reported it to her phone company and had it barred. Lynne Dalton, prosecuting, said: "They advised her that the phone had been used on a number of occasions and £79.50 of calling credit had been used. "She went on to the O2 website and made notes of the numbers that had been phoned. "Police then contacted and made enquiries with the numbers and, as a result, Stephen Hogg was arrested and interviewed." Hogg, 25, told police that he found the phone after dropping off a fare, and resorte...
More About: News , Phone , Taxi Driver , Driver , Left

George F. Will: If Minneapolis taxi argument wins the day, watch out
2007-05-27 02:07:00
George F. Will Cartel is claiming the limit on cabs is an entitlement now threatened by a government "taking."   MINNEAPOLIS - The campaign to deny Luis Paucar his right to economic liberty illustrates the ingenuity people will invest in concocting perverse arguments for novel entitlements. This city's taxi cartel is offering an audacious new rationalization for corporate welfare, asserting a right -- a constitutional right -- to revenues it would have received if the City Council had not ended the cartel that never should have existed. Paucar, 37, embodies the best qualities of American immigrants. He is a self-sufficient entrepreneur. And he is wielding American principles against some Americans who, in their decadent addiction to government assistance, are trying to litigate themselves to prosperity at the expense of Paucar and the public. Seventeen years ago Paucar came to America from Ecuador and for five years drove a taxi in New York City. Many taxi...
More About: Watch , George , Minneapolis , Poli , Wins

SAN BRUNO: POLICE ASK FOR HELP FINDING MISSING LIMO DRIVER
2007-05-26 12:50:00
San Brun o police are holding a news conference Thursday to ask for assistance from the public in locating a 60-year-old man who drove away from his home in a new limousine more than three weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. Myoung "Mike" Noah was last seen leaving his home at around 7 p.m. May 1 on his way to pick up a client. Because Noah worked for himself and kept all records of his appointments in his car, authorities have been unable to determine where he was going. Police are asking the person who may have hired Noah to contact them so they can determine where Noah was headed on the night he disappeared. Noah is described by police as Korean, 5 feet and 8 inches tall and around 165 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black suit and white shirt. He formerly went by the name Myoung Noh. Noah was driving a black 2007 Lincoln Town Car that was so new that it did not have license plates, police reported. The TCP number located on the back bumper is 185...
More About: Driver , Limo , Missing

Google’s Vint Cerf calls for e-Respect
2007-05-26 12:45:00
A friend just shared this bit from NPR by Googl e Vice President Vint Cerf (thanks Nancy). Once, I was being driven by limo to a hotel in Palm Springs to give a speech. The driver appeared to be in his 60s, and I remember thinking, “How sad that he has to keep working at this menial job.” It turned out, though, that he was the retired CFO of a major Chicago-based corporation who had gotten bored with golf. He took a part-time job driving the hotel’s limo, so he could meet people and stay in touch with the world. He even ended up giving some good advice to me, a financially naive engineer. I believe that every person deserves respect, and that I can learn something new from everyone. Now, I make a point of asking people about their stories… He goes on to call for civility on online mediums too. Amen… that’s one of planks of the platform on which Front Porch Forum is built. http://frontporchforum.com/blog/?p=200
More About: Calls , Respect

New Airport cab plan may improve service but drive some cabbies out of busi
2007-05-26 12:37:00
CLEVELAND -- A visitor flying into Cleveland gets a first impression of the city from their cab ride.   Right now, too many cabs are scrambling for airport business, often creating service complaints and problems. New Airport Director Ricky Smith first proposed giving one cab company a monopoly. That ran into lots of oppositiion. Now he's back with a new plan that would split the business between all three companies that applied. Ace Cab would get to operate 35 airport taxis, Yellow Cab 25 and Americab 15. The airport operation would be managed by Standard Parking which now runs Airport lots. But there are seven cab companies with 500 cabs operating here. And some may go out of business. Many drivers complained the new arrangement would take away most of their business. Companies using immigrant African drivers call the new arrangement discriminatory. The plan will require airport cabs to be new vehicles with specially trained drivers and GPS systems. Thi...
More About: Drive , Service , Improve , Plan

Automobile's Hot Caddy Limo For Sale
2007-05-26 12:27:00
Automobile Magazine is participating in what is sure to become one of the world's most prestigious events: the second annual Big Apple 2 Big Easy (BABE) Rally! That's right, a drive from New York to New Orleans. If you know anything about the BABE rally, you know it's not a battle against the other contestants for the finish line. No, it's a battle against the very car that will hopefully take you across that finish line. Contest rules mandate that the vehicle entered into the rally must not be purchased for more than $250. Besides the tremendous task of coaxing a worn out car from the Apple to the Easy, there will be a variety of "challenges" to participate in along the way. Each challenge will carry a point value, and the team with the most points will win upon crossing the line. Surely a very special vehicle is needed for such a special event. Luckily, we have just the car: a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Limo . Purchased specifically for this tri...
More About: For Sale , Caddy , Sale , Mobi

2,000th TX4 rolls off the production line
2007-05-26 12:20:00
Proud workers at LTI Vehicles, manufacturer of the world-famous London taxi, were celebrating as production of the TX4 model reached the 2,000 milestone. The TX4 is the latest incarnation of the motoring icon, keeping the distinctive shape that has made it instantly recognisable around the world but with a host of hi-tech refinements. Order books both in the UK and abroad have been bulging since its launch at Lords cricket ground last October, with production levels stepped up to keep pace with demand. So there was no rest for the team at the Coventry factory as the 2,000th TX4 was completed. As the milestone was passed, a team from the company showed off the TX4 at the Private Hire and Taxi Exhibition 2007, held at the Ricoh Arena in its home city. The vehicles captured the attention of both visitors and other exhibitors alike, with scores of test drives being completed over the two days as well as people being ferried from the site in a TX4 for a tour of the Holyhea...
More About: Hackney Carriage , Production , Line , Prod , On Line

The Last Detective ITV1, 9pm
2007-05-26 06:34:00
London cabbie Jim Horner (played by Norman Pace) had a stroke of luck that changed his life for ever.  A drunken passenger left a briefcase stuffed with £2m in the back of his taxi. Jim couldn't resist the temptation to take the money and start a whole new life - in Montevideo. He disappeared without a word to his wife Karen (Alison Steadman), leaving her heartbroken. Ten years later, Dangerous Davies is investigating the murder of chauffeur Tony Hill, found dead in a stretch limousine. Dangerous reckons there's a link between Tony Hill and Jim Horner. Maybe worth looking at  the most I ever found in my vehicle was a leather diary and a pair of sunglasses!!  
More About: News , Detective , The Last

Taxi driver prosecuted
2007-05-25 19:32:00
A PRIVATE hire taxi driver have been successfully prosecuted by St Albans District Council. Ghulam Chowdhury allegedly collected passengers without a prior booking. Mr Chowdhury of Falmouth Road, St Albans was fined £150 at St Albans Magistrates Court on Friday and ordered to pay £267 in costs. The magistrates told Mr Chowdhury that considerable credit had been given to him for his early guilty plea and co-operation, as they have powers to award fines up to £2,500 for this offence. The prosecution comes after numerous complaints were made to the district council's licensing team that private hire drivers were picking up passengers around the train station without a prior booking. The council stressed that it will continue to monitor the situation and any private hire driver found to be plying for hire' will be considered for prosecution. The district council's licensing team can be contacted on 01727 819454. http://www.thisishertfordshire....
More About: News , Taxi Driver , Driver , Taxi

First wedding fayre a success
2007-05-25 19:29:00
The Advertiser & Review's Wedding Fayre proved a big success with brides and grooms-to-be. The event, held at Bicester Golf and Country Club in Chesterton, on Sunday, May 20, was attended by more than 300 people all keen to view this season's latest must-haves for the perfect wedding day. There were 20 local exhibitors offering a range of wedding essentials including dresses, cars, cakes, flowers and details of venues. The Advertiser and Review team, headed-up by advertising manager Pauline Nicklin, was on hand throughout the day to offer help and support to everyone involved in the event. Mrs Nicklin said: "It was a brilliant and very successful day and we will definitely do it again next year. "The country club staff were excellent hosts and we had great feedback from both the public and the exhibitors." http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester -news?articleid=2903982
More About: Success

Tributes to murdered cabbie Gian
2007-05-25 19:23:00
   The devastated family of a taxi driver who was murdered after being run over TWICE by thugs who stole his cab have paid tribute outside their home. Dad-of-five Gian Bajar,71, was flagged down by two heartless yobs who then as-saulted him and ran him over before fleeing in his taxi. Mr Bajar had been a part-time taxi driver in the Gravesend, for five years and had planned to take full retirement to enjoy time with his family and grandchildren in just six months time. Speaking outside the family home Victorian terrace house in Darnley Road this morning, Mr Bajar’s eldest son Telu, 35, said the family were completely devastated by his death. He said: “He lived for his family. He was intelligent, fair and caring and was held in very high esteem by everyone in both the Asian and white community. “He was a pillar of the community. “He was so well trusted that he was voted in as chairman of our  local temple, Guru Nanak Temple, time af...
More About: News , Tributes , Bute , Tribute , Tribu

Police miss drunk driver stopped by local cabbie
2007-05-25 19:19:00
An off-duty cabbie with his roof light on for business was waved through a police RIDE check, only to be followed by an on-duty taxi driver who had him stopped for being impaired. Edward Salvaneschi, 64, convinced court he was driving his cab for personal use and not taking any fares when he was caught drunk driving a month ago on the Highway 11 bypass. Turning off the GPS system in the cab activates the roof light, he said. The impression of being on duty offered him the police courtesy to cab drivers of blowing past a RIDE check, but it was another cabbie who noticed Salvaneschi had been driving erratically and called police. Salvaneschi pleaded guilty Tuesday to drunk driving, was fined $750 and banned from driving for a year. Another charge of refusing a breath sample was withdrawn. http://www.nugget.ca/webapp/sitepages/con tent.asp?contentid=541515&catname=Loc al%20News&classif=
More About: Police , Driver , Drunk , Local , Miss

MIRAGE
2007-05-25 16:40:00
For those of you who have yet to experience one of Mira ge’s extraordinary vehicles, you might be forgiven for mistaking the outside for the well-known Mercedes Traveliner (Viano), but on the inside, behind the privacy glass is a passenger oasis….Upon boarding there is an instant feeling of quality, as the electric door slides shut and you become surrounded by the smell of leather and the sight of faultless walnut trim running the length of the interior. As we take you through the demonstration the functionality of the interior comes alive; the ingenious fold out table which evolves from the side trim at the click of a button; the subtle lighting features hidden away and the Prominent television mounted within the passenger partition… it all seems to come together.  Here we have incredibly well finished car luxuries juxtaposed with “mind blowingly cool” technology to great affect. The modesty of the technology is the crucial part of this vehi...

BMW to give chauffeurs driving lessons
2007-05-24 14:50:00
Anshul Dhamija   BANGALORE: There's good news for you and for your chauffeurs. Luxury car makers are increasingly becoming aware that luxury cars are largely driven by chauffeurs and not by owners, in India. Hence the need to train chauffeurs on how to drive these cars that cost a fortune. German auto major BMW is conducting a two-day pilot workshop, in Mumbai and Delhi at the end of the month to train and educate chauffeurs to get the best out of the car. "We are conducting this programme for chauffeurs who drive our cars at luxury hotels," said Peter Kronschnabl, president BMW India. The programme is to gauge drivers' knowledge of the car both on the technical and non-technical side. Based on the feedback, a comprehensive training module would be developed by the third quarter of the current fiscal, he said. "Customers can then send their chauffeurs to learn the nuances of driving a BMW, at a nominal price," he added. BMW's research s...
More About: Driving , Give , Less , Sons , Lesson

Taxi drivers refusing to carry blind passengers
2007-05-24 14:47:00
Heath Aston Human Rights Commissioner refused service Blind being told 'against religion' to carry dogs NSW Taxi Council says problem 'worse in Melbourne' TAXI drivers regularly refuse to carry blind passengers with guide dogs - including Australia's Human Rights Commissioner - with many citing religious reasons, or other excuses like allergies. Human Rights and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, who is blind and reliant on his guide dog Jordie, is a regular Sydney cab user and said he was refused service on average once a month, including twice in two days recently. He has been told on a number of occasions that it would be against a driver's religion to allow a dog in the cab. Mr Innes has also been refused by drivers claiming to be allergic to dogs - or afraid of them - and was even left clutching at air on busy Market St by one belligerent driver who told him he had to take the non-existent cab in front. Mr Innes yester...
More About: Drivers , Pass , Passengers

Cabbies face daily threat of violence
2007-05-24 12:44:00
Tom Barrett EDMONTON - Driving a cab may be the most dangerous job in Edmonton. Police officers regularly put their lives on the line, walking into explosive family disputes, investigating gun complaints and robberies. Still, only one city police officer, Const. Ezio Faraone, has been killed on duty in recent years, though the murders of four RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe in March 2005 demonstrate how dangerous that job can be. Firefighters literally rush into burning houses and sometimes pay the ultimate price. And soldiers from Edmonton Garrison face the possibility of death every day while on postings in Afghanistan. Then there are taxi drivers, who face potential dangers on the city streets night after night. Since 1981, 10 Edmonton taxi drivers have been slain while working. Many others have been beaten or robbed. "I've been robbed at gunpoint, at knifepoint, and I've been assaulted too," says Robin Laurie, who has been driving for Co-op cab for 12...
More About: Daily , Violence , Face , Dail , Viol

AMA postpones arrest of taxi drivers
2007-05-24 12:39:00
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has postponed the arrest of taxi drivers who failed to wear the prescribed uniforms and those without the embossment on their vehicles. According to the AMA, this is because of submissions made by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council to be given some time to educate its members on the need to comply with the directives. The AMA assured the public that it would deal with recalcitrant taxi drivers who fail to wear the prescribed sea blue shirt and blue-black pair of trousers and for non-embossment of their cabs when the grace period elapsed. Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the AMA on Monday warned butchers to desist from singeing animal carcasses with vehicle tyres, since the act is harmful to human health. The AMA said its attention had also been drawn to brisk trading activities being carried out within residential premises and backyard of some of residents in the Central Business District. The s...
More About: Drivers , Arrest , Rest , Taxi

Aspen's free taxi keeps rolling
2007-05-24 05:37:00
Joel Stonington ASPEN — The postponement of a hearing means a free taxi will keep running in Aspen - for a few more months, at least. Phil Sullivan, the driver who runs the free taxi, was due for a hearing last week that likely would have shut him down. But the postponement, until later this summer, means the van with the "free rides" sign on top will keep going. Sullivan has run into trouble with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission - the agency that regulates vehicles for hire - because they say he's actually out there to make a buck. The commission charged him with operating without a PUC license and for having inadequate insurance. Sullivan's case is to some degree a byproduct of a system that regulates the taxi business. It's that system that brought hordes of Denver taxi drivers to the Capitol in March to argue for a bill that was eventually stymied in committee. "The taxi business in the state of Colorado is a monopoly," S...
More About: Free , Rolling , Taxi

Fuel surcharge on cab ride goes to $1.50
2007-05-23 12:41:00
SEATTLE -- Starting Monday, taxicabs can raise the gasoline-price surcharge to $1.50 on each trip originating in the city. Previously, cabs had a $1 surcharge in place. The surcharge is intended to help compensate drivers for the higher cost of fuel. It will raise the fare for a typical five-mile trip with no time charges to $14 from $13.50, the city estimated. The $1.50 surcharge was authorized because the per-gallon price for unleaded gasoline has exceeded $3.40 since May 5, according to AAA. It's possible the surcharge could rise again. Should the price of a gallon of regular gasoline exceed $3.90 for 14 days, a $2 surcharge may be authorized, the city said. If the price drops for 14 days or longer, the surcharge could be reduced. The surcharges were authorized by an ordinance passed by the City Council in February 2005. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/31667 9_fuel22ww.html
More About: Fuel , Ride , Char , Goes

Trial date set for owner of Cherry Hill limo service
2007-05-23 12:37:00
CAMDEN A July 23 trial date was set Monday for the owner of a Cherry Hill limousine service charged with kidnapping and beating his girlfriend at his home on Dec. 23. Before the trial was set for John Dellobuono, 44, of the first block of 7th Avenue, defense attorney Jeffrey Zucker said there was no chance of resolving the case by plea negotiations. The Camden County Prosecutor's Office said it would offer Dellobuono no recommendation less than 40 years in state prison. That term would include 34 years without parole eligibility. The trial date was set by Superior Court Judge Louis Hornstine. Dellobuono is being held in the Camden County Jail without bail for violating parole by his latest arrest. Zucker said the parole was based on an assault on the same victim. According to an indictment, Dellobuono repeatedly stabbed the 29-year-old mother of his son during an argument. After the woman obtained a restraining order barring him from the home where she was living with ...
More About: Service , Trial , Limo , Tria

Police actions unfair, says taxi driver
2007-05-23 12:30:00
A Stratford taxi driver charged with illegally operating in Charlottetown says he's being unfairly targeted by police. Donald MacLean owns Taxi Taxi, which operates out of Stratford. He has twice been ticketed for operating in Charlottetown without a licence from that city. MacLean complains that it is not unusual for operators from outside of Charlottetown to be in the city. "In fact, I am targeted. Montague comes in at least twice a week … and Dixon's in almost every day," said MacLean. MacLean said he believes he is being targeted because he runs his cab on a meter. Charlottetown cabbies operate on a zone system. In 2004 MacLean was ticketed on two charges by Charlottetown police, one for not having a Charlottetown taxi licence himself, and one for not having Charlottetown licence for his vehicle. The first charge was dropped, but MacLean was convicted on the second one. Earlier this month, P.E.I.'s Supreme Court agreed with Maclean's ap...
More About: Taxi Driver , Police , Driver , Unfair , Poli

NYC Taxis All Hybrids By 2012; Is T.O. Next?
2007-05-23 12:27:00
They run day and night in the city that never sleeps. But soon the historic roaring motors of New York taxi cabs won't be making their usual racket on the streets of Manhattan. The Big Apple has confirmed it will become the first city in the world to make all its yellow cabs green. By 2012, the entire fleet of the famous cabs that sweep through one of the biggest tourist Meccas in North America will all be hybrids. Their gas mileage should increase from just 22 kilometres a gallon to more than 55, reducing pollution and decreasing the cost of the never-ending fill-ups as prices at the pump continue to soar. Could the same thing happen here?  There are currently around 5,000 cabs in Toronto and each of them run about eight to ten times longer on the road than a regular vehicle. That makes them one of the largest contributors to smog in the city. Former Green Party leader Jim Harris is lobbying Toronto to join N.Y.C. by utilizing hybrid cabs, but not everyone bel...
More About: Hybrids , Axis , Taxi

Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation Announces ‘Take Your Exec
2007-05-23 12:20:00
Transportation Experts Launch Program to Celebrate 25 years of Business BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comm onwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, a global leader in luxury business and leisure chauffeured transportation, today launched its “Take Your Executive Assistant to Work” program. As Commonwealth Worldwide celebrates its 25th anniversary this spring, the company created the program as one of the best ways to say thanks to a group of individuals who hold one of the most demanding jobs in the business world. How The Program Works Throughout the summer, Commonwealth Worldwide will honor 25 executive assistants in New York and Boston, across a variety of industries. Each executive assistant will receive a ride to and from work in one of Commonwealth’s full-service limousines. In addition, Commonwealth Worldwide is asking New York and Boston companies to nominate deserving executive assistants for the program. Submissions will be chosen by Commonwe...
More About: Transportation , Trans , Spor

Ministers clash over Tokyo cab fares / Fuyushiba, Ota at loggerheads over r
2007-05-21 14:21:00
Chihiro Sato and Shigeki Kurokawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Construction and Transport Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba and Hiroko Ota, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, are at loggerheads over whether the government should allow taxi fares to rise in a Tokyo fare zone. While Fuyushiba advocates the fare hike in the zone comprising 23 wards and two suburban cities, Musashino and Mitaka, Ota objects, saying the move would be criticized by consumers. Many members of a government panel on price stability, chaired by Ota, also have cast doubts on the fare hikes, and the panel has decided to hold a rare meeting to reexamine the issue on May 31. If the hikes are approved in the Tokyo zone, it will be the first rise since 1997, when the consumption tax rate was increased to 5 percent. As many other regions also have applied for permission to raise taxi fares, the row between the two ministers is being closely watched. A 45-year-old man who has worked as a Tokyo ta...
More About: Ministers , Head , Logger

Taxi rank assault on 50-year-old man
2007-05-21 14:12:00
Daniel Breen THUGS bashed a middle aged man unconscious during an attack outside the safe city taxi rank early yesterday. A second man suffered facial injuries from the assault, which occurred about 2.25am near the Moorabool St rank. Police media spokeswoman Sergeant Creina O'Grady said up to five men were involved in the incident but exact details of the victims' ages were unknown. It is believed the assault occurred while the victims were waiting for a taxi home with their wives after attending a party in the city. Paramedics took one of the men to Geelong Hospital for treatment. He remained in a stable condition yesterday. Rural Ambulance spokesman John Mullen said the paramedics transported the man to hospital about 20 minutes after the assault. ``The initial call that came in was that a male was unconscious and was taken to hospital at 2.44am,'' Mr Mullen said. The incident marred an otherwise quiet night in the CBD, although police were disgust...
More About: Assault , Rank , Year , Taxi , Saul