The Gloucester Taxi Website

A team at RBS in Birmingham is funding an environmental engineering firm which converts diesel engines to liquid petroleum gas.

Top Paying Adsense Keywords

Gloucestershire firm Clean Fuel Systems secured £150,000 of funding to develop further their clean-engine project. The Birmingham office of RBS provided the company with the loan under the Government’s Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, to allow the company to take forward the project, initially with taxi drivers to help them meet greener regulations for their taxi fleets.

The Cheltenham-based company is led by chairman Steven Mills and the business bought the technology to convert diesel engines to LPG in 2006. Since that purchase, the company has invested in further modification and upgrade of this technology whilst researching the taxi market with a view to converting cab engines from diesel to LPG,, not only to meet new emission regulations but also to provide savings in fuel and operating costs.

The funding will be used to build the firm’s engine inventory. The company works on conversion projects with a number of cab operators, to minimise the time a fleet is out of circulation. Currently, Clean Fuel Systems is concentrating on the black cabs, either Fairway or TX1 models, but the company said its technology could also be used in the light commercial vehicle market.

Clean Fuel Systems are also in negotiations with a national fuel supplier with a view to increasing their LPG supply through a small number of “LPG bunker sites” throughout the United Kingdom. Steven Mills, chairman of CFS, said: “We sense a real opportunity here. Regulations mean that taxi operators have to address the issues of emissions in their vehicle fleets and the potential is huge. The additional funding raised provides us the platform to develop a quantity of engines to market aggressively. Our negotiations with a fuel supplier are another exciting development and evidence of the investment we have made in this technology.”

Louise Armstrong, commercial banking manager at RBS Birmingham, added: “The development on this scale is a big step forward for a company of Clean Fuel Systems’ size. They are a good example of the entrepreneurial spirit that still exists despite the tough economic conditions that small businesses are facing.”

Source

Lewis Hamilton mentor Ron Dennis announced he is stepping down as head of McLaren on March 1.

The 61-year-old, who is the most successful British boss in F1 history, dropped the bombshell at the end of the unveiling of the new F1 racer at the team’s £250m factory outside Woking today

Long-time McLaren team CEO Martin Whitmarsh who has worked closely with Dennis for years is to take control.

But Dennis insisted he is not retiring but will be working harder on other elements of the  McLaren’s diverse car and electronics empire he created, including the build programme for a new “not exotic” road car.

“It is the right time,” he said.

“Lewis winning the championship last year made the decision easier but it was not the catalyst.

“It is 100 per cent my own decision.”

“Let me emphasise I will not be retiring. In fact I will be working harder.

“I will continue to talk things through with Martin and probably be offering my opinions even when they are not wanted but the final decision at the team will be his.”

“I intend to raise my own game because I think everybody in our organisation at every level realises this is a tough period in which we are going to work and of course we are a very diverse organisation now.

“We have a clear intention for our production car programme which is really a challenge. Any product we bring to the market will certainly fall the other side of this financial period.

“I stress nothing to get too excited about but it is absolutely time for Martin to take over as team principal.

“As from March 1 he will adopt that responsibility. I will still go to races, not all of them, because I am passionate.

“I intend to work harder and will take on greater responsibility in the group.

“I will be full executive chairman. It is time and I have to say it is absolutely 100 percent my decision. It is what I want to do, but I do intend to work much harder.

“It is a job over the years we have shared anyway, but it will be his decision to influence things at a Grand Prix circuit.”

Last year Dennis announced he was divorcing from his wife Lisa and the year before 2007 McLaren was fined a record £50m over a spying saga in which secrets were taken from rivals Ferrari and found in the ownership of a McLaren employee

Lewis Hamilton will unveil his new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Grand Prix challenger at the team factory outside Woking today (16/01/2009).

The world champion, just 24, is hoping it will carry him to a second successive world title after winning the championship by a single point on the final corner in Brazil last November.

But his challenge takes place against a back drop of the most radical changes in the sport in a quarter of century.

Such changes have historically disrupted the natural order of things and thrown up new challengers from the lower order of the grid where designers have gambled on radical car concepts.

Among the changes incorporated into this year’s cost-conscious framework is a KERS system which generates boost by harvesting braking energy.

Engines must now last three Grands Prix and gearboxes four while there have been drastic revisions to the cars’ aerodynamics in a bid to improve overtaking.

The front wings distance from the track has been halved to just 7.5cm and is 40cm wider stretching the width of the front tyres to improve grip at the front.

And the giant rear wing has been lifted and reduced in size in the hope that the vortex behind cars which torpedoed overtaking will be reduced.

Cars will now use super adhesive ‘slick’ tyres for the first time since they were banned at the end of the 1997 season.

Some drivers fear the new formula will increase the dangers.

McLaren’s launch is the third of the year following Ferrari’s unveiling last week in Italy and Toyotas a day earlier.

Most of the teams will unveil their races machines in the next fortnight with Red Bull currently slated to be last on February 9 in Spain.

Post credit to The Mirror.

A DECISION on whether to transfer the licensing of Cotswold taxis to Gloucester City Council will be made on Monday.

Cotswold District Council currently issues licences for private hire and Hackney Carriages but officers are struggling to cope with the huge workload.

It has had to employ a contractor to assist during the peak times of March and April at an annual costs of £1,800.

CDC’s Licensing team leader Phil Cooper said: “The licensing team are under increasing pressure due to the considerable workload. This situation has come about primarily due to legislative changes and an increase in recent years of outdoor festival events taking place in Cotswold district.”

The estimated cost of transferring the administration of taxi licensing to Gloucester City Council is £18,495 a year.

This cost would be covered by the income generated by the service.

If the service is not transferred, CDC will consider the option of employing a part-time staff member to undertake the work.

CDC’s licensing committee will discuss the transfer on Monday at 10am.

Below is an email I received from Adam Blair, if you are a driver, its well worth joining his email list!

*******************************************************

One of my Database Team, Paul, called me last night and told me
to switch on Radio 5 Live.

Richard Bacon was talking about plans by Police to publicly
grant permission to “do-gooders” to operate their own mobile
speed traps in villages and towns around the UK!

Bacon was clearly incredulous about the idea, and with good reason…

Now, this “scheme” has been up and running for a few years,
but it’s only been the most do-gooderish of the do-gooders that
have known about it, because it’s been a bit like a secret
underground alliance between the civilians concerned and the
Police.

Here’s how it works:

Local Residents Groups — ordinary civilians — can set up their
own “Community Speed Watch Group” and be granted mobile
speed monitoring equipment – a laser or radar speed gun.

All they need is 6 volunteers and 200 signatures.

Sounds a lot, I know, but think about it… That’s just 33
signatures per volunteer, which in these days of facebook and
viral emails is nothing…

So what’s the big news, if this scheme has already been running
for a while?

Well, the Association of Chief Police Officers is issuing a
“National Set of Guidelines” for these Community Speed Watch
groups in the new year, which is basically like waving a big
yellow flag from the top of Big Ben to announce it …or perhaps
firing a sequence of fireworks from each of the now 17,690
mobile speed trap locations in the UK.

The presenter Bacon was quite amusing, asking Matthew Lug
from Leicester County Council:

“why not get them tackling burglaries?”!

He made a good point – Mr Lug had said that it was a good thing
that the public were “assisting” the Police by doing their job
for them.

“what sort of people would bother doing this?”, Bacon asked

“people with a lot of time on their hands…” was the general
consensus.

But a more serious issue was picked up by Hugh Bladen from
the Association of British Drivers –

When you use a Radar, or particularly a Laser gun, it is
extremely easy to get the “slip effect” that we have
demonstrated before, and get a reading that’s too high.

He went on to describe the scheme as “vigilantism”.

Can you imagine the tension that’s going to be created between
neighbours who have a grudge against someone else in the
community?

By the nature of these sort of organisations, it could end up
in full blown witch hunts – conspiracies to get a certain person
banned from driving – all outside of the parameters that Police
Officers have to adhere to.

Complete madness, I think you will agree?

Take the poll: http://btst.co.uk/poll3/

All the best,

Adam Blair
Founder, BeatTheSpeedTrap

It was good to meet you Katy Perry, please feel free to book a Gloucester Taxi with us next time you have a family function!

Northern Ireland’s motorists are spending over £300 a year extra just to keep their cars filled up with diesel, it has been claimed.

The revelation comes after it emerged that the cost of a litre has shot up 32.2p (from 97.4p to 129.6p) in forecourts across the province, now making diesel 11% dearer for drivers than petrol.

Figures from the AA reveal that while average diesel prices have risen from 116.5p to 129.6p a litre in just 12 months, their petrol equivalent have seen a lesser hike of just 19.9p (from 96.6p to 116.5p).

The data also shows that the difference in price per litre for drivers between the two fuels was just 0.8p last year, compared to a staggering 13p this year.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, AA Public Affairs spokesman Luke Bosdet put the price differential – which, he said, looks likely to stay – down to supply and demand.

“The fact of the matter is that many, many countries are now demanding diesel and there simply isn’t enough supply to meet that demand, therefore the price of diesel compared to petrol has soared,” Mr Bosdet said.

However, he also acknowledged that drivers here are paying more than those in the UK where the average fuel price difference is a little lower, at 11.41p.

“It is 1.5p more expensive for motorists in Northern Ireland in terms of the petrol diesel price differential, but that goes back to the local pricing issue,” he said.

“People in rural communities are generally most affected and what it means is that drivers in Northern Ireland pay an extra £15 a year for diesel compared to their UK counterparts on the basis of the price differential today.”

Mr Bosdett added: “The good news is that they are going to be increasing diesel producing infrastructure at a new unit at a refinery in Humberside over the next couple of years and that will actually help balance diesel production with petrol production.”

The fuel price discrepancies that exist between Northern Ireland and the UK, as well as in different locations across the province, have been consistently exposed by this newspaper.

And indeed the latest figures underline the importance of the ‘Price Watch’ campaign being run by the Belfast Telegraph to help ease the cash burden facing households during the current economic crisis.

New data supplied by the Consumer Council indicates that a family filling a 50 litre diesel car will face an increased bill of £6.15 a week, £26.65 a month or £319.80 a year, based on the year-on-year average price increase between June/September 2007 and 2008.

In the past year all|Northern Ireland drivers have been badly hit by soaring fuel costs, which many believe go up faster than they come down

Similarly, a taxi driver filling a 50 litre tank three times a week will have to fork out an extra £18.45 each week, £79.95 per month, or £959.40 per year just to stay on the road.

The fair price watchdog also indicated that a haulier using 1,000 litres of diesel each week will see an increased bill of £123.00 per week, £533.00 per month or £6396.00 annually.

Consumer Council chief executive Eleanor Gill last night said that consumers here need to know why they are paying so much more for diesel than petrol.

“This time last year the average price of a litre of petrol and diesel was almost neck and neck, and now there is a massive 13 pence difference between the two,” she said.

“Consumers need to know why. In the past year all Northern Ireland drivers have been badly hit by soaring fuel costs, which many believe go up faster than they come down.

“However, our analysis clearly shows that diesel drivers are taking the biggest hit.

“While it is bad enough that petrol drivers are having to find an extra £9.95 to fill their tank than they did last year, diesel drivers are paying a staggering £16.80 more at our supermarket and independent filling stations.

“Many households use diesel to run their family cars and many businesses depend on it to make a living such as taxi drivers or hauliers. All diesel drivers need to be assured that they are getting a fair and competitive deal.

“Fuel wholesalers and retailers need to justify why this enormous and sudden divergence in prices has occurred over the last year, otherwise consumers can only conclude that they are being ripped-off when it comes to buying diesel.”

Ms Gill advised motorists to remain vigilant when it comes to fuel costs and vowed to challenge unfair practices on behalf of consumers.

“No matter where they fill up, consumers need to be price-aware when it comes to petrol and diesel,” she said.

“If this gap in petrol and diesel prices continues, drivers may need to consider whether driving a diesel vehicle is the best value choice for them, their family and their business.

“These are challenging times for consumers who are having to make their money go further than ever before,” she added.

“The Consumer Council is committed to ensuring that all businesses are providing consumers with open, transparent and timely information to allow them to make the best choices when buying goods and services. We will challenge all circumstances where this does not occur on behalf of consumers.”
Source

ARMED police stormed a house in Hatherley after a man was seen brandishing a gun.

Firearms officers swooped on Hatherley Lane, at 12.30am yesterday after a taxi driver reported seeing a man with what looked like a rifle.

A 26-year-old man had to be talked out of the house by a police negotiator, and was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.

Officers uncovered a stash of imitation firearms when they searched the man’s room.

A taxi driver had dropped a man off at the house at 11.45pm on Wednesday.
Click here!

The passenger then came out of the house carrying what the driver described as a rifle, before going back inside.

The driver immediately called police, who shut the road off and surrounded the house, which is shared by five men.

Stuart Mitchell, 21, was asleep in bed in the house when he was woken by police banging on the door. After hearing voices in his garden he went downstairs, where he was met by armed police.

He said: “I saw one of the policemen facing me with a gun, telling me to get out and get on the ground. It was terrifying.”

The University of Gloucestershire student was searched and handcuffed.

He said he had never met the arrested 26-year-old, who moved into the house 10 days ago.

A 63-year-old man, who didn’t want to be named, answered the door. He said: “I came outside and was told to put my hands up and walk towards the torch light. I was searched and handcuffed. I didn’t have a clue what was going on. It was a frightening experience.”

The pair say they were taken to the police station in Lansdown Road with a man in his 70s ,who also lives in the house, before being taken to the Express Holiday Inn at 9.30am.

A police spokesperson said: “A 26-year-old man from Cheltenham has been arrested following an incident in Hatherley Lane late last night.

“The incident happened at 11.45pm when a taxi driver dropped his passenger off at an address in Hatherley Lane. The passenger then came out of the house carrying what the driver described as a rifle, before returning to the property.

“The driver immediately called the police, who subsequently arrested the man.

“A search of the property has found a number of what appear to be imitation firearms, which are being examined by firearms officers.”

The man was last night being questioned.

source

Criminal convictions lead to licence withdrawals…
A court has upheld a council decision to refuse two men taxi driver licences because of their criminal convictions.

Sakhi Daler, 58, of Highfield Road, held a licence from Luton Borough Council for 26 years, but has been refused a renewal for the last two years because of his convictions for driving offences, assisting illegal entry into the UK and using insurance documents with intent to deceive.

He appealed to Luton Magistrates Court over the refusal earlier this month, but the court upheld the council’s decision.

Imran Khan, 27, of Stratford Road, Luton, also had an appeal dismissed by the court, and was ordered to pay £220 in costs to the council.

He had become a licensed taxi driver in 2004 but his licence was suspended after he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in March
last year, and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment. He was also banned from driving for six months.

The council then decided to revoke his licence.

Commenting on the court’s decisions, Councillor Don Worlding, who heads up licensing at the council, said: “Passengers must be confident all licensed drivers will act in an honest manner.”

Source

BEWARE! Murky Black Hat Tricks Used to Sell OVER PRICED iPhone Insurance…

The iPhone Insurance swindle is still steam rolling ahead, even months after the first reports about some staff at certian iPhone outlets that use some dark and murky tricks, playing on customer insecurity’s to make them ‘sign on the line’ for what could be considered an over priced Insurance policy for their expensive new iPhone purchase.

It has been reported on various blogs and news posts on the internet that over enthusiastic phone sales staff have been mis selling iphone insurance to their customers at the same time as the customer has been signing up for a new iPhone. Comments like ‘if you want to take out insurance, then you must do it now, as you can’t do it later‘. This plays on the customers mind, making it a now or never kind of situation.

If that little trick did not get you to sign, try this one: ‘Our iPhone Insurance will cover you for everything, if you lost your iPhone, it will cost you about £600 to replace it‘. What has happened here is the sales assistant has quoted you the higher priced ‘sim free’ iPhone, rather than the o2 sim version priced in the much more realistic region of £270 (or the price you actually paid for your contract iPhone). It seems ‘some’ sales assistants may tell you about the higher priced replacement cost, surely, the only reason for this would be to shock you into signing up for the insurance there and then!

I am not saying iPhone Insurance is not worth it, as last month (August 2008) I had 7 mobile phones left in my taxi by customers, three of which were iPhones! This is clear shows that people really do loose mobiles and iPhones and figures show that millions do get damaged and stolen every year as well!

You may want to take into consideration the option that you may have of including your iPhone insurance within your house contents insurance, many home contents policies will cover electronic items like phones, iPhones, laptops as such. What you need to take into account here is that you may have a high excess fee in the event of a claim, which can be double that of the stand alone policy’s mentioned above. Another consideration is that if you claimed on your Home Contents Insurance, will this affect your no claims bonus? It is well worth checking with your insurance provider so you know just where you stand if you make a claim, as it could cost you more than the replacement value in the long run!

After you summarise all of the above, just be sure you don’t make a rash decision that could cost you more than is needed -oh, and always make sure you have your phone with you when you get out after you taxi journey!