The Gloucester Taxi Website

MYSTERY surrounds the sudden closure of a car dealership in Gloucester.

More than 40 cars have been removed from the forecourt of Tiger Motors, in Cole Avenue, Gloucester, and the office has closed.

Last night a chauffeur who bought a car for his private taxi firm spoke of his outrage at the closure.

Robert Sutton, who runs Brockworth Cars & Brockworth Chauffeur Services, purchased the Audi A6 on Friday.

He paid £13,000 for the second hand motor in a part exchange for his Audi TT and said he was upset to learn it had closed suddenly.

The 54-year-old, of Moorfield Road, said: “I was panicking. I thought what the hell’s going on? They were there one minute and gone the next. I think it’s shoddy the way they’ve dealt with us. If they had told me on Friday they were about to close down it would have set off alarm bells but at least it would be clear.”

Robert paid £1,000 in cash, had already paid £500 as a deposit and paid the rest on his credit card.

The deal had been completed by 4.30pm on Friday. He has since checked his bank account and the money has been paid.

But when Robert’s fiancee Diane drove past the centre the next day, the premises had shut down.

He is now worried about the 12-month warranty he paid for.

Robert claims he was also told the car had 12 months MOT and was fully serviced, but says he has just discovered the car is due to be serviced in nine days time, costing more than £400.

He said: “It doesn’t sound like much but these extra costs are all adding up.”

Robert was due to go back to the forecourt on Monday to purchase some new car mats and have the car deep cleaned.

He had complained to staff at the car firm on Friday that the car had not been cleaned to the standard he expected.

He said: “The seats were a bit of a state. The previous owner had a dog, there were hairs on the back seat and lip-stick marks on the head lining, they told me it would be cleaned properly so it was like new.”

Robert and Diane have contacted the police and trading standards for advice.

A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: “The incident was reported on Saturday at 7pm. We received reports from someone who had bought a vehicle from the company and the next day it had closed. We advised her to talk to trading standards however we have kept a record of it.”

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From the sitcom “Taxi,” Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd) takes a test for his driver’s license. Also starring Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, and Marilu Henner. What does a yellow light mean?

Taxi drivers in Gloucestershire are being asked for their opinion on changes to current operational rules.

Suggested changes include a basic test in numeracy and literacy for new drivers with additional requirements for drivers from abroad.

Views are also being sought on whether private hire vehicles should have roof lights and new rules covering “stretched limousines” are planned.

Any comments should be submitted to the city council by Thursday.

Councillor Andrew Gravells, from Gloucester City Council, said: “This is really a matter of public safety and common sense.

“It makes sense for there to be consistency across the county.

“That will make things simpler and clearer for the travelling public.

“At the end of the day it is their safety which is of paramount importance.”

The city council will discuss the matter on 24 November.

Source: BBC

A 24-YEAR-OLD man wrote two false letters to Gloucestershire Constabulary claiming his friend was going to bomb a church and pizza shop, a court heard.

Furrukh Jamil, a married university graduate, wrote the letters after he fell out with the friend and wanted to get him into trouble with the police.

Teresa Perry, prosecuting at Stroud Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, November 3 explained that staff at the police HQ in Waterwells, Quedgeley and those at Barton Street police station in Gloucester each received the bomb hoax letters on September 17.

The matter was referred to special branch police who worked extra time over a weekend to discover the letters were fake.

After visiting the man implicated in the letters they were led to Jamil, a taxi driver, who lives in Russell Street, Gloucester.

They also found that his finger prints matched those on the letters.

Defending, Robert Welch said: “Jamil and his former friend met at university.

“Jamil lent him some money but they fell out after he failed to pay it back.

“After some unpleasant confrontations Jamil was at his wits end.

“He stupidly wrote these letters in the hope that his friend would get into trouble with the police.

“He has no previous convictions and was an exemplary member of society before this incident.”

Jamil, who has a child due in April, was given four months in prison for each of the bomb hoax letters. The sentences will run consecutively.

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A FAMILY from Hardwicke have told of their lucky escape after their boat exploded.

Wayne and Janeen McCormick were on board the 15ft cabin cruiser on the River Avon at Eckington, near Tewkesbury, when it burst into flames.

Their children, who were on the bank at the time, had to run for their lives but escaped unhurt.

Wayne’s head was singed and Janeen’s eyebrow and hair was burnt in the blaze.

Wayne, 41, of Dimore Close, said: “We were so lucky our children were outside, if anybody had been in the cabin they would have been blown to pieces.
“Just a minute before the children were in there, we were just so incredibly lucky.
“Me, my wife, two kids and my mum just went for an ordinary day out. The boat has been moored at Eckington for a few years and we got to the boat and the kids went down into the cabin.

“I asked them to get off the boat on to the decking so we could get ready to go and I started revving the engine and then there was just this almighty explosion.”

When the fire broke out, at about 2pm on Sunday, Wayne’s mum Wendy was with their daughter Kier , nine and son Luka , eight, on the side.

Wayne, a taxi driver in Gloucester, and his wife,37, were stranded on the boat.

He said: “The boat is fibreglass so it was not flickering flames or anything, it just went.

“I was on the other side to the engine when it exploded. It blew me across the boat and my wife was on the back and it took her about three or four foot in the air and the boat collapsed back on her.

“We didn’t really know what was happening, it happened so quickly.”

Wayne leapt to the bank with his hair on fire, shouting to his children to get away while Janeen also had to jump to safety.

It was thought a fuel line fault caused a petrol leak, fumes built up and ignited when the engine started.

“Apparently people about quarter of a mile away heard the explosion,” he said.

“People were shouting to me to get off the boat and turn off the gas. I just didn’t know what was happening I just shouted and kept repeating myself.

“My wife lost an eyebrow and some hair and my head was completely singed, there was a terrible smell.

“Because I was in it I didn’t know what it looked like but apparently flames just came out of everywhere.”

The family drove to Tewkesbury Hospital to get checked over but none was found to have received serious injuries.

Wayne thanked other boat owners and passers-by for helping them.

“Everyone came to help. They wrapped us in towels and were pouring water over us to help,” he said.

“Everybody that helped was amazing, I couldn’t have expected more from my own family.

“They have now become some of the most amazing friends to us, they did everything they could.”

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

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.