IN THE NEWS
SAFEST TAXI DRIVERS IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
At Cab-line we strive to provide you with a tailored insurance solution as quickly and as conveniently as possible. We therefore realise the importance of having a dedicated and experienced sales team on hand to deal with your insurance needs, ensuring that you can get out on the road speedily, yet safely.
For an instant insurance quotation pick up the phone today. Insurance certificates issued on the spot !*
• Private Hire • Public Hire • Minibus • Fleets • Coaches
• Optional Public Liability cover - up to £10 million
• Payment Terms • Optional Legal
expenses cover also available
One of the North East’s best known taxi firms has fitted con- dom dispensers in the back of their cabs as part of a Government- backed drive to promote safe sex. Noda Taxis, in New- castle, is aiming to make unplanned liaisons less risky by supporting the Depart- ment of Health’s Midnight Blend cam- paign.
Under the slogan “Going back for cof- fee?”, the promotion makes free condoms available to consent- ing adult cab passengers.
Noda’s business development manager Eddy Binks told the Newcastle upon Tyne Journal: “We often get
people asking taxi drivers to make a stop off at an all-night garage so they can pick up some con- doms on the way home, especially on the weekends. “We don’t like to make too many unsched- uled stops so the drivers are all for this new scheme.
“Obviously you do get people getting a bit over-excited in the back of the cars so now the drivers will be able to help them out. “I think people will take advantage of the condoms, especially because they’re free. “People in Newcastle are very open and easy-going. I think it’s going to be a popular scheme.
“Safe sex may not be the easiest topic to discuss, but it is an important issue, par- ticularly at this time of year when many of our cabs are picking up new young lovers who have just enjoyed a wonderful date and are looking forward to spending more time together.
“Making condoms available in the taxis made perfect sense. It’s often only in the taxi that people sud- denly realise that they are unprepared for the way the night is head- ing.
“The final choice as to whether a driver car- ries the condoms in their own cabs is made by them individ- ually.”
TYRE FITTER PUT MY LIFE AT RISK, SAYS WARRINGTON DRIVER
Waterfall Lane, Cradley Heath, West Midlands B64 6PU For Wedding, Executive & Chauffeur Hire cover call
0843 357 1916 * An insurance certificate can only be issued instantly on self-issue policies (not including minibus, fleet or
coach policies). An insurance certificate will only be issued instantly on production of driving licence and local authority badge when obtaining a quotation.
Financial Services Authority in respect of insurance mediation activities only. Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded for your protection.
Cab-line is a trading name of Aon Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the FP 5348.01.09
PAGE 68
A man claims he could have been killed after a tyre fitter needlessly removed a wheel from his car that later fell off while he was driving. Drew Wheeldon sent his car to Frankie’s Tyres on Farrell Street so the tyre on the back passenger wheel could be changed. Mr Wheeldon, who has been a taxi driver in Warrington for 12 years, claims an employee took off the front passenger wheel to look at the bolts as some on the back wheel appeared dam- aged. He could not get it back on so used a pressure gun to force bolts back in.
The next day Mr Wheelon was on his way to the doctor’s to pick up a prescription
when the wheel fell off. “I’m just lucky I was in between traffic lights,” Mr Wheeldon told the Warrington Guardian. “If I was going any faster I could have been killed - a few min- utes before I had been on the motorway.” Mr Wheeldon says that there was no rea- son at all for the front wheel to be removed. He claims that only one bolt was holding the wheel in place instead of four, a theory sup- ported by mechanic Paul Gibson.
Mr Gibson was called out to fix the damage to the Peugoet 306 and said: “Bolts had been ripped out of the hub due to thread damage. Frankie, who owns the company, says that his workers fitted the tyre
but did not touch the front wheel. He has reimbursed Mr Wheel- don for half of the £200 bill.
He said: “I told them the studs had no tread on them, that it was unsafe and to get it checked.”
Mr Wheeldon, howev- er, said that Frankie poses a public safety issue.
“This garage should be shut down or War- rington could have a death on its hands,” he said.
A trading standards spokesman for the council said: “We are currently investigating this case and, given the potentially very seri- ous consequences, our top priority is to ensure that no one else is at risk.”
PHTM APRIL 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112
