ROUND THE COUNCILS SEFTON:
COUNCIL APOLOGISES OVER DATA BREACH
A shocking data breach at Sefton Council has left hundreds of taxi and private hire drivers exposed to potential identity theft and harassment. The personal information of licensed cabbies, including their full names and home addresses, was accidentally published online. The council has since rectified the issue, but it is not clear how long the data was accessible before it was discovered on Thursday 5 September. A spokesperson for Sefton Council acknowledged the breach, stating, “We were made aware of an issue on our taxi licensing website that meant personal information of some of our taxi drivers could be viewed by users. As soon as this issue was identified, the information was removed.” However, the apology offers little comfort to drivers like John McAteer, who discovered his information online. “I contacted the council straight away because I knew what a serious breach it was,” McAteer said. “No one can tell us how long our personal information was up for.” The breach has raised concerns about the council’s data security practices and the potential for misuse of the exposed information. Experts warn that drivers could be targeted by scammers, stalkers, or even aggressive former customers. Sefton Council is now facing calls for a thorough investigation into the incident and stricter measures to protect sensitive data in the future. The spokesperson for Sefton Council added: “[We] would like to apologise to anyone affected by this.”
OXFORD: HCV QUANTITY CONTROL CONSULTATION
Oxford City Council is seeking public feedback on its policy regarding the number of licensed black cabs operating in the city. This public consultation which launched on 4 September and runs until 27 November, aims to gather insights from residents, visitors and stakeholders on the current availability of taxis and choice when travelling within the district. Cllr Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “We want to ensure our current policy on the number
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of licensed black cabs is working effectively for everyone. We encourage residents and visitors alike to participate in this consultation.” There are currently 107 HCV licences in Oxford. The consultation seeks to assist the council in answering the following three questions: • What benefits or disadvantages arise for the travelling public as a result of the continuation of hackney carriage vehicle quantity controls.
• What benefits or disadvantages would result for the travelling public if the hackney carriage vehicle quantity controls were removed
• Is there evidence that removal of the HCV quantity controls would result in a deterioration in the amount or quality of taxi service provisio. Have your say here:
https://shorturl.at/wjMLk
BLACKBURN w DARWEN: CABBIES HEALTH CHAMPIONS
Taxi drivers in Blackburn and Darwen are being trained to become health champions as part of a new community initiative to encourage health awareness. Thirty-four cabbies in the borough have already completed the “Making Every Contact Count” (MECC) training programme, which equips them to discuss health topics such as diabetes, smoking and regular check-ups with their passengers. Ashraf Mangera, a local taxi driver, expressed enthusiasm for the project. “It’s amazing to think that during my daily rides, I can make a difference in someone’s life,” he said.“We spend a lot of time with our passengers, and now we can support them in taking care of their health.” Dr Haroon Moosa GP, praised the initiative as a valuable step towards improving community health. “Taxi drivers are often a first point of contact for many individuals, and their training will undoubtedly help bridge the gap in health communication,” he stated. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our residents.” The Inspire Motivate Overcome (IMO) charity is behind the project and plans to expand the training sessions to taxi drivers in Pendle and Rossendale. IMO CEO, Mohammed Sidat, said: “By empowering taxi drivers as health champions, we are not only improving individual health outcomes but also strengthening community ties,” he said.
OCTOBER 2024 PHTM
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