Permanent Sheffield minicab signage plans reckless, says union
The plan would only affect private hire vehicles (PHVs), also called minicabs, which are booked in advance through companies like Uber and Veezu.Mr Raoof, a former taxi driver, said: "[The plan] would mean being identified as a driver even when you're off duty with your family. There will be huge consequences."He previously told the BBC that drivers had suffered verbal and physical abuse during riots in August, with one union member having their window smashed while taking a passenger back to work at a hospital.
'Collective punishment'
A petition against the plan has more than 300 signatures, with supporters saying they have had eggs and stones thrown at their vehicles while working.The petition requests that the plan is dropped, and for any future proposal to be developed in consultation with drivers and only require non-permanent, magnetic signage.Guidance from the Department for Transport said councils should not go further than requiring drivers to display an authority licence plate and a "pre-booked only" sign on the door.Mr Raoof said it was "not valid" to justify permanent signage with safeguarding concerns."The problems have been addressed, and the customer always has the option of ringing the operator and speaking to someone as well."Collective punishment of thousands of [PHV] drivers because of one or two bad apples is extremely unproportionate," he added.Booking rides through an app means information about the driver and vehicle are shared with the customer who can compare details when they arrive.Traditional taxis, which are those hailed on the street or booked at a taxi rank with a yellow sign on the roof, are not included in the proposal.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
McDonald's withdraws plans for new Sheffield restaurant
McDonald's has withdrawn its application for a new restaurant in Sheffield. The fast food giant had wanted to open another franchise on land adjacent to London Road and Broadfield Road in the Lowfield City Council received 270 objections to the proposals, citing the proximity to other McDonald's restaurants, traffic concerns and the impact on children's health.A total of 31 people submitted comments in support of the plans, which McDonald's said would have created 120 jobs. The company declined to comment. Planning officers recommended councillors reject the said the proposal was within "easy walking distance of schools and locations where young people congregate", adding: "There is evidence that a concentration of similar uses is having an adverse impact on health in the locality".They went on to say: "Given the well-established links between obesity, unhealthy food choice and deprivation, and the proximity to places where young people would congregate, the proposal would not promote healthy eating and would likely exacerbate existing health inequalities within the surrounding catchment area."McDonald's had proposed building the drive-thru restaurant on currently unoccupied land, albeit next to the busy A61 road also known as London year, the council completed a programme of roadworks at the junction near to the site to ease traffic claimed the level of new traffic created by the development would be "modest and unlikely to have a material impact".However, officers said the restaurant would be "entirely" reliant on access from the A61 and criticised a lack of safe access for pedestrians and also said the proposals could cause "significant harm" to nearby homes on Chippinghouse Road. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Teesworks SeAH wind firm workers win right to union recognition
Workers at a wind turbine parts factory have won the right to union government's central arbitration committee accepted an application by the GMB union for SeAH Wind Ltd workers at Teesworks, near Redcar, after concluding that enough workers wanted to be in a company, which builds wind turbine monopiles, had refused voluntary recognition because the factory was not yet fully GMB said the "historic victory" meant the business would be the first at Teesworks to be unionised. SeAH has been contacted for comment. The manufacturing firm, owned by South Korea's SeAH Steel Holding, broke ground at Teesworks in has received hundreds of millions of pounds in investment to help address the growing demand for green bargaining unit would comprise of "all hourly paid manual workers employed at SeAH Wind Ltd Teesside", the application application was accepted in a ruling on Organiser Andy Blunt said: "This is a major breakthrough for workers' rights at SeAh and should send a clear message to all employers working out of Teesworks - trade union recognition is not an optional extra."The GMB said SeAH had 20 days to reach an agreement. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Sheffield Ski Village redevelopment delayed by road issues
A £20m scheme to redevelop the former Sheffield Ski Village is at risk because of continuing problems with the road leading to the City Council wants to develop Parkwood Springs into a country park, but access for coaches and lorries is limited by a railway bridge over Douglas who have been working on plans to resolve the issue since 2017, have now suggested creating a new access road a council report has warned that any further increased costs or delays "could jeopardise the affordability of the wider Parkwood programme". According to the report the new road would connect nearby Oakham Drive and Vale Road, with work also needed to upgrade the junction of Oakham Drive and Rutland Road to accommodate the extra traffic flow. There would also be "a strong emphasis" on walking and cycling paths and public transport. Several plans have been put forward to redevelop the former ski village, since it closed in 2012 following a 2017 Extreme Leisure signed a lease to create a modern ski slope at the site and a £4.8m loan was secured to support the construction of an access road, car park and site by 2020 Extreme had failed to progress the work, in particular for the access road, so the council stepped in to design and construct the road before eventually ending the agreement in recently Skyline Luge, from New Zealand, has been brought on board to masterplan the Miskell, chairman of the council's transport and regeneration committee, said Parkwood Springs was an incredibly important site and the project would turn it into an important leisure said: "The report rightly identifies the risks to the delivery of the whole programme for elements that we do not yet have the detailed costs for."This is important information to be taken into account. It does not mean that this will happen. It only means that we need to be aware of the whole costs of the programme in taking this decision which is important to progress this significant project."Levelling Up funding was confirmed in November 2024 for Parkwood Springs, with the council committing part of the grant for preliminary work on the new the time, the council said the relocation of a local business had also progressed, with a new site identified for new purpose-built the latest council report warns of further "risks". It said: "The acquisition is for a significant portion of land which is in private ownership, negotiations for which are ongoing and will need to be completed in order for the scheme to progress."As part of this acquisition, additional work needs to be done on ascertaining any removal, re-establishment or remediation costs of an existing business, which have not yet been established with certainty."Increased costs of this could jeopardise the affordability of the wider Parkwood programme."The report adds that the estimated costs for changing the Rutland Road junction were based on preliminary designs and the detailed design could increase costs and "put pressure on the remainder of the programme".Levelling Up funding must be used by March 2028 and the council said it was essential that detailed design work started as soon as possible, though it would not commit to delivery costs until the land purchase is complete. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
