Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The first electric taxi in Carmarthenshire has been licensed. Andrew Paul Morgans of AJ’s Taxis, Park View, Llanelli, has been granted a licence for a Nissan Leaf Electric Car. Mr Morgans asked today’s meeting of the county council’s licensing committee to grant him an exemption from the licensing condition that says that a hackney carriage vehicle must have an engine capacity of at least 1200cc. A report by senior licensing officer Justin Power said: “This vehicle features an advanced 24kwh or 30kwh rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack designed to provide clean, reliable power and therefore does not meet the current Engine Capacity Licence Condition. “This vehicle is fully compliant with all other conditions of licence for hackney carriage vehicles.” Mr Morgans told the committee: “We were looking for the most economical and environmentally-friendly car and this came on top. There are taxi companies across the UK using this car successfully. We would be the first down here.” Executiv...

Appeal for information on damaged taxi | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys Police are appealing for information on a taxi which was damaged while it was parked up in the vicinity of Dylan in Llwynhendy.

A warning has been sounded about rogue taxi drivers as the Christmas party season approaches. Licensing chiefs at the local authority are urging people across Carmarthenshire to stay safe when they use a cab. They fear unlicensed drivers will be cashing in as growing numbers of people need taxis over the busy festive period. The Cab Safe scheme run by the Council will ensure people get a safe ride home over the coming weeks. All people have to do is to text the word Cab to 83222 to get the numbers of the three nearest licensed taxi firms in their location anywhere in the county. It is thought initiatives of this nature will help, as cabbies will be in high demand over the coming weeks as partygoers decide to drink and not drive. More people are also out shopping and the cold weather means less will be inclined to walk home or wait at bus stops. Licensing officers at Carmarthenshire Council have joined forces with the police to raise awareness of the problem and to carry out j...

A Llanelli man has been fined £100 for driving a taxi without being licensed to do so. Stephen Royston Bowen appeared before Ammanford Magistrates Court last week for sentencing for an offence under Section 46 of the Town Police Clauses Act. He had been convicted at an earlier hearing. The court was told that 49-year-old Bowen was previously licensed as a taxi driver by Carmarthenshire County Council until July 27, 2010, when he surrendered his licence. On the October 8, 2010, he was seen by police driving a licensed hackney carriage into the petrol station at Heol Capel Isaf, Llanelli. He did not have a licence to drive this hackney carriage. Bowen, of Heol Beili Glas, Llanelli, was fined £100 and ordered to pay a contribution of £100 towards prosecution costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Smoking a cigarette in his cab has cost a Carmarthen taxi driver £200. James Cook, of Richmond Cottages, Richmond Terrace, Carmarthen, was convicted in his absence at Ammanford Magistrates Court of an offence under Section 7 of the Health Act, 2006. The court was told that at about 8.30am on Friday August 27 last year a licensing officer saw Cook driving a cab for Steve’s Taxis, Carmarthen, on Coracle Way, Carmarthen. Whilst Cook was stationary at the lights, he could clearly see him smoking a cigarette inside the vehicle. On the same day he served a Fixed Penalty Notice under the Health Act 2006 Section 7 (Offence of smoking in a smoke free place). Cook failed to pay the fixed penalty within 29 days of it being served, and was therefore prosecuted. The fixed penalty is for £50, however if paid within the first 15 days of the notice being served, this is discounted to £30. Cook was fined was fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs. Executive board member for public...

A new Llanelli taxi rank is being provided in Murray Street. The rank will run for 30 metres on the town side of the street between the Cowell Street Junction with Murray Street and the Station Road traffic lights. Both the taxi fraternity and Carmarthenshire’s council senior licensing officer have been requesting additional taxi ranks in the own centre. There is an existing taxi rank in Market Street but it is felt there is need for an additional dedicated on street taxi waiting area to the west of the main shopping precinct. County transport executive board member, Cllr Philip Hughes, said: “The new rank will increase the provision of waiting areas, reduce the potential for crime and anti social behaviour on Murray Street and support trade in the town centre.” There has been consultation with all local members, police, the Road Haulage Association and motoring organisations. There was an objection from Llanelli Town Council concerned the new rank could cause traffic travelling towa...

Taxi marshals will again be helping revellers in Llanelli and Carmarthen to get home safely this Christmas. The marshals will be based at Island Place in Llanelli and Blue Street in Carmarthen between 11pm and 4am during the busy festive run-up. It is hoped the marshals, funded by the Community Safety Partnership, will help to cut anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime in the town centres as well as protect the public and reduce the fear of crime. This is the third year running the taxi marshals have been employed by the partnership. They will be working on the following nights: • Saturday, December 11 • Friday, December 17 • Saturday December 18 • Boxing Day (Sunday, December 26) • Bank Holiday Monday (December 27) • New Year’s Eve (December 31) The marshals are registered with the Security Industry Authority and will be wearing high visibility jackets. They will also be carrying radios so they will have direct contact with the police. The marshals have been extremely success...

A warning has been sounded about rogue taxi drivers as the Christmas party season approaches. Licensing chiefs at the local authority are urging people across Carmarthenshire to stay safe when they use a cab. They fear unlicensed drivers will be cashing in as growing numbers of people need taxis over the busy festive period. The Cab Safe scheme run by the Council will ensure people get a safe ride home over the coming weeks. All people have to do is to text the word Cab to 83222 to get the numbers of the three nearest licensed taxi firms in their location anywhere in the county. This scheme has now also been rolled out in eight local authorities across Wales. It is thought initiatives of this nature will help, as cabbies will be in high demand over the coming weeks as partygoers decide to drink and not drive. More people are also out shopping and the cold weather means less will be inclined to walk home or wait at bus stops. Licensing officers at Carmarthenshire Council have joined for...

Carmarthenshire County Council has issued its first ticket for an offence of breaking a ban on smoking. A fixed penalty notice has been issued to a taxi driver who was found smoking in his cab while waiting for a customer in Lammas Street, Carmarthen. The local authority has the power to issue £50 fixed penalties under the Health Act 2006. The amount to be paid is reduced to £30 if it is paid promptly. Smoke-free legislation came into force in Wales on April 2, 2007. Council head of public protection Philip Davies said that officers from the council’s street scene section were investigating another problem in Lammas Street when they noticed a taxi driver smoking in his vehicle. “The matter was reported and resulted in a fixed penalty notice being issued to the person concerned. The fine was paid almost immediately, so he paid £30,” he said. Executive board member for housing and public protection Cllr Hugh Evans said: “This is the first time that a fixed penalty notice has been used to...