A MOTHER who suffered head injuries when her taxi was struck by a missile in broad daylight has spoken of her terrifying ordeal.

Gail Henderson, 45, of Infirmary Road, Blackburn, was a passenger in the mini-cab, travelling along Hereford Road around 4pm on Tuesday, when an object struck the front passenger window, causing glass to shatter in her face.

Mrs Henderson, who works night shifts as a cleaner at Royal Blackburn Hospital, was on her way to collect her son from Intack Primary School.

She initially believed the taxi had been shot at with an air rifle and was left in a state of shock, with several cuts above her left eye.

Police believe the injuries were probably caused by a stone thrown at the cab.

She said: "The bang was really loud. You could hear it right down the street.

"I felt shaken, sick, was crying and then I realised I was bleeding quite badly.

"I had to take the night off work, so I've lost out on an evening's pay and my team were short staffed, so it isn't fair on them."

Taxi driver Shakeel Ahmed, 32, who works for Intack Taxis, Mill Lane, Blackburn, had to replace the broken window and have the car valeted.

He added: "I was really shocked. I couldn't sleep at all on the night it happened."

Mrs Henderson, who was treated by a paramedic at the scene, says she saw a teenager nearby and was eager to speak to police immediately.

But despite contacting them several times, she was only interviewed on Wednesday evening. She said: "I'm not very happy with the police.

"If the car window had been down I'd be in hospital now, at the very least."

Police said they believed the attack was the latest in a series of stone-throwing incidents involving youths.

Inspector Debbie Carter, of Blackburn Police, said: "Although Mrs Henderson thought an air weapon had been used, there is no evidence to support that.

"A number of taxis and buses have been stoned in the area and we are working with the bus company to tackle the problem.

"We were told by the ambulance that Mrs Henderson had no injuries so, at that time, she was the witness, and not the aggrieved."

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/2321617.mum_injured_as_missile_hits_taxi_in_blackburn/

The family of a student killed by a speeding taxi driver last night condemned his £250 fine as 'disgraceful'.

Vikki Spear, 20, a psychology student at Manchester University, was hit by Raja Ahmed's car as she crossed the road after a night out.

Ahmed denied careless driving, claiming he was only doing 25mph.

But Judge Tim Devas ruled that he must have been driving above the 30mph limit.

He had the power to ban Ahmed from driving and fine him up to £5,000.

But he said the victim was 'under the influence of alcohol which could have impaired her concentration'.

Miss Spear's mother Madelaine said: 'He was speeding and wasn't paying attention in a well-lit area. I will never get my daughter back but he only gets a fine.'

There is no offence of causing death by careless driving, although one is due to be introduced later this year.

Cathy Keeler, of the road safety group Brake, said: 'A £250 fine for causing a death through illegal driving does nothing to recognise the devastating loss of life.'

Ahmed, 49, of Salford, Manchester, received six points on his licence.

Miss Spear had been to watch Lily Allen in concert with three friends when she was struck by the private hire taxi in the early hours of March 11 last year.

The group, who had all been drinking, were trying to cross Wilmslow Road, a busy road near Miss Spear's student digs in Fallowfield, Manchester, but failed to activate the pelican crossing.

The court heard that shortly before the accident, at 3.50am, the group had visited a kebab shop.

They were in high spirits and had been seen play fighting on the pavement.

Miss Spear's friend, Catherine Thomas, told an inquest that she had stopped when she saw car headlights approaching and assumed Miss Spears would do the same.

But instead she continued to cross and was struck by the silver Nissan Primera driven by Ahmed.

Miss Spear was taken to Hope Hospital, Salford, but died three days later.

Judge Devas told Ahmed he must have been speeding above the 30mph limit and should have seen Miss Spears as she crossed the road.

'It is my view that Vikki was clearly under the influence of alcohol which could have impaired her concentration and road sense,' the judge said.

'However, I think Ahmed departed from the standard of a reasonable and competent driver.'

But the judge added: 'I don't think I need to ban you from driving.'

A person is prosecuted for driving without due care and attention when the driving falls below the standard expected of a reasonable, prudent and competent driver.

If a death has occurred as a result of careless driving, this can only be reflected in the charge if the driver is under the influence of drink or drugs.

At present, there is no offence of causing death by careless driving, although one is due to be introduced by the Government later this year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031096/Fined-just-250-The-speeding-taxi-driver-knocked-killed-20-year-old-student.html

The city is launching a major offensive against limos and livery cabs that illegally pick up fares.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is marshaling its forces for the pending crackdown on drivers who illegally stop when hailed - in addition to cabbies who pay kickbacks to hotel doormen to steer tourists into their cars, Commissioner Matthew Daus said.

“We’re going to be devoting all of our resources for a period of time to do nothing but this,” he said.
“So we can clear out the central business district of people who shouldn’t be there and who pose a threat to safety and are poaching business from people who legally and lawfully have the right to do it.”

Only yellow cabs have the right to stop for passengers when hailed, but with businesses cutting costs by using fewer “black cars” that serve the corporate clientele, drivers are hunting for customers on the street.

In the near future, TLC’s undercover enforcement officers will pose as passengers and, if the unauthorized cabs pull over when hailed, the drivers will face a $350 fine.

But Daus was less clear about how the agency would crack down on exchanges between drivers and hotel doormen - whom many cabbies claim take $5 or $10 kickbacks to usher hotel guests into unauthorized vehicles.

“We’re going to be working on a new initiative . . . that is going to take a new angle and new look at the hotel doormen that are steering business to illegal cars,” he said.

Yellow-cab driver Jean Pete, 57, from East Flatbush, said: “The black cars even line up at the hotels. We’re all glad [for a crackdown] because they’re stealing our fares.”

In addition to protecting yellow cabbies’ rights, Daus said the effort could stop a “worst-case scenario” of chauffeur wannabes with no taxi-driving credentials cruising for unsuspecting fares.

http://www.toomanytaxis.com/