Recession or not, Leeds-Bradford airport is spending £11 million on improving its terminal high on a hill north of Leeds, although two of travellers’ grouches will remain, at least for now.

The money will be spent on extending the security area, where there is often a long queue, and enlarging the waiting area for outbound passengers with, inevitably, more shops.
There will also be a covered walkway from the terminal to planes, a potential blessing on an exposed site which frequently gets the brunt of wind and rain.

The unaltered irritations are the £2 drop-off fee, which leads to passengers getting out on approach roads before their lifts get locked into the one-way, no-escape system; and the continuing mess in the security area imposed on the terminal forecourt after the Glasgow terrorist attack. That was four years ago, but Yeadon’s apron between the terminal and the bus-stops has been an unwelcoming dead zone all that time.

This will change, the airport says, once use of a major part of the area for contractors making the terminal improvements is over. The airport is interested in suggestions for how to make the space more agreeable, so please send them in. My own would be some sort of vintage aircraft on display, like the Spitfires and the like which you see at the entrance to RAF bases.

The drop-off fee is staying. The airport says that 12 other UK airports impose similar charges and so this appears to be the shape of things to come. They promise, however, to give better publicity to the option of an hour’s free parking in the long-stay with drop-off passengers getting the free shuttle to the terminal. There’s also the under-used 757 airport bus to and from Leeds.

Taxi drivers have to pay the fee too, but can buy a £25 annual ticket for 15 free minutes per drop-off in the short-term car park.

The investment promises good things otherwise, with Jet2 making a far better fist of being ‘Yorkshire’s airline’ than any of its predecessors. The airport’s chief executive John Parkin wants to see passenger numbers rise from 2.95m to 5m and destinations from 70 to 100.

Coun Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for city development, said; “The development of the inside of the airport terminal building will greatly improve the travelling experience for overseas visitors, travellers and tourists. All of this is extremely important for bringing business, tourism and investment to Leeds and the wider city region.

“We also welcome the new jobs that will be created through the programme and particularly the commitment to use local labour wherever possible.”

Source: The Guardian

A video has been released of the naked gunman who stole a Hummer limousine from its driver in California.

The carjacker was caught on camera fleeing from a stretched Hummer and was soon dragged to the ground by a police dog after abandoning the limousine following a 30-mile chase.

The chauffeur called 911 after it was allegedly stolen at gunpoint and highway patrol officers gave chase with a police helicopter capturing the scene from above. The chase eventually ended in Whittier, when the lone driver ground to a halt in a residential area.

The bare-bottomed man waves his arms as he runs through residents’ front lawns before being caught by a police dog. The footage has amused thousands of viewers on YouTube with one commenting: “Good doggy!”

An ex chauffeur of charity campaigner, Heather Mills, has been fined after using a photocopy of her disabled badge to park outside a supermarket in Palmers Green.

Stewart Simonson, 65, of John Gooch Drive, Enfield was caught using the photocopied blue parking badge to park his Smart Car on a yellow line in Lodge Avenue, months after he stopped working for Ms Mills in March. Enfield Magistrates Court heard how Simonson suffers with arthritis and had stopped off to buy painkillers as well as batteries for his watch on September 24.

In a statement, Simonson explained his arthritis forced him to give up working for Ms Mills, who lost her left leg in a road incident in 1993.

He said: “I’m in constant pain and unable to walk a great distance.”

Simonson has applied for his own disabled badge and claimed this was the “one and only” time he had used the photocopied badge belonging to Ms Mills who apparently gave consent for the copy to be taken because she often forgot to carry the original badge.

Simonson, who did not appear in court today, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay £660 in fines and court costs.

Source: Enfield Independent

Illegal cab drivers, also known as touts or unbooked minicabs, have been served warning of the Mayor and Transport for London’s continuing war on touts this week with the crushing of a car seized from an illegal cab driver.
 
The crushing of the vehicle coincides with an increase in police and enforcement activity against touting and other illegal cab activity, which starts again this week across all boroughs of the Capital as Londoners begin to celebrate the festive season.
 
Operation STAN involves officers from Transport for London (TfL), the Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command and the City of London Police (CoLP). Cab related offences fell by 21 per cent last year, however the aim is to make travelling in London after dark even safer for Londoners and visitors to the city. And since 2007 police resources focused on this issue have more than doubled, a new team focused on sexual offences has been set up, and last year over 1,250 arrests were made for cab offences.
 
More than 180 arrests have already been made for touting and other cab-related offences over three weekends this autumn. The first phase of Operation Safer Travel at Night involved officers checking over 5,000 vehicles and speaking with thousands of Londoners and students to provide safer travel information and encourage Londoners to use licensed taxis or licensed minicabs, reminding them that only taxis (black cabs) can be stopped and picked up off the street without a pre-booking.
 
A thorough programme of activity has been lined up including a thought provoking campaign warning of the dangers of getting into unbooked minicabs, as well as targeted TfL and police enforcement activity to identify, disrupt and deter illegal cab activity.
 
Any minicab that isn’t booked through a licensed minicab operator is dangerous and puts the travelling public at risk of attack, including sexual assault and robbery. Minicabs lined up outside pubs and clubs are breaking the law if they accept your fare without a booking being made first. The advice is that you should not approach minicab drivers, and any minicab driver that approaches you on the street anywhere is acting illegally. Do not get in.
 
Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse, said: “With the festive party season underway and the nights growing colder and darker we are doing everything we can to crack down on illegal minicab touts and to warn passengers never to pick up an unbooked minicab in the street.”
 
The step up in enforcement and engagement activity demonstrates how seriously the Mayor, TfL and the police take this issue. They are using a broad range of tactics to detect and deal with touts including making greater use of financial investigation and confiscation of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act and ancillary orders. The car crushed this week was the first to be forfeited to the Safer Transport Command after the driver was convicted in court for purporting to be a licensed minicab driver. This should serve as a stark warning to drivers who break the law and put the travelling public at risk. It is only a matter of time before they are caught and brought to justice.
 
Steve Burton, TfL’s Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing, said: “Unbooked minicabs continue to pose a serious risk to the travelling public which is why operations like Operation STAN are so important in raising awareness of the dangers and cracking down on touting and other cab-related offences. We urge the travelling public not to use them. All minicab journeys must be booked through a licensed minicab operator. Only taxis (black cabs) can pick passengers up on the street or at a rank without a booking being made first.”
 
Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, Safer Transport Command, said: “The Safer Transport Command are committed to reducing the number of cab-related sexual offences. Our dedicated Cabs Enforcement Unit will continue to be out on the streets of the Capital all year round, tackling touting involving both licensed and unlicensed drivers. Touts should be warned that we are pursuing them through the courts to confiscate their assets obtained through their illegal activity.”
 
It is illegal for any minicab driver (even drivers licensed by TfL) to accept a fare without a booking made either over the phone, by email or at an office. Booking a minicab will ensure that there is a record of the journey and it will be carried out by a licensed driver in a licensed, insured car.
 
TfL and the police aim to ensure that drivers that break the law and put the travelling public at risk are brought to justice. Recent successes include a bogus cab driver recently being found guilty of touting and driving with no insurance following an arrest made by a plain clothes cab enforcement officer.
 
Forty year old Rasheed Kenku, from Islington, was arrested for touting after being caught by undercover Cab Enforcement police officers in March this year. He was fined £2000 at Stratford Magistrates Court, disqualified from driving for 8 months, had six points added to his licence and ordered to pay £350 in court costs.

The BMW Group has reported a 7.7% increase in vehicle sales, with the 5 and 7-Series models performing well.

A total of 283,065 BMW 5 Series vehicles were delivered to customers between January and November – an increase of 52.1% (prev. yr. 186,060). The BMW 7 Series also continues to perform well, with year-to-date deliveries of the BMW flagship reaching 61,529 vehicles (+6.8%/prev. yr. 57,587).
 
Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “This was our best ever November sales month, with growth right across the world. We have already sold more vehicles in the first eleven months of this year than in the whole of 2010 and we have also broken our sales record from 2007 (1,500,678). This puts our record sales target for the full year of more than 1.6 million vehicles well within reach. In November, the main impetus for growth came from the BMW X3, the BMW 5 Series and the BMW 6 Series – with further momentum from the new BMW 1 Series, which has been available on the market since 18 September and has already received several awards from automotive media.”

The co-owner of a luxury limousine hire firm is to appear in court accused of chauffeuring relatives of Manchester City officials and a star player without insurance.

Mohammed Fayaz Hussain, 41, was slapped with a summons after five vehicles belonging to Elite Limousines VIP Protection Services were pulled over by police on their way to the Etihad Stadium. It is understood the passengers included the family of at least one of the Blues’ first-team stars, as well as relatives of the club’s top brass.

The cars were stopped on the day of City’s final home game of last season – against Stoke City on May 17.

Mr Hussain will face three counts of employing an unlicensed driver, five counts of using a private hire vehicle that was not displaying the correct plate or disc information, five counts of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance and one later count of withholding information to obtain motor insurance.

The count of withholding information dates to June 15, 2010. Mr Hussain – of Woodlands Road, Crumpsall – is one of three main shareholders in the company, according to the most recent accounts. He is also a director of the firm.

The Piccadilly-based company’s website features shots of their luxury fleet sat outside the Etihad stadium.

They boast a Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley Flying Spur, Bentley Arnage, Chrysler Limousine, Mercedes S Class, Mercedes People Carrier, Mercedes 16-seater, Hummer H2 and Lincoln Navigator.

The site adds that each vehicle is fitted with in-car entertainment including DVD players, LCD screens, games consoles and state-of-the-art music systems.

Elite also offers helicopter and executive jet travel.

Mr Hussain will appear at Manchester magistrates’ court on December 20.

He declined to comment when contacted by the Manchester Evening News. Manchester City also declined to comment.

Source: Manchester Evening News

ŠKODA UK today announced that it has broken its previous registrations record in just 11 months of 2011. In 2010 ŠKODA UK totalled 41,240 registrations; as of 28 November, UK registrations reached 41,313.

The latest chauffeur programme aimed at the industry was launched at two exclusive events recently.

Volvo UK has welcomed the announcement from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) which means its new V60 Hybrid Plug-in will be classed as a ‘hybrid’ for tax purposes when it arrives next year.

Diesel-electric hybrids have now been incorporated in the type A tax band rather than the previous type D, which covers diesels but attracts a 3% levy on the Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax payment. This is likely to translate to a saving of at least £200 per year for company car drivers.

The clarification follows an analysis from HMRC rules and guidance notes by Volvo Car UK’s tax consultants, Hampshire-based BCF Wessex, amidst fears that vehicles such as the low CO2 emitting diesel hybrids like the new V60 Plug-in at just 49g/km CO2 would inadvertently be incorporated in the diesel category.

BMW has revealed it is to offer a host of luxury additions to the 7-Series range at a highly reduced price.