Taxi Merger
FUTURE Cabs and Integrity Taxis have
now merged creating; Future Cabs; with Integrity. This merger now means the
fleet off hackney taxis grows to over 100.
Based on Derby Lane in Old Swan the company Head Office site is in central
Liverpool and an ideal HQ to serve the whole of the City as it's a stones
through from Queens Drive. Future Cabs with Integrity has a simple but effective
premise; it will allow the city's black cabs to operate as normal, but also give
them the means to compete with the private hire industry. By doing so, hackney
drivers will be able to tap into a growing market that has been previously
unavailable to them and the public will have the opportunity to access these fit
for purpose cabs at the same rate as private hire vehicles. Plus, Future Cabs
will accommodate 5 to 6 passengers, which will make them cheaper per person than
any other private hire company in the city. The merger now also means there are
more phone numbers and lines for customers to access a booking.
Director Ged Murphy commented:- "I'm really pleased to see Future Cabs and
Integrity come together as Hackney taxis are very much part of the local
economy. We fuse the old with the new with our unique booking system and it's a
great way to bring the industry into the 21st Century. Quality, price, safety
and service are all key to Future Cabs with Integrity's operation."
Technology is key to this service. All drivers operate with a smartphone,
equipped with a unique booking system that uses GPS tracking to show operators
exactly where the drivers are in relation to bookings. The booking system then
automatically picks the closest cab to the booking, so as well as an increase in
workload and the ability to make some free calls on their device, drivers can
expect to take planned, more efficient journeys that will optimize their fuel
bill!
The Future Cab customer app is free to
download and give the public options of telephoning the booking office, or
simply pressing a button on their Smartphone's GPS to securely call a hackney
straight to their current location at a discounted rate. Ged Murphy added:-
"With our merger we will continue to bring hackney drivers together, providing
them with support on the job and access to the latest technologies, as well as a
way to generate lots of additional business from private hire customers. Our
system could potentially be rolled out to every independent hackney cabby in
Liverpool."
Co Director, Ben Carberry (who was MD of Integrity Taxis) said:-
"We are delighted with this merger. We aim to become the biggest black hackney
company in the North West. We use the name Integrity because we are not only
focused on how much profit can be made but what is the right and moral thing to
do. This is how our B share idea was introduced into the new Future Integrity
Company. All drivers are offered B shares in the company." |
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Making friends during
Dementia Awareness Week
IN 2015 there will be 850,000 people
with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to 1 million by 2025.
Riverside housing association alongside organisations including the Alzheimer's
Society, is raising awareness and understanding of dementia, with our housing
and support services enabling people to 'live vibrant lives'
despite the
degenerative condition.
As part of Dementia Awareness Week 2015 (17 May to 23 May 2015), Riverside is
creating a Dementia Friends support group at Crescent Court, Liverpool and a
Dementia Reminiscence Pod at Hawthorne Court and West Park.
The Crescent Court Centre, is currently home to 60 retired men and women, offers
safe, but independent living with a 24 hour helpline and Scheme Manger onsite.
Kim Weldon, Riverside's Scheme Manager and a Dementia Champion for the
Alzheimer's Society said:- "At Crescent Court we have numerous activities
going on, during Dementia Awareness Week, to keep people active and to reduce
isolation. We have bingo's, quizzes, darts, pool, coffee and toasties morning,
Naafi breaks, gardening, card making, hairdressing and much more."
Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and
difficulties with thinking, problem solving or language. Dementia is caused when
the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of
strokes. Within the UK's rapidly ageing population Dementia is becoming an
increasingly prevalent issue.
Kim goes on to say:- "it feels good raising awareness during Dementia
Awareness Week of such a cruel disease and helping to change the stigma
attached. So far we have made 19 'Dementia Friends' and have helped our tenants
have a basic understanding of Dementia and where to obtain further support and
guidance. It is possible to live well with Dementia."
Riverside also operates Dementia friendly services at its Hawthorne Court
Scheme, including a vintage kitchen reminiscence pod which is a pop up replica
of a 1930s kitchen and a monthly community café.
Sue Fairly, also a Dementia Friend and the Hawthorne Court Scheme Manager said:-
"We see over 30 people at our café and the reminiscence pod is a great
talking point. For Dementia Awareness Week I will be taking the pod to West Park
in Southport on the 28th May for Dementia Awareness Week were I will be
delivering a small information session to the tenants there."
Each year, Riverside provides support for more than 4,000 people aged over 55,
delivered to more than 3,000 people within its specialist housing centres. Its
extra care housing gives older people with care needs the ability to access
innovative, high quality and flexible service provision.
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