IN THE NEWS LOO-BREAK DARLINGTON
DRIVER BLASTS COUNCIL WAIT
A cab driver who left his taxi unattended on a rank to use the toilet has accused a council of causing him unnec- essary stress after a five-month wait
to
decide his punishment. Mark Brown faced Dar- lington
Council’s
Borough licensing
committee a month ago to determine whether he could keep his hack- ney licence, weeks after a court appear- ance when he was fined £25 in a private prosecution brought by the authority. Mr Brown, 37, was reported by traffic war- dens after they saw his empty cab on the East Row rank, in Darling- ton, while he used a toilet nearby, on Janu- ary 14. He admitted
leaving the cab, but said he had no choice because of a stomach condition. Speaking after
the
licensing hearing, Mr Brown told the North- ern Echo: “The council expects you to leave the rank and park to go the loo, but you can wait for a fare for two hours and to leave the rank and then rejoin at the back would kill us. “I’m not saying that driv- ers should be able to park on the rank and go shopping but we can’t even go to the toilet. We’re grown men, we should be able to go to the loo when we want. We just want flexibility and common sense from the council.” He was given a written warning, but was
allowed to keep his licence. A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said: “By leav- ing taxis unattended on working ranks, driv- ers prevent other taxi drivers from being able to use that rank properly. Taxi ranks are not car parks for taxi drivers - if taxi drivers do need to leave their taxi when they are working they should find
somewhere
appropriate to park.” Mmmm.....Right: this is an issue that is being flagged up to the Law Commission during the current consulta- tion, which needs more focus on rank rumblings. Get your pens and keyboards out! - Ed.
BASILDON CABBIES DOUBLE YELLOW LINES CAMPAIGN
£25.00
per week
Maintaining
0208 573 4541
PAGE 50
Taxi drivers are cam- paigning for cabs to be allowed to drop passengers off on double yellow lines. According to the Basil- don Recorder, cabbies across Basildon have joined forces to launch a petition asking not to be fined when they are dropping off vulnerable
and elderly customers in restricted areas. Drivers say they are sometimes forced to leave passengers long distances from their destination to avoid getting caught in no- stopping zones. Some have been fined by a spy car.
Mmmm...Basildon cab-
bies could do with see- ing a copy of the adjudication
case
Makda -v- Westminster, which upheld that any vehicle - including taxis and PHVs - can stop on double yellow lines for the time it takes to pick up or drop off their pas- sengers and assist with their belongings. - Ed.
KNOW YOUR BANKNOTES... TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
confi-
dence in the currency is a key aim of the Bank of England, and raising awareness of how to recognise gen- uine banknotes helps to achieve this. The Bank’s advice is to remain vigilant at all times and to check all banknotes
being
passed in a transac- tion. When checking banknotes, don’t rely on just one security feature but check a
few such as: the feel of the paper and the raised print; the water- mark; the foil features; the metallic thread; the motion thread on the
new-style £50 note. The Bank of England provides a range of free educational mate- rials which can be ordered online at
www.bankofengland.co .uk/banknotes/Pages/e
ducational.aspx or by telephoning 020 7601 4878.
PHTM JULY 2012
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