MARCH 2009
...PROPER
POLICE PROBING DRIVERS’ PENALTY POINTS DODGE
Six cabbies have been arrested following a police investigation into drivers allegedly paying others to admit speed- ing offences on their behalf.
The investigation has looked at the alleged practice of drivers who have been caught speeding, but persuad- ed others, with few or no points on their licences, to admit the offence and accept any penalties. Essex Police spokesman Bill Stock told the Southend Evening Echo: “Six peo- ple have been arrested on suspicion of pervert- ing the course of justice in connection with speed camera enforce- ment offences in the Southend area.
“Officers from the Safer Roads Bureau arrested them on 5 February, fol- lowing investigations into alleged attempts to
avoid paying speed fines. Five men from Westcliff and a 19-year- old from Southend were arrested.”
All six have been bailed to appear at Southend police station in June, pending further inquiries.
One of the firms being investigated is Radio Cars, the largest private hire firm in Southend. Managing director David Burch said: “We are concerned to learn of these alleged offences against a num- ber of licensed drivers within Southend. How- ever, Radio Cars is not prepared to take any action of its own at this stage, until it is proven the allegations are founded.
“Naturally we will coop- erate fully with our local licensing authority and assist where possible in this investigation.”
FINES AND LICENCE POINTS FOR ‘BLAGGING’ MILTON KEYNES CABBIES
Friday the 13th was a very unlucky day for two drivers who were caught illegally plying for hire and driving without insurance in Milton Keynes.
Rahoof Rashid, of Luton and Mian Asif, of Milton Keynes, both appeared before city magistrates on Friday (13th) to admit plying for hire and driving without insurance. They were each fined £100 for each offence - £200 in total - and they were also asked to pay £477.82 costs.
The Magistrates also imposed six penalty points imposed on their driving licences. The court heard the pair, working for Skyline, were caught, along with ten others during an undercover operation where licensing officers posed as customers getting into PHVs.
A taxi licensing enforcement spokes- man said: “Picking up fares on the street is illegal. Private hire vehi- cles have to be pre-booked, otherwise the vehicle’s insurance is invalidated.
“These two drivers were operating in an incredibly irresponsible and potentially danger- ous manner on both fronts and the Magis- trates recognised this by endorsing their DVLA licences with six points. “As they are licensed by Milton Keynes Council, these two driv- ers now face further action before our Regu- latory committee.” The other ten drivers, licensed by South Northamptonshire Council, are due to appear at the Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court in the near future.
CARLISLE TAXI FAILED INSPECTION SEVEN TIMES
A Carlisle taxi driver faced disciplinary action after his cab failed rou- tine safety checks seven times in two years. James Jeffery, 39, of Harraby, had his taxi licence revoked by the city’s regulatory panel when it met last month. Routine inspections found a catalogue of faults on his 2001-regis- tered London style cab. The steering was sus- pect on six occasions, there were five instances of faulty brakes and lights, four instances of defective bodywork and three suspension faults. The most recent inspec- tion in December revealed two worn tyres. Taxis more than five years old are tested at the council’s garage at Bousteads Grassing three times a year. From last April 14 through to December, Mr Jeffery’s vehicle
failed repeatedly; in August it failed again and was subsequently taken off the road whilst substantial repairs were done to its body- work and paintwork. A report to councillors advised them that Mr Jeffery had received written warnings about his vehicle’s repeated failures and that, should the vehicle fail again on any obvious faults, the matter would be referred to the coun- cil’s regulatory panel. The licensing officer at Carlisle Council, Jim Messenger, advised us that Mr Jeffery told members of the panel that, although he was not a trained mechanic, he was “mechanically minded”. But the claim was ignored by the panel who, acting on the vehicle’s appalling fit- ness record, revoked Mr Jeffery’s driver licence.
PROSECUTION NUMBER TWO IN SIX MONTHS FOR WHITEHAVEN UNLICENSED TAXI DRIVER
A Whitehaven man has been prosecuted for the second time in six months for driving an unlicensed taxi. James Gilmour, 67, of Whitehaven, was prosecuted by Allerdale Council for acting as a private hire driver. West Allerdale Magis- trates’ Court heard how a transport check at Bankfield Day Cen- tre, Newlands Lane, Workington, found a Ford Mondeo dropping off a passenger on November 7, 2008 at around 9am.
Upon checking, it was confirmed the passen- ger was subject to a Cumbria County Coun- cil transport contract held by Max Travel (Cumbria) Limited of Workington.
Subsequent enquiries revealed that Gilmour was not
licensed as a private hire driver. The Mon- deo was also not licensed as a private hire vehicle.
Council officers inter- viewed Michael Fee, 64, of Peart Road, Der- went Howe, Workington, and licensed operator of Max Travel, in Novem- ber 2008. He admitted that the vehicle belonged to him, that it was used on the county council con- tract and that the driver and vehicle were unlicensed. Gilmour pleaded guilty to being an unli- censed driver and driving an unlicensed vehicle as a taxi. He was fined a total of £160 and ordered to pay £75 costs and a victim surcharge of £15. Fee pleaded guilty to operating an unli-
censed private hire driver and vehicle and was fined £200. He was also ordered to pay £75 costs and a victim surcharge of £15. Trevor Gear, Allerdale Councl’s legal execu- tive who prosecuted the case, told the Carlisle News and Star: “Unlicensed taxis and drivers put lives at risk. If a taxi in Allerdale has not been licensed by Allerdale Borough Council, then it will not have under- gone a taxi test and may not be roadwor- thy and suitable for the purpose. The driv- er may also not have had a medical nor be insured, and it is unlikely they will have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau or tested by the Driving Standards Agency.”
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