IN THE NEWS
PAISLEY DRIVER WHO ATTACKED FARE DODGER WALKS FREE
A taxi driver who beat up and took money from a passenger who was sick in the back of his cab, then refused to pay for it, has walked free from court. Alan McClure, from Erskine, admitted assaulting Albert McCondochie and robbing him of £30 in Paisley in March. The Sheriff Court heard the 44-year-old took the law into his own hands after police did not intervene. BBC News reports that the court heard how McCondochie was sick in McClure’s taxi and refused to pay to have an interior valet service carried out.
He was then driven to a police station in Pais- ley as the driver sought to have the issue resolved. However, McClure was told by officers that there was nothing they could do. He later went to the address he had been given by McCon- dochie, grabbed hold of him, assaulted him and stole £30.
The Defence agent said the episode had cost his client dearly as he had lost his licence and was unable to find alterna- tive employment due to the prosecution. Sheriff Susan Sinclair went off the bench to consider references
produced in support of McClure and his good character.
“I do not condone what you did at all but accept that it was a moment of madness,” she said. “You had never been in trouble before that night and your actions have cost your family considerably.
“Having considered the large number of references presented, what has been said on your behalf, and all the background, in all of the extraordinary cir- cumstances of this case, I am going to do something unusual and grant you an absolute discharge.”
£1,500 COURT BILL FOR CAMBRIDGE DRIVER WHO LIT UP IN CAB
A Cambridge taxi driv- er picked the wrong place for a cigarette break in his vehicle - outside council offices, where he was spotted by an environ- mental health officer. The driver, from Hunt- ingdon, who works for Steve’s Taxis, admitted smoking in a smoke- free vehicle, and obstruction by failing to provide his name and address.
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Huntingdon magis- trates ordered him to pay £1,524, consisting of £300 in fines and the rest in Huntingdon- shire District Council’s prosecution costs. This was the first pros- ecution of its kind
brought by the council. Vicki Stevens, for the council, said: “He was seen smoking in his taxi in contravention of the Health Act 2006. “He was approached by an environmental health officer who asked for his name and address, which he failed to provide.” Miss Stevens said the council got the driver’s details from his employer and served him with a fixed penalty notice which he failed to pay within the speci- fied time, despite being given an extension. She told the court he had previously been given a written warn- ing after being seen
smoking in his cab. Cllr Andrew Hansard told the Cambridge News: “By smoking in his taxi, he chose not only to break the law but denied his cus- tomers their rights to travel in a smoke-free vehicle.
“Unfortunately, in this case earlier written warnings did not have the desired effect and his refusal to pay a fixed penalty notice meant that the council had no alternative other than to take the matter before the court.” Mmm...we feature this as it is the most severe cost we’ve heard of to date for a smoking offence. - Ed
DERBY OPERATOR CLEARED TO USE STAFF WHO TAKE BOOKINGS IN THE STREET
A taxi firm has started operating again after an agreement was reached with Derby City Council.
Harvey Chauhan launched Affordable Chauffeurs in Derby last month. Unlike other private hire firms, his company uses staff who take bookings on the street.
They use hand-held satellite navigation devices to take the bookings, agree a price, call a driver and print out a receipt. But within days of Mr Chauhan starting up in the Wardwick, the sys- tem sparked com- plaints from hackney carriage drivers and questions from the
council’s licensing department.
Although Mr Chauhan’s firm takes bookings, the council wanted to make sure it was not illegally touting for busi- ness.
The firm had to stop operating. Mr Chauhan said that cost him between £500 and £600 a week and also affected drivers who had agreed to use the system.
He has now been told he can resume work- ing but that staff can not approach people or operate near to hackney carriage ranks in the city. Mr Chauhan com- plained to the council that it was slow to
respond to his request to iron out problems. The council investigat- ed his complaint but dismissed it.
A spokeswoman for the authority told the Derby Telegraph: “We have very strict proce- dures in respect of licensing and must ensure we apply rules equitably and accord- ing to the law. Derby City Council has fol- lowed correct pro- cedure in this matter.” Mmm... the NPHA took a couple of irate calls from Derby licence holders after this firm opened. We referred them to Derby licensing with a view to reaching a compromise position. The jury’s out! - Ed
PHTM OCTOBER 2010
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