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"Taxi" drivers fined nearly £5,000 after being caught committing offences in Middlesbrough


Report by Middlesbrough Council's Licensing Committee reveals eight taxi drivers prosecuted in 2013 for offences including having no insurance and being unlicensed

Taxi drivers were fined nearly £5,000 by Middlesbrough Council in the last year after being caught committing offences while operating within the town.

Eight taxi drivers were prosecuted in 2013 for offences including having no insurance and being unlicensed, a new report has revealed.

Five of the drivers were using vehicles belonging to Kwik Cars - a company which is no longer in operation.

One driver from the former business was ordered to pay the highest amount - a total of £1,359 - after twice being caught unlicensed and driving a taxi with no insurance in April and May last year.

Another driver was also ordered to pay the council £1,165. He was caught unlicensed and using a taxi with no insurance on November 11, 2012.

As well as the five Kwik Cars drivers, one man using a Swift Cars vehicle was fined £55 with £163 costs.

He was convicted for failing to wear an identification badge and for parking a private hire vehicle on a Hackney Carriage rank.

The council also fined one driver £200 with £376.95 costs for failing to return private hire vehicle identification plates.

A Hackney Carriage driver was also caught without a license and for using a vehicle without insurance.

He is yet to be sentenced.

The information was released in a report by Middlesbrough Council’s Licensing Committee.

The report covers taxi licensing legal proceeding from January 2013 to December 2013.

The committee were also informed about 14 cautions that were issued to 14 drivers in the same period.

These offences included prolonging a journey, carrying too many passengers and failing to wear an identification badge.

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said: “The council’s main concern when enforcing taxi legislation is the safety of the travelling public and other road users.

“The council take a proportionate approach to enforcement and in most instances prosecution is a last resort.

“In addition to prosecution, any licensed driver or operator found to be continually committing offences or committing offences of a serious nature will be referred to the Council’s Licensing Committee for a review of their licences.”

source: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... 00-6737636

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