Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver covered number plate with paper at Belfast International Airport to avoid paying full parking fee

A taxi driver who covered up his vehicle’s front number plate with paper and failed to pay the full fee at the drop-off zone at Belfast International Airport has been fined £200.

Philip Stephen Clarke (33), of Rathvarna Close in Lisburn, committed offences on November 28 last year.

At Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, he admitted charges of obscuring his number plate and making off without paying £35 of a £36 parking fee.

A prosecutor said police received a report from the car park office at the airport that a member of the public saw a taxi driver in the drop-off zone covering his front number plate before driving out.

Police viewed CCTV which showed the defendant arrived in the drop-off zone at 9.20am and left at 11.10am.

"Before exiting the drop-off zone the defendant partially covered the front number plate of his vehicle with white paper, thus obscuring part of the number plate," a prosecutor said.

The court heard the defendant then paid £1 at the barrier which lifted and outside he then "removed the pieces of white paper to reveal the full registration plate". The full amount the defendant should have paid was £36.

The defendant said he had paid back the money.

District Judge Nigel Broderick told the defendant: "You have been very foolish. You have placed your livelihood in jeopardy. There is an element of deception involved in this. It is not just paying your parking ticket, it is covering your number plate.

"You put a bit of thought into it. It wasn't as if you were left without money."

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IDFIMH

£36 for two hours.

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IDFIMH

a drop off zone so presumably after 10 minutes it goes up sharply Stansted is £50 I think if you go over the allotted time

Saw something on the internet about a bloke who tried to beat the Ulez cameras by taping a leaf over part of his number plate he also got a hefty fine I believe

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector