Taxi Driver Online

February 27, 2008 Wednesday

Ciggie costs cabbie £715 and his licence

Echo

A TAXI driver who couldn't resist a quick smoke in his cab found himself in court - and £715 out of pocket.

Basildon magistrates heard on November 2 last year, a Thurrock Council official spotted Alan Cross smoking in his taxi on the Grays railway station rank. He warned he faced a fine or possible prosecution.

Later the same day, he was again seen smoking by five witnesses, the court was told. After that, the council suspended his taxi licence.

Cross, 47, failed to attend court, claiming he had not been notified and was still preparing the case for his defence.

He admits the first offence, but claims he was nowhere near the rank when officials claim the second offence was committed. He says he is the victim of mistaken identity.

In his absence, Cross was found guilty of smoking in a taxi - an offence against the 2006 Health Act - and failing to comply with the request of an officer.

He was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £400, plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Cross, of Cole Avenue, Chadwell St Mary, Cross said he was angry the case had gone ahead without him.

He said: "Every lunchtime, when this is alleged to have happened, I'm not on the rank. I'm taking my wife to or from work, depending on her shift.

"Through my solicitor, I applied for an adjournment, but we didn't hear anything until the Echo rang to tell me what had happened in court. I'm stunned and angry. I have not had my day in court and I have been hit with a ridiculous fine."

Ben Maney, Thurrock councillor responsible for community protection, said: "The council takes the protection of residents very seriously and is under an obligation to act against those who flout the law."

However, Simon Clark, director of pro-smoking group, Forest, said: "This is ridiculous. The level of the fine is grotesque and draconian.

"People walk away from courts with much less punishment for much greater offences. What harm could he possibly be doing to anyone else having a smoke in his cab on his own?"
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I think you will find the court was more pi**ed off with his non-attendance than with the smoking matter.

But if he is innocent then he can appeal.

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IDFIMH

Why did he lose his license, surely they cant take it off him just for smoking in his taxi, thats stupid.

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now a licensed hackney driver

I suspect they took it off him, or suspended him, because he didn't stop the first time.

Not saying that's right, but he was a tad daft to get caught twice in the same day.

Maybe he was trying to be the big I am.

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IDFIMH

1 Mar 2008

Cab drivers are fined for smoking

Three taxi drivers have been fined for smoking in their cars.

The drivers were fined £50 each by Stratford-upon-Avon District Council
after environmental health officers claimed they were smoking.

The council said they had broken laws, brought in in July, making it illegal
to smoke in workplaces in England, including private hire vehicles.

The drivers were issued with fixed penalty notices, which one intends to
contest at a magistrates' court.

Smoking in enclosed public spaces was banned in England on 1 July .

The new laws mean drivers must park and get out of their cars to smoke
because a taxi counts as a public space.

Stratford-upon-Avon District Council says the fines showed it was ready to
take action to protect the public against the health impacts of passive smoking.

It is understood it is the first time the council has taken action against
anyone using the new legislation.

Source: BBC News
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It does seem a bit steep taking his licence off him, but........
We are not allowed by law to smoke in our cars and we all know that, if he chooses to break the law.........

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stressed controller!!!

I think we should all have those fake plastic cigs which are a aid in quitting ,and the snoopers wont have a clue .. be fun in court....

Interesting thought....can a smell be produced in evidence?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

to be fair the driver in question is a 1st class bellend he was actually caught 3 times in about 2 hours the husband of an l.o is a taxi driver and he has got an hotline too her office "ooh guess what mrs those nasty drivers are doing bla blah" so for him to smoke on the rank like that he deserved it but the soon to be ex vice chair of the assoc gets away with it cos he sucks up to the council

I wonder how long it was suspended for, or has it now been revoked?

I suppose the LO feels he is a danger to the public but he will be a fit and proper person once he has been fined by the courts?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

he lost his badge completely but it is the 2nd time he has been revoked the last time he used a loop hole to get his badge back but i will say round here you have two kinds of justice one for the normal joes and one for the crawlers who kiss butt

Aye and because he lost his license he'll be skint and setting us Tax Payers back £12,000 in state hand outs...show you Fechin stupid the state is...they ruin his career and then pay the costs...where as if they let him have a sly puff he'd now be donating £4000 a year in income Tax.

And if we let that mugger just mug someone for £5 instead of £5000 we wouldn't have to keep him in prison.

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Grandad,

I doubt many people would want to get into a cab smelling of cigarette smoke but I suppose they do have the option of getting a different cab? I don't go along with the theory that a person is a danger to the public when smoking in their cab when not working, however the law is the law.

I suppose any person caught smoking in their cab and given a warning by the LO which they fail to heed, are making a rod for their own back.

Perhaps there should be a smoking penalty points system just like the totting up process?

I haven't read of any bus drivers being fined yet, which does surprise me, has anyone else?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

It has always been illegal for bus drivers to smoke in their vehicles. (not that it stopped many)

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Former taxi driver