Taxi Driver Online

I don't know about that because ignorance is no defence in law. However if one assumes the meeting took place long before the 2006 road safety act became law then it is quite conceivable that the LO may have advised her to operate under section 75 1B. That still only gives her grace up until January 28 2008 when 75 1B was done away with.

Regards

JD

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Yes, I concede those points you make.......however, I wonder if the LA wrote to those who were using the exemption advising of a change in the Law?

Obviously the LA were aware of the company.......yet havent chose to act?

Smells of pink ladies and Warrington BC IMO

regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I think the scenario you present might appeal to Mrs Quick but what if the LO did actually write to Mrs Quick informing her of the changes in law. Her husbands position as a top officer also complicates matters because it could be said that he should have known about the change in law.

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.

If your scenario is correct, I suspect the LO will be in touch and the vehicles, drivers and operator will be licensed post haste.

I think her husband complicates matters....although for differing reasons...due to his position he will no doubt be a terrorist target.....hence the nature of the original story??

However....as Sussex pointed out....the LO stating the license issue was a grey area is laughable.

regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

We go back to the point re his dad.

Now I don't know of any cab driver that doesn't bang on about unlicensed taxis/PH. So he must have had that permanently etched on his mind by his dad's rants.

Therefore, IMO, ignorance is not an option in this case.

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IDFIMH

Even from a licensing department

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

It is laughable to us because we know the law, there are or should I say there were, perhaps many licensing officers at one time who were ignorant of the law.

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.

I take it they dont receive the same letters to them as the NTA.....and if they do receive them they dont read them?

Regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Is there the possibility of killing 3 birds with one stone here, and mention the pinks, and limos as well

what is the bet... that a new exemption suddenly appears

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I bet the LO on PC Superplods Patch knew all about it..The LO would've been Kowtowing so much he will have put his own back out...trying to curry favour with the influential can avert many an eye away from the Glaringly obvious...

I'll email the LO and ask him what he meant by grey area?

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.

If the officer has had to move house because his security has been breached because of this affair, might it be the case that the business's days are numbered anyway?

The lead for this story came from my conversation with a Daily Mail journalist. I'm not sure if it was Martin Delgado I spoke to but whoever it was I filled him in on the legalities surrounding private hire licensing and informed him that after making tentative enquiries it was found that the premises in kent from where the vehicles were supposedly operated had no private hire licences registered. He informed me that the Quicks home address was surrey and that any licenses might be registered at the local council for that area. I informed him that all issued licenses have to be made available for public scrutiny and he said he would contact the council in Surrey which turns out to be tandridge. The rest is as I already reported.

At least the matter is now officially in the public domain and might get the coverage it deserves.
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Top terror chief's car hire firm is operating without a licence

By Martin Delgado

Last updated at 1:29 AM on 28th December 2008

Controversy: Anti-terror chief Bob Quick's wife has been running the car hire firm without a licence

Britain’s top anti-terror police chief faces more embarrassing questions over a luxury car hire business run from his home which appears to be operating illegally and is being investigated by the local council.

The business, run by the wife of Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, the officer who sanctioned the highly controversial raid on the House of Commons office of Tory MP Damian Green, could face prosecution and a fine of up to £3,000.

Inquiries by this newspaper have established that the business, which hires out vintage Rolls-Royces and Mr Quick’s 130mph Jensen Interceptor for about £500 a day, does not have an operator’s licence.

This could have a bearing on the validity of its passenger insurance policies.

The business, Aphrodite Wedding Services, also appears to have broken the law on two more counts – failing to obtain a private-hire licence for its vehicles and to register its drivers.

To get an operator’s licence, drivers must be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau – so there is no way of guaranteeing those employed by Aphrodite have been vetted.

Steve Wright, chairman of industry body the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said: ‘Private-hire vehicles on executive trips gain access to high-security venues. This has serious implications in view of the terrorist threat.’

He added: ‘If this business has no licence, it should not be trading. I would have expected a senior police officer, of all people, to be aware of this.’

The Mail on Sunday reported last week that the business was being run from Mr Quick’s home and details were on the internet.

Mr Quick then accused the Conservatives of corruption and of trying to undermine his investigation into the leak of secret Home Office information to Mr Green.

He later withdrew the remarks and apologised to David Cameron.

In a further embarrassment to Mr Quick, it has emerged that while in his previous post as Chief Constable of Surrey, his force and the local Tandridge District Council produced a 36-page booklet explaining the rules affecting private car hire firms.

One paragraph states: ‘No person shall operate any vehicle as a private-hire vehicle in Tandridge without having a current operator’s licence.’

After a change to the Road Safety Act in April this year – aimed at closing a loophole that let some operators circumvent the rules – the only firms allowed to operate without a licence are those dealing exclusively with weddings and funerals.

Aphrodite offers a wide range of services, including executive trips and days out to destinations such as Kew Gardens and stately homes.

A Mail on Sunday reporter visited Tandridge Council offices to inspect the register of private car hire firms but was unable to find any reference to Aphrodite Wedding Services.

A council spokesman said: ‘If this business is providing car hire services for day trips and events, and not just for weddings and funerals, we believe it does need a private hire vehicle and operator’s licence. All its drivers will also need to be licensed. We will be contacting the business.’

Last night Mrs Quick said that in early 2007 she had sought ‘detailed advice’ from the council.

‘Due to the nature of the business I was not required to obtain a licence,’ she said.
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That was then Mrs Quick, and now is now.

You need a license, and your husband should have bloody well known you need a license.

Simply not good enough.

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IDFIMH