Taxi Driver Online

Burnley taxi driver's licences suspended in new crackdown

12:00pm Wednesday 23rd February 2011

Ten taxi drivers have had their licences suspended and will face prosecution after a crackdown on illegal taxi behaviour.

Among the problems uncovered during a joint operation by Burnley Council and Lancashire Police in the town centre were:
Private hire drivers soliciting for trade
Driving without insurance
Failing to display proper ID
Not using their fare meters.

The operation was launched after people in the trade complained their reputation was being tarnished by a minority of drivers who were prepared to operate illegally.

Coun Anne Kelly, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “I am pleased to say the vast majority of our licensed drivers operate within the law and provide a very good service to the public.

“We will not allow the safety of the travelling public to be compromised by rogue drivers and we will continue to take appropriate enforcement action when necessary, and to support those taxi drivers who operate within the law.”

Of the ten drivers who were caught, six were Burnley private hire drivers who have been reported for offences of illegally plying for hire, driving with invalid insurance, and failing to wear their driver’s badge.

Two hackney carriage drivers were reported for plying for hire in places other than on a taxi rank, failing to engage their fare meters, and failing to wear their badges.

Two more private hire drivers licensed by Pendle Council were reported for illegally plying for hire, driving with invalid insurance, and failing to wear their badges.

The offence of plying for hire, when a private hire driver accepts a fare without it being booked through a licensed operator, invalidates a vehicle’s insurance.

This leaves passengers, and other road users, unprotected in the event of an accident.

Source; http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... crackdown/

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Does it?

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Poor use of the 's in the title.

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Grandad,

Well spotted Mr Grandad!!

I've corrected the thread title, which I just copied and pasted, but have left the journalist's mistake as it was his title to the article.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

The Hacks in our area wait all over the City outside of night clubs for the punters to come out.................these are not taxi ranks.

The Police, Taxi Marshall's, and every other tom dick and harry know it.

So are they saying that it is illegal?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

We "rank up" outside our nightclub and also at the end of our pedestrian zone. The police prefer us to "rank" in these places so that we can clear the punters quicker. They also "allow" us to go through the pedestrian zone at night providing we drive very slowly.

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Grandad,

Apparently so.

But which legislation it transgresses, I ain't got a clue.

Perhaps bye-laws, perhaps not.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I do believe that taxis are only supposed to rank on an appointed rank, not wherever they please. If they rank up where there is no appointed rank is that not then considered touting or illegally plying for hire

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Yes, and they are right.

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IDFIMH

Touting, and illegally plying if breaching by-laws.

If this was permitted then why would we need rank provision legislation?

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IDFIMH

No that's a good idea.

Forget ranks and change the legislation for Hackneys to rank anywhere, provided there are no more than 10 in a line!!

Bloody good idea me thinks!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.