Taxi drivers are facing the rap for picking up fares without bookings.
Licensing chiefs went undercover as would-be customers and found almost a third of drivers willing to break the rules.
A total of 17 private hire drivers were stopped in Preston city centre and five offered to take the fare.
Today, Preston’s licensing boss said those who had broken the law - by plying for hire and having no valid insurance - would face prosecution.
Licensing officers and special police officers flagged down six drivers outside Yum Yum in Lancaster Road and three accepted hire.
Another two accepted business outside the Assembly pub at the junction of Lune Street and Fleet Street.
Earlier, five drivers refused hire in Fishergate and four refused to pick up customers next to the Flag Market in Cheapside.
And the officers also checked activities outside the Black Bull pub at the junction of Garstang Road and Black Bull Lane in Fulwood.
“They found a row of Hackney carriages but few private hire vehicles.
Mike Thorpe, the council’s head of licensing, said: “The council has a duty to ensure that vehicle proprietors, drivers and operators are licensed to carry out their trade in accordance with the law, bye-laws, statutory notices and licence conditions and all enforcement action is risk-based, proportionate and targeted, which is important with reducing resources.
“A minority of licensed private hire operators are tempted to take unbooked fares which means they are cheating their operators who may be unaware of these hirings and importantly putting the public at risk because their private hire vehicle insurance becomes invalid if the hire is not pre-booked through a licensed private hire operator.”
He said offenders would be reported.
A similar operation was carried out in February and a number of drivers were stopped.
Three of those private hire drivers were due before Preston Magistrates’ Court today
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/rap_for ... _1_3663730
Login
Register
FAQ
