Taxi Driver Online

£30,000 to pay for taxi offences

FINES and costs totalling more than £30,000 have been imposed for taxi offences in Middlesbrough in the last year. The work of the taxi enforcement section of Middlesbrough Council’s Community Protection Service over the last 12 months has seen:

• 54 joint enforcement activities carried out with Cleveland Police, when more than 780 vehicles were inspected for roadworthiness and to check both vehicle and driver were properly licensed;

• 39 convictions achieved for taxi offences including use of unlicensed drivers and vehicles;

• 35 drivers convicted for having no insurance.

The 74 convictions saw fines totalling more than £22,500 being imposed by the courts along with costs totalling £10,300. Five drivers were also disqualified from driving.

In the latest enforcement exercise last month six vehicles were taken off the road, including an unlicensed taxi minibus which was confiscated for having no insurance. The driver – who was unlicensed - was also arrested for carrying an offensive weapon.

_________________
IDFIMH

Having read the item on enforcement in the `Borough,I`d say.Hats off to Middlesborough council for such vigorous law enforcement,the drivers should give these officers a big pat on the back.
Just look at the utter shambles in Newcastle,we have NO enforcement,except against all our licensed hacks,nothing at all against private hire flimping or as is now rife,out of area hacks illegally plying their trade outside pubs,clubs.etc.
I`m not exagerating when I say Osama Bin Laden,could get possibly a Berwick plate and work in Newcastle,this bunch of LOONEs would never know. Dukesy.....

The Middlesborough situation begs the question, if so many punishments can be meted out then why did things get so bad in the first place.

The answer is quite possibly previous neglect.

Indeed, perhaps that's a microcosm for the country as a whole - the powers that be have sat on their hands for years, then they announce a crackdown and sound like they're riding to the rescue, when in fact it's their own neglect that's created the mess in the first place

"Indeed it is"

Regards

JD

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