Nidge wrote:
Private hire vehicles snared by spot check
SEVERAL taxi drivers could be prosecuted for illegally picking up customers during a Mansfield District Council clampdown, it has been revealed.
Council legal officers say they are considering action against five drivers who appeared to have broken regulations during the crackdown last month.
But a report to last week's licensing committee showed that the majority of taxi drivers had behaved honestly and turned down unlawful 'immediate bookings.'
Enforcement teams were on the streets on 15th November to catch out drivers accepting requests without prior bookings.
The initiative is undertaken every year after complaints from the taxi trade of private hire vehicles illegally plying for trade in Mansfield without taking prior bookings.
A total of 48 drivers from both Mansfield and Ashfield were approached by council officers throughout the evening, while 115 drivers were observed with the help of CCTV.
Only five appeared to act illegally by agreeing to take an immediate booking, which represents just three per cent of the total — a low figure welcomed by the committee.
Said committee chairman Coun Andre Camilleri: "If they are stopping illegally to pick up customers then the driver's insurance is null and void and if there is an accident it is serious."
The exercise also revealed that taxis are not stopping at recently installed taxi ranks on Clumber Street and Leeming Street, but are continuing to just pick up customers at the bus station.
Coun Camilleri expressed his disappointment at this and also said he was concerned that many taxi drivers are not working at night, but choosing to work in the daytime only.
"We have set up all these ranks for them and they don't use them," he added. "It's our responsibility to the public and at the weekend the town should be buzzing with taxis."
The committee agreed to look at ways of trying to reduce waiting times for taxis, possibly by licensing more vehicles, getting taxi drivers to wait at the new ranks and creating more ranks across the town centre.
Licensing chiefs have chosen a spot across from the Bootlicker Pub for an experimental trial taxi rank in the heart of the town centre.
Chad revealed last month that the licensing committee had backed having a new Hackney Carriage stand near to the market place in a move that would de-pedestrianise part of the town centre.
The preferred location has been chosen after a site visit and the proposal will now go through a formal consultation process with Nottinghamshire County Council and police.
Committee members have welcomed the introduction of a taxi driver customer care training course pilot, funded by the Adult and Community Learning Service, that aims to improve standards for the benefit of the public.
And these drivers want a Dreg?? Why??? They are doing as they please anyway 51 weeks out of the year.
2 Reasons why we can't use the new ranks Mr Camilleri.
1. Private cars are always parked on there.
2. When we ask the Police to move them on we are met with, we are to busy to give tickets out, as we are too busy sniffing our own arses.
See, even those idiots cant tell the difference between a frigging Taxi and a PH driver.
If they really are TAXI drivers, then its quite legal for them to pick up without immediate bookings.
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