Taxi Driver Online

After a year of phoning the police up they eventually got him


A Mansfield who illegally picked up four passengers in Mansfield town centre has been slapped with a £500 fine by magistrates.

Martin Wood (42), of Austin Close, Mansfield was found guilty in his absence of illegally collecting four late-night revellers in the early hours of 19th October 2003 on Church Street when his case was heard by magistrates last Wednesday.

Outlining the prosecution case on behalf of Mansfield District Council, Richard Neely told the 90-minute hearing that Wood, who was also ordered to pay £505 costs, had driven the group from the town centre to nearby Lindhurst Lane for £5.
"Mr Wood was driving a car which was not licensed by Mansfield District Council and took four people home for a fare," he said. "This is not a legitimate thing to do and is a clear breach of the council's taxi licensing laws.
"He was not registered and Mansfield District Council takes a very strong view that a person acting in this way is a great danger to public safety."
Wood did not have a licence for a Hackney Carriage or private hire vehicle issued by the council, which means he could have been uninsured to carry passengers for hire.
He told the court that Wood, who could not attend the trial because he was on holiday, was spotted dropping off two passengers by two police officers – who followed his vehicle to Forest Town and eventually pulled him over.
One of the passengers told the hearing he had paid £5 to travel to his girlfriend's Lindhurst Lane home. "We were waiting on Church Street outside the post office for a taxi, which we had booked, when his car pulled up," he said. "The driver asked us where we were going and how much we normally paid before he took me and my girlfriend home.
"He was then going to Warsop to take the other two people home for a £10 fare."
Judge Harry Banner told the court: "We find that the identification of Mr Wood was clearly proved, that his car was clearly identified and is not a licensed taxi and that a fare was charged. This is a clear risk to public safety and we find Mr Wood guilty of acting as an unlicensed taxi driver."
After the hearing, the district council's Licensing Committee chairman Coun Barry Dawson welcomed the verdict and said it sent out a tough message that illegally plying for trade would not be tolerated.
"We will not hesitate to ensure that the safety of the travelling public is not compromised by unlicensed drivers and vehicles. It is very dangerous to get into a taxi which is not licensed. We advise that you should always check that the driver and vehicle are licensed by the local authority."

If that was a PCO quote, I would show a mild bit of hope.

Still where would our capital city be without its 2500+ touts on a Friday and Saturday night.

Its amazing how many of them now drive vehicles with 'Licensed Minicab' stickers on them with the driver standing next to his vehicle chatting to all the passers-by, very sociable and friendly really when you think about it?

Still they only commit about 300 sexual assaults and rapes every year, nothing really when you think about it.

Last year I phoned the Police up giving them the registration of the car, they told me not to approach him becuase he's dangerous, for F***KS sake he's picking people up.