Taxi Driver Online

Private-hire cab driver Darren Brooks, of Great Sutton, could lose job because of ‘good deed’

A PRIVATE-HIRE cab driver fears he may lose his job after undercover Trading Standards officers caught him breaking the terms of his licence – by driving them just 10 yards without a booking.

Darren Brooks, of Acacia Drive, Great Sutton, faces the possibility of a court summons, eight points on his licence and a £5,000 fine after the sting.

He picked up what he thought were three customers in the cold and rain outside the Woodlands pub in Chester Road, Whitby, on the evening of December 4 claiming he was concerned for their safety and asked them to book the journey with his firm inside his cab.

But, by technically accepting a booking for immediate hire, he breached the terms of his licence and invalidated the insurance on the car.

Mr Brooks said: “I understand they’ve got to have regulations but they need to use some common sense. “I might lose my job and possibly never get a driver’s job again.”

Trading Standards and police were performing a two-day operation flagging down private-hire vehicles to see if drivers would take them to their destinations without a booking. Unlike Hackney cabs, private-hire vehicles must be booked in advance through a licensed operator.

His ‘customers’ asked to be taken to Chester so Mr Brooks drove 10 yards down the road then one of the girls booked his taxi and he drove on. Mr Brooks explained he was then stopped by the police.

He said: “I had blue flashing lights behind me so I pulled in thinking it would overtake me, but I was pulled over by the police. The taxi enforcement officer assured me the insurance wasn’t valid.”

Mr Brooks said his car was taken away and claims he was left on the roadside clutching his belongings close to midnight. He said he lost out on valuable weekend trade because he could not retrieve his vehicle from Northwich until Monday.

Mr Brooks added: “They were only in the car 20-30 seconds before they made the phone call. “The taxi enforcer took great pleasure in telling me I was going to get a £3,000-£5,000 fine and six to eight points, which as a taxi driver is crippling. There’s no way I’m going to get insured now.”

Mr Brooks only started driving in June after losing his job in May and piling his redundancy money into training to become a taxi driver. He is awaiting a court summons in the next eight weeks.

Cheshire West and Chester spokesman Ian Callister said: “This case is currently being dealt with by regulatory services and further comment would be inappropriate.”

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IDFIMH

Six points, if convicted of no insurance.

£500 maximum fine.

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IDFIMH

Should have piled his redundancy into training to be a private hire driver then he wouldn't now find himself in the position he is in

As for the good deed thinking he was picking somebody up from out of the cold and rain !!! My Arse