Taxi Driver Online :: View topic - Plying or legitimate ?

In Stoke, amongst private hires, there seems to be an accepted practice of drivers - from time to time - making customer bookings with their bases 'at the door of the car'. This happened with me 3 months ago, and that's now landed me with a police summons for plying, and having no insurance. Am I REALLY guilty, or just unlucky to be caught when perhaps 70-80% of drivers and firms are doing the same thing ? Do I plead guilty, and maybe take a reduced fine, or fight it and risk more ? I'd be interested to know what fellow drivers feel.

Author:	johnminshall [ Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:	Plying or legitimate ?
In Stoke, amongst private hires, there seems to be an accepted practice of drivers - from time to time - making customer bookings with their bases 'at the door of the car'. This happened with me 3 months ago, and that's now landed me with a police summons for plying, and having no insurance. Am I REALLY guilty, or just unlucky to be caught when perhaps 70-80% of drivers and firms are doing the same thing ? Do I plead guilty, and maybe take a reduced fine, or fight it and risk more ? I'd be interested to know what fellow drivers feel.

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Plying or legitimate ?
johnminshall wrote: In Stoke, amongst private hires, there seems to be an accepted practice of drivers - from time to time - making customer bookings with their bases 'at the door of the car'. This happened with me 3 months ago, and that's now landed me with a police summons for plying, and having no insurance. Am I REALLY guilty, or just unlucky to be caught when perhaps 70-80% of drivers and firms are doing the same thing ? Do I plead guilty, and maybe take a reduced fine, or fight it and risk more ? I'd be interested to know what fellow drivers feel. The fact that others are doing likewise isn't a defence that a court will have much sympathy with. If the job you undertook was a pre-booked job (even if the booking took place at the door), then IMO you can't be done for having no insurance, unless of course you have no insurance. The plying issue basically relates to why the customer went to you in the first place. If the customer thought you was a taxi, and that's the only reason they came to you, and you parked in a position to give that opinion, then IMO you could be guilty of a plying offence. Speak to a defence lawyer.

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Plying or legitimate ?
johnminshall wrote: In Stoke, amongst private hires, there seems to be an accepted practice of drivers - from time to time - making customer bookings with their bases 'at the door of the car'. This happened with me 3 months ago, and that's now landed me with a police summons for plying, and having no insurance. Am I REALLY guilty, or just unlucky to be caught when perhaps 70-80% of drivers and firms are doing the same thing ? Do I plead guilty, and maybe take a reduced fine, or fight it and risk more ? I'd be interested to know what fellow drivers feel. You're lucky you didn't get charged with touting too, because that's a criminal offence.

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