Taxi Driver Online

Cab Driver In Court For Smoking In His Own Cab

Tuesday 4th October 2011

A hackney carriage driver who was caught smoking in his vehicle has been convicted of an offence of smoking in a smoke-free place.

One of Chesterfield Borough Council's Enforcement Officers saw Pedro Carrillo (aged 60) of Vernon Road, Brampton smoking inside a hackney carriage on Derby Road near to the junction with Storforth Lane on 23rd May, 2011.

North East Derbyshire and Dales Magistrates' Court on September 22nd were told that it is an offence under the Health Act 2006 if a person smokes in a vehicle used by the public. This includes hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

The Council had previously offered Mr Carrillo a fixed penalty notice as an alternative to prosecution but he did not pay the £50 penalty (reduced to £30 if paid within 15 days).

Mr Carrillo wrote to the Court pleading guilty to the offence stating that he was sorry for not paying the fixed penalty as he had been ill and it had slipped his mind.

The Court fined Mr Carrillo £117 and ordered him to pay costs of £100 to the Council. He was also ordered to pay a victims' surcharge of £15.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

How many drivers of company vehicles such as lorry drivers and van drivers have ever been prosecuted for smoking in their vehicles? Is it just taxi/PH drivers and the odd bus driver?

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Grandad,

Not enough.

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IDFIMH

I would have thought that there is one crucial difference between a Taxi Driver and a Van, or Lorry, Driver.

The General Public, possibly including Children, are using his Taxi to go from A to B.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

The law is the same, Smoking in the workplace is not allowed. I was sat at traffic lights the other day and there was a company van next to me and the passenger was smoking. The chances of him ever getting done - nil.

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Grandad,

Why don't they get an electric ciggie? I've got one as I'm trying to pack up, I've been given the go ahead from the LO to use it.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

I'm not 100% sure but I think if the van is used by the same staff each time and nobody objects then smoking is allowed in the van, a bus,coach and cab come under a different use though.

I don't think you are right because using that logic, if a club is used by the same people and nobody objects then smoking would be allowed in the club. But we know that it isn't.

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Grandad,

granddad ~ You missed a crucial point there. It has nothing to do with the Smokers themselves but the Staff cannot be expected to work in anything but a Smoke Free Environment.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Good for you I've been high on nicotine since I started using them

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Hmmmm I thought it was just me, I cocked up the other day, I was puffing away on the electric ciggie when all of a sudden I felt a little dizzy, I thought to myself I've had that in my mouth for over 15 minutes I must have had one hell of a nicotine hit.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

carefull nicotine is very addictive and in large doses the effects can be similar to heavy alcohol consumption or cannabis smoing or so I'm told. So driving under the influence of nicotine could mae you less safe on the road !

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector