Taxi drivers broke pre-book pick-up rules



TWO Southampton taxi drivers have been fined after picking up passengers who had not pre-booked.

The court heard how two city council officials carrying out random checks saw a customer ask cabbie Yadgar Kurshid, who was parked in Bedford Place, to take him to the Grosvenor Casino.

Kurshid, 43, of Shirley Road, pleaded guilty before city magistrates to breaching his private hire licence and not having the appropriate insurance.

He said at the time he didn’t realise he was breaking the law.

He said: “I phoned my operator and made the booking. My job is all I have. I had no intention of breaking the law. We all make mistakes.”

He was fined £150 with a £35 surcharge fee and £200 costs.

Prosecutor Mary Kigonya said the second defendant, Davidson Tshuma, picked up two customers at Leisureworld, not realising they were city council officials making a test purchase.

Tshuma, 38, of Northbrook Road, Southampton, admitted two similar charges. He was fined £200 with a £30 surcharge fee and £200 costs.

He said he had only been in the job for four months and was using his wages to help his sick mother.

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He said: “I phoned my operator and made the booking. My job is all I have. I had no intention of breaking the law. We all make mistakes.”

I was under the impression that the person wanting the journey had to be the one making the booking, not the driver - although the driver can make the booking if the job goes to someone else. However as long as the booking is made through the office and properly dispatched does it matter (legally) who makes and gets it ?

I've radioed the office and made a return booking for passengers and subsequently done the booking, have I broken the law ?

That's my opinion as well.

So if I'm parked at the side of the road in a PH vehicle and an undercover licensing officer approaches and asks to get in, and I explain I can't take jobs off the street but will radio the office and order a cab for them, and then the office sends the job to me do I commit any offence ?

The bookings gone through the office but does it matter WHO makes the booking ?

We have a booking app

But you don't have an UBER - which means you're paying a fee each week to a radio circuit

But what is the difference between an Uber auto dispatch job, and a circuit auto dispatch job?

Pre booking is a week , a day, ahour , a minute,in time but who knows if someone asks you on the street phone your office hand them your phone and let them book it in , then let them into your car & take them .NO LAW HAS BEEN BROKEN.if you are a one man band have a booking form in you car and just get them to fill in basic details.
No council have not stated how much time is involved for a Pre booking.