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Loughborough taxi company owner and driver fined after pupils dropped off in unlicensed vehicle



A taxi company owner and a driver have been fined after schoolchildren were dropped off in an unlicensed vehicle.

Leicester Magistrates' Court was told taxi driver John Hubbard used his own vehicle to take the youngsters to a Loughborough school after his licensed taxi failed to start.

Hubbard was caught as part of a vehicle spot check and claimed Thomas Maden, who held the contract with Leicestershire County Council to take the pupils to and from school, told him to use his own vehicle.

Maden (66), of Kensington Avenue, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to causing or permitting the use of a vehicle which was not insured to be used as a taxi. He was fined £400, ordered to pay £180 costs and a victim surcharge of £40.

The magistrates also endorsed his driving licence with eight penalty points.

Hubbard (68), of Tuckers Road, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle which was not correctly licensed for private hire.

It was also therefore not insured. He was also fined £400, ordered to pay £214 costs and a victim surcharge of £40.

His licence was also endorsed with eight penalty points.

In mitigation, Maden said he had held a driving licence for 40 years and had been a taxi driver for 37 years.

He said he has held contracts with Leicestershire County Council for 30 years and operates a number of schools contracts, which he sub-contracts to other drivers including Hubbard.

On the day in question, Maden was taking his own passengers and did not have any vehicles free to assist Mr Hubbard, so accepted he told him to use his own vehicle.

Maden and Hubbard were both prosecuted by Charnwood Borough Council.

Alan Twells, the council's head of regulatory services, said: "People place a great deal of trust in taxi drivers and they have a duty to make sure they comply with the regulations that are put in place in the interest of public safety.

"I hope this court case sends a strong message to drivers in Charnwood that you cannot ignore the rules.

"If you do then we will not hesitate to prosecute in court as the public have a right to feel confident that when they use a taxi, it will be correctly licensed."


Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Lough ... z3a93AtqdL

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The framework agreement that was in place at the time of this incident does not allow operators to sub contract.

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