North Shields taxi firm rapped for driving passengers in uninsured cabsCentral Taxis was fined £1,000 for operating two Northumberland-registered vehicles in North Tyneside
A taxi firm drove more than 70 fares in uninsured vehicles because they were operating in the wrong authority area.
Family-run Central Taxis illegally used two vehicles licenced in Northumberland in the North Shields area, a court was told.
The company, which was originally based in North Shields, had expanded into a Blyth office but left it unmanned and diverted all customer booking calls back to North Shields.
They then used two Northumberland-registered taxis - a Mercedes saloon and a Skoda Rapid saloon - for at least 78 fares in North Shields, rendering their insurance void, a court heard.
After receiving complaints, an inspector from North Tyneside Council’s taxi licencing department visited their offices in June 2016 and caught them red-handed.
However, instead of clearing-up their act, the company, which has been trading for 60 years, was caught again by the same inspector just 13 days later.
Now, Graeme Kennedy, who heads-up family-run Central Taxis, has been fined £1,000 after he admitted four charges under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and two of driving without insurance.
During a hearing at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, Peter Rowbottom, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said an inspector was first sent to Central Taxis on June 10 2016.
He said: “Information is received by the Taxi Licencing Department that Northumberland licenced vehicles have been seen operating in the North Shields area.
“An inspector attends the office of Central Taxis in Railway Terrace and sees a Mercedes is picking-up a passenger outside.
“He establishes that both the vehicle and driver are not licenced in North Tyneside but by Northumberland County Council. He enters the office and inspects the records.
“He found the booking was made in North Shields but the vehicle is from and registered in Northumberland.”
The inspectors also found in the records that the vehicle had done a further 54 jobs in the North Shields area.
Mr Rowbottom said an inspector was sent back out to Central Taxis’ offices on June 23.
He said: “The inspector visits Central Taxis’ offices in Blyth. He finds it closed and all locked-up, so he rings the Blyth office and it’s answered by a call taker in North Shields.”
The court was told the inspector went to the offices in North Shields and again saw a Northumberland-plated taxi operating.
Mr Rowbottom said: “The inspector spoke to the passenger in the taxi and she said she booked the journey in North Shields, not Blyth.”
Again, records for the vehicle were checked and it was found that, between June 1 and June 25, 24 journeys had been booked and undertaken in the North Tyneside area.
Mr Rowbottom added: “The council got in touch with Enterprize Insurance company and they said those journeys would have been void because, they said, the driver doesn’t hold the appropriate licence.
“Well, they don’t, because they’re licenced for Northumberland but they’re operating in North Tyneside.”
Mr Kennedy, representing himself, said they had never intended to put members of the public at risk.
He said: “I’m not some boy racer trying to avoid insurance. In that past five years, we have spent more than £500,000 on insurance.
“In no way were the public put in any danger. The company is in £50,000-worth of debt and I couldn’t afford to pay more staff at the Blyth office.”
Central Taxis was also ordered to pay £175 costs and a £100 victim surcharge.
source:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... d-12497096
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