Taxi Driver Online

Evening Herald (Plymouth)

August 20, 2007 Monday

Check on taxi found tyre fault

A TAXI-driver still in her probationary period has been ordered to appear before council officials after a spot-check found her car in a poor state.

Gillian Meager is to attend the city council's hackney carriage licensing committee on Thursday after failing to comply with conditions of her licence.

In a check on June 22, both rear tyres of her taxi were found to have a tread depth barely half the legal amount.

"The severe lack of tread, which would dramatically increase stopping distances - particularly in wet weather - could have an adverse effect on public safety," a report states.

"It is clear either that Miss Meager had not performed any vehicle inspection prior to commencing work - otherwise the tyre defect would have been easily noticed - or it was noticed but she chose, for reasons best known to her, to ignore it and put public safety in jeopardy."

The report adds: "She was less than co-operative. When advised that the vehicle licence was immediately suspended, she swore at the officer."

Miss Meager was granted her licence on January 29. The first year is considered to be a probationary period, during which the driver will be assessed to determine their suitability to be a licence-holder.

The report states that on March 2 Miss Meager's vehicle was spot-checked.

Officers asked to see a certificate of insurance, or a copy of one, but Miss Meager was unable to produce either. The vehicle was subsequently issued with a prohibition notice which suspended it from service. The certificate was later produced.

A couple of weeks later, on April 19, Miss Meager's vehicle was stopped again, and again she failed to produce her certificate of insurance or a copy of it. It was also noted by officers that the council licence plate was not satisfactorily secured to the vehicle.

On examining the file, officers also noted that Miss Meager had informed the licensing section of a fixed penalty notice for failing to comply with a traffic signal on May 11. She received three penalty points on her licence.

Summing up, the report adds: "Given that all of this has occurred within a period of six months of Miss Meager being granted a licence, members are asked to consider whether Miss Meager is a fit and proper person to retain her private driver's licence."
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Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)

August 20, 2007 Monday

Thomas Wood, aged 34, of Bedworth was convicted and fined hundred pounds for causing his vehicle to stop within the limits of a pelican crossing and failing to wear a hackney carriage drivers' badge.
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