Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers fined for smoking in cabs


Two cabbies have become the first in Breckland to be fined for smoking in their vehicles.

Breckland Council issued £50 fixed penalty tickets to the drivers in Dereham and Thetford.

The fines were paid and the cases will not go to court, where a maximum penalty of £2500 could have been imposed.

They are the first taxi drivers in Breckland to be fined after the smoking ban came into effect in July 2007, although the council has served three penalty notices on the Dog & Partridge pub at East Wretham, near Thetford.

A Breckland spokesman said one of the licensed drivers from Dereham was caught after information was received about regular smoking activity.

Two council officers visited the taxi company to discuss the matter, catching the licensed driver in the act of smoking inside his hackney carriage.

The other driver was seen smoking in his hackney carriage vehicle in Thetford by an environmental health officer.

Leigh Chant, chartered environmental health practitioner at Breckland Council, said; “The smoking ban not only relates to premises, but also includes work vehicles such as licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicles used by members of the public, even when they are not in operation.

“Breckland Council worked with other Norfolk authorities to produce and share guidance material for businesses to help them get ready for the smoke-free legislation, including a specific guidance sheet for Taxi Drivers and Operators. So there really is no excuse for smoking continuing in these vehicles.”

Paul Claussen, Breckland executive member for environmental health, said: “The smoke free legislation was brought in as a public health measure to reduce the number of smoking related deaths and illnesses through passive smoking.

“It does not matter if a taxi driver has a passenger in their vehicle or not - smoke lingers and their passengers have a right to be able to travel in a vehicle that does not smell of smoke.”

http://www.wattonandswaffhamtimes.co.uk ... t/wstimes/

After information received eh

Sounds like they actually liten to complaints from other cabbies instead of insisting that they can't accept complaints from another driver no matter how serious the offence

We have an entire taxi firm allowing customers to smoke in the cars but it wouldn't do for the council to investigate complaints if they come from within the trade

that having been said one of my drivers smokes in his car I've given up trying to explain why he shouldn't

Any evidence that this has actually happened?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

And if it did happen.....How can we pay for and where can we stick the massive increase in the wrinklies population???

One day soon its going to be a huge problem having youthfull healthy lungs in a wizzened 95 year body hobbling about on clapped out old legs...

I fear if we become financially burdensome on the next generation they may just give us old uns a C02 overdose to save themselves some money.

Stats can prove anything so even if they produced stats to prove there was it wouldn't mean a whole lot really would it. My view is that instead of going into the local pub etc, spending money in there and placing yourself in danger of passive smoking you can now stand outside in the 'fresh air' and put yourself in danger of passive smoking at no cost to yourself anymore thanks to the people standing outside smoking

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