Taxi Driver Online

That's because I was parodying your own reply

How very dare you.

Fixed penalties work sometimes (speeding) and fail miserably at other times (drunk and disorderly behaviour).

So which group would taxi law contraventions fall into?

Is it right to 'fine' someone £200 for not wearing their badges? IMO no. Is it right to fine someone £200 for an illegal pick up? IMO yes.

Which group does untidy vehicle come into? Is it the same group as cherry-picking? Or the same group of not putting the meter on?

My point is there isn't a yes or a no to the question being posed, only a maybe.

That said I'm quite sure the lads in Ashfield would have much preferred a £200 fine rather than a 28 day ban. However both are wrong for the offences they were punished for.

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IDFIMH

The death penalty was a deterrent.....but people still committed murder.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Which can't-be-arsed police officer told you that?





Ah, yes, I think CC's £200 fine related to plying for hire rather than anything more minor, thus to that extent I would agree that a fine of such a magnitude wouldn't be appropriate for more minor transgressions.

And my point about the deterrent was perhaps more related to the fact that it would be a lot easier to prosecute the offence rather than the type of punishment administered, thus to that extent there might be a lot more drivers brought to book, which in turn would increase the deterrent effect.

But otherwise I suspect you're more in agreement with me than CC. I think

Well I suspect it would act as a deterrent, but a tad disproportionate for plying for hire

Ok shooting in the face with a 12 bore

In front of their children.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

More like it

Should also be extended to falling asleep on the rank and wearing dirty white trainers

bit strong for a byelaw....but hey.....

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

In fact it's the opposite to what you suggest.

The police find it easier to issue fixed penalties to D&Ds, whereas I think they should be bought before the courts, especially when fixed penalties don't always get recorded.

Oh, and seldom paid.

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IDFIMH

Yes, but they're still doing little more than scratching the surface, particularly if as you say they aren't paid.

And they won't bring them before the courts because the system couldn't cope, so that seems unlikely to happen either, at least on a scale that would start to impact on the problem.

So in the grand scheme of things there's not much of a deterrent either way.

Better to blame the supermarkets instead.

It's like an LO coming out a couple of time a year and slapping a couple of wrists - in the grand scheme of things pretty pointless.