Taxi Driver Online

We have a new owner driver here who says that he is allowed to let his wife drive his Hackney because the insurance covers her for SDP. He also thinks that it is OK to remove the topsign and plates when he is out in the car and not working.
How long do you think he will keep his license?

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Grandad,

or how long he will keep a car, if she gets stopped and the cop is aware they could seize it, if the LO stops her he will bu up a creek...no paddle

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I doubt that the police could seize the car because, as he says, his wife is covered by the insurance for SDP so it is possibly just a licensing matter.

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Grandad,

Aren't you allowed to remove your top sign then?

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

I don't know about the topsign but you certainly can't remove the plate.

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Grandad,

Why can't you remove the plate? I ask this because when one of our drivers asked the LO about removing the plate they said it couldn't be done because the vehicle would then not have a certificate of compliance/mot on it. We now get both when our vehicles are tested so in theory there is nothing stopping a driver removing the plate

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

Well I have asked our licensing officer the question and this was the reply.

"No - once a licensed vehicle, whether Hackney or Private Hire, always a licensed vehicle whilst a licence is in place. Plates or roof signs cannot ever be removed or covered up and the vehicle ALWAYS has to be driven by a Driver licensed by the same Local Authority. The only time plates can be removed is from a Private Hire vehicle when there is a Plate Exemption Certificate issued."

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Grandad,

There is a driver here in Stamford who used to have his wifes car plated as a spare car this went on for over 3 years and nothing was ever said his insuarance stated & spouce. he only stopped because the cost of doing this was high relative to the amount of work the vehicle did

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

It is my understanding that, like the PSV industry, once a psv, always a psv until withdrawn from service and must be driven by a psv driver except under exceptional circumstances. Once a p/h or hack, always a p/h or hack until withdrawn from service.

There's been several cases in the "legal" section where wives have been driving a cab "to the shops" and have been nicked. The only way it ceases to be a p/h or hack is to delicence it as such.

Quite how this equates with a garage doing a test drive before or after repairs doesn't seem to be addressed by the law! Trade plates maybe?

But no, what this guy's wife is doing is illegal. If she wants to drive that car she'll need a p/h or taxi licence.

If the insurance company can trump the Benson vs Boyce case that would be interesting - irrespective of what the insurance company say the case of Mumford vs. Hardy states; An offence will still be committed even if the insurance company accepts liability on a mistaken view of the law relating to that policy.

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

try finding one that tests their repairs!

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Hubby to wife : "Im just going down the newsie to get the paper pet"
An hour later .. Wife to hubby "What the hell took you so long?"
Hubby" Ah pet i had to fix the roof sign and plate to the car before i pulled off the drive"

The Shepway testing station staff HAVE to drive the cars on the public road to get them in and out of the garage. That'd make an interesting test case for someone.

Mine has been driven by at least 4 mechanics and I don't understand why anybody would want to bring a test case tbh

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

they're exempt in the act

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