Taxi Driver Online

Should Scunthorpe cabbies be allowed to refuse fares?



A BID is to be made by North Lincolnshire Council to stop taxi drivers outside Scunthorpe railway station from refusing fares.

Members of the licensing committee will meet today (Thursday, November 7) to consider proposals to formally adopt the hackney carriage stand at the station.

Councillors will be told that at present the authority is unable to take any enforcement action against cabbies who refuse fares.

Prior to the meeting, a council spokeswoman said: "After reviewing all of the taxi ranks in North Lincolnshire it was decided that there was a need for certain taxi ranks to be adopted as Hackney Carriage Stands, therefore allowing the council to enforce at these stands if an offence is committed.

"This will ensure that the council regulates stands more effectively.

"The council is proposing to adopt the stand on the forecourt of Scunthorpe Railway Station in accordance with regulations."

The adoption proposals follow an investigation into why two taxi drivers at the station refused a fare from a blind man and his guide dog after claiming they were allergic to the animal.

Birmingham teacher David Sheridan, 60, who was visiting Scunthorpe in April, claimed he faced disability discrimination and made a complaint to the council.


Read more: http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/Bi ... z2jwWg9zMP

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

this suggests the council can do nothing on private land......which is of course wrong

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

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

They're going to open a can of worms me thinks.

They will probably do what all councils do and bury their head in the sands until someone makes a formal complaint in the correct manner enabling them to prosecute a driver. It would be so simple to do a test purchase exercise

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

Doesn't normally stop councils from bringing drivers to book;

61 Suspension and revocation of drivers’ licenses

(1)Notwithstanding anything in the Act of 1847 or in this Part of this Act, a district council may suspend or revoke or (on application therefor under section 46 of the Act of 1847 or section 51 of this Act, as the case may be) refuse to renew the licence of a driver of a hackney carriage or a private hire vehicle on any of the following grounds:—

(a)that he has since the grant of the licence—

(i)been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, indecency or violence; or

(ii)been convicted of an offence under or has failed to comply with the provisions of the Act of 1847 or of this Part of this Act; or

(b)any other reasonable cause.

section 61 b - any other reasonable cause.

A complaint from the public usually suffices.

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

Utter bollocks.

In relation to the disabled incident the council aren't being asked to enforce the 1847 act, they are being asked to enforce the Equalities Act.

But for the record they also have powers under the 1847 act to enforce at the rank, as it's still a place the public have free access to.

One only has to re-read the Eastbourne Station and Birmingham Airport cases.

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IDFIMH