Taxi Driver Online

E-cig rules under review in Ribble Valley taxis


SMOKING electronic cigarettes in taxis in the Ribble Valley could be banned under plans to be discussed next week.

The borough council’s licensing committee will consider the proposal after the council received a query from a taxi driver over whether the existing smoking ban included electronic cigarettes.

The council’s current conditions for taxi drivers state that they must ‘not smoke in the vehicle or permit any passenger to smoke in the vehicle’.

Smoking is defined in the 2006 Health Act as ‘smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco’ and being ‘in possession of lit tobacco’.

The statutory definition of smoking does not include electronic cigarettes and other forms of vapour producing smoking devices.

Councillors will decide on Tuesday whether to amend the standard conditions to include electronic cigarettes.

The plans have been welcomed by taxi firms in the borough.

Sajjad Asghar, owner of Clitheroe Taxis, said; “I think it’s a perfect idea.

“If you are a driver it’s hard to tell if someone is smoking a real or e-cigarettes in the back of the cab.

“It’s a hard thing to judge and it can be a source of tension and conflict.

“If this is approved, it would be a positive move and would help a lot of cab drivers out.”

Bob Kay, owner of Clitheroe-based Hi Life Travel, said: “I’ve not had personnel experience of people smoking e-cigarettes in my car before because I ban them all already.

“If somebody used one I would always ask them to stop for the sake of my next customer.

“This plan could reflect what many cab firms are already doing.”

A borough council spokeswoman said: “We received a query from a taxi driver asking if the smoking ban included e-cigarettes.

“The report will go in front of the committee next week for an in principal decision.”

source: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... ley_taxis/

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

It's a non starter already.

Already banned here.

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Grandad,

Utter shite

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

What are Ecigs?

Yes. They are banned in taxis, private hire, and pubs etc.

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Grandad,

Only in the world of taxi licensing could something that will save lives be banned.

And some utter f***wits within the trade actually support the bannings too.

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IDFIMH

Ah but do Cab *iggers have lives that a worth saving? I'm not so sure. Maybe what we need is a culling of Cab *iggers to thin things out a bit.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

It's not a Tobacco product so how can they ban them?

They can ban anything they like. Satnavs, playing the radio, flags, asking people their phone number, chatting up women, t-shirts, baseball caps.,,the list goes on.

It's more to do that they look like real cigs, even though a lot don't and it's easier to put a blanket ban in place so it's easier for them to dish out fines. If they spot you driving and smoking you could argue it was an e-cig even if it wasn't - but they're too lazy to put a ban on the ones that could be mistaken for real cigs only.

You got it in one!

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Grandad,

Theres a few round here still puffing away on real ciggies as they drive their Taxis and no one from the council seems to give a flying fig even though these hacks must reek like hell of stale and less than stale fag smoke.

I suppose all these silly rules by councils can be added to the silly rule list via the DfT annex, when we get the link.

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IDFIMH

I think councils should have a rule for allowing customers to wipe their feet on Cab *iggers as they alight the vehicle. What do you think Cabby John, it's only fair? They've got a rule for everything else. You old Cab *igger you...

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

But under the 2006 smoking act it says "Tobacco." No one is using "Tobacco."