Taxi Driver Online

Even ignoring the word 'taxi' in the headline below, the council's own press release here uses the term 'third hackney carriage driver' in the strapline. Which is inaccurate, because one of the drivers was a TfL PHD, as indeed is pointed out further down the press release.

Anyway, not much different here otherwise, except for the charges of obstructing and failing to comply with a request from a council officer

Also quoted £45 for a job of less than eight miles...


Third taxi driver convicted and fined for offering illegal rides at Henley Regatta

https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/licensing/ ... y-regatta/

A third hackney carriage driver has been convicted of illegally plying for hire and at last summer’s Henley Regatta.

On Friday 27 January, Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard how during the Regatta, officers from South Oxfordshire District Council had spotted yet another vehicle parked on double yellow lines in Henley.

Officers identified Mr Abdul Haye Azad’s vehicle, parked on Thameside, as a hackney carriage licensed by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Hackney carriage vehicles licensed outside the district are not permitted to pick customers up off the street without a booking through a licensed private hire operator.

When an officer asked Mr Azad if he could take them to Reading Station, Mr Azad replied saying he was available and could do the journey immediately for £45. Afterwards he was approached by officers from South Oxfordshire and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to talk about what he had offered to do, he refused to show his council issued driver’s badge and drove off.

In court, Mr Azad, 55, of Lingholm Close, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to illegally plying for hire, failure to comply with a reasonable request of a council officer by failing to hand over his council issued badge and obstruction of a council officer by deliberately driving off.

The magistrates imposed a fine of £500 for the plying for hire offence and awarded costs to the district council of £1,300 with an additional £200 victim surcharge.

In December and January, Oxford Magistrates’ Court convicted two other drivers illegally plying for hire in Henley during the regatta – one driver had a Buckinghamshire hackney carriage licence and the other with a private hire vehicle licensed by Transport for London.

Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Legal and Democratic at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This is the third time we’ve seen a conviction against drivers acting illegally in Henley during the regatta. We take action against any drivers illegally plying for hire because they could be putting people’s safety at risk and it takes trade away from most drivers who are fully licensed and insured.

“We are very grateful to the assistance provided by officers from all the other local authorities that have been involved and attended the regatta with us to check the vehicles and drivers that they license.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

South Oxfordshire District Council prosecuted Mr Abdul Haye Azad for illegally plying for hire contrary to section 45 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847. He was also prosecuted for obstruction of a council officer for deliberately driving off and failing to comply with a reasonable request of a council officer for failing to hand over his council issued badge. Both offences are contrary to section 73 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

In court, the magistrates imposed the following fines on Mr Azad:

Illegally plying for hire – £500
Obstruction of a council officer – no additional fine
Failure to comply with a reasonable request of a council officer – no additional fine

He was also ordered to pay £1,300 towards the council’s costs and a victim surcharge of £200, totalling £2,000.

You can find out more details of the two previous prosecutions in the below press releases:

http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/licensing/t ... y-regatta/

http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/licensing/p ... y-regatta/

Idiot driver

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

Hackney carriages can pick up outside their borough if they have a booked return fare which I often do, the booking does not have to be through a private hire operator as stated presumally by the council officer in the article.

Well spotted, Heathers.

Those press notices from that council look quite detailed and comprehensive, but look closely and there are a couple of real clangers, and it's not just the good old slack use of the word 'taxi'.

To be fair, though, to a large extent it's legal nuances and nitty-gritty, so although it maybe means a lot to people on here, to the press and general public it will mean next-to-nothing. On the other hand, last time round they did get the names of the previous two drivers mixed up, which is basic stuff rather than the legal minutiae

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=39177&p=423735

Not condoning illegal activities, but I wonder if in a few years' time we will have articles from punters bemoaning the lack of cabs during the regattas.

All that said, if the hackney drivers had a bit of sense they could service the punters legally.

_________________
IDFIMH

Another one bites the dust.

Fourth Taxi Driver to be Convicted for Offences at Regatta

A private hire driver must pay nearly £2,000 in fines after being found guilty of a string of driving offences at last year’s Henley Regatta.

Sakhawat Mushtaq, of Callington Road in Reading, is the fourth driver convicted for offences at the Regatta last July.

The 35-year-old has been convicted of illegally plying for hire, driving without the correct insurance, failing to wear his council issued badge and failure to display the council issued vehicle plate.

On Friday 12 May, Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard how officers from South Oxfordshire District Council working with colleagues from Reading Borough Council were on foot patrol in Thameside, Henley, when a Blue Toyota Prius belonging to Mr Mushtaq pulled over outside The Relais Hotel on double yellow lines. The car had previously been seen in the town earlier on multiple occasions that evening.

Having witnessed the car parked illegally in a prominent location, one officer approached and asked the driver if he could take them to Reading Railway Station. Mr Mushtaq replied saying he was available and could do the journey immediately for £40.

Further investigation revealed that Mr Mushtaq was licensed with Fareham Borough Council, he was only insured to carry out pre-booked work through a licensed private hire operator and he was not permitted to pick up passengers off the street without a booking being in place.

Mr Mushtaq pleaded not guilty to the offences of illegally plying for hire, driving without insurance and failing to wear his council issued badge.

In court, magistrates found Mr Mushtaq guilty and imposed fines totalling £1960 for the four offences, which included a fine of £1038 for having no insurance. They also imposed six points on Mr Mushtaq’s DVLA licence for the offence of having no insurance and awarded costs to the district council of £1000 with an additional £784 victim surcharge. The total of the fines and costs amounted to £3744.

Cllr David Rouane, Cabinet Member for Legal and Democratic at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Unfortunately we do come across some hackney carriage and private hire drivers attempting to pick up passengers illegally, particularly at events such as Henley Regatta. We will not hesitate to pursue drivers who come into South Oxfordshire, break the law and put the public at risk.

“With this year’s Regatta just around the corner, licensed drivers from outside of South Oxfordshire are warned that they should only come to fulfil legitimate pre-bookings. Licensing officers, working with colleagues from neighbouring councils, will be carrying out checks and conducting test purchases during the event and any driver found to be illegally plying for hire or putting the public at risk will be prosecuted.”

_________________
IDFIMH

looks like the LO's had a very successful regatta

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