Taxi Driver Online

The Northern Echo

March 7, 2007

CAB DRIVER FINED FOR PICKING UP STREET FARE

A TAXI driver has been fined for illegally picking up passengers off the street.

Sean Dixon, 38, was given eight points on his licence and fined (GBP) 200 after being caught during a Stockton Borough Council operation.

In October last year, undercover officers from the trading standards and licensing department flagged him down saying they needed to get home.

However, Dixon was only licensed as a private hire taxi cab, and was therefore not permitted to pick up fares on the street - meaning he was also uninsured against third-party risks.

At Teesside Magistrates' Court yesterday, Dixon, of Denton Close, Stockton, pleaded guilty.

His licence was endorsed and he was fined (GBP) 100 for picking up a fare and (GBP) 100 for lack of insurance. He was also ordered to pay (GBP) 63.86 towards costs.

Magistrates told him they felt he had committed the offences intentionally.

In mitigation, the court was told the incident had been a momentary mistake and error of judgement on Dixon's part. He would have earned only(GBP) 7.50 on the fare.

Councillor Paul Kirton, the council's cabinet member for community safety and protection, said: "Officers will continue to take the necessary action against illegal activities to ensure taxi services are safe and of a high standard.

"Members of the public should use genuine hackney carriage vehicles from a designated taxi rank, or pre-book the fare through a licensed private hire company."

Dave Kitching, trading standards and licensing manager, said: "I hope the result of this prosecution will serve as a warning to others in the trade." [/b]
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JD

I wonder how much this will end up costing this bloke, £263.86 in the fine but his insurance will go up and when he reports the fine and points to his own council an appearance before the committee will follow and god only knows what they will do.

Seems a bad risk for a £7.50 fare.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Stockton Council

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

How do you derive satisfaction from someone trying to earn a living being punished by the courts? And then take further satisfaction form the prospect of the man being punished a second time by the council?

I do accept as probably he does, he was doing something wrong and should be punished but I take no satisfaction from seeing him punished. This is hardly a heinous crime against society.

What I find curious is how you GA while claiming to represent taxi owners/drivers, you get your kicks by wallowing in this mans financial pain and discomfort?

I might point out that when I go out with the intent to hurt someone, I don’t feel any remorse for a deliberate and calculated act but I just don’t get any satisfaction from seeing or hearing about the misfortunes of others. It does nothing for me whatsoever.

Tell me GA what’s so satisfying? Do you need some sort of reassurance that you are the good guy who has never done anything wrong? How do you find the suffering of others so gratifying?

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

The sad thing is those who are happy, in our alleged democracy, for people to be sentenced twice for the same crime. This guy has been stiffed by the justiciary, why should a council be allowed to stiff him again.

Isn't the problem the fact that we have a dual licensing system? Does anyone know why we have a dual licensing system in the first place?

Aren'y we all doing the same kind of work? Why are their different standards for taxis and private hire? Why should those who choose private hire be subjected to a lower standards than taxi passengers. After all, don't private hire charge the same metered rates where fitted?

Isn't it time for the government to conduct a root and branch review of all private passenger carrying transport types, bringing taxis, private hire, taxibuses etc all under the same legislative framework? The same licensing system and requirements.

Shouldn't such a review also look at the disciplinary measures adopted by councils and reappraise and redefine these in stricter terms and to take full account of human rights legislation, thereby preventing iniquitous dual punishment etc.

Skull ............... this person knew he was breaking the law.

He got caught this time but god only knows how many times he had ILLEGALLY accepted a booking before.

I cannot get my head around why you claim that by me applauding Stockton Council for the action I'm not supporting the drivers ............. what about the HC driver who should have picked that person up and LEGALLY collected the £7.50 for the fare.

The other question I have is why was the bloke parked in an area where he could have been approached ......................... was he illegally plying for hire, which leaves his office with one less car to fulfil telephone bookings therefore making the firms punters wait ......................... or was he waiting for a booked fare, which leaves the person who had booked him stranded in the town centre.

Whichever way you look at it mate, drivers who operate outside of their licensing conditions should not be in a trade where public service should be paramount ............... this bloke is the sort of unprofessional, self centred leech who should have no place in our profession.

Hopefully higher standards will sort out the rest of them, because with the higher standards must come stiffer penalties.

Still ........... you believe you should be able to do whatever you want don't you ....................... in fact in your perfect world you'd just like people to come up to you and give you money without you actually having to earn it.

Jasbar .......... mate .............. the reason we have two 2 codes of licensing is because the consumer demands it. Some want to be able to get a taxi from a rank when they want one and others like to pre-book a service for a certain time and place.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Actually I wouldn't mind that ................... if the £30k a year bed tester job has gone.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Sorry GA, nothing to do with the consumer, as far as the pubilc are concerned a "taxi" is a "taxi" and most have no idea what the difference is. Witness the amount of people trying to flag down ph cars.
The trade keep the notion that there is a difference in order to sell on plates at huge values which should be outlawed. The plates should be "not transferable"

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

A couple of private hire companies sold out in in the last couple of years by me, one got £150,000 for his business do you think that he should have just handed his licence back into the council and received nothing,

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

MR T

you should be allowed to sell your business that you have worked hard to build. The Name, phone number, web site etc. But NOT the plates IF the council have a limit on the number of plates they issue.
How much did the council charge you when they were issued?

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Ranks do not suddenly appear, a new rank takes a great deal of time before it becomes profitable, that means that owners and drivers have to invest their time waiting for customers, it's just like a shop, so when a owner sells his licence he also sells his business the differences is he spent the hours which he is now being paid for, unlike the private hire Radio owner who sells the business his drivers have created for him, they get nothing he gets all the profits.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

What utter tosh.

The only reason a plate has a premium is because they are restricted, f*** all to do with ranks and building up a trade.

Don't you think that happens in the other 72% of areas?

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IDFIMH

And there speaks the experience hackney carriage driver/ owner , sorry Sussex I forgot you are just a private hire driver that wants a hackney Licence, stick to being a private hire driver, because you will never make a professional Hackney driver. Mark my words

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Plates have a value because people want them in restricted areas and they are willing to pay to have one.

After all how many plates would be sold if no-one could see value in owning one .................... and whether you like it or not Sussex your 10 year battle to get a free plate has confirmed to some the value of them.

Just ask Skull .................. who doesn't mind paying to get something he specifically wants.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Dear Mr Tulsablue,

I'm sure we all would agree that PH cars are constantly hailed during the busy 2 hours over a weekend night ..................... however the public also complain about not being able to book a "taxi" and have little comprehension of what a PH vehicle is.

Are you suggesting that the public do not consider PH cars to be taxis when using the local taxi office which is in fact a PH operator.

The fact remains that a single tier system would never work because it would not be reliable for those who wished to book a vehicle for a certain time and place, something which happens significantly more times than street hailings or even rank pick ups.

You have an ideal which suits you, and others like you .................. but you need to think about the needs of your customers before your own whims of fancy and jealousy.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.