Taxi Driver Online

November 22, 2007 Thursday

Numberplate recognition checks up on drivers

Bucks Free Press

POLICE have been cracking down on motorists driving without any tax and insurance.

An automatic number-plate recognition system was being used by officers in High Wycombe today. Two check points were set up in London Road near the junction with Laurel Drive between 11am and 3pm.

A parked police van with a camera inside equipped with technology able to pick-up the number-plates and check the car against a national database, was set up.

Police officers were waiting further down the road to pull over anyone whose details appeared.

Sergeant Nigel Welham said: "The advantages are it's very visible. There's a perception of a fear of crime and we are trying to stop that and take away the criminals using the road."

Drivers found to be travelling without insurance had their vehicles seized and would have to pay a £200 fine and present proof that they have taken out insurance.

Sgt Welham said that five vehicles had been seized by 2pm today including a taxi with a fare-paying customer in the back. He added that further spot-checks would be conducted in the area in the future.
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I wonder what trick he used to convince the LO he was insured? Or perhaps the licensing authority doesn't have a system in place to check when insurance policies expire? Maybe someone should write a software program for councils that informs them of these things?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Maybe LO's should have access to the DVLA records that show whether a vehicle is insured, has a current MOT, that is used when you pay road tax online?

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Former taxi driver

Having complete access to all DVLA records would probably be refused but a scheme were a council could request insurance information on their own licensed owners would probably be permissible. I don't see why that couldn't work and they could then build up their own database and update it every month.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Even the likes of you or me Mr Jimbo can check folks insurance details.

http://www.askmid.com/askmid.aspx

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IDFIMH

the same one a few use and thats to cancel the insurance policy part way through and get a refund on it It's a despicable trick but it does happen quite often

the other one I've come across is to pay by installments but to bounce the payments after the first one the insurance company then cancels the policy and the LO will be none the wiser because a 12 month certificate will have been produced to the council and for his road tax