The big mistake the DfT made when removing section 75 1b was not removing the hire or reward element from wedding contracts and even funerals. The scam regarding wedding contracts has been highlighted by me on many occasions and is commonly abused.
Recently I was informed by a licensing officer that a person operating in their authority and who has been targeted on several occasions makes a very handsome living out of hiring out his vehicle to funeral services for the purpose of hire or reward.
There is a strong case for removing wedding contract exemptions for the purpose of hire or reward for profit and I propose the only exemption should be for those persons who do not perform such duties as part of a business.
Guernsey has a policy whereby anyone undertaking a wedding contract or any other type of hire or reward for payment must be licensed under their PSV rules, I believe the UK should operate the same system of licensing.
The following story highlights the illegal activity of a limo car hire and chauffeur drive operator who was caught red handed breaking the licensing rules and then tried to lie his way out of situation by saying he offered the vehicles for free and that he never accepted any money from the two parties who hired the vehicles and drivers.
The same system is operated here by many such companies yet they constantly fail to understand the meaning of hire or reward for profit whether that be as an agent or a supplier. This case albeit in Guernsey, is a fore runner to what is likely to happen if our enforcement officers ever take their finger out of their backside and prosecute these unlicensed operators.
The Guernsey Environment Department who are responsible for licensing, informed me that they intend to clamp down even further on these illegal activities.
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http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2008/04/1 ... ctor-lied/
A DIRECTOR of a luxury car hire and chauffeur service could be sent to prison for lying to police to stop his company from being prosecuted for using unlicensed cars.
Malcolm Margo, who runs Guernsey Chauffeur Drive Ltd, denied attempting to pervert the course of justice and using public-service vehicles without a licence.
But he was found guilty in the Magistrate’s Court, where he was described as ‘a wholly unconvincing witness’ who had told ‘a pack of lies’.
Mr Margo said that he had sent handwritten credit notes to two couples who had booked cars for weddings to ensure that two unlicensed cars were not being used as public service vehicles.
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