Taxi Driver Online

Where to start with this?

It's basically an FOI survey done by a company punting nicotine alternative products like patches and gum.

Which is fair enough, and looks potentially useful. And it's been picked up by some news outlets - TaxiPoint has majored on Liverpool topping the table, while for obvious reasons the Birmingham Mail has focused on, er, Birmingham...

There's a fancy table on the blog, so anyone who's particularly interested would probably do better just to visit the link below.

But what's maybe most interesting is maybe what's NOT said, which I'd guess is that the vast majority of the 379 councils surveyed either haven't responded, or don't have data on the subject, or don't issue FPNs, or maybe the whole thing has been misconstrued...see second post below


Which councils are issuing Fixed Penalty Notices the most to taxi drivers smoking in their vehicles?

https://www.alternix.com/blogs/news/whi ... r-vehicles

Table of Contents

1 Table: Councils issuing highest number of FPNs to drivers smoking in licensed vehicles
2 Why you should switch to nicotine patches to help you quit smoking

It has been an offence to smoke in a ‘smoke free place’ since the introduction of the Health Act 2006. This includes when the driver is not working and using the vehicle in a personal capacity.

To find out which councils are issuing the highest number of FPNs for the offence of smoking in a licensed vehicle, we submitted Freedom of Information requests to councils across the UK.

The data shows that Liverpool City Council has issued 103 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to taxi drivers smoking in their vehicles, in the last tax year - the highest number recorded across UK councils.

Out of the 103 FPNs issued to drivers by Liverpool City Council, between the 6th April 2024 and 5th April 2025, 77 were paid within 15 days, at a reduced rate of £30. A further 16 were paid within 29 days, at a fine of £50, with 6 drivers summoned to court for not paying their fine within 29 days of the offence.

Councils can set their own FPN fines for smoking in a licensed vehicle, but it must fall within the limits of set legislation. All the councils listed below have set the following fines:

Paid within 15 days: £30

Paid within 29 days: £50

Following Liverpool City Council, North Somerset Council issued the second highest number of FPNs for smoking in a licensed vehicle, standing at 66. All of these fines were paid within 29 days of the offence, with the number of fines paid within 15 days undisclosed.

Ranking in third is Birmingham City Council, which issued 48 FPNs, 37 of which were paid within 15 days and 6 of which were paid within 29 days. 2 drivers were summoned to court for not paying their fines: 1 case was withdrawn and the remaining driver was issued with multiple FPNs on the same day and therefore was summoned to face a littering charge instead.


Why you should switch to nicotine patches to help you quit smoking

1. Smoke-free method of nicotine delivery

Second hand smoke is a known killer, contributing to the development of lung cancer. Nicotine pouches provide a discreet smoke-free method of nicotine delivery, helping you to enjoy nicotine on the go without the harmful tobacco ingredients and odour.

2. Stay compliant with the law if you are a driver

Smoking in a ‘smoke free place’ is an offence, therefore making it illegal to smoke in licensed vehicles. If you are a driver, consider switching to nicotine pouches in order to stay compliant with the law and avoid costly fines.

3. Potential to make significant savings

Based on the figures from the Office of National Statistics, an average smoker with a 10 a day habit, will spend £3,158.40 a year on cigarettes. By making the switch to nicotine pouches, you could save £2,684.40 a year. For more information, check out our guide on how to save money with nicotine pouches.

4. Lower environmental impact than cigarettes

Generating less waste and requiring simpler disposal, nicotine pouches have a much lower impact on the environment than cigarettes. To find out more, read our guide on how environmentally friendly nicotine pouches are.

Methodology

Freedom of Information requests were sent to all councils across the UK (379) to determine the number of fixed penalty notice fines which were issued to drivers for smoking in licensed vehicles. The data requested was to cover the last tax year (6th April 2024 and 5th April 2025). The results are based on all councils which do use FPNs as an enforcement route for driving, and which responded to our request by 18.06.2025. Details of the requests have been made publicly available for you to access.

Anyway, as the link at the bottom of the post shows, Alternix have usefully provided a link to the raw data of the FOI responses. And, presumably there 379 entries available via the link, although I only looked at a handful, and haven't got a spare couple of days to wade through them all

But, I mean this is the response from Stoke Council


So there, for example, because the simple number of FPNs issued is below five, the number hasn't been issued, so basically we can't tell whether it might have been zero, or whatever.

And another thing is the vagueness of the questions, which refer to 'smoking in licensed vehicles'

Looking at some of the other responses, I'd guess many councils have maybe misconstrued that.

I mean, if not a direct reference to hackney carriages or private hire cars, or whatever, why not simply use the t-word?

What would the average FOI bod think a reference to 'licensed vehicles' means? Buses, HGVs, maybe? I mean, all motor vehicles on the road are 'licensed vehicles'...

(And maybe I missed the point, but why ask for figures for the tax year rather than simply the calendar year )

So, all in all, some useful headline figures from a handful of councils. But as a comprehensive survey of the whole UK, pretty much useless, I'd guess

And which isn't necessarily the fault of the company doing the survey, as a look at some of the responses from councils and the raw data indicate.

(And all that FOI stuff is always *so* messy...)

But I think a more pointed reference to HCs, PHVs, taxis or whatever in the actual FOI request would have been a good start

In this day and age facts are often made up with the assumption that if they appear in enough places online etc they become "true".

And as a famous prime minister once said there are liars, damned liars and statisticians

we live in a world where fake news and statistics are the modern normality facts are an inconvenience that hinders agendas and business goals









Stuart disclaimer: this post has nothing to do with the OP and was never intended to be so

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

And a world chock a block of numpties who actually believe all the nonsense and lies they read on X and Facebook.

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IDFIMH