Knowsley

A rogue taxi operator was found guilty of using private hire vehicles without a proper licence.

William Sweeney, who traded as Acorn Cars of Kirkby, covered his activities by claiming he  was running a “flexibus service,” in which the car was being operated in the same way as a local bus.

But his claims were rejected when he appeared at Liverpool magistrates court, who found that  to all intents and purposes the vehicles were being run as taxis, and that Sweeney’s actions had put legal operators at a disadvantage.

The court heard that Knowsley Council decided to act after receiving a number of complaints  that Acorn Cars was operating a number of vehicles which were licensed by Liverpool City Council but not by Knowsley.

Officers from Knowsley carried out three “test purchases” by booking a vehicle to drive them  to a specific location - on each occasion, the car used was not licensed by the council as a private hire vehicle.

Ruth Stockley, who represented Knowsley Council at the hearing, said that although Sweeney focused his business on Liverpool, he wanted to continue using his private hire vehicles in Knowsley even though they were not licensed by the relevant authority.

She added: “The prosecution witnesses carried on the journeys requested booked a taxi and  not a bus service.

“At no time during the booking itself or during the journey were they offered, or informed that  they were using, a flexibus service.

“None of those witnesses saw signage indicating that the vehicles were being used as a  bus.”

Giles Bridge, representing Sweeney, told the court that while the defendant accepted there had  been a number of breaches of the regulations and that the flexibus service had not been perfectly  run, he had not intended to get around the licensing laws.

District Judge Wendy Lloyd told Sweeney that he had used “the guise of a flexible bus service  to run a taxi service.”Sweeney, of Gardeners View, Kirkby, was fined £500 for each of the three offences of running  a private hire vehicle without a licence.

He was also ordered to pay Knowsley Council’s costs, totalling £8,120.


http://tinyurl.com/mchm8nq
-----------------------------------------------
Sheffield

Plans to change the regulation of taxi operators could put the safety of passengers at risk, Sheffield MP Paul Blomfield has warned.

He challenged transport minister Robert Goodwill in the House of Commons over the Deregulation Bill, which will allow private hire operators to subcontract a booking to another firm which could be based in a different licensing district.

Taxi drivers in Sheffield have raised fears over the plans, ministers were told.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Blomfield said: “I’ve had serious concerns raised with me by drivers in Sheffield, that these rushed changes, which will let minicab operators subcontract bookings to other operators from a different district, could see vehicles and drivers working literally hundreds of miles away from their ‘home’ licensing authority, with our licensing authority in Sheffield unable to conduct any effective enforcement against them.”

The bill, which is at the report stage of the legislation process, aims to ‘reduce burdens resulting from legislation for businesses or other organisations’.

Transport minister Robert Goodwill said he did not share the concerns about safety.

He said it would give the public a ‘better service’ if one operator was busy or did not have disabled access vehicles available because they could call in another firm from across the border.

Mr Goodwill said: “It gives people the safety they want and I don’t feel safety is compromised at all.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Blomfield said: “The response from the minister made it clear he felt deregulation was more important than the concerns raised with me over safety.

“The rules exist for a purpose.”
---------------------------------------------

THE Mayor of Bury was left a little red-faced after her car was found to have parked in a taxi rank outside Blush nail and beauty salon.

The car, which transports Cllr Sharon Briggs to civic engagements, was spotted on Sunday, April 13 in Tithebarn Street, Bury, around 11.30am.

A former traffic warden who worked in Bury took a photograph of the car, and claimed that NSL Services, which manages parking on behalf of Bury Council, tell officers that they should not put a ticket on the mayoral car, even if it is breaking traffic rules.

A council spokesman said that the mayor was opening a new business, and that her car needs to park as close to the event for security reasons.

The former warden, who did not want to be named, said: “Just because it has the coat of arms of the door, they seem to think they can park wherever they want.

“If anyone else had parked like that, they would get a ticket. It’s not fair to the people of Bury who pay their council tax.”

It is not the first time that the mayoral car has been caught flouting parking restrictions.

Cllr Briggs was in Ramsbottom to open the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships in September last year when her car was pictured parking on double yellow lines off Bridge Street.

A council spokesman said: “The mayor was on official duty, giving her support to the opening of a new business in Bury.

“The company, Beautiful, was also holding an event to raise money for Bury Cancer Support, one of the mayor’s chosen charities.

“When the mayor is on official duty, it is necessary to park as close to the event on the grounds of security, as the mayor is wearing a valuable mayoral chain and her attendant is responsible for its security at all times.

“On this occasion, the taxi rank was empty and the mayor’s car was not causing any obstruction.”

In 2009, deputy mayor Cllr Farook Chaudhry was attacked by a drunken thug who attempted to steal his chain in Bury town centre.