Taxi firm guilty of operating vehicles without a licence
A Gloucestershire taxi company has been found guilty of operating vehicles without a licence. Two men associated with the business have been prosecuted after being reported to Tewkesbury Borough Council.[1][2]
Victor Whitham, the director of Spa-Tax Taxis, pleaded guilty to operating a private hire vehicle that was not licensed and for using an operator who did not have a private hire driver’s licence last Monday (November 13). Meanwhile, Hassan Isakhail pleaded guilty to being the driver of the unlicensed vehicle, operating as a private hire driver without a licence, and driving without a valid policy of insurance.
Mr Whitham, of Beaumont Drive, Cheltenham[3], was fined £500 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £200. He was also ordered to pay £350 costs to the council.
Mr Isakhail, of Devon Avenue, Cheltenham, was fined £733, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £293 and given eight penalty points. He was also ordered to pay £250 costs to the council.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s lead member for clean and green environment, councillor Sarah Hands, said “In the interests of public safety, it is vital that all private hire vehicles and drivers are licensed.
“Our licensing team carries out checks to ensure that all licence holders are safe and suitable to conduct private hire work – and without these checks public safety would be jeopardised.”
References
- ^ Gloucestershire (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Tewkesbury Borough Council. (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cheltenham (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
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