Cabbie successfully prosecuted for continuing to pick up passengers despite having stop notice serve

Wyre Council has won a prosecution case for a taxi offence at a hearing on 20 August at Preston Magistrates Court using the single justice procedure. Mr Paul Woodhead was fined for breaching a stop notice issued by Wyre Council.

This was the council’s first successful prosecution of a taxi offence using the single justice procedure. A single justice procedure is used for a minor criminal offence and can be decided by a magistrate without having to appear in court. The stop notice was issued on 1 March due to a number of MOT failure items which were identified by mechanics, including worn down rear brake pads which were less than 1.5mm thick. A stop notice is a formal suspension of a vehicle licence, where an authorised officer of the council is not satisfied by the fitness of a licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle to carry passengers for hire or reward. Following the issue of a stop notice, Mr Woodhead arranged repairs on his vehicle, but did not comply with the stop notice requirement and continued to collect passengers in his vehicle, putting customers at risk. He also failed to have the vehicle re-inspected in order to have the stop notice lifted. Councillor Julie Robinson, Chairman of the licensing committee at Wyre Council, commented: “Wyre Council places public safety at the heart of taxi licensing decisions. “We want to assure the public that all drivers of Wyre licensed vehicles are checked and scrutinised to an appropriately high standard of professionalism at all times whilst transporting the general public.” Mr Woodhead pleaded guilty and was fined £76 and ordered to pay £30 victim surcharge and £168 costs at Preston Magistrates Court. 

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