Utility Carrted Private Party : £22 10s. Fine
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FINES totalling 122 10s. were imposed last week on Rosselyn Mitchell, Denham, Maryport, for offences connected with the operation of an estate car for private party work. Mitchell, a former taxi proprietor, was fined £7 10s. for using a vehicle for which a higher rate of duty was chargeable; £10 for using it as an express carriage without a public service vehicle licence; and .£5 for using it. as an express carriage without a. road service licence.
He pleaded not guilty to all the summonses, claiming that many taxi proprietors in the area used their estate cars for the same sort of work.
Supt. R. Hogg told Cockermouth magistrates that it was the first case of its kind in West Cumberland, but if any further cases came to light there would be more prosecutions. Sgt. Prickett said he saw people leaving a dance being ushered towards the vehicle. When he questioned the driver, Mitchell, he found that there were 12 passengers.
In a statement, Mitchell told him that he used the vehicle on C licence, and was hired to pick up a party after the dance. He charged each person 2s. 6d.
Mr. Cyril Perkins, Cumberland assistant taxation officer, explained that it was a dual-purpose Vehicle for carrying goods and passengers, and should have had a £20 Excise licence, but Mitchell had taken out a licence costing only 117 10s. If he had removed four of the seats he would not have needed a public service vehicle licence.
Mr. Edward Fraser, traffic examiner, pointed out that the vehicle was too small to be granted a p.s.v. licence in any case.
Mitchell told the court that he had agreed to pick up eight girls after the dance, but could not leave four or five others standing on the street at 1 a.m. He was ordered to pay £2 4s. 8d. costs.