Taxi owners fined over minibus use
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THE OPERATION of I2-seater minibuses for carrying school children, without public service vehicle licences, led to officials and members of a Sheffield taxi owners' association being fined £375 by Sheffield magistrates last week.
Harry Roberts and John Taylor, trading as Sheffield Taxi Services, of 52 Langsett Street, Sheffield, each pleaded guilty to five charges of permitting vehicles to be used as buses, which did not have psv licences. The owners of the vehicles pleaded guilty to operating the vehicles without psv licences and of employing drivers who were not the holders of psv driving licences. The drivers pleaded guilty to driving while not being the holders of psv driving licences.
Prosecuting for the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, Mr Michael Patterson said Roberts and Taylor had obtained a contract for the carriage of schoolchildren from the Sheffield City Council and had sub-contracted the work to the owners of the vehicles.
The five vehicles concerned in the offences, all of which were 12-seater minibuses, were seen in use laden with children during a roadside check in February. None of the vehicles had psv licences and such licences would not have been granted in any event as the vehicles would not have passed Certificate of Fitness examinations. Some years ago the association obtained the contract in an effort to help increase members' businesses and a number of members obtained minibuses as a consequence. The original vehicles purchased had seven seats, which the association had understood was the maximum permitted before a psv licence was required.
After subsequently hearing a number of confusing opinions regarding the maximum number of seats the association decided to seek advice from the office of the Traffic Commissioners. On four separate occasions they were given the impression they could use vehicles with more than seven seats without a licence. Consequently, 12-seaters were purchased and these had been operated since 1972 without complaint, injury or accident.
Unfortunately, none of the people who had spoken to the Commissioners' office could now remember the name of the person who had given them the advice. • Mr. Stout, defending, said, that at no time did any of the defendants realise that the la was being broken. As soon the offences were pointed oi to them, the five offendir seats in each vehicle we removed. There was r question of children beir crammed into minibuses at "bumped around Sheffield."
The local authority was satisfied with the defendant conduct, said Mr Stout, th; the contract had been r newed. No monetary adva tage had accrued to the defe dants and no danger had be caused to anyone.
Roberts and Taylor we; each fined £100 and ordered I pay E5 costs. All the owner with the exception of Bari Brears, who was fined E5 were fined £25 each and ti drivers were each fined Ell).