NEWS DATE: 13 March 2019
Taxi driver prosecuted after council investigation
For failing to provide his business records, a taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £700 by a Basingstoke court.
Amine Achboun, of Amesbury, was a licensed driver with Test Valley Borough Council working for an operator in Romsey.
When he was asked to produce his records and details of bookings taken, he failed to do so. Taxi drivers are heavily regulated and a failure to provide records upon request were a breach of the conditions of his licence and constituted an offence under section 73 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
Not only are drivers of private hire vehicles required to keep records should any investigation be needed, but they also have to prove all journeys have been pre-booked to ensure the safety of passengers. As Mr Achboun failed to produce the necessary records, his license was revoked and he had to attend court this month.
Mr Achboun admitted the charges at Basingstoke Magistrates Court and was fined £80, ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £615 in costs.
Corporate portfolio holder, councillor Maureen Flood, said:
“Our first priority for our residents is to keep them safe, which is why we regularly undertake checks on anyone licensed to carry passengers in the borough. We take all cases such as this very seriously and I hope this acts as a deterrent.”.