Cab man in court over school run

This is Gwent

December 19, 2007 Wednesday

Cab man in court over school run

South Wales Guardian

THE owner of a Betws taxi firm has been given an 18-month conditional discharge and had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points for using an unlicensed driver to take a minibus on the school run.

Roy Eric Evans, owner of Eric's Cabs, was convicted after an all-day trial at Ammanford Magistrates' Court last month of using an unlicensed driver and using a vehicle without insurance. He has now been sentenced.

The driver, Helen Marie Jones, was convicted of driving without insurance and driving a licensed vehicle without the appropriate dual driver's licence.

The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire Council.

The court heard that on February 27 a licensing officer saw a minibus belonging to Eric's Cabs parked at the side of the road in Carregaman Lane, Ammanford. Another vehicle pulled alongside the minibus to drop off children, who got into the minibus.

Having received complaints about the licensed minibus being used by unlicensed drivers to take children to school, the licensing officer followed the minibus until it pulled into Mynydd Bach, Tycroes. There were five passengers on board.

He asked the driver Helen Marie Jones if she had a dual driver's badge. She said she had put the forms in and thought she was covered as there was no roof sign on the vehicle.

Jones also said that Eric, of Eric's Cabs, had asked her to drive and that she was taking the children to a school in Carmarthen.

Evans, of Caemawr, Betws, was given an 18-month conditional discharge, with six penalty points on his licence and ordered to pay £400 costs.

Last month Jones, of Brynlluan, Gorslas, received a conditional discharge on both counts for 12 months with six points endorsed on her DVLA licence. She was also ordered to pay costs of £300.

EH?
I might be wrong but.......
Sheffield council uses unlicensed drivers on School runs all the time. How many of these guys running the minibuses for people like Central Travel or Central Transport have taxi badges?
How many of the Limos taking over the city on weekends are driven by CRB checked or licensed drivers? Simple answer is NONE!!
What is your association doing about that? More tea and biscuits maybe?

I do not know about any one else but a mini bus named marshall minibus operate with in sheffield and pick up people from clubs pubs etc but one take action against him even

He was parked outside Rawson Springs at Hillsbr'o on Saturady night blocking the road and even a cop car just went around him. I am refering to Marshalls of course.

I think after 28th January the new rules affect him too so we'll see what is done about him by SCC after that date.

stf wrote:I think after 28th January the new rules affect him too so we'll see what is done about him by SCC after that date.

In the original news item it took almost a year to get a result so if someone grabs Marshalls in Feb' then we might get him banned by December '08. Oh I just remembered he isn't licensed at all so what can we have revoked?