Taxi and Cab drivers prosecuted or suspended (FOI)

Request

A

How many taxi / cab drivers have been prosecuted by the police for driving on any of the ranks? 

B

How many plates have Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVS) suspended for the same reason?

C

How can it be an offence if all of them have the same test and paid the same fees? Yet the police allow Jersey Lifts to operate unlicensed. Who do they want to serve, the public?

Clarification requested

Is the requestor asking if ‘restricted’ taxi-cab drivers have been prosecuted for picking up a fare from a rank? Over what period of time would the requestor like the States of Jersey Police to cover, one year?

Clarification received

A cab driver is a taxi driver and vice versa. Taxi is what I meant as they are all the same. They hold the same badges. All taxis.

Back to Feb 2013.

Response

The requestor states that a cab driver is a taxi driver and vice versa. The Motor Traffic (Taxi-Cabs General) (Jersey) Order 2002 defines the difference between a controlled taxi-cab, a limousine taxi-cab and a restricted taxi-cab. The details can be viewed at the following link:

Motor Traffic (Taxi-Cabs – General) (Jersey) Order 2002 on the Jersey Law website

This law was amended on 19 September 2016 and the titles have now changed. A controlled-taxi is now just a taxi and a restricted taxi-cab is now a private-hire cab. Restrictions surrounding private-hire cabs using taxi ranks still exist but have changed to allow those with disabled access (purple plate) to have greater access at certain times to all ranks.

Motor Traffic (Taxi-Cabs – General) (Amendment) (Jersey) Order 2016 on the Jersey Law website

A and B

The previous legislation applies for the period of the request. Since February 2013, there have been two occasions where the driver of a restricted taxi-cab has been reported for acting outside the terms of the licence granted (using a rank).

On both occasions, the matter was dealt with at the Parish Hall. During the same period, Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVS) have suspended one driver of a restricted taxi-cab for misuse of taxi ranks following action taken by the police.

C

The requestor is directed to a previous Freedom of Information response issued on 29 September 2015 concerning the Jersey Lifts Scheme: 

Prosecution for driving without a licence (FOI)

The situation has not changed and police continue to monitor the situation.