Q.

1: According to Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976: no hackney driver should
prolong a journey in distance or time without a valid reason. Margaret picked up Jennifer to take her
to the airport. While doing so Margaret unnecessarily prolonged the journey to the airport just to
increase the fair. Furthermore, Margaret is a patient of arthritis and it is severe which causes her
problems getting in and out of her car. Hackney drivers’ standard of service states that if a licensed
driver during the time period of the license should inform the Licensing Section. The examples of
such illnesses and conditions did include arthritis and joint problems. According to the law, if a driver
does not inform the respective authorities they have committed an offence. So Margaret did indeed
break the law.

Q.2: Town Police Clauses Act 1847 clearly states that a hackney driver who refuses to drive a
passenger to a given place without a reasonable excuse is liable to a penalty. In this case, Damian
first picked up Khalid but then without an excuse he refused to take him to his destination. So
Damian will be liable to a penalty because he has committed an offence. Bye-law number 8 states
that a hackney driver is not permissible to solicit or look for customers when Damian did in fact look
for customers. Furthermore, bye-law number 14 states that a driver must behave in a civil and
orderly manner and try his utmost to value his passengers’ safety and make sure that they are not
hurt. Damian told Khalid to get out of the taxi at a busy junction. This shows that he is negligent and
indeed has broken the law. Bye-law number 10 states that a licensed hackney driver must wear their
badge but Damian put it in his pocket which also makes him liable for a penalty.

Q.3: Bye-law number 13 states that when a driver is waiting for passengers they must wait at a taxi
rank that is not fully occupied but Ivan parks his car a short distance away from the taxi ranks. Here
he has broken the law. Another offence he commits is that he goes inside the railway station and
shouts “Taxi for hire” which means he solicited for customers, so under bye-law number 8 that
states that a licensed hackney driver must not solicit for passengers; Ivan is liable for a penalty.
Moreover, the passenger Samantha has a lot of suitcases which she needs help to load in the taxi
but Ivan refuses to help her and instead watches her struggle with the bags; here also he has broken
bye-law number 11 subsection (b)that says that a driver must assist a passenger in loading and
unloading their luggage.