Portishead taxi drivers banned from driving

A HUSBAND and wife taxi driver team from Portishead have been disqualified from driving after admitting not having the relevant licenses or insurance to run a taxi firm.

Michael, 54, and Elizabeth Cook, 66, of Forrester Road, pleaded guilty to a number of offences when they appeared at North Somerset Magistrates Court.

Mr Cook pleaded guilty to 11 offences and Elizabeth Cook to two relating to no insurance and not having licences to run taxis or operate as a taxi/private hire firm.

North Somerset Council had received complaints that Mr Cook was operating an unlicensed private-hire business in the area under the title of Cookie's Cabs/Cars.

The court heard that on December 3 last year Mr Cook collected some passengers from an address in Portishead and drove them to Bristol.

On the return journey he became nervous he was being followed by a police car and told those in the back seat to get their heads down while he drove along at speed apparently trying to avoid the police.

He continued to drive at what the passengers considered to be excessive speeds until he crashed the car.

Mr Cook prevented the passengers from calling the emergency services and told them that if anyone came along they were to say that they were friends of his and he was just giving them a lift.

North Somerset Council licensing department had been handed a mobile telephone number it was said was being used in the business and decided to make a 'test purchase.'

This operation in Decemberinvolved two licensing officers calling the number and asking the man if he was Cookie.

He confirmed he was and the officer asked if he could take the two of them to Clevedon.

He told her he could send someone down in ten minutes and the charge would be £10 and that the car would be silver Escort driven by a woman.

He added that it would not have any taxi plates as it was not a proper taxi.

Mrs Cook picked them up and drove towards Clevedon and past a parked marked police.

The court heard that when the police car pulled out after them, Mrs Cook said: "Oh no - the cops are behind us" and went on to say that if they were stopped the passengers were to pretend to be friends of hers.

The police car indicated that she should stop and again she told the passengers to tell the police they were friends and she was just giving them a lift. She also said that she was not a proper taxi.

The police officer carried out a roadside check of the vehicle and confirmed that it was insured for social, domestic and pleasure use but not as a taxi.

Mrs Cook told the officer that the two passengers in the back were friends of hers and she was just giving them a lift to Clevedon, denying that she was making a charge.

She was spoken to by two other licensing officers at the scene who took her details and cautioned her. After some prevarication she admitted working as an unlicensed private-hire driver.

Michael Cook was interviewed on tape under caution in January and said that although he was not then a registered driver he had been licensed as a private-hire driver and a hackney-carriage driver some years before and he was aware of the licensing requirements for running a private hire taxi business, and using a vehicle as a private hire taxi.

He denied running Cookie's Cabs from his home address. He admitted that on 3rd December he drove passengers from Portishead to Bristol and back and that he was paid to do so. He also admitted that he had asked his wife to do the pick up on the following day and that she was to ask for £10 petrol money.

North Somerset Council continued to receive complaints about Mr Cook's activities so another operation was carried out on March 4.

Two council officers booked Mr Cook to take them from the Working Men's Club in Portishead to Bristol for an agreed fare of £10 when Mr Cook told them he had no proper insurance and was not licenced.

Mr Cook was disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £100 and £15 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £500 costs.

Mrs Cook was disqualified from driving for six months, fined £100 and £15 victim surcharge and ordered to pay costs of £200.

 North Somerset Council's licensing manager, Keith Taylor, said: ""These people did not have insurance so the safety of any passengers they were carrying was definitely put at risk. 

"This case again highlights how seriously North Somerset Council takes the protection of consumers and we will continue to take appropriate action against those who flout the law."