§ Mr. A. SHORTasked the Home Secretary whether he will furnish a statement of the number of summonses issued to drivers of taxicabs in London for trivial and minor breaches of the Hackney Carriage Act?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe following is a list of the offences against the Hackney Carriage Acts for which summonses have been directed against cab drivers this year:
Obstruction by loitering 29 Disregarding regulations at cab ranks 19 Not wearing badge 7 Using insulting words and behaviour 4 Plying elsewhere than at standing 2 Obstruction by misbehaviour 2 Refusing to be hired 3 Total 66 I must leave the hon. Member to decide for himself which of these he considers trivial or minor. It should be borne in mind that the general London practice is to deal with a cab driver's first offence by way of caution and not by summons.