Motorist ran ‘unofficial taxi service’ to socialise
Man operating official taxi
A MAN who operated an unofficial taxi service as “more of a way of socialising” than making money has avoided a driving disqualification at Carlow District Court. Thomas Walsh appeared before the court last week on a single charge of having no insurance.
The court heard that on 12 January 2024, Superintendent O’Riordan found that Mr Walsh had been operating an unofficial taxi service after a request for a taxi from a Chinese restaurant to an address in Bagenalstown.
Mr Walsh produced insurance, but it was for a private vehicle and didn’t cover carrying passengers for a fee, meaning the insurance was not intended for a public service vehicle.
The defendant was subsequently prosecuted by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) for operating an unofficial taxi service. The court was told that he pleaded guilty on the first day before the court and was fined €300 with an additional €300 costs in that matter.
The defendant’s solicitor Chris Hogan made a plea of mitigation, stating that his client was a man living alone and living a simple life. He told the court that Mr Walsh didn’t drink and ran the unofficial taxi service more as a way of socialising rather than for making money.
Mr Hogan noted that his client usually charged whatever the passenger wanted to pay and is a man who frequently helps out in his community.
The solicitor added that Mr Walsh, with an address at Racecourse Road, Gowran, Co Kilkenny, has already been prosecuted by the RSA and “didn’t know that by driving people he was driving uninsured”.
Taking all the facts of the case into account, Judge Geraldine Carthy decided not to impose a driving disqualification but fined Mr Walsh €300, to be paid within 120 days.
