A Dublin man who operated a taxi service without a licence was fined €1,000 and ordered to pay €400 costs when he pleaded guilty to the offence at Cavan District Court. Derek Lahiff, 3 Daletree Road, Firhouse, Dublin 24, was summoned that on September 2, 2008, at the Hotel Kilmore, Killygarry, he drove or used a small public service vehicle for carriage of persons for reward without a licence.

Stephen Ryan an enforcement officer with the Commission of Taxi Regulation said he was on duty at the Hotel Kilmore when he approached a vehicle with a vehicle licence. He identified himself to the driver and asked him if his small goods vehicle was registered as a taxi. The driver said he didn’t think so and he never had a PSV licence.

The defendant said he had the vehicle for about two and a half years. At the time Mr. Ryan spoke to him he was taking on passengers. There was a debs ball taking place in the hotel. The defendant had been issued with a warning a year earlier. There was no PSV licence in existence

for Derek Lahiff up until recently. In evidence Derek Lahiff said he had applied for a PSV licence 12 months earlier and he didn’t know how long it took to get one. He was informed that his application was lost but he had since re-applied for one.

Cross-examined by Padraig McNamee, BL prosecuting on behalf of the Taxi Regulator, witness admitted he was operating on the date in question and he was aware he should not have been. His vehicle would not be covered by insurance as a result. “I now have a man driving for me who has a licence.”Judge Sean MacBride said: “Don’t take this vehicle out until it is covered by insurance. Once you have as licence you don’t have to worry.” He advised the defendant to get his house in order and not to take it out until he did so.