Council to appeal ruling on taxi company and cross-border bookings

Milton Keynes Borough Council is to appeal a judge's dismissal of its prosecution of a taxi company over cross-border bookings.

Last week, district judge Malcolm Dodds concluded at High Wycombe Magistrates Court that Skyline Taxis did not break the law when an automated booking system allocated a customer enquiry in Milton Keynes to a cab owned by the same firm but licensed by a neighbouring South Northamptonshire Council.

Milton Keynes had alleged that the iCabbi computerised system breached the law regarding subcontracting work to another licensed operator,.

Judge Dodds said it was now common to make commercial arrangements such as buying car insurance online without any human intervention and “applying what I consider to be a common sense approach I find that the iCabbi system does comply with the law”.

But a Milton Keynes spokesman has now said that the council “does not believe the decision adequately clarified the legal position to assist it in carrying out its regulatory function. 

“The council needs to be confident that innovations in the industry are compliant with the law which is intended to safeguard customers. Therefore, following receipt of further legal advice, the council has applied to appeal by way of case stated to the High Court.”

Mark Smulian