PSNI’S U-turn after furore over halting taxis during curfew
THE PSNI has said it will not take any action against taxi services operating during curfew hours when they are clearly doing so “in an essential manner”.
It comes after reports drivers were stopped in Belfast on Sunday and told to stop working after 8pm or face a fine.
SDLP councillor Paul Mccusker said taxis were an essential service and the legislation was being wrongly applied.
He tweeted on Sunday night: “Taxi services in [north] Belfast told to go home by police after the 8pm curfew tonight as they were not an essential service.
“This is incorrect & I have spoken to senior police to confirm this, taxi services help transport nurses, carers & are vital for the local community.”
West Belfast Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey said he had been contacted on Sunday night by a number of taxi drivers and by health and social care workers “who rely on their services after depots had been advised to close by the PSNI under the new Covid-19 restrictions”.
“These depots have played a key role, often at great risk to themselves throughout the pandemic, providing a vital service driving health, social care and other essential workers to work and getting them home again,” he added.
“I have contacted senior police about the need for the essential services these drivers have provided for our community throughout this emergency.
“The PSNI told me it will move today to provide clarity to the drivers in recognition of the essential service provided by taxis and there will be no enforcement action until further clarity is given.”
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd issued a statement yesterday to address the issue.
“The current regulations as drafted do not appear to provide a specific exemption to enable taxi companies and drivers to operate after 8pm; however the police service understands that they need to continue to be available for essential purposes such as transporting key workers to and from work,” he said.
“On this basis, and pending any clarification from the NI Executive on the matter, police will not take any action in respect of taxi companies and drivers operating between 8pm and 6am for the relevant period where they are clearly operating in an essential manner.
“Where this is not the case and where a taxi company or driver is operating in a manner in which they are clearly facilitating or contributing to a breach of the
regulations, officers may decide to deal with such instances appropriate to those circumstances.”
Peter Pan taxis was one of those ordered to close on Sunday night. But yesterday it posted on Facebook that “we are now reopened as normal”.
“Throughout this pandemic, we continuously brought our front line workers to and from their workplace and we will continue to do this,” it said.
But the company warned anyone using its services that “we would like to state that although we are open to everyone, if we are stopped by a police checkpoint it is the duty of the customer to state the reason for their journey, not the driver. Therefore, we would urge our customers to be prepared for this in the case of being stopped!”