Court fines taxi driver €2,000 for not having meter, confiscates vehicle

Magistrate fines taxi driver €2,000 and orders confiscation of his vehicle for a month, after finding him guilty of operating the car without a meter.

11 April 2013, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

1 min read

Christopher Cope was fined a record 2,000 for not switching on the meter while carrying passengers.

In what may be described as one of the toughest ever judgements against public transport irregularities, Magistrate Antonio Depasquale has imposed a €2,000 fine and ordered the confiscation of a taxi for two months, after finding the taxi driver guilty of operating the service without the use of a meter.

Christopher Cope, 53 of Vittoriosa was found guilty of failing to switch on the meter while carrying passengers.

Besides the hefty fine and vehicle confiscation, Magistrate Depasquale ordered that Cope's his licence be suspended for six months, and had three penalty points deducted from his driving licence.

Cope, was stopped by Transport Malta officials on March 29, 2009 at around 9.20am in Attard.

They noticed that he switched on the meter as he was being stopped.