ABSTRACT
In Aziz,51 D and one other took a taxi to a destination 13 miles away. On arrival, and still in the taxi, they refused to pay the fare. The driver stated that he would return them to their hotel, used the central locking system to lock the doors and drove off and, on the way, pulled into a petrol station, where he asked the attendant to call the police. It was at that petrol station that the two let themselves out of the taxi and ran off. D was convicted of making off without payment, contrary to s 3. The Court of Appeal dismissed D’s appeal, together with his argument that he had not made off from the spot where payment was required, namely, at the end of the journey. It seems that in this situation, the ‘spot’ or place is as mobile as the taxi. Thus, once the journey demanded by the passenger has been completed,52 payment is ‘required’ anywhere the taxi finds itself after it has been made clear to D that payment is required.
