Abstract
Section 33 of The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 makes it an offence for a person in England and Wales who is suffering from a notifiable disease, e.g. cholera, to use any bus, tram or train; or use a taxi without notifying the driver or owner of the vehicle, or their carer to allow them to do so. Section 34 of the same act prohibits the owner, driver or conductor of a bus, train or tram from carrying a person who he knows is suffering from one of these diseases However, a taxi can carry an affected person, provided this individual pays a sum in addition to the fare to cover the costs of disinfection. Assuming that the owner or driver did not know that a passenger was suffering from one of these diseases, he must inform the local authority, which is required to disinfect the taxi for free. A literature review using PubMed did not reveal any evidence that buses, trains, trams or taxis provide a significant vehicle for transmission of notifiable diseases. Is it therefore about time that a non-evidence-based and little-used law is removed from the British statute books?
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.