Illegal punting update

Picture by Chris Radburn
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chris.radburn@fixedpointmedia.com
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Illegal punting appeared to have been brought to an abrupt end last month when the council successfully introduced a high court injunction banning unlicensed commercial punting operations. Many of the former illegal operators continued to tout, passing their business onto Granta punts.

Is it legal for a licenced punt operator to accept trade from touts in the city centre?

Prior to the high court injunction, the council had brought in a bylaw which banned nuisance touting in the city centre. Last week Cambridgeshire Live announced that 78 fines had been issued in 2017 for breaches of the bylaw. This year a Scudamore’s tout received a penalty notice for touting just feet outside of a recognised touting zone. I assume that illegal touts in the city centre will also receive fines. In any event, it is questionable that the licenced punting company would be held accountable, as ticket touts in the city centre are middlemen selling under a separate brand. I called one of the touting companies. They denied making punt tour sales, despite displaying an unregistered sign with punt tours advertised outside of Kings College. After speaking to a more junior member of staff I learned that when touting they don’t mention the words river or punting. By adhering to this rule they can take advantage of loopholes in the bylaw and can avoid prosecution.

How is city centre touting perceived by the wider punting community?

The council introduced a voluntary no touting zone long before the bylaw was introduced. The majority of operators signed up to try to reduce the effect of nuisance touting. Touting in the city centre is generally considered a dishonourable practice. Those illegal operators who have moved on feel frustrated that they fought the council so hard to stay in the city centre, only to find that they have been replaced by other touts.

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