FIT AND PROPER
READING TAXI DRIVER CAUGHT SPEEDING AND RUNNING RED LIGHT LOSES LICENCE
A private hire driver caught speeding, running a red light and without the right insurance has lost an appeal after being stripped of his licence. BerkshireLive reports that Joynal Abdin, 41, from Reading, had his private hire licence revoked in June last year as a council officer had spotted him “driv- ing dangerously and showing a lack of consideration for other drivers.”
In their statement, the officer said that on April 10, 2021, while travelling along The Meadway, Tilehurst, they saw a black Mercedes belonging to Mr Abdin jump a red light, fail to give way at a roundabout, break the 30mph speed limit and make an illegal right turn. Mr Abdin was later found to not have the appropriate insurance from Febru- ary 26, 2021.
Both matters were brought before the council’s licensing sub-committee in June 2021, which decided to revoke his licence with immediate effect on public safety grounds. At Reading Magistrates’ Court on February 11, 2022, Mr Abdin’s appeal was dismissed - as magistrates found the officer’s evidence to be more cred- ible than Mr Abdin’s.
PETERBOROUGH PRIVATE HIRE COMPANY FINED FOR OPERATING WITHOUT A LICENCE
A Peterborough-based private hire company has been fined after they ‘put the public at risk’ by operating without a licence. The Cambridge News reports that appearing at Huntingdon Magistrate’s Court on January 5 this year, a representative of Associated Taxis Ltd of Station Road, Peterborough entered a guilty plea on behalf of the company to one offence of using vehicles as private hire vehicles without an appro- priate licence. Peterborough City Council took the decision to prosecute following an
investigation which was carried out by its licensing team in 2021. During the investigation, it was established that Associated Taxis Ltd’s operator’s licence had expired in April 2021, and despite being formally notified by the council that it must cease operating, the company continued to accept and fulfil private hire bookings. The licensing team was able to gather evidence including CCTV footage and witness testimony that demonstrated Associated Taxis Ltd was continuing to use vehicles as private hire vehicles after its licence had expired.
VIOLENT BURNLEY TAXI DRIVER LOSES LICENCE AFTER HIDDEN PAST EXPOSED
A violent Burnley taxi driver has been convicted of fraud after failing to reveal his previous identity to get a licence. According to LancsLive, Adam Khan, from Burnley, acquired a new passport and driver’s licence, and undertook a medical examination, prior to submit- ting a taxi driver licence application to Burnley Council. During a three-day trial at Preston Crown Court, it was heard that the 34- year-old failed to declare on his taxi application form and his DBS applica-
66
tion that he had a previous name, Aqil Khan, and did not declare his previous conviction for violence in that name. After all checks were completed, he was initially granted a taxi driver’s licence. However, council officers, act- ing on information, investigated and once the situation regarding his previ- ous name came to light his licence was revoked with immediate effect. Khan was subsequently charged with fraud. The case was adjourned for sen- tencing at a later date.
As part of the investigation, a council officer was able to book and take a journey in a vehicle operated by Asso- ciated Taxis Ltd in June 2021. Associated Taxis Ltd was fined £660 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 as well as the council’s costs.
FINE FOR PLYING FOR HIRE IN READING
A cabbie must pay over £1,000 for ille- gally taking a £6 job without a booking in Reading. According to the Reading Chronicle, Omer Malik, of Whitley in Reading, was found to have taken a driving job without a booking in Caver- sham, Reading on March 8, 2019. Malik was stung by a Reading BC offi- cer, who asked him for a £6 ride through the town. Although Malik has a joint hackney carriage and private hire licence with South Oxfordshire DC, he is not allowed to ‘ply for hire’ in Read- ing and was therefore prosecuted. Malik must pay a total of £1,130 after being found guilty of plying for hire at a hearing at Reading Magistrates Court on Friday, March 4.
Of that amount, Malik has to pay £1,000 in legal costs, a £100 fine, and a £30 victim surcharge.
APRIL 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
