FIT AND PROPER
HEREFORD TAXI DRIVER WHO PESTERED LONE WOMAN FOR SEX HAS LICENCE REVOKED
A hearing has been told that a taxi driver picked up a lone female outside a Hereford pub and pestered her for sex.
Deciding whether the driver, Mohammed Mashud Ahmed, was still a fit and proper person to be a taxi driver after the complaint, Herefordshire Council’s taxi and county transport officer panel met in a secret hearing. The panel decided that Mr Ahmed’s actions were “so serious and concerning as to public safety” that his licence should be taken off him. A confidential document of the meeting said the panel heard that the lone female had been drinking and got into the taxi outside
Wetherspoons in Commercial Road at 11pm one evening. During the journey, the vulnerable passenger said they were a sex worker after being asked what she did for a living. After that, the driver “harassed her for sex” and on several occasions asked for her phone number and “requested her services”. She repeatedly said no and CCTV footage backed up her complaint. The panel told the driver and his solicitor at the hearing in June that he “took advantage” of a lone female late at night. He “persistently” asked for prices, and wanted to negotiate, saying that “he wanted her to provide
discounted services that night either at her house or in the car”. The panel said Mr Ahmed has responsibilities as a licensed driver to
take her home safely as
requested, but the passenger “had no choice” but to stop the journey short – leaving her to walk home along unlit country roads. Revoking Mr Ahmed’s licence, the panel unanimously said he abused his trust – and “public safety took precedence over financial loss”. Mr Ahmed seemed to
show
remorse the panel said. His legal representative said his actions, which were a “great mistake”, would “bring great shame on the Asian community if this was to get out”.
ARMED ROBBER WHO SERVED FIVE YEARS IN JAIL REFUSED PHV LICENCE BY BOLTON COUNCIL
An armed robber who served five years in jail has been denied a licence to drive a PHV in Bolton. The applicant, who wished to drive a PHV in the borough, was the subject of a licensing hearing by a panel of councillors where two serious offences were disclosed. Recently published minutes of the meeting, which the applicant attended in person, gave details of the reasons he was denied a licence. The report, said: “Matters were disclosed concerning a conviction in 2004 for possessing an imitation firearm when committing an offence of robbery. "The resultant conviction was for five years in prison for each offence, running concurrently.”
48
The committee unanimously rejected the application after hearing details of the offences. They said: “The council’s statement of fitness and suitability takes an extremely serious view of convictions of violence and the committee were concerned about the serious nature of the incident. “The application for a licence to drive a PHV was refused. "The elderly, infirm and children or vulnerable adults entrust their personal safety and well-being to private hire drivers whenever they take a journey. Passengers often travel alone and are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour. "Having considered the policy and minimum periods for each offence category, regardless of the period
elapsed, the committee is not satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a licence.”
At the same meeting a second applicant who applied for a taxi licence after details of a criminal conviction for drink driving and an additional offence of speeding were put before the committee. The panel heard the applicant had a conviction for driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above the legal limit from April, 2015. They also heard details of a traffic offence from December 2021 which involved exceeding the speed limit on a motorway. That application was also refused on public safety grounds.
DECEMBER 2022 PHTM
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
