IN THE NEWS


SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CONWY CABBIE GUILTY OF FRAUD AND DRIVING WITHOUT INSURANCE


A taxi driver from Conwy has been convicted of fraud and driving without insurance following an investigation by Stockport Council. Wasim Afzal Chaudhry, 50, was accused of creating a fake Stockport Council taxi licence document and supplying the fraudulent document to employers in 2018 so he could continue working as a taxi driver. He had worked as a licensed Stockport taxi driver since 2006, but his licence was revoked in December 2016 after failing to disclose a previous conviction for battery. He appeared at Bolton Crown Court on September 19 for a two-


day trial in relation to the offences. He pleaded guilty


to the


fraudulent use of the taxi licence and was sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment for a Bail Act offence


for failing to attend


previous hearings. He reappeared at Bolton Crown Court on October 20, via video link from prison, for sentencing and also pleaded guilty


to driving


without insurance. He was sentenced to 22 weeks’ custody suspended for 12 months, 150 hours of unpaid work and six penalty points on his driving licence.


He must also pay £500 costs and a victim surcharge within six


months. Stockport Councillor Frankie Singleton said: “Residents and visitors to the borough need to know they are safe when they get in a taxi or private hire booking and this is why our Taxi Licensing Team works so hard and are so stringent in taking action against rogue taxi drivers. “Congratulations to our Taxi Licensing Team for sending out a strong message that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and that they will do everything they can to ensure every taxi journey in Stockport is safe and provided by licensed, responsible and trustworthy drivers.”


OLDHAM CABBIES WHO USED NIP FARMS TO AVOID PROSECUTION FINED AND GIVEN POINTS


A pair of Oldham cabbies have attempted to avoid prosecution for traffic offences by


giving


‘fictitious’ details as part of a driving scam. Ashiq Parvez claimed that on October 11 2022, another person was test driving his taxi when the car failed to comply with red/green arrow/lane closure signals on the M62. The 49-year-old said he saw the camera flash and subsequently took the details of the person driving his taxi. However, the camera did not flash and it later transpired Parvez had a pre-booked fare from Manchester Airport 30 minutes after the camera was activated and this


PHTM DECEMBER 2023


would have been his journey to the airport.


Mohammed Rangzaib also tried to trick prosecutors into thinking he was not the driver of his vehicle that was caught speeding on Oldham Road on February 12 last year. The 56-year-old claimed he had returned the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to the central ticket office a few days after receiving it through the post, adding that the one the ticket office had in their possession was not the same one he posted on March 15. The Notice of Intended Prose- cution farm he used at the time of receipt of his notice had 133 fictitious or misleading nomin-


ations. Such ‘farms’ supply fake driver details to police to help motorists avoid prosecution for traffic offences. A check on all mail received within the central ticket office for 16, 17 and 18 March 2022, covering three full days following when Rangzaib stated he had returned his admission, had no returned notice from him. Rangzaib was handed a £450 fine, £85 costs and £45 victim surcharge along with six penalty points on his driving licence. Parvez was given a £288 fine as well as £85 in costs, a £115 victim surcharge and six penalty points on his driving licence.


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