A CHORLEY CABBIE’S CAUTIONARY TALE
HELPING SOMEONE MIGHT NOT CHANGE THE WHOLE WORLD BUT IT COULD CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE PERSON
Shakail Ahmed was a successful entrepreneur and well known cabbie with an 18-year clean driving record before he hit “rock bottom” after losing both his licence and his business. However, now after just two years, he has rebuilt his life and regained his badge thanks to the kindness and support of business rival Shaz Malik.
Chorley Council initially issued a warning to Shakail after he was caught on CCTV clipping a hedge at speed whilst retrieving a drinks bottle from under his pedal. He was then reported for hitting a kerb whilst carrying passengers and for using an unlicensed vehicle to carry out a private hire book- ing. This resulted in the council deciding that Shakail was not fit and proper and his licence was revoked for five years.
Shakail told PHTM: “It’s no excuse, but these incidents were caused by tiredness. For many years I worked seven days a week, driving long hours as well as managing my own fleet of cars. If that meant me working 20 hours a day so as not to let down my customers, that’s what I did.
“The reality is as you get older, you can’t do what you used to do. You can’t stay up all day and all night; the human body needs to rest. However, I carried on, I ignored the signs. But eventually it catches up with you. One day, I started to nod off whilst driving. This had never happened to me before but I told myself I can still work a few more hours, I’ll down a cou- ple of black coffees, dose up on red bulls and wind down the windows, that will keep me awake.
“When my licence was revoked I was devasted. It felt like the last eighteen years of my life had meant nothing. I was men- tally exhausted with little fight left in me and had no option but to sell my businesses, Four Fours, Star Cars and Eccleston Private Hire, to Four Sixes a rival private hire firm in Chorley.
“The rest of the trade turned their backs on me. I had lost everything and in desperation I asked Shaz Malik, director of Four Sixes, if he would give me a job. He agreed, as long as I acknowledged that I had made some bad decisions and that I was prepared to learn from them.
“When I started as a radio controller at Four Sixes I was really nervous as I had lost my confidence. However, Shaz was sup- portive and patient. He reminded me that I had built a great business which I had only lost due to my own foolishness. He told me to stop dwelling on the past, look to the future and encouraged me to find the positives out of a bad situation.”
Shaz supported and nurtured Shakail when no one else 26
Shaz Malik (left) and Shakail Ahmed
cared; he helped him to refocus, relearn skills and even encouraged him to reapply for his taxi licence.
Shaz said: “Shakail is not a bad person he just made some bad decisions. When someone is down, I believe in helping them back up; he needed support and I wanted to give him that. The council was right to revoke his licence as he was involved in three serious incidents. It is therefore a major achievement for him and a reflection how far he has come and how much he has learned that he has successfully reapplied in just two years.
“In fact Shakail has been a huge asset to our company. He is the best base operator we have ever had and a diligent member of our team who I am proud to say is now also one of our most reliable and responsible drivers.”
Skakail added: “I cannot thank Shaz enough. He was the only person in the trade who was willing to give me a second chance. With hindsight I now totally agree with the council’s decision in 2019, as if they hadn’t taken me off the road then, I don’t know where I would be today. I am different person now, everyone tells me, and it’s a great feeling. I thought I would never regain my taxi badge, but I have turned my life around. I now believe anything is possible.
“I wanted to share my story so that other cabbies learn from my mistakes. Our trade is 24/7/365 so before you take that next booking, if you are tired then please go and rest; don’t do what I did thinking you can carry on by drinking coffees and energy drinks - this is not a solution.
“We sometimes forget in our busy lives that sleep is equally as important as eating, drinking and spending time with our family and friends. Keep yourself and your passengers safe. and find balance in your life!”
NOVEMBER 2021
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