FIT AND PROPER
BATH CABBIE LOSES LICENCE OVER RECORDINGS OF ALLEGED HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS
A Bath cabbie who clocked up 23 com- plaints in 25 years has lost his licence after allegations he made homophobic comments. SomersetLive reports that the taxi driv- er - unnamed in Bath and North East somerset Council’s published minutes - claimed he was being “stitched up” and the complainants had “made it their New Year’s resolution” to make sure that he lost his job. They sent recordings of the exchange to the British Transport Police following the alleged incident last October but later asked for the investigation to be dropped. The case was referred to the council’s licensing subcommittee, where the taxi driver told members: “People lie when they complain to give substance to the complaint. I have
been set up by the recordings. Anyone but me would have slapped him but I did not.”
He denied that children travelling in his “noisy and unstable” old London cab would be “flying across the seats”, and said he would weave to avoid potholes and tell his customers to sit down around corners and hold onto the han- dles, adding: “My cab is noisy so I raise my voice to be heard and some people interpret my loud voice as aggression.” The man also denied refusing fares and overcharging customers and said: “I do a good job and I don’t behave like they portray me. I am fit and proper and these accusations are humiliating.” Members found the allegation of intim- idating behaviour with homophobic content “particularly distasteful” and
GLASGOW PH DRIVER BLAMES PASSENGERS FOR DRUGS IN CAR
A Glasgow PH driver caught with three types of drugs in his car has been allowed to keep his licence. GlasgowLive reports that Mahmoud Abdelgader pleaded guilty at court on September 3, to failing to stop at red traf- fic lights in the city and having cocaine, Etizolam and cannabis in his possession. Police Scotland objected to the renewal of his licence and judged he was not a fit and proper person to hold one. Appearing before Glasgow City Council’s licensing Commit- tee, Abdelgader admitted the cannabis was his, but claimed passengers had left the cocaine and Etizolam and that he was stopped as he was racially profiled by the police. The committee heard the quantities of the illegal substances were at personal use amounts - and not dealing levels. Mr Abdelgader, a licensed driver for three years, admitted he was taking cannabis but not the other substances. Cllr Wilson said: “You have admitted driving a vehicle while tak- ing cannabis. That is an offence. I don’t for a second buy your story that it must have been left in the car by a customer. I take exception that you insult this committee’s intelligence on that. However, councillors decided to grant the licence for a restricted period of one year with a warning issued regard- ing the applicant’s future conduct.
NOVEMBER 2021
said the licensee must take responsibil- ity for his anger management issues. The minutes from the meeting on September 23 say: “Members take an extremely dim view of such conduct which has included two alleged physi- cal assaults and behaviour that will have a negative impact on public confi- dence in the licensing regime. “In all the circumstances members found the catalogue of complaints reported spoke for itself and was a sad indictment on a 25-year career. “Members are also surprised and disap- pointed the system enabled the licensee to be given numerous final warnings without being brought before them.” They said they would not feel safe and secure alone in a cab with the driver and ruled his licence should be revoked.
GLASGOWPH DRIVER SET OFF WITH PASSENGER NOT FULLY IN CAR
A cab driver who set off for Glasgow Airport while his passenger was still not fully inside the car kept his licence following an appearance in front of councillors. GlasgowLive reports that Shamin Elahi was recently granted a three-year private hire car driver’s licence with a warning. The Glasgow City Council licensing and regulatory commit- tee heard from a police officer that Mr Elahi drove off while a woman was partially outside his vehicle on April 30 in 2017. PC Stuart Morton said: “He picked up a pre booked hire, which was two females travelling to Glasgow Airport. A male friend put their luggage in the boot of the vehicle and wit- nessed it moving off before one of the females was fully inside.”
Mr Elahi didn’t realise the back door was open and his cus- tomer wasn’t properly in the car. The passenger door then hit another parked vehicle and bounced back and whacked the woman’s right hand and foot. She was left with a bruised foot. The married father was fined £130 and got three penalty points at court for driving without due care and attention. His lawyer said Mr Elahi has had a private hire licence for several years and apart from this instance has an “unblemished record.”
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