Taxi Driver Online

Unlicensed Taxi proves costly for driverMonday, Oct 01 2007

DRIVING a taxi without a licence and insurance has cost a Stockton man a hefty fine and licence endorsement, following a hearing at Teesside Magistrates Courts today.

The case against Mohammed Zaroof, 37, of Dovecot Street, Stockton, was proved in his absence for driving a hackney carriage without a licence to do so, an offence under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 for which he was fined £75. The court also fined him £200 and awarded him eightpenalty points for not having necessary insurance under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

In addition, the Court also awarded costs of £1,439.34 to Stockton Council, which brought the case.

A Stockton Council licensing officer had spotted Mr Zaroof dropping off two passengers from a taxi at Sainsbury's supermarket in Stockton in November 2006. The officer recognised him from the previous January, when the Council's Licensing Committee had revoked his licence to drive hackney carriages and private hire vehicles after finding he was 'not a fit and proper person to hold it'.

Approaching Mr Zaroof, she asked him what he was doing driving and, receiving no reply, asked him to move to a safer position away from the traffic.

Joan Smith, prosecuting on behalf of Stockton Council, said: "He pulled forward but carried on driving and didn't stop. The car park is a one-way system so the officer walked through some parked cars and waited for the defendant to drive past her. As he drove towards her, she raised her hand and shouted to him to stop, but he ignored the officer and drove out of the car park."

The two passengers confirmed they had booked a hackney carriage from Tees Valley Cabs to take them to the supermarket.

When interviewed later, Mr Zaroof admitted he was driving the vehicle but only as a mechanic. He said the two passengers were not customers but could not explain further for personal reasons.

In mitigation, he said he thought his work as a mechanic allowed him to drive the car and that his girlfriend had been one of the passengers.

In 2004, magistrates had fined Mr Zaroof £200 plus £324 costs for driving without a licence.

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "Drivers who operate taxis illegally are a danger both to other motorists and their passengers, who are left uninsured. We will always use the law to take strong action against them.

"The actions of our licensing officer were highly commendable, not only for spotting this driver committing the offences but in acting swiftly to follow and apprehend him.

"The system of licensing taxis is there to protect the public and ensure they can travel in safety and I am very pleased with the magistrate's findings."

All licensed taxi drivers must clearly display a badge showing their name and photograph.

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The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

I hope they are being prosecuted as well then?

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IDFIMH

Yea ..Tees Valley Cabs obviously would of known the drivers position and that he was not legal to transport passengers.

All this cr*p needs weeding out mate if this job is ever going to become more professional.

Steve

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The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

Most councils aren't interested untill they get some bad publicity and the police tend to only get involved if a serious motoring offence is committed in some parts of the country if they clamped down on all the drivers who haven't paid tax for years firms who seem to be able to run a fleet of cars with percentage drivers and not pay vat cars who swap plates around etc etc half the taxis would dissapear off the road overnight and then the council wouldn't be able to engineer the competitive prices which suit their electorate so well

sorry cynic mode off !