Taxi Driver Online

‘Abusive’ Durham cabbie Jason Craggs has licence revoked

April 24 2011

A taxi driver who was the subject of a catalogue of complaints from passengers and fellow cabbies lost an appeal against having his licence revoked.

Jason Craggs was accused of swearing at passengers, refusing to take them on short journeys, driving too fast and assaulting fellow cabbie Peter Crossling.

And magistrates upheld a decision by Durham County Council’s licensing committee to remove Craggs’ licence to ply his trade in Durham City after hearing evidence from another driver and a police officer.

Council bosses had logged 17 complaints about the taxi driver over the years, including one of Craggs failing to stop at a zebra crossing, one of alleged road rage and one of him refusing to take a passenger to the railway station.

Mr Crossling told the hearing at Consett how a furious Craggs had made head-to-head contact with him following a row at the rank in North Road, Durham.

He said the row was so heated that staff from the nearby Greggs bakers came out to see what was happening.

The row erupted after Craggs allegedly refused to take a woman passenger to the Durham Students Union building at Old Elvet, telling her it was just as quick to walk.

When Mr Crossling remonstrated with Craggs he leaned into his cab and “his head connected with mine,” he told the hearing.

Mr Crossling said he was “verbally and physically abused, intimidated and threatened.”

PC Kay Howarth told the hearing that Craggs “appeared to have a blatant disregard for the traffic law.”

She said Durham County Council had received complaints from passengers about him driving too fast and being abusive.

But Paul Donogue, representing Craggs, argued that some customers “complained because they enjoyed complaining, they are Victor Meldrew types,” referring to the sitcom character in One Foot in the Grave.

He said Craggs had only received three penalty points in 16 years on the road.

Craggs, of Ely Terrace, Oxhill, Stanley, County Durham, told the court he believed Mr Crossling had “behaved unprofessionally” by remonstrating with him on the rank.

But Richard Langdon, on behalf of Durham County Council, said: “Durham is a tourist destination and when people come to visit they do not expect to receive a tirade of abuse from a taxi driver.”

He told how the authority had been logging complaints against Craggs for years.

Following a 20 minute recess magistrates upheld the council’s decision. Craggs was also ordered to pay costs.

Source; http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-e ... -28574567/

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Seems to me that Mr Craggs had his license revoked for refusing short fares........if there were 17 complaints then why did it take the council so long to take action?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I'm puzzled as to why the Council acted so slow?? Complaints after complaints and he was still driving??

_________________
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

Just wait till all Durhams taxis are the same colour......the complaints should be interesting then.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Their sausage and bean melts have been used in international peacekeeping for many years....they are very pacifying indeed.

Because they didn't have CCTV evidence.

With it he would have lost his license long ago.

_________________
IDFIMH