Taxi Driver Online

Edinburgh taxi driver set to lose his license again after allegedly shouting at elderly woman at funeral home

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... me-5226066

An Edinburgh taxi driver is set to have his license suspended for a second time after allegedly shouting at a grieving elderly woman in a funeral home to demand payment after his card reader failed.

Baris Eroglu first had his taxi license suspended in 2024 after receiving three complaints in just over three months, as well as an allegation he told a city employee to ‘watch [their] f***ing words’.

It was reinstated in December 2024 – but now councillors on the city’s licensing board have been recommended to suspend it again after a number of other allegations.

In January this year it was alleged that Mr Eroglu ‘drove aggressively’ close to a cyclist, and shouted at them. The driver claimed the cyclist had instead made racist remarks towards him at a city intersection.

In an emailed statement to the council, the cyclist claimed he nearly struck the pannier bag of their bike while trying to overtake them, and claimed that Mr Eroglu said that “cyclists are not considered vehicles and should not use the middle lane”.

The cyclist said that the statement represented a ‘concerning lack of awareness’ on the taxi driver’s part, as well as a ‘disregard’ for cyclist’s safety.

It is understood that Mr Eroglu disputed this claim, and said the cyclist had made a racist remark towards him.

He was given a written warning and assured officers there would be ‘no more complaints’. But in May 2025, according to the council report, it was alleged that he followed a grieving woman in her 70s into a city funeral home when she was unable to pay her fare because his card machine would not work

A statement emailed by the passenger to the council said Mr Eroglu had ‘no people skills’, and claims he subjected her to a ‘verbal assault’ in the taxi.

She wrote: “I pointed out that all his abusive behaviour was not going to make cash appear in my purse.”

The passenger said in her email that she told the taxi driver she would go to an ATM at Cameron Toll, where her trip started, after her appointment to pay him.

Both the passenger and Mr Eroglu said that she did pay him after the journey, and he said his card reader did not function when it came time for the passenger to pay her fare.

In a statement he emailed to the council, Mr Eroglu said he did enter the funeral home, but spoke to the passenger in a “calm manner” to ask how they were going to pay for the ride.

He said the passenger was “abusive” towards him, and that he was left speechless by the exchange.

He continued to say that the passenger later came to the Cameron Toll taxi rank in an “aggressive manner”, and that she “slammed the money into my hand”, with coins falling on the floor.

After the May incident, officers referred him to the city’s Licensing Sub-Committee, recommending that it suspends his license on the grounds that he is not a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold one.

The taxi driver previously had his license revoked in May 2024 after three reports were made against him, but it was reinstated in December. Officers said that previous engagement with Mr Eroglu over past complaints made against him ‘[do] not appear to have worked’.

A 2024 council report says that the first complaint came in August 2023, alleging that he had mounted a kerb while driving and had used “aggressive and inappropriate language towards a third party” during a trip.

And in another incident, reported in September 2023, a passenger said that on two occasions Mr Eroglu had been unhelpful and ‘blunt’ in interactions with them.

After each of the incidents, council officers wrote to the taxi driver with ‘advice’ that he should “ensure his interactions with members of the public remain professional at all times.”

In October 2023, council officers came across Mr Eroglu’s taxi while performing spot checks of vehicles in the Cameron Toll taxi rank, where he was unable to provide insurance documentation for his vehicle.

They also noted that he was not in compliance with the dress code required for city taxi drivers, due to wearing white trainers, and that it took ‘several follow-up requests’ over ensuing days for him to provide his insurance information.

And, in an incident reported in November 2023, a passenger said that Mr Eroglu had acted in an ‘aggressive manner’ with them, and apparently failed to provide the passenger a receipt.

Officers said they had attempted to invite him several times over the following month to an interview to discuss the allegations made in November 2023.

When they finally reached him on December 12, an officer says Mr Eroglu warned a council officer to “watch your f***ing words”, and said he did not know when he would be back in the city, saying he was away from Edinburgh.

The Licensing Sub-Committee originally suspended his license for its remaining term, but at a December council meeting, it was reinstated.

In his interview with council officers after the January 2025 incident, Mr Eroglu said that prior to his 2024 suspension, he was dealing with personal matters which affected how he acted.

He further said that he appealed once he “felt [he] was in a good place to return to taxiing”, and that he believed he was a fit and proper person to hold a taxi license.

Mr Eroglu’s license will be discussed at the next meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee, which will be held as a remote call on Monday, June 21.

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IDFIMH

A fair bit of rehash, but also a lot more about how he should be dealt with...


Edinburgh taxi driver accused of verbally abusing grieving pensioner in funeral parlour suspended

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... y-32444558

An Edinburgh cabbie has had his licence suspended for two months after an incident where he overtook a cyclist in a roundabout and shouted at them

An Edinburgh taxi driver who allegedly verbally abused a grieving pensioner in a funeral home after his card reader failed has had his licence suspended for two months.

Baris Eroglu had his licence suspended once before, after allegedly telling a council employee to “watch [their] f***ing words”.

This time around, the suspension is on the grounds of public safety, coming after a January incident that saw him allegedly drive dangerously near a cyclist and shout at them.

According to a report published last month, the cyclist said Mr Eroglu had nearly struck one of the pannier bags on their bike while trying to overtake them in a roundabout.

Once alongside, they said Mr Eroglu told them ‘cyclists are not vehicles’, and that they should not use the middle lanes in a roundabout.

The report says Mr Eroglu disagreed with this interpretation of events, and said that the cyclist had made a racist remark towards him.

He was given a written warning by council officials, and said he would not cause any more complaints.

But, in May 2025, the report says he followed a grieving woman in her 70s into a funeral home when she could not pay her fare because his card machine would not work.

A statement emailed by the passenger to the council said Mr Eroglu had ‘no people skills’, and claims he subjected her to a ‘verbal assault’ in the taxi.

She wrote: “I pointed out that all his abusive behaviour was not going to make cash appear in my purse.”

At Tuesday’s Licensing Sub-Committee meeting, Mr Eroglu’s solicitor, Jonny Nisbet, said the driver accepted some wrongdoing, but maintained a different view of the January incident.

He told councillors: “It is disappointing to be back here again with Mr Eroglu, I’m not going to hide that fact.

“He has been licensed by this authority for a period in excess of 12 years now. And for most of that period, he’s managed to operate well.”

Mr Nisbet said Mr Eroglu was still feeling the mental impact of a bad breakup, to which he also credited the taxi driver’s last suspension.

He added: “At the level of seriousness, there are considerably more serious issues that have come before this committee for drivers who are continuing to drive today.”

According to Mr Nisbet, the taxi driver was subjected to racist remarks by the cyclist at the roundabout, and said it was part of wider racism directed at cabbies who are not white in the city.

Addressing the May incident at the funeral parlour, Mr Nisbet said his client “accepts that he showed insensitivity and a considerable lack of people skills in relation to this situation.”

He added: “An elderly lady, going to a funeral home, read the room, quite frankly.”

Mr Nesbit said Mr Eroglu had booked on to the council’s taxi skills refresher course for a slot in October this year, after the council committee asked him to do so in December last year.

Conservative councillor and committee convener Joanna Mowat asked: “Mr Eroglu was last here in December.

“Committee stated that they were going to lift the suspension, but that they wanted him to do the course. Why are we sitting here in September, with the date in October?

“Why would Mr Eroglu show such contempt of committee that he had not taken that course by [the meeting date]?”

Mr Nisbett said he understood there was an eight-month waitlist for the course, but was rebuked by licensing officer Catherine Scanlin, who said that was ‘not true’.

She said Mr Eroglu had been offered a number of opportunities to apply for the course, and that he was told that he could be worked into any course date he wanted to attend.

After speaking with his client, Mr Nisbett said that Mr Eroglu was struggling with money, and could not afford the course due to being unable to drive his taxi after the suspension.

He also said Mr Eroglu disagreed with Ms Scanlin about which course dates he was offered by the council.

Labour councillor Joan Griffiths said: “He is back again for another two offences, I would have thought that somebody who was in that position would be ultra cautious and careful in dealing with the public.

“I have to say, the circumstances of taking an older woman to a funeral parlour, and the way your client spoke to and dealt with,again goes all back to ‘he’s the victim, the passengers are the one that are causing the problem’, so I have real concerns around that.”

Cllr Mowat said: “I’m struggling to see that this is a fit and proper person to hold a licence, so I will be recommending suspension.”

She asked the committee if there was any suggestions for a length of time, with Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross suggesting two months.

He added: “He has had eight months in which to demonstrate his contrition, his remorse, his understanding that committee weren’t pleased with his behaviour last year.

“He has a duty to his licence and the licensing authority to behave in a professional manner, and that he has been seen to be lacking in two occasions, given the evidence that we have.”

After discussing which grounds for a suspension were to be used, councillors agreed to suspend his licence for two months.

Stu - is everyone angry in Scotland?

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

Given the weather, I don't blame them.

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IDFIMH

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

Only me

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